AllFreeNovel
Share Us
'I want I wan't Oh! How could I have been so stupid? To let him kiss her like that—to open her body and her mouth up to him, telling him in no uncertain terms that for that brief moment she had wanted him in the most complete sense How could she possibly play the cool lawyer novft
Xavier gave a lazy smile 'Do not beat yourself up, cherie—it is no crime to want me. Most women do ' He shrugged 'And what better way to pass the time during the long nights ahead in the desert ' ?' To use sex as an escape from thought—ah, yes, it had many uses other than pleasure and procreation 'We will make love just as soon as we get an opportunity to do so '
Common sense splashed over Laura's senses like a cold shower at his arrogant sexual boast Her hands flew up to her hair and she knew she must straighten it before they came into land—and, more importantly, that she must make it clear that there would be no repeat of what had just happened None No matter how provocatively he kissed her And you aren't going to Set him do it again'
'I don't think so That was a very serious error of judgement on my part,' she said, her voice steadier now 'One which will not be repeated—for once I have effected an introduction between you and the Sheikh then my dealings with you will be over, and I will bid you farewell'
Xavier resisted the desire to contradict her How little she knewi How naive and foolish if she thought that he would allow such a scenario to take place She would bid him farewell only when he had tired of her, and that would be not be until he had had her.
He felt a pulse beat deep within his groin Oh, yes—she would be his for the taking.
But sexual hunger was replaced with a different kind of tension as the sound of the jet engines changed and the plane began its descent into Kharastan.
CHAPTER FIVE
Just a month earlier and Laura had made this very same landing, onto a runway fringed by huge and d
istant snow-topped mountains, and it had made her gasp aloud in wonder But then she had been hopeful as well as nervous—filled with the kind of excitement you got when you were stepping outside of the confines of your normal world.
She had been slightly terrified of meeting the Sheikh's representative—but equally she had been feeling strong The hurt and the subsequent fall-out she had experienced from the break-up of her relationship with Josh had somehow transformed itself into a brand-new attitude of resilience and defiance
Most importantly, she had done everything in her power to extricate herself from the situation with something more than pride She had seen her mother suffer financially at the hands of men, and she was determined not to repeat her mistakes Yes, this time a month ago, life had looked hopeful
And now?
Now she just felt the terror and none of the strength It seemed to have been sapped by the sexy man who had kissed her with such unbearably sweet and restrained passion on the plane and left her aching and uncomfortable And how unprofessional was that?
Laura shot him a glance as they stood at the top of the aircraft steps, watched his reaction as he breathed in his first breath of the warm Kharastan air which seemed to envelop her body like a warm caress But she didn't want to think of being caressed, because that would take her mind to pointless places
She wanted to feel something other than this prickly state of ebbing desire, and tried to concentrate on his high-handed arrogance instead But somehow she couldn't seem to do it His black eyes had narrowed as they took in his surroundings, and for a moment there seemed to be an almost unguarded air about him Stupidly, it made herthmkabouta little boy searching for his father and his roots—instead of a calculating playboy who knew how to kiss a woman in order to guarantee seduction—and, even more stupidly, she felt her heart turn over
'Ready ' ?' she questioned softly.
'Wait,' he said, his deep voice as soft as hers.
Xavier looked around him, as if excessive sound might disturb the natural quiet beauty of this place, and a peculiar sensation shivered over his skin as he stared out at a stunningly unfamiliar landscape.
The sun was beginning its slow descent in a clear sky of intense cobalt, and it seemed much bigger.
sun than the one he was used to—a gigantic, fiery ball of coppery red which was turning the snow on top of the distant mountains into pink cream.
He saw the dark shape of a huge bird swooping by him, and noticed the dust and the dry air and the heat which seemed to seep straight into his pores—and for a moment he felt utterly mesmerised by this strange new world.
He had grown up in a city, had lived and breathed an urban life since birth, and he loved Pans with a passion because it was impossible not to Yes, he had travelled, but always more west than east, and his trips to the latter had been infrequent working trips to the highly populated finance capitals of the world. But this place looked wild and almost desolate, and it struck some deep, warm chord—made his heart lurch in a strange and unexpected way.
'Mais c'est magnifique,' he whispered.
'Yes,' said Laura slowly, and she stopped and caught the moment and just drank in the beauty. Magnificent indeed And, under the guise of reacquainting herself with the landscape, she couldn't resist snatching another look at that strong and rugged profile—etched like a stark and beautiful portrait painting against the deep blue backdrop of the sky behind him As if he was meant to be here As if he belonged here I wonder if he feels that too? she thought suddenly Or whether it's just fanciful imagination on my part?
Xavier's gaze swept from the panoramic view to the airport itself, where there were gleaming, state-of- the art buildings and high-tech radar—as well as the control towers But when his eyes had adjusted to the clear light he could see armed soldiers on the edge of the airfield, along with convoy of dark and gleaming vehicles and a number of motorcycle outriders
'Here they come,' he observed softly, as a handful of people—all men—proceeded towards them, their silken robes and headdresses shimmering in the dying light of the sun
Can this be for real 1 ? Xavier wondered Or had he wandered onto a film set—where fantasy was cleverly designed to mimic reality 1 ? Yet had his whole world not been turned upside down within the space of a couple of short days'?
'Which one is the Sheikh's special aide?' he questioned tersely
Laura's eyes were raking over the granite-faced group 'The tallest of them,' she said slowly 'The man in the white robe Malik'
