Emerald St. Clair's POV

I slid out of the limousine and stared at the private aircraft with a crest of the royal family standing proudly on the tarmac at the airport here in Saqr. Beneath my sunglasses, my eyes narrowed. It seems that Al-Farsi doesn't know the word discreet.

We're finally going to New York as he promised after holding me against my will herein Saqr, after the photo shoot for the latest St. Clair Diamonds.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw a man get my luggage from the car and transfer it to the private aircraft. I was told back at the palace that 'the king' was already at the airport and he was waiting for me so we could travel to the States.

That man! I thought furiously. He didn't even bother to wait for me before coming here. Why? He doesn't want his bride-to-be to get jealous again because of me?

Well, I have so much news for this egoist brute. The sooner we landed on New York soil, the faster I would be out of his life. He can immediately fly back here so he can marry that woman. I could feel that my teeth started to grind for some unknown reason.

It's because of the desert heat. I justified my uncalled anger silently. The scorching sun here in Saqr was making my thoughts irrational. The sooner I can get back to the infamous chilly weather of New York City, the better.

I noticed that the ground crew was waiting for me to ascend the iron stairs of the airplane. Taking a deep breath, I carefully move forward to the iron steps, fully aware of my heeled shoes clicking while climbing the stairs.

Once I caught sight of that barbarian king, I would gladly show him the cold New York winter that was waiting for him on my home turf, and inside his very own damn plane, I thought acidly.

I finally arrived at the luxurious interior of the aircraft. I saw my nemesis casually sitting on the cream-colored leather seat near the window while busy with his laptop. My breath was caught in my throat when I saw him already wearing Western clothes, way different from the man who kept on bothering me while wearing the traditional clothing of his country. This was the Khalil Al-Farsi that I knew.

My heart skipped a beat when I realized how devastatingly handsome he was in his expensive handmade trousers and white dress shirt, with the first two buttons open and the sleeves rolled to his arms, which contrasted his tanned skin. There's no way in hell I would tell him that. I would rather die first before admitting it.

He must have felt my presence when he slid his gaze away from the screen of his laptop and gave me a once-over. A frown marked his aristocratic eyebrows as his eyes focused on my feet.

"Habibti?" he asked disapprovingly, his expressive cobalt eyes filled with irritation at the moment. "Heels?"

I raised an eyebrow in his direction. Hiding the fact that seeing his displeasure makes me feel victorious. "So?" I asked sanguinely, looking at my outfit. I have to admit that I wore the best attire that I packed in my luggage. An all-white business suit with killer heels. I put my hair in a high tight ponytail that gives me a professional and sophisticated look at the same time. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

He consciously rubbed his forehead with his finger while closing his eyes. After exhaling a loud breath, he focused his attention back on me once again. "My love, do you think that it's advisable to wear such sky-high shoes while your ankle is still recovering from your injury? Look, it still has bandages. That means your ankle is still healing."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

"Don't be so hard-headed, Emerald," he snapped at me. His eyes were ablaze with such fire in their depth. "There's a thin line between defiance and stupidity."

I was taken aback by his words. My eyes threw a daggered look in his direction beneath my dark sunglasses.

"How dare you—?" I started, then I remembered that there was no need to argue with him because the sooner this damned plane lands in New York, the better because I will be out of his life permanently this time. I vowed to myself that I would avoid him ten times more than before. So, I took a deep breath calming my temper. "Look, there's no need to argue over such nonsense matter, Al-Farsi. As soon we arrive in New York, the faster we'll part ways."

His magnificent blue eyes turned cold and deadly in my direction. Right now, he's every inch of a powerful monarch—not that I am afraid of him. I lifted my chin in his direction as a sign of insolence. "What the devil did you say? Will we part ways as soon as we arrive in New York? Haven't we agreed to play as a couple once we arrive in your hometown? Do you want me to remind you of that again?"

I sat on the leather seat across from him, crossing my legs over the other in the process. I fastened my seat belt. "That's the thing, Al-Farsi. I'm still not sure about the whole charade thing," I commented, removing my sunglasses and placing them on the polished tabletop. "I have a feeling that it will come and bite me in the ass."

There was a wolfish smile that spread through his face. "Don't wait for me to be the one who will bite your delectable ass, my darling."

I could feel how his words inflamed my cheeks. I was probably as red as my hair once again. I swear this man and his unfiltered mouth will be the death of me!

"Do you like that?" he prodded when I remained silent. I could see the deviltry playing in his eyes as he sat back from his chair. "I think you will like it, ya amar." He leaned forward until his arms rested on the table that separated us. I was barely aware that the plane was now starting to take off. "I can show you now if you want."

I gave him my coldest glare. "Try it, and I promise you that I will dismember you, you moron."

He clicked his tongue while there was a sly smile playing on his lips at the moment. "That's not the way to talk to your boyfriend, my lovely Emerald."

"Pretend boyfriend," I spat at him with an emphasis on the word 'pretend,' which he seemed to always forget. "Do I need to remind you always that you're not my real boyfriend? You just volunteered yourself for the role."

"Pretend or not, I know one thing is for sure, Emerald St. Clair," he said with such intensity in his eyes. "Once we're in New York, as far as anyone is concerned, I am your boyfriend and I have every right to kiss your exquisite mouth whenever and as many times as I want. Be warned, my love," he added with a serpentine smile. "I intend to make up for the eight long years I have been deprived of the right to kiss you."

"Keep dreaming," I taunted him while my traitorous heart started to beat wildly in my chest. Don't let his words affect you, Emerald. He's just Al-Farsi, your sworn enemy. I reminded myself silently. You're stronger than this bastard. Do not get swayed.

"Oh, I will," he replied, the corner of his mouth curved with a smile. "Who knows? I might persuade you to spend your nights in my bed. I have heard that it's rather cold in New York by now since it's already in the middle of autumn."

I glowered in his direction as I kicked his shins under the table with my uninjured feet before I had the chance to stop myself from assaulting him. Oh, I might go to prison after such impulsiveness, but I don't particularly care at the moment.

"Ow!" he grimaced before throwing a disapproving look in my direction, rubbing his shins with his hand. "What's that for, woman?"

"That is just a warning shot, Al-Farsi," I informed him hotly, giving him a hard look. "Next time you suggest sharing your bed, I promise you I will not hesitate to mutilate you."

"Why so violent, my love?" he asked, slightly wincing, which was not that surprising because my stilettoes are pointed. "Have you heard the term Lèse-majesté? It's a French term meaning "to do wrong to majesty." It's an offense against the dignity of a reigning member of a state, and it's punishable by law. In Saqr, you can be jailed for assaulting a member of a royal family, and if the man you hit is the current sovereign lord..." He paused for a moment giving me a look. "...it can go as far as the offense and may carry a harsh corporal punishment, including public lashings, lengthy jail terms, and even death."

I slightly paled. Sometimes I regret being spontaneous. I looked him straight in the eyes. "Then throw me to jail."

"Now, why would I do that?" There was a secretive smile on his face that I didn't trust. "Why throw your delectable ass in jail when I can throw it in my bed where we'll both enjoy every second of it."

"The fuck—"

He wagged his finger at me. "Ah, careful there, habibti. I would not advise insulting the man who would be the answer to your dilemma waiting for you in New York if I were you. You should be softening up towards me by now."

"You will rot in hell first," I hissed at him. My eyes were probably spitting fire at the moment.

Al-Farsi grinned at me roguishly. His eyes lit with unholy fire in their profound. "I will gladly go to hell but only after experiencing heaven in your arms, my love."

I could feel that my face was heating up once again. I was about to hit his shins again when he dodged my attack lightning-fast.

The devil just chuckled. He was pleased with himself that he managed to elude my ambush. "Do you think you will catch me off guard twice, my adorable jewel? I have to be vigilant when it comes to you if I don't want to become black and blue after spending time with you."

I couldn't help my mouth from twitching with a smile as the image crossed my mind. "I would love to see that with my own very eyes."

"A battered boyfriend will not do well for my image," he scowled at the idea. "What will the people of Saqr say seeing their king with such ungodly sight? They will not respect me anymore. I am the most powerful man in Saqr, after all."

"Really?" I snorted, studying his handsome face—wait, he's not handsome. I reminded myself harshly. "You are not that powerful for me."

His cobalt eyes flashed with an inferno. I shivered not for fear but for something else that I didn't want to name at the moment. "Is that a challenge?"

"What challenge?"

Instead of answering, he unclasped his seat belt briskly and did the same with my seat belt. I gasped when he suddenly pulled me up to my feet.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked indignantly while completely aware of the hard pounding of my heart against my ribcage.

"I will show you how powerful I am," he answered, pulling me on the long sofa not far from our seats.

He pushed me down to the sofa while trapping me with his body so I could not move away. I glared at him vehemently. "Get off me, you brute!"

Of course, he didn't listen. He just placed his knee in the small space between my parted legs. My breathing practically stopped when he leaned down and whispered something for my ears only. "Would you let me show you how powerful I am? Or better yet, let me show you how I got such a powerful reputation in the bedroom for my sexual prowess."

The last thing I wanted to be reminded of was how much of a manwhore this man was. I gave him a wintry look while pushing him away from me. "Do you think I care about your hard-won reputation in the bedroom, Al-Farsi? Let me tell you now. I don't give a freaking fuck about it, you pompous ass."

"Pompous ass..." he repeated with a humorless laugh, shaking his head. "...wow. I think this is the first time someone called me that."

"Congratulations," I said in a voice filled with sarcasm.

"You..." he said, studying my face with unreadable emotions in his eyes at the moment. "...what will I do with that sassy mouth of yours?"

I scowled at him. "Don't you have work? Why not work instead of bothering me here?"

A Smile lurked in the depths of his eyes. "Talking with you is more pleasurable than working, habibti."

"Well, I don't share the same sentiments with you, Your Pompous Ass-ness," I shot back. "Now get out and leave me alone, will you? I prefer the company of silence to you."

He frowned in my direction, he gave me this wounded look, but I knew better than to fall for it since I could see the devious smile he was preventing from slipping on his lips. "Why so hard on me? You keep on insulting me. If I didn't know better, I would assume that you secretly like me too."

The thundering of my heart intensified. Damn him! Damn him and his self-assurance. I would not be surprised if he too could hear my heartbeat. "Yeah, like a cold day in hell."

"I don't have to wait for a cold day in hell," he whispered against my cheek. His lips were already pressing a light kiss on my skin, while the raw desire I heard in his deep voice left me breathless. "I will just make you fall more in love with me. More convenient, don't you think?"

"What the—" I started, but he slightly pulled back to look at my face and planted three quick kisses on my lips before I had the chance to react to what the hell just happened. He caught me off guard! Damn, this devil.

"Oh, yes." There was wicked satisfaction in his eyes as he stared back at me. "I will make you fall deeply in love with me. So that I will have the devil's pleasure knowing that you're truly mine."

I laughed at his words. But even in my ears, the laugh sounded off. "You're one egocentric man. My God, you're so full of yourself, Al-Farsi."

He smiled at me, tilting my chin with his fingers so I could meet his gaze. "You cannot escape me now, habibti. The first time I kissed your sweet lips that day sealed your fate. You became mine and I will never let you go."

"Fuck you!" I hissed at him angrily. But I was mad at myself even more because I could not escape his captivating gaze. I wanted to look away, but I could not. There was an invisible force that held me prisoner with his stare. "I am not an object that you can own."

"I know, but damn if I will not listen to the devil inside me telling me to make you mine."

"You're crazy."

He grinned at me. "About you I am. From the moment I laid my eyes on you at Penelope Young's debutante ball eight years ago."

I puffed a loud breath. "How sure are you that it was me at that party and not Ruby? People can't even distinguish who is who most of the time."

"I know it was you," he answered with a determined expression on his face. It was as if he was very sure of it. "Because your twin sister can't make my heart beat crazily the way you do."

My mouth hung open at his reply. I didn't expect that one to come. "I make your heart crazy?" I asked in a slightly high-pitched voice.

He looked at me for a long moment. I thought he was going to answer my question, but instead, he lay down on the couch with his head resting on my lap and his eyes were closed. "If you want me to answer that, you have to pay a price."

"What price?"

He opened his enchanting eyes and stared at me. "A kiss."

I shook my head in disbelief. "No thanks. What should I expect from a horny man like you?"

"Ah, a pity then. Because I believe that sooner or later you will tend to the needs of this horny man, my sweet Emerald," he retorted back playfully. "Now do your job as a caring girlfriend and let me sleep for a while since I have been deprived of it lately because I need to finish my work so I can come with you to New York."

I stared down at his face while he was resting comfortably in my lap. I fought back the urge to run my fingers in his jet-black hair. "I still think this is not a good idea after all. The Princess must be devastated knowing you left Saqr while she was still there. It's kinda rude, you know."

Al-Farsi peeked at me with one eye. "Darling love, everything is fair in love and war. We already laid our cards on the table the last time and, sad to say, but we're on the opposing side of this arranged marriage."

"You mean to say she wants to marry you for real?" I didn't know why but there was something tugging in my chest at the thought.

"Yes."

"Oh."

There must be something in my face that he interpreted differently when he flashed a slow self-satisfied smile while staring at me intently with both eyes. "Don't worry. I don't have any plans of marrying her."

My heart feels giddy at that. "Oh?" I tried to sound nonchalant.

He gave me a heart-stopping grin. "Yeah. You don't believe me?"

"I don't know," I shrugged casually. "I still think that it's rude to leave when she's still at the palace. She's still your guest, after all."

He exhaled a loud breath, closing his eyes again. "Enough about her, habibti."

"But—"

"If you don't shut up, I will assume that you're still jealous of her," he stated flatly. When I pointedly closed my mouth, he said after a moment. "Good. Now let your boyfriend rest for a moment because God knows I will need all the strength I can muster when I face your grandfather."