Chapter 7
Over the next week, Arianna sat in on dozens of interviews. Every day, they spoke to workers, executives, managers, and suppliers. They drove from one site to another, talking with engineers, examining the piping, the rigs and connectors.
Several times, Rhys took a wrench and started twisting the nuts and bolts. He came away with dirty hands, but didn’t seem to mind. He simply accepted a rag from one of the workers, or, even more shocking, wiped his hands on the leg of his dark pants.
It was impressive to find out that the man not only knew the rigging lingo, but wasn’t afraid to get dirty. Rhys was a ruler of a massive country with a diverse population and a culture that Arianna didn’t fully understand. But as they drove from one site to another, from one town or village to the next, she was starting to figure things out.
The people in Triar were shockingly loyal to Rhys. When he stepped out of the caravan of SUVs to talk with someone, everyone around stopped working and hurried over to greet him. Yes, the attention slowed down the investigation. And yes, she suspected that Rhys became irritated over the slow process, but he never lost his temper.
What’s more, Arianna watched him during the interviews. She was impressed with his capabilities and his tenacity. At the beginning of this whole mess, when she’d first arrived in Triar, she’d known only a spattering of Arabic and even less of the local dialects. But every day, she tested herself, studied vocabulary and listened intently, trying to learn. So, by the end of the week, she might not be fluent, but she was getting better.
Since she didn’t understand the language, she sat back silently, either in the back of the room, right behind Rhys’ shoulder, or at one end of the table. And she watched. Arianna might not understand the words that were spoken, but she fully grasped the body language that was on display. Perhaps her lack of what was being said was an asset, because she could focus on the way a person sat or gestured, watch his facial expressions.
She knew immediately when someone was lying. The first time it happened, she opened her mouth to say something to Rhys. But he anticipated her, or perhaps he recognized the same body language, and glanced at her. Either way, with one look, she knew that he recognized the lie as well. So, she’d kept quiet until they were alone and able to discuss the issue.
At the end of each day, they drove or flew back to the palace. Every night, she found something special in her bathroom or on her bed. One night, she found honeysuckle scented body lotion in the bathroom. She knew that it hadn’t been there the day before. As she lifted it to her nose, enjoying the sweet scent, she remembered the moment when they’d passed by a garbage dump. Laughing, she’d casually mentioned that it wasn’t a patch of honeysuckle.
Every night, after showering and changing into something other than jeans or cargo pants, Arianna met him for dinner and they talked, discussed the interviews and results of the investigation,
Every evening was wonderful, but by the time dessert was served, she could barely keep her hands off of him. He would take her into his arms and make love to her until they could barely breathe, only to fall asleep in each other’s arms.
Unfortunately, as nice as the rituals were, they made absolutely no progress on finding out why her father had been kidnapped. But it was becoming clear that there was definitely something going on. Neither of them could figure out who was in charge though.
Stepping into the salon that night, she looked around and found him. He was standing off to the side, waiting for her.
“Am I late?” she asked, thinking he looked magnificent in his dress slacks and dark jacket. His broad shoulders filled out that suit better than any man she’d ever known.
“You’re early, actually,” he smiled, moving to her side and handing her a glass of white wine.
Unable to hold his gaze, she looked away, sipping the wine as an excuse to move around the room. She’d been here every night for the past seven days, talked with the man about the investigation, shared childhood memories with him, laughed at his stories about growing up with his siblings and argued over the information they’d obtained during the day’s interviews.
So, why was she nervous now? Why did a simple, heated look tonight make her…tremble?
No, that was just hunger. He’d had his chef pack a picnic lunch today and…well, she’d eaten more than normal today. The food had been incredible but…okay, so she’d been feeling this trembling during lunch as well. Rhys had sat closer to her than normal today. The desert sun wasn’t even close to the heat she felt when Rhys was nearby.
But something was different tonight, and she couldn’t figure out what it was. And that difference made her nervous.
Ignoring the mystery, she focused on the small things in the room. When her eyes lit on the low table where the waiters would serve dinner, she stopped, staring at the centerpiece. “Are those…?”
Arianna turned to look at Rhys. “The flowers?” she whispered, feeling her heart pounding in her chest as she looked up at his dark, handsome features. He moved closer to her, looking down into her eyes and Arianna swallowed past the emotion in her throat. “Are those the flowers I admired earlier today?”
He took her hand, leading her over to the table. “Yes.”
“You brought them back here?” she asked, her voice still barely louder than a whisper.
He shrugged, reaching out to pluck one of them out of the vase, and handed it to her. “You will find these all over the desert, Arianna. Whenever the winter rains are strong enough, this little beauty pops up.”
She looked down at the beautiful, yellow flower, fighting back the tenderness that struck her. He’d done this…for her? It seemed outrageous and yet…still one of the sweetest, purest gestures anyone had ever done for her.
“Has no man ever given you flowers, Arianna?” he asked, standing right behind her, but he didn’t touch her.
She looked at the yellow flowers in the vase, trying to understand. “No. Never,” she told him, shaking her head.
“Not even roses?”
Arianna turned, looking up at him. “No. No roses, which is fine.”
His eyebrows went up with surprise. “You don’t like roses?”
She shrugged dismissively. “They are lovely. But when a man gives them to a woman, they seem a bit…trite.”
His mouth curled slightly and he shook his head in amused disbelief. “And yet, you are almost speechless over a flower that is basically a weed.” His hand came up, but he dropped it before he touched her. “You’re a mystery, Arianna Callas.”
Arianna smiled, not sure what to say. But her fingers reached out, tracing the delicate petals of the beautiful desert flower.
She heard his voice as he lowered his head closer to her ear. “I’m going to figure you out, my dear.”
Turning her head, she laughed, the sound coming out brittle. “What happens when you discover that I’m sort of plain?”
He pulled her closer, lifting her fingers to his lips and kissed them gently. “I doubt there is anything plain about you, Arianna.”
She couldn’t help it. As they dined that night, she felt the glow of happiness hit her. Arianna tried to fight the feeling, but…well, he was like the guy she’d always dreamed of meeting, but…it was too complicated. It still seemed as if too much stood between them. Her job, the distance, their cultures. She really should be getting home. Hayden needed her and she had responsibilities.
But…this tenderness for a man was new and she wasn’t sure…well, she wasn’t sure about anything anymore.
At this point, Arianna didn’t want to question life. She was here with Rhys and that’s all that mattered. She’d figure out the rest later.
Stepping closer, she lifted her hand, touching his neck. “I don’t want to eat dinner tonight.” She looked up at him through her lashes, shy suddenly. “Will you just make love to me tonight?” she asked softly.
He groaned and pulled her closer. “I thought you’d never ask,” he replied. A moment later, he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to his room.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his hands already sliding the material of her dress higher. Arianna wanted to laugh, but his hands were distracting and she couldn’t do anything more than nod her assent.
With that, his nimble fingers swiftly discarded her clothing, and he lifted her into his arms, his mouth attaching to her breast.
Arianna gasped, her arms wrapping around his head, her body arching into his mouth. She didn’t worry about her weight or anything as he held her like this. She knew that he wouldn’t drop her. It wasn’t until she begged him to stop that he lowered her down onto the bed.
“I’ve wanted you all day, Arianna.”
His mouth latched onto her neck, tickling the skin there before moving back to her breast for more teasing. “Why didn’t you do something about it?” she asked, moaning when his teeth scraped along the sensitive peak.
“Because it seemed like we were making progress and you seemed very intent on talking with several people today.”
She smiled, thinking he was incredibly generous. “I appreciate that, but next time…”
“There’s not going to be a next time,” he promised as he stood up and tore off his clothes. He barely spared enough time to grab a condom before he was back with her, peeling her underwear down her legs. “Ant jamila,” he groaned, his fingers sliding against her slick, pink heat. “You’re beautiful,” he translated. And then his mouth was there, taking over where his fingers had been moments before.
Because she was so primed and needy, it didn’t take long before she was screaming out her release. Or maybe it was his talented mouth. She wasn’t sure and she didn’t care. All she knew was that he gave her what she desperately needed.
Vaguely, she heard the condom wrapper tear but she couldn’t really focus on it. But when he came back to her, holding his weight on his bent arms, she smiled up at him, fully aware of what was to come next. “Please,” she sighed when he seemed to hesitate.
That was all the permission Rhys needed and he pressed into her heat. Looking down at her as he moved deeper, he knew that he wanted this woman for the rest of his life. She was sweet and passionate, daring to seek justice and still patient when it was required. When her body closed around him, he had to shake his head to slow down, not wanting her to be left behind even though he wanted to slam into her tight body and seek his own pleasure. She was more important right now.
As she lifted her hips, matching each of his thrusts, Rhys struggled to hold back.
“I’m going to lose it,” he groaned and rolled over, taking her with him. “Now, your pleasure,” he said and lifted her hips up. Quickly, she found her own rhythm and he smoothed his hands down her waist, around to her bottom and then back to her thighs. When she looked to be adequately distracted, his thumbs moved closer, teasingly closer. He loved watching her breasts bounce and jiggle as she found her pleasure, but he focused on her eyes, making sure that he wasn’t hurting her but also, wanting her to climax again.
As soon as his fingers found that button, she opened her eyes with a gasp and grabbed his wrist. He laughed, but wouldn’t relent. “Keep going, Arianna.”
She hesitated for a long moment, but with his thumbs still teasing her, she started moving again. It took less than five seconds before she was right back with her previous rhythm and he watched with growing arousal as she accepted his help. In too short a time, he watched her mouth fall open and her body tightened around him. At that same moment, he shifted their positions once again, tossing her onto her back and he took control. It took only a few thrusts and he was right there with her, his climax making his mind go blank for a long moment as the intense pleasure hit him so hard, he could barely breathe.
When it was all over, he stilled, then fell to her side, pulling her against him. He felt her curl up against him and his arms tightened around her shoulders, holding her close as he kissed the top of her head. “You’re beautiful, Arianna.” He felt her smile as his hands slid down her back. “And you’re mine,” he said. He stilled, wondering if she would argue. She was such an independent woman, he wasn’t completely sure how to handle her. But a moment later, he felt a soft kiss against his pectoral muscle and he knew that everything was going to be okay.
Better than okay, he told himself as he tightened his arms around her.