“Can’t we drive into the desert?” She begged prettily.
Afraid to fly. He’d use any means to find out what the hell she was up to, even if it meant using sex to get answers. He smiled. Especially if it involved sex.
“No,” he answered, smiling down at her, “It’s too far and we don’t have time.
His face burned with embarrassment. Why, with everything he’d seen last night, did he still desire this woman? Want her with a strangling longing that burned like a four-alarm fire? He must be out of his freakin’ mind. His brows furrowed. What a shame. He’d been looking forward to exploring everything about her. Now . . . doubt, like a spoiled hunk of meat, churned in his stomach. Since that first drugging kiss, he’d had a one-track mind, and it had cost him. He’d made mistakes. You’d think he’d be immune to all this, but somehow, Candace Danvers managed to worm under his armor.
Lesson learned. Everyone had an agenda. She’d blistered his ego right from the start. Put him in his place. And that body of hers, perfection—womanly, exciting. Whoever sent her on this mission had studied him well, perfected his taste in women, and picked the right one for the job. She had him right where she wanted him. He smiled. Or so she thought. Until he knew what she was after, he’d let her believe that beguiling fantasy.
But he had to do something about his body’s reaction to her. He couldn’t walk around all day and night with an erection. And he couldn’t keep standing under the spray of an artic shower. No, he had to lead the Black Scorpions. Had to function like a normal man, even though she excited him every minute of every day. His gaze raked her, taking in the tight-fitting grey slacks that emphasized her long legs and cradled the curved mounds of her delicious behind. But it was the white silk blouse that knocked him for a loop. The V-neck opening hugged her cleavage, teasing him with just a glimpse of her satiny globes. When she bent to smooth an imaginative crease in her slacks, it granted him an empyrean vision of her breasts, encased in a lacey, stop-your-heart, bra. White, covered in flirty feminine lace. His eyes nearly popped out of his head. Horny bastard. His ability to speak, or breathe for that matter, became severely impaired. Heat flashed through him, moving like lava flowing down the side of a volcano, starting with his brain and then inching down to his ever-present erection. He wanted to drag her into his arms and kiss the hell out of her. To probe those savory and yielding lips beneath his once again. To experience the joy of his fingers sliding over her satiny skin. Up and down, the smooth movement caressing every inch of her body. He blew out his pent-up breath. Buddy, you better get a handle on your emotions. You are out of control. He blinked several times, struggling to center himself.
As if.
Even now, with the added morsel of intrigue, he was going ballistic. Soon he’d have to quell these sensual fires ravaging his body if he ever hoped to regain his concentration and focus on saving his father’s life.
Her body trembling beneath his fingers snapped him out of his erotic daydream. Of course she’s frightened, you moron. Who wouldn’t be after that episode with sabotaging the plane yesterday? He couldn’t blame her. After that experience, a lot of people wouldn’t want to fly again.
“Candace, look at me.”
She complied. Her eyes riveted on his. His heart stopped. Why couldn’t it have been different between them? Why couldn’t she have been just the wedding planner?
He gave himself a mental scolding. Focus, you damn fool. Get your head in the game before someone dies. The glimmer of fear clouding her eyes broke his heart. He was terribly torn. What a nightmare. Smoothing a lock of her hair behind her ear, he vowed, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You know that, right?” He had to keep up this masquerade until he knew exactly who she was and who she worked for.
Tears brimmed in her eyes—her amazing eyes, the color of the cloudless desert sky. The persuasion of her crystal blue eyes melted him, puddled his ego at her feet. He cupped her face in his hands, completely bowled over by the delicate bone structure of her angelic face between his massive hands. “You’re going to be all right, I promise.”
Pitifully, she nodded her head. Was this all an act? If so, she deserved an Oscar for her performance. Her hand reached up and encased his. Sweaty palms slid across his skin. Maybe this wasn’t an act.
He pulled her into his embrace, pushing her head against his chest, enveloping her until the shaking eased. “Let’s go.”
Picking her up, he assisted her into the plane. A whirlwind of sand temporarily blinded them, some of the grainy particles spilling across the floor of the helicopter.
The pilot handed Diyari a folded note. He sat and quickly read Taj’s handwriting. She’s CIA. Thought you should know.
“Problems?” Candace asked, reaching for her headset.
“Nope. Just a schedule update from Taj.” He replied, tucking the note into his pocket, the weight on his heart easing a tad. CIA he could handle. For a long moment he struggled to breathe. Whoa.
So now he knew. All his suspicions documented. But why all the secrecy? Their countries were allies. Unless—he reached for his headset—unless they mistrusted the royal family with the knowledge they obtained? Mistrusted him? Thought he could be a party to this . . . upheaval.
Within seconds, they were airborne. Sitting opposite her gave him time to scrutinize her, really study her. To squash all the doubts that had plagued him since he glimpsed her climbing up the vines. He began to notice indications of a trained agent he shouldn’t have missed. Well-worked muscles, her gaze taking in every square inch of the inside of the helicopter before focusing on the flight plan. How with practiced ease she pulled on the headset and adjusted the mouth piece like she’d done those things a thousand times. Funny how he’d overlooked the clear signals yesterday. A smile creased his lips. Because, you fool, you’d been thinking with your dick instead of paying attention to concrete evidence. His provocative appetite would be the death of him yet. Even now, she completely befuddled him, smashing into his ability to concentrate on anything but her. The mouth-watering view she afforded him every time she stirred began to take a toll. He squirmed in his seat, hoping to ease the pain of his erection. He spread his legs wider and dropped his hands into his lap to cover the evidence.
“Your Royal Highness, will we be staying at a desert palace?” Her voice, low and intimate coming through the headset, eclipsed his brain with percolating sensuality. This sustained sexual expectation was driving him crazy. He couldn’t handle much more. What man could? After all, he was only human. But he was determined his sister would have this woman as her wedding planner no matter what. He couldn’t steal that dream away from Nina.
The sensuous aroma of her perfume invaded his nostrils. Roses, damn roses.
“Your Royal Highness?” he interrupted, “I thought we’d moved past the formal title. As before, I give you permission to use my first name.”
“Thank you, Diyari.” She smiled up at him, and his lower body twitched again. He’d lain awake last night until nearly three a.m. Then, unable to sleep, he’d called for his helicopter and flew out over the charred remains of the mass oil fields covering the entire northern part of his country. He needed answers. Walking amid the ruins, he’d done his own investigation, collected more evidence of the destruction, but the entire time, he couldn’t shake the sensation someone was spying on him, documenting his every move even at that ungodly hour.
For a thousand years his ancestors ruled the sands. Damn it, he wasn’t going to be the one to lose it all. Not while he had a drop of royal blood left in his body. But, even in that grave place, he’d been unable to avoid thoughts of her luscious body pressed against his, her cherry red lips parted to accept his kiss. The sounds of her pleasure echoed through his brain. Damn! This was going to be more difficult than he expected.
He refocused on her question. “We will be staying in the desert, in a
tent set up for my visit.”
“A tent?”
He couldn’t prevent the chuckle that rose in his throat. “Of course, Nina is on a dig, and we set up camp not far from her work. You can survive living off of nature, can’t you?”
Her smile widened, “Of course, Diyari, I’ve been camping all my life.”
Her nearness had him shaking and aroused, so why was she so cool and collected? How did she do it? Stay so calm while his insides rolled like a ship on the North Sea. Apparently, she insisted on keeping a moat between her feelings and her actions, part of her training, no doubt. He’d put an end to that real soon. He wanted much more from her, he wanted all of her. Yes, they definitely had some things to settle between them. Once within his desert domain, he’d see how well her training held up. She’d be dependent on him, and he’d take advantage of that to gain the knowledge he needed about her mission. In order for him to keep an eye on her, he had arranged for her to stay in his personal tent. The heaviness in his groin ratcheted up another notch. Pretty soon he’d burst and embarrass the hell out of himself.
As soon as the rotor blades slowed, they jumped to the ground. Reaching behind him, he kept a hand on Candace’s head as the slowing blades whirled above them. They hurried toward the waiting car. His phone vibrated in his pocket. He grabbed it, checking the number. “I’ve got to take this,” he said, walking past Candace.
“Ahmed, what have you got for me?” He inquired, all the while keeping an eye on Candace.
“The National Resistance Group is comprised of over two hundred men.” His friend from Interpol stated.
Diyari sucked in his breath. “Hmm, that’s more than I expected. Who is in charge of these renegades?”
“I don’t have that information. There’s definitely a leader, but nobody seems to know his identity. I’ll keep digging. Seems this guy is extremely well-trained. Has expert knowledge of explosives from the evidence you sent over this morning.”
“Great. What else can you tell me about who’s working the investigation on the oil well fires other than my military?”
“You are getting help from the CIA. Of course, you knew that since your father invited them to place naval and air bases in the country.”
Diyari swiped a hand across his forehead, “Yes, they’ve been a huge help. Anything else I should be aware of?”
“Not to my knowledge, Your Royal Highness.”
His disappointed showed in his voice, “Thanks for your help. Let me know if you find out anything else.”
“Will do, Your Royal Highness.”
He ended the call and dropped the phone back into his pocket. Glancing out over the desert, he spied Nina running toward them. Within seconds, she hurled herself into his open arms, hugging him for all she was worth. It had been months since he’d seen her. Too long. Way too long. He kissed the top of her head. “I’ve got someone I want you to meet.” Dropping his arms from around his sister, he grabbed Candace’s hand and pulled her forward.
~ ~ ~
Nina’s smile lit up her entire face. “She doesn’t need an introduction. I’ve seen her picture in all the bridal magazines. You are much more beautiful in person.”
Embarrassment scalded Candace’s cheeks. She wasn’t used to such blatant compliments. Immediately, she liked this woman. Staring at her, Candace found the resemblance to Diyari was unmistakable. Her inky black hair, those tantalizing green eyes that burst with excitement.
“Miss Danvers . . .”
“Candace,” she corrected.
“Candace,” Nina began again. “We’ve spoken on the phone. I’m so happy you’re here. That you didn’t allow my brother’s insolent behavior to warn you off.”
Diyari growled beside her.
Candace and Nina laughed, forming an instant kinship. She extended her hand, but Nina enfolded her in a bear hug, rocking her back and forth. “You are going to make my dream wedding a reality. Thank you so much for coming to the desert. I know it had to be a big imposition, but I’m thrilled you’re here.”
Blushing to the very ends of her hair, she glanced over at Diyari as she replied, “Your brother made it impossible for me to turn him down.”
“Yes, my brother is impossible to say no to.”
Yes, it’s unthinkable to say no to him on any level.
Candace’s gaze slid over the woman in front of her. They appeared to be around the same age, but Nina was gorgeous. In traditional dress of a long skirt, a billowing hip-length tunic top, and a veil that wrapped around her face and covered all her features except her eyes, she appeared both exotic and mysterious.
“Has Diyari been treating you well?” At the mention of him, all the steamy memories of their stolen kisses came flooding back, flaming her cheeks, the vibrant red now extending all the way down her neck.
“His Royal Highness has been a complete gentleman.”
“Well, that’s a first for His Royal Highness.” Nina laughed, hitting Diyari playfully on his arm.
“Thanks, Sis.” He responded, trying without much success to usher them toward the black Land Rover with its doors open. With his arm around both of their waists, he urged them forward. “You two will have plenty of time to mull over all the wedding plans, but right now I’ve got a meeting with Dad. So can we get in the car, please?”
~ ~ ~
Candace sat between Diyari and his sister in the cramped backseat. A steady stream of cold air pulsed from the air conditioner, mingling with that oh-so-appealing cologne of his. Thank God, for it had to be over one hundred degrees outside. Her hair frizzed the moment they stepped out of the palace and continued to get worse as they traveled in the helicopter. Sweat dampened her blouse. As Diyari and Nina caught up on each other’s lives, she glanced over the scenery in front of them. Heat shimmered off the tawny sand dunes as far as she could see. Palm trees, clustered in groups of two and three, soared toward the endless blue sky. Waves after wave of sand blew across the crest of the mounds like a mist as the ferocious winds tortured the landscape. A steady stream of sand trickled down the dunes like a golden river. A shiver shot up her spine when she spied a nest of scorpions spilling onto a dune. In the distance, a dust devil roped out, mimicking a tornado. Multi-colored rock formations grew to mountains.
Land Rovers and fancily dressed camels mingled together on their path to the desert settlement. Her first glance of the settlement surprised her. She’d expected more of a fortified compound with the current threats to the king. In reality, the massive tents in front of her reminded her of a medieval jousting festival. Colorful tents, red, purple and black dotted the landscape. Decorated with large richly colored banners flapping in the sirocco winds, they proclaimed the owner of each of the homes for everyone to see.
Diyari’s eyes followed her gaze and pointed. “Each tribe has their own coat of arms displayed on their flag.”
“They’re beautiful.” Candace replied, extremely aware of Diyari’s strong thigh pressed against hers.
His gaze dipped to her lips, “Wait until you see inside.”
As they approached the settlement, Nina gripped her hand and said, “You’ll be staying in that tent.” Nina pointed her finger at one of the largest tents. Candace followed her direction, catching a glimpse of a colossal black tent surrounded by flags with the B’Quara coat of arms blazing across their banners. The surge of the wind had the banner snapping in the ever-present breeze. Another miniature twister of sand blew around the interior of the camp, and her eyes followed it as it moved out toward the open desert. There was sand everywhere, mounds and mounds of the blowing grains, covering everything, the grit invading both her hair and mouth.
The smell of burning wood and meat cooking over an open fire spilled from the car’s vents. She inhaled the delicious scent deeper into her lungs as her stomach growled. Tan colored camels tether
ed to the tents paced back and forth in the wind.
But the heat? The heat was unbearable. If she thought southern California was hot in the summer, the temperature here in B’Quara had to be at least one hundred and twenty degrees. She’d melt as soon as she opened the door of the car. Something caught her gaze out the back of the window, and she swiveled to catch a glimpse of a meandering caravan of highly decorated camels packed with pottery and goods, making slow progress across the dunes. Pulling her thoughts back to the people around her, she asked, “Is that the king’s tent?”
“No, that’s Diyari’s tent.” Nina leaned in closer. “See the crest of the prince on the flags surrounding the tent? That’s Diyari’s crest.”
The symbol of a huge black scorpion crushing the head of a cobra wafted in the ongoing breeze. Her breath caught in her throat.
She glanced over at Diyari, but he was purposely gazing out the window. Convenient. “And where will you be staying?” she shifted her gaze back to Nina.
“I’ll be staying with my father, of course.”
“I think we would get a lot more accomplished if we shared the same tent.”
Diyari’s head did a one eighty.
She didn’t miss the look he threw his sister. “What?” she questioned. “Is there something going on here I should know about?”
“Hmm. Diyari hasn’t told you?” Nina glanced nervously from Diyari to her and back again.
“Told me what?” Candace questioned, her eyes never leaving Diyari’s face.
“Nothing,” Diyari interrupted, waving her inquiry off, turning to glance out the window again. “Nothing at all.”
For the Sheik's Pleasure (Sheiks in Love Book 2) Page 15