‘I’m sorry I slept so long. I didn’t—’
His raised hand cut her off. ‘You needed the rest. I hope you slept well?’ It was a simple question, the sort any host might make. Yet holding Alexei’s gaze, feeling heat wash her skin, Mina tensed, conscious of undercurrents.
She took in his relaxed posture, the small smile, yet sensed concealment. One long finger drummed on the arm of his chair and there was an intensity about that stare...
‘Thank you, yes. It’s a very comfortable bed.’
And just like that, it hit her what this undercurrent was. Sexual attraction. Potent and perilous.
Mina blinked but kept her expression serene, despite the frenzied rush of shock. In her room she’d acknowledged the attraction, but the potency of her reaction unnerved her.
She’d been attracted to guys before. But this was a blast of lightning compared with the weak flicker of a single match. It was the mighty Khamsin wind that scoured the desert and shifted whole ridges of sand, compared with a gentle zephyr that merely rustled the leaves in a courtyard garden.
Mina sank back, forcing down shock, fear and excitement.
It was the excitement that worried her most. She’d always found it hard to resist adventure and challenge.
But not with this man. Not with a man who treated people like pawns on his personal chessboard. She’d be crazy to go there.
‘I’m the one who should apologise.’ His words snagged her attention. ‘I’m sorry if I distressed you earlier, carrying you to your room.’
Mina felt again that powerful pulse of connection and refused to acknowledge it. Was he apologising for carrying her or because he’d recognised how close she’d come to losing command of herself? Please, not the latter!
She inclined her head. ‘You were concerned for me. I understand.’ It didn’t excuse the deliberate way he’d goaded her, but there was no point going over that again. ‘I have a favour to ask.’
‘Ask away.’ He sat forward and Mina sensed he’d been waiting for this.
‘Can I borrow a vehicle? There are some things I need to buy.’ Like underwear. Mina drew the line at wearing Carissa’s lacy thongs.
‘I’m afraid that’s not possible.’
Mina’s eyebrows lifted. Was he really so petty as to deny her transport? ‘You don’t trust me with your vehicle?’ She’d learned to drive on unpaved mountain roads and desert dunes. She’d bet she could handle a four-wheel drive better than him.
‘It’s more the lack of shops that’s the problem.’
‘Lack of shops?’
‘There aren’t any. We get supplies by boat. It’s not easy to indulge in retail therapy here.’ He spread his hands and Mina caught the ghost of a smile. She recognised the same teasing amusement she’d seen when he’d provoked her. Had Carissa’s reputation as a bargain shopaholic preceded her? Her friend was always searching for second-hand items to transform.
What exactly did Alexei know of the woman he planned to marry? So far it seemed he expected her to be obedient, possibly unintelligent and good at spending money. It was a distorted picture of Mina’s friend, and didn’t recommend her as a wife.
Which begged the question, why marry her?
More and more, the idea of an arranged marriage between him and Carissa seemed odd.
‘Carissa?’
‘Sorry?’ She blinked. She’d missed what he said.
‘If you need hygiene products, talk to Marie. She also has a supply of suncream and spare hats for visitors.’
Mina’s smile was perfunctory. She refused to feel embarrassed by his assumption. ‘Thanks, but that’s not what I had in mind.’
‘Later in the week, when your father’s here, we’ll go to one of the larger islands and you can visit the boutiques.’
Didn’t that sound like fun? Steadfastly Mina yanked her mind from the inevitable scene when her masquerade was uncovered. She hoped Carissa and Pierre were safely married by then.
‘Surely I could take the boat before that? This afternoon perhaps?’