CHAPTER EIGHT
Razim held Paige for a few minutes. He felt her soft, rhythmic breathing against his chest, and delighted in the warmth of her body as it rested against him. He held her curves in his embrace. The scent of her hair filled his senses. He savored every moment of holding her.
Razim thought about what had happened out there in the corridor.
Abdul's treachery.
Adrenaline still coursed through his body, and he knew it would take a long while for him to completely calm down.
When he had emerged from the lift and seen what was going on, seen Abdul towering over Paige, something primitive had taken hold of him. Raw emotion had seized him, and he had felt a sudden, blinding rage. It had taken every ounce of his strength to restrain the urge to take Abdul down.
The look on Paige's face had sickened Razim to his stomach. Eyes wide and pale skinned, there had been fear written on Paige's features. That had merely stoked up Razim's rage to a fever pitch.
So, he had acted to protect her. Because protecting Paige was his duty. His obligation. She was his wife.
Razim knew that, physically, Abdul was no match for him. Abdul's usual way of winning had nothing to do with brute force. His type got their way by devious means, Razim told himself. Never through face to face conflict. Abdul had waited a few hours, probably sure that Razim would be back at the palace. But Abdul had miscalculated.
Choosing to remain had been the right choice. Razim almost shuddered to think what would have happened if he'd gone back to the palace. Not for the first time, defying Paige's demands had been the wisest choice.
Paige lifted her head and looked up at him. "How did you know he was here?" she asked.
Razim gazed into Paige's eyes. She was beginning to regain her composure. He caressed her hair with the back of his fingers. He gazed at her pretty features. Color had come back to her cheeks and her eyes contained a hint of her familiar fire.
"I waited downstairs," he explained.
"All this time?"
Razim nodded. "I wasn't going to leave you all on your own. Not for a moment."
She squinted at him. "But I thought you'd gone back to the palace."
He frowned. "And leave you here with the likes of Abdul?" He shook his head. "I don't think so."
"You still haven't told me how you knew he was up on the top floor."
"I was waiting in the limo. I instructed the concierge to tell me if the lift went up to the top floor. I knew you wouldn't leave. So, if anyone went up to see you, it would probably only be one person. Abdul."
"Really?" she asked.
He nodded. "I just wanted to make sure you were safe." He leaned closer to her and kissed her on the forehead. She didn't do anything to dissuade him. In fact, he felt her rest her head against his lips just a few moments longer than he would have expected.
"I said you'd be better at the palace, didn't I?" he said. "You're not going to be safe here."
He felt her body stiffen, but she still let him hold her. "I'll be fine," she said. Her words were still defiant, but he could tell by their tone that doubt was starting to creep into her mind.
"Don't forget, you're my wife, Paige," Razim stated firmly.
He thought she would react to that comment with some kind of snappy reply, but she didn't this time. Instead, she just smiled weakly.
"I'll speak to Abdul some other time," Razim declared. "In the meantime, I want you to come back to the palace with me."
"I don't know about that," she replied.
Razim slid his hands down to the base of her back and drew her closer to him. "It's for the best," he said.
"You don't think I'm safe here?" she asked
"You either come with me, or I'll be staying here for the night," he stated. He ran his gaze around the apartment. "After all, this is our place."
Her eyes widened and she bit her lower lip, thoughtful for a moment.
Paige sighed and was lost in thought for a short while. Then she looked up at him. "Okay," she said softly. She smiled at him and her gaze softened slightly, telling him all he needed to know about what she really wanted him to do.
Razim dipped his head and kissed Paige's lips, gently and tenderly. He held his desire in check, knowing she would still be affected by the events at the door. Still, her lips were soft and moist. Her breathing was steady and he could feel her heartbeat against his chest. She sank into his gentle embrace as they kissed.
Then he released her and she turned and started to head toward the bedroom. Thoughts of following her leaped into his mind, but he knew this wasn't the time to do that. He needed to give her time.
Razim waited while she got dressed. He paced in front of the ceiling-high tinted windows. Gazing out into the darkness he saw the lights of the city and his own reflection in the glass.
He wondered where all of this was going to end. He'd remained downstairs in the limo with the intention of waiting for an opportunity to come up to the apartment. And it had come, but in the most unexpected way imaginable.
What had he done? From what had he really saved her? Anger welled up inside him when he considered the disrespectful way with which Abdul had treated Paige. Didn't Abdul know just how precious this beautiful American woman was to Razim? Or was that really the motive behind Abdul's crude attempt to disturb Paige? Was Abdul willing to use Paige as a means to continue his and Razim's personal, tribal rivalry?
Razim ran a hand through his hair as he paced in front of the windows. He sighed heavily. Maybe the time had come to put Abdul in his place. Once and for all. The man had overstepped the mark. Paige meant too much to Razim. It was that simple. There was no way he was going to allow Paige to come to harm, Razim told himself.
A firm resolution seized Razim. Once the issue of the possible divorce had been resolved, he would personally make sure that Abdul would never come anywhere near Razim or anyone he loved.
That thought made Razim halt, frozen in front of his reflection.
Love.
Was he seriously admitting to himself that he loved Paige? Was that what the impulse to protect her had revealed tonight?
That he cared so deeply for this amazing woman? That he loved her?
He felt his heart beat faster as he toyed with that thought. Ever since he'd decided to bring her back to Qazhar, Razim had told himself it was because he simply needed her. Physically, of course. That was obvious. Their connection had once been incredibly passionate and real.
But he'd come to realize that he needed her in another sense. He needed her emotionally. And that was something he had not, and would not, admit to anyone. It was his secret, and no-one was going to know anything about it.
The truth was, her absence had created an emptiness in is life. A terrible gap in his daily existence. One that he had found genuinely perplexing. And one he had kept to himself. There had been times when he'd sensed, acutely and painfully, the barrenness of life in the palace. Of course, every one of his needs was met. He lacked for nothing.
Except for affection. Companionship. Love.
And the only woman who had ever offered that to him had been Paige. Before their marriage agreement had been forged by mutual necessity, Razim had begun to sense there was more to this woman than any of his many conquests during long years of casual seductions.
But, Paige was different. And when he'd taken her as his bride, he'd started to sense a deeper need, a powerful longing to be with her. But even as he'd tried to move closer to her, she had taken more and more steps back, distancing herself from him. It was almost as if the simple fact of marrying him had ruined any chance of a real relationship. That the marriage had destroyed their passionate romance.
Razim sighed and shook his head in disbelief. Fate could really torment a man, he told himself. It was almost as if life was mocking him.
By having Paige as his wife, all he'd achieved was the near certainty of losing her.
Razim's jaw tightened at the thought of her leaving him for good.
That wasn't going to happen. Not while there was breath left in his body. He'd brought her home and he was determined she would stay.
Now she was back in Qazhar. Destiny had handed him one final opportunity.
There was one very obvious hurdle to overcome. Paige would have to be persuaded that tomorrow's divorce ceremony should not take place.
And, even as he stood gazing at his reflection, Razim knew there was one final thing he could do to try and claim Paige forever.