“You can’t mean to introduce her to society.”

“I have every right to since she will be my wife.”

Peters’s mouth flapped in shock for a moment, then he took a step back and fell to the leather chair that was beside the window. “Rothburn.”

Crossing his arms, he waited for Peters to rein in his shock. At least he’d shut the man up, but there would probably be a barrage of questions. Of course, Jinan would have to agree to marry him. That prospect seemed elusive, however.

“I’m not in the mood for this, Peters.”

“You cannot marry her! She’s a whore.”

“You are walking a thin rope.” He pointed a threatening finger at Peters. “Tread carefully.”

“Think reasonably, Rothburn. You’ll have financial backlash from this.”

“I’ve plenty of money to live more than comfortably. You know this since you handle the books.”

“But what of the business?”

“It’s only natural for some vendors to find a problem with my foreign wife. I care not.”

“Do you not care that you will be putting people out of work when business stops on some of our trade routes?”

He’d already considered this, but hadn’t wanted to look at the problem too closely. He shrugged. Jinan was more important. “These things have a way of working themselves out. I’m not worried about it yet. She hasn’t even agreed to be my wife.”

“At least promise me you’ll do something about her manners and her clothes.”

Peters pointed at Jinan’s trousers and vest. “She can’t continue to go about in that fashion. Especially in England.”

Rothburn didn’t care if she walked around in only her knickers and chemise so long as she was with him in the end.

Peters changed the subject. “I see you’re of no mind to go over the accounts.”

He stopped himself from giving Peters the caustic remark he deserved. “I need to deal with her first.”

“She’s been eating up a lot of your time. Your pockets have a limit, Rothburn. You can’t keep going on pretending the rest of the world will stop on its axis while you sort her out. You have clients wondering when the hell you’re going to call on them, and you need to negotiate new contracts with your traders.”

“Just give me a month to sort her out. That’s all I’m asking. You know full well the business can continue in your stead. You helped me build the bloody thing from the ground up.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s not my association your clients want. I’m not good ton.”

“It’s arguable that I am.” He looked at Peters a long moment, thinking carefully on what he asked of him. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

Peters raised a brow. “A favor? I don’t think you’ve ever asked for a favor.” The man’s gaze slipped beyond him and toward the window facing the garden. “It has to do with her, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. It seems I’ve left something important behind in the harem.”

Peters’s eyes met his again.

“A son. More specifically, Jinan’s son.”

Peters hissed in a breath. “Tell me you don’t want me to retrieve the son. It’s suicide. The prince will have me slung up by the balls for setting foot near his island. Rothburn, we’ve been in this business, dealt with all types, you know better than anyone you don’t cross the bloody Turks.”

“I don’t want you dealing with him. I want you to send a note through channels that cannot be traced to this villa. I want the prince to consider a sum of money in exchange for the child and for Jinan, even though he has no way of finding her. Money, gold, jewels, part of my business, whatever it takes. I just want you to word the letter in a way that the prince knows I’m not going to give up till I have both in my custody. I’m sure he has a flock of children. He’ll be able to part with one.” He should ask Jinan who the father was. Somehow that didn’t seem important.

Peters stood, crossed his arms over his chest, and walked toward the window. “I still think it’s a mission that will be met at the point of a scimitar.”

“Possibly. There is nothing to be done about it. I made a promise and I’ll keep it even if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Consider it done. It shouldn’t take more than a week to get word back.”

“Now if you will excuse me, I have some things to attend to,” he said with a pointed look toward Jinan.

Peters raised his hands to stall whatever else he might say about Jinan. “I don’t want to know. I’ll leave you, then. If anything dire comes up, I’ll send a message from my lodgings.”

“Thank you.”

He could trust Peters to smooth out the ruffled feathers of vendors and buyers alike.

Right now, all he cared about, all he could think about, was pacing in the garden.

When Peters left, he headed directly through the narrow corridor to the doors that were flung open into the sunny garden.

Jinan sat by the largest fountain where great golden koi swam. Her finger was circling above the water, calling the fish to her, but they darted away when they realized there was no food to be had.

He gave his trousers a tug at the knees and sat next to her.

She didn’t bother to look at him. Why would she?

Rothburn cleared his throat. “I’m glad you found your way down to the garden.”

She did not look up to him. “Have you sent word for my son?”

“I have.”

“I thank you for that, but this game you play will not be good for you in the end. This is a waste of both our time and I fear you will meet your death from stealing Amir’s property.”

“You are not anyone’s property. More than anything, I want you to at least understand that.”

She made no response, so he changed the topic and asked, “Did you find the box this morning?”

He thought she would outright ignore him since she took so long to answer. “I did.”

“I’ll ask that we have the same arrangement here as we did in the Pleasure Gardens. You are to wear it at all times. At least until you are more comfortable with this life and the consequences of our unions.”

“If I should refuse you?”

“Then we will have a repeat of the other night. I can’t apologize, Jinan. You have enough power over me. I’ll not give you more leverage.”

Jinan scrunched her brows together, giving him a narrow look. “Whatever you wish, my lord.”

He nodded, then scooted closer to her. It was time to take the damned veil from her face. As he lifted his hands to her face, she started to move away and finally looked him in the eye when his hand grasped her knee, stopping her escape. “What is it you want?”

“You have no need of the veil here. Few will see you, and any who do will remain loyal to your secrecy.” Placing his hand over the pin at the back of her head, he waited for her protestations. None came, so he pulled the diamond-studded hairpiece slowly from its clasp. “Nothing between us, Jinan. I’ve seen you without it already.”

The veil fluttered to her lap like a butterfly landing to perch in a sea of colorful flowers. She made no move to shield what was revealed.

He lowered his hand and ran the back of his fingers down her smooth cheek. Her skin was sun-darkened beneath the veil. She sat with her back straight but her eyes averted.

“Look at me, Jinan.” His voice was hoarse with need.

“You want your house staff to see me? Is this it? You want me humiliated by my position as a harem whore? You give them a means to identify me.”

“I promise you my staff is discreet. No one will betray you in this household.”

“You have betrayed me.” Her eyes turned sad, as if all hope had leached from her heart. “Now you have removed the last shred of dignity I held.”

He paused, not sure how to respond to that. “I have done no such thing, Jinan. You know I intend you no harm.”

“Do I? I am no longer in the safety of the harem, and you cannot make me feel safe here.”

“What if I asked you to be my wife? Would that give you any reassurance of my intentions?”

“Do you think I would so easily say yes? I won’t. You’ve not proved your worth to me, Rothburn.”

“Jinan.” Griffin let out a sigh of frustration. His temper was quickly turning. “I have given you as much patience as a saint. I’m offering you something many women would beg for.”

She snorted, then stood from the bench; her fists were clenched tight at her sides as she walked a few steps away and gave him her back. It was long moments before she spoke. “There is nothing between us. I’m not willing to surrender myself to you. Will you keep me locked up for the rest of my days?”

“You mean to tell me you loathe me so thoroughly?”

He had planned to counter her argument but couldn’t seem to find the words to belittle what defenses she had left. Instead, he was on her in five quick strides, holding her in the circle of his arms. Tilting her chin up, he looked into her pain-stricken eyes.

“What can I do to secure your hand in marriage? What do I need to prove?”

Instead of answering, she averted her gaze once again. It was answer enough that she was torn in her decision when her eyes filled to the rim with tears.

How tempting it was to call her Elena. She seemed so innocent, so lost.

Where are you, Elena? You must still exist somewhere in this woman before me.

His finger and thumb caressed the soft flesh beneath her chin. “I understand your hesitancy. I don’t like seeing the pain in your eyes. For what reason do you reject me?”

“You do not understand my pain,” she said, and gave him the full brunt of her tortured stare. There was something stronger than abhorrence, but he couldn’t be sure it was directed toward him. What other secrets did she hide? What wasn’t she telling him?

He lowered his mouth closer, not touching her lips, yet. God, how he yearned to touch them with his own.

“Jinan,” he croaked out, the saliva gone from his mouth. “Are you really paradise?”