by Cara Albany
When Mia had told Rafiq that she needed some time alone to go over the paperwork he'd arranged to be brought from the Qazhar city office, she could tell that he was unsure about the truthfulness of her explanation. Was he thinking about last night as much as her?
Mia was glad that at least one unresolved issue had been sorted out. She had little doubt that Rafiq would see sense and do the right thing, irrespective of any lingering resentment he might still feel about Naima.
Mia had enjoyed her time alone in Rafiq's office. She sat at his desk, perched on his huge leather executive seat. There was something reassuring about being surrounded by a huge pile of paperwork. It made her feel busy, helped her forget her troubles.
One of the things it couldn't make her forget, though, was the simple fact that her job in Qazhar was virtually done. Once the loose ends had been tied up, Mia realized she could be on her way back to London within a day. This might be her last night in Qazhar.
Now, why had that thought caused a flurry of emotion in her belly? Had that been a spasm of disappointment? Surely not. Things between her and Rafiq were clear and simple. They'd both enjoyed a playful duel that had resulted in a near thing, a close encounter that would be as quickly forgotten. The events of the previous evening would join the events of that summer in England; a sweet memory and nothing more. Mia's innocence was intact.
Mia scowled at that thought and immediately busied herself with a particularly thick pile of invoices. There really was nothing for her to find in this morass of paper other than a temporary peace. All she needed to do was hold onto that peace until she was safely back in London.
Surely, that wasn't going to be too difficult. Was it?
****
What on earth was she doing in that office? Rafiq paced the floor of his library, feeling the tension in his middle rising inexorably.
After Naima and Sayid had left, Mia had raced off with barely any explanation. She had locked herself inside Rafiq's office and no amount of cajoling had persuaded her to open the door. She'd muttered something about explaining things to him later. The only thing which had resulted from Mia's refusal to speak to Rafiq was the ratcheting up of his tension levels a few more notches. Impatience was burning him up.
Now it was getting late. Nearly dinner time and Rafiq was desperate to know what was going on. When Naima had left, she had given Rafiq a look which had confused and troubled him. He had no idea what Mia and Naima had discussed during their little chat in the garden. He knew what he'd managed to get out of Sayid.
Nothing.
Every attempt by Rafiq at getting answers from his friend had resulted in stony silence.
It seemed like everyone knew something and the only person completely in the dark was Rafiq.
That wasn't something he was comfortable with, nor was he willing to accept it for much longer.
He started down the corridor and toward his office. He arrived at the door and knocked.
"Yes?" he heard Mia call out from inside.
"Aren't you finished?"
"Not yet," she replied.
There was a long silence, then Rafiq's patience snapped. He pounded the door. "Come on out of there, Mia," he roared. "Time for dinner."
"I'm not hungry," she replied.
Rafiq grunted impatiently. "You can't hide in there all day."
"I'm not hiding. What gave you that idea?"
"Oh, I don't know. The fact that you've spent the entire afternoon avoiding me."
"I am not avoiding you, Rafiq," Mia insisted.
Rafiq rolled his eyes. Mia could be so stubborn when she wanted to be. Why did that thought create a flicker of desire inside him? It wasn't the first time her resistance had prompted an impulse to make demands of her, to do everything in his power to show her how she affected him.
"What have you found out?" he asked, trying to calm himself.
"Found out?"
"Yes. With all those papers I gave you. And, what did Naima tell you in the garden?"
There was a long silence. Rafiq felt his heart pounding, gritted his teeth waiting for a reply. The silence seemed to go on forever, and then finally he heard the lock turn in the door and Mia's sweet face appeared, gazing with curiosity at Rafiq.
"Did you say dinner was ready?" Mia asked.
"I thought you said you weren't hungry," Rafiq replied.
Mia's brows furrowed. How he loved the sight of that expression on her face, Rafiq told himself. She looked so feisty, so stubborn when she squinted at him like that. Once again he felt a visceral reaction, a familiar tightness, a tension that demanded immediate easing. Rafiq couldn't suppress a smile and he was pleased when she responded with a smile of her own.
Seeing her insanely pretty face had immediately lit up his day. He was staggered when he realized just how much he had missed her these past few hours. What was happening to him?
"I changed my mind," she said pushing the door aside for him to enter. Rafiq strode in and gasped. "What happened here?" he said gazing at the chaotic mess of papers that were strewn all over every flat surface in the room.
Mia shrugged. "A girls gotta do what she has to do if she's to get a job done," she said casually. He suddenly had the thought that she was playing with him again, the way she had the previous night.
"Have you found anything?" he asked watching her beautiful, elegant legs step over some piles of papers. Her hips bumped to the side, accentuating her curves as she placed one foot carefully to one side. When she turned around and looked at him he could see her breasts through the fabric of her loosely tied blouse. He suddenly wanted to pick her up and throw her down onto that sofa in the far corner, crush her on top of all those papers and have his way with her, irrespective of the wisdom of such an act. What was this madness she provoked in him?
"I think I have an answer," Mia said.
"You do?"
Mia nodded. "But first, I need to eat something. Then we can have a chat."
"A chat?" he asked with more than a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Just a chat?"
Mia nodded and quirked a brow at Rafiq. "Ready?"
She sauntered past Rafiq and he caught her scent as she glided by him. It fired off another spasm of desire. Up close he could see the color on her cheeks, knew that Mia had felt something, now that he was in close proximity to her. What was happening between the two of them?
Rafiq followed Mia out the room. They walked down the corridor. Rafiq felt a sudden comfort settle on him. It was good to be with Mia. Until this moment he hadn't realized just how much he had missed being with her, how comfortable he felt trading words. He was starting to love how they were continually testing each other with little insults that he was convinced were nothing more than signs of something more profound between them.
They reached the sitting room and Rafiq asked for tea to be brought. He also informed the kitchen that dinner would be required.
He sat on the sofa next to Mia, savoring her presence, feeling incredibly fortunate to have her by is side.
But for how long?
That question took him by surprise. Surely she hadn't already completed her job. The thought of her leaving, going back to London, produced a sharp stab of anxiety inside his gut. He needed an answer.
"So, what have you found?"
Mia frowned. "I told you we can discuss it after dinner."
Rafiq twisted his body so that it faced Mia directly. "Can't you at least give me an idea if we still have something to worry about? Are we finished?"
"What do you mean?"
"About the money, of course. What else did you think I was talking about?"
Mia shook her head. "Nothing."
Rafiq leaned closer and he saw Mia's eyes widen. She looked so incredibly beautiful, Rafiq told himself. Like a delicate flower waiting to be plucked. There definitely was something indefinably innocent about Mia. He'd always seen it, but right now it was even more obvious than it had ever been.
"Well?"
"What?"
Mia retorted.
"Is everything wrapped up? Do we have something we need to worry about?" Rafiq insisted.
Mia sighed. "I can see you're not going to quit."
Rafiq gave Mia a wolfish grin. "I'm not noted for my patience. In anything," he growled.
Mia squinted at Rafiq. "I'm talking about finances. Serious issues."
"So am I," Rafiq responded.
Mia gave Rafiq an admonishing look. "Somehow I doubt that," she said and shook her head at him.
Mia fell into a long silence and Rafiq could tell he wasn't going to get anything out of her. But, she seemed far less worried about the situation than she'd been before. What had Mia and Naima talked about in the garden?
They drank their tea and coffee in silence for a while. Glances were exchanged over the lips of cups, and Rafiq could see a flickering of nerves in Mia's demeanor. What was she worrying about? Finally, he could stand it no longer.
"At least tell me this. Did Naima talk about me?" Rafiq asked abruptly.
Mia's eyes narrowed and he could see her deliberating. Once again he was seized by a sudden desire. There was such intelligence and life in Mia's eyes. Those pale blue pools had the power to drag him in, make him lose all composure.
"She did mention you a little," Mia replied.
"What did she tell you?" Rafiq asked in a sharp tone, immediately regretting the involuntary harshness of his voice.
Mia took a long sip of tea and peered at Rafiq over the cup. "Just that things didn't work out between the two of you," Mia said hesitantly.
"Did she say why?"
Mia shook her head. "No. Just that there were differences in opinion about whether you should both be married to each other."
Rafiq frowned. "It was all her choice. She was the one who decided that I wasn't right for her," he snapped.
Mia's eyes widened at the vehemence of Rafiq's statement. "She seemed to think it was inevitable."
"Inevitable that I wouldn't be good enough for her?" Rafiq demanded.
Mia shrugged. "I think Naima had many pressures back in her own kingdom."
"What are you talking about?" Rafiq asked leaning closer.
"I get the impression she loves her homeland," Mia said.
"And I don't love Qazhar? Is that what she suggested?"
Mia shook her head and peered at Rafiq. There was sincerity in her gaze and he wondered why Mia was defending Naima. The last thing Rafiq had expected was that both women would find some common ground. He'd expected Naima to be jealous of Mia's presence, even accuse Mia of trying to find a way into Rafiq's heart. Wasn't that Naima's natural inclination?
Rafiq and Naima had never really seen eye to eye on anything, especially not when Naima had hinted that, once she and Rafiq were married, Rafiq would be in a position to involve himself, and his wealth, in the affairs of Naima's homeland. But, Rafiq had insisted that once Naima became his wife he would expect her to focus all her attention on the affairs of her adopted kingdom. Qazhar.
It had been after those conversations that things between Naima and Rafiq had noticeably cooled. And then had come Naima's rejection of the proposed marriage and the subsequent too hasty marriage to Sayid.
Mia placed her cup down on the table and gave Rafiq a long, lingering look. "I think Naima has been misunderstood, Rafiq," Mia said slowly.
"Misunderstood? What on earth do you mean, Mia?" Rafiq asked brusquely.
Mia flinched visibly at the abrasiveness of Rafiq's question. Rafiq drew in a deep impatient breath. When it came to Naima, he still found it difficult to restrain the urge to accuse her of acting dishonorably.
"I think she had reasons for doing what she did," Mia said.
Rafiq frowned at Mia. "Reasons? For discarding the opportunity to be by my side, and share in the good fortune of making Qazhar great?"
Mia shook her head and Rafiq saw a flash of irritation flicker in her eyes. "That's not how it was at all, Rafiq. At least, not according to what she told me."
Rafiq stiffened. "And what exactly did my former fiance tell you?" he demanded. He felt the rush of emotion surging inside him, sense that the irrational response Naima had always been able to provoke in him was rising to the surface. He saw Mia move away from him slightly, a puzzled look appearing on her face.
Mia thrust her hands onto her lap, clasping one hand over the other in a defensive gesture. "I appreciate that you are disappointed in Naima's choices, but..."
"Disappointed! That doesn't even come close to describing how that woman made me feel, Mia," Rafiq interrupted her, his voice rising. He knew he shouldn't show anger, but right now it was as if a switch had been flicked inside him, and he had little control over it.
Mia lowered her head and he saw her lips tighten into a thin line. Her brows furrowed and he felt an instant stab of regret. As had been the case so often in the past, the untamed rage inside him had thrust itself to the surface, endangering everything he valued, everything he held most dear. It was a wound that might never heal.
When Mia spoke it was with a quiet determination. "I was trying to explain why I think Naima might have had good reason to do what she did," Mia said. She lifted her head and looked at him, an imploring look in her eyes.
Rafiq let out an involuntary grunt. "I know exactly what she did, Mia. I know it all too well."
"I don't think you understand..." Mia started to say.
Rafiq stood up and glared down at Mia. "I think I know all too well what you and her were talking about."
Mia stood up and faced Rafiq. "That's not true," she insisted.
"I know when I'm being made a fool of," Rafiq said, the sense of indignation flooding over him.
Mia stretched out a hand. "Let me explain," she said.
Rafiq waved her hand aside and her eyes widened in shock at the ferocity of the gesture.
Somewhere deep inside himself a voice screamed at Rafiq not to be a fool. It implored him to stop making an idiot of himself, that Mia didn't deserve this harsh treatment. A spasm of regret twisted in his gut when he saw the expression on Mia's face. What was wrong with him? Couldn't he see the mistake he was making?
"That woman has told you lies. She cannot get over the fact that I rejected her, that I found her wanting," he roared suddenly, his voice cracking with emotion. "And now, she takes you to one side and poisons your mind against me!"
"She did not poison my mind," Mia exclaimed.
"That's the way it seems to me," Rafiq responded.
"How can you say that? She was only trying to help me understand..." Mia started to say.
"There is nothing for you to understand," Rafiq declared. "Naima is nothing to me any longer. In fact, she never was anything except an inconvenient possible bride."
"I have no interest in your former lovers, Rafiq," Mia said.
Rafiq stiffened and leaned toward Mia, desperate that she understand a simple truth, once and for all. "Naima was never a lover of mine. Do you understand that? Or, don't you believe me that I would have no interest in her."
Mia turned away from him and he felt an abrupt rush of panic. He'd overstepped the boundary. He knew it. But the rage and anger inside him had been lying dormant for so long it had acquired a ferocious energy of its own. Now that force had leaped out of him and he had turned it on Mia.
Rafiq tried to summon up the strength to resist the wave of outrage that had seized him. He'd put the memory of Naima firmly where it belonged. In the past.
Now, the only person who really mattered to him was the woman who was standing right in front of him. And she was gazing incredulously at him, a look that was cutting Rafiq up, lacerating his soul with the knowledge that he'd caused that hurt, made Mia feel pain with his pathetic, overzealous denials.
Panic rushed through him like a wave. He'd gone too far. He knew that. He sighed heavily and took a step toward Mia, but she kept herself turned away from him. Emotions tumbled inside him, forcing him to speak.
"Mia. Forgive me," he said urgently.
Mia shook her head and didn't even turn to look at him. "It's fine, Rafiq. I understand," she said sharply.
Rafiq took another step toward Mia but she twisted away from him. When she turned and looked at Rafiq, the emotion filling her gaze cut him to the core.
"I think I'll go to my room, if you don't mind. I'm not really very hungry, after all," Mia said slowly.
Rafiq extended a hand, desperate for some kind of connection, but Mia took a few short steps away from him. She turned her back on Rafiq and started toward the door.
Before she left the room, she turned to Rafiq one final time. "You'll have my report in the morning, before I leave," she said in a business-like manner. He could see she was trying to contain her feelings. He wanted her to lash out at him, condemn him for the fool that he had been toward her. But she didn't. Instead, she simply walked out the room.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Later, in bed, Mia awoke and reached across to the side table and switched on the light. She saw by the bedside clock that it was just past midnight.
She stretched out on the bed and groaned. It was the third time she had woken up since going to bed a few short hours before. She had refused to be tempted to go downstairs and have a face-to face conversation with Rafiq. She didn't know whether she could deal with him, especially since he'd shown such emotion when Mia had tried to explain the situation about Naima. Rafiq had just refused to listen. Obviously there were raw nerves in him, the residue of a pain that Mia had been unaware of. The wound of his rejection by Naima was still open and festering, as far as Mia could tell.
Mia got out of bed and went to the cabinet in the sitting room of her suite and poured herself a glass of mineral water. It was a warm, balmy night. Through the closed French doors she could see the tops of the trees lit by the silvery moonlight. Tempted by the intensely exotic sight, Mia went to the doors and opened them, stepping out onto the balcony that overlooked the garden. The night was warm against her skin. She felt the cool marble beneath her bare feet. The scent of the flowers in the garden was a dream-like night perfume. It filled her senses as she drew in a deep, satisfied breath.
