“Truthfully, I am pretty tired. I suppose staying here tonight wouldn’t be awful. I’ll need to leave first thing in the morning though.”
“We were planning to break camp at dawn anyway,” Raheem said, leading her over to a sitting area strewn with pillows. A table was set up in the middle and a gold bowl filled with fresh fruit decorated the center of it. They flopped down on the pillows, opposite each other, and Raheem waved to the servants to bring them fresh water to drink. “My brother Feraz must get back to his governing and my other brother Rehaj must tell him how to do it.”
Laura snorted at his sarcastic tone. “Do you have any other siblings?”
“Alas, yes.” He thanked the servants then dismissed them. “Four sisters, all extremely nosy. Beware.”
“Noted.” She pulled a small bunch of grapes from the bowl and began popping them in her mouth one by one. Raheem did his best not to notice her soft pink lips again. “So, you wanted to know my views on your country?”
“Most definitely.” He grabbed a handful of dried apricots. “Begin by telling me your first impressions, please. From the time you landed at our airport onward.”
4
The next morning, Laura woke early and quickly got ready. She was alone in the tent. Where her enigmatic host had gotten to at the crack of dawn she couldn’t imagine, but Laura wouldn’t argue that having some space to herself was nice after last night.
They’d ended up staying awake much later than she’d intended, talking about his homeland and her impressions of his country in general. She’d been honest and fair and he’d seemed to take her opinions seriously, even if he had argued a point or two with her. Mainly about the industrialization of Djeva, funnily enough.
She wouldn’t have pegged the playboy sheikh for the tree-hugging type, but he’d gotten genuinely angry when she’d remarked about the expansion of a certain high-profile American oil company buying up property in Djeva for drilling purposes. When she’d tried to question him further about his plans to stop them, though, he’d shut her down fast. Which only left her more curious. She’d always imagined Middle Eastern rulers sitting on their golden thrones somewhere and ruling their destitute people with an iron fist.
Still, in the brief time that she’d spent so far in Djeva’s capital city of Al-Qusta, it had seemed clean, well-maintained, and thoroughly commercialized. Some of the other smaller emirates in the area, she knew, had sold their available land to the highest bidders in order to raise quick capital for the lavish lifestyles of their ruling families. Was Raheem’s clan one of those?
The thought bothered Laura more than she cared to admit. After all Sheikh Raheem was nothing to her. They barely knew each other. And after he and his crew safely deposited her back at her hotel, chances were high she’d never see him again. So why did it bother her so much if he’d sold out his homeland to build some pleasure palace in the desert?
It didn’t. End of story.
She shook off the absurd idea and grabbed a bagel off the buffet table in the tent before marching outside. The quiet courtyard from the night before was a hub of activity. Crews were tearing down and packing away and from what she could see, her tent was the only one left standing.
These people were fast, she’d give them that. It wasn’t even six a.m. yet and they were ready to head back to civilization. Across the way, she spotted a pretty woman with long flowing black hair wearing a bright purple maxi dress. Must be one of the nosy sisters Raheem had chatted about the night before. Feeling in the way, Laura headed over to where the woman stood near the caravan of vehicles being packed up for the trip home.
As she approached, Laura noticed the other woman was on her cell phone. But as Laura neared, she quickly ended her call and held out her hand, her smile wide and dazzling. There was a slight resemblance to Raheem in the woman’s fine bone structure and regal bearing, but where Raheem’s eyes were like molten gold, this woman’s irises were onyx-dark. “You must be the late arrival my brother was complaining about last night. I’m Jessenia, Raheem’s older sister.” She looked Laura up and down with an appraising eye, then narrowed her gaze. “He mentioned you worked for a film production company. That must be terribly exciting.”
Laura introduced herself and shrugged. “Well, the terrible part is right. If I hadn’t been out searching for some stupid dune all day, I wouldn’t have gotten lost and I wouldn’t have had to crash your encampment last night.”
Jessenia gave a dismissive wave. “Whatever. I’m sure you’re very good at your job. It’s easy to get disoriented in these deserts. People have died out here, you know.” She gave Laura a side glance. “And as for you crashing our camp last night, I’d say it was more fate than anything. Do you believe in fate, Miss Bliss?”
“Laura, please. And not really, no. I believe we make our own fate or luck through our choices.”
“Hmm. Ah, there’s my brother now.” Jessenia waved Raheem over. “Your guest is ready.”
Raheem bowed slightly, a small smile curving his full lips and once more Laura was struck by just how handsome he was. Tall, muscular without being bulky, with midnight hair and eyes that would drive a saint to sin. She found herself batting her eyelashes at him before she caught herself. Lord have mercy. She was here to work, or she would be as soon as she was back at her hotel. She was not here to flirt with strange men in the middle of the sand dunes, no matter how drop-dead gorgeous.
His sister stood beside them, watching their interactions with undisguised interest. “Are you married, Miss Bliss?”
“Laura,” she croaked out of her suddenly arid throat. Coughing, she tried again. “Call me Laura, please. And no, I’m not married.”
“Raheem here has been far too busy with his business pursuits to find a suitable wife,” Jessenia said, earning her a warning glare from her brother. “I say he needs to get his priorities straight.”
“Hmm.” Raheem took Laura’s arm and guided her away from his sister and toward the open door of one of the SUVs. As she climbed inside, Laura noticed each of Raheem’s older brothers getting into separate vehicles ahead. Once seated, Laura looked behind them out the back window of their SUV and spotted each of Raheem’s sisters getting into separate SUVs as well, making seven vehicles total in their caravan. Raheem climbed into the plush leather backseat beside her then slammed the door behind them. Soon, they were out of the dunes and rumbling back down the highway toward Al-Qustra. No sooner had they left the barren desert than Laura spotted the company’s rented Range Rover parked by the side of the road where she’d left it the day before.
Raheem must have noticed where her attention was focused, even though he’d not looked up from his phone screen since he’d gotten inside the car. “Don’t worry. I’ve given instructions to my security crew to make sure your vehicle is safe until arrangements can be made to pick it up.”
Laura sighed and sank back into her seat. While the camp had been luxurious and talking to Raheem had been both interesting and intriguing, she longed for a hot bath and a good long nap in her hotel’s comfy bed. “It’ll be nice getting back home to wash up and change.”
“About that.” Raheem finally clicked off his phone and shoved it into the pocket of his tailored sport coat. Gone were his flowing robes from the night before. Today, he was all business, in a crisp white double-breasted suit and pale blue shirt that she’d bet cost more than a year’s rent on her apartment back in Los Angeles. Around his neck was a sapphire blue tie and his shoes were brown leather loafers. Dark sunglasses hid his remarkable golden-hued eyes from her. “I’m afraid we must make a diversion before my team can drop you off at your hotel.”
“A diversion?” Laura raised a brow at him. “I need to get back to the hotel so I can get to work. My boss is probably already pissed enough to fire me and—”
Raheem held up a hand, cutting her off, as if he dealt with contrary people every day. Given the fact his family ran the entire country, perhaps he did. “I understand your frustrations, but I
’m afraid there’s no alternative. My brother needs me to fill in for him as the keynote speaker at a breakfast for visiting dignitaries this morning at the palace. Part of my role as sheikh involves public service. I realize this is an inconvenience for you, Laura, but perhaps there is a way I can make it up to you.”
She crossed her arms, not quite comfortable with his words. Yes, he was amazingly good-looking and she imagined he was probably equally stunning in bed, but she wasn’t the kind of girl who had one-night stands. Or stands of any kind at all, really. Sure, she wasn’t a blushing virgin by any means, but it had been a while since her last steady relationship and the last thing she needed now was to have some crazy desert fling when all she should be concentrating on was not losing her job. Laura scooted a bit farther into the corner, the door pressing into her back, as she eyed him warily. “What exactly do you have in mind?”
No matter how worldly she’d tried to appear, her insecurities must’ve been written all over her face, because next thing Laura knew, Raheem was laughing. And damn if the sound wasn’t just as intoxicating as the man himself—deep, rich, with a slightly naughty lilt that made all her girly parts snap to attention. Maybe that desert fling wasn’t sounding so crazy after all.
Raheem sobered and gave her a solemn nod. “I assure you, Laura, my intentions toward you are purely honorable. I am a rich man, a powerful man. I can literally have any woman in my country at my beck and call. I am not interested in that from you.”
Sudden irritation made her frown. She wanted to ask him why the hell not, but that would hardly be appropriate. So, instead, she raised her chin and narrowed her gaze. “What do you want from me?”
“I believe you accompanying me to this breakfast may be beneficial for both of us.” He stretched his arm out across the back of the seat as if he owned the place, which of course he did. His long, tapered, tanned fingers rested near her shoulder, not touching her but still sending ripples of awareness through her entire right side. “You see, after talking with you last night, I believe your skills and my needs intersect. Do you believe in fate, Laura?”
What she believed right about then was that if she didn’t get some fresh air soon, she might burst into flames from the sheer magnetism of the man beside her. Not only was he gorgeous, he was charming and persuasive and utterly enthralling. Especially when his eyes lit up with an idea. It was almost like a fire burned inside him and his passion radiated through his golden-hued gaze.
She found herself leaning ever so slightly closer to him before forcing herself back into her corner. She needed to be smart here, to think with her head and not her heart. “Fate doesn’t pay the bills,” Laura said, as pragmatically as possible. “But go on.”
One side of Raheem’s lips curved into a wry smile. “You are a realist then, like my brother Rehaj. This is good. You will balance me and help keep my optimism in check. See? I know the fates had brought you to me for a reason.”
“Still waiting to hear that reason.”
Snark wasn’t Laura’s usual MO in such situations, but she needed to do something to keep her wits about her and not crawl into Raheem’s lap and kiss him silly.
“I’d like to enlist your help with my campaign to bring in more tourism to my country. Your skills as a location scout would be most helpful in choosing the right areas to highlight for maximum effect and I’m willing to pay you whatever you need for your time and inconvenience. Just name your price.”
Stunned, Laura blinked at him a moment. Well, that hadn’t been what she’d expected at all. Not to mention the fact she still had her boss at the production company to deal with and she knew precious little about Raheem or his country’s government. In truth, the only part of Djeva she’d seen was what they’d passed on their way from the airport to the hotel in Al-Qustra. They’d passed through a small village, the living quarters of the residents nothing more than tattered tents strung up with rough wooden poles. It reminded her a lot of the slums of India when she’d worked on a film shoot there. A far cry from the opulent luxury that Raheem and his family obviously enjoyed and probably not the best scenery to bring the foreign tourist dollars rolling in.
As they passed from the open desert into the outskirts of Al-Qustra, Laura stared out the window beside her. From the basic mud brick buildings and general well-worn appearance of the population, the country needed a major modernization facelift. The people of Djeva also needed an economic boost, a distribution of wealth that didn’t include ultra-rich men like Raheem getting richer. She’d told Raheem as much the night before, when he’d asked, which was just one more reason his offer had surprised her.
“Perhaps after you have attended the breakfast at the palace, you will be in a better position to make your decision,” Raheem said, back on his phone once more.
They made a turn down a road Laura hadn’t seen before and soon passed through an ornate set of white marble and wrought iron gates. Ahead was the most spectacular piece of architecture she’d ever seen in real life. With its glowing white marble pillars and huge, towering glass domes, it looked like a kissing cousin to the Taj Majal. Mouth open in astonishment, Laura turned to Raheem again. “That’s where you live?”
He glanced up from his phone and lowered his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to look out the front windshield, then back at her, his crooked smile back in place. “Welcome to Djeva.”
The driver pulled their SUV up to a rounded, paved front drive and servants rushed out to open their doors. The other SUVs were lined up in front of and behind them as well. Soon the entire family and their staff headed up the grand marble steps and into the massive twenty-foot high mahogany doors into the palace.
Laura felt like Alice down the rabbit hole. Gleaming black and white tiles covered the floors as far as the eye could see. Plush red carpets bisected them, creating walkways through the opulence. Everything appeared to be gilded or encrusted with jewels or covered in hand-painted enamels. She did her best not to gawk and failed miserably, if the grin Raheem was giving her was any indication.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Jessenia said, coming up beside Laura. “A bit too showy for my taste though. I’m more of a contemporary minimalist kind of girl.”
Raheem’s oldest brother, Feraz, immediately was flanked by a bunch of officials in black suits who walked with him off down a hallway on the right. A set of double doors closed behind them. Raheem’s other brother, Rehaj, took off down the hallway on the opposite side of the huge foyer and soon the sound of a slamming door echoed behind him as well.
That left Laura, Raheem, Jessenia, and a trio of women she’d not met yet. She assumed at least one of them was Raheem’s sister, since they all shared similar features. The oldest of the trio stepped forward with her hand extended.
“Hello, I’m Cala, Raheem’s older sister.” Her smile was sweet and her dark eyes flashed with sincerity. “Well, not as old as Jess, but still older than Raheem.”
Jess gave a snort then waved the other two girls over. They both looked to be in their teens and, as Laura looked closer, she recognized the one girl from the security tent the night before.
“You were in the tent last night, working with the computers,” Laura said, shaking the girl’s hand.
“Yep, that was me. I’m Najma, Raheem’s younger sister.” She was about four inches shorter than Laura’s own five-five and a bit curvier. “I’m pretty much a tech geek. I can hack anything and I’m not afraid to try either.”
Laura chuckled at the girl’s chutzpah. Smart and sassy. Always a good combo.
The youngest girl stepped forward, pink streaks highlighting her midnight black hair. She was tapping away on her cell phone and barely glanced up at Laura. “Hey. Razi.”
Jess gave her youngest sister a hard stare then shook her head. “Razi’s only interests these days are boys, clothes, and makeup. She’s a complete heathen and spoiled rotten, but we love her anyway.”
Razi rolled her eyes as only a teenager can then wandered off again
, still texting away.
“Right.” Raheem stepped forward to take Laura’s arm and guide her toward a third hallway branching off from the round foyer. “If you come this way, I’ll have the servants show you to your quarters where you can freshen up before the breakfast.”
They headed down a long marble hall lined on one side with precious antique furniture and paintings and on the other with large windows looking out over a central courtyard and lavish gardens. It was all quite lovely and quite overwhelming. Raheem took a right and led her into the interior of the palace before stopping before a rather plain white door.
“I shall leave you here to rest and rejuvenate. Please feel free to make use of anything you find in your room. I will send someone in an hour or so to fetch you for the breakfast.”
After a quick bow, he walked away, leaving Laura to stare at the door alone.
She held her breath as she walked inside, unsure what to expect. Part of her felt like a kid on Christmas morning. The other part of her had read far too many Sheikh romances as a teen and feared she’d been kidnapped for the evil prince’s harem of sin. Seriously. There had to be something wrong with Raheem and his family, right? They couldn’t be as wonderful and nice as they seemed, could they?
Her quarters, though, were just as spectacular as everything else she’d seen thus far in the palace, with a huge four-poster mahogany bed strewn with emerald green velvet duvets and pillows, a separate changing area, enormous walk-in closet, and tiny sitting area complete with a cozy fireplace. But for all its luxury, there was still a hominess about it, a feeling of refuge and comfort. It was lovely.
The Sheikh's Tempting Assistant: Sheikh's Meddling Sisters: Book One Page 3