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Shira wasn’t satisfied with his answer but decided to wait and take the issue up with Kamal himself once she arrived in Jawhara. “How long until we land?”
Before Kale could answer, Rihana returned to the cabin and cleared away their dishes, speaking to Kale in Arabic before returning to the front of the plane. “We are getting ready to make our approach to the airport now. The captain would like us to buckle up. Come, let’s sit together on the couch.”
Kale waited for Shira to settle on the couch and buckle her seat belt before joining her and doing the same. Taking her hand in his, he began to trace the creases in her palms. His touch made her shiver, and goose bumps rose on her skin, but he didn’t react to the obvious effects he had on her.
Shira tried to pull her hand away from his teasing touch, but Kale held firmly to her wrist and continued his light caresses. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her head to tell him to stop, only to find herself caught in his gaze.
“I am so glad you are here,” Kale told her softly, as he continued to trace his fingertips lightly over her palm.
“Me—” Shira began, clearing her throat when she heard the huskiness in it. “Me too. I can’t wait to see your Jawhara.”
“I can’t wait to show it to you. Unfortunately, it is nighttime, so we will have to wait until tomorrow to go sightseeing.”
“Okay. I want to see the desert and ride a camel and…”
Kale laughed. “And you shall do all of those things. But first, I want you to rest and get over your jetlag. If you are wanting to ride a camel, I want to be sure you will not fall asleep on its back. Camels can be very temperamental, and you must be on your guard when riding one.”
Shira wasn’t sure she wanted to ride one by herself. “Couldn’t you ride with me? Like when they teach children to ride a horse?”
“Is that how you learned to ride a horse,habibti?”
Shira shook her head. “I’ve never ridden a horse. They’re not exactly abundant in the city.”
“Never ridden a horse? Oh, little one, riding a camel is going to be an adventure. We will need to start with a short ride.”
“Why?” Shira questioned, not understanding the logic behind his comment.
“You will understand once you have ridden one. We will schedule a lesson as soon as you are settled.”
“Great! What else?”
“Jawhara is a beautiful country. While it is very arid, we also have the benefit of being near the sea. We are home to different species of flora that are incredible when in bloom. If you are interested, the botanical gardens are quite beautiful. There’s a restaurant in the gardens that serves many traditional foods.”
“Oh, Kale, that sounds amazing. Can we go there?”
“Of course, and more.” Kale told her of the other places and things he wanted to show her as the plane began its descent. When they felt the wheels touch down, he released her hand, and Shira noticed his shift in demeanor.
“Is everything okay?” Shira worried that something might be wrong. “You seem tense all of a sudden. Did I do something?”
“No. It’s not you,” he answered immediately. “It’s just that—”
Shira unbuckled her seat belt and scooted to the edge of the couch. “Tell me, what is it, Kale?”
Taking her hand, he pressed a kiss to her palm. “When I had first left Jawhara, it was with the intent to bring back a team of six from the States; instead…”
“You’re coming with just me. Oh no, is Kam going to be angry with you?”
Squeezing her hand. “No,His Majestywill not be angry with me, but it will be a surprise, as I didn’t have a chance to message him before we left.”
At his emphasis on “His Majesty,” Shira cast a furtive glance toward the front of the plane to see if anyone had heard her slip. She needed to remember to do better. As the representative for the Addams Group, anything she did, good or bad, could reflect on them and she didn’t want to make any more slipups. This job was important to her and so was Kale.
5
SHIRA
Shira watched out the limousine’s windows as the car pulled away from the airport. It was nighttime, but she could see the palace as they approached, lit up like a diamond in the night sky.
When she had first met Kale and they were working on the proposal for Jewel Oil, Shira had read everything she could find about Jawhara and had fallen in love with all the amazing pictures, but the pics didn’t do justice to what she was experiencing, even in the darkness. The lush plants and palm trees gave her the feeling of being in a tropical paradise.
