By The Sheikh's Command

As far as Allie having taken charge of dinner tonight, that had been a nice gesture. Really. Bri didn’t have to worry about playing hostess to Rafe right off the bat. Allie had been thoughtful in eliminating that problem.

Bri got a six-pack of cola out of the pantry and put it on the fridge. So why did she feel so glum? Now she had more time to work on the auction paperwork.

She started for her office but her gaze fell on the newspaper left on the kitchen table. Ironically, it was open to the classifieds—the rental section.

Was someone trying to tell her something?

Chapter Two

Rafe stopped at the wet bar in the living room and found the bottle of scotch his new brother-in-law had left him. He poured himself a glass. Neat. No ice. Just the way he liked it. The scotch was a rare pleasure he allowed himself only when he traveled abroad. In his own country he never drank liquor. He never did anything that could be deemed inappropriate. He had too much to lose.

That’s what made the purpose of this trip to Texas so ironic. The fact that he would return to Munir without his errant sister as a result of his own negligence was more inappropriate than a dozen drinks.

He downed half the glass of scotch, and then took the rest with him to the den where he could look out at the courtyard fountain. The house was quiet, although he knew Brianna was somewhere inside. From the stables he had watched her cross the lawn and enter the house less than an hour ago.

She was an amazingly graceful creature. Tall and lithe and elegant even in faded jeans. A natural beauty who was inordinately reserved. In his experience, most women who possessed such perfection flaunted their attributes, expected special treatment. Although he had not had too many exchanges with her, Brianna seemed as quiet as a little mouse.

She could have been born to royalty by the way she carried herself, but he knew better. Cord had explained a little about his sister, about her shyness, how she kept to herself, going swimming or riding when not at work on the Flying Ace’s books. He was concerned about her swimming alone at a nearby lake, and Rafe had assured him he would be watchful of her.

And also discreet. Cord had immediately regretted that Brianna knew he had asked Rafe to watch over her. He smiled at the memory of her annoyed reaction when she had overheard them talking, how she had been quick to remind Cord that she was almost twenty-three and needed no supervision.

Rafe had decided to downplay his presence, allow her to think he had no interest in her whereabouts or activities. Apparently, she stayed close to the ranch, sometimes visiting friends at the Desert Rose or swimming in the lake.

Four of the five men living in the bunkhouse had been with the Brannigan family for years and did not concern Cord. The fifth one, however, a young man hired recently, showed too much interest in Brianna. Cord had not yet found it necessary to warn the man, but Rafe’s instructions were to “break the guy’s neck if he sniffed around Bri.”

Staring out at the waning sun, Rafe smiled at Cord’s choice of words and his intense protectiveness. An unusual quality among the American men Rafe had met at Harvard or since. Women were more independent in this country—an admirable trait to be sure, but sometimes difficult for a brother to accept.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.”

At the sound of Brianna’s voice, he turned to find her backing out of the room. “Is it a crime in Texas for us to be in the same room?”

Confusion flickered in her eyes at his teasing. And then she made a face. “I simply meant I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Ah, I see.” He gestured to a chair. “Please, sit with me.”

She glanced toward the door as if seeking escape. “I’m sort of busy right now.”

“Of course.” He drained his scotch, and contemplated another.

Brianna stared at him. When he met her gaze, she quickly looked away, her cheeks flooding with color. “You were right about dinner. Allie ordered something. I’ll let you know when it gets here.”

Rafe did not know the Brannigan family history, only that Brianna had not been raised in Bridle, but had led a sheltered life in a small town in New England. Perhaps that was the reason for her shyness. Perhaps that was what intrigued him about her. “May I fix you a drink?” he asked before she could leave.

She frowned slightly.

“You are old enough?”

She gave him a scathing look. “I’m almost twenty-three.”

“That old?”

The corners of her mouth twitched. “Very funny,” she said, and to his satisfaction, she lowered herself to a chair. “I’ll remind you that Allie and I are close in age and she’s now a married woman.”

His mood darkened. That was a reminder he did not need. He liked and respected Cord, but Aliah’s marriage to him had caused a great deal of trouble. “Yes, but until she was married, Aliah was under my patronage.”

Brianna laughed. “Patronage?”

He nodded.

“That sounds archaic.”

“Perhaps, but it is Munir’s custom for a brother to be responsible for his sister.”

She lifted her chin. “Good thing I don’t live there.”

Rafe made no comment, as tempted as he was to point out that she lived under the protection of Cord, and that in many aspects their cultures were not so vastly different.

“I’m not sure I’ll be here for dinner,” she said after a brief silence. “I may be meeting friends in Bridle.”

“All right.” He did not believe her. She was testing him, seeing if he would question her. “I have some work I must do for my meeting in Dallas. I would have preferred your company, but I understand.”

She seemed to relax. “I didn’t say I was going for sure. In fact, no one’s called yet so I probably won’t.” She eyed his empty glass. “I’ll fix you another drink if you want.”

He handed her the glass, their fingers brushing in the exchange. “The scotch, if you will. But just half. I need to keep my wits about me.”

He deliberately sought her gaze, and she stiffened, her eyes growing wide. The innuendo had not been lost. But he had meant only to tease her, not frighten her. She truly was naive, a child in many ways.

Bri quickly got up. She was glad for the excuse to go to the living room for the drink. He made her so darn nervous and had her thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts. That dark sexy look he gave her made her imagination go a little nuts.

Plus, she’d heard a lot about him from Allie. He was quite a ladies’ man, although Allie claimed he never took advantage of the fact that women were drawn to his looks and power. Bri didn’t know what exactly it was about him, but something sure got her all hot and bothered. The feeling was both unfamiliar and a little frightening.

She wasn’t worried, though. Not about his intentions. And it wasn’t just because of Allie’s glowing praise of her brother. Bri put more stock in the way Rafe treated Allie, in the way they interacted.

Watching Allie and Rafe say their goodbyes yesterday had made her a little wistful. The way they could give each other one look and smile in understanding, or the way he unabashedly hugged and kissed Allie. Even though Rafe still had to be hurt and angry over the way she had tricked him into leaving her in Texas, the love and acceptance he’d shown his sister warmed Bri in a way she couldn’t describe. It made her like him.

But it also made her envious. Rafe and Allie had a long history together. Not like her and Cord. They’d only known each other for a short time. If she were to suddenly move back to New Hampshire, Cord would miss her, she felt sure, but it wouldn’t devastate him.

She found the bottle of scotch and poured a small amount into Rafe’s glass. It crossed her mind to have a little wine, but she had the auction paperwork to handle and a stack of invoices to pay and payroll to prepare and…

The truth was, she didn’t trust herself to indulge in anything mind-altering. God only knew what she’d blab if she got too relaxed. She grabbed a bottle of diet cola instead and as she turned to go, nearly stepped on Mittens.

Allie’s kitten let out a wail and Bri nearly dropped Rafe’s drink as she jumped back. “Oh, you poor thing, I’m so sorry.” Bri set the glass of scotch and bottle of cola on the bar and stooped to cuddle the kitten, but the little thing scurried out of the room.

“Are you all right?” Rafe appeared almost instantly. He grabbed her upper arms as she straightened, his concerned eyes probing hers.

“Fine.” She cleared her throat. “It was Mittens. She got underfoot and we sort of scared each other.”

He glanced around.

“She’s probably halfway to the stables by now.”

His hands tightened slightly around her arms and he studied her face with unnerving closeness.

“What?” Bri tried to take a step back.

“Have you ever been alone before?”

She laughed at the irony. “I’ve been alone plenty, believe me. Besides, you’re here, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” he said so patiently it annoyed her. “And if you need anything—”

“I won’t.”

He nodded, but his condescending expression irked her. True, she hadn’t been in charge of the ranch before, but two of the hands had been with the Flying Ace so long they didn’t need her. Ty Thomas and Joe Piedmont had started right after Cord’s father had bought the ranch.

Her father. The thought stopped her. Even after hearing Cord’s stories and seeing all the pictures, she still couldn’t think of Gerald Brannigan as her father. She did wish she had met him, though. But he’d died unaware of her existence.

“Of course, you can always call Cord on his cell phone.”

She glared at Rafe. “I will not.”

“Because he is on his honeymoon? Business is business. Cord understands.”

“So do I. But a honeymoon is a honeymoon, and if he doesn’t understand that, I’m sure Allie will help remind him.”

A hint of a smile lit his face. “I am sure you are quite right. Subtlety is not my sister’s strong suit.”

“Subtlety has nothing to do with it. Now that they’re married, priorities have changed.”

“Ah.” He nodded. “You are a romantic.”

“No, I’m not.” Why did she sound so defensive? If she were a romantic, it wouldn’t be a crime. “Marriage is important.”

“I agree.” He gave a curt bow. “It is much like business.”

That stopped her. Marriage was personal. It was about love and respect between two people who couldn’t bear to live without each other. But of course Munir royalty didn’t share that opinion. Allie had explained about duty to family and country coming before personal desire. Maybe having no family wasn’t so bad after all.

“I see you do not agree,” Rafe said when she stayed silent. “Americans do not understand. American women in particular do not—”

She put up a hand. “I wouldn’t finish that thought if I were you.”

“As you wish.” His dark eyes watched her with such intensity it was as if he could see more than he should. “Where are you going?”

“To my office.” She took the glass from the bar and handed it to him before she headed out. “I have a lot of work to do.”

“Brianna. Wait.”

She hesitated, but didn’t actually turn around, torn between curiosity and the need to rush to the safety of her office.

“Brianna?”

Curiosity won. She turned to him.

“Will you run from me the entire week?”

AFTER DINNER, Rafe sat outside in the patio, sipping his coffee while Brianna cleaned up the kitchen. She had declined his offer to help but promised to sit with him later. But only after he had nearly badgered her into agreeing.

She was a puzzle, that one. Perhaps by the time Aliah and Cord returned, he would understand the shy blonde more. Why she blushed so easily and seemed to shrink away from attention instead of making the most of her considerable charms. She had him confused. Few people were able to do that.

“I brought you some brandy,” she said as she stepped onto the patio. “Sometimes Cord has it with his coffee after dinner.” She set the bottle down on the table, along with a crystal snifter.

“What about you? Will you not join me?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like the stuff. It’s too strong.”

“I agree. Please. Sit.”

A blush stole across her cheeks, and she drew in her lower lip beneath even white teeth, a nervous habit he found most appealing. “I’ll stay a few minutes,” she said and then sank into the chair farthest from him.

He picked up his coffee, not in the least interested in the brandy. A restless energy disturbed his equilibrium. Is that why he looked to this shy beauty for distraction?

“Well, if you don’t need me anymore…”

“Why do you run from me? Has Aliah filled your head with horror stories?”

She’d started to rise, but sank back down, looking genuinely surprised. “No, of course not. She adores you. And I don’t understand why you keep thinking I’m running away. I’m not on vacation. I have work to do.”

“I have asked only for a few minutes.”

She sighed. “I’m sorry. I am a little edgy. There are just so many changes around here lately…”

Rafe studied the way she anxiously smoothed back the tendrils of hair that had come loose, looking as if she wanted to get up and run as fast as she could. “Were you not in favor of the marriage?” he asked quietly.

“No. I mean, yes.” She gave her head a flustered shake. “I love Allie like a sister. I’m happy for both of them.”

“Yet the balance here is upset.”

Her forehead creased in a frown and she shrugged.

“Brianna, I understand. I have made peace with the marriage, but still it is difficult for me to see Aliah with a husband. In fact, a near stranger. No matter my growing fondness for Cord.” He had failed to take Aliah back. His people would not understand. “But she made her choice.”

Curiosity lit her eyes. “I thought men in your country didn’t believe in giving women a choice.”

“Most don’t.”

“But you do.”

He lifted the coffee cup to his lips. He did not wish to discuss his personal views.

“Allie said you’re very modern.”

“My sister talks too much.” He set the cup aside. “I understand there is a lake near here?”

Brianna stiffened. “A small one.”

“I would like to see it sometime.”

“It’s just an ordinary lake. You won’t be impressed.”

“My country is nearly surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The water soothes me.”

“I know. Me, too, but this really is a tiny lake and you’re used to an ocean.”

“No matter. When you are not too busy, you will show me?”

Reluctance hunched her shoulders. “Okay.”

“Tomorrow afternoon perhaps?”

Alarm darkened her eyes. “I’m not sure I’ll have time.”

She clearly did not want her private sanctuary invaded. Or perhaps it was his company she wished to avoid. The idea did not warm him. Women normally sought his attention.

She got to her feet and started gathering his cup and the brandy and placing them on the tray. Her hands fumbled in her haste and the idea she wanted to get away from him grew stronger.

He touched her wrist. “You seem nervous.”

Her face ripened with color. “I already explained why I was edgy.” Her chest rose and fell with a deep shuddering breath, and his gaze drew to her breasts.

Beneath the plain white T-shirt she wore, her nipples protruded. He dragged his gaze away, not wanting to embarrass her. And then he quickly released her, annoyed at his own physical reaction.

“D-did you want anything else?” Her lower lip quivered and she hesitated picking up the tray.

When she lowered her gaze, his own went back to her chest. Her breasts were small, the perfect size for the palm of a man’s hand, her nipples lush and tempting. Desire stirred in his belly and he clenched his teeth.

Too bad she was a child. Not just because she was ten years younger than he, but her obvious lack of experience around men detracted further. Cord had warned him she was an innocent, but a brother’s viewpoint was not always reliable.

Rafe mentally shook his head. Look how Aliah had fooled him. She had been sheltered, even cloistered for many of her young years, and she had turned into a hellcat nevertheless.

But he did not want to think about his sister and the predicament she had created for him. Soon enough he would have to face the royal family and admit his failure.

Brianna picked up the tray, her hands much steadier now. “I have a desk in Cord’s office. I’ll be in there if you need me.”

“And if I need you now?”

She blinked, and visibly swallowed. “Need me?”

He smiled. “Go, Brianna. Go hide in your office.”

A glint of temper flared in her eyes, but she said nothing. She gripped the tray with tight little fists and backed away from the table.

He watched her go, admiring the fit of her jeans. Normally, he preferred the soft curves and expanse of leg revealed by a dress. But the way the worn fabric clung to Brianna’s backside had his body stirring again.

Disgusted with himself, he turned away and focused on the fountain. He had given Cord his word he would care for his sister. That did not include troubling her with unwanted attention.

The soothing sound of water reached his ears, and the lights lit the spray like a thousand diamonds. There was no balm for his damaged spirit like the power of water. Yes, he had wanted to know where the lake was so that he could find Brianna should she disappear. But he wanted the knowledge for himself, as well.

He had much to think about before returning to Munir. Politically, he was now vulnerable. His cousin, Asaad, would seize the opportunity to vie for the throne. Although Rafe was the rightful heir, Assad had enough bloodline and connections to persuade the royal council his agenda was better suited to Munir’s interests.

While he wanted Munir to remain a monarchy, Rafe was in favor of moving toward a democracy. The people had mixed opinions. Munir subjects were accustomed to being coddled and having decisions made for them. Since the land and surrounding sea were both rich with oil, and everyone was well fed, with filled pockets, the people had little interest in change.

But some of the oil fields were drying up, and in order for the royal family to maintain their wealth, the difference in profits would come from the people. Asaad knew that as well as Rafe did, but his cousin was unwilling to sacrifice even a shadow of his assets. To that end, it was imperative he kept the people under his control, kept the country in the backward state in which it languished.

Rafe watched the water cascade from the tiled fountain and took several deep even breaths. Meditation had become as important to him as sleep. Next week in Dallas, he would need all his energy and wits about him. The largest oil lease with the Dallas-based American company was about to expire. It would be up to Rafe to negotiate the best possible deal.

Failing to bring Aliah back was serious. Failing to secure a lucrative deal would be unforgivable. Certain political suicide. Not that he was concerned. He had oil—something the Americans wanted and he knew how to do business with them. That was something he had over Asaad.

His cousin had gone to London and Paris for his education. Although from what the family had heard, he’d spent little time on his studies. Rafe had lived in the United States for six years while attending Harvard. Before that, he had had an American tutor who taught him English from the age of four. And unlike Asaad who showed open disdain for Americans, Rafe liked them. He liked the progressive way they thought, the democratic way they governed and their humanitarian concern for third-world countries.

And he liked American women. The way they dressed and smelled. He especially admired the way they spoke their minds on subjects ranging from politics to child rearing. Of course, in his country, women were not given the same freedom to be so outspoken, but then again, it had not stopped young women like Aliah.

Rafe closed his eyes at the thought of his unruly sister. He hoped she truly had found what she wanted, and this marriage was not a mere act of rebellion. He did not believe so. Not the way she and Cord looked at each other, or the laughter they shared. Rafe had never heard his sister laugh so much as he had in the past few days.

In a way, he envied her. True, the royal family and the people of Munir would not be happy, but at least her taking an American husband could be tolerated. He did not have that luxury. When he finally wedded, the bride would be well chosen according to Munir custom. The idea was a farce. Even as queen, his wife would have no power, or avenue to voice her opinions.

No matter, he would have to find a wife soon before one was selected for him. His parents reminded him often he would soon be past his prime.

Unwilling to dwell anymore on the unpleasant subject, he got up from the table and considered going for a ride to the Desert Rose. Not in the pickup truck but on one of Cord’s fine stallions. Between the Desert Rose and the Flying Ace, the quality of horses they bred would warrant many more scouting trips. Already he had purchased a small herd, but there was always room in the royal stables for another fine thoroughbred.

More important, he would want to visit Aliah. Assure himself all was well with her husband and her new life in America. And of course he would be able to see Brianna.

The thought startled him. Without a doubt he found her very beautiful with her long blond hair and clear blue eyes, and her reserved demeanor was most captivating. But he had not consciously been thinking about her.

Still, she often stole into his thoughts, he realized, uneasiness crawling beneath his skin. He had to move, not sit and think. Brianna would be in her office. A trip to the Desert Rose in the moonlight would occupy him. Perhaps Mac Coleman was still in the stables so they could discuss the foal.

Rafe changed into a pair of jeans, attire to which he had become accustomed while studying at Harvard but seldom wore now. He seemed to live in ties and suits, traveling in the family jet from one meeting to another to wherever the demand for oil led him. Staying here at the Flying Ace would do him good.

He thought about stopping at Brianna’s office to let her know he would be out, but then thought it better she believed he was still around the Flying Ace. Instead, he headed for the stables, enjoying the last remnants of the sunset.

He wished he could share it with Brianna.

The unexpected and intrusive thought angered him and he pushed through the stable doors.

What was it about the girl that she’d slipped into his thoughts so easily? Could it be he wanted more than to keep an eye on her?

Chapter Three

“Hey, Bri, you’re looking good this morning.”

She spun around with her hand to her throat. “Good grief, Chuck, you scared the living daylights out of me.”

“Sorry, darlin’, I sure didn’t mean to do that.” He gave her one of his big cocky grins and slid an arm around her shoulders. “But don’t you worry none. Not when you’ve got big strong Chuckie here to protect you.”

Yeah, but who’d protect her from him? She ducked away, pretending to inspect the new English saddle Cord had bought her last month. “I can take care of myself. I just don’t like anyone sneaking up on me.”

He laughed. “Now, darlin’, I didn’t do any sneaking. As a matter of fact, I do believe I was here first. Even thought you might have come out here to see me.”

Bri gave him a bland look but then laughed at the wounded look on his face. Of course it was an act, but he had the hangdog expression down so well. “You might as well make yourself useful. Help me count these snaffle bits.”

“What for?”

“It’s inventory time.”

Chuck frowned. “No kiddin’. You guys keep track of that kind of stuff?”

“Of course. This is a business.”