'If men said the right thing at the right moment, we'd be women.' He ducked inside the tent, lowered her onto a sleeping roll he'd laid out for himself and gently detached himself from her grip. The movement brought their faces very close together. She could feel his breath on her cheek. All she had to do was turn her head and their mouths would meet. And she didn't have to wonder how that would feel because she knew. And he knew, too.
Their eyes met and she saw the heat in his and knew he would see the same in hers because the chemistry was there, as powerful as ever. It sucked at her stomach and brushed over her skin, making her crave the impossible. She hadn't kissed a man since him and she missed him terribly.
It was a dangerous moment and it felt as if it lasted for ever. In reality it was less than a couple of seconds and she was about to push him away when he turned away from her, suddenly brisk and efficient.
'Do you normally react to bee stings or wasp stings?'
The only thing she reacted to was him.
Her mouth was so dry it felt as if she'd fallen face down in the desert. 'I have no idea. I've never been stung by either before.' The chemistry between them had shaken her almost as much as the scorpion bite. She felt vulnerable, and she hated feeling vulnerable. The last time she'd felt like this was when they'd split up.
'How are you feeling?'
'My hand throbs.' She squinted down at it and he hesitated for a moment and then slid back the sleeve of her shirt and studied it under the light. His fingers were strong and firm and she had to concentrate on keeping still. On not responding.
He wasn't hers any more. And she wasn't his.
Avery stared at his bent head; at the glossy dark hair that flopped over his forehead. She knew exactly how it would feel if she sank her hands into it because she'd done that. She'd trailed her mouth over his skin and tasted him. Everywhere.
As if feeling her thoughts, he lifted his head and she jerked back slightly, feeling guilty even though all she'd done was look.
The man was marrying Kalila. The fact that they seemed to barely know each other wasn't her business. The fact that Kalila had run away wasn't her business.
Studying her hand, he muttered something under his breath. 'I should have used the ultraviolet torch out there.'
'And how would that have helped?'
'There is a compound in the exoskeleton of the scorpion that causes it to glow in UV light.' He adjusted the light to get a better look. 'It means that we can see where they are. They show up as a ghostly green colour.'
Avery looked away so that she couldn't see his hand touching hers. Bronze against creamy white. Male against female. 'That is disgusting. How do you even know these things?'
'This is my country. It is my business to know.'
'Ghostly green scorpions.' She shuddered. 'I'm almost glad I couldn't see them. Remind me why I came?'
'Because you wanted to help Kalila. Tell me how badly it hurts.'
'I don't know-worse than a headache, better than the time I bounced off the trampoline and smashed my head on the floor of the school gym. Do you mind not frowning? Frowning means you're worried or that there is something seriously wrong. By the way, my hand feels as if it's on fire. Is that OK?'
Mal's mouth tightened. 'I should have made you come into the tent sooner.'
'I didn't want to do that.'
'And we both know why.'
There it was again. The chemistry that neither of them wanted.
'Let's not go there.'
'No.' There was a ripple of exasperation in his voice. 'But from now on you are by my side the whole time, no matter how uncomfortable that makes you feel. Stay there a moment and don't move. I'll be back soon.'
'You're leaving?' Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his arm. 'Where are you going?' Realising what she'd just done, she let her hand drop. God, what was the matter with her? She was having a complete character transformation.
'To the car to get some ice.' He watched her, his expression revealing that he was every bit as surprised as she was. Reaching down, he closed his hand over her shoulder. 'You will be fine, habibti.'
Habibti.
Shock held her still because the last time he'd called her that, they'd been in bed together. Naked. Her legs tangled with his. His mouth hard on hers.
And he must have been experiencing the same memory because his eyes darkened and his gaze slid slowly to her mouth and then back to her eyes. Their whole past was in that one look.
This time she was the one to look away first.
'You're right. Of course I'll be fine,' she said quickly. 'I was just-' Clinging. Like a desperate female. She, who had never clung to anyone or anything before in her life, had clung. She didn't even want to think about what that would do to his macho ego. And she certainly didn't want to think about what it did for her reputation.
Horribly embarrassed, Avery shifted back as far as she could. 'Go and get the ice. Make sure you bring a bottle of Bollinger with it. And tell the scorpions to dine elsewhere. I'm no longer on the menu.'
'Are you sure you'll be all right? Only a moment ago you were clinging to me.'
'Clinging?' Her attempt at light-hearted laughter was relatively convincing. 'I was just trying to avoid being bitten by another scorpion. I'd rather they bit you than me.'
'Thanks.'
'If there had been a boulder handy, I would have stood on that. Anything to get above ground level. Don't take it personally. Now go. I'm thirsty.'
It was the first time he'd seen her lower her guard, even briefly.
And he'd lowered his guard too and called her habibti and that single word had shifted the atmosphere. He didn't know whether to be amused or offended that she considered him a bigger threat to her well-being than the scorpion.
Relieved, he thought grimly as he remembered the way he'd felt when she'd wrapped her arms around his neck. Unlocking the door, he removed ice and the first aid kit he carried everywhere, trying to block out the way it had felt to hold her. She was slender, leggy … and she'd lost weight.
Was that because of him?
No. That would mean she cared and he knew she didn't care.
He stood for a moment, listening to the sounds of the desert and the disturbing notes of his own thoughts. Then he cursed softly and slammed the door.
Inside the tent, she was sitting quietly. She looked shaken and a little pale but he had no way of knowing whether her reaction was a result of the scorpion bite or the pressure of being in such close contact with him.
Trying to concentrate on the scorpion bite and nothing else, Mal pressed ice to her burning hand and she flinched.
'Only you can produce ice in a desert.'
'I have a freezer unit in the vehicle.' And right at that moment he was working out ways to sit in it. Anything to cool himself down.
'Of course you do,' she murmured, 'because a Prince cannot be without life's little luxuries, even in this inhospitable terrain.'
'I suppose I should be relieved that you're feeling well enough to aggravate me.'
'I really don't need ice. You're hot, Your Highness, but not that hot.' But despite her flippant tone her cheeks were flushed. Was it the effects of the bite?
'Tell me how you are feeling.' And suddenly he realised just how bad this could be. They were miles from civilization. Even if he called a helicopter, it wouldn't arrive within an hour. He told himself that she was fit and healthy and not in any of the high-risk groups, but still anxiety gnawed at him because he knew that for some people the bite of the scorpion could be deadly. 'I don't carry anti-venom.'
'Well, thank goodness for small mercies because there is no way I'd let you jab me with a needle and inject me with more poison.' She flinched as he moved the ice. 'That is freezing. Are you trying to give me frostbite?'
'I'm trying to stop the venom spreading. Does it hurt?'
'Not at all. I can't even feel it.' It was obvious that she was lying and he threw her a look.
'You are the most exasperating, infuriating woman I've ever met.'
'Thank you.' She smiled and that smile snagged his attention.
'What makes you think it was a compliment?'
'I take everything as a compliment unless I'm told otherwise. Am I going to die?'
'No.' Hiding his concern, he put his hand on her forehead. 'We need to get your clothes off.'
Her eyes flew open. 'You're warped, do you know that?'
'This isn't seduction. This is first aid.' And he didn't want to think about seduction. He didn't dare. His hands were firm as they stripped off her clothes and she made a feeble attempt to stop him.
'I can't let you see me naked.'
'I've already seen you naked on many occasions.' Too many occasions. She was the hottest, most beautiful woman he'd ever met and he didn't need to be in this position to be reminded of that fact.
'That was different. You weren't about to marry another woman. I don't get naked with almost married men.' She snatched at the sleeping bag and he let her cover herself but not before he'd caught a tantalizing glimpse of creamy skin. A glimpse that tested his self-control more than it had ever been tested before.