Read Desert Orchid: The Desert Princes: Book 1 for Free Online Page A

you think the starving, the needy, would think of you - a beautiful young woman - paid millions to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather? And a woman who now happens to have tens of millions of Euros in banks in Switzerland?"
    When he put it like that, what had happened to her sounded so terribly sordid. But there was more to the truth than the bald facts he'd spat at her.
    She'd been avoiding him, that was true.
    But she'd clung to the fragile hope that even though Khalid had, to put it mildly, a regrettable reputation, as a person he might be amenable and reasonably easy going. Perhaps even a little simple-minded. Never, in her wildest imaginings had she imagined a man with the tongue of a viper.
    And now he was threatening her?
    But why?
    How on earth was she going to be able to live with a man who held her in such deep contempt?
    The room spun as his words pierced her fragile heart with hot knives and left it bloody and broken.
    She sank to the couch and simply could not tear her eyes away from his.
    "I knew nothing about the money until I read Asim’s letter. You must believe me."
    Jet brows flew into his hairline.
    "Must I? I don’t have to believe anything. From what I’ve heard, few people saw my uncle in his final months except you and my aunt Yasmin who thinks the sun shines out of your cute little ass."
    Cute little ass?
    Charisse blinked.
    Never had anyone spoken to her like this.
    Never .
    And it appeared he regarded her as some kind of con artist. Her hands fisted and her nails dug into the palms of her hands as Charisse battled the urge to scream with utter frustration.
    "I adore Yasmin. She’s been like a mother to me." Her voice broke and she cursed her wayward emotions. She'd never been good with emotional dramas, they reminded her too much of her childhood. "Why are you behaving like this? Why have you judged me without even giving me a chance?"
    Those grey eyes, cold as ice, narrowed into hers in a way that made Charisse brace herself. "Not fair. Is it, darlin’?"
    Confused, she blinked.
    "I don’t know what you’re talking about."
    "Don’t you? The palace staff knows exactly what I’m talking about. ‘He’s a dick-swinging party animal and a waster.’ I see from the colour draining from your face you know what I’m talking about."
    Her mouth went bone dry.
    Charisse cleared her throat.
    There was no point in denying it.
    To do that would make a horrendous situation even worse.
    She found herself wringing her hands, the words coming too fast. "I was upset at the time. Asim’s letter was... a shock. I’d no idea he’d even considered me marrying anyone, never mind marrying a..."
    His grey eyes went wide with a warning that had heat scorch her cheeks. Dear God, she’d nearly insulted him to his face. He was angry and who could blame him? But what dismayed her was the fact that members of her staff had been gossiping about her.
    She simply could not believe it.
    His thin smile told her he was more than aware of the near insult.
    "Good job you stopped right there, Highness. I gave my word to my father that I’m a changed man. No drinking. No women. And apparently if you and I get it together we’ve to make a baby sooner rather than later. A baby which will, according to my father, bring the hill tribes together. The poor little bastard has my sympathy."
    The way he said, ‘Highness’ and the way he looked at her with eyes filled with a mix of lust and dark contempt made her heart thunder too loud in her ears.
    This was a complete nightmare.
    Khalid placed the fragile cup and saucer on the table and stood.
    And she realised he was very tall.
    Big.
    Strong.
    Masculine.
    The dogs rose and he simply sent the animals a look that had them immediately hit their butt on the floor then lie down in a submissive gesture that had her jaw drop.
    Boris and Rufus obeyed her and no one else.
    Charisse stood and felt the full force of an invincible will and an even stronger temper as his eyes held