by Cara Albany
Rafiq grinned at himself.
Yes. That sounded like a really sweet idea. And, he was going to do everything possible to show the beautiful, feisty young woman just how much she meant to him, and how much he needed to claim her.
****
"Let's get something straight, right from the outset, Rafiq," Mia declared gazing across at Rafiq. The plane was starting to taxi out to the runway. They'd be up in the air within minutes, but she needed to establish some ground rules.
Fast.
Mia scowled across at Rafiq. He was sitting facing her. All around them was luxury. The interior of Rafiq's private jet was like something out of a movie fantasy. The cabin was opulently furnished with elegant modern tables and comfortable chairs. At the far end of the cabin, Mia saw Rafiq's female assistant busy in the confines of the galley.
"This is a business trip. Pure and simple," Mia continued. "I agreed to come to Qazhar purely because my brother is sick and there's no alternative."
Rafiq grinned at Mia. Why did he have to keep on looking at her like that? Ever since he'd called at her apartment to collect her and bring her to the airport, he'd had that same look on his face. It was a look that said he was in charge, this was his domain, that she had entered his world. Of course he had been courteous enough, even surprisingly civil to her. Maybe that was out of respect to Brad. Nevertheless, she found his determined expression slightly disquieting.
"I understand exactly," Rafiq replied easily. "As you say. It's just old business that needs to be cleared up." He turned and glanced out the windows. It was dark out there, and the weather was still stormy. It was going to be a bumpy ride in more ways than one, Mia reflected. The rain lashed against the plane's tiny windows.
What had he meant by "old business"? Was he still harping on about that distant summer? Hadn't he gotten the message loud and clear last night, when Mia had firmly rejected his advances. Even if the lingering emotion of it was still a memory that tugged insistently at her even now as she sat, cross-legged, opposite him.
Mia saw Rafiq glance down at her knees, causing her to self-consciously uncross her legs. He reached across suddenly and took the straps of her seatbelt, drawing them across Mia's tiny waist. "Let me help you with that," he offered. Mia caught his earthy, manly scent. She tried and failed to control the sudden heat that flared to her cheeks.
Mia tugged the seatbelt out of his grasp and smiled at him sardonically. "I can do that for myself, Rafiq," she said brusquely.
Rafiq pulled his hands away from Mia and she saw his brows rise imperceptibly at the sound of his name on her lips. The corner of his mouth curled into a patient grin.
Mia jammed the two parts of the seatbelt together, clicking them firmly into place. The plane shook slightly in response to a gust of wind. Mia's gaze darted to the window, desperate to see outside.
Rafiq glanced at her. "I wouldn't worry about the weather. My pilot is very experienced in these kinds of conditions."
"I'm sure he's had plenty of experience ferrying around your various lovers," Mia said sharply, surprised at herself for a moment. She saw Rafiq's brows furrow. Had he really deserved that, she asked herself. Mia realized she was more nervous than she had anticipated. This whole idea was crazy. Surely she didn't have to go all the way to Qazhar. Brad had been persuasive. There was nothing else they could do if they were going to clear up this whole mess. Mia would have to spend at least a few days in Qazhar going over the figures. But, she was determined that was all there was going to be about to the visit. No matter what Rafiq's intentions, this was a business obligation. Mia was resolute about that.
The plane slowed and positioned itself for take-off. Then the engines roared and Mia felt her body pressed back against the soft seat. Her gaze flickered out into the darkness and then across at Rafiq. She saw that he was watching her intently, a vague concern in his gaze.
"Okay?" he asked Mia.
"Of course," she replied defiantly. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Just that you seem slightly nervous," Rafiq said, his eyes narrowing. "Are you a nervous flyer, or is the prospect of a few days in Qazhar so objectionable to you?"
There was a sudden lurch and the plane lifted. Mia felt her body shift in her seat, and she swallowed quickly, taking the moment to consider her reply. She hadn't spoken to Rafiq in the car on the way to the airport. They had sat next to each other in the back seat of his limousine, a cold, stony silence between them like a physical wall. She knew it had been caused by what had happened the previous night in Rafiq's penthouse at the hotel. She hoped he had gotten the message loud and clear. Mia had moved on, even if Rafiq had so obviously not.
At least that was the mantra she had chanted to herself as she had made her way back home the previous night. But, no matter how many times she had repeated those words to herself, the feeling had persisted that Rafiq's touch had reawakened something long buried, something Mia didn't want to admit was still a lingering presence. Her mind rejected Rafiq, rebuffed every one of his arguments, every one of his approaches, but her treacherous body had betrayed Mia, reacting to his caresses as if they had both been separated by mere days, instead of years.
The plane shifted, heading in a southerly direction. Mia wondered how they were going to pass the time in the hours it would take to fly to Qazhar.
Rafiq raised a brow, awaiting Mia's answer to his query.
"I love travel," she announced hoping that her voice didn't sound too shaky. "Although, I haven't been to your part of the world."
Rafiq smiled. "I think you'll like it. Apart from anything else, the weather is much more conducive to a relaxed lifestyle."
"Brad has told me all about his trips," she said. "He always makes it sound so exotic."
"Exotic?" Rafiq said looking oddly perturbed. "That is such a difficult word."
"What do you mean?"
"It carries so many different associations. Your brother is a very perceptive man. I'm sure his use of the word is wholly innocent."
"Why would you find it offensive?"
"I didn't say I found it offensive. Just that it makes us sound almost barbarous. Even, primitive."
Rafiq's gaze darkened slightly. Mia wondered how he could be so sensitive about such a simple word. Although, she had to admit there were times when Rafiq did indeed look feral and even primal. He had a sensuously dangerous appeal that Mia was sure most women would find impossible to resist. She shifted in her chair and saw the light above Rafiq change.
She loosened her seat belt. Rafiq did the same with his own. She saw him glance down at her as she stretched her body, feeling the tension ease away. Her legs extended and her foot briefly brushed against Rafiq's leg.
There was a sudden shift in the plane as it flew through some turbulence. Mia gripped the side of her chair and glanced out the window, although it was too dark to see anything. The turbulence continued for a few moments and then finally the small plane stopped rocking from side to side as it emerged above the clouds and into a steady airstream.
Rafiq leaned across and laid a hand on Mia's arm. "Okay?" he said, concern written on his features. His dark eyes gazed at her, and she felt something soft shift inside her now that he was closer to her.
Mia nodded.
"Can I get you a drink?"
Mia shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."
"Nonsense," Rafiq said playfully. "We're going to be having a meal very soon. It'll be okay to at least enjoy a soft drink. You know I don't drink alcohol. Although I do sometimes make an exception to that rule."
"Don't like losing control?" Mia challenged, immediately regretting her tone. It was all too easy to take everything Rafiq said as a potential challenge. He merely smiled at her comment and stood, moving to the galley, stepping into the space where Mia had seen the flight assistant. She couldn't hear what was being said, but after a few moments Rafiq returned.
"Alina will bring our food very shortly," he said sitting down.
"Has she been with you a long t
ime?" Mia asked, realizing that asking Rafiq about any woman in his life was a dangerous thing to do.
"Two years. She is very efficient. She worked in my family's palace for a time before looking after me on my infrequent journeys."
Mia nodded. "How are your family?"
Rafiq seemed pleased at her curiosity about his family. The truth was Mia already knew enough about them that it was almost unnecessary to ask such a question. But, anything which could keep the conversation on a polite level was welcome as far as Mia was concerned.
"My family are all very well," Rafiq said with more than a hint of pride in his voice. "My parents are as busy with their formal duties as ever. My cousins all got married recently." Rafiq shrugged and sighed. "That was the talk of the kingdom. The famous Al Kharif brothers all getting wed."
"It sounds wonderful," Mia said.
Rafiq frowned. "Unfortunately it has only served to put ideas of matrimony into my parents' heads," he said, shaking his head. "My other two brothers are in a state of almost pure panic."
Mia squinted at Rafiq. "Why would they panic?"
Rafiq narrowed his eyes. "Let's just say that Tazim and Malik all enjoy their bachelor existence a little too much for their own good."
"Three brothers," Mia exclaimed. "Your parents must be so proud."
"Not so proud that they don't have their own opinions about how we live our lives. My brothers each keep themselves busy in...shall we say...interesting ways."
Mia frowned. "You're making me curious," she teased leaning forward.
Rafiq scowled. "Don't get any ideas."
"What are you talking about?" Mia exclaimed, making sure he heard how shocked she was.
Rafiq straightened and drew in an impatient breath. "You'll be too busy to spend much time with any of them. Although my parents have insisted that you stay at their palace during your visit."
"I was going to suggest I could stay in a hotel," Mia replied.
Rafiq's eyes widened and his mouth opened into a shocked circle. "Absolutely not!" he ejaculated. "My father in particular would be most offended if you didn't stay with us."
"The last thing I'd want to do is offend your parents. Don't you have your own place?" Mia asked.
Rafiq laughed slightly, his eyes bright with amusement. "My own "place", as you call it, is a palace on the outskirts of Qazhar City."
Mia rolled her eyes. "I forgot. You're a sheikh. Of course you have your own palace. That's what sheikhs have, isn't it?"
Rafiq narrowed his gaze at Mia. "You are making fun of me?"
Mia tucked her chin and peered at Rafiq. "Of course I am. Am I not allowed to do that? Or have I broken some unspoken rule?" Mia made sure the last question was uttered with a pretend coquettish tone. She could immediately see that Rafiq didn't like being made fun off.
Not at all.
It didn't matter. For some strange reason she couldn't put her finger on, Mia liked to see him being made suddenly awkward.
Rafiq sighed and she saw his shoulders stiffen. He paused before replying. He gazed at her, and she could see that he had detected her defiance. "Of course you can say what you like to me, Mia."
Why did she suddenly like the sound of her name on his tongue? With his accent, her name sounded so appealing, especially the way his voice had dropped to a soft growl.
Rafiq leaned forward, and she could see the strength of his shoulders, the breadth of his chest, the firm set of his mouth, the searing scrutiny of his gaze. When he spoke his voice was commanding, as if what he said was beyond any possibility of disagreement.
"There are no rules here, Mia. You know that, don't you. There never have been any barriers between us," he said.
Mia felt her heart race faster, felt the blood pulse around her veins. Rafiq was so close now that she could hear his breathing above the soft whine of the plane's engines. What could she say to that? How on earth could she possibly respond to such a statement? All she could do was ask a simple question. As she prepared to do so, she tried to sink back deeper into her chair. She laughed to herself. As if there was any chance of keeping Rafiq at bay! But, she knew she had to say something.
"What kind of rules are you talking about, Rafiq?"
His eyes narrowed and the corner of his mouth curled with a minor appreciative victory. "You and I are free to say and do what we want with each other. Aren't we?"
Mia swallowed and gazed at Rafiq. "I don't know what you mean," she said.
One of Rafiq's brows twisted sardonically. "Come now, Mia. You've made it plain you intend to keep me at arms length."
Mia gasped. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Rafiq shook his head. "You know perfectly well what I'm referring to. Every effort I make to get reacquainted is firmly pushed back by you. It's just like that summer at your parents' house."
Rafiq slid forward until he was at the edge of his seat. He reached across and placed his hand on Mia's left arm. She felt a galvanic shock race up her arm, even though the fabric of her jacket protected her from the feel of his skin. She glanced into Rafiq's eyes searching for any hint of his intent, needing to be sure that he wasn't playing with her the way he had done so many summers ago. Mia saw fierce resolve in the dark, limpid pools that gazed back at her. His lips moved and she noted the moistness of them. She felt something wrench at her, and she had a sudden urge, the need to submit for a brief moment of scandalous pleasure. But, she immediately forced down that fickle temptation deeper into a dark corner of her awareness.
Mia saw Rafiq react, as if he could read her mind. She glanced down at Rafiq's hand, seeing the strength in those fingers. She drove away the thoughts of what those fingers could do to her. Images of their movement across her body made the heat travel to other parts of her body, other areas that hadn't known such warmth.
Mia straightened and stared at Rafiq. "There is no reason for us to get reacquainted," she blurted out quickly.
"The summer?" he asked simply. "Have you forgotten?"
"I haven't. But, as I told you last night. The past is the past. Let's leave it where it belongs," Mia said. Her heart was racing and every word she uttered made her pulse skip a beat.
Rafiq's expression froze and he merely regarded her as if she had put in place a wall, one that he refused to acknowledge, a barrier that would not hold him back.
Rafiq nodded and gave Mia a wry smile. "Perhaps after a meal and some rest we can resume our pleasant conversation. I'm sure there's some business affairs you wish to discuss."
Was he admitting defeat so easily? The Rafiq of previous years wouldn't have been as responsive to her wishes. That Rafiq would have tried to seduce Mia, attempted to overcome her objections. What had caused this change in him? Had Mia misjudged him so soon after renewing their friendship?
Rafiq drew his hand away and settled back in his chair. He pressed a button on the side of the chair and immediately the door to the galley opened.
Rafiq turned to Alina. "We'll have the food now, Alina," he said firmly.
Rafiq turned back to Mia. "Hungry?" he asked.
All Mia could do was sigh and admit defeat. "I'll have something," she agreed.
Then she turned and stared resolutely out the window. It was going to be a long and difficult trip to Qazhar.
CHAPTER FIVE
"Welcome to our humble abode," Rafiq said to Mia as he led her into the main hallway of his parents' palace. Finally they'd arrived.
Mia gazed around in wonder at the ornate decoration, the vaulted roof, the high, steeply angled windows, the colorful mosaics. The sheer expanse of white marble overwhelmed her senses. This was opulence on an altogether different level than anything she'd ever seen. A beam of golden sunlight streamed in through one of the wide, high windows above the doorway. There was so much detail that her eyes just couldn't take it all in. It was a feast for the senses. She'd always known that Rafiq came from a wealthy family, but this was a wholly different kind of affluence.
The air inside was c
ool compared to the heat outside, although they had been sheltered from that oppressive warmth during the short drive from the airport.
Mia dropped her bag on the floor at her feet and gazed around. She'd never seen anything like this place. It was simply the most exotic, wonderful interior she had ever been inside. From the outside, the buildings and wings of the palace had seemed to stretch for hundreds of yards. It was surrounded by luxurious, immaculately tended gardens, all contained within a high, walled enclosure that protected it from the broad expanse of desert.
The limo had deposited them at the front door and Rafiq had helped Mia with her bags, leading her into his family's home.
Mia realized that she and Rafiq were still alone. Since their arrival no-one had come to greet them.
"Where are your parents?" she asked. "And the rest of your family?"
"They're visiting friends for a few days," he explained. "It means you can focus on what's important. Less distractions."
Mia frowned and then realized he was teasing her. "We're not completely alone in this palace, right now, are we?" she asked tentatively.
Rafiq grinned. "Of course not. We have over a dozen servants."
Mia nodded. "Of course. How could I be so stupid. Servants. This is a palace, after all. I wouldn't expect you to be cooking and cleaning, would I?"
"Now I believe you're teasing me," Rafiq said with a grin. "Again," he added emphatically, but he didn't seem displeased.
Mia sighed and lifted her bag. "I take it I have a room?"
"Of course you do," Rafiq said. "The best in the palace."
"The best?" Mia asked incredulous.
"Well, at least the best of the guest rooms."
"And you?" Mia asked.
Rafiq's brows furrowed. "What?"
"Do you you have a room here?"
Rafiq squinted at Mia. "Of course I do. This is where I grew up. I still have my old room."
