One Hot Desert Night

She’d like to call him a few unflattering names at the moment, and she would if he wasn’t so darn intimidating—in an overtly male sort of way. “Look, Rayad, I have traveled to some of the most remote places in the world and navigated some of the most treacherous terrain. I can handle a palace garden.”

“A garden that has been known to house deadly insects and asps.”

Just when her heart had returned to its rightful place, he’d mentioned her biggest fear. Correction. Second biggest fear, if the truth were known. “Really? Snakes?”

“Yes.”

She refused to let him see her uneasiness. “Would that be the reptile or human variety?”

“I have not personally encountered either in this garden,” he said without even a touch of lightness in his tone. “However, I have been conditioned to protect women. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to ensure your safe return.”

Her perfect opportunity to get to know him, but then he went and ruined it with the whole he-man posturing. Now she was determined to make a hasty escape and prove she could make it back to safety on her own. She had survived much, much worse. “Not all women need protection, Sheikh Rostam. Have a nice night.”

After Sunny brushed past him, she paused to survey four directional options, crossed her fingers and chose the path to her right.

“You are going the wrong way.”

Somewhat annoyed by his interference, and her irritating female reaction to the sexy timbre of his voice, she reluctantly faced him again. “I’m sure every way eventually leads back to the palace.”

He moved closer. “Not necessarily. If you continue on your current course, you will reach the road leading to the village. And if not careful, you could tumble down the cliff if you lose your footing.”

Wasn’t he just the bearer of good news? If she refused his offer, she could be allowing pride to overrule safety, a mistake she’d already made that had brought about severe consequences. If she accepted his aid, she could find out what made him tick, and avoid falling to her death. Option two sounded the most favorable, although not completely without risk. “Fine. Lead the way.”

After Rayad chose the trail heading in the opposite direction, Sunny came to his side and kept her focus straight ahead. And as they walked a few yards in silence, she mentally dashed through a list of subtle questions, choosing the most logical query to begin her impromptu interview. “Piper mentioned you’d recently suffered an injury during military training.”

“Broken ribs.”

“Did you run into something?”

“A fist.”

Definitely a man of few words, or two words, as the case might be. “Must’ve been some tough hand-to-hand combat. Is training troops primarily your duty?”

“No. Intelligence.”

Figured. “So you’re a spy guy, huh?”

“In a manner of speaking.”

“I bet you have a code name like Scorpion, or perhaps Snake.”

“That information is classified.”

She wondered if he ever let down his guard, or smiled, for that matter. “How long have you been serving?”

“Twelve years. I entered the military at the age of twenty-one.”

Progress. She now knew his age and that he was only six years her senior. Not too bad. Not that their age difference should matter one iota. “Are you married?” Now why had she asked that when she already knew the answer?

“No, I am not.”

“Have you ever been married?”

His long hesitation was a bit telling, or maybe she was reading too much into it. Then it suddenly dawned on her that he might think she was interested in him. Time to set the record straight. “I ask because I’ve known quite a few military men who find it difficult to maintain a marriage. Understandably so when they’re away much of the time. And I can relate with my line of work. Covering global news isn’t conducive to having a serious relationship.”

He paused, reached down to his right, snapped a plumeria from one grouping and offered it to her. “Have you been wed?” he asked as they continued on.

Both the question and the gesture caught her off guard. “Thanks, and I’ve never been married.”

“Are you currently involved with anyone?”

Somehow the interviewer had become the interviewee. “I was involved briefly with a colleague, but that’s been over for a while now.”

“The man who apparently drove you to seek out your sister.”

He presented the comment as a statement, not a question, leading Sunny to believe he knew much more about her than she knew about him. “You’re right in a manner of speaking. How did you learn that?”

“Rafiq mentioned this to me when I inquired about you.”

She’d expected her sister had been the messenger, not the king. “What else did he say?”

“He warned me to stay away from you.”

One more shock in a series of several. “Seriously? Does he think I have the plague or homicidal intent aimed at men?”

He almost cracked a smile. “Do you?”

“No, I do not, and I have a hard time believing Rafiq believes that, either.”

A slight span of silence passed before he spoke again. “The king believes you are too great a temptation for a man such as myself.”

“Oh, I see.” And she did, very clearly, even if his expression remained unreadable. “He thinks that if you attempt to seduce me, I’d be too vulnerable to resist. Clearly, he doesn’t know me at all.” Or at least the woman she used to be.

“Perhaps that is what he believes, but I do not view you as a vulnerable woman.”

The compliment and the flower earned him a few points, even though she did inexplicably feel somewhat defenseless around him. His mystery and aura of power threw her mentally off-kilter. “I’m happy we’ve established I’m not some simpering Southern belle who needs saving.”

“I do not understand the term Southern belle, but I do believe you are a highly sensual woman.”

She loosened the chokehold she had on the poor plumeria. “What brought you to that conclusion?”

He slipped his hands in the pockets of his slacks and failed to look directly at her. “You are passionate about your work. You have put yourself in danger many times for the sake of your career.”

She forced away the sudden terrifying images, with great effort. “Rafiq told you details about my occupation, too?”

“No. I perused your network’s website.”

She should probably be a bit wary that he’d conducted an internet search, but she was actually curious. “What prompted you to look me up?”