The Desert Rogues Part 1

by Susan Mallery

  Liana straightened and glanced around. Okay, so maybe the condo used by the staff of the American School had really impressive grounds. Or maybe this was part of the school itself. Or maybe a park. That was it. They were driving through a park and…

  They rounded a curve in the drive. In front of them was the white building they’d admired just a few minutes before. Up close it was even more impressive, with several stories and wide balconies. A dozen or so guards stood at attention by a huge double door.

  “Mommy? Where are we?” Bethany asked.

  Liana didn’t have an answer. Either the condo was much nicer than anything she was used to, or their driver had just brought them to the royal palace.

  She looked at the man behind the wheel. “There’s been a mistake.”

  He shook his head and grinned. “No mistake. His Highness said to bring you home, so here you are. Welcome to the royal palace of El Bahar.”

  Before Liana could decide what to do next, a tall man in a gray suit strode out to the cab and opened the door.

  “Good,” Prince Malik said. “You’re here. Come, we’ll get you settled.”

  Chapter Two

  Liana couldn’t tell if they were in a really big foyer or a smallish living room. She decided it was probably the former, because this was, after all, a palace, and she doubted it had smallish anythings.

  A bubble of hysteria threatened to choke her, even as she told herself it would be best for everyone if she stayed calm. Screaming like a crazy woman wouldn’t do anything except upset her daughter.

  Without her even being aware of leaving the cab, she and Bethany had been ushered out of the car and into this mystery room just past the main double doors. She could hear conversation behind her and had the bad feeling that their luggage had been removed from the cab and taken who knows where.

  This isn’t happening, she told herself firmly. Really. We’re not being kidnapped, nor is this anything more than a simple misunderstanding.

  “Mommy, look!”

  Liana followed Bethany’s gaze as her daughter stared up at an oval ceiling depicting the night sky. Glittering stars twinkled down at them, and, on what she assumed was the east side of the room, the first hint of sunrise glowed faint pink against the inky darkness. The entire picture was edged in gold paint. Or maybe real gold…she couldn’t tell. The walls were the same dark color as the ceiling, but the color came from hundreds of tiny tiles. More tiles covered the floor in a pattern showing a dragon guarding a kingdom she suspected was El Bahar.

  “You think the ceiling is something,” Liana murmured, “look at what you’re standing on.”

  Bethany did so, then jumped back to study the large, dangerous-looking creature.

  “I stepped on his tail,” her daughter whispered. “Do you think he’s mad?”

  “People have stepped on more than that,” Prince Malik said as he walked into the room. “Welcome. I trust your cab ride was pleasant enough?”

  “It was fine,” Liana said, determined to ignore the way her blood seemed to sing as it flowed hotter and faster throughout her body. Yes, the prince was rugged and fabulously good-looking—and well, a prince. But she refused to let herself be distracted by him. By any of this. And how had he had time to get to the palace ahead of them, let alone time to change his clothes? Or had he been wearing that gray suit under his robes?

  “You will find the palace very comfortable,” Prince Malik said.

  Liana wasn’t sure if he was making a statement or issuing an order. Not that it mattered. “It’s lovely. The palace, I mean,” she said. “Impressive and not where we want to live.”

  Bethany came up beside her, and Liana put her arm around her slender daughter. “I am a teacher for the American School. As such, I was promised housing there. I don’t know why you’ve brought me to the palace or what you hope to gain by it, but I insist that you allow us to go there now.”

  Malik waved his hand, as if brushing aside her comments. “You’ll be much happier here. The rooms are larger and you may explore as you like. Transportation will be provided each morning and evening to take you to and from the school.”

  Liana felt as if she had a bit part in a bad movie, but she was determined not to give in to her threatening hysteria before she had all the facts. “Have we been kidnapped?”

  Malik looked insulted by the question. “Of course not,” he said, drawing himself up to his full and impressive height. “I am Crown Prince Malik Khan of El Bahar. I bestow on you the honor of being my guest at the royal palace.”

  Liana pressed her lips together, not sure how to respond to that. A soft, snuffling sound interrupted her thoughts. She turned and saw a golden retriever hovering just outside the main door. Its tail wagged frantically, but it didn’t step inside the palace.

  Bethany caught sight of the dog and clapped her hands together. “Mommy, can I go pet the dog?”

  Liana glanced at Malik. “Is it friendly?”

  “Yes. Sam belongs to my nephews, all of whom are much younger than Bethany. He’s very good with children. She will be safe.”

  Liana nodded at her daughter. “Go ahead, but stay within sight of the open door.”

  Her daughter walked slowly toward the retriever, holding out her hand for the animal to sniff. Sam took a quick whiff, then licked the offered fingers, all the while wiggling with excitement at the thought of a new playmate.

  Liana took the opportunity of her daughter’s distraction to step closer to the prince, not because she wanted to be even more under his spell, but because she didn’t want Bethany to hear what she had to say.

  “We are not staying here,” she informed Malik. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but your conduct is completely unacceptable. I am an American citizen and a guest of your country for the next two years. As such, I expect to obey El Baharian law. In return I wish to be treated with respect and courtesy, neither of which includes holding me anywhere against my will.”

  “You do not understand,” Malik said patiently. “It is better for you to be at the palace.”

  He looked too intelligent not to get her point, which meant he wasn’t listening. It was a trait shared by many men. Perhaps it was exacerbated by his royal status. Regardless, she had to get through to him.

  Liana opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. A whisper of a memory drifted through her mind. She tried to shake it off, but it would not be denied. Then, despite the potential peril of her situation, she couldn’t help laughing softly.

  “Your Highness, you do not want to play this game with me. I’ve seen the movie.”

  He frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  “The schoolteacher brought to the foreign country, the man in the royal house who refuses to let her have her own house. You are not the King of Siam and I am not Mrs. Anna. But if you have any thoughts of recreating that situation, may I take this moment to remind you that not only does the king never sleep with Mrs. Anna, he has the misfortune to die at the end.”

  She’d thought Prince Malik might look shocked or disapproving. Instead he startled her by leaning close. “We all die in the end, Liana,” he said, his warm breath tickling her ear. “And make no mistake, I will have you in my bed.”

  “If you keep saying things like that, you’re going to scare the poor woman to death.”

  Both Malik and Liana turned at the sound of the female voice. An attractive woman with curly light brown hair and wire-framed glasses approached. She wore a chic green dress that screamed designer, and there were the most amazing pearls around her neck. The woman shook her head at the prince.

  “I can’t believe you’re using lines like that, Malik. Haven’t you ever heard of subtlety?”

  He drew himself up and glared down at the woman. Even though she wore high heels, he was a good six or seven inches taller. “I am Malik Khan, Crown Prince of El Bahar—”

  She dismissed him with a wave and turned her attention to Liana. “Pay no attention to that speech. All t
he princes give it and we’ve learned to ignore them.” She held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Heidi, wife of Jamal, the middle of the Khan brothers.” She glanced at Malik. “You’ve already been tormented by my brother-in-law. What is it about these sheiks? Give them a little power and they want to run all over everyone.”

  Liana shook hands with the charming American and gave her a trembling smile, along with her name. She couldn’t remember ever being in a more confusing situation. She felt as if she’d landed on a strange planet…and in a way she had. El Bahar was a very different place from her native California.

  “I’m pleased to learn one can disagree with a Crown Prince and live to tell the tale,” she said.

  Heidi grinned. “Malik isn’t so bad. He talks tough, and he’s a fairly decent Crown Prince, but underneath all that, he’s basically a nice guy.”

  Malik made a sound low in his throat. “You, woman, tread carefully around me.”

  “Or you’ll have me beheaded. I’ve heard the threat before.” Heidi leaned close to Liana and lowered her voice. “Actually, he’s an excellent ruler and everyone respects him tremendously, but he can be a bit imperious on occasion.”

  Liana had had first-hand experience with Malik’s imperiousness. “I’ve already seen him in action,” she said. “I don’t belong here. I’m a teacher with the American School.”

  Malik shook his head. “She is my guest.”

  Heidi looked from one to the other. “Interesting. What happened? You saw her at the airport and decided you liked the looks of her, so you brought her home?”

  Malik looked faintly uncomfortable with the question. “I am the Crown Prince. I do not answer to you.”

  Heidi glanced at Liana. “Let me guess. You don’t want to be here.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Well, Malik needs a willful woman in his life—even if he would never admit it. He’s a bit on the stuffy side, and being challenged by a woman would help make him more human.”

  “I am not stuffy—”

  “I’m not anyone’s woman—”

  Liana and Malik spoke at the same time.

  “This is all your fault,” she said, glaring at him. “Did you really bring me here because you liked the looks of me?” A voice in her head whispered it was actually a nice compliment, but she ignored the voice. She also ignored the steady thunder of her heart as she fought against her lingering attraction. “I’m not a puppy.”

  “I never thought you were.”

  Liana wanted to stamp her foot in annoyance. Nothing was going the way she wanted. She turned to Heidi. “Can you help me? I’m here to work and that’s all I want to do. If I could just get to the American School everything would be fine.”

  Before Heidi could answer, Bethany stepped into the foyer. She walked over to her mother and leaned against her. “I’m tired, Mommy. Are we leaving soon?”

  “You see,” Malik said. “The child needs to rest. While you stand here arguing, you’re wasting time. Heidi will show you to your rooms.”

  Heidi raised her eyebrows at her brother-in-law, but otherwise didn’t protest. “Actually, Liana, it might be easier to give in to this tonight. You’ve got to be exhausted from the long trip. In the morning you can gird your loins and fight the battle anew.” She touched Liana’s arm. “Seriously, you are perfectly safe here. This is a royal palace and all guests are treated with the utmost respect.”

  Liana didn’t know what to do. She had the feeling that if she gave in on this point, nothing in her life would ever be the same. The smart move would be to insist that she be taken to her condo immediately. But she was tired, as was Bethany. Then there was the tiny detail of spending the night in a real-life palace. That sort of thing had never happened to her before, nor was it likely to happen again. Was she going to turn down this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity because of her pride?

  “All right,” she murmured. “If you’re sure it won’t be any trouble.”

  “None at all,” Malik said. He offered a low bow, then disappeared down a long hallway.

  “Who was that masked man?” Liana murmured.

  Heidi heard her and laughed. “The princes take some getting used to. Come on. Your room is through here. Don’t worry about the luggage, someone will bring it along.”

  “You okay with this?” Liana asked her daughter. “Do you mind spending the night in the palace?”

  Big blue eyes, so much like her own, stared up at her. Bethany smiled. “Mommy, if I stay in the palace, I get to pretend I’m a princess.”

  “Oh, you’re right. Well, that makes this very special, huh?”

  Bethany nodded, then looked at Heidi. “Are you really married to a prince?”

  “I sure am,” Heidi said. “Which makes me a princess. We have a little boy who is also a prince.”

  “Wow.” Bethany’s big eyes got bigger. “Do you have a crown and everything?”

  “You bet.”

  Heidi led the way down a long hall. As they followed, Liana wondered about the woman who was being so kind. She dressed like a regular person—no robes or veils—and her voice had an American accent. Liana would bet that there was an interesting story in her past. If she was going to be here longer, she might want to ask about it. But Liana and Bethany would be leaving the palace in the morning, so there wasn’t going to be time to make friends.

  “You’re here to teach?” Heidi asked as they passed through a carved archway.

  Liana glanced around them, barely able to answer for all the wonders she saw. Open doors allowed her to see into great rooms with high ceilings and western-style furniture. She caught glimpses of gardens and fountains. Every few feet they walked by a small alcove that displayed some fabulous piece of art, be it a tapestry or glass-ware or a statue. The floor beneath their feet was marble, and much of the wall space was tiled. No doubt parts of the palace were hundreds of years old.

  “I, ah, teach math,” Liana said absently as she took in the beauty of the El Baharian palace. The air was cool and faintly scented with flowers. “High-school-level algebra and geometry. Sometimes, if I have a bright group, I start them on calculus.”

  Heidi smiled at Bethany. “I guess with a mom who’s a math teacher, you don’t get to say you don’t understand it, do you?”

  Bethany giggled shyly and clung to her mother’s hand. “No, I like math.”

  “Good for you.” Heidi stopped in front of a single door carved with a relief of a gazelle. She pushed it open and stepped into a suite of rooms. “These will be yours,” she said, motioning to the airy space.

  Liana and Bethany followed her, then came to a stop in the center of the main room. In front of them were floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the Arabian Sea, light-colored furniture collected in two separate conversation areas, and double French doors leading out to a balcony that was almost as large as the living room. Nearly as amazing as the view was a mural on both the left and the right wall of the room. Tiny tiles had been cut and pieced together to create a herd of Arabian horses racing across the desert. The horses were depicted nearly life-size, with manes and tails flying out as fast hooves thundered across the sand.

  “Oh, Mommy, look!” Bethany cried as she raced over to stand in front of the right mural. She reverently touched the tiny tiles. “Horses! Beautiful horses.”

  Just then two servants appeared with their luggage. Heidi pointed down a short hallway and the men disappeared. Seconds later they reappeared, without their burden of suitcases, then bowed and left as quietly as they’d come.

  “You’ll find the horse motif continues throughout the suite,” Heidi explained. “It’s one of the features of the palace. All the guest quarters have a theme. I thought with your daughter being at that horse-loving age, you two would enjoy this suite.”

  Liana felt stunned, as if she’d been drinking, or hadn’t eaten in a couple of days. “This is a regular guest room here at the palace?” she asked. “There are more suites like this, just standing empty, waiting for c
ompany?”

  Heidi nodded. Her hazel eyes filled with compassion. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but you’ll get used to it. There are frequent guests at the palace. Some visiting dignitaries prefer to stay at the beachfront hotels, but others like the warmth and history of the palace.”

  “I see why,” Liana murmured. This was the most magnificent room she’d ever seen. She could only imagine what the bedrooms and bathrooms would be like.

  “The balcony is a common one,” Heidi went on to explain. “There aren’t any other guests staying here at the moment, so you shouldn’t see anyone, but don’t be alarmed if someone walks by. Actually, on this level you can make a complete circuit of the palace via the balcony. I recommend the walk in the evening. It’s very lovely.”

  “Thank you, I will.”

  Heidi started to leave, then paused. “I know it’s terribly rude to ask, but how well do you know the prince?”

  “I don’t know him at all.” Liana recounted the events on the plane and at the airport. “Instead of taking us to the American School, the cab brought us here. I don’t understand what happened.”

  “Obviously you caught Malik’s eye,” Heidi said.

  Then he can have it back, Liana thought to herself, although she didn’t say it aloud. “I can’t believe that,” Liana said. “I’m just a teacher.” Didn’t sheik princes fall for movie stars and models?

  “You’re very attractive,” Heidi said. “Tall, blonde, blue eyes.”

  Yes, she was those things, Liana admitted, but she was also about twenty pounds overweight and not the least bit interested in being fashionable. She preferred comfort to style. She’d been described as passably pretty, which she believed to be true. No, she was many things, but not someone to garner the attention of a prince.

  “There has to be something else going on,” she insisted.

  “Why do you find it so hard to believe that Malik could want you? Aren’t you interested?”

  “Not really,” Liana said honestly. “I’ve reached the point where I don’t want another man in my life, and even if I did, I wouldn’t want someone like Malik. I would never be very good in the position of wife number three or four.”