‘As am I.’ He looked down at her as colour stained her pale skin. ‘It will be an honour to show you some of my country. The horses are ready.’
He turned and walked briskly to the end of the row of stables, where the tall arched doors were already wide open, as were those in the palace walls, showing the gold of the desert sand beyond. As always, pride swelled in his chest to think this was his country and that the people in it looked to him for leadership.
‘I will need to see where the incident with Majeed and your sister happened.’ Her voice was hesitant as she spoke of Tabinah.
‘We shall go there first and after we can relax and enjoy the ride. I want you to experience my country at its best before the heat becomes too fierce for your fair skin.’ As he spoke her eyes met and held his, their warm brown reminding him not for the first time of deeply polished mahogany.
He wanted to kiss her, to taste her on his lips and feel her against his body. He hadn’t wanted a woman like this for many years—ever.
‘We should go.’ The cracked whisper of her voice was almost his undoing and he had to ignore the burning need rushing through him more fiercely than a desert storm.
‘Yes.’ He snapped the word out, opening the stable door of his finest grey Arab mare. ‘This is Halima. Her name means “gentle” and I have selected her for her kind nature entwined with a courageous spirit.’
He wanted to add that was how he saw her and that maybe her name meant she had been fated to come into his life, but her obvious pleasure in the mare stemmed the words.
She reached out her hand to the mare, which sniffed curiously at the long slender fingers and Zafir couldn’t drag his gaze from them. ‘You are beautiful.’ Her voice was soft and full of wonder as she spoke, sending a rush of heat hurtling through him.
‘A beautiful horse for a beautiful woman.’ The words were out before he could stop himself. Was it so wrong to express his thoughts? The expression on her face warned that now was not the time.
* * *
‘You shouldn’t say that.’ Destiny’s face heated as he continued to watch her with those midnight black eyes while she tightened her large scarf around her head. She didn’t want her stomach to flip with anticipation, or her pulse to race with something close to desire for this man. She didn’t want to find such a dominating and controlling man attractive. She hadn’t hidden away from men’s attention only to fall under this man’s spell. How could she when she’d lived all her life under her father’s iron rule?
‘But I have and now I cannot take it back.’
Suddenly he moved to the next stable, leaving her holding the reins of her mare as he walked out a stunning grey stallion whose coat was flecked with brown and looked almost as commanding as Zafir.
She didn’t say anything but led out her horse and mounted, a thrill of excitement rushing through her at the new experience of riding in the desert. Or was it simply the thrill of riding out with Zafir which excited her? That was a question she couldn’t even think about.
When she looked at him, mounted on the stallion, which was restlessly all but dancing on the spot, her breath caught in her throat. Nothing could have prepared her for the image he created—one of power and command. He was devastatingly attractive and, for her sins, she wished he really had noticed her, that his compliment had been real, that he felt every spark too.
Enough, she reprimanded herself. She wasn’t here to fall for a man, let alone one as commanding as Sheikh Zafir Al Asmari. She was here to work, to secure her new life, her future. ‘Shall we?’
A smile twitched at the corners of his lips, then he pushed his mount on and she nudged her mare forward, following him into the outer region of the palace. The large cream stone walls loomed ahead of them and already the sun was warm.
As they approached the imposing and fortified doors in the walls, another rider came to join them and Zafir turned in the saddle, the fast flow of Arabic words sounding strange as he addressed the other man, who she recognised as one of his aides. Their words seemed heated and as her mare shifted excitedly on the spot she couldn’t mistake the anger emanating from Zafir as his aide returned to the stables.
Before she could gather her thoughts Zafir turned to her. ‘Come.’ Seconds later, in a cloud of dusty sand, Zafir and the stallion were surging forward into the desert, her mare so eager for a gallop she could hardly hold her back.
It was exhilarating. Hooves thundered on the ground and the wind was warm on her face. Just ahead of her Zafir began to slow his pace and gradually the horses dropped back to a walk. Had he been so angry after speaking with his aide he’d needed to take off as if the devil were after him or did he always push his horses so hard?
‘What was wrong just now?’ she asked tentatively, wondering if she’d done something wrong by riding out with him. But it had been his idea.
‘My aide is aggrieved we are out unchaperoned.’ The harsh tone of his voice told her he did not share that view.
‘Is my presence a problem for you?’ She stroked the silky neck of the mare, guessing that her presence in Kezoban was probably creating some difficulties for him, even if he was the Sheikh.
‘For me no, but for you, yes.’ His profile was regal and stern as she glanced over at him. His back was tall and straight as he sat on the horse and she knew it was something he’d done since he was young. He was a natural horseman.
‘For me? Why?’
‘I am unmarried. As are you. Being alone with you goes against my culture. My aide reminded me of my duty to marry before the end of this year.’
She tried to stem the flow of disappointment his words brought. Of course she was a problem and of course they shouldn’t be alone together. ‘So being here is a problem for you?’
‘No.’ He turned to her, his dark eyes fierce as his horse stood level with hers, giving her little escape from the intensity in his eyes. ‘It is not a problem for me. I want you here. You are what Majeed needs—and you are what I need.’
She couldn’t say anything for a moment as the horses walked side by side and his eyes remained locked with hers. Something arced between them, more powerful than the sun’s rays bouncing off the nearby water, lending the whole conversation a different meaning. Shock raced like lightning down her spine because right now she wanted to be the person he needed.
‘I would like to talk more on this, but first we should deal with your request to know about the night Tabinah rode Majeed out here and met her death.’ The strong determination in his voice couldn’t conceal his pain at the loss of his sister so tragically.
Zafir halted his horse and dismounted and she followed suit, but as she did so she found herself falling into his waiting arms. He didn’t let her go, pulling her close against him, and being held like that sent a spark hurtling through her. What was she thinking? This was where his sister had died. She shouldn’t be wanting more when just being here would be painful for him. Quickly she moved free of his hold and for a moment thought she saw a flash of pain and guilt rush across his face, but as it disappeared behind his mask of control she wondered if she’d imagined it.
‘This is where it is believed Tabinah began to make her way towards the rocky path over the mountains.’ He paused for a moment and she didn’t say anything, aware of just how difficult this must be for him. ‘Her destination was on the other side.’
‘So you knew where she was going?’ He said nothing, but nodded his acknowledgement. She wanted to ask why Tabinah had planned to go over the mountains, but something kept the question a silent thought. She recalled him telling her that Tabinah had loved another man, one he didn’t consider suitable. Her heart lurched for him. Maybe this proud and powerful man was able to feel grief. He just kept it deeply hidden. ‘Do you know what happened?’
‘There are many venomous snakes lurking in the shade of the rocks—they shelter beneath them at nightfall. We believe Majeed disturbed one, reared and Tabinah fell. The bite of the snake killed her, not the fall.’
‘Is it possible for a horse to feel guilty?’
‘That is why he will not venture out beyond the palace walls. He is carrying guilt and fear over what happened. From what I have seen so far, he only wants to please and he knows he has displeased so won’t come here again for fear of retribution.’
‘I’m not sure I agree,’ he said as he agilely flung himself back on his horse, thankfully putting more distance between them, giving her racing heart a chance to slow. ‘Now you have the information you need, we ride.’
Destiny mounted her mare again and followed Zafir as his stallion began to trot away from the mountains that his sister had been trying to reach and back towards the sand of the desert. Thankfully, the mood lightened as the pace became fast and she couldn’t help but laugh with delight when the wind snatched at her scarf, pulling it from her head and allowing her hair to be blown back behind her.
Zafir turned and glanced at her, but didn’t slow as she thought he would. Instead he pushed the stallion on, increasing the pace and her exhilaration.
Finally Destiny saw Zafir slow his pace and eased her willing mare back. As she slowed she was able to look about her, seeing nothing but sand. It was strangely beautiful, shades of gold sculpted by the winds, and it felt right being here. Even the sun’s ever increasing height didn’t worry her. It would be hot very soon, of that she was sure, but she trusted Zafir; he wouldn’t bring them here if they couldn’t make it back before the sun scorched everything.
‘This is where I ride to every morning.’ His heavily accented words filtered through her thoughts. She looked about her. The sun was climbing ever higher and the wind was warm and very dry. As far as she could see was sand. Not another soul, just the two of them, and it felt strangely intimate. Exciting.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she breathed as the horses walked on, slowly climbing before reaching the top of a dune. She looked out across a sea of sand and in the distance saw the range of mountains. ‘It’s more than beautiful—it’s utterly gorgeous.’
‘As are you.’ His words were firm, but huskiness accentuated his accent, making her heart skip a beat.
Destiny looked across at him, the grey stallion prancing on the spot, but still Zafir kept his gaze fixed on her. He looked so regal in his desert robes, the wind blowing the headdress which concealed his dark hair. Heat which had nothing to do with the sun sizzled down her spine.
In a total abandonment she’d never experienced before, she knew she wanted to be kissed by him, to be held in his strong arms. Her body was on fire for him. She wanted to be claimed by this man, wanted him to make her completely his. She wanted him and, more importantly, he wanted her. She should have seen it all along. The attraction which had sparked to life the first time they’d met was too strong to be ignored. No amount of professionalism or contrived distance could deny it.
This was a man fate had sent her way. A man so wild and exotic he could have been conjured up by her imagination. She had never hungered after passion and certainly not with a man such as Zafir but now that she had met him she knew it would only ever be him she’d want.
‘I want you, Zafir.’ She could scarcely believe she’d said the words. Her heart was pounding so fast in her chest, but she’d had to say it, had to tell him. Here, away from the palace, he seemed different, more relaxed, more like the man she’d thought had been about to kiss her that very first night. She too felt different out here, as if she’d uncovered a hidden part of her as they’d galloped across the sands, then discarded her usual caution, losing it to the warm winds, making her a different woman.
Zafir’s horse whipped round, pawing the sand, eager to be off, but he soothed the agitation with words she didn’t understand, words that sounded like poetry to her.
‘I can’t offer you what you’re looking for, Destiny,’ he said, his voice almost harsh as he struggled with the prancing stallion.
Destiny’s mare instantly picked up the excited vibes from the stallion and turned, leaving her facing Zafir, able to look into the dark swirling depths of his eyes.
‘What am I looking for, Zafir?’ she asked as the mare spun round again. Destiny held the reins firm, her body moving with each excited step the mare took and waited for his answer.
‘I can’t give you forever. I can’t even promise you happiness, but I can promise you a night like no other.’
Deep down she’d known that all along, known that he was so far removed from her world that they would never have any kind of future together. But that hadn’t stopped her wanting him from that very first moment she’d seen him at her stables—even if she hadn’t recognised it then.
Happy-ever-after would be nice. A dream come true. But dreams didn’t come true—her mother was testament to that—and before her now was a man offering her a taste of such a dream. A taste she intended to sample to the full. She wanted to know what passion and desire felt like before she returned to a fresh start in England.
‘I hope you keep your promises, Your Highness,’ she teased, feeling a recklessness she’d never known around a man before, and launched the mare into a gallop. Behind her she heard Zafir’s mount as it whinnied with excitement, then the thundering of its hooves as the distance closed between them.
She laughed out loud, the wind snatching the sound away. She was totally free. The glint of passion she’d glimpsed in Zafir’s eyes before she’d raced off hummed inside her as excitement and anticipation grew. She would be brave and sample the dream of happiness and forever, even if it was only for one night.
* * *
Zafir was relieved and angered as he saw his palace coming into view. The horses were hot and tired but still he wished he could have stayed out in the desert with Destiny all day. She made him feel alive, made him long to be carefree and wild, something he hadn’t felt for many years, but once back within the confines of the palace he’d have to school his emotions, behave in the manner of the ruler he was.
His promise of one night would be all he could give her. She was not of his world and soon, too soon, he was going to have to select a bride—to provide the heirs his position demanded. His wife needed to be a woman able to deal with the harshness of not only desert life, but life married to the ruler of Kezoban. She needed to be someone his people could relate to, someone they could take to their hearts.
Destiny’s dark hair was flowing behind her, the scarf she’d worn blowing in the wind. He deliberately held his mount back, enabling him to watch her, his eyes drawn to the firmness of her thighs as she pushed her mare on and the tantalising outline of her bottom as she leant forward in the saddle. She was gorgeous, beautiful and so full of life—exactly the kind of woman he wished he could have if his position as ruler of Kezoban didn’t demand otherwise.
Excitement fizzed through him, making him ache with unquenched passion as he recalled her words. She wanted him, seeming to accept they had little or no future, even teasing him as she’d headed back across the sand. In that moment he knew he had to have her, had to make her his. She might be off limits but she would be his for one night.
Stable boys greeted them as they made their way back within the safety of palace walls. He couldn’t resist another look at Destiny. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion, her eyes bright and alive. He wanted her so badly that if he was to avoid carrying her off to his bed right this minute he’d have to throw himself into his work.
‘Thank you,’ she breathed after dismounting, suddenly close to him. Too close.
‘For what?’ he asked, suspicion furrowing his brow, unaware he had done anything that required her thanks.
‘For just now—it was wonderful. I haven’t enjoyed a good gallop since Ellie was sold.’
‘Who is Ellie?’ He watched as she looked down at her hands as if trying to hide her emotions.
‘My horse. Or she was until my father forced me to sell her. He couldn’t accept the time I sp
ent with Ellie.’
He sensed there was more, knew that, like him, she was hiding a part of herself. ‘I’m sorry, but you may, of course, ride the mare any time.’
Around him Zafir was aware of the bustle of activity as the horses were led away. Destiny placed her hand on his arm as soon as they were alone. ‘Thank you, for that and...’ She paused, as if wondering if she should give voice to her thoughts.
Out there in the desert she’d been completely honest with him and, going against his better judgement, he’d been honest with her.
‘For bringing me here and enabling me to have the chance of making a new start when I return home.’ She looked up at him as she continued, directly into his eyes, and he saw a conflict of emotions racing across them before she lowered her lashes, shutting him out.
‘I am honoured to have you here.’ His voice was a cracked whisper as he closed the distance between them so that they were almost touching. His heart began to thump harder as he slowly and very gently held her face, his thumbs caressing her cheekbones. Very slowly, so slowly it was almost painful, he lowered his head until his lips brushed hers.
* * *
Heat skittered around Destiny’s body with alarming speed, a soft sigh escaping her lips, only to be caught by his kiss. His stubble grazed her skin and her senses whirled as she inhaled his scent—bergamot, fresh and clean but with a hint of the desert.
Everything about the kiss felt so right, as did being this close to the heated hardness of his body. She ached to pull him closer, to wind her arms around his neck and slide her fingers into his hair. She wasn’t sure how she even knew what to do. She was simply following her body’s instinct.
The Sheikh's Last Mistress (Harlequin Presents) Page 5
