Riad Dubois: The Complete Romance Series

by Avery North

  “Well, I hope you are not hiding something that hurt you?” he asked, though his instincts warned him he was treading on dangerous territory.

  She looked at him in surprise. He certainly seemed kind, kinder than his macho appearance suggested. They had told her talking was good, but could she really talk to this stranger?

  “And your father said you had been ill?”

  Spinning the ring on the table, she leaned back in her chair. “Yes, he says that a lot, that was what I told him when I moved back home. Poor Dad,” she said thoughtfully. “He survived the break-up of his marriage when my mother left. I didn’t really want to tell him his daughter had had the same experience.” There she had said it.

  “You were married? And your father didn’t know?” Jeff whistled between his teeth. So, she had been hiding something.

  “Yes,” biting her lip, she knew she had to continue now she had started. “While they were busy breaking up, I was a nurse up in Scotland and married somebody violent and abusive. It lasted nine months. Do you need to know anything else?”

  “No, no,” he moved to put an arm around her. He had heard plenty of these stories in his work as a policeman but had never personally known someone who had lived through the experience. Suddenly her reserve made sense, and the flash of enthusiasm he had seen when they entered the square that she had hidden. The woman she had been before her marriage was still there trying to break free of whatever she had lived through.

  “You will trust again.” He tightened his arm around her, her hair brushing his face. Deciding that he was going to help her regain that trust, he dropped a kiss on the auburn hair, inhaling the scent of her perfume,

  Surprising him, she reached up to plant a kiss on his cheek.

  “Yes, I will.”

  ***

  The lobby was deserted except for the porter when they returned to the Riad.

  “Would you like to sit by the pool for a while?” he asked, and she nodded. Sharing a companionable silence, they sat on the deckchairs by the pool, watching the full moon lighting up the night sky.

  “This is beautiful,” she slipped off her sandals, resting her bare feet on the still-warm tiles.

  He looked at her, remembering how he had held her close on the walk back. He had savored the feeling of her warm body against his as they had walked, her head barely reaching his shoulder, his arm around her waist.

  Instinctively he rose to sit on her deckchair, needing to be closer to her. Her mouth looked soft and perfect for kissing, and her dress had taken on a shimmery sheen in the moonlight, emphasizing the curves of her breasts and her hips.

  He took her warm hand and entwined his fingers with hers. With his other hand, he drew her closer to him, feeling the soft press of her breasts against his chest as she responded to his kiss. Releasing his hand, she placed it on her hip, pressing her body close against him and trembling slightly at his touch. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue to probe deeper and linking her hands behind his neck. A moan broke from her as he unzipped the back of her dress and unclasped her bra. The front of her dress fell forwards, exposing her naked breasts in the moonlight, and he caressed them, feeling her nipples becoming erect in response.

  Reaching for the blanket at the foot of the deckchair, he pulled it over them before guiding her hands to the zipper on his trousers, gasping as she stroked his erection before releasing it from his boxers and running her hands up and down its length.

  “So good,” he gasped in a throaty whisper, as her body responded to the movements of his hand between her legs, “So good.”

  “So good,” her brain repeated as she wondered why she had waited so long.

  Chapter 3

  The following morning, she was late, too late for breakfast and too late to see her father before he left for the Atlas Mountains. Ordering room service, she opened the doors to the balcony and decided to enjoy the mid-morning sunshine while she ate.

  Waiting on her order, she let her mind drift back to the previous night. It had been good. More than good. Speaking about her past had lifted a weight from her shoulders, a weight she should never have tried to carry on her own. Thinking of Jeff, she wondered again what had inspired her to confide in him? Had it been the otherworldliness of an evening in Djemaa El Fna? Or had it been him? The honesty in his eyes had certainly helped, as well as his caring nature. His attractiveness had helped as well; she had to admit to herself as the server entered with the tray and set it on the table.

  Slipping her kimono off her shoulders, she extended her legs to the sun. She had forgotten how it felt to feel good about her own body. And the sensation of having someone finding her attractive enough to treat her as Jeff had done. Peeling an orange, she wondered if it would continue and if she even wanted it to continue. Did it really matter? She didn’t really know. What definitely mattered was that she had opened the door again after closing it so firmly the year before.

  Later she sat in the garden, sheltering from the midday sun. She was showered, dressed in a linen dress with her hair bound in a tight rope hanging down her back. Louise and Helen entered the garden and, spotting her, made a beeline in her direction, calling out their greetings.

  “So, how was the square last night?” Louise asked, throwing a picnic rug on the grass.

  “Great,” Sophia nodded, wondering if Jeff had told them about their evening.

  “Of course, my brother told me nothing about it,” Helen commented, as if in answer to her silent question. “But that is so typical of him. You remember him from your London days, Louise? A good policeman, but he sure enjoys playing around. He had a girl in every club.”

  “I guess we all enjoyed playing around at some point," Louise answered, watching a shadow cross Sophia’s face. “However, I got out of there before any of you when my marriage collapsed. Marrakesh saved me.” She lay back on the rug.

  Sophia’s ears pricked up. Her father had told her the story of Louise finding true love in Morocco after her disastrous divorce.

  “What about you, Sophia? Will you try to find true love here?” Helen asked with a playful laugh.

  “I have no idea. I’m not really looking for anything." Sophia tried to be blasé, but she didn’t fool Louise.

  “But your father is so protective,” Helen added. “Do you ever wonder if he worries about you leaving home, setting up house with someone?”

  “Possibly,” Sophia answered. “But you’ll have to excuse me. It is very warm, and I think I better go back inside.”

  Her cheeks glowing, she headed indoors, Helen’s advice about factor 50 ringing in her ears.

  “Helen, you frightened her away,” Louise turned to her friend. “Remember how we were at that age? We didn’t take advice from anybody.”

  “True, but I don’t want to see her messed about by my brother,” Helen replied.

  “Don’t worry. If there is a problem, Joshua will take care of it before she gets hurt.”

  ***

  Back in her room, Sophia finished the unpacking she had started the day before. Once everything was put away to her satisfaction, she looked around. She had a sneaking suspicion something was missing, but what exactly it was she couldn't put her finger on. Finger − that was exactly the word she was looking for. Looking at her hands, she realized what she was missing. Her ring. The precious heirloom her mother had given her for her 21st birthday. She had worn it with pride every day since her mother had given it to her and told her the symbol of resilience it had represented throughout her life.

  Mentally retracing her footsteps, she tried to remember where she had last seen it. Last night in the bar in the square, she had been spinning it on the table while she spoke to Jeff. She would have to go back there to find it.

  Hastily scribbling a note, she shoved it under Joshua’s door and, with her bag slung over her shoulder, made her way to the square, following the path she had taken the previous night.

  As she entered the square, she felt disorientated. Everything l
ooked so different in the harsh sunlight. There were no braziers, no trestle tables, no queues for food. Even the stalls seemed deserted. One or two locals walked around in white robes, and their heads covered. An elderly man led a donkey pulling a cartload of vegetables across the square. A youth whizzed past on a moped, and the beggar she had seen the previous night was still there, limping on his crutches.

  But where was the bar? Spinning around, she looked up and finally saw it, up a steep flight of stairs with tourists sitting at the open windows. As she crossed the square, she found herself battling against the heat and was reaching into her bag for her water bottle when she heard her name being called.

  It was Jeff. She lowered herself onto the bottom step as he approached, heat fatigue overcoming her.

  “Sophia, what are you doing?” In an instant, he was on his knees beside her. “You shouldn’t be out in this sun. Drink this slowly, very slowly.” He had pulled the top off her water bottle and watched her drink, making sure she only took small sips.

  Seeing that she was starting to feel better, he poured a bit of water onto a tissue and dabbed her face with it before sitting back and watching her carefully.

  “OK, you’ll live. But Joshua said something about a note and a ring?”

  She nodded. “I left my ring in the bar last night.”

  “The gold one that you were wearing. That was expensive?”

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  "Well, we can ask, but I wouldn't be very hopeful about finding an expensive piece of jewelry here. Was it important?”

  She nodded again.

  “OK, you can tell me more inside." Lifting her to her feet, he guided her up the steps, and they sat at the same table as the previous evening.

  “Now, look around carefully. Do you recognize anyone who served us last night?”

  She studied the staff intently before indicating a young server she recognized.

  “He may be able to help.” Jeff rose to approach the server.

  Watching the backward and forwards flow of conversation between the two men, Sophia attempted to decipher what was happening. She couldn't bear to lose her ring, but she had heard stories of people being hurt by thieves, not just here but everywhere. She was about to rise when she saw Jeff produce his wallet and show the young man what appeared to be a police badge. The young man scurried into the kitchen, appearing in a few minutes with a backpack and followed Jeff to join her at the table.

  "Sophia, this young man, has found your ring. I think we should give him a finder's reward." Jeff was taking a sheaf of dirhams from his pocket as the young man searched in his bag for the ring. When he found it, he handed it carefully to Sophia with a worried look at Jeff.

  Sophia held out her hand to admire the ring safely back on her finger.

  “Where did he find it?” she asked Jeff.

  “He didn’t. He picked it up with our glasses while we were here last night.”

  “But, why the reward?” she asked, surprised.

  He shrugged. “He looked as if he needed it. Not everybody is as lucky as we are.”

  Seeing her eyes filling, he added, “Now, what are you having to drink? You will need something to sustain you before you see Joshua.”

  "Hell, no," she whispered into her hands while he leaned back, laughing.

  Chapter 4

  Joshua was waiting for them in the lobby; disapproval etched across his face.

  “Sophia, I have been waiting here for you for the past hour,” he snapped accusingly, his shoulders tight with tension.

  “Dad, it was important. I lost the ring Mum gave me. Jeff went with me to find it.” She held out her hand, the emerald stones gleaming under the light.

  Her father turned his head away. That ring held too many memories. Why his ex-wife had given it to Sophia, he could not understand. But if it kept Sophia happy, he was prepared to put up with it.

  “And you, Jeff? You put your policeman’s skills to good use obviously.”

  Jeff nodded. "Can I get you both a drink?" he asked, his eyes flickering between Sophia and her father.

  “No thanks,” Joshua replied dismissively. “We have some things to catch up on.” He rose to leave, not answering his daughter’s enquiring look. Jeff gave her a fleeting smile as she started to follow her father.

  Collecting a drink from the bar, he sat down to plan his next move. He wanted to see Sophia again without her father or others being present. He had been surprised at how alive she had become after the ring had been located. And she had been married without her father knowing. There was a story there, and he wanted to hear the rest of it. He could not even imagine how she had dealt with the break-up all on her own. Yes, shy Sophia had hidden depths for sure, and a lot more strength than her father seemed to give her credit for. Another night in the square was called for if he were to unravel those mysteries.

  ***

  The lobby was busy when he went down to meet his sister and Louise for dinner. Looking around, he spotted them enjoying a drink at a table at the side of the room, both elegantly dressed as usual. He was glad he had taken Helen’s advice to bring his more stylish clothes with him, they sure didn’t do dinner casually in this place.

  “Hi,” he slid onto the chair beside Helen, taking a quick sip of the drink she had ready for him. “Are Joshua and Sophia not joining us?”

  “Yes, they should be here,” Helen looked at her watch. “But they are late, very late. That’s not like Joshua. Let’s give them another ten minutes before going in.”

  “OK,” Jeff answered. He had hoped to see Sophia before dinner to ask her to meet him alone later, but he would just have to wait until they got a moment out of her father’s earshot.

  Ten minutes later, Helen looked at her watch again. “They don’t seem to be coming. Let’s go in − I’m starving.”

  Dessert was arriving by the time Joshua and Sophia finally joined them in the dining room. Jeff took in Sophia’s strained appearance and the red flush on Joshua’s cheeks. They looked as if they had been in the wars. A voice in his head warned him that their fight might have had something to do with Sophia hanging around with him. She had taken a seat at the furthest point possible from him and was studiously ignoring his glances.

  Louise, long accustomed to dealing with hotel guests, tried to break the uneasy silence with a good-humored conversation, but even her skills weren’t breaking the tension. Jeff admired her gentle efforts but decided to get involved. Something was obviously wrong, and, in his experience, dealing with things head-on was the best way to sort out the situation.

  “Joshua, did you have a good afternoon?” he looked directly at the older man.

  “Not particularly,” Joshua laid his fork on the plate with a clatter. “My daughter and I had an intense discussion. About you, in fact, young man." He returned to his meal without elaborating further.

  Casting his eyes across the table, Jeff noticed a look of alarm rising in Sophia's face, and she silently mouthed, "Sorry."

  “About me?”

  Joshua laid down his cutlery again. “Yes, about you. As no doubt she has told you, she has already made one unsuitable choice in her life. As her father, I don’t particularly want to see her going down that road again.”

  “Father!” Sophia’s gasp was the only sound in the silence that followed his statement.

  “Sophia, you and I know I am correct about this.” He watched as his daughter rose from the table, flinging a wrap over her shoulders angrily.

  “I will be in the courtyard,” she announced and turned on her heel.

  “Joshua, you know you can’t tell her how to live her life. She is not a child – she’s a grown woman.” Jeff was on his feet as well, preparing to follow Sophia to the courtyard.

  “And what was that about?” Louise asked as Jeff strode through the dining room.

  “What was it about, Louise?” Joshua pushing his plate aside and reached for his wine. “My daughter hasn’t been totally honest with me. She had a f
ailed relationship, some sort of marriage in Scotland. Something I knew nothing about. Now she seems intent on making the same mistake again.”

  Taking a large gulp of his wine, he added, "I will not allow that to happen.”

  “Joshua,” Helen ran her fingers through her hair in frustration. “This is a holiday romance. We’ve all had them. They don’t lead to marriage.”

  “Well, her last one did! And it led to her becoming an out-patient in her own hospital.”

  Louise’s eyes widened as he spoke. This explained the shyness, the withdrawn behavior. She should have recognized it. Behind closed doors around the world, there were too many stories like this.

  Putting her elbows on the table and leaning towards Joshua, she decided to have her say. “Joshua. If she is coming out of an abusive relationship, she needs light-hearted romance more than anything. Some fun in the sun, a chance to see the better side of life – it will help her.”

  Joshua gave her a disbelieving look.

  "Yes, Joshua. I am right. She needs to discover that not all men are bad. Trust me; she will have learned otherwise from her experience. Let her have her fun. And more importantly, she needs support from her father. Not to be treated like a child.”

  Helen looked from one to the other, reminding herself that this was her brother they were talking about. She couldn't see him hurting a woman or a man either, for that matter. But she could see a difficult road ahead if he fell for Joshua's daughter. There would be arguments and a lot of suspicions to overcome.

  ***

  Walking into the courtyard, Jeff saw Sophia perched on the deckchair where they had made love the previous night. But this was not a night for lovemaking, he thought, as she turned a tear-stained face towards him.

  “Why did you tell him?” he whispered, taking her hand.