Lauren shielded her eyes. “Has she ever not come back and you had to go looking for her?”
He turned his head, meeting her eyes. “She always comes back, but that’s because I spent hours and hours training her in my late teens.”
“Then she’s old.”
“Yes. I don’t expect her to last much more than this season.”
“Will you train a new falcon for yourself after that?”
“No. I’ll never have that kind of time again,” he answered in a voice that sounded so bleak, she couldn’t account for it.
“Maybe if you have a child some day? A son or daughter who loves falconry as you do?”
In the next instant his countenance changed. An almost savage expression entered those incredible jetblack eyes, sending a chill that permeated her whole body. She wished she hadn’t brought up something so personal.
“Forgive me if I’ve upset you.” For no reason she could think of it hurt when it shouldn’t have mattered at all.
He shot her a penetrating glance. “You’ve done nothing. We all have our own demons to battle from time to time. What do you say we enjoy the rest of the morning and see if Johara’s old age has interfered with her ability to track down her prey? In her younger years she could spot it from a mile away.”
The Jeep sped up. They’d left the road and were flying across the desert, which was flat in this part with some ground-cover vegetation. Ten minutes later they came upon a shelter which was nothing more than four poles holding up a canvas top. Beneath it she spotted chairs, and a table.
“We’ll stop here for breakfast while we wait for Johara.”
Lauren got out, delighted by the setup which included two thermoses of hot coffee and a supply of sandwiches and dates. Rafi appeared to have a fondness for them.
They ate with no time clock in mind. He answered her hunting questions with admirable patience. She satisfied his curiosity about her travels with her grandmother and Richard. The good times, the scary times—it didn’t matter what they talked about. The sharing was what counted. The dark look she’d seen in his eyes earlier had vanished and Lauren knew instantly that she would clutch this memory to her forever.
The sun was almost overhead when she saw a speck in the sky. Rafi had seen it first because he’d started putting on his glove and walked outside to greet Johara. With great majesty his falcon circled him and then used her wings like a parachute, slowing her speed until she landed on the back of his wrist.
While he spoke in low tones to his bird, Lauren stood next to one of the poles, spellbound. “No luck today?” she eventually spoke.
Rafi shook his head, drawing her attention to his glossy black hair. “No, but there’s always tomorrow. That’s what I was telling her.”
His tenderness with his pet reached a spot inside Lauren that gave her worlds of information about the kind of man Rafi was. She knew that there was no one in this world like him.
He walked over to the Jeep. After settling his bird on the back seat, he put a hood over her. “She feels safer like that.” He satisfied Lauren’s unasked question, then flicked her a probing glance. “Shall we go? One of the staff will dismantle our restaurant.”
She climbed in the front seat. “I’ve eaten in a lot of restaurants in my life, but I’ll always consider this one my favorite.” She didn’t care if her voice wobbled from emotion. Lauren wanted him to know what this morning meant to her.
He reached for her hand and held on to it. “Even if it isn’t true, I’ve decided I want to believe you.”
She pondered the strange remark all the way back to the mews. Of necessity he had to let go of her to carry his falcon inside, leaving her aching for his touch. After feeding the bird, they made their way back down the hallway and up the stairs.
Eventually they reached Lauren’s suite. She dreaded this part because she knew he had his work to do and couldn’t spend every minute of the day and night with her.
After opening the door, she turned to him. “Thank you for a wonderful outing, one I’ll never forget.”
He gazed at her through shuttered eyes. “Nor will I. Get some rest and I’ll come by for you at six.”
Joy.
Rashad left for his own suite, haunted by what was happening to him. Once he reached his own bedroom, he phoned his twin sister, Farah, and asked her to come to his suite the minute she was able. All three of his sisters were married, but it was Farah who had the most tender heart.
He didn’t have to wait long before she swept into his sitting room. “Rashad?” She was wearing a rose caftan. Farah was a picture with her black hair hanging loose down her back, reminding him of the beauty of their women. Yet another image kept intruding of a female with spun-gold hair in enchanting disarray around her head and a complexion like strawberries in cream.
“Forgive me for bothering you, Farah.”
“You’re never a bother.”
“Thank you for coming.”
“You know I’d do anything for you.” He knew it was true and loved her for it. She sat down on one of the chairs facing him. “Is this about our father? Is he worse?” Her dark eyes glinted with tears.
Their shape and color were different from the eyes he’d looked into out in the desert earlier. He’d had the sensation of stepping beyond the white froth of the surf where it broke into incredibly light-green water before melting into azure and then darkest blue.
“No. There’s a guest here at the palace who was caught in a sandstorm two days ago. She almost didn’t survive.”
Farah cried out and put her hands to her mouth in horror.
“Dr. Tamam has assessed her and she’s recovering well, but I think she might need a friend whilst she is here so she doesn’t feel too alone. Her grandmother died recently. You’re the perfect person to help her get through this difficult period. Would you be able to spend a little time with her this afternoon?”
“I’d be happy to do that. I’ll do whatever I can to cheer her up. Where was she taken?”
“To the garden suite.”
His sister rose to her feet. “You put her in there?” she asked incredulously. It was commonly known as the honeymoon suite for members of the royal family.
“I asked Dr. Tamam to take her there following the examination. After the horror of her experience, I thought she should be surrounded by beauty. Don’t you agree?”
“Oh yes, of course! Only you would think of it. Who is she?”
“She’s a young American woman, currently living in Switzerland, named Lauren Viret. She came here hoping to get over the sadness of losing the woman who raised her. Perhaps she’ll tell you what it was she’d hoped to see and do while she was here at the Oasis. You’re easy to talk to, Farah.”
“I’ll try, and you’re right. She shouldn’t be alone to dwell on that awful sandstorm.”
“Thank you. You have my deepest gratitude for doing this personal favor for me. One more thing, I’ve told her I’m the head of palace security.”
She smiled. “Well, I didn’t think you’d tell her you were the prince.”
“No. I thought the revelation might be too much for her and make her more uncomfortable about staying here. I told her to call me Rafi.”
“I haven’t heard you called that name in years.” She winked at him