He shifted down the bed to inspect it more closely. “I like it. I’m just a bit surprised. When did you have it done?”
“On my way home. I had a brief moment of rebellion at the airport. I blew hundreds of pounds on the smallest garments I’ve ever owned, and I got a piercing.”
He grinned up at her. “Were you still drunk?”
She groaned and hid her face. “Probably. Tell me the worst. How embarrassing was I?”
“Not embarrassing. Sweet. A bit clingy.” He’d better tell her the rest of it. “You said you loved me.”
She sat bolt upright. “What?”
“You said you loved me. Of course, you were very drunk, so you probably didn’t mean it.”
“Khaled!”
He winked. “You’ve never said it sober.”
“I… but of course I love you.”
“Of course.” He grinned smugly. “How could you help it? By the way, I’m very curious about those tiny garments you bought.”
“You saw one this afternoon.”
“The bikini? I thought you might have bought underwear.”
“No. I thought about it, but I couldn’t see the point.”
He ran his hands up to cup her naked breasts. “Fair enough. So if the piercing was your moment of rebellion, what does that make the trip to St. Lucia?”
“This was my haven of restoration. I was supposed to be having a holiday and finding myself. Whilst wearing skimpy bikinis and having hordes of gorgeous men fall at my feet.”
He couldn’t help laughing. “But I found you instead, though I’m happy to note that I did not actually fall at your feet, even though you were wearing a bikini, which was indeed far too small for you. Livvy, I never meant for you to think I didn’t want you. I planned to tell you after the ball.”
“But I had too many glasses of champagne and ruined that plan.”
“Quite. I rushed to the airport as soon as I could get out of the council meeting, but the plane had already taken off.”
“That was nearly two weeks ago.”
He frowned. “I know. I wanted to come immediately. I was already arranging for the plane to fly me to Aberdeen, but…”
“But?”
Khaled sighed. It was always going to be this way and there was no use pretending otherwise. “Jamil reminded me of a state visit. I had to be there.”
“Yes, I see.”
“No, you don’t.” He grasped her hands and waited for her to look up at him. “I wanted to ditch it. You were more important—you are more important, but…”
She squeezed his hands. “It’s okay, you don’t have to explain. I understand that you have duties, Khaled. I don’t want to stop you from doing what you must.”
“They were from Kuwait. There was a ceremony to honor Djalil. I had to be there.”
She lifted a hand to his cheek. “Do you still miss him?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know what our lives would have been if he had lived. I might never have met you.”
Olivia shook her head. “It’s better not to wonder, but I wish I had known your brother. I always wanted a brother.”
“He would have liked you.”
She smiled. “You’re biased.”
“Maybe.” He stroked her hair. “I phoned you later that day. Your father was bewildered. I don’t think he understood why you left again so suddenly.”
She grimaced. “I’ll talk to him. Explain.”
“He didn’t know where you were. It took a few days to find you. And I wanted to clear my schedule. I thought I might need longer.”
“Longer?”
He grinned. “To persuade you. I had no idea you were going to be so easy.”
She shrugged. “I don’t play games.”
“No, you don’t. I love that about you. But I should have come sooner. I could have found a way.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said. She tugged at his arm and obligingly he moved near enough for her to kiss him. “Nothing matters now.”
Reluctantly he pulled away. There was something else he had to tell her. “I need to be back in Saqat by the end of the week.”
Olivia slumped against the pillows. He tickled her stomach. “We can come back here, if you like. For our honeymoon, perhaps?”
She smiled broadly. “Yes, please.”
“Good.” He pushed back the sheets and stood up. “Excuse me, I must phone my father.”
“Your father!” Olivia sat up and pulled the sheet around her swiftly. “What on earth is he going to say, Khaled? You can’t just marry me, you know that!”
“Relax.” He sat on the edge of the bed and slid his hand around Olivia’s neck. “My father likes you. He knows I was coming to find you, and he told me to tell you that he has always wanted a daughter.”
“Oh, Khaled.” She stared at him, lips trembling and eyes stinging with sudden tears. “Truly? I thought your father would want you to marry a Saqati woman.”
“My father wants me to find the woman of my choosing and make her Saqati by marrying her.”
She reached up and kissed him again.
“Uh-uh.” Khaled pulled away. “I need to make that call.”