CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
She saw them around an hour after she'd left Riaz's camp.
At first she thought she might be seeing things. The heat was intense and the desert had a way of confusing perceptions. But then she looked closer, she saw that her first impressions were correct.
The group of riders was large, perhaps as many as thirty horse-backed tribesmen. They were coming from the direction toward which she was headed, so she was pretty sure they weren't any of Riaz's men.
Eva paused on the crest of a high dune and peered into the distance. The group of riders was almost a mile away now. Out here in the desert distances seemed different than in the world she was used to. Even from where she was she could tell they were travelling fast. They'd be upon her soon.
Eva felt a sudden anxiety twist in her middle. She was sure she knew who was in that group of riders. Who was at the at the head of them, driving them onward, toward Riaz's camp.
Ahmed.
Eva knew with absolute certainty that it was him. It made sense, given that Ahmed had agreed to come to Riaz's camp to carry out, what still seemed to Eva, a ridiculous and unnecessary apology.
She didn't care whether it fitted in with their sense of honor. She wanted nothing to do with it now. The only thing she was thinking about was getting to the settlement and reclaiming her car before sundown.
After leaving Riaz, Eva had tried to to drive all thought of the last twenty-four hours out of her mind.
But it had been impossible.
She hadn't been able to stop thinking about Riaz, about what she had shared with him. The last hour of her desert journey had passed in a heat-filled haze. Somewhere, deep inside, she had instinctively followed the direction of the sun which was moving inexorably toward the western horizon.
Toward her ultimate destination.
And what was that destination, she asked herself.
She was going back to her old life. Returning to all the certainties of her professional existence. She'd be able to forget everything that had happened back there at the camp. She'd be able to tuck it all away into a corner of her memory.
That was what she wanted to do.
Wasn't it?
But there had been a quiet voice in her head all through the journey from Riaz's camp. The voice had whispered a treacherous truth to Eva. One she knew was no lie.
Life would never be the same. Not after what she and Riaz had found together.
The memory of his touch, his love-making, the strength of his passion still burned her more than the heat of the sun. He had thrown all the certainty in her life into absolute turmoil.
Was that why she had ran?
Because that was what she had just done.
Wasn't it?
Eva had ran from Riaz as if terrified of what he'd triggered inside her; as if she was petrified of what it might mean if she felt anything for this incredible, mysterious and very powerful man. A man who had chosen a life for himself that was far away from anything Eva could ever conceive for herself.
He had been trying to draw her into his life. She knew that with absolute conviction. There had been a look in his eyes. Not only a hungry, passionate look. That might have been easy to deal with.
But there had been more in those dark pools that penetrated her soul with their sheer intensity.
There had been a determination in that gaze. A determination to claim Eva for his own.When she'd seen the look, when that thought had overtaken her, she'd felt an impulse to get away as fast as possible. To race across this vast desert and reclaim her life.
Who was she kidding!
Eva knew her life would never be the same. Not after Riaz.
The sheikh had ignited something vital, something elemental, in Eva. It felt like a flame, a burning desire that threatened to draw her ever deeper into a life with him.
How was she ever going to extinguish that flame? She wasn't even sure she wanted to put it out.
With Riaz she'd felt the most intense passion and desire she had ever known.
Did she want to lose that?
There was only one answer to that question.
No.
That one simple word frightened her. Giving in to the temptation of sharing more with Riaz threatened everything she valued. Everything she'd fought so hard to achieve.
Didn't it?
Eva told herself that this life Riaz had created for himself wasn't something she could ever consider being a part of. It was so alien, so different from everything she'd ever known.
A part of her rejected the very idea, the sublimely tempting notion of life here with the man who had turned her world upside down.
So why was it that every nerve in her body craved his touch? Why was it that her heart was filled with a powerful longing to be with him right now?
Did that make any sense?
Eva shook her head, trying desperately to clear her mind. She tried to focus her attention on the riders heading toward her. A decision had to be made, and urgently. This time there would be no Riaz to protect her from Ahmed.
Eva guided her horse down the sharply inclined side of the dune and down to the flat trough between peaks. Maybe if she kept herself hidden from the tribesmen they would pass her.
For a short time she made progress, keeping to the even surface of the gullies between dunes. She listened for the sound of beating hooves, tension rising inside her. Any moment now she might have to take some kind of evasive action.
Anything to make sure she would avoid confronting Ahmed and his men. After the way they had treated her once before, she wasn't convinced this time would be any better.
She had travelled a short distance and she was beginning to feel that perhaps she had avoided the worst, when she heard the sound of horses hooves pounding on sand. Tension flared in her and she prepared to goad her horse into sudden action.
She paused, holding the reins of her mount tight in her clenched fists, considering what direction she should take. The most important thing was to avoid being noticed. She knew she couldn't outrun anyone out here. Especially desert tribesmen who probably knew this place like the back of their hands.
She heard the hoof beats. They were nearby, but the effect of the dunes made it almost impossible to tell exactly where the sound was coming from.
The sound of the hooves suddenly stopped. Eva froze, sensing her heart beating, feeling her pulse pounding. She drew in a deep breath of warm desert air. Her throat felt suddenly tight. The prospect of being set upon by Ahmed and his men was beginning to trigger real anxiety now.
Eva strained her ears, trying to make out any sound. The emptiness of the desert made sound do strange things. All she could hear was the soft sigh of the gentle desert wind.
For a moment, she had the sudden urge to simply ride as fast as she could. Anything to get away from this place. Maybe she should just take her chances and hope Ahmed and his men didn't see her riding away.
Just as she was about to move her horse on, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. She whirled around, tensing herself, preparing to exclaim, readying herself for the inevitable confrontation.
Then she saw him and she gasped.
Riaz!
He was riding around the base of a high dune. Alongside him, Eva saw one of Riaz's men.
How had they found her? In spite of everything, she felt a sudden relief surge through her body. Every doubt she had harbored throughout her lonely desert journey was swept away.
Riaz guided his horse up to her. His gaze was intense. She thought he looked worried, genuinely concerned.
"Riaz!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Even as she asked the question, she knew the answer.
Riaz drew up alongside her. "I came because I had to," he stated firmly.
Eva gazed at him. He looked amazing. Dressed in his white desert robe with his head covered, he looked like something out of a dream. There was an intensity about his gaze which caused emotion to flame into life within her. Familiar sensation flooded through her and she realized just how glad she was to see him here.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Riaz glanced toward the horse-backed tribesmen who had halted a few feet behind him. "What Abdul told me made it impossible for me to wait back in the camp."
Eva was confused for a moment. She glanced toward Abdul who looked uneasy, as if he knew he was intruding on this scene between Riaz and Eva.
Eva squinted at Riaz. "What did he tell you?"
Riaz drew upright in his saddle. "That Ahmed and his men are nearby. That you might be in trouble."
Eva frowned. "You came all this way because of that?"
Riaz nodded. "I had to. I couldn't allow Ahmed the chance to disrespect you again."
"How did you think he'd find me?" Eva asked. "The desert is a big place."
Even as she said those words, she knew they sounded feeble. She knew why he'd come all this way. He hadn't needed much of a reason to come after her.
Riaz turned to Abdul and spoke quickly. Then Abdul rode off.
"What did you tell him?" she asked.
"You have been seen," Riaz announced bluntly. "By Ahmed. He knows where you have hidden yourself. He will be here in a few moments. Unless we do something to change his mind."
"How do you know that?" Eva demanded.
Riaz's gaze drifted lazily around the dunes. "This isn't going to fool someone like Ahmed. It isn't a hiding place. I'm certain you were seen before you came down here."
Eva was shocked for a moment. Had Riaz already worked that out? Had he already assessed the danger? She recovered her composure. "And you? How did you find me here?"
Riaz shrugged. "I know how to track a horse in the desert, Eva." He lifted a querying brow. "Don't you know that already?"
"Of course," Eva replied. "Those desert skills. How could I have forgotten?" she said acidly. "Now that you've found me, what next?" she continued.
Riaz moved his horse closer to Eva's. "Isn't that obvious, habibti?"
Eva felt her mouth open with mild surprise. "Why do you insist on calling me that, Riaz?"
Riaz's brows furrowed and he looked intently at Eva. "Because it's the truth." He moved even closer. Now he was within touching distance, but he held onto his reins tightly. "You know it to be the truth. Even if you insisted on leaving so hastily."
Eva felt herself bristle. "Are you accusing me of something?" she demanded.
Riaz grinned calmly. "You and I both know what happened back there. You cannot deny what it meant."
Eva turned her head away from him, determined not to be swayed by those dark eyes, by those powerful, even features.
Of course she knew where he was going with all this. Knew that he'd come out here to try to claim her one last time.
Her horse shifted beneath Eva, as if sensing the tension in her. Still she held her gaze firmly away from Riaz.
Then she felt his fingers on her chin and he gently guided her face back to his. His gaze was even more penetrating than before. She felt her heart quicken, sensed her emotions shifting by the moment.
She couldn't allow this to happen, she told herself. She'd already made it clear to him that there was no future for them together. It didn't matter what had happened last night. That kind of madness was all too common. Didn't he realize that?
But the way he was looking at her was simply melting her insides. Her mind was telling her one thing, but her treacherous body seemed determined to lead her inexorably to a terrible betrayal of everything she held true.
Riaz leaned even closer and for a moment she was sure he was about to seize this chance to kiss her. She felt her throat tighten, anticipation growing inside her at the prospect of how that would make her feel.
Instead of kissing her, he spoke: "Eva, you are everything to me." His voice was a low, emphatic growl, filled with absolute certainty. Eva felt her heart race even faster. She wanted to turn away from him, but knew, deep down that she couldn't.
Riaz continued. "You and I belong together," he said softly. "You know that is true." His eyes darkened with conviction. "We both felt the truth last night. There is no sense in denying that truth. We are destined to be together."
Suddenly the air felt hot. Breathlessness overtook Eva, and she felt a sudden tightness in her chest. Was this panic she was feeling? The urge to race away from Riaz pulled hard at her.
But that wasn't what she really wanted. Was it? Now that he was here, with her again, the temptation to be by his side was just too strong, simply too powerful.
Just like him.
He was so powerful, so persuasive. Every part of him called to her, drew her closer, in spite of all the rational thought sweeping through her mind. She'd always considered herself hard-headed when it came to this kind of thing. But, she had never encountered a man like Riaz. He was truly unique in every possible way.
His words rang through her mind like sweet music.
"You don't really mean that, Riaz," Eva said evenly, shaking her head.
Riaz was mere inches away from her now. "I mean exactly what I say." His eyes narrowed, intensity flaring in his gaze. "You belong with me, in my life. Destiny has brought us together. And I think you know that."
She could see the emotion flushing his skin, could inhale his masculine scent. There was no doubt or uncertainty in this man, she told herself. He had come after her because he was determined not to lose her.
Was she really going to throw all this away as if it meant nothing? Because, even though it terrified her, she knew that Riaz was like no-one she'd ever known.
Like no-one she would ever know.
Riaz made her feel more alive. With him there was a promise of something unique.
But it was all happening too fast.
"I can't, Riaz," she groaned.
"Can't? Or won't?" he retorted. His gaze was steady, unflinching.
"You know what I told you back there. We hardly know each other," Eva said.
Riaz shook his head emphatically. "Not true. And you know it."
Emotion whirled inside Eva and for a moment she was seized with real panic. She gazed at him imploringly. "What do you expect me to do, Riaz?" Eva moaned. "What do you want from me?"
There was a long pause and Eva felt as if her words hung heavily in the silent air.
Then, with shocking suddenness, Riaz dipped his head forward and claimed her mouth with a passionate kiss. Sensation flared to life in Eva. His lips were firm, persuading her with a force that was new. Eva felt his hands snake through her hair, and she reached up holding onto his shoulder, feeling the sheer power in his body.
Riaz's lips caressed hers, his tongue probing gently. Eva's pulse roared in her ears and she felt her entire being taken over by the sheer pleasure of his kiss.
She felt a familiar completeness sweep over her, the same sensation she'd felt last night when she'd been by his side in his bed.
With a shock, she realized that this sense of connection was something she wanted more than anything else. She craved it. He had uncovered something inside her she hadn't dared admit to herself.
Now that he was kissing her, now that she was in his arms again, she wasn't sure she ever wanted this feeling to end.
His kiss lingered long and she savored every moment of it. Finally his head leaned away and she saw the sheer satisfaction on his features. There was a smile at the corners of his mouth. He looked victorious. But what exactly did he think he'd won?
"Riaz," Eva gasped. She hesitated and lowered her head.
When she looked up at him again, she saw that he was waiting for her to continue. He looked expectant. Hopeful. Could she dare say what she was tempted to tell him?
"You know I have to go back to my life," she said eventually.
Riaz shook his head sharply. "No. You're life is no more the same as it was than my life is now," he said. "Nothing can be the same anymore."
Eva shook her head. "I don't fit in here, Riaz," she replied. She gazed around at the dunes. "All of this is another world for someone like me."
Riaz swept his arms around her, drawing her close. "I will do everything I can to make you a part of my world, Eva," he breathed.
Emotion swirled through her. He couldn't be serious, she told herself. But one look at him told her he was absolutely serious about making her a part of his life here. Could she even consider such a thing?
Eva shook her head. "I can't, Riaz. It's all so sudden."
Riaz reached out a hand and lifted her chin with his fingers. Eva gazed into his eyes, sensing her resolve weaken with every moment. The way he was looking at her made every nerve in her body feel alive with anticipation.
"Who are we to argue with fate?" Riaz declared softly. "Destiny only needs a moment to bring two people together."
His words sank into her, taking hold of her mind. Could it be that simple? Could he be right? Was there a force at work over which Eva could have no control. The way she felt about this incredible man had certainly made so much of what she had once held sacred seem unimportant.
"How can we carry on like this?" Eva asked softly. "This is crazy."
Sensing ultimate triumph, Riaz leaned closer, his arms tightening around her gently, drawing her unstoppably into his existence.
"Of course it is crazy," he agreed. "When two people feel this way about each other, it is a kind of sweet madness," he added. He lifted a brow and smiled. "Don't you agree?"
In spite of all the emotion churning inside herself, Eva submitted to the impulse to smile right back at him.
Riaz's lips crashed down upon hers and she was swept up again into a world of sensation that only Riaz had ever given her.
One she knew only Riaz could ever give her.
The kiss seemed to last an eternity. She felt her world shift, felt everything move around her as if her entire existence had changed in an instant.
Then their lips parted and she gazed into Riaz's eyes. "You're asking me to stay?"
Riaz nodded slowly. "I want you to be with me."
"For how long?" she asked breathlessly.
Riaz's brows furrowed and he smiled at Eva. "How long do you think?" he replied.
Eva drew in a deep breath and sighed. Before she had a chance to say anything else, Riaz cupped his hand around her face and kissed her. Nerves flared with delight and there was a sudden joy in her heart. If every day promised sensation like this, Eva told herself, then she knew she wouldn't want to ever leave.
Riaz leaned his head back and gazed into her eyes with such emotion that Eva was temporarily taken aback. This was no casual proposal from Riaz, she realized. He meant every word he said.
And what exactly was he proposing? Even as she asked herself that question, it was obvious that she was about to agree to something which promised to change the entire course of her life.
Would it be possible to stay in Riaz's encampment for weeks or months and not succumb to every one of the temptations he was laying out before her?
And what were those temptations, exactly?
She knew what they were.
Nights of pleasure in his bed, for one thing. Unending ecstasy. Her life transformed.
Also she'd get to share the life of a desert sheikh, be drawn into his life. No longer would she be a mere observer. She would be a part of him, an essential piece of his wild, exotic life out here, cut off from all of civilization.
Anticipation flared inside her at the prospect of such a life. A mixture of attraction and concern seized her. Would she be able to adapt to such a life?
She knew the answer to that.
With Riaz all things were possible.
She looked at Riaz and saw he was patiently awaiting her response.
Eva nodded. "If I stay for a few weeks or longer, then what?"
Riaz leaned closer. "I've already told you how I feel about you, Eva. If you stay, even for a few weeks or months, then only fate can decide what the outcome of that will be." Riaz smiled at her. "For my part, I already know how it will turn out." His gaze darkened. Certainty filled his features.
Riaz ran his fingers softly down the side of her face. Eva felt her heart quicken. She should have known he would say something like that. But, unlike before, listening to him say such a thing to her only filled her with a delicious anticipation. His touch promised so much.
Eva nodded. "I'll come back," she announced softly.
Riaz's eyes widened and he reached across, taking her face in his hands. He kissed her again, and once again she sank into the world of sensation that only his touch could ever take her to.
He leaned back and gazed into her eyes. "I promise that the coming weeks will be unlike anything you have ever experienced, Eva."
She believed him. Knew that his simple declaration was absolutely true.
A sudden thought took hold of her. "Ahmed!" she exclaimed.
"What about him?" Riaz asked.
"He'll be here soon."
Riaz shook his head. "Abdul is leading them away from here, even as we speak. They will be following his trail like the fools they are, thinking they are trailing something of value" he added with a grin.
Eva squinted at him. "Really?"
Riaz nodded. He reached across and took her hand. "You're coming with me," he announced.
Eva put up no fight, didn't even try to resist him as he started to turn her horse back in the direction of his encampment.
"But, what about Ahmed's obligation?" Eva asked.
Riaz shrugged. "There will be plenty of time for that," he stated. He gazed at her, hunger in his eyes. "I have much more important things to look forward to than dealing with him."
Eva felt her face flush with heat.
Riaz released her hand and she took the reins of her horse. They both started to ride back toward the east.
She was going back with Riaz. She tried to tell herself it would only be temporary, but she knew that wasn't true.
As they headed, side by side, into the desert, the sinking sun at their backs, Eva knew she faced a future filled with promise. The promise of Sheikh Riaz and everything a man like him could bring into her life.
One thing was for sure.
If the last two days were anything to go by, it was going to be amazing.