Midnight Under The Stars: Woman in a Sheikh's World

‘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 (#ulink_c01ba421-3d51-5eb3-99ce-2cba04496b22)

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.

She’d planned to sleep in the furthest corner of the tent but here he was, lying next to her, holding her. And it felt good.

Too good.

She could feel the brush of his leg against hers and the warmth of his body as he held her in the curve of his arm. The faint glow of light from the torch simply increased the feeling of intimacy.

‘For God’s sake Mal, move over,’ she muttered, ‘you’re in my personal space.’

‘I’m worried about you.’

Her stomach flipped because no one had ever worried about her in her life before. ‘Don’t be. I don’t like the idea you’re waiting for me to drop dead. And you certainly don’t need to hold me.’