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'No ' Her cool expression was starting to slip, and Laura was torn between wanting to be spirited out of there and wanting to climb back into bed and into his arms 1 meant how long are you planning to stay here, in Kharastan?'
Xavier stretched his arms above his head, not bothering to hide his nakedness or the fact that watching h
er slipping on her underwear had been enough to make his body stir once more. He ached. He wanted her again—but he was damned if he was going to beg her to get back into bed with him. Women did not usually leave his bed unless he asked or ordered them to. He was the one who left it first.
Frustration bubbled over into anger, but he sublimated it with a cool look
'Are you interested from a professional or a personal point of view?' he questioned.
Laura's heart missed a beat There was something in his voice she didn't like Was he worried that she was going to start getting all clingy and possessive? And warning her not to?
'Professional, of course,' she said crisply
'I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet,' he said slowly
His troubled face in the dead of the night came back to haunt her It had torn at her heart then and it tore at it now 'Why not stay?' asked Laura gently Because—no matter what the outcome of their intimacy— she felt that he owed it to himself to explore his roots 'And get to know your father'
'You think I should?'
Did that mean he valued her opinion? Laura felt as if she'd been given some kind of moral reprieve and nodded her head 'Definitely!'
Xavier's black eyes narrowed suspiciously as everything suddenly began to click into place How completely she had switched from cool to passionate, then back to cool again Her seemingly inexplicable appearance in his room last night, wearing clothes designed to seduce—as indeed all her clothes were
During the journey from the Sheikh's apartments back to his room, had Malik somehow got word to her that Xavier's mood was dark and unpredictable? Had she been told to pacify him in the most elemental way known to women?
'How very persuasive you are, cherie' he murmured 'Tell me, is that also part of your brief—to convince me to stay?'
Something in his tone sent another whisper of alarm along her spine and the meaning behind his question became clear Laura stared into eyes suddenly grown cold and thought how little she really knew of him How could you connect with a man on a physical level, which at moments last night had seemed almost spiritual, and yet when you came back down to earth all that was left was emptiness and suspicion?
'I told you,' she said stiffly 'My job was simply to bring you here '
'And sleeping with me?' he drawled 'Would you define that as a perk—or a condition?'
Laura froze, for a moment thinking that he couldn't possibly have meant it But one look at the icy set of his features told her that he had 'If I were the hysterical type I might just slap your face for that remark— but as I'm not I'll treat it with the contempt it deserves '
'But you enjoyed it,' he challenged softly In fact I'd go so far as to say you absolutely loved it—so I'd say it definitely fell into the category of perk, wouldn't you?'
Something about the way he said it reminded Laura of how eagerly she had writhed beneath him The way she had wrapped her thighs around his back and the way her body had arched ecstatically beneath his How she would have loved to tell him no—that as a lover he was a dead loss—that she had endured what had happened with gritted teeth But he knew and she knew that would be the biggest lie of all
'Oh, you're right I did love it—the sex was great,' she said 'But then I expect it always is—men don't get reputations as super-lovers without it being backed up by fact'
'Why, thank you, cherie' he drawled
It wasn't supposed to be a compliment' she snapped If you want to know, I think that going around seducing everything that moves is a pretty sad and empty way to live '
'Whereas dressing to seduce and luring men back for wealthy Middle-Eastern potentates isn't sad and empty, I suppose?' he snapped.
Laura opened her mouth to tell him that the silk-satin clothes she wore were a million miles away from the way she usually dressed—but surely to do that would only bring substance to his argument? If she admitted that her wardrobe had been commissioned by the Palace—and at great cost—he might reasonably ask why her clothes had been of such importance And, in a way, she wasn't completely blameless, was she? When she had been told to acquire the expensive garments she had readily agreed, hadn't she?
Because she had wanted the job, that was why—and because she had been willing to play the part she had been complicit in their schemes But if she had allowed herself to be decorated like a cake—then she couldn't really complain if Xavier had wanted to take a slice of her for himself, could she?
Because you didn't have to Set him'
She lifted her chin, telling herself that his last memory of her would be as a strong, proud woman, and not one who was crumbling inside and wishing it could be different
'You know what?' she said 'A constant stream of different women throughout your life means that you can cleverly avoid any intimacy and commitment, and that's okay—that's your choice There will always be willing and available women for a man like you, Xavier' She leaned forward, banishing self-interest and regret from her agenda, her green eyes on fire 'But you've only got one father—remember that—though maybe the one you have got doesn't fit in with your particular image'
Xavier stared at her 'What are you talking about?'
