Zadir inhaled. “I don’t blame you, but we’re past the days of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” He turned to Mac, as if he’d just remembered she was there. “What do you think?”
“If we were in my hometown we’d be looking to go shoot out their tires,” she said honestly. She snuck a glance at Amahd, who looked preoccupied and still furious. “I guess we could still do that if we can catch up with them.”
His angry gaze turned to her. “That sounds tempting. And if they were behind the colossal waste when that first well burned for weeks—and required international experts to put out—I want him to pay.”
“But if he’s behind all this…” Mac couldn’t figure it out. “Why would he take the risk of coming here, right onto your turf?”
“Important men tend to think they’re smarter than everyone else,” explained Zadir. “Maybe even all men think that,” he said with a wink. “He probably assumes he’ll come here, commiserate with us on all the violence, and convince us to move to New York while leasing him all oil rights in our lands.”
Amahd laughed. “I’ve gone into deals with that kind of mind-set in the past. I was usually successful, mind you.”
Mac was impressed by how calm they both seemed. The trucks pulled up and they rode over to talk to the drivers. Mac patted her horse’s neck and thanked her for keeping calm, rather than bucking her off and running for home, as a lot of horses might have.
She wondered if she should call Bubba to update him on her whereabouts. She had her phone in her back pocket—but if he barked at her to come right back, how could she? She had to take Amahd’s horse back to his house and then get a ride back. What a mess. Not even a full week on the job and now she was going to fall way behind. Not to mention that if the other workers would be talking about her behind her back.
Amahd rode up to her again. “Gibran’s on his way with the investigators. They’re going to hunt for evidence, and they’re already looking for whoever laid the explosives. I’ll take you back to work because I know you have a lot to do.” He didn’t sound at all accusing.
“Thanks. Bubba’s probably having a fit.”
“That’s what I pay him for.” His wry smile made her heart skip.
“I really shouldn’t have come in the middle of the day but I did enjoy the ride.” She felt like she should say something along those lines. Of course she was hoping that he’d protest and insist that it was fine.
“You’re right. My brother is impossible sometimes. I’ll make sure this doesn’t reflect badly on you.”
Mac wondered if his excuses for her would actually make her look worse. Would they all talk about how “that girl” had been whisked off for an afternoon of galloping with the royals while they all stayed hard at work.
Probably.
She just hoped she could run through her maintenance checklists in time to pick her daughter up from day care before it got too late. The inventory would have to wait until tomorrow. And if a piece of equipment had broken down…
“Shall we ride fast?” she suggested.
Amahd looked surprised for a moment, then said, “Let’s go.”
He didn’t wait for her to go first or ask if she was ready or any of the gentlemanly behavior she might have expected. He simply urged his horse into action and took off at a flat gallop, leaving her in a cloud of dust.
Laughing—and spluttering—she ran after him. His compound emerged over the horizon after a few minutes of galloping, and they slowed to a trot, then a walk, as they approached. The horses weren’t even breathing heavily by the time they entered his courtyard through the arch.
“You have the fittest horses I’ve ever met,” she exclaimed.
“I do like to ride.” He patted his mare’s neck. “And they enjoy it, too.”
Mac reflected that these were probably hundred-thousand-dollar animals with world-class confirmation and expert training since birth. Very different from Star, who was paid for with a hand-carved table and trained by her—back when she knew even less than Star did. Amahd might be horrified by the ordinariness of her own beloved horse.
Not that he’d ever get the chance. But what would she have done with Star anyway? She couldn’t have brought a horse to her jobs with her. Sooner or later she would have had to be sold. It would have been nice to have a chance to prepare herself, though. Or would that have made it worse?
“Damn, this is making me miss my horse something terrible.” She sighed. All this riding and feeling the wind in her hair and the keen sense of freedom and excitement was having a dangerous effect on her. She didn’t have the luxury of indulging her own whims any more. She had a child to support.
Though wouldn’t it be amazing if Maddy could grow up with a horse as her best friend, the way she had?
Foolish thoughts.
“You should buy another horse.”
She laughed. “And keep it in my apartment?” She didn’t want to mention the part about how she’d only be here for two years or so. She knew horses could travel the world on planes but certainly not on her budget. “Besides, Star was my horse-of-a-lifetime. Another horse just wouldn’t be the same.”
They jumped off their horses and two long-robed men rushed forward to take them. Amahd spoke to them in the local language. It was embarrassing how few words she’d managed to pick up. She’d tried learning some Arabic before moving here, but she’d soon realized that most of the local dialect wasn’t even Arabic at all.
“I asked them to cool the horses for us. I like to do it myself but we’re pressed for time today.” Amahd looked more handsome than ever, his tan skin glowing with perspiration, his hair whipped into a windblown style that would take a Dallas hairdresser half an afternoon to achieve with gel.
The effect probably wasn’t quite so flattering on her. She could feel a layer of fine desert dust on her skin, and a hand confirmed that her hair was coming loose from the hasty bun she’d tucked it into.
Amahd strode toward his car. No standing on ceremony for him. He did open the passenger door for her, though. She smiled her thanks at him, and their eyes met, sending a jolt of energy through her.
His gaze was so intense—grim almost. Maybe that was what unsettled her. Sure, he was good-looking, but so were a lot of guys, and most of them were Trouble, with a capital T. She’d met plenty in her time and usually did a good job fending them off. She didn’t need any more handsome cowboys making waves in her heart and her life.
Not that Amahd was offering to. He didn’t seem at all interested in her. She needed to remember that she’d thrown herself at him, not the other way around.
She settled into her seat and buckled her seat belt—then realized he still stood there, looking down at her. Dark brown eyes narrowed, he seemed to be taking her in, inch by inch, as if studying a particularly fascinating specimen.
She became instantly self-conscious of her full breasts and thighs, not to mention her belly. Men like Amahd usually dated stick-figure models so maybe he’d never seen a curvy girl up close before.
She had to say something. “Can I help you?”
He looked startled, then his brows lowered. “My apologies. I was lost in thought. An act of violence does unsettle me, though I’d never let our enemies know that.”
She nodded. If he’d been thinking about a blown-up oil well, then staring right at her denim-clad thighs was a strange way to do it. Maybe she meant no more to him than the leather upholstery or the Mercedes logo on the steering wheel. He was simply resting his eyes where they happened to fall—even if that was her rapidly heating body.
Thank goodness he’d closed the door and walked around to the driver’s side. He climbed into his seat and she steeled herself against the rich, masculine scent of him, now mingled with the delicious aroma of horses and oiled leather.
He sat inches away and she watched his strong hand stir the gearshift into motion and steer them out onto the road. He always seemed so sturdy and unflappable. She wondered if he was nervous
about the upcoming event with the neighboring rulers, especially now he’d learned one was likely behind all the crimes committed over the last year.
She wasn’t supposed to know that. Zadir shouldn’t have said it in front of her. They’d probably forgotten she was there.
She could keep a secret, though. With brothers like hers you learned to keep almost everything a secret, unless you wanted the entire county to know about it.
“Are you worried that the violence will get worse, once the contest is underway?” She couldn’t help asking. The explosion had rattled her nerves. The whole oil field might be a target. Would Maddy be safe in her day care?
“Yes, but it also could bring the situation to a head and set us on a path toward a solution. We can’t bury our heads in the sand and hope that our enemies give up and go home. We’ve been increasing and refining security since Gibran arrived. The oil installations are under heavy surveillance, which is probably why they chose to target a disused well. You shouldn’t worry about the danger.”
“I’m not worried.” She tried to sound reassuring. “I’m from Texas. I’m used to half the people around me being heavily armed and ready for anything.”
She wasn’t worried for herself so much as for her daughter. Did Amahd even know about Maddy? She didn’t know how much say he had in the day-to-day hiring and firing of new employees. Probably not that much or she might never have been hired. Something in her gut told her to keep quiet. He’d clearly been surprised by the whole idea of a female mechanic, so she might as well let him get used to that idea before she introduced the fact that she was also a single mother. She didn’t want to be under any special surveillance herself, especially after yesterday’s lateness. The less he knew about her home life, the better.
“You’re a long way from home.” He glance sideways at her, curious. “Don’t you miss your family?”
For an instant she contemplated mentioning that the most important member of her family was here with her, but again she decided on discretion. “To tell the truth it’s a relief to put some distance between us. You know how family can get ideas about who you are and keep trying to shove you back in the same box? It’s easier to be myself when I’m away from them.”
Then she realized that he lived cheek by jowl with his own family—and was obviously very close to his brothers. “You’re lucky that you all get along so well. You must think I’m pretty strange.”
He frowned and kept his eyes on the road. His broad hands moved over the steering wheel. “Not at all. We weren’t always so close. My father sent us all abroad for school and we saw little of each other. We were virtual strangers until quite recently, when the king’s will called for us all to return here.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your father’s death.” It seemed the polite thing to say.
“You’re probably the one person on earth who is.” Something gleamed in his eyes. “He was a selfish man, ruthless, who lived only for his own pleasures.”
She blinked, a little shocked. She could say the same about most male members of her family, but she wouldn’t spread the news to someone she didn’t know well. “Are you close to your mother?”
“She’s been dead for many years now.”
“Oh.” She didn’t dare say she was sorry again. What if he hated her, too? She knew so little about Amahd. And he was her boss. It really wasn’t any of her business.
“I don’t remember her well, but I know she was a sweet and kind woman. I missed her very much for a long time.”
His sudden confession surprised her, and she saw a muscle move in his cheek. She could sense emotion in the air, smell it almost. He did have feelings—strong ones, she suspected. He’d just learned to keep his emotions under wraps.
“You’re lucky to be so close to your brothers now. Zadir seems like a lot of fun.”
Amhad chuckled. “Sometimes he’s quite a distraction. He made his career in real estate, which apparently doesn’t require any actual work, at least from what I can tell. The oil industry is a lot more demanding.”
“Did you work in it before you moved here?” As soon as she’d asked, she remembered that Bubba had mentioned him starting an oil exploration company.
He stared at her. “Of course. Did you think I picked it up last year?” He laughed again. “I’ve been developing oil fields since I was in college. No one can accuse me of being a dilettante prince who doesn’t know the industry.”
“I didn’t mean to suggest that.” Had she insulted him? She probably should have done some more in-depth Internet research on him. But somehow that would seem stalkery and weird, especially after what happened between them.
A sudden memory of that kiss flashed over her, making her breath hitch and her skin tingle.
Stop thinking about it!
He was already pulling up in front of the building where she worked. All she had to do was remain calm and disinterested for a few more minutes and they could go their separate ways. Zadir was the only reason she’d been invited out on the ride. Amahd would no doubt have preferred for her to make headway with the inventory and ordering of new parts.
“I find the work fascinating.” His low voice caught her by surprise. She’d been so lost in her own thoughts. “It’s good to have a career that you enjoy.” He glanced at her, and her cheek heated under his steady gaze. “Do you like being a…”
“Mechanic.” She preferred the original term to all the strange job titles like maintenance engineer people came up with to make applicants feel more important. “Yes, I love it. I’ve had a knack for fixing things since I first learned how to put my finger and thumb together and pick something up. Machines talk to me the way sore muscles talk to a masseuse. Even computers.” She glanced at him. “I enjoy the challenge of keeping them running smoothly. I’m very good at my job.”
Her bragging was justified. She knew she did her job better, faster and more effectively than most of the people she worked with.
“I’m sure you are, or Bubba wouldn’t have hired you. He knows to hire only the most skilled and talented employees. That’s why we pay well. We want to secure and retain the best staff in the industry.”
“Very sensible.” Though she wondered how many of them would stay out here in the middle of nowhere for more than a year or two. She certainly didn’t intend to, and a tiny ache of guilt roamed through her at the thought.
They climbed out of the car and he strode fast to open the door for her. Which was weird. He was the boss and she the employee. Maybe she should be offended that he was treating her like a girl?
His serious expression tripped her again as she walked through. And there was no way she could be mad at the chivalrous gesture. She was more familiar with the type of guy who’d knock you out of the way to push through first. She smiled sweetly at him. “Thanks for the ride. I really enjoyed it. I hope you find out who was behind the explosion.”
A phalanx of security staff exploded out of a conference room on the far side of the lobby and accosted Amahd with updates and questions. She quietly retreated to the storage room to pick up where she left off.
Which was hard. How did you go from galloping a horse across the desert with the most gorgeous man you’d ever met—who just happened to be a prince, a billionaire and oh, her boss—to witnessing an explosion…to cataloging how many five-eighths-inch nuts you had left?
She jumped at a sharp rap on the door that jerked her from distracted daydreaming. It was Bubba.
“I’m sorry I was gone so long, today.” She didn’t want him to think it was her idea. “I—”
“Never mind about that.” He had a mysterious smile on his big, weather-beaten face. “You won’t be around here much the next few days anyway.”
“What?” Was she being fired? Moved to a less important role? Transitioned out? Panic flared in her chest.
“We need you to head up to the palace to oversee and maintain all the equipment during this big shindig that starts tomorrow.”
CH
APTER SIX
Mac stared at Bubba. The harsh fluorescent light sparkled off the rows of bolts lining the shelf in front of her and made her blink. “But I have work to do here. And I promised the inventory would be done in—”
“I’ll have someone cover for you. Their regular guy has up and disappeared, and I recommended you myself because you’re the least rough mechanic we have, and you’ll have to be around a lot of muckety-mucks during the event.”
“But…” The last time she’d got talked into attending one of these events—in her nightgown—she’d gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble.
Bubba raised a hand to silence her. “Trust me, you’ll be busy. Air-conditioning and refrigeration are newfangled concepts in Ubar and the maintenance staff up at the palace were mostly peasants and goatherds a few months ago. You’ll have a job on your hands just figuring out how to keep all the equipment running while the guests are here.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.” He crossed his arms, a twinkle in his eye. “This ain’t a democracy.”
She wasn’t sure whether he was describing the oil company that employed her or the entire nation. Either way, it didn’t much matter. “When do I start?”
“Tomorrow morning. Pack some bags as you’ll be there twenty-four seven.”
“That’s impossible. My daughter’s in day care here at the plant and…no. I can’t live over there.” Did these royals think she could drop everything to do their bidding?
“Well, I suppose you can live where you like as long as you report there at the same time you’d report here in the morning.”
“That sounds more reasonable.” She sighed. This was not what she’d signed up for at all. “And when the contest, or whatever it is, is over, I’ll resume my current job?”
“Absolutely. And if history’s anything to go by, there’ll be a handsome bonus in it for you.”
Now he had her interest. “Like how much?” She wasn’t sure she should be so forward.
“The guy I sent up there for the weddings got ten thousand dollars for a few days work. And there was even a full-on electrical blackout while he was on duty.” He shook his head. “Royals. They’re a law unto themselves. No saying what they’ll do next.”
Desert Kings Boxed Set: The Complete Series Books 1-6 Page 66
