Chapter five

Eyes gleaming like molten gold flared over her troubled expression. "You'll be a perfect match for my bed," he assured her, and as panic and a surge of sexual awareness tightened her muscles with raw tension, Rebecca realized that was the only thing on his mind.

She stared up at him, almost spellbound by his striking gaze, and he leaned in. His broad, sensitive mouth brushed against the corner of hers, sending shivers through her, suddenly feeling both hot and cold under her skin as tingles of desire coiled through her lower body. His scent filled her senses—a hint of exotic spice mingled with a clean, masculine aroma that was both familiar and dangerously inviting. His mouth moved across hers, his tongue breaking the barrier of her lips and diving inside, sending a jolt of eroticism through her before pressing urgently against her own. That kiss was like a bolt of lightning, desire exploding within her like a fireball, fiery tendrils of heat reaching deep into her belly, making her knees weak, her breasts swelling, and her nipples tightening.

Jamal lifted his handsome, dark head and drew in a slow breath, looking down at her with possessive appreciation burning in his golden eyes. "Yes, you'll fit into my bed as if it were meant for you."

In the aftermath, anger surged through Rebecca, making her want to slap him across the face. For a fleeting moment, she lost control, momentarily forgetting everything as he had thrust her back into that unsettling realm of exhilarating sensation she had almost forgotten. She could have cried at the realization because she had dated several attractive men over the past few years, and not one of them had made her heart race and her body tremble with a single kiss. Yet, she had no doubt that brief embrace had stirred Jamal on a much more basic level.

"No, I wasn't meant to be in your bed... Amira was," Rebecca murmured flatly.

Taken aback by the mention of Amira's name, Jamal froze, casting a cold, warning glance down at her. "You will never mention the name of my late wife or our child again," he cautioned sternly.

At least now she had no doubts about where she stood in her future husband's affections, Rebecca grimly reflected. But that had been precisely why she hadn't married the man she once loved. Even seven years after Amira's passing, she still held sway over Jamal's heart.

Rebecca told her brother firmly, "If you need to ask Jamal anything, go and talk to him yourself!"

Nathan, clearly upset, snapped back, "How is that going to help? You're marrying the guy! You obviously have more influence with him than anyone else. Mom and Dad are thrilled, and it seems like everyone but me is benefiting from this. What about me?"

Rebecca avoided looking at her brother's angry face. The past three weeks had brought significant changes to their family. After hearing Rebecca's news, her father had started recovering and welcomed Jamal's offer to save them from bankruptcy and losing their home. Jamal's business manager, Elias, had even come to stay in a local hotel, and together with her father, they devised a plan to rescue the struggling business.

However, from the very beginning, Jamal's financial help was conditional. Nathan had to resign from the partnership, and her father had to promise not to hire him again in any capacity.

Rebecca's father had insisted that Jamal's help be given as a loan, which he intended to start repaying as soon as possible.

"I'm sorry, Nathan," Rebecca said uncomfortably. "Jamal isn't the forgiving type."

"I'm out of a job, and Dad thinks it would be easier if I move out before your ridiculous wedding!" Nathan snapped resentfully. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Find a career that suits you, something not related to finance," Rebecca suggested ruefully.

Nathan stomped off. Rebecca's mother, Sarah, emerged from the kitchen and winced at the sound of a door slamming upstairs. "Thank you for taking the heat off me and your father. I don't have the patience to listen to Nathan's bitter rants right now, and I don't want him making your father feel guilty again," she confided.

The older woman had lost weight since her heart attack, which was hardly surprising considering her new walking regime and healthier diet, Rebecca acknowledged fondly, relieved and proud of how her mother had adapted to the challenge of changing her lifestyle.

"I'm so looking forward to the wedding," Sarah admitted happily. "It's wonderful to have something to smile about again."

That was her parents' attitude towards her wedding in a nutshell, Rebecca conceded wryly. They thought it was wonderful news that she was marrying Jamal. She had lied to them, and they hadn't suspected a thing was amiss. She had told them that she had turned down Jamal's first proposal because she didn't feel up to the challenge of the public role he was offering her, and they had completely understood and accepted that explanation.

Rebecca had found it surprisingly easy to convince her parents that when she and Jamal reconnected, they realized their feelings were still strong and decided not to delay their wedding any further.

Rebecca kept her true feelings to herself. Nathan, as always, assumed everyone thought like him and believed she was marrying Jamal for his wealth. And in a way, she was marrying him for his money, Rebecca admitted to herself with shame. This marriage was the price she was willing to pay to protect her parents from a harsh reality they couldn’t handle at their age. Rebecca was ready to make this sacrifice for the parents who had always loved and cared for her. While Nathan might have been the favored child, Rebecca had never felt neglected.

The phone rang, and her mother, Sarah, who was still smiling dreamily at the thought of Rebecca's wedding just three days away, picked it up. “The wedding planner,” she said, handing the receiver to Rebecca.

Rebecca took a deep breath. Jamal had tasked his assistant, Elias, with organizing everything and hiring a top-notch wedding planner who could pull off the event in just a few weeks. Forcing a smile, Rebecca listened as the planner asked whether the napkins should be purple or plum, admitting she didn’t care.

“You're the most easy-going bride I've ever worked with,” the planner commented, not for the first time.

Rebecca was simply an unwilling bride. She was going through the motions for her parents’ sake but refused to pretend otherwise when it came to making bridal decisions. A woman in love would want everything perfect and have her own preferences. But Rebecca was not in love, and she was no longer the romantic girl who once dreamed of walking down the aisle in a white dress to meet Jamal.

Rebecca had taken the phone into the drawing room, which her parents only used for entertaining guests. As she lingered there, she recalled her twenty-first birthday, the night Jamal had first noticed her. To her surprise, he had come to her party and gifted her a beautiful, modern silver necklace and matching bracelet. Her heart had pounded as he chatted with her, and when he invited her out for dinner the next evening, signaling his new interest, it felt like all her dreams were coming true at once.

She often thought it ironic that Amira had been Jamal's first love and then Jamal had become hers. Rebecca knew better than anyone how hard it was to let go of adolescent fantasies. Jamal had entered her life when she was seventeen, and she had fallen for him instantly. At that time, he had shown no interest in her. His eyes never lingered on her, he didn't flirt, and they were never alone, but Rebecca lived for the weekends when Nathan brought Jamal home. The boys her age who showed interest in her seemed immature compared to Jamal, who had spent five years in his country's army before coming to the UK to study physics. His striking good looks, impeccable manners, and exotic background had completely captivated her.