“If one is alone, it is. I’m not alone, I have you.”
Together they swam along the coast, only turning back when Khalid began to fear she would tire out before reaching their things. Ella seemed as full of energy at the end as when they started. And once their towels and clothes were in sight, she stopped and tread water again. Curious, he stopped, too, and was greeted with a wave of water. A tap on his shoulder as he shook his head to clear the water from his eyes was followed immediately by “You’re it!”
Ella dove under the water and for a moment he didn’t know which direction she’d gone. When she resurfaced some yards away, he struck out. She laughed and dove beneath the water again. This time she appeared near the shore. Khalid laughed and reversed direction. By the time he reached her, she was already standing and hurrying up the shallow shelf to reach the beach.
Snatching up her towel, she wrung out her hair and then dried herself, all the while moving back, watching him.
“Dangerous games you play, Ella,” he said, walking steadily toward her.
“It was fun.” She laughed, but kept backing away.
Khalid pursued, gaining ground with every step.
“It was. But you don’t play fair. Why leave the water?”
“I’m tired. That was a long swim.” She giggled and stepped back. “I’m leaving my cover-up behind,” she said.
“Come and get it.”
“I’m not that dumb.”
“No one said you were dumb,” he said, reaching out to catch her.
She laughed but came willingly into his arms. “Khalid, you are the dangerous one,” she said just before he kissed her.
The next morning Khalid stood on the veranda on the side of the house nearest Ella’s cottage, looking toward the sea. He’d had breakfast early, checked in with the office and debated taking a consulting job that had been offered or sending his second in command. The time away would give him some perspective. Last night replayed itself like an endless film. He should have pushed for more. But his respect for Ella wouldn’t allow him to press for more than she wanted. And it appeared as if kisses were the limit of her willingness.
He should take the job.
“The maid said I’d find you here,” Rashid said behind him.
Khalid turned. His casual clothes contrasted with the Western suit and tie that Rashid wore.
“And she was right. What’s up?” he asked his brother.
“Just came by to see you.” Rashid pulled a chair away from the small table and removed his suit jacket, hanging it across the back. Sitting, he looked at his brother, eyebrows raised in silent question.
Khalid came across and pulled out another chair, sitting opposite his twin.
“I heard from an oil company in Egypt. They want us to come vet their new well.”
“Are you going?” Rashid asked.
Khalid shrugged. “Don’t know.”
“You usually jump at foreign assignments.”
“I’ve been to Egypt before.”
“More than once. Maybe your new fiancée is keeping you closer to home.”
“I don’t need that from you. You know the entire thing escalated out of hand. Damn, I was only trying to help out my tenant. I told you.”
Rashid smiled at that. “Right. Somehow I guess I forgot.”
“Like you ever would. Is that why you’re here? To rehash the entire affair?”
“Ah, you’ve moved on to an affair now.”
“No, I have not. I stepped in to try to keep her family from pressuring her. Once her brother leaves, end of story.” He rose and paced to the edge of the stone floor, then turned back.
“What would you have done?” he asked.
“The same thing, I’m sure. Actually I came by to see if you were at all interested in her. She seemed devoted to you last night. Maybe this could develop into something good.”
The scene in the water and on the sand flashed into mind. Khalid wasn’t sharing that with his brother, twin bond or not. “An act.” Had it all been an act? He hoped not.
“A suggestion only—” Rashid began.
“What?” Khalid felt his barriers rise.
“Give the relationship a chance. She’s a nice woman. Talented, pretty. She loved the country, gave up her family for her first husband. Is loyal.”
“Makes her sound like a dog or something.”
“I’m trying to get through to you that not everyone is Damara. She was shallow and superficial and at the first setback fled. In retrospect, you got a lucky break. What if you were married and she couldn’t stay for the long haul.”
“I’m sure she felt she caught the lucky break.” He turned back to gaze at the sea, remembering the scene in the hospital—he so doped up because of the searing pain and the one person beside his twin he thought he could count on instead shredding their relationship. As he watched the water sparkle beneath the sun, that image was replaced with a scene from last night: Ella’s splashing him and then laughing.
Ella kissing his damaged skin. Ella.
More than anything, he loved her laugh.
Scowling at his thoughts, he turned back to Rashid.
“I’m taking off. The job in Egypt will last a couple of weeks at least.”
“Give my suggestion some thought.”
“There’s nothing like that between us. She needed help. I gave it. She’s locked into the cottage legally—nothing I can do to get rid of her before the lease expires. We’ll muddle through. Not everyone is like you. Enjoy what you have with Bethanne. Don’t try to find a happy ending here.”
Rashid rose, slung his jacket over his shoulder and looked at his brother. “Okay. I gave it a shot. Your life is yours. Just don’t screw it up any more than you can help.”
Khalid laughed. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Once Rashid left, he went to the study and called his office. “Make the arrangements…I’ll leave this afternoon,” he told his assistant.
Ella had expected to hear from Khalid, but he had not sent word for her to come to the main house, nor visited. She kept busy sorting the glass pieces, pleased to study some and find they were better quality than she remembered. Stepping back a bit helped her gain perspective. The piece might not have attained her vision for it, but it was still good.
She had early pieces grouped together. Later ones separated. Definitely an improvement in the later ones. Maybe she should have a seconds sale—knock off the prices of the earlier less-than-perfect pieces. But only after she had started selling.
The pictures she had taken in the house looked great. She’d see about contacting a printer to make them into a booklet.
As much as she tried to concentrate on work, she was on tenterhooks for Khalid. Last night had been amazing. She’d hated to go home alone.
But this morning—nothing.
Finally she took a light lunch on her veranda. Maybe she should just go over and find out what he was doing. Or if he had gone into his office today. It was a workday after all. She’d gotten used to his being available whenever she wanted. How spoiled was that?
She refused to hang around like some lovelorn idiot. She had her own life. If it coincided with his once in a while, so much the better.
The day seemed to last forever. She cleaned her small cottage. Did a load of laundry, even cooked dinner which was not something she often did. Finally—it was dark. Normally she walked after eleven, but even though it was scarcely past nine, she couldn’t wait.
She headed for the beach. No sign of Khalid. She knew she was early. Slowly she walked to the water’s edge. She’d wait.
Which wasn’t easy to do when every nerve clamored for him. She sat on the warm sand, the water lapping the beach a few feet from her toes. Picking up handfuls of sand, she let it slip between her fingers. Last night had been surreal. One part at the party Khalid’s mother had given. The other—the real part—had been swimming in the warm sea. She smiled remembering how much fun she’d had. How much she liked being with Khalid.
Glancing over her shoulder, she wondered what time it was. How long before he came?
CHAPTER NINE
THE next morning Ella headed to her studio, firmly intending to push all thoughts of a certain sheikh from her mind. It did not take a two-by-four hitting her on the side of the head to get it. He had not shown at the beach last night. When she finally gave up and returned home, all lights in the main house were off. Had he gone out?
It didn’t matter. He was merely her landlord. Nothing else. She would not let herself believe there was something special between them. If there was any special feelings, they were obviously one-sided—on her side.
Now she was going to focus on her career and leave all men out of the equation until she was firmly on the path to money. Next place she lived, she wanted to own. To be able to come and go when she pleased and not worry about someone trying to evict her because of their own agenda.
Firing up the oven, she chose the glass shards carefully, then melted the different colors, picking them up one at a time on her wand. Slowly the glasses melded and when she began shaping the blob, she was pleased with the greens and blues and turquoise that began to show through. Taking her time, concentrating on the task at hand, Ella fashioned a large flat plate.
It was early afternoon when she was satisfied and put the art piece in her annealer. Stretching to work out the kinks in knotted muscles, she went to the cottage for lunch. For the first time in hours her mind flipped to Khalid. Where was he? Despite her vow to refrain from thinking about him, now she could think of nothing else.