“How can you be so certain?”
“Because I’ll make sure of it.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I can’t seehowyou’ll make sure of it, but I appreciate the sentiment.”
She swung her legs off the recliner and he caught a glimpse of slim ankles and narrow feet as her abaya lifted briefly. Their delicacy got to him. He looked up to find her watching him. She rose and twitched her abaya back to cover her legs.
He stood up and determinedly looked away, out to the navy blue line of the horizon. He narrowed his gaze as if looking at something in particular. But the only thing he was doing was thinking of someonein particular—the woman who stood, uncertain, by his side.
They both began to speak at the same time.
Xander thrust his fingers through his short hair. “You go first.”
“No, please you.”
“I just wanted to apologize, Ela. I should never have kissed you last night.”
She narrowed those beautiful eyes on him. “And why is that?”
He shrugged. How could he put his thoughts into words? “It was an impulse, and not one I should have indulged. I’m sorry.”
Her face turned pale and impassive, devoid of emotion. She grunted and gave a slight, measured shrug. “It’s not important.”
It was his turn to feel the emotion turn to chill. He felt the reverse. He’d apologized because ithadfelt important. And to hear from her that it meant nothing made him feel an idiot.
Her mouth was firm and her lips pursed as she smoothed down her abaya, looking everywhere but at him. Her actions reinforced the fact that he was of no more importance to her other than someone to guard her in this one moment of need. And he knew that as soon as that need was over, she’d be gone.
“It’s time we returned,” she said crisply. “There may be news.”
“Sure,” he said. “As well as my inquiries, the other kings and Shakira are also looking into it.”
“Good. Then I’m sure I won’t have to be your unwanted guest for much longer.”
She turned on her heel and walked across the beach toward the path. And all he could do was follow her and muse on the thought that it hadn’t taken her long to return to her old, cold ways.
He was falling for her and he didn’t want to be. He’d contact Roshan and the others and let them know that she definitely couldn’t stay here any longer. She had to go. But, even while he was thinking this, he knew that he would only let her go if she was safe. They might have no future together, but it didn’t make him stop caring for her.
Elaheh walked swiftlyalong the track toward the palace. She couldn’t bear to look at him in case her outward cool crumpled, and he realized the truth—that she’d lied to him. She’d told him his kiss wasn’t important, and it was. Because his kiss had made her aware that she wanted him like she’d never wanted a man before. Because for the first time in forever she thought of a man without fear, and without distaste.
But she’d been wrong. She’d been tricked by the kiss into almost believing that she could have what so many women the world over had—the love of a good man—both physical and emotional. And she couldn’t. Because even if Xander had any interest in her—and it certainly didn’t sound as if he did—that interest would swiftly disappear once he knew the truth about her.
Chapter 6
The next day Elaheh awoke to the muezzin’s call to prayer coming from the city’s great mosque. The cooler air of the sea breeze caressed her bare skin, and she felt an unusual sense of peace. Then she suddenly remembered where she was.Nother country.Nother palace. A rap at the door sent her reaching for her bedclothes, and realizing that it had been the sound that had awoken her from her deep sleep. She sat up with a start.
She slid down the bed. “Come!”
Xander opened the door slowly and looked in warily. He looked away sharply. “I’m sorry,” he said, staring at the door, “I didn’t think you’d still be in bed. I’ll come back later.”
“Have you found anything?” she asked.
He paused, part way closing the door, his hand gripping the door handle like a lifeline. “No,” he said, his eyes still firmly turned away from her. “Unfortunately not. Our investigations haven’t turned up anything. But we do have a lead on the notepaper used, and we’re following that up.”
“The notepaper?”
“Yes, he made the mistake of using a hallmarked paper which originated from only one manufacturer. I have someone in Paris checking out the retailers who stock it. Of course, online sales will be difficult to trace. But not impossible.”
She nodded slowly, her mind racing to try to remember if she knew anyone who’d returned from Paris in the past year. “You forget, my country doesn’t do much in online sales.” She looked at him, frozen in the door way, talking to the door. “Xander! Come on in. I hardly think we need to stand on ceremony with everything that’s happening!”