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“And does your heart also belong to any of those other women you fuck?” she asked hotly.
His face blanched. “My heart belongs to no one.”
She sucked in oxygen that didn’t quite seem to fill her lungs. The back of her eyes burned. “I guess I should have seen the signs.”
Hamid scrubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes, you did. You finally spoke the truth.”
He squeezed his eyes closed, splotches of color staining his sun-kissed cheeks. “I’ve had many lovers,” he admitted softly. His eyes opened again, their dark depths full of emotion. “But none like you.”
Was that supposed to make her feel better? She’d always been different. It didn’t mean Hamid—anyman—would change their ways for her. Hell, she was only surprised he hadn’t gotten drunk since bringing her here to his camp. Perhaps after this little conflict between them he would.
“Just how many other women are we talking about?” she asked.
He frowned. “Does it matter?Youare the only woman I want now.”
Her face heated. “That’s because I’m the only woman here to satisfy your needs! The moment you’rehomeagain I’m sure you’ll resume enjoying intimacy with any number of those other women.”
His head reared back, his plaits dancing around his dark head. “You don’t believe in us and what we have?”
She pushed to her feet and glowered down at him. “I honestly don’t know what I believe anymore.” She all but banged her camera against the date palm’s trunk as she hung it there, then dragged off Hamid’s thobe she’d taken to wearing. It was cooler and more comfortable than her one and only woman’s outfit.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m taking a swim. Or is that forbidden?”
“Of course it’s not forbidden. But your skin—“
“Will be just fine, thank you!”
She waded into the water, its coolness a balm to her outraged soul. Was she just another fuck in a long line of fucks to Hamid? That he’d pretended to care about her knowing he’d soon be returning to his lovers made her blood boil.
Who was he anyway? She was beginning to think he was someone far more important than a leader of some ragamuffin desert gang. It was ironic that she’d actually enjoyed spending time with him out here. She’d liked his anonymity and the knowledge he was outside the many laws that governed Imbranak.
Except it had turned out he was no better than those sheikhs with their harems of women. And she was no more important to Hamid than those women he’d left behind to come to the desert.
Tears threatened. She’d fought so hard to be a strong, independent woman, refusing to need a man.Ugh!It was just a pity she couldn’t run from him and leave him far behind! But she wasn’t a complete moron. She might have driven a car into the desert but she sure as hell wasn’t going to stumble around in one. An oasis swim was the next best thing—and if any of Hamid’s men saw her in her underwear—Hamid could deal with it!
What she didn’t expect was for Hamid to stand and take off his thobe. She scowled at him and his bare chest, his loose white pants somehow enhancing his tanned, sinewy arms and strong shoulders. “I’d like some privacy. Some alone time.”
“And I’d like to talk.”
Whatever argument she had was forgotten the moment Essam’s voice rang out.“Brigands!”
Hamid froze. Then looking at her, he commanded, “Stay in the water. Hide yourself.Please.”
She was too stunned to say or do anything as he gathered up their clothes and threw them into the tent, then raced back outside with nothing but his pants on and a gun in his hand.
Chapter Nine
Holly stayed deep in the water so that though her feet touched the ground, her head was barely above water. She should probably hide amongst the reeds along certain parts of the bank, but for the moment she needed to stay put and see what was going on.
Not that she could see anything yet. Luckily she heard well enough. Gunshots sounded, along with shouts and a man’s screams. Camels bellowed and a horse squealed.
She shivered.This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.But no matter how many times she repeated the mantra in the head it was all too apparent it really was happening.
She swallowed back her fear. She shouldn’t be hiding in the water like a coward. She should be taking photos of everything happening. No real photographer worth their salt would stay cowering in the water when there was footage to be shown.
