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"It can wait until tomorrow," he said. "When everyone will be present."
Eliana knew that Kadeem's parents had arranged a formal lunch and reception for the afternoon on the next day. Originally, she and Kadeem had intended to tell everyone that they had both decided to just remain friends for the time being.
Just friends. Nothing more.
But now that whole plan seemed to have been thrown up in the air.
She folded her arms and glared at him. "How generous. And what exactly are you planning to say? Somehow, I don't think we got to that part."
He gazed at her steadily. "Right now, I don't think I can."
She frowned. "Why won't you?"
He moved closer. She glared at him. That halted him in his tracks. "I'll tell you what I do know," he said. "And, it's what I've known for quite some time." He lowered his head and gazed into her eyes. Even though he wasn't touching her, she felt her body tingle as he looked at her.
As he undressed her with his gaze.
When he spoke, his voice was a low growl. "I want you, Eliana," he murmured. "You know that, don't you?"
She peered at him and thought about the way he'd kissed her. There had been so much need in that kiss. So much pent up desire. And not just on his part. She'd felt a wave of sensation sweep through her body. But, right now, she didn't even want to think about that. What it might mean.
Her heart pounding, she pulled her gaze away from him. Then she sensed his movement, and his fingertips were below her chin turning her face to him. His eyes were dark pools into which, inexplicably, she wanted to sink and lose herself. But, she knew that could never happen. Not now that he had shown how dangerous he could be. How much he could tempt her. The feelings he'd stirred inside her had scared her. All she wanted to do was get away from this place.
Before things had a chance to get even worse, Eliana moved away from Kadeem and stepped out onto the grass lawn. She turned back and saw that he was following her. And then, walking alongside him, she started to make her way, hurriedly, back to the palace.
CHAPTER FOUR
Eliana made it back to the city within a half hour. She'd been driven back in the long, black limo. Eliana had gazed out at the desert through the limo's tinted windows. As always, the austere beauty of the landscape reminded her of who she was; of the land to which she belonged. Qazhar and Zahram were so very different in so many ways. But one thing they had in common was a landscape which filled your soul with a sense of belonging. At least she and Kadeem could share one thing, she reflected. A love of their respective homelands.
After coming in out of the garden with Kadeem alongside her, Eliana had explained to her mother that she wanted to go back to the luxurious apartment in the Zahram Embassy where she'd been living these past few weeks. Her mother had offered to accompany her, but Eliana had declined the offer.
She wanted to be on her own for a while. The encounter with Kadeem had unsettled her. Eliana had seen the curious look on her mother's face as she and Kadeem had reentered the palace sitting room. Eliana had wondered if her mother could tell what had gone on out at the gazebo. Was there some remnant of desire left on her features, Eliana had wondered.
For his part, Kadeem had conducted himself with great composure. He'd been charming and gracious and surprisingly patient, considering what had just happened. Eliana could only imagine how much it had cost him to put on such a show. But, she'd been grateful. Eliana couldn't have stood any tricky conversations with her mother, or even with Kadeem's mother.
Eliana had refused Kadeem's offer to take her back to the city in his helicopter. That would have been too much like tempting fate, she'd told herself.
The limo drove through the security gates of the embassy grounds and drew to a halt at the bottom of the wide steps that led to the ornately-carved front doors.
Immediately there was a rush of activity at the doorway. A female member of the royal entourage raced down the stairs to welcome the princess. Eliana stepped out of the limo and thanked the driver. Ahmed, the massive, burly, bald-headed man also doubled as her official bodyguard.
"Thank you, Ahmed," she said.
He bowed at Eliana. "Princess," he acknowledged with a nod.
The young woman greeted Eliana. Sayirah, the same age as Eliana and darkly pretty, was Eliana's personal servant. "Princess," Sayirah exclaimed, her eyes bright and urgently aware. "We did not expect you."
They started to make their way up the stairs.
Eliana smiled at Sayirah. "It was a last minute decision, Sayirah."
"I assume you will wish to rest," Sayirah suggested.
Eliana nodded. "I will. Can you arrange to have a bath run for me? And I need to get changed, later," she said tugging at the white dress.
"Of course, Princess," Sayirah replied, obviously relieved that she could attend to Eliana's needs.
The embassy's doorman greeted Eliana with a deep, respectful bow. Once inside the cavernous, high-ceilinged hallway of the embassy building, Eliana felt immediately at home. There was a furious rush of activity as staff began to fuss and busy themselves now that the princess had returned to the embassy.
