Page 53 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

Nicole drew in a deep breath. "No. You've been so much more than that. And I'm grateful for what you did."

"You don't need to be grateful. I had to do what I did."

"I know. You and Hakim."

She saw him shake his head, and he was suddenly very serious. "Nothing to do with Hakim."

"What do you mean?"

He took a sip of coffee and placed his cup back down. "It was more to do with something that happened in the past. A long time ago. Something I haven't told you about. Yet."

Nicole felt concern tug at her. His features were grave. She didn't know, at first, whether she should press him for more details. He'd already shared so much with her about his past life. But, she knew it would be naive of her to assume he'd shared everything important.

"The real reason I want to stop Hakim and those like him from continuing with the tradition of enforced marriages is because it happened to someone I once knew," he explained.

Nicole hesitated unsure whether she wanted hear any more, but she knew she knew there would be no stopping Rashid from telling her more. She could see the determination in his eyes.

"Someone you once knew?" Nicole asked tentatively.

Rashid nodded. "I was young. Twenty-one years old. And it was time," he said.

"Time for what?" she asked, although she could already guess what he was referring to.

"My family had chosen someone for me." Rashid gazed at Nicole, his eyes dark and full of intent.

"Marriage?" she asked.

Rashid nodded. "Alana and I had known each other since childhood. We were good friends. At least I thought we were," he said.

She could see how difficult this was for him. Maybe he hadn't shared this with anyone before. Perhaps this was the first time he'd spoken about it in years.

"But there was one problem with the arrangement. Alana didn't want to marry me."

Nicole felt herself frozen, watching him confess this secret part of his past to her. Why was he telling her this? She wasn't sure she even wanted to know. At the same time, she could hardly imagine any woman not wanting Rashid.

"Isn't that unusual?" Nicole asked after a long pause.

"For a woman to reject a man as a husband?" he asked. His features flushed with emotion and she saw a sudden indignation in his eyes. "Unheard of in my culture," he added harshly.

Nicole swallowed, trying to think what to say next. What could she possibly say in response to him opening up like this?

"So what happened?" she asked quietly.

Rashid sighed. "She decided she preferred to remain unmarried, rather than become my wife. And, that's the way she stayed, until eventually she gave into pressure from her family. Years later." Rashid gazed across at Nicole. Fire burned in his eyes. "She married someone else."

Nicole drew in a deep breath and tried to understand what he was telling her. Was that why he'd made it his business to stop these forced marriages? Was it merely his personal disappointment which was driving him to try and put an end to that tradition? Had he been hurt and ever since then all he wanted to do was put a stop to all arranged marriages?

Maybe it hadn't been about Nicole, after all. Perhaps she had just been caught up in his personal crusade to get some kind of revenge for the frustrations of his youth.

That thought triggered sharp, defensive emotion that cut into her. Indignation began to stir.

This whole thing had been about his need for personal payback against a custom which had caused him pain. Had she just fooled herself into thinking it had all been about her? It had never been about Nicole. In spite of what he'd tried to have her believe while she'd been staying with him.

The rush of indignation flared inside her.

"Why are you telling me this?" she demanded. She knew she needed to control herself. It would do no good to show him how she felt about this revelation.

"I wanted you to understand why I've been doing all this work," he said.

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