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‘I’m not a guest,’ she reminded him. ‘I believe I’m being held against my will.’
‘No,’ he said, and now, when finally their eyes met, the anger within him died on the spot. ‘You are my guest.’
‘So you believe that nothing happened between Hazin and me other than talking?’
He said nothing.
Yes, he believed her, but it actually didn’t matter what had taken place, Ilyas thought.
There was nothing Hazin had said or done that could prove a bigger threat to the monarchy than the woman who stood before him now.
His plans had been a lifetime in the making and she threatened them now merely by her presence.
He suddenly understood a little better his brother wanting to be disinherited, for at that very moment Ilyas could have gladly walked away from it all too.
But duty was ingrained in him so deeply that it would take more than a feeling to make him walk away.
‘I have to work,’ he told her.
Although they were speaking, Maggie wanted the luxury of time—time to hammer things out and then sulk for a suitable while.
And time to make up!
There was none, though.
‘I really do have to go,’ he said. ‘Apparently some tourists were trapped in the desert by the simoom. It has caused quite an international incident.’
‘Oh, no!’
‘Oh, yes, and it was actually your tour operator who ran into problems. The rest heeded advice and cancelled.’
‘Was anybody hurt?’
‘No, they were able to take shelter and ride it out. For now, they have all been transferred to a hotel where the press are gathered. It would seem they were without food and there was only limited water.’ He looked at her as theybothremembered the morning Maggie had arrived in his desert abode and he had insisted that she drink. ‘You had rather a lucky escape after all...’
‘I’m not so sure about that,’ Maggie said, attempting indignation. But then she looked at the man she had spent the most memorable time of her life with, andthatwas coming off a year of adventure.
But their time was almost over.
And she was still cross at all he had insinuated.
So very cross.
Yet, overriding all that, Maggie was more daunted by the finality that was looming up on them.
‘Shall I see you again?’ she asked.
‘No.’
She looked at his cheek where she had slapped him, though of course there was no evidence of it.
She had left no mark.
Not even, she guessed, on his heart.
But then he relented.
‘I will come and say farewell in the morning,’ Ilyas said. ‘I am going to be very busy today. I shall be working until well after midnight.’
