Her Desert Knight (9 page)

“Let them.” His blue eyes flashed defiance. “I don’t care who knows how crazy I am about you.”

“You’re not the one whose reputation is already in tatters.”

He laughed. “That’s where you’re wrong. You should see what the media says about me.”

She’d forgotten about that. “I did. I looked you up on the internet after I learned your full name, remember? All the more reason I shouldn’t be seen smooching you in public. If I had any sense I’d stay far away from you.”

“Don’t believe everything you read.” He had the decency to look somewhat concerned. “They make most of that stuff up to sell magazines.”

“Where there’s smoke there’s usually at least a spark of fire.” She raised a brow. “The most recent stories were about you and Laura Larson. Apparently one minute you were planning your wedding, the next she was telling everyone she prefers to be single. Did you dump her?”

His mouth quirked into a wistful smile. “She dumped me.”

“Were you heartbroken?”

He looked at her for a moment, then shook his head gently. “No. I enjoyed her company but I didn’t feel the same kind of...intensity I feel with you.”

“She’s very beautiful.”

“You’re more lovely than she is.”

“Okay, now I know you’re toying with me.”

“You are. She gets this weird wrinkle between her eyebrows when she’s thinking. And she always glances to the left when she’s telling a fib. She’s almost always acting and I realized over time that she’s not as interesting as most people think.”

“Really?”

“Really. She’s nice, but pretty kooky. Far too much drama on a daily basis.”

“More than, say, my father calling your family sons of dogs?”

He laughed. “I asked for that by going to see him when you told me not to.”

“Or maybe you actually like drama, and seek it out.”

He was silent for a moment, contemplating what she’d said. A little frisson of alarm crept through her when she realized there might be more than a grain of truth in her words.

“I am something of a thrill seeker, but in sports, not in romance.”

“Or so you’d like to believe.” Were things getting too dull and predictable with their romance, making him want to stir the pot by approaching her father? “I told you to leave my house and promised I wouldn’t see you again. Next thing I know, you’re making love to me in my own bedroom. You’re a bad influence.” She was kidding, but only just.

She glanced up and down the street. A white car drove by. “We shouldn’t hang around here. Let’s walk like we have somewhere to go.”

Quasar put his arm through hers and started walking. She wanted to tug her arm back, but he resisted when she tried. His powerful muscles were hard to argue with.

“I’m a good influence. I’m here to help you out of your cloister before you spend your life locked away in it.”

“I’d probably be a lot safer locked away in a cloister.”

“Safety is overrated.” He shot a teasing glance at her. “Adventure is a lot more fun.”

“Until you end up in the jaws of a lion.”

He squeezed her gently. “I’ll protect you.”

“Unless you are the lion.”

“Even then.” He pressed a warm kiss to her cheek. Then he stopped and spun her to face him. “Come back to the United States with me.”

“What?” She let his words echo inside her brain. His arms were now around her waist, possessive, holding her steady so she couldn’t move. Couldn’t leave.

“I mean it. I’m planning a move to the East Coast. Most likely Boston. There’s some top technical talent there that I want to leverage for one or other of my newest business ideas.”

“MIT is there.”

“Exactly. And Harvard. Harvard must have an art program or museum of some kind where you could find a job.”

“Oh, I’m sure I can walk right into a curatorial position at Harvard.” She chuckled. His idea was so outrageous that it was funny rather than scary.

“You think I’m kidding? If you worked at Princeton, you can work at Harvard.”

“I was very lucky to get the position at Princeton. I was an idiot to give it up.”

“Have you ever been to Boston?”

“Sure. I’ve attended a couple of conferences there. I even lectured at one. I talked about Mesopotamian metalworking techniques.”

“Did you like the city?”

“Uh, sure.”

He was serious. At least the look in his eyes said so. “It’s not as big and bustling as New York or L.A., but I like that about it. And there are some lovely neighborhoods in the older parts of the city.”

She blinked, still not really sure this was happening. “So, in your vision, we’d live together in Boston?”

“Yes.” He squeezed her. “I can see us in a pretty brick house with a garden.”

No mention of marriage, of course. Did he anticipate that she’d be happy shacking up with him, no commitment in sight? On the other hand she was not at all keen to venture into marriage again. It was probably safer to keep the exit door open at all times by keeping any partnerships free of legally binding obligations to stay together until death did them part.

“What about when you get tired of me?” She tried to inject a note of humor but it fell rather flat. Because she truly wanted to know the answer.

“Tired of you? Impossible.” He squeezed her again, and her heart leapt. The kiss he pressed to her lips flushed her with heat and passion that made it impossible to think straight.

“How can you say that when you barely know me?” It was hard to remember that they’d only known each other a few days. Things had happened so fast between them.

“Instinct. And I’ve learned to trust my instincts. They rarely fail me.”

She sighed. This was all a bit much to take in. “Outrageous as your idea sounds, I like it.” Warning bells and alarms flashed in her mind. Was she really going to place her trust in a man and venture off into unknown territory with him, away from friends and family?

Possibly. She’d have to carefully consider all the pros and cons.

Quasar was already grinning. “Sensible woman. Salalah is lovely, but it’s no place for a woman with a great career in art history ahead of her. And we’d come back regularly to visit.”

We’d come back regularly
. The
we
got her attention. He was thinking of them as a couple. Which shouldn’t sound so odd since they were a couple.

She took in a deep steadying breath. It was really too perfect. Too good to be true. Surely she was missing something?

“What if it takes me a long time to find a job? I have very little left in my savings. Probably the plane flight alone would finish them off, and then...” She didn’t relish the prospect of being financially dependent on a man again. It was probably the most effective way her ex-husband had exerted control over her—cutting off her income source and preventing her from finding another.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. “I’ll offer you a fifty-thousand-dollar grant to research the frankincense trade in Salalah. How does that sound?”

“Like you’re trying to buy my consent.”

“Nonsense. It’s purely academic curiosity that prompts me.”

She tried to look like she was thinking it over. “There’s some excellent scholarship in that field already.”

“But I’d imagine that advances in technology allow satellite analysis that could reveal more lost settlements like Saliyah.”

She frowned. “You might have a point.”

“Think it over.” He pressed another soft, warm kiss to her lips, then pulled his arms from around her waist and continued down the street. She hurried to catch up. Her mind spun so fast it was hard to walk at the same time. Her father would be sure to protest but if she could reassure him that she had “grant” money and he didn’t have to support her, she might mollify at least some of his objections. And if she decided to go—if she really thought it was for the best—he could hardly stop her.

Quasar’s wild scheme was entirely doable. It could transform her life instantly.

Or be the biggest mistake she’d ever made.

“I will think about it.”

“Good. And if your thoughts aren’t heading in the right direction, then call me and I’ll set them back on the right course.” His effortless confidence was both inspiring and a little infuriating. Oh, to possess some of that herself.

And the truth was, the more time she spent with Quasar, the more confident and optimistic she felt. Just the fact that she’d gone to look for a job today was a big step forward from lounging around her bedroom feeling like a loser. She’d once had big dreams—and the prestigious job she’d dreamed of—and maybe it wasn’t too late to pursue them again.

She was starting to feel like her old self: the college student who thought anything was possible. “I think I should go home now.”

“Already? We only just met. I need to stare into your beautiful eyes for at least another half hour before I go live on memories for the rest of the day and night.”

She giggled. “I can’t think straight. What you suggested is so huge that it’s taking over my brain. I have to make up a list of pros and cons.”

“Cons? There aren’t any.”

“It’s certainly hard to think of them when I’m standing here with you. That’s why I need to go home.”

He smiled, then shrugged. “Okay. I’ll drive you home to dream up some cons. And maybe we can make love in your bedroom again.”

“No way! I can’t believe my brother almost caught us together in there. Never again. Really, I mean it!” She was talking too loud and looked about quickly to see if anyone had heard.

Quasar pretended to pout. “So cruel. But okay, I’ll be good and drop you off if you promise to come to an event at the hotel this evening. It’s Kira’s fifth birthday party but it’s for the grown-ups as much as the kids. Salim’s hired a bunch of carnival acts to walk around the hotel and entertain people, and practically everyone in Salalah is invited.”

“That alone is a good reason for me not to come. I don’t want to become the subject of gossip.”

“We’ll tell people we’re old friends.” He grinned. “They’ll just assume that since we were both in the U.S. that we bonded over there.”

“What will I tell my father?” She frowned and shook her head. “Geez, I feel like a teenager. I can’t believe I even have to think about this. I’ll just tell him I’m going to visit a friend.”

“Invite him to come, too.” Quasar grinned.

“I’m sure he’d love that. Into the den of the Al Mansurs.”

“You never know. People pull out all the stops to get invited to some of Salim’s exclusive parties. He might surprise you.”

“I don’t think so. He’s depressingly predictable.” What would he say if she announced she was moving away with Quasar? She couldn’t even imagine. If he were angry enough he could cast her out of the family and refuse to ever speak to her again. She hoped he’d never do that but there was no way to know for sure. She certainly wasn’t going to breathe a word about it until she’d made up her own mind that moving to Boston with Quasar was a good idea. “I’ll try to come, though. What time?”

“Five. It’s early because of the kids.”

“Okay. I’ll come for a while and then go home for dinner.”

“I could come pick you up.”

“No! It’s barely a twenty-minute walk. I’ll see you there.”

They walked to where his car was parked a couple of blocks away, and he took her home. Once again he drove around the back. There would have been plenty of time for her to invite him in but she was glad he didn’t suggest it again.

She kissed him for a solid minute before climbing warily out of the car. She was reluctant to leave him. To wake up and find this was all a figment of her imagination. A dream that crept over her during an afternoon nap.

She could hardly believe he’d asked her to move back to the U.S. with him.

That meant this wasn’t a fling but the start of something real.

Once inside the back door, she waved and watched him drive away.

With a sigh, she walked from the back of the house to the front and went to put her keys on the hall table, as if she’d come in the front door like a normal person with nothing to hide.

And that’s when she saw her father and her brothers standing in the kitchen, right next to the window that looked out onto the street.

Nine

“W
hat is the meaning of this, Daniyah?” Her father’s lips grew white as he stared at her.

She could tell he’d seen Quasar. She didn’t know what to say.

“Of what?”

“Don’t treat me like a fool. Apparently you forgot I took your brothers to the engineering symposium at the university today. It was over by two and we returned to find you gone. You’ve been out with that...man.”

“Only to the market. I bought some almonds.” She held up the bag she’d almost forgotten about. “We didn’t do anything else.” For once, it was the truth.

His eyes started to bulge as his face reddened. “No? What else have you done with him on other occasions? You told me you weren’t going to see him again. Clearly you lied to me so now I’m wondering what else is untrue. If your mother were alive today...!” He shook his head and exhaled as if he were going to breathe fire. “Perhaps I should forbid you to leave the house. I literally cannot believe that you were out walking around Salalah in broad daylight with one of those accursed Al Mansurs.”

The mention of her mother chastened Dani. Who knew where they’d all be if her mother were alive. Dani would likely never have moved to the United States, or met Gordon. She’d probably have been fixed up by her mom and aunts with a nice, quiet Omani man, who didn’t have flashing blue eyes or a reputation as an international playboy.

“I’m thinking of moving to America with him.”

She said the words entirely without premeditation. They slipped out of her mouth as she was testing them in her mind.

Her father stared at her, speechless. Then his eyebrows started to twitch. “Have you taken leave of your senses?”

“You said yourself that I won’t be able to find a job here. My skills may seem useless in Salalah, but I have a prestigious academic background and I was a curator at Princeton. In America my skills are far more marketable, especially in a university town like Boston.”

“Boston? You’ve actually discussed this with him?” Her father’s voice was hoarse with incredulity.

“Yes. Just today, in fact. I told him I’d think about it.” She sounded surprisingly calm. Much calmer than she felt. She hadn’t even had a chance to think this plan through properly and already she was announcing it almost as a done deal.

Her youngest brother stared, openmouthed. The other one stared at her through slightly narrowed eyes as if afraid he’d be blinded by what he was witnessing.

“Has he proposed marriage?”

“No.” There wasn’t really anything she could add to make this sound better. By Omani standards he probably should have proposed before they even kissed, certainly before they moved in together. She could say they were “just friends,” but that would be a lie and she didn’t want to make things worse by lying.

“How will you support yourself over there? Are you to be a kept woman?”

She wanted to mention the grant, but on reflection that probably would make her a kept woman. “I have enough savings left to get there. Then I’ll find a job. Maybe not my ideal one, at first, but I’ll find something.”

“While living with this man?”

“I’m not a virgin, dad. I was married before.”

“To your discredit.” His bushy eyebrows lowered. “And now your own opinion of yourself is so low that you plan to willingly live in sin?”

“It’s not like that in the States. It’s quite normal for adults to live together for a while before they marry. To test each other out, really. If I’d done that before I married Gordon I probably could have saved myself a world of grief.”

“I don’t know you. I don’t know who you are.” He stood there, panting slightly. “You are not the daughter I raised.”

His words cut her to the quick and she felt tears rise in her throat. “I’m just trying to do what’s best for me. I don’t even know if I should move to Boston. I’m thinking it through.”

“You should move to Boston.” His voice was calm and firm. “There is no place for you here. You are a bad influence on your brothers.”

She glanced at them. Mute and horrified, they didn’t even meet her gaze. Was she really a bad influence on them? With one failed marriage behind her and an illicit affair going on under their noses, she could hardly recommend herself as an example to follow. Her hands were starting to tremble. She wasn’t ready for this. She’d meant to ponder her options, to plan and prepare and gear herself up for any inevitable showdown.

Right now she felt as if her life were exploding in her face and she needed to get out of here. She turned back to the door and slipped out, before the conversation could spiral any further downhill. There was no sense talking to her father when his temper was running so high he couldn’t think straight. If she stayed he might do something drastic, like lock her in her room and take away her phone. It was better to escape while she still could.

Moving to Boston wasn’t such a crazy idea. Her father had given her almost no choice. Although she realized there were risks inherent in going with Quasar—he readily admitted that he got bored easily, and he had a playboy reputation—if she could get her career going again she’d be fine by herself if the relationship fell apart.

Not sure where to go, she headed first for the familiar bookshop where she’d met Quasar. Thumbing through the soft pages of an old history book soothed her nerves. It was now late afternoon and since her father was already mad at her she had no reason not to go to the party.

She walked along the quiet streets with a growing sense of resolve. Her time of rest and recuperation was nearing its end and she was ready to get back in the swim of life.

The walk to the hotel took almost half an hour and it was odd walking through the grand hotel gates on foot, rather than arriving in a luxury car, but the staff welcomed her almost as if they recognized her—maybe they acted like that with all the guests?—and she soon found herself in the large, music-filled central courtyard surrounded by at least three hundred people, including jugglers, sword swallowers, even a snake charmer. Excited children darted about in their smartest party clothes, and their parents laughed and talked and watched them fondly.

The festive atmosphere further boosted Dani’s mood and she looked eagerly about for Quasar. He’d be thrilled that she’d decided to come to Boston with him. Maybe they could even talk about booking the tickets and some of the logistics of the move?

She scanned the area around the fountain—which bubbled right now in a rainbow of LED colors—looking for his face in the crowd. At last she spotted Sara walking with Elan, who carried a sleepy little Hannah in his arms.

Dani greeted them with relief. “I’m looking for Quasar. I can’t seem to find him.”

Sara glanced at Elan. He cleared his throat. “Hmm. I’m not exactly sure where he is.” He looked around the sea of partygoers. “Would you like me to go find him for you?”

“Oh, no. I’ll find him myself, eventually. I can always call him on my phone as a last resort.” She patted the phone in her pocket. Elan glanced at Sarah again before they smiled and moved away. Dani got an odd feeling from the way they looked at each other. Almost as if they were trying to communicate without her figuring something out. Suddenly the music seemed louder and the bustle and thrust of people rather disorienting.

She drew in a breath and headed for the other side of the courtyard, where tables were set up to serve drinks. She accepted a glass of pinkish lemonade from a waiter and was about to turn back to the crowd when she spotted Quasar under a colonnade off to the side of the courtyard. He appeared to be talking to someone who was hidden by a carved stone column.

A smile spread across her face as she headed toward him. But her enthusiasm cooled when she noticed the serious expression on his face. His gaze was intently focused on the person in front of him. Dani’s pace slowed when she realized that he was talking to a woman who gripped both his hands in hers. She could see gold bangles on her wrists, and gold rings on long, elegant fingers.

Her gut crawled with unease. She paused and sipped her lemonade. Maybe she shouldn’t intrude. She could just wait until he was done with this conversation. She tried to tug her attention away from him and back to the festivities, but her eyes kept swiveling back to the shadowed arches of the colonnade where he stood with the strange woman. It was odd that he hadn’t glanced up and seen her yet, considering all the nervous energy she must be sending in his direction. His attention was riveted on this woman, who still clutched him like a life raft.

Keeping her eyes on a nearby knot of children watching a magician pull a string of colored scarves from his mouth, she moved a few steps closer, ears straining to catch some of Quasar’s conversation.

“Oh, darling, you always kill me with that mysterious Arabian charm of yours.” The woman’s voice was rich and full, confident, too.

“I’m not Arabian. I’m Omani.” He said it with a smile.

“I know that, silly. I’m here in Oman, aren’t I? Crazy long flight, too. You know how that airplane air dries out my skin, but I did it all for you.”

Dani glanced at them in time to see one of the ringed hands rove up his forearm, reaching over the cuff of his elegant shirt. She froze. Now she could see the familiar profile, topped with expensively coiffed blond hair. This was Laura Larson, screen goddess, and one of the many glamorous women Dani had seen pictured on his arm when she did her internet search.

She wondered if she should turn and disappear back into the crowd. But wasn’t this the man she’d just resolved to move across the world with? Curiosity and a growing sense of alarm propelled her forward, even while her instincts cued her to flee. Even when she was only fifteen feet away, he still hadn’t looked up and noticed her. His famous companion was keeping him fully occupied with a giggly account of her appearance two nights ago at an awards ceremony, where she’d had too much to drink.

“Hello, Quasar.” Dani said it quietly during a momentary break in the conversation. She didn’t want to get any closer without announcing herself. She already felt like an intruder.

He glanced up and smiled. Relief swept over her. For a moment she’d wondered if he’d even acknowledge her. “I came to the party,” she said, pointlessly. “The kids are really enjoying it.”

Quasar ignored her blathering. “Dani, this is Laura. Laura, Dani.”

Laura thrust out a hand with sharp-looking nails and Dani managed to produce a reasonably firm handshake and a smile. “Nice to meet you,” she said, though it wasn’t nice at all. She’d come here excited to tell Quasar that she’d decided to move to Boston with him. And the presence of Laura Larson made that impossible.

“What brings you to Oman?” Dani couldn’t resist asking.

“Quasar, of course. Is there any other reason for visiting such a tiny and faraway country?” Laura tossed her luxurious gold hair and shone an adoring glance on Quasar.

“You flatter me, but Dani knows that Oman’s charms far outshine mine.”

Laura gave Dani the once-over, then looked back at Quasar. Dani became self-conscious of her Omani attire. Laura herself had on a slinky cream dress with a plunging neckline that revealed her spray-tanned boobs, gold high-heeled sandals and a necklace of what looked like gold nuggets.

“Do people here not drink alcohol?” Laura surveyed the crowd.

“Not really.” Quasar winked at Dani, which gave her a pleasant conspiratorial feeling. “It’s a Muslim country. It’s served to guests at the hotel who want it, though. Would you like a drink?”

“Absolutely, darling. I’m parched and this Shirley Temple they gave me isn’t doing anything for my jet lag. A whisky sour would be a dream.”

“Dani, would you like anything?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Quasar headed for the bar, leaving Dani with Laura. Awkward! “Do you work at the hotel?” Laura inquired while looking over her shoulder at the crowds.

“No. I’m a friend of Quasar’s.” She lifted her chin as she said it. Now would be the perfect time to announce she was about to move in with him, but prudence prevented her. She knew this woman was one of his ex-lovers. And she’d come all the way to Oman to see him. They were obviously still on friendly terms.

Maybe their relationship wasn’t even over.

“Are you one of the girls whose hearts he broke when he was a ridiculously dashing teen heartthrob?”

“No. We met recently.” She could see Laura’s curiosity growing, and decided that being mysterious was the best policy. No need to even let on that she recognized her. Which was petty, since she quite liked her movies. Oh, well, she was jealous of Laura right now and that was making her petty. At least she could acknowledge it.

But it was rather scary to see herself grow green claws over Quasar. How was she going to feel in Boston when he had business meetings with women, or even social gatherings and networking? He was an outgoing, friendly and popular guy, so she’d better get used to sharing him if their relationship was going anywhere. “How do you know him?”

“Oh, Quasar and I go way back.” Laura inhaled her pink mocktail like it was a shot of rum. “He’s like the brother I never had.” The platonic reference was strangely reassuring. “But who I sleep with!” Laura let out a giggle. “He’s irresistible. What can I say?”

Dani swallowed. What could she say? Hopefully Laura didn’t intend to sleep with Quasar tonight. But if she did, what exactly could Dani do about it if Quasar were ready, willing and able?

Where was Quasar? She turned and saw him returning with three tall glasses. “Whiskey sours for everyone.” He handed Laura hers, then gave one to Dani.

She looked at it suspiciously. She didn’t really drink. Apart from any religious objections, she was a total lightweight.

Quasar took a sip of his and Laura took a few refreshing gulps of hers. “Quasar, darling, you should come down under for my next shoot.” She grabbed Quasar’s shoulder. “It’s near Melbourne, which is such a fantastic city. Beaches, nightlife, fun people.”

“Sounds like Salalah.” Quasar winked again at Dani. The gesture warmed and relaxed her.

“Have you been to Australia, darling?” She squeezed his shoulder.