Free Desert Orchid: The Desert Princes: Book 1 by CC MacKenzie

with the moon full this evening, I cannot think of a more romantic setting for me to woo my future wife."
    The hostile tone had Sarif catch his brother’s eye and blink in a surprise that mortified Charisse.
    By her jolt of surprise, Charisse hoped it wasn't obvious that she’d made Khalid no such promise.
    Sarif bowed his head and sat back, deferring to his brother.
    Khalid stood, took her hand and Charisse realised she had no choice but to go with him as Sarif wished them goodnight.
    They strolled through the palace, out into the cool night, and into the garden.
    And Charisse was acutely aware that Khalid El Haribe was not a happy man.
    The tension rolling off him in waves made the jumpy nerves in her tummy wind even tighter. Something had upset him. Even though she wracked her brain, she couldn't imagine what on earth she'd said to make him so angry.
    Leading the way past a magnificent fountain trickling water through many rock pools, she sank to the edge of a wide bench made of cool marble. Tipping her head back to study the night sky, she wondered what on earth was the matter with the man she’d promised to marry,who now paced back and forth before her like a big black panther.
    Hands thrust into his trouser pockets, Khalid stood before her and glowered and glared into her face.
    "Just what was all that about?"
    Charisse was tired.
    She was stressed.
    And she was, she realised, seriously ticked off with his attitude.
    Her chin came up.
    "You’ve lost me. I was talking to your brother about his education programme in Quaram, comparing it to the one we’ve implemented here in Onuur." Her eyebrows rose. "What’s the matter, Khalid? If you’re not the centre of the known universe you simply throw a little temper tantrum and interrupt a serious conversation about vulnerable people?"
    She stood.
    And realised immediately that those dark eyes had narrowed into slits.
    The way his mouth went tight she realised they were going to have a scene.
    Oh, God, she hated scenes.
    Then annoyance with him and with herself that she was even considering appeasing a person who was behaving like a spoiled and indulged child, Charisse decided it was just too bad if Khalid didn’t like the truth because he’d better get used to it.
    Okay, her legs felt like rubber and her stomach lurched.
    But she forced herself to get over it.
    Her hands rested on her hips and she spread her legs.
    "What the hell is your damn problem?"
     
     
     
    Khalid blinked twice.
    And simply stared at someone who’d morphed from a shrinking violet into a spitting kitten and who was looking at him entirely without fear.
    What had happened to the shy, retiring, broken-hearted widow?
    The woman standing before him now looked as if she could rip out his heart.
    Those big blue eyes stared into his in a way that made his lungs tight and he found himself trying very hard not to laugh.
    God, she was simply amazing, standing there looking ready to punch him and seriously annoyed that he’d interrupted her cosy little chat with his brother.
    And that thought brought his mind back to how he’d felt sitting between them like a lemming listening to his brother and Charisse discuss things that had made him feel increasingly uneasy.
    Why?
    The realisation now hit him that he’d felt uncomfortable because Charisse and Sarif spoke the same language. They cared desperately about their people and the way they lived their lives. They worried about what was best for them and how to help them prosper.
    And yes, he was honest enough with himself to admit that the way his brother and his future wife had connected did make him feel somehow... inadequate.
    But was it their fault that he felt somehow less than they were?
    For the first time in his life Khalid had to admit that he was responsible for his own feelings.
    All these thoughts and more raced through his mind as he stood staring down at the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, and so did something else.
    Fear.
    A heavy stone