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Later, much, much later, the sheikh carried his wife into the palace’s private Turkish bath, which was connected to his suite with a secret passageway. She was unnaturally silent, and she was clinging to him rather than resisting his touch like usual, and when he looked down at her, the first thing he saw was the fear that flickered in her eyes.

As they slipped into the water, he made her straddle him, and his lips slightly curved when she blushed at the way her breasts bobbed gently between their bodies.

“Why can’t we just shower the way normal people do,” she muttered, arms crossing over her chest.

“Because I’m a king?” She grunted in response, amusing him, but even so he didn’t forget what he had glimpsed in her gaze, and slowly, he murmured her name.

“Harper.”

Oh, shit. She knew that soft, coaxing voice of his, and she did her best to resist it, teeth sinking hard into her lower lip. But then he reached for her, winding a lock of her hair around his finger, and it was all she could do not to mewl.

Her hair unwound from his finger, and then he was clasping her cheek—-

His gentle, protective warmth was impossible to ignore, and before she knew it, she was already rubbing her face against his hand like a kitten begging for its master’s affection.

Damn sheikh. Damn sheikh. Damn sheikh.

But even so, she couldn’t help enjoying his touch.

“I have something to ask of you,malakti, and I need you to answer me honestly.”

And there it was, she thought. An order he’d leave her no choice but to obey—-

The sheikh cupped her chin. “What are you afraid of?”

Oh.It stunned her that he would notice her fears, and she couldn’t help hedging, muttering, “It’s unimportant.”

“Allow me to be the judge of that,qalifa.”

“But it’s really silly—-”

“Harper.” His voice was still soft, but underlying it was a note of command. “Speak of your trouble.”

“Oh, fine.” She knew she was being ungracious about it, but she didn’t care. “I’m just worried I’d end up embarrassing you this weekend.”

Silence.

And Harper felt hurt. “You think the same thing, too, don’t you?’

“No.”

“Ha!”

He shook his head. “Do you truly believe I could be so easily embarrassed?”

Her mouth opened and closed.

“Would you like me to do something about your fears? Would you like me to slay dragons for you?”

Harper didn’t know what to say. The simple, easy way out would have been to answer ‘yes’ – but did she really want that?

“Tell me, wife. What do you truly wish to achieve?”

“To make you proud.” A part of her had expected the sheikh to be pleased with her answer, with the way she was being more forthcoming than usual, but instead she was stunned to see disappointment flash in his eyes.

“You already make me proud,qalifa.”

“It’s n-not enough.” Harper found herself stammering, and she hated herself for it because she didn’t even knowwhyshe was doing it. “I want you to be prouder, so you’ll see I’m a good queen—-” But still the disappointment lingered in his gaze, and she bit her lip.