Erin nodded. “Yes. And you?”
Kamal answered with a smile. “Of course. While DC is very different from Jawhara during the day, at night, the temperatures are very similar.”
Erin smiled at him. “In what way?”
“Well. Bordering the sea, we enjoy a slight breeze off the water most of the time. This brings much-needed humidity to our arid land. Once the sun goes down, the temperature drops dramatically, and one can almost taste the moisture in the air. It’s not so different from here.”
Erin laughed. “I take it you’ve never been to DC during the winter?”
Kamal shook his head. “Sadly, no. I have been in Vermont during the winter, however. Is the weather here so different?”
Erin laughed again. “You could say that. They get tons of snow up there. Here, we get a bit here and there, but normally we don’t get the volume they do. I can’t imagine trying to move several feet of snow each morning in order to go to work.”
Kamal was shocked, why would this beautiful young woman need to worry about moving snow? “Do you enjoy moving snow?” he asked, suddenly picturing her delectable body bending over provocatively.
Erin huffed. “Really? Would you?”
“I’ve never done it. But in my country, it would be someone else’s job to remove snow.”
Erin looked at him, her mouth twisted in wry amusement. “Spoiled much?”
“Never,” Kamal replied. Having servants see to his every need was not a matter of being spoiled; it was his due as the sheikh of his people. It was his country’s privilege to take care of their ruler. They were compensated well for their service, and Kamal had his every need met. Well, almost every need.
3
ERIN
Erin wondered what life must be like in Jawhara for Kamal to seem so surprised that she would have to shovel snow. Was he really so wealthy that he never had to do menial labor? Not even once? When Shira had mentioned Kale, she had included his position with Jewel Oil, but she still hadn’t figured out what connection Kale had to the leadership of Jawhara, though he seemed to have quite a bit of authority there.
Does his brother also have a position of authority in Jawhara?
She took another step, her foot sliding on the gravel walkway. While she loved her heels, the low sides weren’t particularly supportive when walking on uneven surfaces. With her next step, she managed to lodge a pebble inside her shoe, just beneath the pad of her foot, and pain followed when she stepped squarely down on the offending stone. “Ouch.”
Bending her leg, she tried to knock the pebble out, but realized that she’d have to take the shoe off first, which she couldn’t do while standing.
Kamal heard her cry and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“A pebble in my shoe. It’s okay.” She attempted one more time to dislodge the offending item by giving her foot a firm shake, but her balance was precarious, and she felt herself begin to fall. She was saved from further embarrassment when she felt warm hands on her waist, steadying her. When she set her foot down, she pressed down again on the stone and cursed. Still there.
The next thing she knew, she was swept up into the arms of this handsome stranger, and he easily carried her over to a nearby bench, setting her down and then kneeling in front of her. With deft fingers, he released the strap around her ankle and removed her shoe. Tilting it sideways, they both watched a small pebble fall out. He searched the shoe to make sure there wasn’t anything else there.
Erin felt her breath catch as Kamal knelt before her, and she barely managed to hold back any sort of auditory response. She had the sudden feeling that this was what a princess felt like in fairy tales when Prince Charming swept her off her feet while coming to her rescue.
Looking up at her, Kamal didn’t say anything. He studied her face as if he was looking for an answer to an unasked question. Erin felt unsteady as the heat from his hand, which still held her foot as if she was precious, began to swirl up her leg. His strong fingers massaged her foot, and he searched her face for what, she didn’t know. She returned his gaze, trying to convey what she was feeling without having to say anything. The feel of his hand upon the arch of her foot had her clenching her thighs together as shivers of delight shot straight to her core. Setting her shoe on the ground, he placed his other hand on her ankle and began to glide his hands up her calf, kneading the muscles as he went, until he reached her knee.
Erin closed her eyes as bliss overtook her. She’d had massages before, but this was a heady mix of arousal and torture; she definitely wanted more but knew that this wasn’t the place.
She felt his hands reach the hem of her dress, and he stopped, letting his fingertips play beneath the material.
“Open your eyes,” Kamal commanded, and she opened them to look at him, pleased to see that he was as affected by her as she was him by him. Keeping his gaze locked on hers, he slowly placed both of his hands on her knees, and his thumbs made lazy circles there, but he didn’t go further. Her legs were still pushed together, as if to lock away the secrets they protected, and Erin wasn’t sure shecouldopen them.
A small voice somewhere in her head was warning her that this was her cousin’s party, and she was there to support her. Then that became a cascade of thoughts and feelings as she tried to balance her desire for this man with the realization that she didn’t know him.
Kamal seemed to sense that he was moving too fast for her, and he gave both her legs a light squeeze before pulling his hands away and placing her shoe back on her foot. Standing, he turned and appeared to be adjusting himself away from her prying eyes before sitting beside her on the bench.
Erin was glad that he was as aroused as she, but she appreciated that he’d stopped. She didn’t know what it was about this man, but she was very attracted to him and found she wanted to know more about him.
Hearing a slight noise, she turned her head and caught a glimpse of two men standing several feet away. They had their backs turned towards the bench but didn’t look inclined to leave anytime soon.