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Because, from the way he'd looked at her, he clearly thought that was what she was. A loser from a damaged background.
That wasn't what he was used to in his life. She was nothing like the women he must have been with over the years.
He was so obviously used to more wealth and privilege than she could ever imagine. His world was definitely not hers.
In a way, she was glad it had been Rashid and not Ahmed who had brought her to Qazhar. She knew she had nothing to offer Ahmed.
His vision of life was so different from hers and from Rashid's, that it was clear to her they had little in common.
The attraction she'd felt last night would be something she would do well to ignore.
It had been so long since she'd been even remotely close to someone, that it would have been impossible for her not to be attracted to a man like Ahmed.
He was just so damned gorgeous.
But, she'd avoided entanglements in her life. And that was the way it was going to continue.
Nothing good would come from giving into the foolish and dangerous temptations offered by the sheikh's body.
She gazed out across the sandy vista. She reminded herself that she'd come here to escape, to recharge, and that was what she was going to do.
She took out her cell phone and turned on the power. It came to life and she saw that her decision to preserve the battery had been the right one.
There was more than enough power in the device for her to make some notes. They would be useful when she finally returned home to face the music.
She wondered what everyone would be thinking of her disappearance. Because, that was how she was sure the sensationalist media would portray her retreat to some unspecified place.
They would be talking about her, speculating about where she could be, and when she would return. Some would dismiss the whole thing as some kind of lame publicity stunt.
But they would be wrong, she reflected.
So wrong.
It wasn't just Ahmed who had affected her since coming here.
This place had made her feel human again. The stark beauty of the place had made her face herself with a brutal honesty.
Already she could feel the benefits of being here. Being here this morning was just so special.
As she sat on the dune, looking out across the perfect landscape, she could feel a peace settle inside her. It was a sense of calmness and ease which she hadn't felt in a long while.
But this wasn't her domain. This was his place. It was where he belonged. He understood this place better than she ever would.
Thinking about Ahmed, he had looked crestfallen as she had announced her intention to spend time on her own.
Maybe he'd had plans. Perhaps those plans had involved getting more intimate with her. The memory of last night still burned bright in her mind. The images of his naked body taunted and teased her. His glistening body; his strong muscles; his broad chest; his fullness, thick and tempting.
Gemma drew in a deep breath and swallowed. She decided to distract herself from thoughts of Ahmed by making some brief notes about her experience.
She knew there was no cell phone signal out here, but it didn't stop her wanting to record her thoughts. She didn't want to forget any of this.
After a while, later in the morning, the sun became too hot for her to continue to sit on the dune any longer. She made her way back to the tents. There was no sign of Ahmed and she wondered where he could be. Perhaps he was in the other tent.
An idea seized her and she took out her cell phone. She wouldn't only need written notes, she told herself. It would also be cool to have some photos of the encampment.They'd provide evidence of her stay here.
She knew how skeptical people could be. These days no-one believed anything if they didn't see pictures or video.
Gemma took her phone and switched on the camera. She started taking pictures of the tents and the oasis, knowing that they would look impressive once posted to her social media feeds. Then she could really give people something to distract themselves away from the idea that she and Ahmed had had a thing going.
