Her Secret Page 6

  “Yeah. I know.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in closer. “Aren’t you glad that I brought you here?” he teased.

  Kate turned, frowning up at him over her shoulder. “You just wanted to prove that yours is more…” He interrupted her with a kiss. Kate grinned, kissed him back, turning in his arms and wrapping hers around his neck.

  When he pulled back, she sighed. “Yes. Thank you for taking me here. This was worth it.”

  Talal watched as Kate sighed softly in her sleep, smiling into the pillow. He’d come back to bed after dealing with an important issue, wishing that his life were different, that he could stay right here in her soft arms.

  Talal stared up at the ceiling, wondering if God were messing with him. He was ruler of Altair. But did that mean that he couldn’t have a life of his own? Why couldn’t he just relax and enjoy the time left with Kate? Never before had he resented his life or his responsibilities. But after spending the last three days in Kate’s arms, with her in his bed, he wanted to throw all of it away if he could only spend more time with her, to believe for a few days that the rest of the world didn’t exist.

  Kate deserved that, he thought as her fingers curled around his wrist. She deserved so much more than a man who had to leave every few hours to deal with a crisis. Even if she didn’t know that he’d left, it wasn’t fair to her. When he kissed her, all of his responsibilities vanished. It was just her, the soft sighs his touch could illicit and the way her body reacted to him.

  But when she fell asleep, too many things happened. They’d been together for three days and three nights and it had been the most amazing time of his life. No woman had ever captured his attention like Kate had done. She was his woman.

  Even as he felt her leg slide higher against his own, he wondered how he could keep her in his life permanently. He needed her. The sex alone was amazing, but he needed her voice, her soothing touch, to get him through the day.

  He’d figure it out, he vowed. Somehow, he’d come up with a solution. Maybe hire some additional personnel. Perhaps he could give his generals more power? No, that would be a bad idea. The generals he had now were too power-hungry.

  Sighing, he continued to consider alternatives. Somehow, he’d figure this out.

  Chapter 2

  Talal stared at his aide with resignation. The man looked ridiculous, standing outside the villa in the intense heat wearing a tailored suit and tie, but this man was his right hand, knew everything that was going on and was his most trusted advisor.

  If he was here, something had gone wrong.

  “What is it?” he demanded, stepping outside so that he wouldn’t disturb Kate. He’d kept her up most of the night, talking and making love. It was the third night in a row like that and he knew he should keep an emotional distance, put some separation between them to gain perspective, but the thought of leaving her was…he wasn’t ready. Not quite yet.

  The look on his aide’s face was clear he didn’t have a choice.

  “The prime minister called. There’s an emergency in the southern border states,” he explained in hushed tones, keeping his voice low. Not because he didn’t want to wake up the woman his ruler had been with only moments ago, but because of the security issues that were currently being discussed.

  Talal sighed and rubbed his forehead. “What’s the issue?” he demanded.

  The aide looked startled at the unprecedented request. In the past, if Sheik Lin Taseer had been told that something was wrong, he would immediately leave whatever meeting was underway to discuss the newer, more important problem. So the question took him by surprise.

  But the aide understood his ruler’s need for a bit of time to relax. His entire advisory board had been urging Talal to take some time off, to enjoy a vacation. So this woman’s appearance in his life was a relief, not an imposition.

  Nevertheless, the aide handed Talal a file, then proceeded to summarize the issue. When he was finished, Talal handed the file back with a deep sigh. “Tell the captain that I’ll be sailing back.”

  The man bowed in apology, shaking his head. “Unfortunately, there is no time for that. I’ve ordered your helicopter to be ready. It is standing by to take you back to the capital.”

  Talal ground his teeth, furious with his aide’s efficiency. But he stopped the reprimand before he spoke the angry words. His aide was right. This wasn’t an issue that could wait for tomorrow or even later today. He needed to handle it right now.

  “Let me just…” Talal looked wistfully back at the closed door, behind which Kate was sleeping, warm and soft and enticing. Maybe if he hurried, he could be back here in a few hours, tonight at the latest.

  Turning back to his aide, he nodded. “Let’s go.” The sooner he dealt with this crisis, the sooner he could get back to Kate.

  Talal didn’t return to the villa. Kate was sound asleep and, if he hurried, she would never need to know that he’d gone back to the capital. She’d never know that real life had intruded on their short interlude.

  Chapter 3

  Kate woke up. She was alone. Talal was gone.

  For a long time, she didn’t move, barely even breathed. The white sheets and white netting around her bed danced gently in the breeze coming off the ocean, but she found no delight in it. The pain of abandonment in her heart was too intense for delight or joy or even peace.

  Rolling onto her back, she stared up at the whitewashed ceiling, letting the tears fall down her cheeks to the pillow under her head, trying to figure out what to do. This was the third time he’d left her. The third time he’d simply disappeared during the night without any warning.

  Had he left a note this time? She looked over at the bedside table but found nothing. His watch and cell phone were gone, his sunglasses absent. Everything was painfully still, indicating that there wasn’t another human being in the villa.

  “Time to leave,” she told the air.

  And yet, she continued to lie in bed, trying to remember how to move, how to breathe, despite the pain lashing her heart. Kate had no idea how long she remained staring at the ceiling, but the air had grown hot and a shower was her only respite. She stepped into the cool water, trying to wash the tears away, to alleviate the pain. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to help.

  “Good morning!” Isla called cheerfully as she walked up the steps of the villa, her basket filled with ingredients. “I’m going to make you two something delicious today!” the housekeeper announced, her mood filled with exuberance.

  Kate forced a smile, thinking Isla’s happiness and food creativity was simply more evidence that the entire village was playing matchmaker. They all wanted her and Talal to fall in love. Well, they’d accomplished half of their goal, she thought as she curled her fingers into a fist, trying to fight back the fresh wave of pain that hit her with the acknowledgment.

  Yes, she was in love with Talal. No matter how she tried to deny it, to claim that the last few weeks on this beautiful, hidden island were nothing more than a summer fling, Kate knew that it was a lie. To her, this was one of those love affairs that she’d never really believed happened in real life.

  Until now.

  And even now, staring out at the ocean, Kate debated whether this affair had been a good thing or bad. Her heart was breaking at the moment. It actually hurt, her chest felt like it was filled with broken glass.

  Forcing her legs to move, she managed to walk into the bathroom and shower. Unfortunately, nothing could wash away the pain, the stabbing, brutal pain that poured over her every time the image of Talal’s handsome face came to her mind…which was every few seconds.

  Shutting off the shower, she dried off and dressed, not really paying much attention to what she was wearing. Kate only knew that she needed to leave. She needed to get away from this place that had given her so much happiness.

  And so much pain.

  Three times. Talal had left her three different times! The first time, she’d been heartbroken, crying out her fear for
him, worried that he had been hurt. But when Isla had arrived with her fresh produce, the kind housekeeper had explained that Talal had only gone back to his ship. Several of the fishermen had seen him leaving via helicopter.

  Kate had accepted that their brief affair was over. She’d curled up in a chair in the sunshine and tried to feel the warmth, the heat. But nothing had penetrated that day.

  Then he’d come back! She’d been ecstatic when she saw him walking confidently up the stone pathway towards the villa. Rushing into his arms, they’d spent the next twenty four hours in bed, and she showed him how much she’d missed him even though he’d only been gone for a day.

  The second time, Kate had wondered if something had happened, but again, he hadn’t left a note, no warning. Nothing. When he’d come back, she’d been angry with him. Their first fight and she’d told him that she deserved some sort of warning. He’d replied that he couldn’t always give warning, that his life didn’t work that way.

  Nothing had been resolved and their argument had ended with frantic lovemaking that had blown her mind. She’d known that their affair wouldn’t work out in the long run. That it would only be that, an affair, as brief as it might be. It could be no long-term relationship, because she wouldn’t allow him to treat her like that. As she’d curled up in his arms that night, listening to his steady heartbeat, Kate knew that she’d have to leave him if he left her again.

  And here she was, standing in the middle of her bedroom. Alone. It was over, she thought. She couldn’t allow him to keep doing this to her. She was worth more than a man who absented himself without any warning, no explanation and…even worse, no apology.

  Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hair into a messy bun, not bothering with makeup because she knew that she’d cry it off anyway. Nope, this was one of those days when she would just have to deal with whatever silly ideas the paparazzi came up with when she arrived at the LA airport. Because she just didn’t care right now.

  “No need for anything special, Isla,” she replied when she stepped into the kitchen that morning. Kate knew that her lip was trembling, but she couldn’t seem to help it. More tears trickled unheeded down her cheeks and she wiped them away, but Isla caught the gesture and stopped, gaping at her.

  “He didn’t!”

  Kate tried to smile, but she knew that the effort completely missed the mark. “He did.”

  Isla tsked as she continued into the kitchen. “Well, he’ll be back. And this time, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind! This is no way to treat a lady,” she grumbled as she pulled the fruit and vegetables out of her basket.

  “I’m not waiting for him this time, Isla.” She took a deep breath as she wiped more tears away. “I’m leaving.”

  Isla stood there for a long moment, staring wide-eyed at Kate. The anger morphed into pity and then into denial. “But you can’t! He’ll be back! He always comes back!”

  Kate knew that, but she wasn’t willing to wait for him this time. “Yes, I’m sure he will be back, but I have to get on with my life.”

  Isla stared at the grief stricken Kate, her dark hair was a mess, but somehow, it still looked stylish. Her normally sky blue eyes were rimmed with red, proving that she had been crying for a while now. And her normally pale skin looked…well, it was still beautiful, but there were a few splotches. For Kate to reach this level of disarray meant that she was beyond sad and Isla actually hated the man who had done this to the kind woman. “But…you and he make a perfect couple! He loves you!”

  Kate shook her head, mentally denying Isla’s words because they caused her resolve to waver.

  “He has a funny way of showing it if he does. And if he doesn’t…” she shrugged dismissively, pretending she hadn’t felt another stab of pain. “Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. Even if he does return, I won’t be here.”

  Kate returned to the bedroom and pulled her suitcase out of the closet. It was time for her to leave anyway. Hollywood would be wondering what happened to her. A month out of the limelight and the press would start wondering if she was in rehab for cocaine or alcohol addiction. Or whatever the drug du jour was, she thought with increasing cynicism. She loved acting and would do it for free. They had to pay her to deal with all of the other stuff, the press, speculation, and the invasion of her privacy.

  Kate pushed the thoughts from her mind. The reason she’d come to this beautiful island was to get away from the press after the release of her latest movie and all of the hype required for the release parties and interviews. She’d come here to heal, to rejuvenate, and get her spirits back.

  Oh boy, had that plan backfired!

  It was her own fault though. Each time Talal returned, she’d flung herself into his arms. She hadn’t had the difficult conversation with him and now she had to deal with the consequences.

  Lifting her head, she started packing her clothes, unconcerned with folding them neatly. She just wanted to go home, to dive back into work, and lose herself in another movie.

  Another character.

  Soon, she would move past this sense of…loss. This belief that her world had fallen apart and she would never be happy again.

  Kate realized where her mind was going and stopped, stomping a foot with frustration.

  No! This wasn’t going to get the best of her! She wouldn’t let it! Kate took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a long moment. Talal was one of those men, tall, dark, and attractive in mysterious ways she couldn’t define. She shivered just remembering the way he’d touched her, the way he would make her laugh and scream, sometimes at the same moment.

  She ruthlessly scrubbed the fresh tears away with the back of her hand, not wanting to give Talal any more power. This was ridiculous! She shouldn’t be crying like this! She should have known that this would happen. Right from the start, she’d known that there was no future between herself and Talal. She was an actress who lived in Los Angeles. He worked at…something. She suddenly realized she still wasn’t really sure what he did for a living, other than that he was fantastically wealthy and worked for the government, but she wasn’t even sure which government.

  Regardless, he lived and worked here in Altair and she lived and worked more than half a world away. She couldn’t figure out how to make those two worlds intersect.

  Kate couldn’t believe how badly she just wanted to curl up into a ball. Or throw something, just to hear it shatter. Or slam doors…anything that might get this anger and pain out of her.

  She shook her head and stuffed more clothes into her suitcase, unaware of how frantic her movements were in her desperation to get away from this house, from this room where Talal had made love to her so many times. Too much laughter, tickling, teasing, and passion had been had in this room.

  Getting back to work would take her mind off of Talal and this past month. It would help her to heal. Yes, she needed to work, to do something. Maybe she wouldn’t take another movie role. Perhaps she could volunteer or a find cause to sponsor. Something new and exciting.

  But then again, the idea of curling up in bed sounded pretty nice too.

  Isla stood in the doorway, horrified by Kate’s treatment of the expensive, designer clothes “No, dear. This isn’t good. I’ll do this. You go get some juice and sit down. If you must leave, I’ll call my Joseph and he’ll come to get your suitcases. He’ll take you to the mainland and then to the airport. You just go and sit.”

  Isla was a sweet woman, but Kate suspected that Joseph was going to try to slow her down so that Isla could get in touch with Talal somehow. It would be nice if he came rushing back here, begging her to stay. But she couldn’t picture Talal begging. He wasn’t the type.

  He would more likely to toss her over his shoulder and carry her away. Or he would be too busy doing whatever it was he was doing to notice her departure.

  That was a more likely scenario. Unfortunately, Kate’s pride was already battered enough. Mentally, she couldn’t handle the possibility of his rejection. Not right now. He
’d already left her three times without a word.

  Kate knew that she needed to leave as quickly as possible. She had to do it before he came back.

  She left the bedroom, too exhausted to argue with Isla. But she didn’t sit down. Instead, she moved efficiently through the villa, picking up the small things that had scattered around after a month of hiding out here and living like a woman in love.

  Too many memories, she thought as she picked up the books from the coffee table, all the small clips for her hair that were lying around. She hadn’t done her hair in over a month and she knew that her hairdresser would be horrified at the state of her dark locks. She glanced at her ragged nails and shuddered. A trip to the spa might make her feel better.

  Then again, a box of chocolate, a couple of bottles of wine and back-to-back movies while curled up under her luxurious comforter might also do the trick.

  Getting home was her first priority. She gathered up the rest of her belongings, and pulled out her other suitcase, dumping everything in haphazardly. Her toiletries received the same attention and in no time at all, she was packed up and ready to go.

  Facing Isla, she fought the tears that still lurked in her eyes. Taking the older woman’s hands in hers, she squeezed them with heartfelt appreciation. “Thank you for your help this past month. Your cooking was amazing and I sincerely appreciate all of the help and everything!”

  Isla looked at Kate with worried eyes. “He loves you,” she asserted firmly. “He might not know it, but that man is head over heels in love with you.”

  Kate laughed, patting the other woman’s shoulder as more tears slipped down her cheeks. “I’m sure that he does, but it isn’t relevant. Not anymore.”