only by the crystal?blue stars. The air was still, yet it was perfumed by the sweet scent?of night-blooming nicotiana. It had become obvious to him that he?couldn’t make Skye a courtesan. Though her memory was buried,?a strong moral sense remained. He would send a note to Yasmin?tomorrow morning, stopping Skye’s lessons. Whatever he felt she?needed to learn he would teach her himself.
He had to admit to himself now that he was in love with Skye.?Her revulsion toward Ali today was only a part of it. The truth was?that Khalid el Bey did not want her in the House of Felicity pleasuring?a different lover every night. He wanted her in his own house, loving?him, and bearing his children. Yes, he loved her enough to honor?her by making her his wife. He felt like a boy again, and for the?first time since his love for Noor, he felt hope. Perhaps, he thought wryly, there was a god in the heavens, after all. At peace with?himself, he descended the steps to his own quarters.
To his surprise, Skye was asleep on the cushions by his couch.?For a brief moment he watched her, then he bent and dropped a kiss?on her cheek. She stirred, opened her magnificent sapphire eyes,?and sat up.
“I am afraid,” she said in a rush, “I have angered you. And if?you send me away-“ she stopped, trying to gather her thoughts.?”You are all I have, my lord Khalid. I remember nothing before?you, and if you send me away I shall die!”
Tenderly he gathered her into his arms. “I have spent many hours?alone with the night, my sweet Skye, and I have realized something.?I have decided that there is only one fate for you.” She trembled?against him, and he stroked her reassuringly. “Your fate is to be my?wife, beloved. I will love you, care for you, and protect you, my? Skye. I have never before wanted a wife, and it has been many years?since I really loved a woman. It has been my custom to make love,?but not give my heart. Do you understand the difference?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “You enjoyed their bodies, but not nec-?essarily the women themselves.”
He smiled in the semidarkness of the room. “You are wise, my?Skye. Now, love, tell me if you are still afraid.”
“No.”
“And are you pleased with my plans for your future? Will you?be happy to be my wife?” “Yes.”
“Sweet Skye, I… I love you, and I want you to be happy. If the?thought of marriage to me displeases you, you must tell me so, for?I would not have you be unhappy.”
“You do me great honor,” she said softly, “but I am not certain?I love you, my lord. Surely you deserve a wife who loves you.”
“The love will come, sweetness. I want you safe.”
She raised her face to him. “Then gladly shall I be your wife, my?lord!” Her blue eyes were shining with trust and even, he thought,?a little happiness. “I promise to make you happy,” she told him?shyly.
“You already make me happy,” he told her, and then his mouth?sought hers, tasting and giving the sweet sensual delights she seemed?to crave from him. His hands caressed the small globes of her breasts,?and then his tongue was torturing the pink nipples to a peak of?excitement, circling round and round the sweetly sensitive flesh until?her breathing became ragged. He lowered her to the cushions and?his hands gently spread her thighs. Tenderly he entered her, taking her there on the floor, delighting in her sigh of pleasure as his pulsing?shaft thrust deep.
Her soft hands began stroking his back, sliding slowly down its?length to cup and fondle his round buttocks. “Khalid! Oh, my?Khalid!” she whispered with a hot little breath against his ear. He?shivered. “Love me, my lord! Oh, love me well, my lord!” She?exhorted him and, catching his rhythm, she moved with him until?both of them were lost in the wildly spinning vortex of their shared?passion.
So great was the desire they aroused in each other that Skye?fainted and Khalid, to his amazement, came close to losing con-?sciousness himself. As his seed thundered into her hidden valley he?shook fiercely with the intensity of his passion. Drained, he rolled?from her and gathered her into his arms, raining kisses on her beau-?tiful face. “Oh God, I adore you! I adore you!” he murmured over?and over again, and as she slowly climbed from the darkness she?heard someone’s voice worshiping her. “Niall,” she murmured?softly. “Niall!”
Khalid stiffened. “Skye, sweetness,” he said gently, “Skye, open?your eyes.” And when she obeyed he said, “Who is Niall, my?beloved?”
Immediately her eyes became clouded and confused. “Niall?” she?asked, puzzled. “I know no Niall.”
He sighed. Whoever Niall was, Khalid envied him very much.?Skye must have loved Niall. Still-it was he, Khalid, who now?possessed her, and he would not lose her, as mis Niall had done.?”Sleep, my love,” he said cradling her against his chest. And slowly?her breathing became even and regular.
He lay awake most of the night struggling with himself. Was it?possible that she was regaining her memory, or was the outcry just?a fluke, never to be repeated? The doctor had said that Skye would?not find herself again unless faced with the identical situation that?had caused her trauma, and the chances of that happening were so? remote as to be impossible. There was no danger of her recovering.?He
He rose with the first light, and left her sleeping. In his dayroom?his body servant lay sleeping before the door. Gently, Khalid nudged?him with a slippered foot. When the slave’s eyes flew open, Khalid?said, “Fetch my secretary immediately. I will be in the library.”?Stumbling to his feet, the slave hurried off. Drawing his white robe?about him, Khalid el Bey went to his library to await the secretary.?He arrived a few minutes later, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“I am sorry to bring you from your bed so early, Jean, but there?are some urgent matters.” The secretary nodded, sat, and took up?his pen. A French captive, Jean gave thanks for his monastery ed-?ucation because it made him useful as a secretary. Otherwise, he?would now be in the mines like so many others.
Khalid el Bey spoke. “Draw up manumission papers for the slave?girl known as Skye. I want her legally free. Then draw up a marriage?contract between the freedwoman known as Skye, and myself. Her?bride’s price shall be this house, the estate, and twenty-five thousand?gold dinars. Consult the mullah for the exact wording.
“Then,” he continued, “send for the astrologer, Osman. I wish?a consultation today. Wait! Before anything you must send a message?to the Lady Yasmin telling her that all lessons are postponed until?further notice. Say nothing else. That should get you started. I will?return later.”
As Khalid el Bey left, Jean heard him order a waiting slave, “See?that Jean is sent breakfast immediately,” and the little Frenchman?marveled that his master was so thoughtful. This was not the first?time, either. The bey’s good manners had won his secretary’s loyalty?from the very first.
Jean wondered what was in his master’s mind. He could have?any woman without marriage. Why marriage? And Yasmin would?be very angry. But Jean’s Gallic logic was on the side of his lord’s?decision. It was time he settled down and had children. And besides,?the lady Skye was the fairest woman Jean had seen in years.
Khalid el Bey returned to his bedchamber. Skye was gone, and?he knew she had returned to her own chambers. Following her there,?he heard giggles coming from the bathing room and found Skye and?the pretty twin Ethiopian slave girls all splashing about the scented?pool. He watched for a moment, struck by the vivid contrast of their?wet bodies-ivory and ebony, sleek and shining.
Skye saw him first and, swimming over to the shallow end of the?pool, came partway up the steps and held out her hand in invitation.?She was like a goddess standing there in her nude young beauty,?and he could feel his desire rising. He held his arms out and the two?slave girls scrambled from the pool to remove his robe. Nude, his?desire became visible to all. Skye’s blue eyes twinkled and, throwing?him a saucy look, she dove back into the pool, giving him a delicious?view of her sleek flanks. “Leave us!” he growled to the two girls,?and dove after Skye.
He was amazed to find what a strong swimmer she was. She?laughed mischievously at him and dove beneath the water to emerge?in midpool. His own laughter sounded now. “Where in the name?of the seven djins did you learn to swim like that, you vixen?”
Her blue-green eyes widened innocently, and she shrugged.?”Alas, my lord Khalid. I know not. Are you not afraid to take such?a wife to your bosom? Who knows what else I may know?”
He swam over to her and, gently, with a restrained passion that?she instantly sensed, he took her face between his thumb and fore-?finger. His golden amber eyes regarded her gravely. “I am not afraid?to take such a wife to my bosom, Skye. Whatever surprises are in?store for us will only serve to make our life more piquant. I love?you, my little lost one. I love you!”
Slim white arms slid up around him. Her small round breasts?pressed against the dark furred mat of his chest as she offered him?her lips. “Khalid, be sure, I would not hurt so good a man. You are?all I know, and I should be lost without you, but is that enough for?you? I can offer only myself, and I do not even know very much?about who
