Sarah laughed. “I think the Al Mansur men attract energy like a vortex. You all have to learn to use it wisely.”
“And perhaps that is best accomplished with the help of a good woman,” said Quasar softly.
Everyone looked surprised, perhaps that he was speaking so frankly in front of Dani. She wasn’t sure he’d even mentioned her to them before. She pretended to be busy tugging apart a croissant. Did Quasar really have such strong feelings for her? It was a little intimidating. She hadn’t let herself dare to imagine that he might feel anything beyond attraction and lust. They hadn’t known each other long enough.
And her father hated the whole Al Mansur family with a fiery passion.
“Dani, is your father Mohammed Hassan?”
She felt her eyes widen at Salim’s question. Apparently the time for niceties had passed and he was going to bring up the lawsuit. “Yes.”
“Our father paid for that land fair and square,” Salim continued. “There’s no written contract because...”
“Because my grandfather couldn’t read or write.” She’d heard the sob stories about an illiterate fisherman being cheated out of his legacy. And his brilliant, self-educated son—her father—devoting his life to getting it back.
“Exactly. But that doesn’t invalidate the deal. A handshake was as good as an iron-clad legal document back then. Still is, to men of honor.”
She bristled. Was he trying to say her father wasn’t a man of honor? He wasn’t the warmest person in the world, but he’d worked hard to provide an excellent life for his family. Right now she felt guilty at not always appreciating the sacrifices that must have involved. “I confess I don’t know much about the matter except that my father feels very strongly about it.”
She glanced at Quasar, wondering what he was thinking. It was quite rude of his brother to bring the matter up. Was he hoping she could convince her father to drop the suit?
“Hardly anyone in Oman could read or write before 1970.” Quasar shrugged. “We were still living in much the same way we had in the Middle Ages. Sultan Qaboos started a slow revolution that has created an educated populace and modern infrastructure, but kept the heart of our traditions. I’m pretty sure he would think a handshake contract is binding.”
“Why don’t you ask him next time you’re riding one of his spectacular cavalry horses?” Elan sipped his coffee. “Quasar became buddies with him a few years ago when he sold him a little gray mare he’d trained for tent-pegging. They go riding together around his estate.”
“I doubt he’d be interested in a piece of empty coastline. He likes to talk about emerging technologies. I swear I thought he was going to buy that networking software company I sold three years ago.”
Dani was speechless. Quasar rode with Sultan Qaboos? She’d seen the sultan in parades and he always seemed like a figure from an ancient myth, not someone you could have a ride and a chat with. More proof that Quasar lived in an elevated realm far above hers.
“Of course the original contract is binding,” murmured Salim. “Money changed hands. That in itself is a contract. And although it appears a small sum now it was quite reasonable at the time. It’s provoking that this lawsuit is clouding the title when I’m now ready to develop the property.”
Dani frowned. Her father’s lawsuit was actually preventing the Al Mansurs from going ahead with their plans? A cold shiver ran through her. Was it possible that Quasar had actually brought her here with the ulterior motive of putting pressure on her to get her father to abandon his suit?
Maybe all along he knew who she was and he’d approached her with the explicit aim of winning over her father. That would explain why he came to the house to press his claim on her, even when she’d asked him not to. Her croissant stuck in her throat and she tried hard not to search their faces. Were they all in on some conspiracy against her family?
“Why can’t you pay Mr. Hassan enough money to buy his good graces?” Quasar suggested brightly, as if the idea had just occurred to him.
“Don’t think I haven’t thought of it.” Salim sighed. “But I find in business that when you offer an olive branch like that it can be turned against you as proof that your original claim on the property wasn’t valid. It’s usually better to hold one’s course until the storm is over.”
Celia caught Dani’s eye and shrugged. She looked embarrassed. At least someone was. She couldn’t believe they were discussing this right in front of her as if she weren’t there. Unless it was part of some plot. Why hadn’t Quasar intervened to stop the conversation?
“Are you hoping I can convince him to drop the suit?” She finally spoke up. It was either that or run from the room, and since she’d resolved to take control of her life, speaking up was better.
“Of course not.” Quasar looked shocked. “I’m sorry it’s even come up. Salim, you’re making my guest uncomfortable. I brought her here to meet you all and get to know you and you’re stirring up some family feud that has nothing to do with her. I’m so sorry.” He looked so genuinely contrite that she almost forgot her ideas that this visit was part of a scheme to end the land dispute.
Almost.
“That’s okay. As I said, it has nothing to do with me. I wish my father would drop his lawsuit but I really don’t have any influence over him in the matter.”
The children had grown restless during the boring adult discussion and were now chasing each other around the table. “I think it’s time to hit the beach,” said Sara. “I’ll grab the towels and sunblock if someone else could bring the sand toys.”
“I’m on it,” said Elan.
“I’ll herd the children,” said Salim, with an indulgent smile at them. And just like that they were all headed for the beach. Dani wasn’t sure whether she liked being bundled so easily into the family group. Her nerves jumped when Quasar touched her a couple of times as they walked along the elegant allée of date palms that led to the beach. Part of her was excited and flattered to be here, and the rest was terrified that she was in way over her head.
They spent about two hours building a magnificent kneeling camel out of sand, kept damp by an elaborate network of canals hand-dug by Elan and his son, Ben. When the camel was done, it was solid enough for the children to climb carefully onto its back and “ride.”
No further mention was made of her father and his land claim. In fact the conversation centered around education and the dilemmas that the Al Mansur parents were facing regarding the benefits of homeschooling their children so they could travel freely, versus letting them enjoy the social environment of a real school. Both families had decided to travel and homeschool while the children were younger, then worry about where to settle so the kids could enjoy more stable social lives once they were in their teens.
It was refreshing to hear people who thought nothing of living part of their lives in the States and part in Oman. When she’d moved to New Jersey for college her Omani friends had been appalled and swore that she’d never come back. You’d have thought she’d decided to colonize deep space. When she met her husband and settled there, with her father’s stern disapproval, she did indeed wonder if she’d ever see Oman and her brothers again. It had taken a lot of courage and humility to come back, and at the time, her departure from the States had seemed final and permanent.
Now she wondered if in fact she could make a life that involved both places. Her expertise seemed to lend itself to that, if she could just find the right niche. She felt invigorated and excited about her future by the time Quasar pointed out that it was time for her to go home.
She was forced to admit, on the drive back, that Quasar’s family was both warm and welcoming and that she’d actually enjoyed herself. She’d almost forgotten her fears that they’d brought her there to convince her to win her father over.
Until Quasar brought up the subject. “How much do you thi
nk your father would take to drop his claim on the land?”
“Are you serious?” Her worst fears flared up again.
“Why not? It would solve a lot of problems. He might even start to like me if I can resolve this issue that’s been nagging at him for decades.”
She snuck a sideways glance at him. Was he interested in her because she could help him solve the land problem, or was he interested in the land problem because it could help him win her?
It was too confusing for her to tackle. “I don’t think he’d take money at this point. I think he wants the land back.”
“What would he do with it?”
“Sell it on the open market, I suppose. But there’s no way to know what it’s truly worth until he does that. He says the location is so prime there would be multiple offers for it.”
“Salalah has a lot of empty coastline.”
Suspicion flickered inside her. “Not in the middle of town.”
“You’d be surprised. It may not be worth as much as he thinks.”
Her throat tightened. “I have no idea what it’s worth and I don’t want to get involved.” She wanted to get home and away from Quasar before he charmed her into anything else.
“What about one million dollars? American money.”
Now she was really getting upset. “I don’t know. It’s not my land. You’d have to ask him.” If this were the real reason for his visit last night it would explain why he didn’t care if she wanted him to meet her father or not.
“He says he won’t negotiate with an Al Mansur.”
“Then you have your answer.” She checked her watch. It was nearly three-thirty and to be safe she needed to be home by four. Her youngest brother often got home from school around that time. Luckily they were already in her neighborhood.
Quasar sighed. “I wish I could convince my brother to just give him the land. Now that you’ve met Salim you can see that Salalah would have to freeze over before that happened.”
She softened. “If Salalah froze over the hotels might not be so popular. Unless he opens a ski resort in the mountains.”
Quasar laughed. “I suspect he’d like the way you think.” He pulled on to her street and drove up to the front of her house. Then he glanced both ways and drove around to the back entrance. “I can’t stand to leave you. I want to spend more time with you.”
I want to make love to you. She read the words in his gaze and they echoed in her heart.
Was this part of his charm? A slick gloss over an ulterior motive? Or was Quasar really as smitten with her as she was with him?
“Can I come in, just for a moment?” His soft words scandalized her.
“You’ve got to be kidding. I promised my father I wouldn’t see you again. You’ve already made me a liar and now you want to trespass in his house?”
“I’ve been accused of having a different set of morals than most people.”
“I don’t think that’s a good thing.” She gathered her bag off the floor. “I have to go.”
“Kiss me.”
His gaze, hooded, dark and filled with passion, stole her breath and every last ounce of her common sense. Suddenly her lips were on his, kissing him with tenderness. His arms wrapped around her in the cramped space of the car, and his exhilarating male scent filled her senses. The effect he had on her was shocking. Once minute she was normal and sensible, the next...
“I’m desperate to make love to you.” He gestured to the house with his head.
“No way. You’re crazy.”
“Kiss me again, then.” He covered her mouth with his before she had a chance to refuse. His hands on her body stirred passion that grew into an ache. He pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. “You know you want to.”
“I do, but...” The prospect of making love with Quasar in her own bedroom was terrifying and electrifying at the same time. Her whole body burned to feel his pressed against it. “We’ll have to be really quick.” Heart pounding, she extricated herself from his embrace and climbed out of the car. She couldn’t believe she was about to do this, but apparently that wasn’t enough to stop her. It was a crazy foolish risk but somehow that felt right. She’d been tiptoeing quietly through life, putting her own needs and desires last for far too long. Following her instincts felt daring and liberating.
The back door had a key code and she unlocked it and ushered him down the dim hallway past the empty servants’ bedrooms. “In here.” She ducked into her bedroom and pulled him with her, locking the door behind her. Her familiar bedroom, with its calming lilac walls and floral-patterned bedcover, looked utterly different dominated by the tall and commanding presence of Quasar.
Within seconds they were grabbing at each other’s clothes and shucking them off to reveal bare, anxious skin. Dani clutched at him, pressing her chest to his, reveling in the closeness that banished all her doubts about his intentions.
He wanted her. Nothing else.
Quasar kissed her face, her neck, her hands, with worshipful passion. He kissed her thighs, her knees and her ankles. Then, easing her back onto the bed, he licked her sex until she gasped with pleasure.
For an instant she was distracted by the framed picture of her high school class photo, then by the stuffed bear her friend Nala had given her. Things that reminded her there was a real world out there beyond Quasar’s intense embrace. Then she forgot again and folded herself into him, watching with joy and impatience as he donned a condom. Welcoming him into her and moving with him on her familiar bedspread, letting sensation and emotion wash over her like a tidal wave she couldn’t fight but could only hope to flow with.
They climaxed in a rush of almost unbearable tension and release that made her cry out so loud that Quasar clapped his hand over her mouth and startled her. Eyes gleaming with arousal and amusement, he urged her to be quiet and not give them away.
She watched her own chest rising and falling as if she’d run a marathon. “What have you done to me?”
“Awakened you.” He kissed her cheek softly, his eyes closing for just that instant. “You were like the sleeping beauty, sleepwalking through life. Now you’re living in the moment.”
“Living like a crazy person.” The clock on her wall said 3:45 p.m. “My brother Khalid could be home any minute.”
“You can tell him I’m the mailman.”
She smiled. “He’ll know you’re not. The real one gives him gum sometimes.”
He put on a mock serious expression and pretended to check his pockets even though he was naked. “I don’t have gum.” He let go of a wistful sigh and stroked a finger along her body. “You’re beautiful, and sensual, and affectionate, and I can’t get enough of you.”
“Sorry to disappoint you yet again but you need to leave right now.” Half-playful and half-serious, she pushed him off her and reached for her clothes. It was hard to tug them on. Her whole body was trembling with excitement and something akin to shock.
“What if I won’t go?” Sprawled across her single bed, he knitted his hands behind his head and pretended to ease farther onto the mattress. “Then what will you do?”
“That’s not funny. I hate bossy men, remember?”
He smiled and rolled up and onto his feet. “I’m not really bossy. I’m just...” He seemed to think about it for a moment.
“You’re just trouble.” She picked up his pants off the floor and threw them at him. “Get dressed and get out of here.” Even while she pretended to scold him, excitement at their escapade rippled through her. They were both healthy, consenting adults. Why couldn’t they enjoy each other’s company?
Quasar pulled his pants on far more slowly than she liked. She tried to bundle his arms into his shirt to hurry him up, but he ended up grabbing her around the waist and kissing her until she wondered if they’d need a second condom
.
Then she heard something and froze. Footsteps in the hallway.
Eight
“It must be Khalid.” Her heart was jumping around in her chest.
“Why don’t you introduce me?”
Dani motioned for Quasar to be silent. “He probably saw you here last night. He certainly heard you. There’s no way we can pretend you’re just a friend, even if it wasn’t totally inappropriate for me to have a male friend come visit me here alone. We have to get you out of here without him seeing you.”
“I’ll climb out the window.” He looked amused by the idea.
“You can’t. It has a grating over it. It’s locked from the outside and I don’t know where the key is.”
“That sounds very dangerous in case of a fire.”
She motioned again for him to be quiet. Now was not the time to worry about fire safety. He shrugged his shirt on, quickly buttoned it and examined the window. “Will he come in?” He gestured toward the hallway.
“No. But he might wonder why I haven’t come out to say hello. I’ll have to pretend I was napping and didn’t hear him come in.” It was hard to speak quietly enough that the sound wouldn’t travel into the hallway. “Maybe you should hide behind the door. I’ll go distract him with something in the kitchen, and you can dash out the hallway past the servants’ quarters.”
“It’s lucky you don’t have any servants.” He tucked in his shirt. “I’ll sneak out like an experienced diamond thief.”
Dani’s heart was in her throat as she opened the door with Quasar hidden behind it. If her brother saw her he’d rat her out for sure. He wasn’t mean but he was a Goody Two-shoes. She’d been one at his age, too.
“Khalid? Is that you? I fell asleep!” She hurried down the hallway toward the living room. Her brother often threw his bag down in there and lay on the sofa before he started his homework. “Could you help me get the lid off the new olive jar? I’ve been trying all afternoon.” She had to lure him into the kitchen. It was the only room where you couldn’t see into the central hallway. She prayed that Quasar would be patient enough to wait.
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