Her desert knight(25)

Possibly. She'd have to carefully consider all the pros and cons.

Quasar was already grinning. "Sensible woman. Salalah is lovely, but  it's no place for a woman with a great career in art history ahead of  her. And we'd come back regularly to visit."

We'd come back regularly. The we got her attention. He was thinking of  them as a couple. Which shouldn't sound so odd since they were a couple.

She took in a deep steadying breath. It was really too perfect. Too good to be true. Surely she was missing something?

"What if it takes me a long time to find a job? I have very little left  in my savings. Probably the plane flight alone would finish them off,  and then..." She didn't relish the prospect of being financially  dependent on a man again. It was probably the most effective way her  ex-husband had exerted control over her-cutting off her income source  and preventing her from finding another.

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I'll offer you a  fifty-thousand-dollar grant to research the frankincense trade in  Salalah. How does that sound?"

"Like you're trying to buy my consent."

"Nonsense. It's purely academic curiosity that prompts me."

She tried to look like she was thinking it over. "There's some excellent scholarship in that field already."

"But I'd imagine that advances in technology allow satellite analysis that could reveal more lost settlements like Saliyah."

She frowned. "You might have a point."

"Think it over." He pressed another soft, warm kiss to her lips, then  pulled his arms from around her waist and continued down the street. She  hurried to catch up. Her mind spun so fast it was hard to walk at the  same time. Her father would be sure to protest but if she could reassure  him that she had "grant" money and he didn't have to support her, she  might mollify at least some of his objections. And if she decided to  go-if she really thought it was for the best-he could hardly stop her.

Quasar's wild scheme was entirely doable. It could transform her life instantly.

Or be the biggest mistake she'd ever made.

"I will think about it."

"Good. And if your thoughts aren't heading in the right direction, then  call me and I'll set them back on the right course." His effortless  confidence was both inspiring and a little infuriating. Oh, to possess  some of that herself.                       
       
           



       

And the truth was, the more time she spent with Quasar, the more  confident and optimistic she felt. Just the fact that she'd gone to look  for a job today was a big step forward from lounging around her bedroom  feeling like a loser. She'd once had big dreams-and the prestigious job  she'd dreamed of-and maybe it wasn't too late to pursue them again.

She was starting to feel like her old self: the college student who  thought anything was possible. "I think I should go home now."

"Already? We only just met. I need to stare into your beautiful eyes  for at least another half hour before I go live on memories for the rest  of the day and night."

She giggled. "I can't think straight. What you suggested is so huge  that it's taking over my brain. I have to make up a list of pros and  cons."

"Cons? There aren't any."

"It's certainly hard to think of them when I'm standing here with you. That's why I need to go home."

He smiled, then shrugged. "Okay. I'll drive you home to dream up some cons. And maybe we can make love in your bedroom again."

"No way! I can't believe my brother almost caught us together in there.  Never again. Really, I mean it!" She was talking too loud and looked  about quickly to see if anyone had heard.

Quasar pretended to pout. "So cruel. But okay, I'll be good and drop  you off if you promise to come to an event at the hotel this evening.  It's Kira's fifth birthday party but it's for the grown-ups as much as  the kids. Salim's hired a bunch of carnival acts to walk around the  hotel and entertain people, and practically everyone in Salalah is  invited."

"That alone is a good reason for me not to come. I don't want to become the subject of gossip."

"We'll tell people we're old friends." He grinned. "They'll just assume  that since we were both in the U.S. that we bonded over there."

"What will I tell my father?" She frowned and shook her head. "Geez, I  feel like a teenager. I can't believe I even have to think about this.  I'll just tell him I'm going to visit a friend."

"Invite him to come, too." Quasar grinned.

"I'm sure he'd love that. Into the den of the Al Mansurs."

"You never know. People pull out all the stops to get invited to some of Salim's exclusive parties. He might surprise you."

"I don't think so. He's depressingly predictable." What would he say if  she announced she was moving away with Quasar? She couldn't even  imagine. If he were angry enough he could cast her out of the family and  refuse to ever speak to her again. She hoped he'd never do that but  there was no way to know for sure. She certainly wasn't going to breathe  a word about it until she'd made up her own mind that moving to Boston  with Quasar was a good idea. "I'll try to come, though. What time?"

"Five. It's early because of the kids."

"Okay. I'll come for a while and then go home for dinner."

"I could come pick you up."

"No! It's barely a twenty-minute walk. I'll see you there."

They walked to where his car was parked a couple of blocks away, and he  took her home. Once again he drove around the back. There would have  been plenty of time for her to invite him in but she was glad he didn't  suggest it again.

She kissed him for a solid minute before climbing warily out of the  car. She was reluctant to leave him. To wake up and find this was all a  figment of her imagination. A dream that crept over her during an  afternoon nap.

She could hardly believe he'd asked her to move back to the U.S. with him.

That meant this wasn't a fling but the start of something real.

Once inside the back door, she waved and watched him drive away.

With a sigh, she walked from the back of the house to the front and  went to put her keys on the hall table, as if she'd come in the front  door like a normal person with nothing to hide.

And that's when she saw her father and her brothers standing in the  kitchen, right next to the window that looked out onto the street.





      Nine

"What is the meaning of this, Daniyah?" Her father's lips grew white as he stared at her.

She could tell he'd seen Quasar. She didn't know what to say.

"Of what?"

"Don't treat me like a fool. Apparently you forgot I took your brothers  to the engineering symposium at the university today. It was over by  two and we returned to find you gone. You've been out with that...man."                       
       
           



       

"Only to the market. I bought some almonds." She held up the bag she'd  almost forgotten about. "We didn't do anything else." For once, it was  the truth.

His eyes started to bulge as his face reddened. "No? What else have you  done with him on other occasions? You told me you weren't going to see  him again. Clearly you lied to me so now I'm wondering what else is  untrue. If your mother were alive today...!" He shook his head and  exhaled as if he were going to breathe fire. "Perhaps I should forbid  you to leave the house. I literally cannot believe that you were out  walking around Salalah in broad daylight with one of those accursed Al  Mansurs."

The mention of her mother chastened Dani. Who knew where they'd all be  if her mother were alive. Dani would likely never have moved to the  United States, or met Gordon. She'd probably have been fixed up by her  mom and aunts with a nice, quiet Omani man, who didn't have flashing  blue eyes or a reputation as an international playboy.

"I'm thinking of moving to America with him."

She said the words entirely without premeditation. They slipped out of her mouth as she was testing them in her mind.

Her father stared at her, speechless. Then his eyebrows started to twitch. "Have you taken leave of your senses?"

"You said yourself that I won't be able to find a job here. My skills  may seem useless in Salalah, but I have a prestigious academic  background and I was a curator at Princeton. In America my skills are  far more marketable, especially in a university town like Boston."

"Boston? You've actually discussed this with him?" Her father's voice was hoarse with incredulity.

"Yes. Just today, in fact. I told him I'd think about it." She sounded  surprisingly calm. Much calmer than she felt. She hadn't even had a  chance to think this plan through properly and already she was  announcing it almost as a done deal.