by Leslie North
“Your enthusiasm is engaging. Would I be too forward in pointing out that you almost seem turned on by it?” he whispered as he moved closer to her. He reached up to capture her hand.
“Careful,” she warned. “Don’t touch the stone.”
“I don’t want to touch the stone,” he said as he nuzzled her neck. “I just want to touch you.” Her scent was intoxicating, and he breathed it in. Lavender and vanilla with a hint of innocence. He was pleased that she wasn’t cloaked in heavy perfumes or covered in makeup. When she was naked in his arms, she would be absolutely real and genuine.
“Masoud,” she whispered as she turned. “I don’t think…”
“Don’t think,” he whispered as he traced the pad of his thumb over her lips. They were trembling and opening. It was an invitation. He leaned in to drink from her.
“Fleur!”
With a shriek, she stumbled back and nearly fell into the wall. He grabbed her to keep her upright. “Who the hell is that?” he growled. Clearly, he had sent his guards away too soon.
“Fleur!” The call came again as the figure of a man came into view. Masoud straightened and viewed the approaching man critically. Shorter than six-feet. Academic looking but everything on him screamed money. Designer and trendy black-framed glasses. Silk tie. Shiny leather shoes. Pressed pants and shirt. He was attractive with dark coiffed hair and auburn stubble around his cheek. “Are you okay?” he panted.
Unaccustomed to hard labor. Masoud narrowed his eyes. He could easily take the man. Although Masoud himself didn’t often indulge in laborious activities, he kept in shape through fencing. He could slice this man to ribbons.
Provided that he had a weapon.
“It’s okay,” Fleur said. Her hands were still on his chest, and she jerked them away. “This is my stepbrother, Bruce. He’s traveling with me and helping finance the trip. Bruce, this is Sheikh Masoud Khalidizack. He graciously offered me a private tour of the ruins. Isn’t it beautiful?”
Bruce’s face darkened as he looked over the candles. “A private tour alone in the dark with a man you just met?” he hissed.
“He owns this land,” she whispered urgently as she cast a wary glance at Masoud. Masoud kept a relaxed stance, but his fingers were slowly balling into a fist. He didn’t understand the relationship between the two, but if felt more than platonic.
“His father owns this land.” With a sigh, Bruce took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to disrespect you, but I expected her back at the hotel hours ago, and when I didn’t hear from her, I started to get worried. I’m sure you understand. Come on, Fleur.”
Masoud stepped in between them. “She’s in no danger. After we finish here, I’ll make sure that a driver sees her safely home.”
Bruce pushed his glasses up on his face. Striding past Masoud, he grabbed Fleur and yanked her away. “Look, I don’t know you. I’m not comfortable leaving you two here alone. If she stays, I stay.”
That would certainly put a damper on things. With a sigh, Masoud nodded. “We’ll continue things tomorrow afternoon,” he said with a sigh. “Please don’t come to the site without me. My security detail is under strict orders to keep everyone away unless escorted by someone with the proper authorization.”
“Then give us authorization,” Bruce protested.
Masoud raised an eyebrow. “That’s never going to happen.”
“Bruce, it’s fine. Really.” She gave Masoud a small smile. “It’s probably for the best anyway. We want this to be as strictly professional as possible. Thank you for listening to my stories. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.”
“I look forward to it,” he said softly and watched as the other man whisked her away. He stayed long after the candles died out. No doubt, his security would have informed his father of everything that Fleur had just said. He almost dreaded going home.
There was no way his family was going to let her walk away now.
Chapter Five
Fleur glared at her stepbrother as he drove to their hotel. He must have felt her displeasure. “Why are you so pissed off? Masoud was about to take advantage of you!”
“Take advantage of me? We were talking, Bruce. And I was getting somewhere with him. I want to be a part of this dig, and he’s my way in. You barging in did not help.”
“Talking? So when I got there, he wasn’t about to kiss you?”
Fleur shifted uncomfortably. She was almost positive that Masoud was about to kiss her, and the truth was that she wanted it. Was she more upset that Bruce interrupted her meeting with Masoud or her kiss with him? “We just got caught up in the moment,” she muttered. “And who I kiss is none of your business!”
“Look, the Khalidizack family is nothing but a bunch of rich, spoiled, and arrogant idiots. They have no idea what they have here, but if you think batting your eyes and seducing one of the sons is going to get you in, you’re wrong. I’m just here to help.”
Fleur tried not to snort. Bruce wasn’t here for her benefit; he wanted the diamond. She was aware that his lifestyle was well above his wealth bracket, and he was always looking for a way to make more money. He specialized in antiquities, and she had no doubt that if he got his hands on the diamond, he would find a way to make a profit from it.
But Bruce also wasn’t wrong. She was in a country that respected male power, and no matter what kind of deal she made with Masoud, his father, Sheikh Quadie, was the man to impress. Nothing happened without his approval, and with Bruce by her side, she had more credibility.
“I want this to work, Bruce,” she said quietly. “This is too important to me.”
“I know, Fleur. I’m here to help you achieve your dreams,” he said with a charming smile. She nodded and stared out the window. She’d sacrificed too much to find proof that the diamond existed, and if working with Bruce meant that she’d get what she wanted, then that’s what she would do.
“Damn it,” she muttered with a scowl. “He still has my rubbings!”
***
The party guests were slowly leaving when Masoud finally found his way back to the mansion. His thoughts were consumed with the fiery redhead who had spoken with such passion in her voice, but when he saw the look from his brothers, the excitement within him died.
“What?” he growled when he faced Jaymin and Adil.
“What do you mean what? Security informed us of your little stunt,” Jaymin started with crossed arms. “You just let the woman go? She was trespassing on our property!”
“She was just another archaeologist,” Masoud said easily. “What would you have me do? Keep her in the ancient dungeon?”
“I could have questioned her,” Jaymin said tightly.
“I handled it,” Masoud snapped.
Adil snorted. “You stole a couple of the caterers from the party to set up dinner within the ruins with her. That’s something I would do.”
“How is this any of your business?” Masoud demanded with narrowed eyes. “I handled the situation.”
“It is not your situation to handle.” Masoud froze when his father’s voice entered the conversation.
“Father.” Masoud bowed his head.
“Follow me, I’d like to speak to you in private,” Quadie said quietly.
Masoud gritted his teeth, but he bowed his head and respectfully followed his father. If he wanted to speak in private, he was going to say something that Masoud wouldn’t like.
The Sheikh led him into the study and gestured for him to close the door. Masoud took a deep breath. “Father, I know that you—”
“I want Miss Summers to work for us.”
Stunned, Masoud stared at him. “What?”
“I’ve had security run a quick background check on her. She’s spent her entire academic career studying Solomon’s Diamond. She’ll help you find it.”
“Find the diamond? Father, are you out of your mind? Legend has it that the diamond is hidden somewhere on our land and no one has ever disputed it. If it gets out that w
e once had it and then lost it, you’ll lose your right to rule. If she finds it, she’ll expect it to go to a museum. She’ll want to publish a paper about it!”
“And you’ll be there to make sure that none of that happens.”
Masoud closed his eyes and shook his head. The diamond wasn’t even on their lands. Right after Quadie was crowned Sheikh, Yasin, Masoud’s great uncle, stole the diamond. A notorious playboy, Yasin disappeared for two years with the diamond before finally turning up in Paris. Unfortunately, he turned up dead, and there was no sign of the diamond. Quadie had done his best to keep the secret quiet. If it got out that they lost the diamond, they would lose the respect of the people. Even in this modern age, the country believed in the superstition of the diamond. Whoever owned it had the approval of God himself to reign.
“The diamond isn’t at the dig site. You don’t need an archaeologist to find it. You need a detective.”
“And that, my boy, is where you’re wrong.” He leaned over the desk and unlocked a drawer. Pulling out an envelope, he handed it to Masoud.
Frowning, Masoud opened the envelope and unfolded the letter. It clearly had some age to it, and, skipping down to the bottom, he saw that it was signed by Yasin.
“What is this?” he asked as he scanned it. The letter answered the question. Apparently, Yasin questioned his family’s right to rule over the country. Deeply invested in the power of the diamond, Yasin had hidden it. He believed that if Khalidizack had the right to rule, they would find the diamond again.
“Only those who believe in its power will find it,” he read. In disgust, he folded the letter and handed it back to his father. “This superstition has got to stop. We can rule just as well without a shiny rock as we can with one. We shouldn’t be pursuing this madness. We should be putting it to bed.”
“Find the diamond, Masoud. Use the girl to do it. And do it quietly,” his father ordered.
Masoud opened his mouth to argue more, but he knew that it was pointless. What his father wanted, his father got.
It shouldn’t bother him that he would have to betray Fleur. He had only just met the woman, and yet it still didn’t sit well with him.
“Why me? Why not Jaymin or Adil?”
His father smiled at him. “Because you said you were bored.”
It looked like he wasn’t going to be bored anymore.
Chapter Six
Masoud got in touch with security to hammer out the details. He was getting ready to make travel arrangements when security called him from the front. “There is a Fleur Summers at the gate to speak with you.”
He couldn’t help but smile. Clearly, Fleur was anxious to make sure her stepbrother hadn’t ruined things last night. She had absolutely no idea what she was in for. At least he’d be able to spend more time with the beautiful woman, although he wasn’t entirely sure that was a good idea. “Please escort her to the library. I’ll meet her there in a few minutes.”
He finished buttoning his shirt and slid on his watch. Truth be told, he wasn’t sure if his family should continue to rule. For a long time, he’d thought that perhaps they should move to a democratic parliament, but his family was important to him. As was his family’s honor. While he suspected that his father had another reason for asking him to head this task, he was determined to see it through. For now.
There was a strange spring in his step as he bounced down the stairs to meet the woman in the library. She was once again dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, and she was already trailing her hands along the shelves as she inspected his books.
“Like it?” Masoud asked quietly.
Fleur shrieked and pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry. Was there a no touching rule?”
“They’re books. They’re meant to be touched, Miss Summers,” he said with a smirk. She was meant to be touched as well.
“Well, it’s a very impressive collection. I’m sorry to drop in on you like this. I would have called, but I wasn’t in the mood for another runaround. I’m here to return the dress and pick up my clothes. And my rubbings. Oh, and it’s Fleur.”
Masoud nodded. “Of course…Fleur. I’d be happy to return your things, but I would like you to keep the dress. It suited you, and I can’t imagine it on anyone else. As it is, I’m glad that you’re here. I have something to discuss with you.”
He saw the curiosity in her eyes, but she seemed to struggle to remain calm. “What would that be?”
“This is a delicate subject. I need to know that you’ll be discreet.”
She regarded him closely. “This is getting weird. I don’t exactly have a ton of people to run and go tell your secret to. Just tell me.”
“Fleur Summers, Solomon’s Diamond is real.”
Her eyes rounded, and she bit her bottom lip. “Okay, if you’re messing with me, it’s not funny. I do understand the difference between legend and reality. Do I want it to be real? Yes. Do I understand that I may never find it? Of course. And it’s not very nice of you to poke at my weak spot.”
At the actual anger in her voice, Masoud raised his hands. “Fleur, I’m not poking at your weak spot. The diamond is real. It’s been in my family’s possession for generations, and it’s the reason that we rule this country. Our people believe that the diamond is a sign from God that we have the strength to rule.”
“I don’t understand. Where did you find the diamond?” Her voice was soft, like she was afraid to believe it was true.
“I have no idea. My grandfather used to tell a story of finding the diamond in a small pouch among a basket of vegetables and fruits. I very much doubt that tale is true.”
“How do you know it’s Solomon’s Diamond?”
“It’s engraved. It has the symbol you’re looking for. The diamond is real.”
She sagged against the desk and exhaled softly. “Can I see it?”
“No.” She opened her mouth to object, and he held up his hand. “You misunderstand. The diamond is missing.” He pulled Yasin’s letter from his pocket and handed it to her. “My great-uncle stole it right after my father was crowned, but we’ve kept its disappearance quiet. He apparently believes we must search for it like the generations before us. You know the legend like no other. I need your help in finding it.”
Fleur shook her head as she scanned the letter. “Why didn’t you just hire someone a long time ago to help find it?”
Because they couldn’t do it without raising suspicion. But he couldn’t tell Fleur that. If she knew why they needed the diamond, she would know that he would never let her study it. She wouldn’t help.
“You may not believe in the power behind the diamond, but you have a unique way of seeing things. We need that passion if we’re going to find it. Will you help me?”
She blushed and laughed. “Is that a joke? Of course, I’m going to help. This is incredible. Do you know how many museums would kill to display this diamond? Or how many scholars would want to study it? Okay, it says here that the diamond is where it all began.”
Masoud smiled. “I suppose you know where that is, and you’re going to make everything easy on me?”
She furrowed her brow and shook her head. “There are…well…there is no concrete evidence of the diamond being anywhere. I had hoped that it would be in the dig here, but this could be where the diamond originated from before it was chosen by God to sit in the ring of Solomon. I need to look at a few things.” She looked up and waved the paper around. “Can I take this with me?”
Masoud nodded. “You may. This library holds substantial research on Solomon’s life, and it is at your disposal.”
Fleur muttered something that sounded like a thank you, but her head was bent down over the letter again. He watched as she stumbled out of the library without as much as a goodbye to him.
Both disappointed and amused, Masoud watched her go. The diamond was a priority over him, and that was fine. There was time. As much as he wanted that diamond, he was more interested in being able to taste her.
***
Fleur’s mind was a flurry of activity as she drove back to her hotel. She hadn’t been completely honest with Masoud. Ancient text alluded that God picked the diamond out of a garden, but she didn’t know where that garden was. Most people didn’t even believe it had existed, and no one had searched for it. After all, any evidence of a garden was long buried in the sands of the desert.
Except that Fleur had always suspected that the garden wasn’t a garden of biblical times. The text spoke of a drink of water in the dry mouth of death. She thought the garden was an oasis, and that meant the oasis could still very well exist.
The only problem with her theory was that there wasn’t much of the area that hadn’t been explored. If an oasis existed, not only would it have been discovered by now, it would be a popular tourist destination. Someone would have undoubtedly built a hotel on it and called it prime real estate.
But she knew in her gut that she wasn’t wrong. She’d never focused on the location of the oasis before, but now she could think of nothing else. The real problem was with Bruce. He was funding her expedition, and he would want to know what she was up to. Masoud trusted her to keep his secret, and he would not be happy to find out that Bruce would want to tag along.
Of course, with Masoud’s money, she wouldn’t need Bruce’s. But Bruce was family. Sort of. It wouldn’t be fair if she dropped him as soon as she was close to getting something good. She would have to try to be as discreet as possible with Masoud’s information.
As soon as she got back to her hotel room, she pulled out her laptop and began to scan through her notes. Everything was highlighted regarding what she might find in the mines, but now that her focus was on the diamond, she was reading between the neon words. She remembered seeing something in her notes that could possibly help them.
