For Duty's Sake Read Online Free PDF Page A

sighed, her shoulders slumping just enough that he knew she was not as calm about this as she was pretending to be. “Your silence speaks better thanyour words could. I will take full responsibility for the aborted engagement with our families and the media.”
    â€œNo.” He surged up from his desk, realizing that perhaps now was not the time to intimidate with that barrier between them.
    â€œI have only one request.”
    He halted on his way around the desk. “What is it?”
    â€œI want one night in your bed, the wedding night I will not now have.”
    If she had shocked him with her threat to break their agreement, this request practically had him catatonic. What in blue blazes was she thinking ?
    â€œWhy?” he ground out while trying to somehow make sense of his prim and proper princess-to-be offering him, no, demanding from him, something that should not be indulged in until after their marriage.
    The next heir could not be conceived under a cloud.
    â€œI want you to be my first.”
    Well, naturally. “But you do not wish to marry me.”
    Did she truly believe there was any sense, even the smallest modicum of logic in such a scenario?
    â€œDid you want to marry Elsa Bosch?”
    He’d indulged in fantasies at one time. He’d believed himself in love. More fool him. But even then he’d known it was pure fantasy to even consider such a thing. He’d soon realized that more than her career made her the wrong choice as future queen of Zohra.
    Even in his most youthful exuberance of untried emotion, he had not been a fool. “It was not a consideration.”
    â€œBut you had sex with her.” The blunt words falling from Angele’s usually prim mouth added to his sense of falling down the rabbit hole.
    It was time to put a stop to this conversation. “That is not something I will discuss with you.”
    â€œI’m not asking you to—I’m simply making an observation.”
    â€œThis entire conversation is insane.”
    â€œNo, what is insane is two people prepared to marry for the sake of nothing but family obligation in the twenty-first century.”
    Her American upbringing had much to answer for.
    â€œI will one day be king. The woman who rules Zohra by my side must be a suitable match.” Angele knew this. He should not have to repeat it for her. “ Love has nothing to do with the obligations you and I must uphold.”
    â€œYou say it like it’s a dirty word.”
    It was his turn to shrug. In his life? That particular emotion had caused more pain than pleasure.
    â€œYour brothers have both found love.”
    â€œThey do not have the responsibilities of the crown to uphold.” And neither man had had a particularly smooth road to true love , either.
    Zahir had no desire to follow in their footsteps in that regard. He had enough of his own challenges in life to face as ultimate leader and servant to his people.
    â€œYour father doesn’t wear a crown.”
    â€œDon’t play semantics with me—this is too important.” He could not believe she was saying these things. “I believed you understood the importance of your obligations.”
    â€œMy greatest obligation is to myself. I know youdon’t see it that way.” She quoted an Arabic proverb he often used that was strangely apt to their situation. “I’m not that person. I don’t believe countries will topple if their leaders seek personal happiness in a manner of integrity.”
    â€œWhat is honorable about breaking our engagement?”
    â€œWe aren’t engaged.”
    â€œAs good as.”
    â€œReally? You truly believe that?” she asked as if his answer carried great import.
    â€œYes.”
    Unutterable sadness came over her features and the light in her eyes dimmed. “I’m sorry.”
    â€œYou will give up this idea of backing away from our wedding?”
    â€œNo.” Her