Heir to Danger Read online

  She hardly dared think what that might mean to her and Tom. Would his interest be as strong, his passion as fierce without the spur of another man’s involvement? Forbidden fruit was always the sweetest.

  Her own feelings were in no doubt. She loved Tom and wanted him more than she had dreamed it was possible to want a man. Giving up royal life to make her home in Australia would be a sacrifice, but she would make it willingly for him. Her experience of life in the outback had whetted her appetite for more, and she’d proved to herself that she could manage without servants and a palace around her.

  What would Tom be prepared to give up for her?

  This afternoon he’d given up the horror of turning into his father. She’d seen the moment when he could have shot Jamal but stopped himself. Seen the awareness of what the decision meant dawn on him, and the invisible shackles fall away.

  As a reason to avoid close relationships, it no longer applied. If he had other reasons, she could only hope what shimmered between them was strong enough to overcome them.

  Judy and Blake were talking together. Shara stole a glance at Tom. “How do you feel?”

  He lowered his tone to match hers. “As if I’ve gone a dozen rounds with a prize-fighter who doesn’t mind fighting dirty as long as he wins.”

  “Jamal hasn’t won,” she denied. “He may have gotten away for the moment, but as soon as we get the tape proving his guilt to my father, Jamal will be arrested for treason.”

  Tom smiled. “King Awad will be proud of you.”

  “I doubt it. He may be grateful, but he’ll never feel the same way about me as he does about his son and heir.”

  A little awkwardly with only one good hand, Tom reached across and lifted her hand, grazing the back with his lips. She trembled as she hadn’t done when he’d asked her to jump out of the plane. He kept his fingers in hers as he said, “More fool the king if he can’t see what a treasure he has in you.”

  Could Tom? What did he see in her now, after laying to rest his greatest fear? A runaway royal who belonged back in her own world, or a woman he was finally able to love?

  Wrong time and place to ask, she told herself. Until they’d dealt with Max Horvath, they didn’t have the luxury of focusing on themselves.

  She let out a long breath. Putting her concerns on hold while she solved someone else’s was becoming a habit. A copout, Judy would call it. Would she be right?

  Not sure of the answer, Shara let her hand rest in Tom’s as she savored the warmth of his touch. Deliberately she blanked her mind to everything but how good it felt to be with him. To feel safe. How long had it been since she’d been able to stop looking over her shoulder?

  Too long, she thought. Peace of mind had been at a premium ever since she’d overheard Jamal scheming to usurp her father’s throne. Her mind still wasn’t entirely peaceful, but this was turmoil of a pleasurable kind. She saw it reflected on Tom’s angular features, and her spirits rose.

  For the first time in her life, she felt glad she was a woman. Tom had made her feel valued and desirable. He didn’t treat her interests as frivolous, or expect her to elevate his concerns above her own. Strange, the effect that had. She found herself wanting to put his needs first.

  Was that how it worked? If each person in a relationship made the other their priority, both of you got your needs met. Jamal would never have understood, but she was sure Tom did. They would have a lot to discuss when they were finally alone.

  She kept her fingers in his as her heart fluttered. They were nearing the base of the escarpment where Jamal had left Horvath. The car Des had loaned her was where she’d left it in the shade of some bushes. Horvath’s vehicle stood out in the open, deserted for the moment. Then she saw why. He and another man were exploring the rock wall, searching for the hidden cave entrance. They didn’t appear to be having much luck.

  They looked down as Blake, Judy, Tom and Shara pulled up and got out of the car. Tom cupped his hands to his mouth. “Give it up and come down, Horvath. There’s nothing up there to interest you.”

  “You’re trespassing on our land,” Judy added.

  With surprising agility, considering his bulk, Horvath jumped from ledge to ledge until he stood beside them. The other man followed, hovering a few feet away.

  Horvath grinned nastily. “It may be your land now, but all this will be mine as soon as I foreclose on Des Logan’s loan.”

  Blake folded his arms. “It hasn’t happened yet.”

  “If we have anything to do with it, it never will,” Tom agreed.

  Horvath looked surprised to see Shara at Tom’s side. “Where’s Prince Jamal?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “On his way to prison.”

  Horvath’s shock was obvious, although he tried to hide it. “I take it the marriage is off?”

  “It was never on,” she asserted.

  Tom moved closer. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can charge you with yet, except choosing your houseguests unwisely.”

  “If you don’t get out of here, we might think of something,” Blake added.

  Judy looked up at the cliff then back to Horvath. “Since when are you interested in rock art?”

  “Is that the cover story you hatched between you?”

  Shara looked at Tom in puzzlement. “What does he mean by cover story?”

  Horvath shifted his attention to her. “This whole area is riddled with rock paintings. But they aren’t what your new boyfriend is interested in.” He pulled a cloth bag out of his pocket and spilled a dozen tiny, clear crystals into his hand. “The creek where I found these runs into this cave system. The lost mine has to be here somewhere. I know it.”

  Tom’s patience snapped. “You don’t know beans. There’s no diamond mine, only a collection of ancient rock paintings that will attract enough international interest to let Des pay back what he owes you.”

  “Why bother with a few daubings on cave walls, when there’s a fortune practically under our feet?”

  Tom grabbed the man by the shirtfront. “Haven’t you worked it out yet?” He jerked his thumb at Horvath’s man. “Eddy here is stringing you along. He wants revenge against us for firing him. He doesn’t care whether the mine even exists.”

  Blake came between Tom and Horvath. “Easy, mate. He isn’t worth getting your hands dirty.”

  Horvath made a show of dusting himself off. “The mine is real. Just like the money your father owes me.”

  Tom’s mouth thinned. “He didn’t borrow it from you. He borrowed it from Clive, who’d be ashamed of the way you’re hounding his old friend.”

  Horvath’s eyes turned cold. “My father was a fool who preferred to work himself into an early grave running cattle, when there are easier ways to make a fortune.”

  “Your father was no fool. He bred some of the best cattle in the world,” Blake argued. “No wonder you two didn’t get along.”

  “Well, now the land’s mine, so I got the last laugh. And I get Diamond Downs into the bargain if the loan isn’t repaid within the time Des Logan agreed in writing.”

  “Des was the one who insisted Clive take his promissory note. Clive never wanted repayment. He meant to tear the paper up.”

  “But he didn’t, and it’s a legal contract with only a few months left to run. Time’s almost up, folks. You’ll need more than a few cave paintings to make this place profitable before I foreclose.”

  “We’re not beaten yet,” Blake stated confidently. “From what Shara and Tom tell me about the gallery they discovered, scholars will flock to see it.”

  “Not if they’re too scared to set foot on Diamond Downs.”

  Tom loomed closer. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

  Instinctively, Horvath moved back, almost running into Shara. “I’m only saying, the outback is a dangerous place. You never know what might happen to visitors.”

  Blake shaded his eyes. “That sounds suspiciously like a threat.”

  “Take it how you like. Just do
n’t be surprised if your venture falls flat on its face.”

  “If it does, we’ll know where to look for an explanation,” Tom vowed. “So whatever you’re planning, you’ll forget it if you know what’s good for you.”

  Shoulders lifting, Horvath affected an innocent expression. “Who says I’m planning anything? This is wild, dangerous country. Lots of things can go wrong that have nothing to do with me.”

  Blake’s jaw firmed. “If there’s as much as a monsoon out here and somebody gets wet, we’ll hold you responsible.”

  “Don’t you have better things to do?”

  Judy stepped forward. “You just made yourself our priority, Max.”

  “Pity you didn’t think of that when I proposed to you.”

  “Is that what this is about? You’re still brooding because I turned you down?”

  Their neighbor’s face twisted. “You flatter yourself. You were only a means to an end. Inheriting your father’s promissory note gives me the land without the need to saddle myself with you.”

  This time it was Blake’s turn to restrain Judy, who would have launched herself at Max if she hadn’t been held back. At Judy’s livid expression, Shara had to fight the urge to laugh. Tom had feared he was violent because of his genes, but he and his foster siblings were a matched set, she thought. Any one of them would defend the family’s honor to the death. They weren’t so different from her own family whose motto was, “My name and my country,” the two elements the royal family was dutybound to preserve.

  King Awad would approve of them, she decided.

  Horvath gestured toward the other man. “Let’s get out of here, Eddy. But I’ll be back—as the new owner.”

  As Blake surged forward, Tom grabbed his arm. “Let him go. You said yourself he isn’t worth it. He’s all talk.”

  “Since when did you become Mr. Nice Guy?”

  Tom’s gaze met Shara’s. “Since I had the right incentive.” He lowered his head and found her lips in a gentle kiss filled with promise.

  She felt herself redden but kept her head high. Shame was for the inexperienced person she’d been when she arrived in the outback. Now she was Tom’s lover and proud of it. In a perfect world, she’d be his wife. Even in an imperfect world, she’d be at his side in whatever role was open to her. Unthinkable for her to be anywhere else now.

  Blake was grinning from ear to ear. “If I’d known a kiss was all it would take to straighten you out, I’d have kissed you myself long ago.”

  Judy punched Blake on the arm, but Tom grinned. “Sorry, you’re not my type.”

  When he transferred the gaze to Shara, making it clear she was, a pleasurable ache gripped her. A longing to have him all to herself. He came with a package, she reminded herself. Des, Judy and his foster brothers, even the legacy of a father in prison. The code of the outback demanded she accept everything he was. She knew she’d already taken the first giant steps, and his heavy-lidded look told her he knew it, too.

  They waited until a cloud of dust followed Horvath’s progress in the direction of his own boundary. “Do you think he’ll try anything to sabotage our efforts here?” Judy mused out loud.

  Tom massaged his chin. “Hard to see what he can do.”

  “Especially after shooting his mouth off in front of all of us,” Judy observed. “He knows we’ll be watching his every move.”

  Blake shifted restlessly. “Speaking of moves, how about showing us this new gallery you discovered, Shara?” Then he shot Judy an accusing look. “What did you kick me for?”

  “Sorry, accident,” she said, sounding not at all repentant. “We can see the gallery later, after Tom and Shara have had time to discuss their plans for it. Alone.”

  Blake finally caught on. “Oh, their plans. Of course.”

  This time Shara did blush as she understood what Judy was trying to do. “You don’t have to rush away on our account.”

  “Yes, they do,” Tom said, sounding impatient. “You and I have plans to make.”

  She studiously avoided meeting his gaze. “For the gallery?”

  “Naturally, for the gallery.”

  Judy was trying not to laugh as she steered Blake back into the Jeep. “Let Shara drive you back. Your hand still needs medical attention,” she said over her shoulder. “So don’t take too long discussing the—cave.”

  Tom didn’t dignify this with an answer. Holding tight to Shara, he waited until Blake and Judy were on their way. Then he helped her to climb the escarpment to the rock ledge. With one injured hand it wasn’t the easiest climb, but Shara had a feeling nothing was going to stop him, least of all her.

  Inside the shadowy coolness of the hideout cave, surrounded by reminders of some of the happiest times of his boyhood, he steered her to the folding cot where she sat down and waited. She wasn’t usually patient, but today she could wait as long as he needed her to. She felt surprisingly calm. Surely when your future hung in the balance, you should feel more turbulent? The serenity filling her felt strange.

  Then she knew it was because she was prepared for whatever Tom had to say. If he wanted to propose marriage, there was only one answer. If he wanted her as a lover, she’d already give the answer. No other possibility existed.

  Folding her hands in her lap, she said, “Yes.”

  He looked startled. “I haven’t asked you anything yet.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Whatever your question, my answer is yes.”

  His breath rushed out. “I’m not like Jamal. I don’t ever want to take you for granted.”

  “You can, because you’re not like Jamal,” she explained. “I’m yours, Tom, however and whenever you want me. You can’t change that fact.”

  “I don’t want to change it,” he said quietly. “When I thought Jamal had taken you away from me for good, I realized how much I love you.”

  Thinking of what she’d believed to be her own loss, symbolized by the bloodied bandanna, she felt herself sway. “I thought I’d lost you today, too, and it almost killed me. I love you, Tom, more than I have words to tell you.”

  He dropped to one knee and took her in his arms. “You don’t need words. I can see the honesty in your eyes. That’s as rare as it is wonderful. You know the worst about me, and still you can look me in the eye and tell me you love me.”

  Pleasure shivered through her at his touch. “I also know the best about you. The man who fought back from despair to make a new life for himself, accepted into another culture for his courage and integrity, helping teenagers find their way…”

  He pressed a finger to her lips. “I love seeing myself through your eyes. It’s way better than the reality.”

  Silenced, she let her eyes tell him what she saw was reality. Seeing the look, he took her mouth in a burning kiss, making her shudder with desire, with love. Distantly she heard the throbbing chant of the ancient people who had painted the rock art. It called to her, tugged at her, sang in her veins. She was where she belonged, perhaps where she had always belonged in some far past.

  Her trembling stopped and she put into her kiss the joy of homecoming, of being at peace in the arms of the man she loved.

  Looking dazed, he lifted his head. He heard the music too, she saw. Heard and understood what it meant to them and for them. “Habibi, ya ghabein. Behebbak,” he said.

  Joy bubbled through her. “When did you learn to speak the language of Q’aresh?”

  “I looked up some phrases on the Internet, although I told myself I was wasting my time because I’d never have the right to say them to you. How did I do?”

  “Perfectly.” Any woman would rejoice to hear, Beloved, you are the light of my eye. I love you, and her tone told him so.

  “I can say them in a couple of Aboriginal dialects, too,” he offered, proceeding to demonstrate.

  Then he said them again in the timeless language of a kiss, the most eloquent and passionate of all. “I’ll never tire of hearing you say you love me,” she promised as warmth flooded through her.


  “Then you’ll marry me?”

  “I already said yes.”

  He smiled. “And I’ll never tire of hearing you say it.”

  Her mouth curved. “Then yes, yes and yes. A thousand times, yes.”

  “Do you think your father will approve of me?”

  “How could he not, when I do?”

  “Then I’d better practice the proper way to ask him for your hand in Q’aresh.”

  “English will do nicely. He speaks several languages,” she assured him. “I suspect after he sees us together, you won’t even need to ask.”

  “What about when we have children? Won’t he want them raised as members of the royal family?”

  Dazzled by the thought, she slid her arms around his neck. “They’ll share our two worlds. Royal when we visit Q’aresh, and Australian when we’re at home in the outback.”

  “At home in the outback. I like the sound of that.”

  So did she, and she let her embrace show him just how much. Covering her body with his, Tom swept her back onto the cot and possessed her mouth utterly. Her heart leaped. She hoped Blake and Judy didn’t expect them back too soon, because they hadn’t even started discussing the rock art.

  First things first, she thought as she surrendered to the purest happiness she’d ever known. Above their heads, the figures painted on the rock looked as if they were dancing.

  Epilogue

  Des passed Tom a few more feet of colored lights from the string looped over his arm. “After tonight, you’ll be an officially engaged man. Still not too late to make a dash for freedom.”

  Halfway up a ladder, Tom took the nails out of his mouth and grinned at his foster father. “Better not let Shara hear you say that after our hard work convincing King Awad I’m the man for her.”

  “I wondered if you’d decide to stay in Q’aresh. Royal life can be pretty seductive, I imagine.”

  “Too cushy for me. For her, too, now she’s fallen in love with the Aussie outback.”

  Blake passed them carrying a long trestle table he proceeded to set up in the courtyard ready for the engagement party that evening. “Somehow, I don’t think it was the outback she fell in love with,” he observed. “Although what she sees in you, I still don’t know.”