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He moved toward her. His features softened and he looked at her reassuringly. "You don't need to worry. I'm the only one who knows where you are."
She wasn't sure whether that was necessarily a good thing or not. But, right now, she didn't have much choice in the matter. She figured she'd have to trust what he'd told her.
"Did you see the photos?" she asked tentatively.
His brows furrowed. "I did. Rashid showed me this morning."
"Rashid? What does he think?"
Ahmed shrugged. "I'm not sure what he thinks, apart from accusing me of trying to steal you away from him."
"What! He actually believes that?"
Ahmed nodded. "That's what he said. And the photos do give that impression, I suppose." He pursed his lips thoughtfully and peered at her. "When you look at them from one perspective."
She squinted at him. In the soft light, it was hard to tell whether he was being serious now. Truth be told, he didn't look too displeased at the idea that she and him were some kind of an item, she reflected.
She supposed he was right. The photos had portrayed her and Ahmed as the best of friends. Instant attraction, was how one comment had put it. Someone had gone even further.
Instalove?
Had that been more accurate than she would have liked to admit?
"So, what is Rashid doing to find me?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. I didn't think to tell him about my suspicions that you were here. Apart from which, I didn't know for sure."
"So, you didn't mention this place?" she probed.
Ahmed shook his head.
"Why not?" she asked sharply. "Wouldn't it have made sense to tell him I might be here?"
"Why would I have done that?" Ahmed replied. "Then I wouldn't have gotten what I really want."
He took a step closer and his gaze became focused on her eyes. It was a penetrating gaze, the same one she'd seen last night, over and over. She was sure it worked on other women, but she was determined it wouldn't work on her.
She peered at him and folded her arms. She frowned at him, silently urging him to continue.
"What I really wanted was to make sure you were safe," he murmured.
His voice was thick with sincerity. His words almost made her take a step back, but she held her ground.
She peered into his eyes, searching for even a hint of insincerity, that this was another kind of game he was playing with her. But, all she could see was truth and genuine intent.
"Really?" was all she could say. She felt the color drain from her face and she was glad of the semi-darkness, that it would hide the effect of his words on her.
Ahmed glanced down, his gaze running the length of her body. "That outfit suits you," he observed.
She was suddenly and very keenly aware of the plain white robe, and how it had changed her appearance from last night. "It makes you look like a genuine Qazhar woman," he added.
His gaze drifted up to her hair, now slightly dishevelled after sleeping in the car. "Although your hair and eyes are quite American looking," he said with a grin.
She peered at him. "Are you trying to give me a compliment? Because, if that's your idea of a compliment, then you've got some learning to do, I can tell you," she retorted.
He smiled. "I can see the journey hasn't taken the edge off your sense of humor," he said.
Gemma looked past his shoulder and at the horse. "Why the horse?"
