by Cara Albany
It came down to trust, pure and simple. He was undeniably attractive. Of that, there was no doubt.
Her reaction to Malik had been visceral, stronger than she could ever have predicted. And she was sure she had hurt him in the process. For that, she felt more than a tinge of regret.
Malik had been a perfect gentleman in every respect during the entire evening. The last thing he had deserved was for Lana to give him the cold shoulder, almost accusing him of treating her like nothing more than another of his casual acquaintances.
No.
Malik deserved better than that.
So, what was she to do?
Was there some way she could make it up to him? That would involve spending more time with Malik, and she wasn't sure that was such a great idea. Not after what she had put him through the night before.
Before she had a chance to come to any conclusion she heard the door to her bedroom open and Mia's voice calling out her name.
"Lana? Are you awake?"
Lana went back into the bedroom and through into the lounge of the suite. Mia was standing there looking radiant as usual. Lana thought there was nothing her friend could wear that wouldn't make her look anything less than stunning. Even jeans and T-shirt.
"You must tell me everything," Mia exclaimed.
"About what?"
Mia frowned. "Last night, of course."
Lana groaned and flopped down on the couch. Mia sank down next to Lana. "What happened?" Mia asked.
Lana rolled her eyes. "You don't want to know. You really don't," she ejaculated with a grunt.
Mia's brows furrowed. "That bad, eh?"
Lana nodded. "Worse."
Mia's expression darkened with concern. "You look like you need a good breakfast," Mia said standing up.
Lana gazed up at Mia. "I don't feel very hungry."
"Nonsense. You'll feel so much better once you've tasted one of our special breakfasts."
Mia described the various treats in store, but the sound of the exotic delights merely made Lana groan even more. After some more persuasion by Mia, she gave in and followed Mia downstairs. They came to the dining room where the breakfast table had been set out on the terrace. With the permanent sunshine on virtually every day of the week, hardly anything was done indoors in Qazhar.
They sat at the table and were served an astonishing combination of small dishes, everything from fruits to dips and a huge pot of fresh tea. After eating Lana started to feel her courage return and she told Mia about her visit to Malik's club, their time in his apartment and the helicopter ride to the beach. As she listened, Mia's eyes were bright with excitement, but immediately dulled when Lana started to describe what had happened on the beach.
"And?" Mia asked eager to hear more.
"That's it," Lana concluded.
Mia frowned. "What do you mean, that's it?"
"Just what I say. We left the beach and came back to the city."
Mia looked disappointed. What was Lana going to tell her? That she had panicked just when she'd realized she was nothing more than another one of Malik's numerous conquests? That she had let her innate distrust of wealthy elite men get the better of her? That she was merely tarring Malik with the same brush she had used on all the men she had encountered since her own personal wound had been inflicted upon her? But, that seemed like such a long time ago, almost like an eternity ago, something that had happened in another world.
Surely Malik was nothing like the man who had hurt Lana.
Mia looked serious, and Lana could sense that her friend was determined to help.
"Is all this really about Colton?" Mia asked softly.
There was no way Lana could avoid answering, no possibility of evading the truth. Lana carried the hurt like a physical wound. It had been one of the reasons she had driven herself to that crazy, impulsive test with Malik in New York. She'd been trying to find out if the wound had healed.
She'd been foolish.
Lana knew that now. She saw that her impulsive need to find out if she could control her mistrust, her fear of letting go, her anxiety about allowing a powerful man to come close to her again, had merely resulted in making the wound hurt even more keenly.
As had always been the case, Lana saw that Mia felt her friend's pain. Mia's eyes were filled with sympathy and concern.
Mia knew the story. She and Lana had shared many a glass of wine over many a long girl-talk.
Colton Brannigan had been a young man from a prominent, powerful Maine family. Lana had fallen for him after a wild college party. They'd become inseparable for weeks and Colton had declared undying love. Lana had felt like a woman transformed. Colton had lit a flame inside her which had burned fierce and bright. She had been convinced of their love.
However, it turned out that Colton's family had had other ideas about who would be suitable to be Colton's life companion. One thing had led to another and one dark, winter night, Lana had found herself abandoned and cast out, like an unwelcome visitor who clearly had emerged from a level of society from which Colton's well-to-do parents were determined to shelter their precious son.
But, what had really hurt worse than judgment that Lana was not a worthy enough person, was the ease with which Colton had complied with the wishes of his parents, It turned out that true love didn't mean the same to Colton as it did to Lana.
The pain of rejection still burned inside Lana. It was a flame that never died.
So, Lana had done what seemed natural under the circumstances. She had shut herself off from the world of men. She'd thrown herself into her career and had found her place in New York taking money from the rich and giving to the poor. Charity work had seemed like a sweet revenge. At least, for a while.
And then Malik had appeared. One night in New York, just at the moment when Lana had felt the wound burn hot, and she had decided to test herself, find out if the hurt would still hold her life in check.
Malik had seemed like an irresistible temptation. He'd promised release or renewed imprisonment, and Lana had been determined to find out.
Well, she knew now how that had turned out. Malik had made something shift in Lana's life, a renewal of sorts, but one that threatened to turn her world upside down once again.
Could she trust such a man? Could she even trust herself? Had she truly left the past behind? Was that wound anywhere near healing?
Lana had no answer to those questions, not even here, with her best friend about to embark on a new life full of hope and happiness.
Lana and Mia talked for a while. It was the same old talk as before. Lana felt comforted by Mia's advice. It was good to have a friend who could see things with perspective, view Lana's hurt with compassion and sympathy.
But, while their conversation was as reassuring as before, Lana realized that there was a fresh determination in Mia's advice. It was almost as if Mia had made a decision to act as a matchmaker on Lana's behalf. Lana recalled Mia's reaction to that accusation. Maybe it was true, after all. Perhaps there was something going on.
Did everyone else see that Malik and Lana already had some kind of attraction to each other?
Was that such a bad thing? Not really, Lana reflected. She knew that Mia only had Lana's best interests at heart.
But, why wouldn't Mia stop talking about Malik?
Lana decided to try and persuade Mia that Malik really wasn't the kind of man she needed. Assuming Lana needed a man at all. That was something she was sure of, even if everyone else in the world thought otherwise.
"Look, I know you're only trying to help, Mia. But, really Malik and I are poles apart. We don't exist in the same world."
"You see that's the same thing I thought when Rafiq was courting me," Mia said. "But, it just wasn't true."
Lana sighed. "I'm not like you, Mia. You grew up with privilege. I didn't."
"Nonsense. You might not have had some of the advantages that were thrown my way, but you're every bit as bright as I am. And, your heart is in the right pl
ace."
Lana felt a rush of exasperation. "There's no way that Malik and I can have anything together." Lana frowned. "He's not my type. I told you that."
Mia laughed. "Yeah, right. One of the sexiest bachelors in this part of the world isn't your type. Why don't I believe that?"
"It's true," Lana replied.
Lana wondered why she didn't sound too convincing.
"Well, it doesn't really matter anyway. It's two days to the wedding. And, there's a tradition that's unique to Qazhar. As you might expect it all revolves around the men who are getting married." Mia rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Men. What are they like?"
Lana felt concern curl in her middle. "What are you talking about?"
"There's a tradition that the woman who is the main attendant to the bride has to submit to one request. It goes back to the old days when weddings were used as a means to bring tribes together. It's still a tradition, just not really held to in quite the same way as before."
"What's that got to do with me?" Lana asked.
Mia squinted at Lana. "Why, everything. You are my principal attendant at the wedding."
"And?" Lana asked weakly not liking where this conversation was leading.
"The groom's choice of attendant gets to make a choice," Mia said. "And, it has to be honored. Otherwise, there will be questions asked about the validity of the wedding as far as tradition goes."
Lana furrowed her brow. "And Rafiq's attendant is..."
"Malik, of course," Mia exclaimed.
Lana nodded slowly. "Of course, he is." This was getting more worrying by the second, Lana reflected.
"So, Malik has staked his claim."
Lana grimaced. "You make it sound so primitive."
"I think what he's suggesting is quite romantic," Mia murmured leaning closer to Lana. "You're not going to believe what it is he has suggested."
Mia clapped her hands and smiled.
"Tell me," Lana stated. "What has Malik in mind?"
"I'll let him tell you himself," Mia replied.
Lana frowned. "What are you talking about?"
Mia glanced at her watch. "He'll be here in less than an hour. That should give you some time to get ready."
"Ready for what?" Lana insisted.
Mia peered at Lana. "I think he's got a very special plan. And, I don't want to say anything that'll spoil the surprise."
Lana groaned. "Mia. No," she muttered. "I thought I'd be spending time with you getting ready for the wedding."
Mia laid a hand on Lana's arm. "And you will. When you get back," she said.
"Get back? From where?" Lana demanded.
Mia stood up. "Let's get you ready. You've got some packing to do."
"What!" Lana blurted out.
Mia hooked an arm inside Lana's and before Lana knew what was happening she was being hurried through the corridors and all the way back to her room.
CHAPTER TEN
"This is crazy," Lana said once again. Malik gripped the steering wheel of the four by four. He felt his jaw tighten, and he knew he'd have to be careful what he said. Lana was a firecracker ready to go off at a moment's notice. That thought gave Malik a vague feeling of anticipation. It wasn't the first time he'd felt that since they'd left the palace.
"Why is tradition crazy?" he asked again. She still hadn't been able to come up with an objection to that.
"You're asking me to believe that we have to spend the night away from the palace. Just because tradition dictates that we must do it?"
Malik nodded. "Who am I to argue with the wisdom of the past?" he asked. "If it was good enough for my ancestors, then it's good enough for me."
"Funny, that no-one mentioned it before today," Lana said.
"Look it up," Malik replied.
"In what?"
Malik smiled at Lana. "I don't know. In my tribal handbook or something," he joked. Malik had to admit that he thought that was kind of funny. There wasn't any such thing as a tribal handbook. Every tradition was handed down by word of mouth.
He could see Lana still wasn't amused. Not one bit. She squinted at him and then he saw her jaw tighten into that cute, hard line. Why did he like teasing her so much?
Malik gazed out ahead. The thin strip of road stretched off into the distance. All around them was desert, an awe-inspiring expanse of golden sand. The sun was high in the sky, and it was getting into the early part of the afternoon. They hadn't passed a car in nearly an hour.
They were headed north to a place that Malik hadn't visited for a very long time. He wondered what was going to happen once they reached the place. He glanced at the beautiful American woman seated in the passenger seat and felt a tug of uncertainty.
Anyway, it didn't matter now. They were alone, and that was all that was important. He had Lana all to himself.
Lana sat with her arms crossed over her ample breasts. She was wearing a thin, pale blue dress that reached her knees. Her arms were bare, and her cleavage was barely covered by the open neck of the dress. She wore a pair of flat shoes that Malik just knew wouldn't be right for walking in the desert. Anyway, they wouldn't be traveling across the dunes. That wouldn't be necessary where they were going.
When he'd called at the palace for Lana, midway through the morning, she'd been waiting on the steps in front of the open door. Her arms had been folded, her feet had been tapping impatiently, and she had glared at him as he'd slid the powerful car to a halt at the foot of the steps.
Malik thought she looked wonderful. There was something about Lana when she was angry that made his body firm with desire. Seeing her standing there had just made that familiar tension harden his resolve even more.
He'd been grateful that at least some of his early morning preparations had paid off. Rafiq must have explained everything to Mia and then Mia had taken Lana in hand and made sure she was ready for the trip.
Once they had put Lana's bags in the back of the car, and secured Lana in the vehicle, Malik had driven them away from the palace as fast as he could. No sense in giving anyone a chance to change their mind.
Now, they were well on their way to their destination, a place that promised to answer so many questions and resolve issues that had consumed Malik's mind.
Malik stared ahead. They would be coming to the point in the road where he'd have to make a decision. Just like he'd made a decision the night before, when he'd been racking his brains trying to come up with a solution to his problems. The answer had eluded him at first. He'd tormented himself during a few sleepless hours. At last, the solution had drifted into his mind as if some invisible stranger had gently placed it at the front of his mind, like a desperately needed gift.
When he'd realized what to do, he'd laughed out loud. His father would approve of such a solution, he'd told himself. It promised to provide Malik with a means to show everyone that he had decisively turned his back on the past; that he was willing to seize his destiny; that he was everything his father wanted in a son.
A sheikh and a man of responsibility, respectful of the past.
But, it would be difficult. Because, what he needed to do was overcome the barrier between himself and Lana. He was about to sweep away his own obstacle, the reluctance to accept his role in life, to be the man he knew he should be.
But, would he be able to conquer Lana's mistrust of him? Because, after last night on the beach, it was clear to Malik that Lana had pushed him away out of a sense of unease, a lack of belief in him. And that he had to deal with. Decisively and emphatically.
There was only one place where had even the slightest hope of achieving that. The same place his ancestors had inhabited for so many aeons; the same domain of power that his forefathers had used to define themselves, to declare themselves men and sheikhs.
The desert.
That would be the place where Malik would stake his claim. There he would take possession of Lana, seize what he knew to be his. And, in the process, make Lana the princess he knew she was destined to be. By h
is side for all time.
He glanced across at Lana and felt his heart quicken. She was staring defiantly ahead, a passion in her eyes that merely served to stiffen his resolve.
Lana would be his. It would take one night. It wouldn't be easy, but Malik knew he could match Lana's defiance with an equally powerful determination of his own.
Malik had one objective. To return from the desert with Lana as the woman he had promised to make his bride.
****
The car jolted from side to side and Lana grasped the handle above the door, trying to steady herself. Tumbling down the last dune had almost thrown Lana out of her seat and into Malik's lap. That wouldn't do, she told herself. Not at all.
Who was she kidding? Malik's lap looked dangerously enticing. His narrow hips were firmly planted on the leather seats. More than once during the drive, she'd had to work hard at averting her gaze from Malik. He was wearing tight black pants and an even tighter black shirt.
He commanded the off-road vehicle like a man possessed. His sleeves were rolled up, and Lana felt her throat tighten at the sight of the corded muscles on Malik's forearms. Every time he wrenched the wheel to one side to deal with the sharp angle of another sand dune, she saw his chest thrust forwards. There were beads of sweat on his forehead, and she could hear his staccato breathing. His scent filled the interior of the car.
Once more the car swerved and Lana gripped the side of the door.
She had to admit the last few hours hadn't been that unpleasant. After the initial shock at having been swept away to a mysterious destination had worn off, Lana and Malik had settled upon what could be called a truce of some sorts.
Lana promised herself she would stop being mean and snarky to Malik. For his part, Malik had assumed an air of casual determination. He had been pleasant enough to Lana. In fact, he'd been polite and courteous beyond anything she had expected.
When Lana had asked where they were going, Malik had been reluctant to answer. He'd tried to make it a game, and she'd taken some pleasure from his obvious teasing. She hadn't seen the lighter side of Malik's character so clearly before. But, forced into proximity with him, he had proven to be an excellent companion during the long drive out into the desert.
