Conflicted beyond bearing, Rashad returned from Raz at dinnertime, barely able to function. Taking Lauren to the desert earlier in the day hadn’t shed any new light on her secret. Worse, her tears had brought out his protective instincts. He’d come close to breaking every self-imposed rule by kissing her senseless in front of the pilot and bodyguard.
He’d never believed in witches until now, but she was a temptress, a beauty who didn’t seem to know it, a spy who didn’t spy, a flirt who didn’t flirt, a seducer who’d made no move to seduce. She was the sweet embodiment of the word treachery in breathtaking female form. At this point he was ready to carry her off and forget the world.
To his dismay, she’d claimed all his attention for the last three days. During that time he hadn’t checked in with his father who liked daily updates on business. Rashad needed to drop in on him now before he went to her room.
“At last, Rashad.” His father was sitting in a chair with his sore foot resting on the ottoman while he drank his favorite mint tea. “I’ve had dinner, but I’ll ask for a tray to be sent up for you.”
“Thank you, but I ate earlier.” Rashad sat on the seat opposite his father. “I was in Raz until a half hour ago and came as soon as I could.”
“I’m glad you’re here because there’s something important I need to talk to you about.”
An odd nuance in his father’s tone made Rashad uneasy. “What is it?”
“I’ve had correspondence with Sheikh Majid al Din. He wants to move up your wedding date.”
Rashad shot out of the seat, turning away from his father while he attempted to contain his shock and yes, anger. He’d been dreading this since his sixteenth birthday.
“I can see this has upset you.” His father had always been kind to him. His voice was kindness itself right now, but Rashad couldn’t handle it.
“By how much?” he asked through clenched jaws.
“He wants to see his daughter married in a month.”
“A month?“
His father eyed him with love. “I’ve touched the only sore spot in you.”
Rashad stopped pacing. “I knew this day was coming, but I thought I had more time. I need a moment to take in the realization that my world is about to change.”
“I felt the same way when your grandfather confronted me. He told me who my bride would be two years before my wedding. I decided to lessen your pain by only giving you a month to agonize about the coming ceremony.”
The irony of those words would have made Rashad break out in harsh laughter if he didn’t love his father so much. “Have you told anyone else?”
“No one except for Nazir who has been our go-between. I’m to let Sheikh Majid know in three days’ time if this is satisfactory. This thing has to be done in absolute secrecy so as not to upset the neighbors on our other borders.”
“Not even my sisters know?” Rashad persisted.
He shook his head. “Especially not Farah, who continually begs me to let you choose the woman you will marry. She wearies me with it.”
“Farah believes in love,” Rashad muttered.
His father grunted. “You and I know that a powerful kingdom cannot be ruled by a sheikh who is so besotted with his wife, he can’t see the shadows of his enemies outside the tent.”
The palace was hardly a tent, but Rashad understood the point of the metaphor well enough. It had been drummed into his head since he was a child. His father would be horrified to know that a possible enemy had already invaded the palace and, as yet, Rashad had done nothing about it!
The way his father talked, Rashad was convinced that his sister had said nothing about the American woman staying at the palace. Was it simply coincidence Sheikh Majid wanted to speed up the time? Or could it be some grand design to help Rashad fight the spell this woman had cast over him?
It was a spell. How else to explain the weakness he felt for her, the longing that kept him in pain throughout the night. Could she truly be like the female black widow he and his young friends had once watched in fascination while she stung her mate to death?
Tonight he would get the truth out of her. His hell had gone on long enough. Once she was exposed, his desire for her would turn to bitter gall. It had to. “If you’ll forgive me, father, I need to be alone so I’ll say goodnight.”
“I understand that better than you do. Goodnight, my son.”
Once out the door, Rashad checked the phone logs in the communications room. Nothing had turned up on their guest except for two short calls to and from the travel agency in Switzerland.
With everything taken care of for the moment, he strode down the hall swiftly to reach the other side of the palace. His wedding day had been moved forward, but tonight he didn’t want to think about it. He wanted Lauren.
Right now he was the one who felt closed in. He craved a night with her where he could pretend he was a free man like any other, able to be with the woman he desired. For tonight he would forget his royal responsibilities. Until she’d been blown in to his world, he’d never felt or resented them so heavily.
At Ziyad’s place he could be himself. No one would bother him or give away his identity. Tonight it was crucial he acted on the feelings roiling inside him. What made it more exciting was that despite the part she’d been playing from the beginning, he knew Lauren desired him, too. In fact, every word and gesture was putting an edge on their experience, heightening the potent tension between them.
After knocking on her door, he slipped inside and discovered her on the sofa in front of the television. When he walked around in front of her, he saw moisture on her cheeks and didn’t know what to think.
“How is it that more often than not, I find you in tears?”
LAUREN’S CRY FILLED THE ROOM. She lifted her head and sat up, pushing the tendrils of silky hair out of her face. “Rafi—” Her voice throbbed.
He knelt down next to her, all male and warm. She could smell his aroma. The scent from his shower was familiar to her now. His piercing black eyes roved over her flushed face with relentless scrutiny. “Are you still so sad?”
“I’ve just been thinking about my grandmother this evening. I guess it’s a case of knowing that when I get home, I’ll have to deal with my life on my own. As you can see, I’m a c-coward,” she stammered and wiped the moisture off her face. “How was your day?”
Shadows had darkened his features. “I’d rather not talk about it.” He took hold of her hand and smoothed his thumb over her wrist. “Naturally you feel closed in, so how about we go out tonight? We’ll go to a local cabaret with music and dancing. I’m off duty. Here in the desert we believe music helps dispel sadness. Does that appeal to you?”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“Good. While you freshen up, I’ll do the same and come by for you in ten minutes.” He got to his feet. “Don’t forget to bring a wrap, it will be cool out.”
“What should I wear?”
“The outfit you have on is perfectly adequate, but if you wish to change, that’s up to you.”
She watched him leave, but she had no intention of going out with him in pants and a top. After deciding the black was too dressy, she decided on her cream-colored dress. She put it on over her head and pulled the hem down to her knees. The sleeveless cotton outfit