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But the more he let time pass, the more he realized it had been a grave mistake to marry her. He desired her for real, while she desired him only as a sponsor to maintain her family name and boost her lifestyle. He’d never paid for his pleasures and he’d be damned if he’d start with her. Not even if she was the one woman he craved. Especially since she was.

But he couldn’t even let her go, washing his hands of this sordid mess. He’d trapped himself forever.

Men in his family married for life, if at all possible. Even if separation occurred, it remained private, with a solid family front presented, for the sake of all but the couple. Considerations far bigger ruled. The royal family’s traditions, Khumayrah’s veneration of marriage, the Aal Ferjanis’ allies and rivals. A man who wasn’t bound to the wife he’d chosen and the family he’d made with her couldn’t be trusted.

Which brought him to that heir his father had revealed was necessary to help stabilize the currently volatile internal affairs in their kingdom.

For that alone, he couldn’t let anyone suspect that his marriage was a mere business deal. It would be the perfect way for his enemies to slander him.

They had done it to his father, spreading rumors that Adham and his younger sister weren’t his, that his bargained wife had cheated. The repercussions had been far-reaching, and it had taken half of Adham’s life to disprove the lies and wipe clean their stain.

This alone should have stopped him from following in his father’s footsteps. His parents’ marriage had developed into a love match, but this wasn’t his own situation, and he should have factored in that if the conditions of his marriage were exposed, it would affect the royal house and the kingdom’s stability.

So here he was. Trapped into playing the doting, replete groom. And to his fury, his desire for her, having his eyes and hands all over her in public, hadn’t been an act. The act had been the distance he’d forced on them in private, the disinterest and detachment he’d pretended when she’d confronted him.

B’Ellahi, that confrontation. He’d used up his last drop of will holding himself back from pouncing on her, dragging her to the ground and giving her what she’d been indignantly pretending to demand. His mind roiled still with conjectures over why she had.

He again slammed into the same conclusion. That she’d become worried. She hadn’t seen the contracts, and had probably been trying to find out if their terms were worth the act she’d been putting on. After all, she’d made a tremendous effort so far, and hadn’t missed a beat since they’d met.

But now that he’d assured her of the extent of her gains from their arrangement, she’d resume playing her part with even more commitment. This past week, her performance had surpassed his wildest expectations. He’d felt her dissolving in his arms, inundating him with hunger, with urgent need for everything he’d do to her….

How is she faking all this?

A thought struck him with the force of a mallet to the head.

What if she wasn’t? What if, apart from her mercenary motives for their marriage, she lusted after him for real?

If this was true, it changed everything….

“Adham. Earth to Adham.”

He raised burning eyes to the booming voice. He found he’d come to a full stop in the middle of the field with Nicolas staring at him in surprise and concern. He and the other players were wiping off the clumps of mud and grass they were covered in.

“The game is right here, buddy.” Jacob Anders, who played his team’s number one position, smirked. “But it’s clear you’re not.”

“Sí,” Nicolas agreed. “Why don’t we resume our practice when you don’t feel the urge to take whatever’s eating you on the lawn and pelt us with it?”

Adham grimaced at his teammates. He wasn’t up to their teasing. He swung Layl away and galloped off the field.

They were right. He had to take this out on the cause of his turmoil. On Sabrina.

If she wanted him, she was going to get him.

If mind-blowing pleasure was all they could have out of this “deal,” then they’d have it. They