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Raising an eyebrow, he chuckled. “Schmooze? Well then, I guess I’ll have to seduce you with the promise of another excellent dinner at the diner if I want you all to myself.”
When he walked away, she couldn’t help but feel the chill that wrapped around her. She’d gotten comfortable with his presence, and she didn’t like it when he wasn’t there.
She was falling for him.
Leaning against the horse, she sighed. “He can’t stay,” she whispered. The mare’s ears flickered, and she reached up to stroke her muzzle. She should simply enjoy him while it lasted.
“Kristy?”
She looked around the horse to see her father walking toward her. He turned his head and nodded to Kashif as the two men passed each other.
“Hey, Daddy. I know I’ve been slacking, but I’m catching up today. I promise.”
“You’re spending a lot of time with that sheikh fellow,” he said gruffly as he stopped and reached up to scratch the mare’s ears.
She looked at him in surprise. Normally, her father didn’t notice things like that. He’d probably heard the gossip around town. “I like him,” she said simply. It surprised her how a simple sentence could mean so much.
“I like him, too,” Wyatt admitted. “He’s a good man, but he’s not from here, Kristy. Eventually, he’s going to leave.”
“I know that,” she said taking a deep breath.
“Are you going to go with him?”
“Oh.” Stunned, she dropped the brush and bit her bottom lip. Moving slowly to pick it up, she mulled over his question. She could only come to one conclusion. “He hasn’t asked me, so it’s not really an issue yet.”
“Yet, being the operative word,” he grunted. “I want you to be happy, baby. You know that. Right?”
Smiling, she reached out and grabbed his arm. Her father was a good man. He was the strong, silent type, and she knew that talking to his daughter about these things made him uncomfortable. “I know, Daddy. Right now, I’m getting to know the man. I promise that if things get more serious, I’ll talk with you about it.”
He nodded his head and squeezed her hand. “When you finish up here, will you head into town and pick up the food for the dogs?”
“Sure thing.” Left alone, she finished grooming the horses and tried to focus on her job, but her mind was far away. Did Kashif envision a future for them together after leaving the farm? Did she?
Stopping by the practice track, she sighed and watched him drive. She missed him when he was gone, and she was happy when he was there. Despite knowing the obstacles between them, she couldn’t help but think of them together when she thought of the future.
Together.
He stopped the sled in front of her, and her stomach flipped in anticipation. “Are we on for dinner?” he asked in a seductive voice.
“Can’t wait.”
* * *
Resting her head on his stomach, she smiled sleepily as he played with her hair. The television screen flickered in the darkness, and she lifted her head and smiled at him. “You don’t ever talk about your family,” she whispered.
Kashif stroked her cheek and shifted as he pulled her up on the couch so she could snuggle under his arm. “You never asked. What do you want to know?”
“Your father runs a whole country. That has to be stressful.”
“My father is a beloved man. He’s strict and hard, but he’s a good man.” Kashif stroked her cheek, and she felt a shudder go through her body. Wrapping an arm around his hard chest, she reveled in the feel of him.
“What about your brothers?”
“My youngest brother is a good guy. He’s fun-loving. I always joke that he has it the easiest because our father has no expectations of him. Jarik is more like our father. He’s serious and responsible. I sometimes think that he’d make a better sheikh.”
“You don’t think that you’ll make a good ruler? I think you will.”
“Really?” he smiled indulgently at her. “Do tell.”
