Beauty and the Sheikh(29)

Holly glanced over at Rafiq’s question and her response dried up as her gaze fell on him. He rode just feet away from her, sitting on a camel even bigger than hers.

For a moment it was as if she were hurled back to another time. Rafiq looked every bit the ruler of Raljahar, sitting tall and proud with his white kandura twisting in the slight breeze.

The backdrop around him was as beautiful as it was deadly, the orange-colored sand and harsh mountains shimmering in the sun.

In the past months, she’d come to love this picturesque, rugged land and its warmhearted people. Almost as much as she loved the Sheikh who ruled it.

“Holly?” Rafiq’s brows drew together with concern. “Perhaps you should drink more of your water. You look flushed.”

“I’m fine. I’m just not quite used to the heat.” But her words held a hint of sadness she knew she hadn’t quite managed to hide this time.

Because she didn’t want to worry him, she lifted the bottle of water and drank another sip. The water, still chilled, eased down her throat. Perhaps she’d needed the liquid, but she wasn’t foolish to believe her problems were as simple as being dehydrated.

Her problem lay in the fact she loved a man who would never love her back. All the water in the world wouldn’t cure that. Her lips quirked slightly.

“You know, you ride remarkably well,” he commented, though she knew he was still worried about her. “Are you sure you’ve never ridden a camel before, habiba?”

“Not a single one.”

“A horse, then?”

“Not unless you count when I was a child being led around a circle on a pony, or sitting still on a horse for a photo shoot.”

“Hmm. No, I can’t say I would count those.”

She joined in his soft laugh and again her pulse quickened. They’d fallen into such an easy, compatible relationship since their return from Monaco. Even though all the animosity had vanished after they’d made love that first time, the flight back to Raljahar had brought them closer together.

Sometimes, when Rafiq held her in his arms at night, she could almost swear he felt the same way about her as she did him. He made love to her as if he never wanted her to leave, and yet he hadn’t asked her to stay. He wouldn’t, either, she knew, but she tried not to focus on that.

Rafiq had been true to his word and never let her feel as if she were being held prisoner in Raljahar. In fact, over the last couple of months he’d flown her twice to see her brother during his rehabilitation in the London clinic. After showing fantastic improvement, Andrew was released a week ago and flew home to the States.

Holly glanced over her shoulder at the two guards who rode a good distance back now. Earlier she’d overheard what had sounded like Rafiq asking for privacy. Which was nice, being able to go out without them hovering so close, but then the desert was so wide open it was easy to see any danger that might be approaching.

Not that Rafiq seemed all that worried.

She stole another look at him and noted the sudden frown on his face as he stared over the horizon. She followed his gaze and a shiver of unease skated down her spine.

There was a haze of red in the distance.

“What is it, Rafiq?” But she already had an idea.

“A sandstorm is building.” He turned his camel and shouted something to the guards behind them.

Holly couldn’t begin to interpret their harried words. Her gaze had darted back to the horizon and the haziness took on a more sinister meaning. Of course she’d heard about these, and several had passed through the desert while they were in the palace. But out here, being so exposed, it was far more threatening.

“We must try to make it back to the palace, Holly. Quickly.”

The nice, moseying pace had been perfect for her. Cold sweat broke out on her neck at the idea of a camel running breakneck speed while a sandstorm bore down on them. “Your guards—”

“Have already retreated by my order. We must hurry.” Rafiq glanced back at the horizon and cursed.

Panic hit full-fledged and Holly scrambled to turn the camel around, but the camel resisted.

“We’ll never make it,” Rafiq muttered savagely and the next thing she knew, his arm snagged around her waist and she was plucked from her saddle as if she weighed nothing.

Her world tilted as he maneuvered her in front on him on his camel.

“Hold on,” he yelled and then urged the camel into a run.

Holly clutched the horn and bit back a panicked cry. Oh God, what was he doing? Rafiq didn’t turn around toward the palace as his guards had, but instead rode them straight toward the storm.

“Rafiq!”

“Trust me, habiba.” His words brushed against her ear, a reassuring caress she desperately clung to.

She did trust him, but it didn’t ease her fear as sand began to swirl up around them, the tiny particles stinging her face.

“Close your eyes, Holly. We’ll be there shortly!”

There? Where was there? She squeezed her eyes closed. The wild pounding of her heart was nearly in perfect rhythm with the camel’s sprint.

Rafiq’s strong arms kept her still in the saddle, a physical restraint she welcomed as the world around them slipped into chaos. Vaguely she became aware they’d slowed and she risked a quick glance to discover where they were. A large black tent loomed in front of them and she blinked to clear her vision, certain she was seeing things.

It soon became a blur of black among the swirling sand. They came to an abrupt stop and the camel kneeled to let them off once more. She felt rather than saw Rafiq dismount. He reached for her, pulling her from the saddle and rushing her toward the tent.

Holly buried her face against Rafiq’s side as the wind howled around them, the sand continuing its relentless attack.

And then the world around them dimmed and the roaring of the storm diminished some.

Holly opened her eyes, relief weakening her limbs. “Where are we?”

They were obviously in some kind of large tent, but definitely not the kind you took camping in the woods. It seemed heavier, sturdier, and quite larger than any tent she’d seen. Also, it was much cooler than the stifling heat outside.

“We keep several tents maintained throughout my desert,” Rafiq explained brusquely as he moved about, turning on what looked like battery-operated lamps and flooding the interior with dim lighting. “They can be shelters for events such as this, or a place to rest during travel.”

The sand beneath them was nearly covered by a large red-patterned area rug, and throughout the tent there were pillows and blankets.

Holly flinched as the tent shook with the force of the storm. The hairs on the back of her neck lifted and it took all her willpower not to cry out with fear.

Rafiq held no fear though, and seemed almost irritated as he circled the interior of the tent fiddling with things. Finally he returned to her, his gaze unreadable in the dim lighting. “We will be safe waiting out the storm in here.”

Would they? It was hard to believe with the violence of the wind outside. She didn’t want to think of the massive wall of sand she’d seen on the horizon—knowing it was rushing toward them and they weren’t even in the worst of it yet.

But at least they were inside, and if Rafiq said they would be safe, she trusted him.

“What about your camels?”

“They will be fine. The animals are well-adapted to surviving sandstorms.” His gaze softened as it fell on her and he closed the small distance separating them, pulling her into his arms. “Trust me, habiba, I’ve weathered many storms before. It is all part of living in the desert.”

“You must think I’m a terrible coward.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek against his robe and listening to the calming beat of his heart. “Afraid to fly. Afraid of a sandstorm.”

“You are not a coward. I’ve seen grown men react like children in the face of such storms. They can be quite terrifying and this is your first storm outside the palace.”

The wind grew louder and she swallowed hard. “Does it get much worse?”

“Yes, I won’t lie to you. Come.” He urged her deeper into the tent.

Holly’s heart skipped as he led her to a mass of blankets and pillows. She sank down and a moment later her joined her, his expression growing somber.

“I’m sorry, Holly. I would’ve never brought you riding had I known we would encounter a storm.”

Holly couldn’t resist reaching up to touch the strong lines of his jaw. “But you didn’t know, so you can’t possibly blame yourself.”

He didn’t reply, but his expression seemed to grow more troubled. “I would never forgive myself if something happened to you. Never.”





Chapter 16



Rafiq’s mouth sought hers in a gentle, reassuring kiss. And just like the storm outside, it seemed to gain momentum. He deepened it, demanding a response and summoning her desire.