and tie on the end of the bed. The next thing she knew he’d pulled up a chair and sat next to her like he’d done that first day. “Don’t you know there are factions that would cause harm to the king and his family?”
“I realize that,” she came back. “But I’m not one of them. If you recall, I wanted to leave the palace and return to El-Joktor as soon as I was able to stand on my own two feet without fainting. You’ve had the authority to send me on my way at any given moment.”
He nodded his dark head. “That’s true, but there was a reason why I didn’t, and you know what it is,” his voice rasped.
“You mean because of our attraction to each other.”
“What else?” Rafi reached for her hand. She tried to pull away, but he was too strong and clasped it. “You can tell me the truth. I’ll keep your secret. I swear an oath on it.”
Her lower lip trembled. “I swore an oath, too.”
She heard him breathe heavily. “Then we’re deadlocked.”
“I guess we are.”
“This isn’t the way it has to be.” He looked forbidding in the semi-darkness.
“It isn’t the way I want it to be either.” Whether he knew it or not, he was rubbing his thumb across her palm, sending little darts of awareness through her body. This was agony in a new dimension. “Please let go of me.” If he went on touching her, she’d beg him to spend the night with her.
He released her hand as though it were a hot potato and shot to his feet. “Is there no reasoning with you?” he asked in a harsh whisper. “No way to reach you on any level?” She’d never heard him angry before.
“Not any more than there was a way for me to reach you last night, even when I threw myself at you. Your seduction of me was complete. I’ve been reduced to nothing. You can consider me your greatest triumph. You and I have reached the bitter end. Do what you have to do to me.”
She couldn’t bear it when she saw him get up and reach for his jacket and tie. It meant he was leaving, and this time he wouldn’t be back. He was almost to the door.
“Rafi?” she cried out. “There’s one confession I will make.”
He wheeled around, his body alert.
“I want you to know that you made me live and feel like I’ve never lived and felt before. That’s a distinction no other man will ever hold.”
Lauren lost track of time before he left the room. It hurt so much to think he suspected her of some wrongdoing, she’d taken off her dress to provoke him to action. Never in her life had she done anything so outrageous. No one who’d known her before she’d come to the desert would recognize the person she’d become. She didn’t know herself anymore.
What was really insane was that a part of her wished he would detain her here forever. That way she wouldn’t be separated from him.
Of course, in her heart of hearts he wouldn’t do such a thing because he wasn’t that kind of man. But he would send her away in the morning.
Knowing she wouldn’t be able to sleep for a long time, she walked out to the patio to breathe in the scent of the flowers. She marveled that they grew and thrived in one of the harshest of climates on earth.
Lauren moved around to look at each one and savor its fragrance. He’d brought her out here the first time they’d eaten together. The night had been magical.
Tonight was different. It was late and the air had grown cooler. One glance at the desert and she finally went back to the bedroom, hoping she’d be able to sleep. But her thoughts were too full of him and it was hours before oblivion took over.
When morning came, a numbness seemed to have taken over her body. Once she’d eaten breakfast, Nazir arrived for her. Before that, several maids had taken her bags on ahead. Nazir escorted her out of the palace to the waiting helicopter. Naturally there was no sign of Rafi. It almost destroyed her, but there was nothing she could do about that now.
She climbed in the back seat next to one of the guards and strapped herself in, having to accept her fate. Nazir took the co-pilot’s seat. After he’d put on his head gear they were off. Lauren couldn’t bring herself to look back. Frozen with pain, she closed her eyes.
“Mademoiselle? Do you feel ill?”
Nazir always did his job. He would report everything that went on to Rafi. If nothing else, her pride couldn’t bear for him to be told she’d had a meltdown in the helicopter on the way to El-Joktor, so she opened her eyes and smiled. “I’m fine. Just sleepy.”
He nodded, but he clearly didn’t believe her. A heavy sigh escaped her throat.
For once there were clouds in the sky. Not serious ones. They were too high and wispy. The Nafud only got a little more than an inch of rain in a whole year. There’d be no storm today.
She heard the pilot talking through his headphone, most likely to the control tower in El-Joktor. The forty miles that would have taken two days to cover by caravan would only take fifteen minutes or less. They’d already been in the air for a while.
The next time she looked out the window, she saw they were making their approach, but as they drew closer, she realized it was to a smaller city than El-Joktor with a ridge of mountains behind it. Houses, horses, trucks, cars, Jeeps.
“Nazir? What city is this?”
“Raz, mademoiselle.”
“Why are we landing here? Is something wrong?”
“No, mademoiselle. Don’t be concerned. You’re perfectly safe.”
The pilot put the helicopter down next to a sprawling one-story building at what looked like a mining site.
“If you’ll follow me,” Nazir said after she’d jumped to the ground. He was so polite when he knew he’d left her with no choice. He led her inside the modern, air-conditioned interior. It was a well-decorated office building with every convenience.
“This way, mademoiselle.” He showed her around one corner and opened a door for her to step inside. It was a CEO’s suite, to be sure. “Please be seated.” She sat down on one of the leather chairs. Nazir disappeared, then came back with a bottle of cold water and handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. If you need a restroom, it’s through that door.”
Once he’d gone, she removed the bottle cap and drank while she awaited her fate. When Rafi walked in through a connecting door, the bottle slipped from her hand and fell to the floor. What little liquid was left spilled on the rug.
He retrieved it before she could, and set it on the desk. “Don’t worry. It will dry soon enough.” She stared up at him. “This is where I spend the majority of my time.”
He’d dressed in typical Arab garb, white top and white pants. He’d tucked them into his leather boots. Rafi was all male; whatever he wore, he looked spectacular.
“Your job covers a lot of territory. It makes a woman’s head spin. Why didn’t you let the helicopter fly me to El-Joktor?”
His eyes smoldered, sending another delicious shiver down her spine. “Because there’s a matter of unfinished business.”
“I was afraid of that.” She had the pleasure of watching the muscles harden in his striking face.
“Close your eyes and lower your head, Lauren.”
If this was some kind of a test, she was determined to meet it with a brave face. “They’re closed.”
Even before his hands encircled her neck, her heart had jumped to her throat. She felt his legs press against hers while he fastened something at her nape. After he stepped back he said, “You