by Cara Albany
Lana could still hardly believe she had agreed to such a trip, but Mia had assured her that Malik would look after Lana. Seeing the strength on display during the journey, Lana had come to believe that Malik would protect her if it came down to it.
Lana had gazed in wonder at the desert. From the road, it had seemed beautiful and mysterious. But now that the car was powering its way across the dunes, the desert had taken on a whole new sense of peril. She could sense how dangerous it would be out here, especially without a man like Malik to guide and protect her.
The car lurched to one side and rounded the crest of a dune. Malik glanced at Lana and smiled. She squinted back at him as if to say that she trusted him not to crash the car. And, indeed, she did. Malik looked like he could control anything if he put his mind to it.
He'd explained that the car was the safest way. Lana couldn't ride a horse and was glad of the comfort of the car. When asked why he hadn't just used the helicopter, Malik had explained that wanted Lana to get an up close and personal experience in the desert. When he'd said that she'd given him a look, testing him about any other meanings of those words.
The car roared forward, and Malik called out to her above the sound of the engine. "We're nearly there," he said.
The car bumped up a final incline and emerged on top of a dune. Malik drew the car to a halt. He cut the engine and Lana was taken aback by the depth of the silence.
"There it is," Malik announced.
Lana gasped as she leaned forward onto the dashboard. She could hardly believe what she was looking at. At the base of the dune, there was the most exotic thing she had ever seen. It was like something out of a dream. One huge tent sat alongside a tree-circled oasis. The pool of clear water shimmered in the bright sun.
Lana turned to Malik and saw that he was smiling at her. "What do you think?" he asked.
Lana shook her head. "It's amazing," she said hesitantly.
"What is this place?" Lana asked.
"It's the testing place," Malik replied.
"The what?"
"In the past, desert warriors used to come here to use it as a base in order to test themselves against the desert. Over the years, it has become a symbolic place. No-one comes here to test themselves," Malik said. He glanced at Lana. "At least not in the way they used to."
Lana gazed down at the tent. It was large enough for at least a few people. She wondered what it would look like inside. Would it be spartan and barely furnished? Would it just be a rug and a pile of sand?
"My family has preserved it as a way of honoring our ancestors," Malik continued.
Malik started the engine and drove the car down toward the tent. The car slid to a halt in front of the tent. Lana opened the car door and stepped out. The heat of the desert hit her like a physical blow. Malik emerged and went to the rear of the car and claimed their bags.
Lana wandered over to the tree-lined pool. The water looked so inviting, and she could understand the need to submerge your body given how hot the surrounding area was.
Lana turned and saw Malik at the entrance to the tent. He looked at her expectantly. Lana went across to the tent. Malik pulled away the heavy flap entrance. Lana ducked her head beneath Malik's arm and stepped inside the tent.
It was cool inside, and there was a faint odor of spices. Lana wondered how long it had been since anyone had been in the tent. Malik tied the opening, letting in a stream of light that barely managed to illuminate the interior. Malik stepped inside the tent and placed the bags down on the carpet that covered the floor.
"Let me get some light in this place," he said.
Lana saw him open one of his bags and take out two portable lamps. He flicked a switch, and the room was immediately lit with a soft glow. Lana gasped. She gazed around the interior, astounded at how beautiful it was. The red carpet covered the entire floor. The entire space was almost as large as her bedroom back in the palace. There were two sofas, upholstered in red, two small tables and piles of cushions strewn around the space. Exotic, ornamental lamps hung, unlit, from the wooden beams that supported the tent from within.
Comfort was the word which came to Lana's mind. She turned to Malik and saw that he was watching her. He looked like he was savoring her reaction to the interior of the tent.
"How come this place is so well kept. It's almost as if people live here full-time," Lana said.
"As I said. It's symbolic. It's a place of honor. We make sure it's well taken care of. The local tribes treat it as a sacred place. They honor it with care."
Lana nodded. This was the power of tradition, embodied in a simple tent. It was a testament to the respect the people of Qazhar had for their past.
A thought flashed through her mind, but she pushed it quickly away. Malik noticed her puzzlement. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly. He took a step toward her.
Lana shook her head. "Nothing."
"What is it?" he insisted.
Lana frowned. "You said we're going to be here for one night?"
"That's what tradition requires," he explained. Was that the flicker of amusement in his eyes?
Lana decided to come right out with it. "What are the sleeping arrangements?"
Malik nodded. Yes, there was more than a hint of pleasure in that gaze, she told herself. Malik turned and took a few steps toward a long hanging partition. He swept it away to reveal a bed, covered with exotic blankets. Piles of pillows were strewn over the surface of the bed.
"This is yours," Malik said.
"And you?"
Malik looked over at the sofa. "I'll take that," he explained.
Lana felt a curious sensation sweep through her. It wasn't quite relief, and it wasn't even disappointment. Perhaps it was a combination of both emotions she told herself. Why would she be disappointed by such an explanation? Surely it was comforting to know that she would be safe from Malik during the night?
Malik took the bags and started to unpack them. He placed Lana's bag in her sleeping area. "I'll be outside," Malik said. "Give you a chance to unpack. And then we can have some food."
"Food?" she asked.
Malik nodded. "I've got some in the car. Things that were prepared before we set out. Refrigeration is a great thing," he explained with a grin.
Lana smiled at Malik. "I thought you said this was all about tradition?"
Malik shrugged. "Sometimes you have to go with the present. Especially when it comes to fresh food," he added with a wide grin.
Then he turned and left Lana in the tent.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
After their meal, which Lana found delicious, she and Malik left the tent. The attraction of the oasis proved too irresistible, so they wandered across the flat sand until they stood by the side of the pool.
Malik leaned casually against one of the trees and gazed up through the branches. For a brief moment, Lana thought that Malik looked utterly at home. Here, amongst the wilderness of the desert, standing by the side of an oasis with a sheikh's private tent behind them, Lana felt as if she'd been transported to another world. A better world? She wasn't sure what the answer was to that question.
Malik stripped off a loose piece of bark from the tree and threw it into the water. The ripples spread out in lazy concentric circles. Lana watched them, momentarily hypnotized by their slow, steady progress. There was an extraordinary scent, here amongst the palm trees. She'd always wondered how such a thing as this could exist out amongst the harsh wilderness of the desert.
Malik glanced at her. His eyes narrowed, and a slow smile creased his full lips. His shirt was open at the top, and Lana saw the dark hairs of his chest curl there, enticingly. Lana wrenched her gaze away from Malik.
This whole thing was turning out to be an adventure. It was almost as if Malik was determined to play the proper host. Because, that was what Lana felt like. A guest in Malik's domain. He seemed to be going to extreme lengths to reassure Lana that she was safe here. Lana couldn't imagine anything dangerous out here in the desert. The
y were far away from a civilization which seemed to belong to another world.
He'd become unusually quiet since they'd finished their meal. As before at his apartment, he'd been a considerate and generous host. He'd made sure she had generous helpings of food, even teasing her about her reluctance to try some of the local, very spicy delicacies.
In spite of her claims that she didn't eat anything hot or spicy, she'd allowed him to persuade her to try some fearsome looking spiced meats. He'd laughed when she'd had to drown the burning heat at the back of her throat with huge quantities of cool water.
The sun was starting to sink toward the horizon. The light was softening, but the silence of the desert was something Lana thought she could never get used to. It was a peculiar emptiness which made her thoughts clearer, her mind free of distraction.
Lana turned to Malik. "Why did you really bring me out here?" she asked.
Malik frowned. "I already told you. Tradition."
Lana shrugged. "I know that's what you told me. And Mia. But, there has to be more to it than that."
Malik's gaze drifted away from Lana. She could see he was considering how to respond to her demand for a fuller explanation.
He turned to her and leaned his back against the wide trunk of the tree. "I thought we'd get a chance to know each other."
Lana squinted at Malik. "Why?"
"It seemed like the right thing to do. The next thing," he explained.
Lana stared at him. "Next? That suggests you think there's more to come."
Malik drew in a deep breath. His chest seemed to broaden to the width of the tree trunk. He let out his breath with an easy sigh. "Isn't there?"
Lana turned away and gazed around the wide circle of the oasis. "You know there can't be anything else between us, Malik."
She didn't look at him, not wanting to see his reaction to that statement, He made his way closer to her. "I don't know any such thing," he said. His voice was deep, and the sound of it seemed to resonate around the confines of the oasis.
Lana looked at him. His eyes were filled with a sudden emotion, a fierce darkness. She'd seen that look before, and it made her take a small step backwards. She felt the sand slip beneath the soles of her flat shoes. He was such an imposing presence, it only made the fact that they were still virtual strangers seem even more pronounced. What hope was there of anything between them, she asked herself. Didn't he know that?
"I told you, Malik. We hardly know each other," she said sharply. She wrapped her arms around herself. "You don't know anything about me."
Malik took a step closer. This time, she didn't move away from him. "Tell me about yourself. I feel a great need to know more about you, Lana." He leaned his head closer to her and she could see the urgency in his gaze. "I must know more about you. Tell me of your past. And, if you wish I will reveal my past to you." He shrugged. "Such as it is worth telling," he said with a dismissive shrug.
Lana saw that darkness flicker across his features, and it made her wonder what he was holding back, what he hadn't revealed to her.
He seemed so sincere, she thought. Something had shifted within Malik. There was a seriousness of purpose in his demeanor that had been absent from their previous encounters. Maybe it would help if they shared. He seemed willing to be open with her, so she saw no reason not to be the same about herself. Up to a point.
Malik surprised her when he suddenly sank down and sat by the side of the oasis pool. Lana hesitated, gazing down at him. Malik patted the sand by his side. "Please. Join me," he said with a warm grin.
Lana nodded and sat down by his side maintaining a comfortable distance from Malik.
After a few moments, Malik began to speak. "I have always been the troublemaker amongst my brothers," he declared bluntly.
Lana looked at Malik in surprise. "What do you mean?"
Malik smiled. "I guess it comes from being the middle brother. On the one side I have an older brother who is the perfect model of authority and on the other I have a younger brother who can't wait to fulfil his destiny as a sheikh."
Lana detected a note of bitterness in Malik's voice. "What's wrong with authority and destiny?" she asked. "Seems to me that those go hand in hand with being a sheikh."
Malik shook his head. "I never saw it that way, when I was growing up. I was always the rebel. I always wanted to do things my way. I never wanted to be tied down. Not to anyone, nor to anything."
"Why not?" Lana asked.
Malik shrugged. "I don't know. So, not wishing to be tied down, I suppose I made sure that my life had as few commitments as possible."
"Didn't your father disapprove?" Lana asked.
Malik nodded and smiled sardonically. "Of course. He tried everything to rein me in. Everything apart from cutting me off from the fortune that allowed me to indulge in that life."
"Indulge?"
Malik nodded, and there was a sudden sadness in his eyes. "Indulge is the right word. You've heard of my reputation?"
Lana nodded. "It was mentioned to me. But, no-one went into details."
Malik sighed. "That's just as well."
Lana felt a tug of unease settle in her middle. She'd wondered about the details of Malik's playboy lifestyle, speculated on just how wild that life had been. She could only imagine what he'd gotten up to. But, every time she'd tried to think about it, she'd pushed the thoughts well and truly away, reluctant to dwell on details. She knew she probably could have looked him up on the internet, but online stalking wasn't Lana's style.
Malik turned a worried gaze upon Lana. "No need to imagine the worst. It wasn't anything like that. My parents brought me up well. They gave me some good values." He shrugged. "At least, I think they did."
"So, what are we talking about? Wild parties, wild women?" Lana asked.
Malik looked surprised by the directness of the question. He paused before replying, his brows furrowing thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right. It was all pretty wild. For too long."
Malik's eyes narrowed. "I have many friends, of both sexes. Although, in the last six months I haven't felt the need to indulge quite as much as I once did."
Lana felt a curious sense of relief sweep through her. She didn't fully understand why that sensation had flooded her system quite so obviously, but there was no denying her reaction to Malik's admission. The last six months. She and Malik had first kissed six months before. Was that just a coincidence?
For a while, Malik described a globe-trotting lifestyle that Lana had only read about in magazines, had only glimpsed on TV shows. Malik had mingled with the elite of the celebrity world, the powerful in finance.
Simply because of that, Lana should have wanted nothing to do with him, should have done everything in her power to maintain as much distance between them as possible. He should have represented everything she rejected, especially given her own personal experience with Colton and his family. The pain of her rejection pressed inside her in that old, familiar way.
So, it made it all the more inexplicable why she was here, by the edge of an oasis in the middle of the desert, seated next to a man who embodied everything she should be running away from.
Why was she here? Should she even be here, she asked herself sharply.
Lana listened to Malik as he opened up his life to her. His deep, even voice offered a confession, a declaration that what he was describing to her was something that he had left firmly in the past. She could sense that now.
Malik was telling her something important. His decision to open up to her was much more than a polite way of letting her get to know him better. For the first time since she'd arrived in Qazhar, Lana got the distinct impression that Malik had another, deeper purpose in telling her about his past.
And, as she sat there, by his side, Lana knew she had one important decision of her own to make.
Dare she reveal her own past to Malik? And, if she did, what would be the consequences of opening herself up to this wounded sheikh who seemed so determined to turn
his back on his own, dark past.
****
Malik paused after speaking continuously for a particularly long time. He wondered if he'd gone on too long about his past. He worried that Lana would find it all too tedious. He certainly found it to be so. He'd lived it, and yet, as he'd described the wild lifestyle, the endless parade of anonymous faces, the tiresome procession of self-obsessed privilege, it had all started to sound so empty and so lonely. He wondered how he'd tolerated it for so long; wondered why he hadn't seen through it quicker.
All through his long monologue, Lana had sat quietly, patiently listening, occasionally nodding her head. But, from time to time he saw her brows furrow as he'd described an especially superficial aspect of his former life.
Because, that was indeed what he was describing. His former life. And, he wondered if Lana could sense that he'd already turned his back on it, already resigned it to the place it where it belonged. In the past.
There was a long pause. Malik drank in the silence that surrounded them. It felt good to be here with Lana. That realization shouldn't have been surprising, but it was. It was true that they hadn't known each other very long. But, as far as Malik was concerned everything had changed after that kiss in New York.
Sitting here, by the edge of the oasis, with the comforts promised by the tent behind them, Malik sensed that everything had been leading to this place, from the moment he'd impulsively claimed Lana's sweet lips on that cold New York night.
"And, what about you?" Malik asked softly. "I've told you all about myself."
"All?" Lana asked, her eyes widening.
Malik shrugged. "Almost all," he admitted. "Enough for the moment, I suppose," he said.
Malik saw Lana's ironic smile. He wondered if he'd done enough to persuade her to open up to him. Because, he needed to know about her. It was an urgent flame inside him, a curiosity sharper than any he had ever known.
