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He nodded 'Just as soon as you like I'll speak to Malik'
Here was the freedom she had convinced herself she wanted Yet wasn't it ironic that you could tell yourself you wanted something over and over again and yet, when it finally came, it left you feeling as if someone had blasted a great hole in the centre of your heart?
CHAPTER TWELVE
'The Sheikh wishes to see you '
Laura looked up from her case—which, to Sidonia's horror, she had insisted on packing herself—to see Xavier standing framed in the doorway of her bedroom His black eyes were watchful as she folded an exquisite silk-satin evening gown, and she wondered if she'd ever get the chance to wear it again But at least focussing on practical considerations like that stopped her from thinking how much she was going to miss the Frenchman
'He wants to see me? What for?'
'Mind-reading has never been a particular skill of mine,' he drawled 'Why don't you ask him yourself? I'm to take you there '
'Not Malik?'
'Apparently not'
Their eyes met Laura wanted to tell him that she was going to miss him, that she wished now she'd opted for one more taste of the joy she'd found in his arms She wanted to tell him that she longed to stay here, in this enchanted paradise—with him But he was letting her go, and she must do just that Laura was headed home. Alone.
But I am going to miss you, she thought sadly as she stared into the soft ebony blaze of his eyes.
Her hand flew up to brush away a stray strand of hair from her cheek before she met the Sheikh 'Do I look okay?'
He knew that this was not the disingenuous snaring of a compliment. He knew that the boyfriend who had tried to rip her off had destroyed a lot of her confidence But in her simple linen dress, with her red hair tied back in a ribbon, she looked good enough to He felt a nerve work in his cheek 'You look beautiful'
Laura supposed it would be churlish to tell him that she wanted his approval, but not with such a high rating—because when he used words like beautiful it made her start wanting what she had told herself she couldn't have And she could never have Xavier in the way she would most like him—as a proper boyfriend she could do normal relationship stuff with.
She had thought that friendship was the answer, but in that it seemed she had been wrong—because friendship was almost as perilous as sex in making you feel close to a man Well, maybe more so The sex she'd had with Xavier had been the best sex of her life, and even though she had laughably little to compare it with she knew deep down that she would never have another lover like him.
But their friendship felt special Different As she suspected it was He was letting her come closer than he would normally let anyone come—because of the bizarre circumstances of their being literally thrown together.
Well, today it was coming to an end, and while Laura was trying to tell herself that it was a job well done, inside her heart was heavy But as she slipped out into the wide marbled corridor she thought that she hid it rather well.
'I wonder what he wants'?' she mused, a
s Xavier fell into step beside her 'You know—it's actually the first time that I'll have met him. I've always dealt with Malik before '
'Presumably he wants to say goodbye '
'I hate goodbyes,' said Laura fiercely.
Usually Xavier didn't. Usually he relished closure—the chance to cut ties, to move on and start anew. But today didn't feel anything like that. Laura was leaving, and he was not experiencing his habitual release.
'Have you decided how long you're going to stay?' asked Laura
'No ' He gave a short laugh 'For the first time in my life I'm not certain of anything I'm lucky enough to have the choice—many men are locked into jobs they cannot take leave from '
'You are lucky,' she echoed.
'Yes, I am,' he agreed quietly. But when had he last counted his blessings? Got off the speeding tram which was his life in order to enjoy some of the benefits he'd worked so hard for? Look at the way Laura's face had lit up when she'd spoken about buying Josh out and getting her own house and independence. Had prosperity made this former Pans urchin spoilt and unappreciative?
'Maybe he'll make you his heir,' said Laura 'What then?'
'I doubt it,' said Xavier, with a frown 'And don't you know that you should never plan for the future?'
Laura didn't want to think about the future, so she concentrated on looking at some of the ancient paintings of Kharastan which lined the high walls.
Their echoing footsteps took them along more wide marble corridors, and Laura thought about the strange contradiction of the Palace How exquisite and beautiful it was—while outside lay the wild and unremitting desert, like a hungry beast just waiting to reclaim the land.
