Kitabı oku: «One Hot Desert Night»

To my future son-in-law, Christopher. We are so blessed to have you in our family.

Contents

Cover

Introduction

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Extract

Copyright

One

Sheikh Rayad Rostam had blood on his hands, a bounty on his head and a burden he had carried for years.

Though at times he longed for peace, he had lived on the edge for so long, he knew no other way. And today, as he stared out the palace window to the mountains towering over Bajul, the pain in his side reminding him of his recent face-off with possible death, his never-ending mission still urged him to continue.

“You cannot return to your duties until you are medically cleared, Rayad.”

An order issued by the king, who happened to be his cousin. He despised any attempts to dictate his choices and a life where family loyalty and royal decrees prevailed. Battling anger, he chose to keep his attention focused on the familiar landscape to avoid Rafiq’s scrutiny. “I do not see why I cannot return immediately. I have suffered much worse than broken ribs and will probably do so again.”

“And the next time you could very well sustain wounds that will not heal, particularly if your cover was breached.”

That sent him around to face Rafiq as he struggled to suppress his fury over the reminders of his downfall. A tragic event that had set his life-long course. “I learned from my mistake many years ago, and since that time no one has learned my identity. As far as my safety is concerned, that is a risk I take to fulfill my duty to this country.”

Rafiq leaned back in the chair situated behind the massive desk and streaked a palm over his goatee, seemingly unaffected by the ire in Rayad’s tone. “You go beyond the limits of risk-taking, cousin, as you continue your futile quest for elusive killers that you will most likely never find.”

Bordered on losing control, he braced his palms on the edge of the desk and leaned forward. “I will never stop searching until I locate and punish those responsible.”

Rafiq raised a brow. “And if you do not find them?”

He straightened, hands fisted at his sides. “I will die trying.”

“And that, Rayad, is exactly what I fear will happen if you do not reassess your goals. I have accepted that I will never know the true circumstance behind my mother’s death. I have also accepted Rima’s death was no fault of my own.”

“My situation is very different, Rafiq. You speak of a possible accident or suicide. I speak of murder.”

“Some answers are not meant to be known, but life is meant to be lived. You should rebuild yours as I have. You should honor your royal heritage by continuing the legacy with an heir.”

A concept that was not feasible in light of the tragedy that remained foremost on his mind. “Unlike you and your brothers, Rafiq, my duties prevent me from considering taking a wife and bearing children.”

“I am ruler of our country,” Rafiq said. “Zain has established a water-conservation system that will secure Bajul’s future. Adan is the commander of our armed forces. We have all been successful in our endeavors to bear children and keep our wives satisfied.”

Since Rayad’s recent arrival at the royal palace, all signs pointed to that success every night during the evening meal when he had been subjected to several miniature Mehdis, and Maysa, the king’s very pregnant wife. “I commend you on that achievement, Rafiq. However, I am personally not interested in attaining domestic tranquility.”

Rafiq narrowed his eyes and studied him a lengthy moment. “Are you so lost in your thirst for revenge that you no longer crave the company of a woman?”

“I am not celibate, yet there are very few women I trust enough to bed.”

“How long has it been since you have been with a woman, Rayad?”

Too long to admit to any other man. “I have been infiltrating several insurgent encampments for the past eight months, or do you not recall giving that directive?”

Rafiq released a rough sigh. “Perhaps you should take this opportunity and use it to locate a suitable mate.”

He had heard the same suggestions from his parents, as if they expected him to discard the pain and remorse. Clearly, no one understood that he only wanted to sate his natural desire, not settle into an ordinary life. “Even if I consented to wed as you and my father suggest, suitable brides in Bajul are rare, Rafiq. Most are married or too young.”

Rafiq scowled. “Must you make this so difficult? You are free to travel to another region if necessary. I am certain your father can locate prospects in Dubai.”

In an effort to quell the subject, Rayad returned to the window where he glimpsed the official armored limousine arriving at the entrance. When the driver rounded the car and opened the door, a lithe woman exited the vehicle, the afternoon sun glinting off her long blond hair. Her clothing was somewhat conservative and nondescript, yet she moved with the grace of a gazelle. As she removed the sunshades covering her eyes and glanced up at the window where he now stood, Rayad was struck by her beauty, and immediately reminded of his unwelcome abstinence.

Forcing his gaze away, he regarded Rafiq over one shoulder. “Are you expecting a guest? Specifically a female guest?”

“That is accurate,” Rafiq said. “She will be staying here for an indeterminate amount of time.”

He thrust his hands in his pockets and slowly began to pace the area. “Is she wed?”

The king presented his best scowl. “No, she is not, but I caution you to stay away from her, Rayad.”

He paused midstride and turned toward his suddenly irritable cousin. “Why? Are you interested in bedding her?”

“Of course not,” Rafiq said. “If you recall, I have a bride.”

He could not resist the urge to bait the king. “This is true, but perhaps you have decided to reinstate ancient customs and populate a harem.”

Rafiq’s venomous look revealed he did not appreciate the conjecture. “The woman is Adan’s sister-in-law. Should you trifle with her, you will have to answer to him, your commander in chief, as well as Piper, his wife.”

That did not deter Rayad from exploring all possibilities. “Does this woman have a name?”

“Sunny McAdams. She is an international correspondent, and I highly doubt she would be interested in engaging in a temporary affair with you, if that is what you are considering. It is my understanding she has recently dissolved a relationship with a colleague.”

What better way to temporarily move past loss than with mutual passion? Of course, she would have to be willing. He had never taken from a woman what she refused to give. He never would. “I appreciate your counsel, cousin,” he said as he backed toward the door. “I assure you I will take your concerns into consideration.” And promptly ignore them.

“That would be wise, Rayad, and I suggest...”

Rayad closed the door on the king before he had a chance to finish his lecture. At the moment, he intended to give the palace guest an appropriate greeting.

He thrived on the chase, lived for the challenge in all aspects of his life and at times yearned for a respite from his mission of revenge. Erotic fantasy was his specialty, sex his second calling. When he set his sights on a conquest, he ignored all obstacles that stood in the way of achieving his goal. Yet one goal he had never achieved...

Refusing to relive the regrets, Rayad decided the woman with the golden hair would be worth his best efforts to know her, if only for a brief time. If they decided they did not suit each other, so be it. Yet if they did, then the world was rife with possibilities, including a journey into pure pleasure...and a brief escape from the sins of his past.

* * *

Although the mountainous terrain qualified as breathtaking, and the majestic palace looming before her storybook-worthy, Sunny McAdams didn’t have the presence of mind to appreciate the enchanting scenery. She sought only solace, a refuge in which to reclaim her courage and return to the woman she once had been.

A few months ago, she’d come to this obscure Middle Eastern country called Bajul to visit her beloved fraternal twin sister, Piper, who’d married a bona-fide Arabian prince. That day, she had been happy with life, secure in her job as a journalist and comfortably settled into a casual relationship with a really good guy. Two weeks later, everything had fallen apart. Now she felt terribly sad and a whole lot alone. Beaten down, but not broken. No one could ever break her, even those who had tried.

Yet for some reason, she felt as if someone might be watching her. Then again, her paranoia had grown by leaps and bounds since the kidnapping. Lately everyone appeared to be the enemy, from cab drivers to convenience-store workers.

As much as she hated to admit it, she needed family now, Piper in particular. Their personality differences had never interfered when it came to sensing each other’s emotional needs. And that connection had led to her sister’s invitation to visit for however long it took for Sunny to regroup.

As she stood by the car and waited for further instruction, she didn’t possess enough energy to insist that she was quite capable of opening her own door and carrying her own luggage. Luggage was definitely an overstatement when describing the lone duffel bag and small carry-on case now in the hands of an attendant all decked out in white muslin. She’d learned to travel light and pack very little in the course of her work. Covering breaking news in some of the most obscure places on earth required only minimal supplies. At least today she’d exchanged the khakis and T-shirts for black slacks and a white, tailored, buttoned-up blouse, as dressed up as she’d been in quite a while.

When the driver gestured toward the entry, two beefy guards opened the heavy, wooden double doors, allowing her access to the ornate Mehdi palace. And after she stepped inside, her footsteps echoed in the three-story foyer as she followed the man with her bag, passing several golden statuettes and exquisite artwork.

The attendant paused before the towering staircase, turned and set the duffel onto the polished stone floor near Sunny’s feet. “If you will kindly wait here, I will summon your sister,” he said, his tone thick with a Middle Eastern accent.

“Of course,” she replied politely, although she wasn’t sure why she had to wait. She couldn’t imagine Piper had forgotten she was due to arrive at this hour. Then again, considering her sibling had stepped into the role of mother to the sheikh’s infant son, she could have been detained by a wet diaper.

As the minutes ticked off, Sunny passed the time studying several portraits of regal-looking royals lining the stone walls, including the current king, the stoic and darkly handsome Rafiq Mehdi and his debonair brother, Zain. She then paused at the painting depicting the lighter-haired Adan, the youngest Mehdi son, and her new brother-in-law. She had to admit Piper had landed herself one good-looking pilot-prince, and the person who’d painted this picture had nailed every detail, right down to the guy’s dimples.

After Sunny leaned over to better see the artist’s signature, she immediately straightened from shock when she noted her twin’s familiar handwriting. She then backtracked and checked every painting to find that Piper had created each and every one, and she’d done a darn good job. Finally, her sister had realized her overdue dream of becoming an artist. And she’d become a princess in the process. Amazing.

“Not too shabby at all,” she muttered aloud. “It’s about time you were wrested from our grandfather’s clutches.”

“Parental influences can be a challenge.”

Sunny’s hand automatically went to her throat as she spun around in search of the owner of the darkly masculine voice...and contacted the most intense near-black eyes she’d ever seen. He shouted military man from the top of his close-cropped black hair, to the bottom of his brown combat boots, yet his jaw was spattered with whiskers, as if he hadn’t shaved in a while. The tan fatigues and black T-shirt pulled tight over his extremely toned chest, the short sleeves revealing standard-issue muscles that said he meant business, proved to be quite the distraction. So did his self-assured stance and the somewhat arrogant lift of his chin.

As he boldly assessed her from forehead to feet, Sunny’s journalist’s instinct kicked into overdrive, bringing with it a series of descriptors. Stealth. Mysterious. Sexy as hell.

The impact of the last thought caused heat to fan over her face and snake down her throat as the overwhelming need to escape took hold. She refused to give in to that urge.

When he didn’t speak she offered her hand for a shake. “I’m Sunny McAdams. And you are?”

He stepped forward and enveloped her extended hand in one very large palm. “Greatly pleased to meet you.”

Two more words came to mind—practiced player. After he released his grasp, Sunny hugged her arms to her middle as if that somehow guarded her from the impact of his inescapable aura of power. “Do you have a name or should I try to guess?”

“Rayad,” he replied without even hinting at a smile, but his gaze never faltered. Oh, no. He just kept staring at her as if trying to read her mind. Hopefully he couldn’t, because she harbored too many secrets she would never reveal to a stranger.

Sunny inclined her head and studied him straight on, showing him she wasn’t about to cower under his assessment. “Ah, a man of few words who apparently doesn’t have a last name.”

“You made it!”

She tore her attention from the stranger and brought it to her dark-haired, blue-eyed bubbly sister practically bounding down the stairs to the right. Before Piper reached the bottom landing, Sunny risked a glance to find that the mystifying Rayad was nowhere to be found.

As soon as Piper’s feet hit the floor below the final step, she drew Sunny into a voracious hug. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“So am I,” she said after they ended the embrace. “And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you letting me hang out here for a while.”

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” Piper said as she surveyed Sunny’s face. “You look terrible.”

That could explain why Mystery Man had been staring at her nonstop. “Gee, thanks, sis. I didn’t know the invitation came with insults.”

Piper rolled her eyes to the gold-bedecked ceiling. “I meant you look exhausted. You couldn’t look terrible if you tried.”

Oh, but she did. She was well aware how badly her blond hair needed a trim and how pale she’d become since she’d left the field. “I’m in dire need of some sun and sleep, that’s for sure. Spa treatments couldn’t hurt.”

Piper grinned. “Well, you’ve come to the right place. Or maybe I should say the right palace.”

Sunny felt as if she’d been transported back to a better place and time, when she and her twin hadn’t had a care in the world, in spite of the fact they hadn’t had a caring mother. “Very funny, Pookie Bear.”

Her sister scowled. “Please don’t let my husband hear you call me that, Sunshine. He’ll grab on to the nickname like a fish on a worm and won’t let go.”

“Tell you what,” she said. “You can the Sunshine and I’ll forget the Pookie.”

“But your name is Sunshine.”

“And you know how much I hate that.”

“All right, it’s a deal.” Piper hooked her arm through Sunny’s. “Now I shall escort you to your accommodations. For this visit, I’ve selected the first-floor guest quarters reserved for very special guests. Lots of privacy.”

Unlike the last stay at the palace, this time Sunny needed privacy and a place to hide away, at least when she wasn’t expected to socialize with the in-laws. “I only require a bed and a bath.”

“Oh, you’ll have both,” Piper said as she led her down a lengthy corridor off the foyer. “And your own private garden.”

“As long as I don’t have to tend it, that sounds great.”

After they navigated a narrow hallway flanked by more polished rock walls, Piper paused in front of a pair of gleaming wooden doors and opened them wide. “Enter this chamber fit for a princess. Or the princess’s sister.”

Sunny stepped over the threshold and visually searched the massive room, awed by the absolute grandeur, including an intricately carved headboard, red satin spread and a scattering of matching red and gold chairs. She turned to Piper and smiled. “Where’s my tiara?”

“I’ll have one sent up,” she said. “Bathroom’s to the right, complete with massive soaking tub and a carwash-size shower, in case you want to have a party with a companion or ten.”

She didn’t even have one companion, let alone ten. When the image of the patently sexy, albeit elusive Rayad jumped into her brain, she mentally shoved it away. But she couldn’t dispel the suffocating imagines of confinement at the hands of a criminal. She couldn’t rid herself of the concern that she might never function as the normal sensual woman she’d once been. “Do you have a few minutes for a brief visit, or do you have to tend to royal duties or baby stuff?”

Piper plopped down onto a gold brocade divan. “Sure. Sam won’t be up from his nap for another half hour or so.”

Sunny joined her on the less-than-comfortable sofa. “So how is my nephew these days?”

Her sister revealed a mother’s smile. “He’s fat and sassy and a very active eight-month-old. He started crawling fairly early, and now he’s pulling up on furniture poised to take off on his chubby little legs at any time. But I really expect him to climb before he walks.”

She expected Piper to burst at the seams with pride at any moment. “I assume the supermodel hasn’t given you and Adan any trouble since the adoption.”

“Not one bit. As far as everyone in the kingdom knows, Sam is my son.”

Sunny took her sister’s hand. “He is your son in every way that counts.”

“You’re right,” Piper said. “And not only am I a mother, I have been commissioned as the official palace portrait artist. It’s been a juggling act over the past few months, but I’ve had a lot of help with Sam from the staff and my gorgeous husband. I just finished Adan’s painting two days ago and I hope it’s up to speed.”

Sunny smiled. “I saw the paintings, and Piper, they’re beautiful. I’m so glad you tore yourself away from our grandfather’s business so you could finally do what you’ve wanted to do for years.”

Piper shrugged. “Believe me, if I hadn’t met Adan, I’d probably still be acting as the company’s goodwill ambassador. However, that position directly led to my husband.”

Sunny grinned around an unexpected nip of envy. “You must have shown him some mighty fine goodwill, among other things.”

After they shared in a laugh, Piper’s expression turned suddenly serious. “Enough about me. How are you doing?”

She’d been dreading this part of the visit—recounting the details of what led to her breakup with Cameron. Horrific details that she’d relived every day and night since the traumatic experience. “I’m doing much better than the last time we spoke. I’ve moved past the anger and on to acceptance.” Though she would never quite accept her former lover’s abandonment when she’d needed him most.

“It’s not your fault,” Piper said, as if she could read her thoughts. “He wasn’t good enough for you if he couldn’t face what happened.”

“He tried, Piper. I was a mess.”

“He didn’t try hard enough, and that makes him a jerk.”

“He was dealing with his own guilt for not following me that day so he could ride in and save me.”

“Stop making excuses for him, Sunny. You were brutally attacked and abducted and that’s not something anyone can get over in a matter of days. If I’d been through the same thing, I know Adan would have stuck by me.”

Something suddenly occurred to her. “You haven’t mentioned the attack to Adan, have you?”

Piper shook her head. “No. He thinks you’re here because of the breakup. I don’t like keeping things from him, but I did promise you I wouldn’t say anything.”

She’d known she could count on her sister for discretion. “Thank you. The network decided to keep it under wraps.”

Piper frowned. “Why? Are they afraid you’re going to sue them?”

“No. They’re respecting my privacy. They know if word gets out, I’ll be headline news instead of covering it.” She sighed. “I keep trying to tell myself we knew what we were walking into. What we’d been walking into for the past three years. Greed breeds criminals, but you never really know who they are until you meet up with one on a dark street. And in one moment of carelessness, your whole perspective on life changes when facing possible death.”

Piper leaned over and hugged her. “I hope you’re going to consider staying in the States when you resume your career.”

She had considered it, then nixed that idea altogether, a fact she chose to withhold from her twin for the time being. “That’s going to be up to the network, provided they even want me after I’ve been on leave for two months.”

“The network adores you, Sunny. I’m sure they’ll welcome you back with open arms. Do you still have your apartment in Atlanta?”

Sunny shook her head. “Nana convinced me to give it up when my lease ran out while I was staying with her and Poppa. My things are in storage in Charleston.”

“Well, you can always live in the guesthouse permanently since I’ve vacated the premises.”

She’d rather eat collard greens. “A little bit of the grandparents goes a long way. If I decided to work solely in the U.S., I’d move back to Atlanta.”

Piper gave her another quick hug. “I hope you do. I wouldn’t have to worry about you fending off poisonous snakes in some rain forest.”

At least she hadn’t brought up unseen attackers. “You could have gone all year without mentioning those foul creatures,” she said, followed by a yawn.

Piper came to her feet and smiled. “You apparently have a lot of catch-up to do on your sleep. So feel free to take a long nap.”

If only it were that simple. Sleep hadn’t come easily, at least nightmare-free sleep. “That sounds good, but it’s not that long until bedtime.”

“True, but don’t hesitate to try the giant bathtub before dinner,” Piper added.

Sunny stood and stretched her arms above her head. “Speaking of dinner, who’ll be joining us for the evening meal?”

“Everyone,” Piper said. “My husband, of course. Zain and Madison and their toddlers since they’ve recently returned from Los Angeles. King Rafiq and an extremely pregnant Queen Maysa. Oh, and a cousin, Rayad Rostam, who showed up two days ago.”

Finally, Mystery Man was no longer quite the mystery. “Since his last name isn’t Mehdi, how is he related?”

“His father and the former queen were siblings, I think, but I don’t know much more. I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with my husband for three whole days, thanks to some top-secret training mission where he flies planes at warp speed. But I’ll be sure to introduce you to Rayad tonight, and you can interview him.”

“I met him,” Sunny blurted without thought. “While I was waiting for you in the foyer. But he didn’t say much more than a few words.”

Piper’s smile arrived full-force. “He’s gorgeous, isn’t he?”

Unfortunately. “I didn’t notice, and you’re not supposed to notice since you’re now a married woman.”

“But I’m not blind, and neither are you.”

Her twin knew her all too well. “Fine, he’s gorgeous. Satisfied?”

Piper’s expression said she wasn’t. “Maybe you should get to know him while you’re here. It’s my understanding he is presently unattached.”

Sunny held up both hands, palms forward. “Stop right there. I’m not in the market for a man, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking you could use a diversion after the idiot left you high and dry.”

“It’s too soon, Piper. Cameron and I haven’t been apart that long.” And her internal wounds resulting from the attack had yet to heal. Wounds she had yet to reveal to her twin.

“And by your own admission, Sunny, you loved Cameron, but you weren’t in love with him.”

She’d argued those points with herself, but that hadn’t eased the hurt. “Color me gun-shy.”

Piper’s features softened into a sympathetic look. “Maybe it’s time you make a sincere effort to rejoin the land of the living, Sunny. I’m not suggesting you sleep with Rayad. I’m suggesting you use your skills to find out what he’s all about and leave all options open. A challenge of sorts to get your mind off your troubles. And lucky for you, he’s staying in the room right next door.”

She found that somewhat odd, and a little disconcerting. “Doesn’t he have a house of his own?”

“Since he’s undoubtedly rich as sin like the rest of the family, I assume he does. But Maysa told me that Rafiq insisted he stay here while he’s recovering from an injury he sustained during some kind of incident.”

He’d looked perfectly healthy to Sunny. Very healthy. “What did he injure?”

Her sister grinned. “I’m not sure. Why don’t you ask him? Better still, why don’t you request he show you?”

“Not interested,” she said, worried that she might never be able to experience true intimacy again. “Besides, I’ve never really been drawn to the strong, macho, silent type.”

Piper barked out a laugh on her way to the door. “Yeah, right, Sunshine. Aside from Cameron, that’s the only type that’s ever held your interest.”

Bristling from the truth, Sunny trailed behind her sister and prepared for a debate. “Don’t you dare do anything stupid like try to fix me up, Pookie.”

Piper spun around and scowled. “You promised you wouldn’t call me that.”

“You promised, too.”

“Okay, you’re right. No more Pookie or Sunshine.”

“It’s a deal.”

“And I also promise not to play cupid,” Piper continued, “although Madison tells me Rayad’s a really nice guy if you can get past all that machismo. Just something to consider between now and the evening meal.”

After Piper closed the door behind her, Sunny perched on the edge of the mattress and toed out of her flats. She’d already surmised Rayad Rostam was a testosterone-ridden military man, and that should be all she needed to know. Yet her innate inquisitiveness urged her to learn more about him. She craved peeling back those personality layers to reveal the man behind the steely persona. She truly needed to investigate him further, from a solely journalistic standpoint, of course. Even if she proved to be drawn to him on a physical level, a virile man like Rayad wouldn’t want the closed-off, fearful woman she’d become. Not even a nice guy could handle that—case in point, her former lover, Cameron.

Rayad Rostam a nice guy? She frankly had her doubts about that.