CHAPTER FIVE
A half hour later, as Riaz led the column of men across the desert, he reflected on his last encounter with the amazingly attractive American woman.
There was only one way to describe their encounter.
Astonishing.
He drew in a deep, calming breath as he gripped the reins of his horse. He suppressed a gratified smile and gazed out toward the distant horizon.
She had made a powerful impression on him, greater any other woman had ever done.
It was that simple.
And, the way she had spoken to him just before leaving had convinced him that his assessment of her had been right. The way she'd refused his help. The manner of her defiance.
Once again, Riaz couldn't help smiling to himself.
Eva was a strong willed, free spirit. It had taken courage to come all the way out here. She demonstrated a fierce determination in everything she did and said.
He liked that.
No. It was much more than mere like.
He felt an inexplicable and perplexing attraction to those qualities in Eva. She had stirred something up inside Riaz. He'd worked hard to disguise the effect she'd had on him during their brief time together, and he wasn't sure how successful he'd been. He guessed she was perceptive enough to tell, even see through the mask he'd held up in front of her.
The same mask he'd used with every woman in recent years.
Despite himself, in spite of everything he had ever told himself about keeping woman a distance, he had to admit that he found Miss Eva Braddon almost irresistible.
During the night, when she had been sleeping in his tent, it had taken every ounce of his self-control to deny himself the pleasure of visiting her in his bed.
That realization had shocked him. He'd felt as if something primal, something beyond his control had seized hold of him.
But his honor had stood in the way of his simmering passion and he had just about maintained his self-control.
But it had been difficult. So very difficult.
All through the night, tempting images of her beautiful face and her enticing body had tormented him as he had slept on the sofa.
And when he had seen her emerging from the sleeping alcove in the morning, her hair dishevelled, her eyes filled with sleep, but looking so irresistibly attractive, it had taken every ounce of strength to maintain a calm, impassive demeanor.
That hadn't been easy. He was sure that she had noticed his interest in her. He thought about the attractive, knowing expression in her eyes every time he looked at her, every time he said anything to her.
He felt a connection. It was as simple as that. A surprising and shocking connection.
Now he had no idea what he should do about it. What action was necessary. He was used to acting on his instincts, and every one of those instincts told him he needed to act.
By now Eva would be well on her way back to the settlement in the west where she had left her car. Maybe he'd never see again.
He doubted that. She'd found him once, and he was sure that if she really wanted to, she would find him again. Once she had returned to Qazhar and had a chance to reflect on what happened in the last twenty-four hours, he was sure that she would find some way to get in contact with him.
That would inevitably bring its own complications.
Was that really such a bad thing? Of course not, he reflected. Maybe those complications would bring their own pleasures. Their own delights.
He'd been in the desert almost a year. It had been a long time since he'd enjoyed the company of a beautiful woman. And Eva was certainly beautiful.
Riaz realized he would have no objections if Eva wanted to come and visit him again, only this time there would be none of the distractions of the tribal gathering to deal with. Next time it would be just Riaz and Eva.
The prospect of such a meeting triggered an unexpected charge of anticipation in his body. His mind drifted to thoughts of what it would be like to welcome her to his encampment, to have her again in his tribal tent. Enticing images drifted into his mind, igniting sensation.
Riaz peered back along the line of his men. These men were loyal to him, part of his own tribe. They believed in this kind of life, a life that most were convinced had been consigned to the past.
So, how was it that he could even consider someone like Eva fitting into that kind of life? He had no immediate answer to that question. She had stepped into his life, a surprising temptation. And now she was gone. At least for the moment.
He wondered for a moment how far she had gone on her journey home, and then his mind went to the argument with Ahmed before leaving the fort.
The man was incorrigible. Insufferable.
Even worse than that, he was a menace. His disagreements with Ahmed had continued throughout the last year or so since Riaz had left his family behind and come to the desert.
Ahmed had accused Riaz this morning of not being serious about being a true desert chieftain. And that was one accusation too many as far as Riaz was concerned. And when he had defended his right by family to claim his place in the desert, Ahmed had resorted to low insults about the American woman, as he called her.
Riaz had been forced to defend Eva, defend her right to be here as well as her right to be left to her own devices. But Ahmed had his own selfish ideas.
A chill traced a line down Riaz's spine. One of the last things Ahmed had said before he and Riaz had parted angrily had been that Eva faced a long journey, which by happy coincidence, as far as Ahmed was concerned was in exactly the same direction as his journey back to his own settlement.
Riaz drew in a sharp breath and tightened his hold of the horse's reins. Surely Ahmed would not be so foolish as to do something which would cause even further disagreement between him and Riaz.
The thought chilled Riaz.
Riaz drew suddenly to a halt, raising a hand in the air. The men behind him slowed their mounts as Riaz turned.
He thought for a moment and then made up his mind. He wasn't about to take a chance.
Riaz spoke quickly to his men, explaining what he was about to do, and told them to continue in their way and that he would catch up with them soon enough. Some men offered to accompany him, but Riaz dismissed their offer.
Then, seizing the reins firmly he headed off in the direction of the western horizon.
***
Eva drove her horse up the side of a dune and felt the animal struggling beneath her. The horse's hooves sank into the soft sand.
Finally they reached the crest of the dune and she paused bringing the horse to a temporary halt. Eva gazed into the distance. It was an awe-inspiring scene. Golden sands stretched for miles beneath an azure blue sky.
She looked back east. The fort could no longer be seen. She was going to make good time today, she told herself.
It was almost midday and the sun was high in the sky. She felt the heat intensely, the sweat trickling down the back of her neck. She reached into her pack and pulled out the water bottle. She drank the lukewarm liquid, savouring the sensation as she swallowed, feeling her parched dry throat moisten.
It would be good to wait here for a few minutes, she told herself. Apart from anything else it would give the horse a rest. She patted the animal on the side of his neck.
Eva settled back in the saddle and sighed. She thought about her last conversation with Riaz. That hadn't gone well at all, she told herself. But at least she'd tried to get some more out of him. She had to admit to feeling frustration at how tight-lipped he'd been the whole time she had been there.
But, at least she now knew the stories about Riaz were true. He had completely turned his back on a life of wealth and privilege and was now the personification of the desert sheikh.
That was a story in itself, she told herself. Still, she couldn't help feeling annoyed at her own personal failure. She just hadn't been able to get him to talk. The barrier he'd put up had been impenetrable. Maybe she should just put it down to a professional failure. It wasn't the first she'd experienced, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last.
But there had been at least one consolation.
She'd met just about the most unbelievably sensual, handsome and attractive man she had ever seen in her life.
All during the ride from the fort, images of Riaz had floated into her mind, tormenting her, teasing her, making the heat even more intolerable.
And not only had she met this incredible man, but it was clear that he had taken serious notice of her.
That was no bad thing, she thought, then immediately chided herself.
There was no future in it, she reassured herself.
None.
It wasn't going to happen.
She and Riaz were desert ships that had passed in the night. She giggled slightly at that thought and the horse beneath her turned his head in response to the sound of her laughter.
Maybe some other time, she said to herself as she thrust the water bottle into her pack. Maybe some other place except the desert. Perhaps he might return to civilized life in Qazhar.
She doubted that, now that she'd met him. She could tell he was determined, resolved to reject that life and claim his desert destiny, as he saw it.
Eva knew she had to respect that determination. It wasn't something she'd come across too often in her travels.
Time to move on, she told herself, feeling a soft disappointment curl inside her.
She was just about to start off down the side of the dune when she heard the distant rumble of horse hooves from behind her.
Eva turned in the direction of the sound and saw three men on horseback charging towards her from the east.
She squinted, trying to make out who they could be.
Could it be Riaz with two of his men? Had he decided to come after her?
She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the identities of the men. After a moment, she was certain Riaz wasn't one of the three.
Unease grew in her middle. There was something about the way the riders were coming towards her that made her feel deeply unsure.
Eva knew she had a choice. Wait and talk to the men and find out what they wanted. Out here in the middle of this wilderness might not be the best place for such a confrontation, she told herself.
That was one option. The other one seemed suddenly more attractive.
She should do everything she could to avoid an encounter with strangers.
She opted for the latter. Maybe if she rode fast and steady enough they would leave her alone after a while. There was still enough distance to give her a head start, she realized.
Jerking on the reins, she pulled hard and the horse started down the side of dune.
She tightened her legs against the haunches of the horse as it raced down the dune and onto a narrow, flat plain between the high peaks.
From behind her, she could hear the thudding hooves of the other three horses as they pursued her, but she knew she had to continue as fast as she could.
What did they want with her? Was one of these men the same man who had crept up on her last night? That thought made fear trickle up her spine.
Out here, in the middle of the desert, was no place to stop and have a conversation with complete strangers she was almost sure didn't have good intentions toward her.
She felt the wind sweeping through her hair as the horse raced on. Her muscles tightened as she gripped the reins and leaned forward. She wondered how long she could keep going like this.
A voice whispered to her that all of this was probably futile. That the whole thing was crazy. That perhaps it would be best if she halted and faced the men down. She really wanted to do that, especially after what had happened the previous night.
But her instincts drove her onward.
She could hear her mount's hooves pounding on the flat ground, feel the urgent power of the animal beneath her. Up ahead she saw more dunes, saw a possible pathway through them, and she knew the time had come to make a decision.
There was a gap between dunes to her left so she guided the horse in that direction. And just as the horse started speeding its way through the low valley between the high dunes, something suddenly gave way beneath her, and she felt the horses body begin to sink and stagger as if it completely had lost its footing.
For one brief, horrible moment she knew that the horse was about to collapse beneath her. She cried out and reached forward trying to grab hold of the animal as it began to sink down. Everything happened so fast she could barely register it all.
There was a sudden rush of movement, she heard herself crying out, and then her head crashed heavily into a hard wall of sand.
She felt the horse's body move violently away from her and a brief thought flashed through her mind that at least she wouldn't end up beneath the horses dangerous weight.
But, just as she thought that, she realized that her awareness was starting to fade, and that blackness was beginning to take hold of her. Eva felt a sharp pain sweep through her shoulders. There was a ringing sound in her ears and then everything went dark.
She had no idea how long she had been out, but when finally she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw were the three men getting down off their horses, watching her as she lay against the side of the dune.
She sat up quickly and glared at the three men.
Behind them she saw, with palpable relief, that her own horse seemed to have suffered no real injury and was standing upright. But then she noticed that one of the horse's front hooves seemed to be injured because the horse was lifting it gingerly up and down off the sandy floor.
The three men were talking to each other. She didn't understand what they are saying but they seemed pleased that they had caught up with her. Fear gripped her heart and she felt her body chill with anxiety.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
None of the men seemed to understand English. One of them looked down at her and she did not like the expression on his face. Not at all.
Eva stood and faced the men defiantly. The time for running was over and she didn't care any more. She was going to make sure they knew who they were messing with, she told herself.
She moved past the three men and went to her horse. She hunkered down and took the animals leg, touching it softly. The animal reacted, obviously suffering some discomfort.
Eva cursed under her breath. Perfect, she thought sarcastically. Now she was really stuck.
The men were still talking to each other and appeared to be deciding what to do. Eva didn't even want to think about that for the moment.
She turned to the three men. She pointed to the horse and yelled at them. "Do you see what you've done?" she yelled. "Because of you three, my horse is lame."
One of the men just laughed. That did not make Eva feel good. Not at all. All three seem to be enjoying her emotional outburst.
"What are you going to do about it? she demanded. She knew it was a pointless question, a futile demand, but it felt good to at least get it off her chest.
Eva retreated back to her horse as the men started to move towards her. She leaned back against the animal's side, and watched as one of the men advanced in front of the other two with obvious intent on his mind.
Yet another wave of chilling fear rippled through Eva's body and she glared at the man, tensing every muscle, gritting her jaw tightly. The man's gaze was steady and disturbingly hungry, she thought.
Then he was on her, reaching out with filthy looking fingers. She pushed hard against the man and kicked out landing a hard, satisfying blow on his shin. The man staggered and yelled. He stooped down grasping his leg in pain. Behind him, his two friends burst into laughter.
But Eva knew this was no laughing matter. Not for her.
In the next instant she did the only thing she could do. She bolted and ran past the three men, unsure about where she was going.
All she knew was that she had to get away from here. Keep the men away from her. Delay this awful situation as much as she could. At least for a moment. She had to think, had to consider what she could do to protect herself.
She dashed around the base of a high dune, her boots slipping on the sand and she stumbled. She fell down face first, her mouth filling with sand and she coughed.
She twisted around and saw the three men following her, relentlessly, obviously enjoying the final pursuit like some kind of perverse game.
Eva stood up and was about to run again, when she heard a noise from behind her. The pounding of horses hooves and a deep male voice, growling loudly in the Qazhar language.
She recognized that voice instantly.
Riaz!
Eva turned around and saw Riaz pulling his mount to a sudden halt, a cloud of sand billowing around his horse's hooves.
Hope rose in Eva and she gasped, almost disbelieving what she was seeing.
Riaz jumped down off his horse and strode over toward the three men. The men had frozen in their tracks, obviously shocked to find the sheikh here. Not just any sheikh, but one they definitely recognized, one with whose authority they were clearly familiar.
Riaz pulled his hood back, revealing angry features and eyes bright with indignation.
Eva saw the three men looking nervously at one another. Obviously, this hadn't been part of the plan.
Riaz glanced urgently toward Eva, seeking some reassurance perhaps that she was still okay. All she could do was look at him and smile nervously, relief flooding through her. She had never been so glad to see anyone in her life, she realised.
"I'm okay," Eva told him quietly.
She saw Riaz's nostrils flare, his jaw tighten and then he faced the three men, blasting them with words. It was as if the men knew they had met an elemental force, emerging suddenly from the desert, intent on putting a stop to their madness. All three of them cowered before Riaz their entire demeanor suddenly transformed within moments.
All three took a few steps back from Riaz but he followed them, his stream of words unstoppable, and for once Eva would have paid any money to have been able to understand what he was saying.
One of the men raised a hand and tried to implore some moderation from the sheikh, perhaps trying to excuse his conduct, but Riaz was having none of it. He shouted the man down, and within moments all three had retreated back to their three horses.
They mounted quickly and then, within a few moments they were racing away in the direction from which they had come.
Riaz stood for a moment watching the men depart, almost as if he wanted to make sure that they were not about to change their mind. He was breathing heavily, obviously aroused to anger.
Maybe he was waiting to see if the men would change their mind. Eva realized there was little chance of that happening, now that Riaz was here.
Riaz ran toward Eva and wrapped his arms around her. She did nothing to prevent him from doing that, because right now it seemed like the only thing that made sense, as if it was the only thing she really wanted. She couldn't believe how good it felt to be suddenly in his arms, and for a moment she forgot that he was almost a stranger.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Riaz gasped.
Eva saw deep concern in his dark gaze. That concern looked utterly and completely genuine to her and for a moment she was taken aback.
"I'm fine, Riaz," she replied smiling up at him.
She heard him sigh with relief and she softened slightly into his embrace.
"I was right," he gasped.
Eva squinted up at him. "About what?"
"Those were Ahmed's men," Riaz explained.
"Ahmed's?"
Riaz nodded. "I should have expected this, especially after what he said back at the fort," he explained.
Eva felt vindicated for a moment. She had been right. The argument that Riaz and Ahmed had been about her.
Riaz guided her back towards his horse. "You must come with me," he ordered.
"What?"
Riaz nodded. "It is not safe for you to make this journey," he said.
Eva remembered her horse was lame. Maybe he was right. Perhaps she did have no other option but to go with him.
She explained about the horse and the fall. His eyes narrowed with deep concern. "You fell?"
"It was nothing," she said.
She saw Riaz examining her head for any sign of injury. "Even more reason for you to come with me. You must rest after your fall," he said.
Eva lowered her head slightly, feeling a slight dizziness. Yes. Maybe that would be the best idea, she told herself. Perhaps just for a short time, and then she would be on her way again.
He went across and examined her horse. Satisfied that he understood the problem, he led Eva's horse back to his own and tied the horse's reins to his own saddle. The horse still moved gingerly. She was sure that Riaz's men would know how to deal with the horse's injured leg.
Then, Riaz lifted Eva up carefully onto the saddle of his own horse and took his position in front of her.
"Put your arms around my chest," he ordered.
Eva hesitated for a moment, reluctant to simply follow his instructions, but when she considered it more closely it made complete sense. Maybe it would be good to hold onto him. At least until she had regained her composure. Her nerves were still raw after the encounter with the men.
Eva curled her arms around Riaz's torso, feeling the strength of his body beneath the white robe. She felt his body stiffen slightly as if he was savouring the sensation of her holding onto him. She leaned against him.
Riaz turned his head and grinned at her. "Okay?"
Eva nodded and then Riaz moved his mount forward and they started back toward the north-eastern desert.
In the direction of Riaz's encampment.