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“Excellent.”
They walked a little further before he tugged on her hand and they headed back the way they had come. “I am hungry. Let’s go see what the cook packed.”
When they arrived at their belongings they dropped to the blanket.
Tariq opened the basket. “So what do we have?” He removed a plate with dates, grapes, olives and small pieces of bread. Next came a bowl. He unwrapped the covering and they found olive oil in it. Then came a small cooler that held a plate of cheeses and sliced meats.
“This looks wonderful.” Laurel had never seen a more delicious picnic. Tariq, the place and the food were all conspiring to make her fall in love with Zentar.
“These are all things produced on Zentar,” he said. “Help yourself.”
Laurel popped a date into her mouth. “Mmm.” She glanced at Tariq. He watched her with an unnerving absorption, as if she were the most fascinating person in the world. His intensity sent a zip of excitement through her that made her pulse hum. “Shouldn’t you be eating? You said you were hungry.”
“I am.”
His answer clearly suggested he meant hungry for her. That blaze in his eyes burned brightly. Her center throbbed.
Tariq blinked and the look disappeared. He calmly picked up a piece of bread, dipped it in the oil and popped it into his mouth. While he ate, he opened a bottle of wine. Holding a glass like the expert she was sure he was, he poured.
Laurel chose one of the large olives then took a bite out of it. She wanted to know more about this man who seem to have two different sides. “Did you go off to school when you were a child?”
Tariq looked out at the water. “No, we had tutors come to the palace. My brothers and I showed them no mercy.”
“I can imagine what three young boys can do to a person. My brothers and sister are younger than me. They used to gang up on me.”
A small smile curved his lips. “We did that and more. Mice, garter snakes, spiders. If you can think of it, we did it. Mother and Father threatened to send us to boarding school, but we knew they did not mean it. They wanted us close. Especially the Heir Apparent and Rasheed.”
She had just unlocked another element of his personality. “You felt left out, didn’t you?”
“Somewhat, but I understood. They were special.”
“I’m sure your parents didn’t think you were any less special.” Laurel felt for the little boy who might not have gotten the attention his brothers had. It had shaped him into the man he was. Tough on the outside and vulnerable on the inside.
CHAPTER SEVEN
TARIQ HAD HAD enough of this conversation. This day was about relaxing, not resuscitating old feelings. “It is my turn to ask questions. Has there not been any other man in your life since that jerk?”
Laurel’s face reddened. She looked away. He wished he hadn’t asked. Apparently she was as touchy about this subject as he was about his childhood. But the question was out there now.
“No.”
She said the word so softly he could barely make it out over the lap of water. That was difficult for him to believe. “Why not? Has no one asked you out?”
“They’ve asked.” She picked up a rolled piece of meat and bit into it.
Tariq settled on his side, legs crossed and his head propped up on his hand. “You know, you cannot run away all your life.”
“Okay, great wise Prince, then tell me why you’re not already married? A family man? From seeing you with Roji I know you love children.”
The conversation had taken a turn for the worse. Again. He should have known Laurel could give as good as she got. “I have not found the right person.”
“I looked you up. There have been a number of women who would have liked to be your wife.” Her smile was a teasing one.
“Do not believe everything you read, habibti.”
“You still haven’t answered my question about children.”
He sat up. “I will not have any. It is not hard to get a woman to forget about marrying you when she learns that. I would guess the articles you read did not tell you that.” For once the idea of never having children was painful. He looked at Laurel. She was the type of person who would make a wonderful caring mother. If only...
Tariq grabbed the bag and found his swimming trunks. He stood. “I am going for a swim. Come with me.”
“I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“I bought you one.” He pulled the bikini out of his pocket and dropped it on the blanket.
“I can’t wear that!”
“Suit yourself.” He gave her his best wicked grin. “You are always welcome to skinny dip. All I can tell you is that you are missing out if you do not come in.” Tariq did not wait on her but headed to the water. He needed to get away from Laurel’s probing questions and marshal his emotions. With his back to her he removed his pants and pulled on his swim trunks. He did not care about her sensibilities, he needed to swim.
He ran in up to his waist and threw himself headlong into the surf and a soothing rhythm of rapid strokes. When he had his libido in check he headed back to shore. Laurel came out of the crevice in the rocks with her shirt on and carrying her pants. Even from a distance he could appreciate her shapely legs. They were not long but he could imagine them tight around him. He needed to get control of the direction of his thoughts. He made a couple of deep, strong strokes as he watched her drop her pants on the blanket and walk to the water’s edge.
Tariq called, “Are you coming in?”
“Eventually.” She toyed with the hem of her shirt.
“It feels great.” To give Laurel a chance to get over her nervousness, he turned and swam a few more stokes. By the time he slowed she was in the water. He drifted toward her. She’d shed her top. Little of her pink bikini top was visible, but what he could see was enticing. “What made you decide to come in?”
“If I wanted to swim I either had to wear the bikini or my clothes. I decided I didn’t want to ride home in wet clothes. Especially if you had planned for us to stop along the way.”
“You are very logical, Doctor. The bikini looks quite nice on you.”
“What little there is of it!” She pulled on the straps, lifting what looked like lovely full breasts.
“From my vantage point you are very appealing.” Too much so for his comfort. Buying the bikini might have been one of his worse ideas.
“When you talk like that I don’t know whether or not to believe you. I think it might be the playboy Prince trying to charm me.”
He was not sure she was wrong. “Are you a strong swimmer?”
“I can hold my own. I don’t think you will have to save me.”
Tariq would like to have an excuse to do CPR on her. This allure Laurel had over him was not only irrational, it was exasperating.
She made strong, steady stokes as they moved out into deeper water. Soon they slowed and floated.
Tariq shook the water from his hair. “You swim well.”
She grinned. “It’s all those years on the swim team at the community club after school.”
“Now who is making fun of whom? I was assuring myself that I would not be in the papers for letting an American drown.”
“Maybe I was trying to get you back.” She swam away from him.
He followed. “What other hidden talents do you have?”
“I’m good at cards, paint some when I have time and read romance.”
“Romance? Interesting.” She just did not act on her romantic inclinations, it seemed.
“How about you?” She moved into sidestroke.
He did the same. “I like black and white movies, horses and American football.”
Laurel gave him an approving nod. “Interesting. I would have never guessed.”
As if in silent agreement, they started back to shore. Laurel l
agged behind. When he could stand he looked out at her as she trod water. “Are you coming out?”
She acted unsure. Suddenly her expression turned to one of determination. Standing, she walked toward him with shoulders high and eyes focused on a point behind him. His heart bumped against his ribs. There was too much of sexy Laurel to contemplate. Water ran over her skin in sensual streams. How would she react if he used his tongue and followed one of them up her neck? His manhood pulsed to life. Laurel needed to dress and they needed to leave this beach right now.
Tariq strode out of the water, grabbed his jeans off the sand and headed for their picnic spot. He quickly put their leftovers in the basket and set it aside. From the bag, he pulled out a towel for her. “Here. We need to change and go.”
She reached for the towel, looking insecure and confused. “Uh...okay. Is there some hurry?”
“You need to get out of the sun.”
“I could put on sunscreen.” She reached down for her ever-present bottomless bag.
“Laurel!”
She looked at him, her lush behind still in the air. “You are the sexiest thing I have ever seen in a bikini. What little there is of it I would like to remove and have you here under the sun.”
Her eyes went wide and her lips formed an O.
“I made a promise to you and I will keep it. To be friends. The problem is I am not feeling friendly right now. Get dressed, please. I will meet you at the car.”
He turned his back, fearing Laurel would see just how aroused he was. How was he going to keep his hands off her for the rest of the day?
* * *
