Spice of Love - Completed

Chapter 12

The door at her side was jerked open, and without a backwards glance Cat clambered more to escape the prince's daunting presence than anything else, but still she was caught out in awe of the surrounding visage. The place was breathtaking. Resembling every desert fairy-tale palace imaginable. Only it was vast. Widespread and lavishly green in foliage that it stood out like an oasis unlike any seen before.

"It's beautiful," Cat breathed out to Sadiq as he came to stand beside her. He flicked a sardonic gaze sideways at her before breaking out in fluent Arabic with the man that came forward to greet him.

Cat turned back to take in the view almost dreamily. The place was so out of the ordinary that her usually staid imagination actually took flight. She could have almost found herself blubbering with childlike excitement on sighting Disneyland, but thankfully, she didn't. Instead she remained stoically silent, mute in awe.

Sadiq moved to her side. Boldly reaching out for her hand against to clasp it in his. He tugged her closer to him and bent his head to her hair, breathing her in.

"We have much evolved since we started this," he murmured almost under his breath, but Cat strained her ears to catch his words. "I would never have allowed it to go this far with simply anyone else, Cat. Allah made you for me. We are meant to be." His husky voice washed over her, spilling out goosebumps as it caressed her skin. Cat shivered, unable to deny the longing in his voice or the longing in her silence.

Just then several dark Porsche Cayennes came rolling through the great gate to speed to a halt before them. More doors swung open and closed. A spill of expensively shod feet hit the dust. But Cat's eyes were arrested by a lovely brunette clad not in a Burqa like herself, but in what had to be the very latest in French design.

"Sadi!" A cloud of expensive perfume engulfed her as the woman sped on by and Cat almost staggered back feeling slightly nauseous. A feeling that shot up to new uncomfortable highs when the woman flung herself so carelessly into Sadiq's arms. His grip on Cat's hand laxed and reflectively shot up to field her.

"Lia! What are you doing here?" Sadiq growled almost angrily, in stark contrast to the woman's robust greeting. His emerald gaze shot up over her thin shoulders accusingly as he searched out the culprit that brought his Lia there. Cat bit back bile and followed his gaze to settle on a sheepish looking man, who unlike his... wife?... dressed in traditional garb. He now swept forward, albeit hesitantly, as he noted the death stare Sadiq was giving her.

"You know how she is," the man muttered with a helpless shrug. "As soon as the Sultan sent in notice of your pending nuptial there was no stopping her. She shopped 'til she dropped, and then packed us all out here."

Sadiq glared at him before reaching down to clasp the woman's skinny shoulders and wrenched her out of his arms. "You know better than to come here. Especially now."

"It's is the perfect lure," came the exquisitely accented voice. "But how could I resist."

Sadiq stared at her then shook his head. "It's good to see you again, sister," he said formally.

Lia grinned a Cheshire-kitten smile before she turned her attention to Cat.

"I am Lia, this pighead's sister," said the unrepentant Lia.

Cat choked back on a surprised laugh, knowing just what pigs meant to a Muslim. She couldn't help grinning back. It was good to have found someone not afraid to tell it like it is. She shot a taunting grin up at Sadiq before recalling he had here there against her will, and to wed her, no less. The grin fell abruptly away.

Sadiq sighed. Lifting a hand, he gestured ahead of himself. "After you," he said to his sister, reaching out to hold Cat back when she went to follow.