Stormy Affair

by Mayo, Margaret

  She smiled, everything else forgotten. She would tell Hamed of her decision, now. But downstairs all was quiet and dark. He too had gone to bed. Disappointing, but there was nothing she could do except wait until morning.

  She slept restlessly, eager to see Hamed, rising as soon as the sun had pushed away the shadow of night. She showered and dressed in a dusky pink trouser suit, unable to dispel the excitement of having a whole new wardrobe of clothes from which to choose. Hamed must think a great deal of her to go to this trouble, and although at the beginning she had resented it she now felt a pleasurable warmth that he had devoted so much care to her well-being.

  At this early hour she expected to find the dining room empty and had been prepared to wait for both her breakfast and Hamed. It was a surprise to find Fatima laying the table in readiness.

  The young girl looked disconcerted when Amber entered the room. 'I am sorry,' she said in hesitating English, 'breakfast is not yet ready. You are early. We did not expect you down so soon.'

  Amber smiled, trying to put Fatima at her ease. 'Don't worry, it's my own fault. I—I couldn't sleep. I'll take a walk in the garden. If Hamed—Mr Slouma —should come down will you tell him where I am?'

  Fatima nodded and with a sudden shy smile said, 'It

  is nice to have you here, miss. I hope you will be very happy.'

  'Thank you, Fatima,' returned Amber,' wondering exactly what interpretation the servants had put on her presence. 'Tell me,' she added impulsively, 'has Hamed had many girl-friends staying here?'

  Fatima's luminous eyes darted past Amber to some point behind her head before she said, 'I am sorry, miss, I am not at liberty to discuss my employer's private life. If you will excuse me I must get on with my work,' and she scurried from the room as though for some reason she had been afraid to answer. Which was ridiculous, thought Amber, as she only wanted to know the truth.

  A sound behind her caused her to spin round. 'Oh, Hamed, how long have you been there?' But even without his answer she knew he had heard her conversation and judging by the frown darkening his brow he was not very pleased.

  'If you want to know anything at all about my movements I suggest you ask me, not my servants,' he said brusquely.

  'Knowing full well that you wouldn't tell me?' she responded. —

  'Probably not, if I thought it none of your business, but I do object to you talking about me behind my back and I shall not expect you to do it again. Is that clear?' and when Amber stubbornly refused to answer, 'If you do, I shall find out. My staff respect me and are loyal, so please bear that in mind next time you feel like prying.'

  Amber's earlier blissful feeling was crumbling quickly and disappointment added an edge to her

  voice. 'It's your own reserve that instigated my curiosity. Why was it that I had to find out from Rafika what you did for a living? Why didn't you tell me yourself? You expect to marry me, yet it's you yourself who puts up the barriers.'

  With exasperating calm he shrugged and folded his arms across his broad chest. His light cotton shirt strained against his powerful muscles. 'All right. What do you want to know?'

  Put baldly like that what did it matter? Her questions would sound petty, especially when there was something so much more important that she wanted to tell him. With an apologetic smile she said, 'I suppose it really doesn't matter. Besides, Hamed, I've been thinking—about us—I—'

  `To me it does,' cut in Hamed abruptly. 'If you were so curious a few moments ago you cannot thrust it from your mind. It will only continue to bother you. Now, what was the question, how many girl-friends have I entertained here?' Judging by his smile and the glint in his eye he found the thoughts pleasurable.

  'Oh, please,' begged Amber, feeling suddenly uncomfortable, 'I'm not interested, it was a silly question. I—I'm sorry.' After all, what did it matter? Whatever he had done in the past was irrelevant._

  But Hamed spoke almost as though he had not heard her protest. 'Douja was the first one, pretty little Douja.' His eyes clouded reminiscently. 'We spent a lot of time together. She was—beautiful.'

  The way he hesitated made Amber think that he had been going to say something else. She only had to look at his face to see that his memories of Douja were

  extremely happy ones, and the thought was displeasing.

  'And then came Fatouma. She too was—' He described her shape with his hands. 'Oh, and I mustn't forget Elizabeth.'

  'Elizabeth?' asked Amber incredulously. 'Was she English ?'

  He nodded. 'She was a little like you, fair, pretty, about your age.'

  'And did you ask her to marry you?' asked Amber in sudden outrage.

  'Would it bother you if I had?' His brows slid up expressively as he waited for her reply.

  'Let's say I have no wish to be one of a string of girls you've asked to marry you, all of whom have obviously said no. Was that why you told me I was going to marry you, instead of asking? Were you afraid of yet another refusal?' Amber felt strangely near to tears. Things were going all wrong. Her good intentions were being overriden before she had even had time to voice them.

  'Poor Amber, you really are getting yourself worked up over nothing—'

  'Nothing?' she flashed. 'Nothing, when you've just taken great delight in parading your past conquests before me?'

  'But only because you asked,' he protested with an innocence she could only believe was assumed.

  'I didn't ask you. For some reason only known to yourself you insisted on telling me. Were you trying to make me jealous? is that it?' If so, he had succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, but she would die rather than admit it.

  'How could I do that?' he asked. 'You've told me I mean nothing to you, so I assumed that your interest was genuine. I'm sorry if it's caused you distress, that was the farthest thought from my mind.'

  Amber stepped back away from his outstretched hand, her chin tilted haughtily. 'It doesn't matter, not in the least, what you've done. I couldn't care less.'

  He nodded and gave a satisfied smile. 'Good, that is as it should be,' and with a sudden change of conversation, 'Would you care for a swim before breakfast? I usually do, when I have time.'

  'I don't think so,' replied Amber. Their talk had disturbed her deeply and was sufficient to put her off the idea of further intimacies. 'My swimsuit is at the hotel,' she finished lamely, realising he was waiting for a plausible excuse.

  'Perhaps you are forgetting I have fully equipped your wardrobe. You will find several bikinis from which to make your choice. Hurry along, Amber, I dislike being kept waiting.' His tone had changed abruptly, brooking no refusal.

  Amber turned meekly, wondering why she acted this way instead of sticking up for herself. Did Hamed always get what he wanted? Was she conforming to pattern? By the time she had reached her room she had worked herself up into an outrage. How dared he dictate to her! What right had he to say what she should or should not do? She was a free agent and could make up her own mind. `No, I will not go swimming,' she said aloud. 'I will not allow him to order me about!' She sat on the edge of the bed, remaining there stubbornly until the sound of footsteps

  outside warned her that Hamed was coming to see where she, was.

  She rose and stood facing the door as it opened without even so much as a knock. 'Why aren't you ready?' he asked tersely.

  `Because I've changed my mind,' responded Amber with assumed calmness. 'I don't feel like swimming.'

  `You don't feel like it,' he repeated slowly. 'What a pity, because you're going, I want your company, and you should know by now that I always get what I want.'

  `Then you'll have to drag me there,' retorted Amber, 'because I refuse to move.'

  `I will do just that,' he said. 'Do not think I won't, but it would be a pity to spoil your new clothes. First of all I will undress you and put on your bikini.' He strode to the wardrobe and pulled out a brief black and white spotted nylon affair that looked as though it would reveal more than it would cover.

  Amber
stood her ground, not really believing that he would go so far as to touch her. He was trying to frighten her into obeying him. He was in for a surprise!

  But she had misjudged him. With one swift movement he was in front of her, his big hands undoing the buttons on her tunic almost before she had time to stop him. It slid from her shoulders as she fought him and she crossed her arms in an endeavour to cover her body.

  `Do not worry,' he grinned, 'I shall see much more of you in this. Do you want me to finish the job or are you ready to carry on yourself ?'

  `I don't suppose I shall get any peace unless I do ! ' she flamed. 'But only if you wait outside.'

  She half expected him to refuse and was pleasantly surprised when he left. The bikini was nothing more than a few triangles held together by thin straps, and although she felt half naked Amber knew that it showed off her curves to perfection. In the wardrobe she found a towelling robe which she slung about her

  shoulders before making her way outside.

  Hamed, who had been leaning nonchalantly against the wall, turned and led the way along the corridor. The pool was reached by a series of steps at the back of the house and through a covered white archway. Its turquoise-tiled oval looked inviting with the sun sparkling on the softly rippling water. Surrounding the pool were tubs of brilliant flowering shrubs and the ever-present palms, beneath which stood several wooden-framed sun-loungers painted in bright paintbox colours.

  Unselfconsciously Hamed stripped off his shirt and slacks beneath which he wore a pair of tan swimming trunks almost the same colour as his skin. 'Are you ready?' he asked Amber as she stood poised on the edge of the pool. She had discarded the robe beside his clothes and had waited for his comments on the minuscule bikini. When he gave her no more than a cursory glance she felt disappointed. Quite what she had expected she did not know, but certainly more than this apparent total lack of interest.

  In answer to his question she dived cleanly into the pool, gasping at the coldness of the water and surfacing to find him close by her side. 'I thought you said it was heated,' she said, shivering in its icy depths.

  `It's not working at the moment,' he grinned. 'Come on, you'll soon get warm. We'll have a race—three

  lengths. The winner decides what we shall do today.' 'That's not fair,' she retorted, 'you know full well you'll win.'

  'Okay, you do two lengths. I'll start from the other end.'

  Amber watched the effortless ease with which he cut through the water. She doubted whether she would beat him, even with one length start, but somehow it became important that she did. If she could dictate their movements today it would throw open a whole world of ideas. She could even insist that he took her back to the Sahara Beach, and knowing instinctively that he was a man of his word how could he refuse? Last night she had not wanted to leave, but after his revelations this morning there seemed little point in staying. Who wanted to be one of many? He had not actually said he had asked anyone else to marry him, but he had not denied it either, And then there was Rafika. Where did she figure in his plans? Admittedly she was young, but she was every inch a woman and knew what she wanted—even if Hamed himself was sublimely unaware of it. And that type of woman normally got her own way.

  'Right,' shouted Hamed, cutting into her thoughts. 'Go!'

  They began their respective lengths, passing each other before Amber had covered half of the first one. Hamed grinned and gave her a mock salute as he continued his easy powerful strokes.

  It was on her second length that the muscles in Amber's legs contracted painfully, making it impossible for her to carry on. The pool was deep at this point and she floundered helplessly for a few seconds

  before calling out, 'Hamed, help me, I've got cramp!'

  At first he thought she was pretending and was after an excuse to stop the race. But when he realised that she really was in trouble he was by her side instantly. His hands beneath her shoulders, he swam with her to the edge of the pool, lifting her effortlessly up in his arms and laying her down on the edge where he proceeded to massage the knotted muscles in her legs.

  To begin with the pain was so great that Amber lay there, her eyes dosed, allowing him to minister to her needs, but as the pain eased there came an awareness. This was the man she loved, but she would not tell him so again—not after this morning. He was a Casanova, she decided, and although his offer of marriage had seemed genuine she had no proof that he would go through with it. For all she knew he only wanted to get her into bed and afterwards would discard her with as little compunction as when he had told Rafika to go the previous evening.

  She kept her eyes closed so that he should not read her innermost thoughts. His firm, hands on her legs sent quivers of emotion through her limbs and she longed to pull that handsome brown head close and feel his mouth against her. Without realising it her lips parted and the tip of her moist pink tongue ran over them. Hamed's hands travelled up the length of her thighs and Amber's eyes shot open, but there was nothing in his face to suggest that his motives had been anything other than honourable. 'I think that's it,' he said, pushing himself to his feet. 'Time we went in for breakfast.' He held out his hand and hesitantly she put her own into it, allowing him to pull her up. She was cold but could feel the warmth radiating from

  Hamed as for one second they stood so close they were almost touching. Droplets of water still clung to the dark hairs on his chest and beneath his mahogany skin muscles rippled, suggesting that he did much of the hard work on the estate himself. For one heartstopping second she thought he was going to pull her into his arms. His dark eyes narrowed fractionally as they rested upon her face, but the next moment the expression had gone and he let her go, picking up her robe and draping it carelessly about her shoulders.

  He strode ahead of her towards the house and was soon lost to sight beneath the curved archway. He had not bothered to put on his shoes and a trail of damp footprints on the tiled floor told her clearly which way he had gone. They stopped at a door opposite to her own and she frowned. She had not realised that he slept so close. She was still standing debating on the situation when his door was yanked open and he came out, stopping abruptly when he saw her standing outside.

  `Why aren't you ready?' he asked, almost coldly. It had taken him no more than a few seconds to towel himself dry and change into a pair of fawn slacks and short-sleeved matching shirt. His damp hair was combed close to his head but already unruly curls were springing back into life.

  she began, not really knowing what to say. I'm just going,' and she hurried into her room before he could say anything more. His attitude puzzled her. It was as though after last night, when she had admitted her love, he had lost all interest. He had not so much as attempted to kiss her this morning, which was not like the Hamed she knew. A frown

  creased her brow as she took a quick dip under the warming shower before dressing once more in the pink trouser suit.

  Over breakfast Hamed told her that something had cropped up on the estate and that he would have to leave her to her own devices. 'I shall try not to be long,' he said, 'but one never knows, and in case I am late I have arranged for Rafika to spend the day here so that you will not be lonely.'

  'I don't like Rafika,' said Amber instantly before she could stop herself, but not really caring now whether she upset Hamed or not. Rafika was his friend, not hers, so her opinion of the young girl could in no way matter. 'I shall be perfectly all right by myself—or don't you trust me—is that it?' Quick anger that he should think it necessary to provide her with an escort built up. `Do you think I might try to run away?'

  'The thought had occurred to me,' he returned mildly, 'but I hope you will not be so foolish.'

  'Foolish?' echoed Amber 'It's hardly the word I would use. Brave is more like it.'

  'It is a pity you regard yourself as a prisoner here,' he said, putting down his knife with which he had been buttering his roll, 'for that is not what I intended. I want you to be happy, Amber. In a few days we will be
married. Why not spend the time getting used to the idea and preparing yourself for—'

  'For what?' broke in Amber icily, 'for sharing your bed? Do you really expect me to believe that you'll wait until it's all legal? If you wanted to take me you would, don't bother to deny it. It puzzles me why you—' She stopped abruptly, not wishing to put

  into words her humiliation of the previous evening.

  But Hamed with his keen perception knew exactly what was going on in her mind. 'Why I left you feeling frustrated last night?' His eyes glinted wickedly. 'Perhaps your desires were greater than mine, or do you think it could be that I have more self-control? You're very transparent, my charming one. I always know exactly what is going on in that head of yours.' He took a bite from his crusty roll and studied her calmly. 'For instance, I know that you are eaten up with curiosity as to why my feelings towards you have apparently changed.'

  Amber swallowed hastily and looked down at her plate. Was she really so obvious?

  'Perhaps it will put your mind at rest if I explain that I think it only fair to give you time to come to terms with yourself. Perhaps I am rushing you too much. I should hate to have a hostile bride on my wedding day.'

  She could not make up her mind whether Hamed was serious or not. He sounded it, but surely he did not intend to go through with this ludicrous idea of marrying her. She said as much, noting his frown of impatience at what he clearly considered a pointless question. -

  'I have never been more serious in my life.' An arrogant tilt to his head added emphasis to his reply. 'That is one thing you had better make clear in your mind. You are going to be my wife and nothing or no one will stand in my way.'

  'Despite the fact that you don't love me?' flung back Amber uncaringly. 'What sort of a marriage do you think it will be? Oh, I wish I understood you. I

  wish I knew what this farce was all about!'

  Hamed wiped his mouth on a napkin and picked up his coffee cup. 'One day you will learn the truth. Until then I suggest you try to control that temper of yours and take each day as it comes. Tunisia is a beautiful place and I pride myself on my home. Enjoy it, Amber. You only have one life, why spoil it with harsh thoughts ?'