Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [21]
He sighed, deciding he didn’t want to talk about wives and mistresses any longer, especially when he knew how possessive American women were. “Are the sandwiches ready?”
Evidently, she wasn’t ready to bring the subject to an end and asked, “The first day we met you indicated you were to marry next year.”
He nodded. “Yes, that’s true. In my country it’s customary for a man to marry before his thirty-fifth birthday. And I’ll be that age next summer.”
“And the woman you’re marrying? Was your marriage to her prearranged?”
Seeing she would not give the sandwich to him until her curiosity had been appeased, he said, “Yes, and no. My family had arranged my marriage to the future princess of Bahan before she was born. I was only six at the time. But she and her family were killed a few years ago while traveling in another country. That was less than a year before we were to marry. She was only eighteen at the time.”
Delaney gave a sharp intake of air into her lungs. “Oh, that must have been awful for you.”
Jamal shrugged. “I guess it would have been had I known her.” Like I know you now, he thought, watching her eyes lift in confusion. The thought of anything ever happening to her…
“What do you mean if you had known her? You didn’t know the woman you were going to marry?” Her mouth gaped open in pure astonishment.
“No, I had never met her. There was really no need. We were going to marry. Her showing up at the wedding would have been soon enough.”
“But…but what if she was someone you didn’t want?”
Jamal looked at her, smiling as if she had asked a completely stupid question. “Of course I would have wanted her. She was pledged to be my wife, and I was pledged to be her husband. We would have married regardless.”
Delaney inhaled slowly. “And you would have kept your mistress.” She said the words quietly, not bothering to ask if he had one. A man like him would, especially a man who thought nothing of marrying a woman he had never met to fulfill a contract his family had made. He would bed his wife for heirs, fulfilling his duty, then bed his mistress for pleasure.
“Yes, I would keep my mistress.” He thought of Najeen, then added, “I would never think of giving her up.”
Delaney stared at him and his nonchalant attitude about being unfaithful. Her brothers, possibly with the exception of Thorn when he was in one of his prickly moods, were players, enjoying being bachelors to the fullest. But there was no doubt in her mind that when…and if they each found their soul mate, that woman would make them give up their players’ cards. They would not only give her their complete love but their devotion and faithfulness, as well.
She was suddenly swamped by a mixture of feelings. There was no way she could get serious about a man like Jamal and accept the fact that he would be sleeping with another woman. She appreciated differences in cultures, but there were some things she would not tolerate. Infidelity was one of them. Violation of marriage vows was something she would not put up with.
Crossing the room with both plates in her hands, she set his sandwich down in front of him with a thump, glaring down at him. “Enjoy your sandwich. I hope you don’t choke on it. I’m eating in my room, since I prefer not to share your company at the moment.”
Jamal was out of his chair in a flash. He reached out and grabbed hold of her wrist and brought her closer to him. “Why?”
Her eyes darkened. “Why what?”
He studied her features. “Why did my words, spoken in total honesty, upset you? It’s the way we do things in my country, Delaney. Accept it.”
She tried pulling her hand free but he held on tight. “Accept it?” Her laugh was low, bitter and angry. She tilted her head back and glared up at him.