Page 14 of Kismet

When he offered his arm, she scorned it with a haughty look and instead walked stiffly at his side. The small slight told him she wasn’t happy with herself for succumbing to her curiosity. A tiny smile tugged at his lips, but he remained silent as they strolled along the narrow walkway.

Despite their lack of conversation, her face revealed far more than she realized. The simplest of blossoms was enough to transform her expression into one of delight, and she stopped frequently to appreciate the garden’s beauty firsthand. She took pleasure drawing in the scent of a fragrant bloom or touching the leaves of a mint tree in an effort to inhale its tangy perfume. Seeing the gardens through her eyes was almost like visiting them for the first time himself. Up ahead he saw their destination and pointed in the direction of the knoll.

“As promised. A unique view of the mosque and the mountains.” When they reached the viewing point, Allegra faced first the mosque then turned around to view the mountains. She stood there for several minutes studying each vantage point with a contemplation that told him she was memorizing the view. Several moments later, she breathed a sigh of pleasure and he smiled.

“I take it the view is well worth the pain you suffered having me as your escort.”

She darted a quick look in his direction before looking back at the mountains rising up into the brilliant blue sky. “It’s wonderful. My guidebook only has a brief description of the Agdal Gardens and there was no mention of this particular viewing spot. Thank you.”

“There are other sights in Marrakech that are equally entrancing,” he said softly.

The way she suddenly grew still reminded him of an animal that sensed danger. Tense and uncertain, her posture betrayed her desire to flee. As if aware of his scrutiny, she slowly turned to face him, and the amusement on her face surprised him.

“Entrancing? You must be in need of spectacles, monsieur. One would be hard put to label my features anything but average.”

He frowned as she turned and headed in the direction they’d come. Damn, if the woman hadn’t deftly sidestepped his subtle invitation. Not only that, there had been enough mockery in her voice and smile to make him feel like a buffoon. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation. He drew in a deep breath and slowly counted to ten. It had been a long time since he’d had to cajole his way into a woman’s favor, and he was clearly out of practice. But if she thought to outwit him when it came to achieving his goal, she was mistaken.

Allegra could almost feel the force of the Sheikh’s frustration as she walked away from him and back in the direction they’d come. First, the man had thought to buy her company. Now, he sought to gain her favor by offering to show her Marrakech. Treating his invitation as though he’d paid her a compliment had helped her avoid the trap of spending more time in his company.

Not to mention how good it had felt to see the wind knocked out of his sails. She coughed in an effort to hide her laugh as she remembered the flabbergasted look he’d worn beneath what she’d learned was a kaffia, held in place by a braided cord called an agal. He deserved to have his deportment knocked askew. The man could only benefit from a lesson in humility.

Despite his arrogance, she couldn’t deny she was attracted to him. Particularly when he cut such a striking figure. She’d read a great deal about Bedouin clothing in the past two days, and his appearance today was a reflection of the wedding festivities. He’d discarded his flowing black robes for cream-colored, billowing trousers called sherwals. He wore a colorful vest that fell open to reveal a simple white shirt. According to her guide book, the richly woven brocade garment was called a kubran.

The light colors emphasized the rich brown color of his skin and his sharp, angular features. In the sunlight, the scar on his cheek was even more noticeable, its white length a stark contrast to his darkened skin. It added to the air of danger surrounding him, and the overall effect was one of earthy male sensuality that sent her pulse hammering through her veins.

All too cognizant of the sensations flowing through her, she fought to control her physical response to the man. She might find him intriguing, but she had no intention of acting on her fascination. She didn’t even know his name. Not that it mattered. She didn’t want to know his name or anything else about him. All she wanted was to convince the man she had no intention of pursuing a liaison with him, despite her mixed emotions about him.

The way he expected her to fall eagerly into his arms was ridiculous, not to mention most annoying. She was certain there were many women who’d be delighted by his attentions, but she wasn’t one of them. Still, she had to admit he wasn’t without his good qualities. He had a sense of humor, he was charming when he so chose, and he was intelligent. And although she could easily do without his arrogance, she had to give him credit for showing her a spectacular vista.

That he’d recognized her desire to experience new things surprised her. And she confessed to being amazed that he’d actually complied with her demand for silence as they’d walked to the knoll from which she was now making a hasty retreat.

On their way to the viewing spot, she’d expected him to solicit her favor. Instead, he’d done as she’d asked and they’d walked through the gardens without talking. It had lulled her into dropping her guard to where she’d almost forgotten what he really wanted from her. Fortunately, she’d come to her senses in time. The other night he’d made it clear that he didn’t think highly of her profession. That she’d said no to his offer had apparently been a challenge he couldn’t ignore.

His approach was barely audible, but the heat of him slowly warmed her back as he caught up with her and fell into step beside her. Even if her eyes had been closed, her body would have screamed with awareness at his presence. The realization forced her to swallow the knot of tension swelling her throat shut. Her physical attraction to him was unlike anything she’d encountered before. That fact alone was an important reminder that she needed to keep her wits about her whenever in his presence.

It only made the situation all the more difficult that this wasn’t a man willing to accept no for an answer. He’d warned her of that the other night, and today his behavior reinforced his warning, but what he’d not said was how devastatingly charming he could be when he wanted something. In particular, her.

It had been foolish to venture deeper into the gardens with him. She was fortunate it was the middle of the afternoon so she could keep her head. The romantic in her had always found the moonlight seductive, and if given the chance, he would use Marrakech’s exotic shadows to tempt her into losing her head. She knew it as sure as she knew the word temptation was far too simple a word when it came to describing this man. He had the ability to befuddle her senses no matter the time of day or night. No other man she’d met had been able to do that. It was enough of a warning to ensure she kept her distance from him. A shiver skimmed down her spine.

“I’ve been wondering how you would like to proceed.” The smile in his voice made her realize he’d seen her shiver.

“Proceed? Doesn’t this path lead back to the wedding reception?”

She offered him a look of innocent surprise, which elicited a scowl from him. Satisfaction slid through her blood. He really didn’t like it when she found a way to twist his words into something other than their original meaning. She turned her head away to hide her smile. When he didn’t respond, she took a peek in his direction. The frown on his face had evolved into one of amusement.

“You’ve a quick mind, ma belle.”

“It’s a requirement for fighting off wolves,” she muttered with aggravation. The four-legged variety would be easier to scare off than this man.

“Wilberforth hardly qualifies as a wolf.”

“I wasn’t referring to the lieutenant,” she snapped as she met the flash of amusement in his dark eyes.

“Good, because you’d be bored with the man in less than an hour.”

“That’s rather presumptuous of you, given how little you know about me.”

She threw a harsh glare in his direction. The arrogant bastard. How in the hell did he know Wilberforth would bore her? Up ahead she spied the banana trees where the path turned and led to the reception. She could even hear the soft hum of conversation filtering through the foliage surrounding the trees. Sanctuary.