‘How’s the mother?’
Sam jumped when Khalid appeared at her side, her heart racing as she fought to get a grip. She was tired after the long night attending to her patient and emotionally raw too. It took a lot of effort to maintain an outward show of composure.
‘Not too bad, all things considered. The pains have stopped and I’m hopeful that she won’t go into labour just yet, but she’s obviously worried about her sons. How are they?’
‘Not too good, I’m afraid.’ He grimaced. ‘The older boy has suffered quite extensive burns and the younger one, although not as badly burned, is very shocked. I’ve decided that they would be better off in hospital so I just need to make the necessary arrangements to get them there.’
‘Surely it would be too much to drive them across the desert,’ Sam said worriedly.
‘It would. I’ll have them transferred by helicopter. That way they should be there within the hour. Is the mother well enough to go with them or is it too risky to move her?’
Sam shook her head. ‘No. I think she would be better off going with them. Not only will it stop her worrying so much about the boys but if she does go into labour then at least she will have all the facilities on hand. The baby won’t stand much of a chance if it’s born out here.’
‘Right. That’s what we’ll do, then. I just wanted to know what you thought.’ He gave her a quick smile. ‘I didn’t want to arrange for her to be moved against your wishes, Sam.’
‘Thank you.’ Sam returned his smile, feeling a little glow of happiness spring up inside her. It was good to know that he valued her opinion.
It was all systems go after that. Sam returned to the tent and with the aid of one of the women who spoke a little English explained to Jameela what was going to happen. It was obvious that the idea of traveling in the helicopter alarmed her but once she knew that her sons were going as well, she accepted it. Sam checked her over once more, relieved to find that her contractions hadn’t started again. It seemed that the drugs she had given Jameela had worked, or they had done for now. All she could do was hope that if Jameela did go into labour, it wouldn’t happen until she was safely in the hospital.
Half an hour later the helicopter arrived. It circled the camp, looking for a place to land. Khalid and some of the men had marked out a suitable site and it set down there. As soon as the rotors stopped turning, he and Peter carried the two boys to the helicopter, where they were met by the on-board medics. Once the children were safely aboard, it was time to move Jameela. Sam held her hand while a couple of the women helped her walk to the helicopter. She could feel her trembling and squeezed her fingers.
‘It will be fine, Jameela. There’s no need to be scared,’ she assured her, even though the poor soul couldn’t understand a word she said.
Jameela smiled bravely as Sam let her go. She allowed the medics to help her on board and then the doors closed. Sam moved back out of the way, covering her face with her hands when the rotors began to turn, setting up a veritable sandstorm.
‘Here.’ Khalid pulled her to him, pressing her face against his shoulder as the sand swirled around them. He’d had the foresight to wrap a checked scarf around his head and he pulled it over his nose and mouth as the helicopter lifted off.
Sam clung to him, using his body as a buffer against the downdraught created by the helicopter as it rose. Her skin was stinging from the abrasive touch of the sand but at least she could breathe now that her face was pressed against his shoulder. With a final roar, the helicopter took to the skies and the air began to settle.
Sam raised her head, checking that it was safe to leave the protection of Khalid’s shoulder, and found herself staring straight into his eyes. Just for a moment he stared right back at her as though frozen in time and then his head dipped as he claimed her mouth in a searing kiss that seemed to strike right to the very core of her being.
Sam knew she should push him away, knew that she should do anything necessary to stop what was happening, but she was powerless to resist the seductive taste of his mouth. It was only when she heard voices that she managed to break free but she could feel herself trembling, bone-shaking tremors that racked her body from head to toe.
Turning, she made her way to the four-by-four, afraid to stop, afraid to look back, afraid to do anything that would acknowledge what a fool she was. She had no idea why Khalid had kissed her but it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that she had wanted his kiss, wanted it desperately even though she knew how stupid it was. Tears filled her eyes as she climbed into the vehicle. She wasn’t over him, as she had believed. She couldn’t be. Not when he could make her feel like this.
* * *
Khalid was relieved when they arrived back at their camp. He got out of the vehicle, leaving Peter and Sam to sort out their supplies. Normally, he would have helped them, but he couldn’t face it, couldn’t face the thought of making conversation with Sam after what had happened. His mouth thinned as he strode into the men’s tent. Why in the name of all that was holy had he kissed her? He hadn’t planned on doing it, yet the moment he had looked into her eyes he had felt this overwhelming need to feel her mouth under his.
He cursed under his breath, aware that he had done the very thing he had sworn he wouldn’t do. He had kissed Sam, held her close, tasted the sweetness of her lips, and it was going to be impossible to ignore what had happened. Even if he never mentioned it again, Sam knew how much he had wanted her and that was the last thing he needed. To know that she knew he was so vulnerable was more than he could bear.
Khalid went into the bathroom and stripped off his dusty clothes. Stepping into the shower, he tried to work out what he was going to say to her. He needed an excuse, a bona fide reason to explain why he had kissed her, but for the life of him he couldn’t come up with anything. He could hardly admit that he had been so overcome with desire that he hadn’t been able to stop himself kissing her, could he?
By the time he had dressed again, their first patients were starting to arrive. Han was sorting them out, giving everyone a number so they could be seen in turn. Khalid nodded to him as he made his way to his desk. Maybe it would be best to ignore what had happened and concentrate on the job he had come to do. Explaining his actions could cause more harm than good. He looked up as his first patient approached his desk and felt his heart grind to a halt when out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam come in. She glanced across at him then looked away when she realised he was watching her.
Khalid sighed. There was no point fooling himself. It wouldn’t be possible to ignore that kiss when he and Sam had to work together. He had to think of an explanation for what had happened, one that had little bearing on the truth too.
* * *
It was another busy session. By the time clinic ended, Sam was reeling from exhaustion. She gathered up her notes, smiling her thanks when Aminah offered to file them for her.
‘Thank you. I think I’ll go and have a lie down before lunch,’ she told the other woman. ‘I feel absolutely shattered.’
‘It’s little wonder when you were up all night,’ Aminah said solicitously. ‘I shall attend to the notes and restock the shelves ready for this afternoon’s clinic.’
Sam thanked her again then made her way to the women’s tent. Jess was already there and she grimaced when Sam went in.
‘How are you? Peter told me what happened. You must be exhausted.’
‘I am rather,’ Sam admitted, kicking off her shoes and lying down on her bed. She sighed. ‘Has Peter heard how the children and their mother are doing?’
‘No, not yet.’ Jess shook her head. ‘He said one of the boys was very badly injured, though. It didn’t sound too hopeful to me.’
‘Let’s just pray for a miracle,’ Sam said softly.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to discuss the night’s events. She wanted
to forget what had happened and especially what had gone on that morning. Heat poured through her veins as she recalled the feel of Khalid’s mouth on hers. It might be six years since he had kissed her but she would have recognised the taste and feel of his lips anywhere. Why had he done it, though? What had possessed him to kiss her when they both knew it wasn’t going to lead anywhere? Or did he think that he could pick up where he had left off and she wouldn’t object?
The thought made anger flash through her. She wasn’t going to become his plaything, if that’s what he hoped. She valued herself far too highly for that. And the next time she saw him she would make it clear that if he had any ideas along those lines, he could forget them.
* * *
The day came to an end at last. Khalid gathered together his notes and took them over to the filing cabinet. He felt weary beyond belief, the busy day coming on top of the long night completely sapping his energy levels. He was the last to leave and he paused in the doorway, wondering if he could be bothered going for dinner. Although he knew that he should eat, it seemed too much of an effort, especially when he would have to face Sam.
He groaned. What on earth was he going to say to her about that kiss? The whole time he had been attending to his patients he had kept churning it over in the back of his mind, but he was no closer to finding an answer. How could he explain why he had experienced that burning need to feel her mouth under his when he didn’t understand it himself?
His expression was grim as he bypassed the canteen. His tent was mercifully empty, the other occupants obviously having decided to go for dinner. Throwing himself down on his bed, Khalid stared at the canvas ceiling, wondering what to do. After all, nothing had changed. If he and Sam got involved again then she would end up getting hurt. And that was the one thing he had always wanted to avoid.
‘Can I have a word?’
Khalid sat bolt upright when he recognised Sam’s voice. She was standing just inside the entrance to the tent and he could tell immediately how tense she was. His heart began to race as he got to his feet because it was obvious why she had come. She wanted to know what was going on and it was up to him to find some sort of an explanation—if he could.
‘Of course. Is there a problem?’ he asked, stalling for time.
‘I think so, yes.’
She stared back at him and Khalid felt his stomach sink when he saw the anger in her eyes. It was obvious that she had no intention of allowing him to fob her off, so he would have to come up with a really good reason to explain his actions.
‘Why did you kiss me, Khalid? Was it because you thought it would be amusing to use me as your own personal plaything? Because if that’s the case then you are sadly mistaken. I value myself too much to become any man’s toy. Including yours.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
SAM COULD FEEL her heart racing as she waited for Khalid to answer. Maybe she could have couched the question a little more tactfully but she had no intention of tiptoeing around him. If Khalid was playing games with her then he needed to understand that she wasn’t going to co-operate.
‘You are getting things completely out of proportion.’
His voice was icy. Sam felt a shiver inch its way down her spine and fought to control it. She stared back at him, realising that he had never looked more unapproachable than he did at that moment as he pinned her with a look of disdain. However, if he hoped to deflect any more awkward questions by adopting that attitude, he could think again. He might be a royal prince, he might be rich and powerful beyond most people’s wildest dreams, but that meant nothing as far as she was concerned. The only thing that mattered was the fact that he thought he could toy with her affections as he had toyed with them once before.
Anger surged through her and she glared at him. ‘Am I indeed? So that kiss was the result of what exactly? Friendship? Lust? Old times’ sake? Come on, Khalid, you’re the one with all the answers so you explain it to me.’
‘I don’t need to explain myself.’
He stared back at her, his handsome face looking as though it had been carved from stone. In other circumstances, Sam knew she would have found it intimidating to be on the receiving end of a look like that, but not now. Not when anger was bubbling inside her like red-hot lava. It was as though all the years of injustice she had suffered because of her background had melded together, chasing away any qualms she might have had.
‘I disagree.’ She laughed harshly. ‘I’m sorry, Khalid, but I’m not one of your subjects. I have no intention of bowing and scraping before you if that’s what you’re hoping. I asked you a simple enough question and I expect an answer.’
‘It happened, Sam, and it won’t happen again. As far as I’m concerned that’s the end of the matter.’
He went to step around her but she put out her hand and stopped him. ‘And I’m expected to be happy with that, am I?’ Tipping back her head, she glared up at him. ‘I’m sorry, Khalid, but it’s not good enough. I want to know why you kissed me when it’s the last thing that should have happened.’
‘I don’t know why!’
Anger flared in his eyes yet she sensed that it wasn’t directed at her but at himself. Heat flowed through her veins because it was the last thing she had expected. Khalid was always so in control, always able to harness his emotions and direct them whichever way he wanted them to go. She only had to remember that last night, when they had come so close to making love, to have all the proof she needed of that. And yet all of a sudden she realised that he wasn’t in control anymore, that his emotions were leading him and not the other way round, and it scared her. If Khalid couldn’t control his emotions then what hope was there of her controlling hers?
She didn’t try to stop him again as he shrugged off her hand and left. Something warned her that it would be too dangerous. She could feel the echo of all those feelings swirling around her and shuddered. She left the tent but instead of going to join the others, she made her way to the very perimeter of the camp.
Crouching down, she stared out into the blackness of the desert, thinking about what had happened. Even when they had been on the point of making love, Khalid had managed to draw back—he hadn’t allowed his desire to dictate his actions. She could never have done that. If he hadn’t stopped that night then she would have made love with him and suffered even more afterwards because of it. Was that why he had called a halt, she wondered, because he hadn’t wanted to hurt her any more?
She had never considered the idea before and yet all of a sudden she knew it was true. Khalid had been trying to protect her and it cast a wholly different light on what had happened six years ago. He hadn’t been trying to protect himself and his reputation, as she had believed, but her.
Sam took a deep breath, feeling the little knot of hurt that had lain in her heart for all these years unravel. To know that Khalid had cared about her to such an extent changed everything, even though she wasn’t sure why it should have done.
* * *
The rest of the week passed in a blur. Khalid measured the days by the number of patients he saw. It seemed safer that way, less stressful to concentrate on the job he had come to do rather than to think about the mess he had made of things with Sam.
There wasn’t a moment when he didn’t regret that kiss, not a second when he didn’t wish it hadn’t happened, but there was nothing he could do about it. All he could do was try to put it behind him and hope that Sam would do the same. He certainly didn’t relish the thought of her demanding to know why he had kissed her again! Not when he had made such a hash of explaining it the first time. He had come so close to allowing his emotions to take over and the thought made his insides churn. Sam must never guess just how much he had wanted her.
They packed up on the Sunday, ready to move the camp to a fresh site. It was a long and laborious job but if they were to treat as many people as possible
, it was essential that they move around. It was the middle of the afternoon by the time everything was loaded onto the trucks and Khalid could tell that everyone was weary. They planned to leave straight after breakfast the following day and travel to the new site while it was still relatively cool. He came to a swift decision, sensing that they all needed a break.
‘I don’t know about you but I could do with some down time after all that packing. Anyone fancy a barbeque?’
‘You mean here?’ Peter queried, looking unenthusiastically at the remains of their camp.
‘No, out in the desert.’ Khalid laughed. ‘It’s years since I did anything like that but it should be fun. What do you say?’
‘You can count me in,’ Jess told him cheerfully. ‘So long as I don’t have to do the cooking. I’m the world’s worst cook even in a kitchen so pity help you if you let me loose with a barbie!’
‘Right, you’re excused cooking duties,’ Khalid told her with a grin. He looked around the group, his heart performing that odd tumbling movement it had started doing lately whenever he looked at Sam. It was an effort not to let her see how on edge he felt. ‘What about you, Sam? Are you up for it?’
‘Why not?’ She gave a little shrug, making it clear that she didn’t care one way or the other, and for some reason Khalid felt a tiny bit hurt, not that he showed it, of course.
Everyone else eagerly agreed that it was a great idea so in a very short time everything was organised. They packed what they needed into the four-by-fours and Khalid decided to drive one himself. It was a while since he had driven in the desert at night and it would be good to get in some practice. Jess, Aminah, Peter and Han opted to travel with him, which left Anna, Tom and Sam to go with their driver. Khalid waited while they took their seats, refusing to speculate as to why Sam had chosen not to travel with him. It was obvious why when she wanted to avoid him.
One More Night with Her Desert Prince... Page 8