Diamond in the Desert

by Susan Stephens

  ‘How can you bear to wait?’ she complained.

  ‘I bear it because I know what’s best for you,’ he said. ‘I know what you need and I know the best way to give it to you.’

  ‘How do you know?’ she said, writhing with impatience.

  On the sexual front that was all too obvious, but knowing Britt wasn’t so hard. She was the oldest child, always trying to do her best, the lab-rat for her sisters, the one who would have been given the strictest upbringing by her parents. Britt was used to bearing the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, and with duties at home and then duties in the business she hadn’t had much time to explore life, let alone discover the nuances of sex and how very good it could be.

  ‘So, how did you like our Nordic traditions?’ she murmured against his mouth.

  Distracted, he brushed a kiss against her lips. ‘I like them a lot. I’d like to know more. I’d like to know more about you—’

  The look of surprise on her face almost broke the erotic spell for him, and then she said with touching honesty, ‘I’d like to know more about you and your country.’

  ‘Maybe you will.’

  Closing his eyes, he inhaled her wildflower scent, and realised then that the thought of never smelling it again was unthinkable. He was still on guard, of course. There was still a business deal to do and it would be unwise to underestimate Britt Skavanga. She was everything he had been warned to expect…and so much more.

  * * *

  When Emir kissed her she was glad of his arms supporting her, because he didn’t just kiss her breath away, he kissed her thoughts away too. It felt so good to drop her guard and lose herself in sensation, shut out the business robot she had become. It was good to feel sensation spreading in tiny rivers of fire through her veins, and even better to feel Emir’s erection resting heavily against her thigh, because that said he wanted her as much as she wanted him. She groaned with anticipation when he nudged her thighs apart. Moving between them, he started teasing her with delicate touches until she thought she would go mad for him.

  ‘Wrap your legs around me,’ he instructed, staring deep into her eyes.

  ‘Don’t make me wait,’ she warned, but in a way she was glad when he soothed her with kisses and caresses first. She cried out and urged him on. There were no certainties other than the fact that she was being drawn deeper into a dangerous liaison with him.

  As if sensing her unease, he took her face in his big, warm hands and drugged her with kisses. Gentle to begin with, they grew deeper and firmer as the embers inside her sparked and flared. She loved it when he took possession of her mouth, and loved it even more when he took possession of her body. She loved being held so firmly. She loved the powerful emotions inside her.

  ‘Have you changed your mind?’ he said as she tried to rein them in.

  She denied this, and then he did something so amazing she couldn’t have stopped him if she had tried. A shaking cry escaped her throat as he sank slowly deep inside her. She could never be fully prepared for Emir. The sheer size of him stole the breath from her lungs. He was such an intuitive lover. He understood every part of her and how she responded. He knew her limits and never stepped over them, while his hands and mouth worked magic. Today he was using the seductive language of Kareshi—soft and guttural, husky and persuasive—to both encourage and excite her. It must have succeeded because she found herself pressing her legs wide for him with the heel of her palms against her thighs.

  ‘Good,’ he approved, thrusting even deeper.

  She cried out his name repeatedly as he moved rhythmically and reliably towards the inevitable conclusion. But suddenly some madness overcame them, and control was no longer possible as they fought their way to release.

  She was still shuddering with aftershocks minutes later. Her internal muscles closed around him gratefully, to an indescribably delicious beat.

  Neither of them spoke for quite a while. They had both experienced the same thing—something out of the ordinary, she thought as Emir stared down at her. At last his eyes were full of everything she had longed to see.

  ‘I take it you enjoyed that?’ he murmured, and, withdrawing gently, he helped her to sit up.

  ‘And you?’ she said, resting her cheek against his chest.

  ‘I have one suggestion—’

  She glanced up.

  ‘Next time we try a bed.’

  His grin infected her. ‘Now there’s a novel thought,’ she agreed, but after she had rested on him for a moment or two harsh reality intruded and she remembered who she was, who he was, and the parts they played in this drama.

  Lifting her chin, she put on the old confident face. ‘Don’t get ahead of yourself, mister. I sleep alone.’

  ‘Who mentioned sleeping?’ Emir argued.

  ‘Do you always have to show such perfect good sense?’

  ‘With you, I think I do,’ he said, smiling, unrepentant.

  * * *

  Emir was probably the one man she was prepared to take instruction from, Britt concluded as she showered down later in her en-suite bathroom at the cabin, if only because the pay-off was so great. And she wasn’t just thinking about the sexual pay-off, but the pay-off that was making her sing and waltz around the bathroom like a fruit-loop—the pay-off that made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside—and optimistic about the future—about everything. She felt suddenly as if anything could happen—as if the boundaries of Skavanga and her job had fallen away, leaving a world full of possibility. And the desert kingdom of Kareshi was definitely the stand out country in that world waiting to be discovered.

  Of course, she must visit Emir’s homeland as he had suggested. If the deal went through it would be wrong to accept the consortium’s investment without wanting to know as much as she possibly could about the benefits the diamonds would bring to both countries. Perhaps there could be reciprocal cultural and educational opportunities—anything was possible. She longed to get stuck into it—to get out of the office and meet people at last. Her mind was blazing with ideas. No dream seemed too far-fetched.

  * * *

  Showering down after his unique encounter with Britt, Sharif’s thoughts were arranged in several compartments. The first was all to do with Britt the businesswoman. She was meticulous and had held the company together when many would have failed. Her attention to detail was second to none—as he had learned when it had taken him several hours, rather than the usual five minutes, to pore over her first agenda and find a hole. She was clear-headed and quick-thinking in her business life—

  And an emotional mess when it came to anything else.

  Her life was tied up in duty, but she wanted it all. He guessed she heard the clock ticking, but she didn’t know how to escape from her work long enough to find the fulfilment she craved—the satisfaction of raising her own family and extending her sphere of influence in the workplace too. She did everything she could to support her sisters while they studied and campaigned for this and that, but they didn’t seem to stop and think that Britt deserved some fulfilment too.

  And neither should he, he reminded himself. He had one duty, one goal, and one responsibility, which was to the men who had come in with him on this deal. Business always came first, because business fed improvements in Kareshi, and only then could he afford to pause to wonder if there was anything missing from his life—

  Britt?

  Any man would be missing a woman like Britt in his life. She was exceptional. She was an intriguing mix of control and abandonment, and it seemed to him that the only time Britt let go was during sex, which made cutting the best deal possible a challenging prospect, but not impossible.

  Business, always business, he thought, towelling down. He liked that Britt was part of that business. He had always loved a challenge and Britt was a challenge. Securing the towel around his waist, he picked up his razor to engage in the one battle he usually lost. His beard grew faster than he could shave it off, but at least the ritual soothed him and gav
e him time to think.

  Shaking his head as if that could shake thoughts of Britt out of it, he rinsed his face and raked his thick, unruly hair into some semblance of order. The deal was a tantalising prospect and he would bring it in. Between them he and his friends had the means and the skill and the outlets necessary to transform dull, uncut diamonds into sparkling gems that would shimmer with fire as they shivered against a woman’s skin. Britt believed she held all the cards, and could cut the better deal, but he held the joker.

  Stepping into jeans, he tugged on a plain back top, and fastened his belt before reaching for the phone. Some decisions were harder to take than others, and this was harder than most. Britt had all the instincts of a man inside the body of a woman, but she had a woman’s emotions, which held her back when it came to clear thinking in a deal like this where family was involved. He wished he could protect her from the fall-out from this call, but his duty was clear. This wasn’t for him alone, but for the consortium, and for Kareshi. In the absence of her brother, Britt led her tribe as he did, making her a worthy adversary. He just had to hope she could handle this new twist in the plot as competently as she had coped with other obstacles life had thrown at her.

  He drummed his fingers impatiently as he waited for the call to connect. Three rings later the call was answered. He hesitated, which was definitely a first for him, but the die had been cast on the day he had sat down to research the share structure of Skavanga Mining and had discovered that the major shareholder was not in fact the three sisters, but their missing brother, Tyr Skavanga. More complicated still was that, for reasons of his own, Tyr didn’t want his sisters to know where he was. Having given his word, Emir would have to keep that from Britt even though Tyr’s long-distance involvement in the deal would swing the balance firmly in the consortium’s favour.

  ‘Hello, Tyr,’ he said, settling down into what he knew would be a long call.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  HE WAS PACKING? Emir was packing? She had come downstairs after her shower expecting to find him basking in front of a roaring fire—which he would have banked up, perhaps with a drink in hand and one waiting for her on the table. She had anticipated more getting-to-know-you time. That was what couples did when they’d grown closer after sex…

  And they had grown closer, Britt reassured herself, feeling painfully obvious in banged-up jeans, simple top and bare feet. She felt as if, in this relaxed state, all her feelings were on display. And all those feelings spoke of closeness and intimacy with Emir. She had dressed in anticipation of continuing ease between them. She had dressed as she would dress when her sisters were around. And now she felt vulnerable and exposed. And utterly ridiculous for having let her guard down so badly.

  How could she have got this so wrong?

  She watched him from the doorway of his bedroom as Emir folded his clothes, arranging them in a bag that he could sling casually over his shoulder. He must have known she was standing there, but he didn’t say a word. The chill seemed to creep up from the floor and consume her. Even her face felt cold.

  What had gone wrong?

  What was wrong was that Emir didn’t care and she had refused to see that. He had come here to do a job and his job was done. He had taken samples for analysis and had seen the mine for himself. He had weighed her up and interviewed her colleagues. His only job now was to pack up and leave. What had she been? An unexpected bonus on the side? She had no part to play in Emir’s plans, he’d made that clear. Why had she ever allowed herself to believe that she had? All that talk of Kareshi and the desert was just that—talk.

  Her throat felt tight. Her mouth was dry. She felt numb. Anything she said in this situation would sound ridiculous. And what was the point of having a row when she had no call on this man? She had enjoyed him as much as he had enjoyed her. Was it his fault if she couldn’t move on?

  All this was sound reasoning, but reason didn’t allow for passion, for emotion—for any of the things she felt for Emir. And out of bitter disappointment at his manner towards her—or rather his lack of…anything, really—came anger. What had he meant by staring into her eyes and suggesting they should take sex to the bedroom next time? Was that concern for her? Or was Emir more concerned about getting grazes on his knees? She had laughed with and trusted this man. Everything had changed for her, because she’d thought… Because she’d thought…

  She didn’t have a clue what she’d thought, Britt realised. She only knew she had given herself completely to a man, something she’d never done before, and now, just as her mother had predicted, she was paying the price. But she would not play the role of misused mistress and give him the chance to mock.

  ‘You’re leaving?’ she said coolly. ‘Already?’

  ‘My job here’s done,’ Emir confirmed, straightening up. He turned to face her. ‘My flight plan is filed. I leave right away.’

  When did he file his flight plan? Immediately after making love to her?

  ‘Do you have transport to the airport?’ She wasn’t so petty she would let him call a cab. She would take him to the airport if she had to.

  ‘My people are coming for me,’ he said, turning back to zip up his bag.

  Of course. ‘Oh, good,’ she said, going hot and cold in turn as she chalked up the completeness of his plan as just one more insult to add to the rest. He’d had sex with her first and then had called his people to come and get him. He’d used her—

  As she had used men in the past.

  Her heart lurched as their eyes met. Mistake. Now he could see how badly she didn’t want him to go.

  ‘I have to report back to the consortium, Britt,’ he said, confirming this assumption.

  ‘Of course.’ She cleared her throat and arranged her features in a composed mask. She had never been at such a disadvantage where a man was concerned. But that was because she had never known anyone like Emir before and had always prided herself on being able to read people. She had not read him. They were like two strangers, out of sync, out of context, out of time.

  She stood in embarrassed silence. With no small talk to delay him, let alone some siren song with which to change his mind, she could only wait for him to leave.

  ‘Thank you for your hospitality, Britt,’ he said, shouldering the bag.

  Her hospitality? Did that include the sex? Her face was composed, but as Emir moved to shake her hand she stood back.

  Emir didn’t react one way or the other to this snub. ‘I’ll wait for test results on the samples, and if all goes well you will hear from my lawyers in the next few weeks.’

  ‘Your lawyers?’ Her head was reeling by now, with business and personal thoughts hopelessly mixed.

  ‘Forgive me, Britt.’ Emir paused with his hand on the door. ‘I meant, of course, the lawyers acting for the consortium will be in touch with you.’

  Suddenly all the anger and hurt inside her exploded into fury, which manifested itself in an icy question. ‘And what if I get a better offer in the meantime?’

  ‘Then you must consider it and we will meet again. I should tell you that the consortium has been in touch with your sisters, and they have already agreed—’

  ‘You’ve spoken to Eva and Leila?’ she cut in. He’d done that without speaking to her? She couldn’t take any more in than she already had—and she certainly couldn’t believe that her sisters would do a deal without speaking to her first.

  ‘My people have spoken to your sisters,’ Emir explained.

  ‘And you didn’t think to tell me?’ They didn’t think to tell me? She was flooded with hurt and pain.

  ‘I just have.’ A muscle flicked in his jaw.

  ‘So all the time we’ve been here—’ Outrage boiled in her eyes. ‘I think you’d better go,’ she managed tensely. Suddenly, all that mattered was speaking to her sisters so she could find out what the hell was going on.

  Meanwhile, Emir was checking round the room, just to be sure he hadn’t forgotten anything, presumably. He didn’t care a jot
about her, she realised with a cold rush of certainty. This had only ever been about the deal. How convenient to keep her distracted here while the consortium’s lackeys acted behind her back. How very clever of Emir. And how irredeemably stupid of her.

  ‘If you’ve left anything I’ll send it on,’ she said coldly, just wanting him to go.

  How could her heart still betray her when Emir’s brooding stare switched to her face?

  ‘I knew I could count on you,’ he said as her stupid heart performed the customary leap.

  Emir’s impassive stare turned her own eyes glacial. ‘Well, you’ve got what you wanted from me, so you might as well go. You’ll get nothing else here.’

  The inky brows rose, but Emir remained silent. She just hoped her barb had stabbed home. But no.

  ‘This is business, Britt, and there is no emotion in business. I wish I could tell you more, but—’

  ‘Please—spare me.’ She drew herself up. ‘Goodbye, Emir.’

  She didn’t follow him out. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. She listened to him jog down the stairs, while registering the tenderness of a body that had been very well used, and heard him stride across the main room downstairs where they had been so briefly close. It was as if Emir were stripping the joy out of the cabin she loved with every step he took, and each of those departing steps served as a reminder that she had wasted her feelings on someone who cared for nothing in this world apart from business.

  Apart from her sisters and Tyr, that had been how she was not so very long ago, Britt conceded as the front door closed behind Emir.

  She hadn’t even realised she had stopped breathing until she heard a car door slam and she drew in a desperate, shuddering breath.

  * * *

  There were times when he would gladly exchange places with the grooms who worked in his stables and this was one of them, but harsh decisions had to be made. He thought he could feel Britt’s anguished stare on his back as he held up his hand to hail the black Jeep that had come to collect him. His men would take him back to the airport and his private jet. His mind was still full of her when he climbed into the passenger seat and they drove him away. It was better to leave now before things became really complicated.