‘Thank you?’
‘For asking, I suppose.’ Frustration flashed in her green eyes. ‘I...can we just stay on topic?’
‘By all means. But you can stop treating me like a stranger. I’m not.’
‘You are.’ She rubbed the back of her neck as if it ached and rolled her slender shoulders. ‘But I didn’t come out here to argue with you.’
Nadir took another swallow of Scotch. ‘What did you come out here for?’
The air between them thickened and he nearly said to hell with arguing; it was time to relieve some of the tension between them.
‘To talk.’
‘I’ve got a better idea.’
She frowned and he saw the moment the meaning behind his rough words became clear because her gorgeous eyes widened in shock. ‘I hope you don’t mean what I think you mean.’
‘Oh, I definitely mean exactly what you think I mean.’
She gasped softly. ‘How can you think about sex at a time like this?’
He thought about sex with her all the time. ‘Too soon for you, habibi? That’s okay. I’m a patient man. I can wait.’
‘Look, Nadir—’
‘Look, Imogen.’ He scrubbed a weary hand across his face. ‘I’m not in the mood for a discussion. We can talk tomorrow after one o’clock.’
‘Why? What happens at one o’clock?’
At one o’clock one of his pesky loose ends would be resolved. ‘It’s not important.’
Her eyes narrowed. ‘Does it have to do with what your brother was talking about before?’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘It seemed to matter to him.’
‘He’ll get over it.’
Her lashes fluttered down to hide her frustrated gaze. ‘Keep your secrets. I don’t want to know them anyway.’
‘It’s not a secret. I have business to sort out in Bakaan that doesn’t concern you.’
‘Fine.’ Her tone implied it was anything but fine. ‘Let’s stay on topic and discuss something that does concern me.’
‘By all means let’s stay on topic. Tomorrow.’
* * *
Imogen didn’t like the way his gaze swept over her and wished she’d kept her bra on after Nadeena had gone to sleep because every time his eyes dropped to her chest her nipples peaked. She just hoped that the lighting from the lamps was low enough that he wouldn’t notice. Not that she couldn’t see every muscle shifting on his torso. He raised his hand to rub at the smattering of hair on his chest again and Imogen barely resisted the urge to fan herself. Stay on topic yourself, she admonished silently.
The last thing she needed right now was to think about the offer he’d just made. Which only reinforced his playboy mentality.