So great was Leila's shock, it took a long momentbefore she could even bring herself to speak.
"You are mad," she finally rasped, herthoughts spinning in horrified confusion. "My mother would never have saidsuch a thing about my marriage to Jamal Al-Aziz. She knew I was happy . . . no,not just happy. Ecstatic!" She sat up, her whole body trembling as hervoice grew shrill. "Oh, God, you killed them, didn't you? My mother andMajida. You murdered them after you drugged me!"
Now Guy looked stunned, then angry, his blue eyesdarkening to steely gray. "Of course I didn't kill your mother or herslave. Those drugs have addled your reason."
"My reasoning is fine! Murderer, it is you who aremad! How else could I have come to this place . . . Acre" —she spat— "ifnot by foul play? How else could this be happening to me?"
"I'll tell you how," Guy said, resting hisweight on his knuckles as he leaned on the bed, so close to her that Leilainstinctively drew back, terrified. "I rescued you at great risk to my ownlife and your mother's. I have never met a woman braver than Lady Eve. It washer idea to hide us in a wagon loaded with corpses so we could safely escapeDamascus, and it was her idea to drug you so you might be spared the horror ofsuch a grisly experience. And it was her emerald necklace that bought us horsesto bring us here."
"No . . . that cannot be true!"
"Not true? It's as true as I'm standing herebefore you, a free man instead of a headless corpse rotting in an unmarkedgrave. As true as the jewels Lady Eve gave me to pay for our passage toEngland."
Leila continued to shake her head in disbelief, which seemedto anger him all the more. He began to shout, his handsome face livid. "Bythe blood of God, woman! Even now your mother might be imprisoned for the partshe played to help you. She told me it was what you wanted! "
The room resounded from his thunderous outburst, eachof them staring furiously at the other.
Eve would never have done this to her! Leila thoughtdesperately. This was a nightmare. A bad dream. She dug her nails into her armsso hard she cried out in pain, glancing down at the deep imprints she had leftin her skin. They were real, the pain was real,GuydeWarennewas real. Then his fantastic story must be
"No, I don't believe you!" Leila shouted asshe threw back the satin coverlet and sprang from the bed. She dashed towardthe door but frantically checked her path when he began to follow her.
"Leila . . ."
"Murderer! Stay away from me!" she cried,rushing back to the bed. She grabbed the crystal pitcher from the table andupturned it like a weapon, the cold water sloshing down the side of her bodyand soaking her silken clothes. She scarcely felt it, so great was her rage. "Youlie, you . . . you filthy barbarian! You killed my mother and kidnapped me!"She waved the pitcher threateningly. "I demand you release me at once! Iwant to go home . . . to Damascus!"
Guy wished there was some cold water left in thatbobbing pitcher to splash on his face. He had never heard such lunatic ranting.His head was beginning to pound. What the devil was she talking about? Surelythe drugs . . .
"Get back into bed before you collapse," heordered, noting she was swaying slightly, her forehead furrowed with pain.
He also noticed her pink, puckered nipples beneath hersodden silk dress and the delicious curves of her hips and thighs where thetransparent fabric clung provocatively. He stared hungrily, unable to helphimself. Why did she have to be so damn lovely?
Another pounding began anew in his lower body, muchdifferent from the one in his head. He gritted his teeth, reminding himselfagain of his sworn duty, but it took greater effort this time to quell hisburgeoning desire. There was something about sheer wet clothing molded tofemale flesh that could drive a man wild, and this woman's body was perfection.
Leila must have sensed his discomfort, or perhaps evenseen the swelling below his sword belt, for she yanked the coverlet from thebed and held it in front of her breasts. Her gaze grew wider, angrier, and hethought for sure she was going to loft the glass pitcher right at him. Hetensed, ready to dodge.
"Put down the pitcher, Leila, and get into bed,"he commanded again, but she only lifted it higher. "If you don't, I swearI shall come and take it from you myself and force you into the bed!"
She blinked, her expression uncertain as she weighedhis dark threat, then she spouted, "Barbarian! Come near me and I'll crackthis right over your skull!"
"Very well." Guy strode around the bed,ducking to the side just in time to avoid the hurtling pitcher which barelymissed his head. It crashed to the floor behind him and shattered into a thousandglittering shards.
"Bastard! Murderer! Beast! Stay away from me!"Leila screamed, jumping onto the bed as he lunged for her. She tried toscramble across the wide mattress, but he caught her leg and no small amount ofher hair, easily pulling her back. "No! Let me go!" she shouted atthe top of her lungs, gasping for breath and wincing at the pain in her scalp.She tore desperately at the linen sheet, dragging it with her as he grabbed heraround the waist and spun her around to face him.
She dropped the sheet and raised her clenched fists tostrike him, but at the dangerous look in his eyes she was suddenly swept byterror. The crusader had murdered her mother andMajida.He could easily do the same to her. Glaring at him, she lowered her arms, theirfaces so near his breath fanned her flushed cheek, burning her skin.
Leila had never been this close to a man.
She could feel the warmth of his powerful bodyemanating through his clothes. Her nostrils flared at the scent of him . . .sweat and sandalwood. She did not pull away, in that spellbinding moment drawnto his heat, his smell, as inexplicably as a moth to a searing flame.
She met his eyes, seeing in those stunning ceruleandepths a will as strong and determined as her own. Becoming flustered, she droppedher gaze to his mouth, watching as he moistened his lips with his tongue.Unconsciously she licked her own lips,thenglancedback at his eyes as his mouth curved into the smallest of smiles. She saw aflash of humor and something else, something that sent shivers down her spine.It made her want to slap him. Hard.
But before she could, he tossed her onto the mattress. "Coveryourself."
As Guy walked to the foot of the bed, Leila grabbed thesatin spread and angrily tucked it around herself, bringing the embroiderededge up under her chin.
"Listen well, my lady," he began in a lowvoice, staring into her defiant gaze. "I am no murderer. I would like tothink it is the drugs speaking through your lips, but I am beginning to believeI have been misled. As I already told you, your mother claimed you wanteddesperately to leave Damascus and the marriage that had been arranged for youwith an infidel. From your vicious display of temper, it seems that this is notthe case."
"No, it is not!" Leila declared vehemently. "AndI can assure you that the drugs have sufficiently worn off so that I know thisis not a nightmare, though I wish it was one! If my mother did help you, and Ican't imagine why she would have—" Leila paused, recalling like a flashEve's lingering melancholy, and then just as quickly brushed it off. But beforeshe could finish, Guy broke in, his tone harsh.
