One Hot Desert Night

Sunny shook her head. “Nana convinced me to give it up when my lease ran out while I was staying with her and Poppa. My things are in storage in Charleston.”

“Well, you can always live in the guesthouse permanently since I’ve vacated the premises.”

She’d rather eat collard greens. “A little bit of the grandparents goes a long way. If I decided to work solely in the U.S., I’d move back to Atlanta.”

Piper gave her another quick hug. “I hope you do. I wouldn’t have to worry about you fending off poisonous snakes in some rain forest.”

At least she hadn’t brought up unseen attackers. “You could have gone all year without mentioning those foul creatures,” she said, followed by a yawn.

Piper came to her feet and smiled. “You apparently have a lot of catch-up to do on your sleep. So feel free to take a long nap.”

If only it were that simple. Sleep hadn’t come easily, at least nightmare-free sleep. “That sounds good, but it’s not that long until bedtime.”

“True, but don’t hesitate to try the giant bathtub before dinner,” Piper added.

Sunny stood and stretched her arms above her head. “Speaking of dinner, who’ll be joining us for the evening meal?”

“Everyone,” Piper said. “My husband, of course. Zain and Madison and their toddlers since they’ve recently returned from Los Angeles. King Rafiq and an extremely pregnant Queen Maysa. Oh, and a cousin, Rayad Rostam, who showed up two days ago.”

Finally, Mystery Man was no longer quite the mystery. “Since his last name isn’t Mehdi, how is he related?”

“His father and the former queen were siblings, I think, but I don’t know much more. I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with my husband for three whole days, thanks to some top-secret training mission where he flies planes at warp speed. But I’ll be sure to introduce you to Rayad tonight, and you can interview him.”

“I met him,” Sunny blurted without thought. “While I was waiting for you in the foyer. But he didn’t say much more than a few words.”

Piper’s smile arrived full-force. “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”

Unfortunately. “I didn’t notice, and you’re not supposed to notice since you’re now a married woman.”

“But I’m not blind, and neither are you.”

Her twin knew her all too well. “Fine, he’s gorgeous. Satisfied?”

Piper’s expression said she wasn’t. “Maybe you should get to know him while you’re here. It’s my understanding he is presently unattached.”

Sunny held up both hands, palms forward. “Stop right there. I’m not in the market for a man, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking you could use a diversion after the idiot left you high and dry.”

“It’s too soon, Piper. Cameron and I haven’t been apart that long.” And her internal wounds resulting from the attack had yet to heal. Wounds she had yet to reveal to her twin.

“And by your own admission, Sunny, you loved Cameron, but you weren’t in love with him.”

She’d argued those points with herself, but that hadn’t eased the hurt. “Color me gun-shy.”

Piper’s features softened into a sympathetic look. “Maybe it’s time you make a sincere effort to rejoin the land of the living, Sunny. I’m not suggesting you sleep with Rayad. I’m suggesting you use your skills to find out what he’s all about and leave all options open. A challenge of sorts to get your mind off your troubles. And lucky for you, he’s staying in the room right next door.”

She found that somewhat odd, and a little disconcerting. “Doesn’t he have a house of his own?”

“Since he’s undoubtedly rich as sin like the rest of the family, I assume he does. But Maysa told me that Rafiq insisted he stay here while he’s recovering from an injury he sustained during some kind of incident.”

He’d looked perfectly healthy to Sunny. Very healthy. “What did he injure?”

Her sister grinned. “I’m not sure. Why don’t you ask him? Better still, why don’t you request he show you?”

“Not interested,” she said, worried that she might never be able to experience true intimacy again. “Besides, I’ve never really been drawn to the strong, macho, silent type.”

Piper barked out a laugh on her way to the door. “Yeah, right, Sunshine. Aside from Cameron, that’s the only type that’s ever held your interest.”

Bristling from the truth, Sunny trailed behind her sister and prepared for a debate. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid like try to fix me up, Pookie.”

Piper spun around and scowled. “You promised you wouldn’t call me that.”

“You promised, too.”

“Okay, you’re right. No more Pookie or Sunshine.”

“It’s a deal.”

“And I also promise not to play cupid,” Piper continued, “although Madison tells me Rayad’s a really nice guy if you can get past all that machismo. Just something to consider between now and the evening meal.”

After Piper closed the door behind her, Sunny perched on the edge of the mattress and toed out of her flats. She’d already surmised Rayad Rostam was a testosterone-ridden military man, and that should be all she needed to know. Yet her innate inquisitiveness urged her to learn more about him. She craved peeling back those personality layers to reveal the man behind the steely persona. She truly needed to investigate him further, from a solely journalistic standpoint, of course. Even if she proved to be drawn to him on a physical level, a virile man like Rayad wouldn’t want the closed-off, fearful woman she’d become. Not even a nice guy could handle that—case in point, her former lover, Cameron.

Rayad Rostam a nice guy? She frankly had her doubts about that.

Two

Macho Man had a squirming toddler in his lap, and he didn’t seem to mind.

Seated across from Rayad Rostam at the lengthy dining table, for the past ten minutes Sunny had witnessed his remarkable patience with brown-haired, chatty, two-year-old Cala, daughter of the former playboy prince, Zain Mehdi, and his wife, Madison, the resident palace fixer of all things scandalous. The patient sheikh didn’t seem concerned that the little girl had dotted his T-shirt with cheese cracker remnants. He didn’t appear to care when she poked at his mouth, as if it held some sort of magic. Sunny suspected it probably did. The tolerant sheikh simply kept his lips sealed against the intrusion and gently extracted her hand from his face, followed by a kiss on her palm.

She certainly couldn’t fault a guy who apparently had an affinity for children. She also hadn’t been able to ignore the furtive glances he’d tossed her way during dinner, even though the to-die-for skewered chicken, tasty cheese and hummus side dish should have earned all her attention. Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice, thanks to the ongoing adult conversation and occasional screech from an overstimulated infant, namely her nephew, Sam.

When Cala wriggled from Rayad’s lap, Sunny noticed discomfort pass over his face as his hand went to his upper right side. The wound Piper mentioned apparently involved his rib cage. Another mystery solved, several more to go, including the hint of sadness in his eyes as Cala turned and waved to him before claiming a spot in her father’s lap.

But at the moment, the effects of jet lag had Sunny considering putting off her sheikh fact-finding mission until a later date. And when the queen and king rose from their chairs and excused themselves, followed by Zain and Madison and their twins, she saw that as an excuse to make her escape.

Sunny tossed her napkin aside, came to her feet and regarded Piper, who was seated next to the silent Rayad. “Dinner was great,” she began, “but I really need to retire before I nod off in the dessert plate.”

Piper stood and removed Sam from his highchair then turned him around to face Sunny. “Tell your auntie good-night, sweetie.” The baby responded by flailing his arms around and making motoring noises.

“A chip off the old pilot block,” Adan said, displaying a dimpled grin as he stood with Rayad following suit. “I do hope you find your quarters satisfactory, Sunny.”

“They’re more than satisfactory,” she replied as she rounded the table to kiss her nephew good-night, very aware that Rayad visually followed her movements. “I’m sure I’ll sleep well as soon as I take my nightly walk. Any suggestions where I should do that?”

Adan nodded to the open dining room doors. “After you exit, take a right, and you’ll find the entry to the courtyard.”

“But be careful,” Piper cautioned. “The grounds are like a maze. You might want to grab some bread crumbs and leave a trail, just in case.”

“I have a fairly good sense of direction, so no worries.”

After giving her twin a hug, and bidding everyone good-night, Sunny left the room and immediately located the doors leading to the expansive garden. She followed the labyrinth of stone walkways using the three-quarter moon as her guide, occasionally glancing behind her to keep the palace within her sights. When the path ended at a low retaining wall, she paused to study the twinkling lights dotting the valley below. A warm November breeze ruffled her hair, bringing with it the scent of exotic flowers. Back home the weather would be much cooler, and much of the fragrant foliage gone until spring. But not in this region. Most days brought pleasant weather, according to her hosts, yet rain had been forecasted in the next couple of days.

Feeling surprisingly serene, she looked up at the night sky to study the host of diamond-like stars. She welcomed the sense of peace she experienced for the first time in quite some time...

“Have you lost your way?”

For the second time that day, Sunny’s heart vaulted into her throat. She spun around to face the familiar man standing in the shadows behind her. “I’m not lost, and do you have some bizarre need to scare me to death?”

“No. I was simply concerned for your well-being.”

“Look, Mr....Sheikh... What exactly is your official title?”

He took a step toward her, his handsome face only partially revealed in the limited light. “You may call me Rayad.”

She’d like to call him a few unflattering names at the moment, and she would if he wasn’t so darn intimidating—in an overtly male sort of way. “Look, Rayad, I have traveled to some of the most remote places in the world and navigated some of the most treacherous terrain. I can handle a palace garden.”

“A garden that has been known to house deadly insects and asps.”

Just when her heart had returned to its rightful place, he’d mentioned her biggest fear. Correction. Second biggest fear, if the truth were known. “Really? Snakes?”

“Yes.”

She refused to let him see her uneasiness. “Would that be the reptile or human variety?”

“I have not personally encountered either in this garden,” he said without even a touch of lightness in his tone. “However, I have been conditioned to protect women. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to ensure your safe return.”

Her perfect opportunity to get to know him, but then he went and ruined it with the whole he-man posturing. Now she was determined to make a hasty escape and prove she could make it back to safety on her own. She had survived much, much worse. “Not all women need protection, Sheikh Rostam. Have a nice night.”

After Sunny brushed past him, she paused to survey four directional options, crossed her fingers and chose the path to her right.

“You are going the wrong way.”

Somewhat annoyed by his interference, and her irritating female reaction to the sexy timbre of his voice, she reluctantly faced him again. “I’m sure every way eventually leads back to the palace.”

He moved closer. “Not necessarily. If you continue on your current course, you will reach the road leading to the village. And if not careful, you could tumble down the cliff if you lose your footing.”

Wasn’t he just the bearer of good news? If she refused his offer, she could be allowing pride to overrule safety, a mistake she’d already made that had brought about severe consequences. If she accepted his aid, she could find out what made him tick, and avoid falling to her death. Option two sounded the most favorable, although not completely without risk. “Fine. Lead the way.”

After Rayad chose the trail heading in the opposite direction, Sunny came to his side and kept her focus straight ahead. And as they walked a few yards in silence, she mentally dashed through a list of subtle questions, choosing the most logical query to begin her impromptu interview. “Piper mentioned you’d recently suffered an injury during military training.”

“Broken ribs.”

“Did you run into something?”

“A fist.”

Definitely a man of few words, or two words, as the case might be. “Must’ve been some tough hand-to-hand combat. Is training troops primarily your duty?”

“No. Intelligence.”

Figured. “So you’re a spy guy, huh?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“I bet you have a code name like Scorpion, or perhaps Snake.”

“That information is classified.”

She wondered if he ever let down his guard, or smiled, for that matter. “How long have you been serving?”

“Twelve years. I entered the military at the age of twenty-one.”

Progress. She now knew his age and that he was only six years her senior. Not too bad. Not that their age difference should matter one iota. “Are you married?” Now why had she asked that when she already knew the answer?

“No, I am not.”

“Have you ever been married?”

His long hesitation was a bit telling, or maybe she was reading too much into it. Then it suddenly dawned on her that he might think she was interested in him. Time to set the record straight. “I ask because I’ve known quite a few military men who find it difficult to maintain a marriage. Understandably so when they’re away much of the time. And I can relate with my line of work. Covering global news isn’t conducive to having a serious relationship.”

He paused, reached down to his right, snapped a plumeria from one grouping and offered it to her. “Have you been wed?” he asked as they continued on.

Both the question and the gesture caught her off guard. “Thanks, and I’ve never been married.”

“Are you currently involved with anyone?”

Somehow the interviewer had become the interviewee. “I was involved briefly with a colleague, but that’s been over for a while now.”

“The man who apparently drove you to seek out your sister.”

He presented the comment as a statement, not a question, leading Sunny to believe he knew much more about her than she knew about him. “You’re right in a manner of speaking. How did you learn that?”

“Rafiq mentioned this to me when I inquired about you.”

She’d expected her sister had been the messenger, not the king. “What else did he say?”

“He warned me to stay away from you.”

One more shock in a series of several. “Seriously? Does he think I have the plague or homicidal intent aimed at men?”

He almost cracked a smile. “Do you?”

“No, I do not, and I have a hard time believing Rafiq believes that, either.”

A slight span of silence passed before he spoke again. “The king believes you are too great a temptation for a man such as myself.”

“Oh, I see.” And she did, very clearly, even if his expression remained unreadable. “He thinks that if you attempt to seduce me, I’d be too vulnerable to resist. Clearly, he doesn’t know me at all.” Or at least the woman she used to be.

“Perhaps that is what he believes, but I do not view you as a vulnerable woman.”

The compliment and the flower earned him a few points, even though she did inexplicably feel somewhat defenseless around him. His mystery and aura of power threw her mentally off-kilter. “I’m happy we’ve established I’m not some simpering Southern belle who needs saving.”

“I do not understand the term Southern belle, but I do believe you are a highly sensual woman.”

She loosened the chokehold she had on the poor plumeria. “What brought you to that conclusion?”

He slipped his hands in the pockets of his slacks and failed to look directly at her. “You are passionate about your work. You have put yourself in danger many times for the sake of your career.”

She forced away the sudden terrifying images, with great effort. “Rafiq told you details about my occupation, too?”

“No. I perused your network’s website.”

She should probably be a bit wary that he’d conducted an internet search, but she was actually curious. “What prompted you to look me up?”

He sent her a fast glance, giving her a drive-by view of his damnable dark eyes. “When we spoke in the foyer today, I was intrigued by you.”

She couldn’t fault him since she’d felt the same about him. “Maybe I should search the net so I can learn more about you.”

“You will find nothing.”

Apparently he worked deep undercover, or he could be attempting to divert her from discovering information he preferred she not know. “In that case, tell me about yourself. The man, not the soldier.”

He streaked a palm over the back of his neck. “I am the only child of a sultan who resides in Dubai with my mother.”

“Considering how well you handled Cala tonight, are you sure you don’t have a secret baby hidden away like your cousin, Adan?”

As he glanced her way, some unnamed emotion reflected from his eyes then disappeared as quickly as it had come. “I have no children.”

“Then you have a gift.”

He continued to focus on the path and not her. “Children are a gift. Too often they are used as pawns during war.”

He’d probably witnessed unspeakable acts in his tenure as a soldier. That could explain why he’d seemed so sullen after Cala returned to Zain. She did find it odd that with his royal lineage, he would choose the military as his occupation and serve a country that obviously wasn’t his homeland. “How did you end up in Bajul?”

“Adan and I attended the same military academy in the United Kingdom, though I was three years ahead of him. After I graduated, he encouraged me to consider joining him in the armed forces. My father gave his blessing, as well.”

“You evidently didn’t pick up the British-speak like Adan. In fact, you don’t really have an accent at all, and your English is perfect.”

“I am required to know many languages.”

“How many?”

“Ten.”

Incredible. “Do you fly jets, too?”

He shook his head. “No. I am strictly involved in ground forces.”

She lifted the flower to her nose and drew in the wonderful scent. “If I were in the military and had my choice, I’d definitely learn to fly. Piper, on the other hand, hates planes. Ironic that she would marry a pilot.”

“Reason is not always present when human emotion is involved.”

How well she knew that. “Since I’m positive you can’t be all work and no play, do you have any hobbies? Any interests beyond your job?”

“I have a weakness for beautiful women such as yourself.”

Had she’d known she’d walk right into the typical playboy trap, she wouldn’t have asked. “You don’t get out much, do you?”

“Do not question my ability to recognize beauty,” he said. “However, I do find humility very attractive.”

False flattery would get him nowhere, especially since she hadn’t felt attractive in quite some time. “I personally find arrogance off-putting.”

Finally, he smiled—a small one—but a smile all the same. “Do you believe me to be arrogant?”

“I believe you’re the kind of man who uses compliments to your advantage.”

As they neared the palace entrance, Rayad paused beneath one of the lights lining the walkway, giving Sunny a good look at his handsome features, particularly his expressive eyes. “I am simply a man who speaks the truth,” he said.

She hugged her arms to her middle, the flower wilting in her grasp. “Would that be all the time or only when it’s convenient?”

“I am forced to withhold some information for security reasons. Yet when it comes to my attraction to a woman, I have nothing to hide, and I find I am extremely attracted to you.”

She suspected many a woman had willingly given him anything he’d requested with only the crook of his finger and a come-hither look. She had no intention of doing that for many reasons. “Please explain to me how you could even remotely find me attractive after knowing me such a short time.”

“Attraction is at times immediate, and oftentimes without explanation.”

She couldn’t exactly argue since she had to admit she found him illogically attractive, as well. And that in itself could be dangerous. “You’re referring to physical attraction.”

“That is the bait that encourages two people to explore the possibilities.”

As Rayad studied her face, his gaze coming to rest on her mouth before trekking back to her eyes, she could imagine several possibilities. Tempting possibilities. Inadvisable and unattainable possibilities in light of her recent past.

Forcing herself back into reality, Sunny pointed the posy at the double doors. “Since it’s getting fairly late, we should probably call it a night. Sleep well.”

He inclined his head and narrowed his eyes. “Do you sleep well, or do nightmares plague you?”

Her entire body tensed with the fear he knew more about her than she’d first assumed. “Why would you believe I have nightmares?”

He leaned back against the stone ledge behind him and folded his arms across his broad chest. “I know you have seen carnage in your line of work. And with that carnage comes images that haunt you in dark and daylight.”

Somewhat relieved he evidently didn’t know everything, she wanted desperately to deny his accurate assumption. But she sensed he possessed an expert ranking when it came to character study, and therefore chose a partial lie. “I’ve had a few bad dreams, but it’s not an every-night occurrence.”

“Then you are fortunate,” he said.

She took a step toward him in an effort to better read his reaction. “I take it you speak from experience.”

He lifted his shoulders slightly in a shrug. “I am not immune to dreams that disturb my sleep.”

“Then you’ve seen your share of horrors.”

“Many in the past, and I expect more in the future.”

Sheer curiosity to dissect this enigmatic man drew her to his side. “At the risk of sounding idealistic and illogical, I don’t understand why the world has to be that way.”

“Evil,” he said, a strong cast of anger in his tone. “I have seen unspeakable acts forced on innocents by those with no conscience.”

“So have I.” She had been the victim of that very thing, though she refused to see herself as a victim. “It has made me rethink my career choice. I’m considering returning to the States when I go back to work.”

“You will never be happy.”

She faced him, leaned a hip against the wall and rested her elbow atop the ledge. “You’re very bold to make that presumption.”

Finally, he turned toward her and made eye contact. “I know your kind. You live for adventure and the thrill of chasing the story. You said in your biography you choose to ignore danger to seek the truth.”

Damn the internet. “Yes, I did, but I’m not sure I feel that way anymore.”

He gave her a look of surprise laced with suspicion. “Has something happened to change your attitude?”

The question had hit too close to home. If not careful, she might start confessing. “Burnout, I guess you could say. And it’s definitely time for me to retire. If I’m lucky, this little jaunt through the snake-ridden garden has tired me out enough to drift off fairly quickly. Thanks so much for the companionship. I truly enjoyed it.”

When Sunny turned and started away, he quickly clasped her hand. The sudden action caused her to wrest away and turn toward him, a knee-jerk reaction she’d developed since the attack.

“I do not wish to harm you,” he said in a tempered tone.

She shivered slightly. “I know, and I apologize for my jumpiness. Just a little fallout due to the job. I’ve learned to always be on guard.”