Woman in a Sheikh's World(15)

It was a struggle to focus on what he was doing. 'I have to cool you  down and you need to stop snuggling inside that sleeping bag because  you're overheating.' He poured cool water on a cloth and held it against  her head. 'Females tend to have a more severe reaction because of their  body mass.'

There was a dangerous gleam in her eyes. 'Are you calling me fat?'

'Did I mention the word fat?'

'You said "mass". Don't use the word "mass" in relation to my body.'

'Even if I tell you it's because you have a smaller body mass?' He  didn't want to be amused. He didn't want to feel anything for this  woman. 'Be silent. You need to rest.'                       
       
           



       

'I can't rest with you this close.'

He rubbed his fingers over his forehead, exhausted by the drain on his  self control. It was fortunate that both of them were too principled to  give in to it.

'I'm watching you for any adverse reaction.'

'Well, stop watching me. It feels creepy.' She rolled onto her side, but  a moan escaped her. 'How long am I going to feel like this, Mal?' The  tremor in her voice concerned him more than anything because he knew how  tough she was.

'You feel bad?'

'No, I feel great.' Her words were muffled by the pillow. 'I just want  to know how long this great feeling is going to last so that I can make  the most of it. How long?'

'Hours, habibti.' He hesitated for a moment and then allowed himself to  stroke her hair away from her face, telling himself that touching her  was all about comfort and nothing else. 'Possibly a bit longer.'

'I was stupid. You must be furious with me.'

If only. 'I'm not furious.'

'Then try harder. It would make it easier if you were furious.'

Mal gave a cynical smile because right at that moment he doubted  anything would make it easier. He placed his fingers on her wrist. 'Your  pulse is very fast.'

'Well, that's nothing to do with you, so don't go flattering yourself. Scorpions always get me going.'

'It's the venom. You need to tell me how you're feeling. If necessary  I'll call the helicopter and have us airlifted out of here.'

'No way. We need to find your virgin bride.'

Mal cursed under his breath and reached into his first aid kit for a bandage. 'Stop calling her that.'

'Sorry.' She turned slightly, opened one eye and peeped at him. 'Are you angry yet?'

'No, but I'm getting there. Keep it up.'

She grinned weakly. 'I bet the scorpion is angry, too. I flung him across the ground. Horrible creature.'

'Actually they play a critical role in the ecosystem, consuming other arthropods and even mice and snakes.'

'Too much information.'

'They can control how much poison they inject into you. I think you got away lightly.'

'So does that mean he liked me or he didn't like me? Ow-now what are you doing?'

'I'm bandaging the bite and lifting your arm. I want to slow the spread  of the venom. If this doesn't work, I'll have to call the helicopter.'

'Could we stop calling it venom? And honestly, Mal, it's fine. Stop fussing. Can we take the ice off now? It's cold.'

'That's the idea.'

'Scorpions don't like their food chilled?'

But she didn't feel cold to touch. She was boiling-hot and her arm was  burning. 'Have you ever suffered an allergic reaction to anything in the  past?'

'No, nothing. I'm as healthy as a horse.'

Mal felt a rush of exasperation that they hadn't avoided this situation. 'Why didn't you come into the tent sooner?'

'Because then we would have killed each other.' Her response was glib,  but her smile faltered. 'Sorry. And this time I really am apologising.'

'Apologising for what? For being aggravating? That is nothing new and you've never felt the need to apologise before.'

'For messing everything up,' she muttered. 'For making things harder for  you. I shouldn't have come on this trip. I was worried about Kalila and  I thought I could help but I haven't helped and it was all my fault  anyway.' Her apology was as sweet as it was unexpected and he felt  something squeeze inside his chest.

'I am touched that you cared enough to come,' he breathed. 'And you will  be able to talk to Kalila and persuade her to confide in you, which is  important given that I have failed so miserably to deliver in that  area.' And he blamed himself for that. For being unapproachable, for  assuming that just because his bride to be hadn't said anything, it  meant that everything was fine.

They had no relationship, he thought bleakly, and it was impossible not to compare that with the feelings he and Avery shared.

'You'll make a perfect couple. I'm sure you'll be very happy. And I mean  that. I'm not being sarcastic. She's very sweet and she won't drive you  crazy. That's always good in a marriage.' Her voice was barely audible  and she turned her head, the movement dislodging her hair from the  plait. It poured over her shoulders like honey and he stared down at the  silken mass, fighting the urge to sink his hands into it. Once, he'd  had the right to do that. And he'd done it. All the time. It had been  the most physical relationship of his life.                       
       
           



       

'Right now I am not thinking of Kalila.'

'Don't, Mal.' Her voice was muffled. 'Don't do this.'

Was this the moment to be honest? He hesitated, wrenched apart by the  conflict between duty and his own needs. And honesty would just worsen  the situation, wouldn't it? 'This marriage with Kalila-'

'Will be good. If she's having second thoughts then it's because you  haven't tried hard enough. You can be charming when you want to be. Of  course the rest of the time you're aggravating and arrogant, but don't  show her that side of you for a while and it will be fine.' Her eyes  were closed, her eyelashes long and thick against her pale cheeks.

Mal stared down at her, unable to think of a single time when he'd seen  Avery vulnerable. It just wasn't a word he associated with her. But  tonight-yes, tonight she was vulnerable. He wanted to hold her but he  didn't dare take the risk. He wasn't convinced he'd let her go.

Instead he settled for sitting close to her. 'Tell me why you avoided my  calls.' Still worried about the bite, he tightened the bandage as much  as he dared.

'I was super-busy.'

'You are the most efficient woman I know. If you'd wanted to answer my  calls, you could have done. When we parted company I thought we would  remain friends.' He should have been thinking about his bride-to-be, but  all he could think about was the relationship he'd lost.

'I'm too busy for friends. About this scorpion-' as always when a  subject became uncomfortable, she shifted direction '-he only bit me  once. Should I be offended? Does that mean he didn't like the way I  tasted? Or am I like expensive caviar-better consumed in small amounts?'

He didn't want to think about the way she tasted. Couldn't allow himself  to. Frustration made his voice rougher than he intended. 'I am going to  give you a couple of tablets and then you're going to rest.' And stop  talking.

'I don't take tablets. I'm a drug-free zone.'

'You'll take these. And if the rash on your arm hasn't calmed down in an  hour or so, I'm going to fly you out of here.' And maybe that would be  the best thing for both of them. Reaching into his bag, he found the  tablets in the supplies he carried and handed them to her with a drink  of water, relieved when she swallowed the pills without question or  argument but at the same time concerned because it was so unlike her not  to question and argue. 'If you feel bad, I can call the helicopter  now.'

'No.' Her eyes drifted shut again. 'I want to stay. I need to be with you.'

The atmosphere snapped tight. Mal felt a weight on his chest. How many  times had he waited for her to say those words? And she said them now,  when his life was already set on a different course. Was that why she'd  picked this moment? Because she knew he couldn't act on the emotion that  simmered between them? I need to be with you. From any other woman  those words would have felt oppressive. From Avery they felt like  victory. A victory that was too little, too late. 'You need to be with  me? You are telling me this now?'

'Yes.' Her voice was barely audible. 'I need to be there when you find  her. I need to talk Kalila into marrying you. It's the best thing for  all of us.'





CHAPTER FIVE


SHE dreamed of the desert. Only this time when she dreamed of the Prince  he was holding her and she couldn't walk away because he held her  close, refusing to let her go.

Trapped.

She struggled slightly but she was held in a strong grip.

'Shh. It's just a dream. Go back to sleep.'

The deep male voice lifted her from sleep to semi-wakefulness and she  realised that Mal was holding her. It was still dark and she didn't know  which frightened her more-the realisation that she felt truly terrible,  or the feeling that came from being held by him. Her head was on his  chest and she could feel the slow, steady thud of his heart. She knew  she should pull away, but she didn't.