“So we stay engaged for a while longer,” she mused. “Suits me.” Her attention turned back to her menu.
Khalid felt a strange relief at her compliance. At least for a while longer, they continued being engaged.
And didn’t engaged couples kiss?
The thought sprang to mind and wouldn’t leave. He glanced at her. Her attention on the menu, he had ample time to study her lips, imaging them pressed against his again. Imagine feeling her soft body against his, passion rising between them.
If he didn’t stop soon, he’d embarrass himself. He wanted dinner ordered eaten and over. They could walk to the square. The day’s heat was abating. It would cool down soon as the desert did at night. They could find a secluded spot and watch the stars appear. And he’d hold her and kiss her and pretend for one night everything was normal.
It almost worked that way. They agreed to stroll through town when dinner finished. And when they found a parapet overlooking a city garden, they leaned against the still-warm stone and tried to make out the plants in the garden. But the light faded quickly. Turning, Ella looked up at the sky. “It’s growing darker by the second. Soon a million stars will show.”
He nodded and stepped closer, bringing her into his arms. “And you are more beautiful than all of them,” he said, and kissed her.
Nothing was normal about that kiss. He felt every inch of his body come alive as he deepened the kiss. She responded like she had been waiting as long as he had. Her mouth was sweet and tender and provocative. Her curves met his muscles and tempted him even more. Her tongue danced with his, inflaming desire to a new level. The parapet disappeared. The stars were forgotten. There remained only the two of them, locked in an embrace that he wanted to go on forever.
Forgotten was the hideous scar that so repulsed others. Gone was the fear he would never find a woman to overlook the distortion even for a night. Khalid felt he was soaring. And he loved every moment.
If only it could last forever.
But it was not fair to Ella to kiss her when he’d coerced her into this engagement. Slowly he broke off the kiss, pleased when she followed him as he pulled back—obviously not wanting to end the kiss.
He was breathing hard when they parted. She was, too.
“Wow,” she said, then turned. “I think we should go back to the hotel.”
He wanted to agree—if she meant they’d go to his room. He wanted to make love to her so badly he ached from head to toe. Yet nothing she’d said or done gave him any indication that was where her thoughts were heading.
They turned and walked back toward the hotel.
“Did you arrange for Bethanne to pick us up tomorrow?” she asked as they came into the light spilling into the street from the hotel.
“She’ll be here at nine.”
“Good.”
When they entered the lobby, Ella quickened her pace. She punched the elevator button almost savagely. She hadn’t looked at him once since they came into the light.
“Ella, if you’re upset—”
“Why would I be upset?” she asked in a brittle tone. “Engaged couples kiss all the time.”
The elevator arrived and she stepped in, punching the number for her floor.
Khalid hesitated, then remained where he was. She did look up as the doors began to close.
“See you in the morning,” he said before she was lost from view.
Turning, he went back outside. A long walk—like maybe to Alkaahdar—was required. He hoped he had his head on straight come morning.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could she have responded so freely to Khalid’s kiss. No wonder she drove him away. He didn’t even want to escort her to her room. Probably thought she’d jump him and drag him inside. Ella paced her room, slapping the wall when she reached it. Turning, she paced to the other wall, slapped it. What could she do to make things come right? She knew he had only helped her out. There was nothing there. How could she have responded so ardently?
Because she loved him and knew he had been lacking in love for years. She wanted to hold him close, pour out her feelings, let him know she loved him beyond anything. But to do so would probably have him running for the nearest exit. A kindness to help her out of a jam didn’t mean he was falling for her. He had his life, she had hers.
“Stupid!” she almost shouted the word.
Taking a deep breath, she crossed to the bed and sat down hard. Nothing was going right. She was at odds with her family, had lost her husband—whom she was having trouble remembering when every time she tried her mind saw Khalid. She felt a flare of panic. She couldn’t forget Alexander. He’d been her childhood sweetheart. They’d had a nice marriage. At one time she thought he was the only man for her.
Only Khalid had a way of making her forget him. Forget the sweet love they’d shared for the hot and passionate feelings that sprang to life anytime she saw Khalid. Or even thought about him.
Daydreams about what life together could be like. And fears for his safety. She had to get away. Pack her things, face her parents and take complete charge of her life. She didn’t have to marry anyone. It wasn’t her fault her brother had a gambling problem. Time he faced the music and not expect her to martyr herself on his behalf.
And if she made it big in art, great. If not, maybe she could do stained glass work, or something to keep doing what she loved. It wasn’t the same as sharing a life with a man she felt passionately about. But it would have to suffice.
If she could make it on her own. Somehow she must find a way to be self-supporting.
Which meant staying in the cottage was her best bet—the lease was solid for another four years. Khalid would get tired of hanging around and move on. Or sell the estate with the cottage occupied. She could make sure she didn’t walk along the beach at night. Or venture outside if she knew he was in residence.
She’d faced worse. She could do this.
“But I don’t want to,” she wailed, and burst into tears.
The next morning Ella felt more composed. She ate a small breakfast in her room. Made sure no traces of last night’s tears showed and descended to the lobby promptly at nine. Khalid was nowhere to be seen. She hadn’t gotten the time wrong, had she?
One of the porters saw her and came over. “I will take your bag. You should have called down. The taxi is waiting.”
So he wasn’t even going back with her. That should help. But Ella felt the loss to her toes. Much as she’d talked herself into staying away from him in the future, she still hoped to fly back with him this morning. Saying goodbye silently so he’d never know, but having a few more hours of his company. Now even that was denied her.
The gleaming white jet sat on the runway with a bevy of men working around it. The cab stopped near the plane and a man rushed over to get her bag. She felt like royalty. Tears stung as she tried to smile and walked to the plane. She missed Khalid and it had been less than ten hours since she’d seen him.
Bethanne popped out of the opened doorway. “Hey, let’s get a move on. I’ve got another run later,” she said with a wide smile.
It must not be odd that Khalid wasn’t with her, Ella thought as she ran lightly up the stairs.
“Where to later?” she asked, hoping Khalid would not be a topic of conversation.
“To take Khalid and his crew to that fire, of course. Didn’t he tell you? Since I was already airborne when the call came in, he’s staying here and I’m flying back to get the rest of his crew and then we’ll head for Kuwait.”
Ella felt her heart freeze. “Another fire?” she said. He had not told her. He had not contacted her at all that morning. Which should show her more than anything how nebulous their connection was. It was not her business after all. He saw no reason to inform her.
“A double from what I understand. Want to sit up in the cockpit? We can talk as I fly.”
In a surprisingly short time they were airborne. Ella was so curious about the fire she could hardly sit still. Respecting Bethanne’s need for concentration, she kept quiet until the pilot leveled out.
“There, all set. We’re heading for the capital city now,” Bethanne said.
Ella looked at her. “Tell me about the fire. Khalid didn’t say a thing to me about it.”
“It’s in Kuwait and a bad one. Apparently two wells, connected somehow, ignited. Seven men are known dead and a couple of others are missing. They says it’s burning millions of gallons of oil. And hot enough to be felt a half a mile away.”
“He can’t put it out,” Ella said, staggered trying to imagine the puny efforts of men to extinguish such a raging inferno.
“You know Khalid, he’ll do his best. And my money’s on him.”
“Someone should stop him,” Ella said.
“What?” Bethanne looked at her. “He’ll be okay. He always comes through.”
“He got burned pretty badly one time,” Ella reminded her.
“Freak accident.”
“Which could happen again. Good grief, if the heat is felt so far away, what would it be like close enough to cap it? It’s probably melting everything around it and there’d be nothing to cap.”
“So they put out the flames, let the oil seep and figure out a way to get into production again. That’s what Khalid does, and he’s really good at it, according to Rashid. Who, by the way, also wishes he wouldn’t do this job. But he knows Khalid is driven to do this and won’t stand in his way.”