CHAPTER SEVEN
"That is not what I expected," Riaz heard Eva exclaim from over his shoulder. "Not at all."
Riaz held back a satisfied smile. He'd anticipated that reaction from her. He gazed down upon his settlement from their position here, up on the crest of a dune. Their journey was over and they'd finally made it to his encampment.
Riaz examined the camp, feeling instantly at home, relieved that he'd made it back to the place which had been his home for almost a year.
His men had arrived a short while before, and had settled back into their familiar routines. Riaz saw the horses and camels in their roped-off area. The cluster of twenty tents spread out along the side of the one thing which must have accounted for most of Eva's expression of surprise.
The clear waters of a wide, fast flowing river traced a line from north to south. Scattered alongside both sides of the river were tall, sparse trees. He was sure that had been the last thing she would have expected here in the desert.
"Where does the river come from?" she asked.
Riaz pointed toward toward the east."Up there," he said. The low peaks of a distant range of mountains stretched from north to south, much like the river by the encampment. The mountains were hazy impressions in the late afternoon light.
Riaz could feel Eva leaning harder against him, and he did nothing to discourage the pressure he felt on his back. He felt her breath against his neck, sensed the delicate feel of her loose blonde hair against his skin. He resisted the temptation to lean closer to her, just as he'd done so many times during the last few hours' ride across the desert.
What was it about this woman which affected him so much? He'd been running that question over in his mind all afternoon, and still he was no nearer to an answer.
All he knew for sure was that he enjoyed every moment of her presence; savored every time her hands accidentally strayed from the front of his chest downward to his middle as she held onto him. That had happened only a few times, but each time had been enough to ignite a flickering desire, one he thought he'd consigned to history by coming out here to this desert existence.
"It's beautiful," Eva said.
Riaz could only nod in approval. It was more than beautiful, he told himself. It was paradise. "I like it," he said simply.
Riaz felt Eva's body soften against his. He turned to her and saw the obvious tiredness on her features. Of course, she would be tired, he told himself. She wasn't used to such journeys across a hot and forbidding desert terrain.
He saw that the side of her forehead was slightly raw from where she had landed after falling off her horse. Perhaps she was trying to hide the fact that she still felt the effects of her tumble. He kicked the horse on, easing down the last dune and onto the wide, flat plain alongside the river's edge.
Already he could hear the calming sound of the running water. Down here, by the riverside, the air was suddenly fresh, instantly cooled by the clear, running water.
Riaz's arrival was noticed by a few of his men and they came toward him, welcoming smiles on their faces. He also saw the expressions of curiosity on their faces as they looked at Eva. They must be surprised at seeing him bringing a woman to the camp, he thought. Especially this particular woman.
He was sure they recognized Eva from her time at the fort. However, he offered no explanation. That wasn't needed, and the men understood that the woman seated behind their sheikh was his business and his alone.
Riaz halted alongside the entrance to his own tent. He felt reassured to see the large expanse of red fabric, reconstructed from its time at the fort. He couldn't wait to get inside. Couldn't wait to get Eva inside the cooling shelter.
Riaz slid down and stood, looking up at Eva. Instead of allowing him to assist her down off the horse, she avoided his gaze and leapt down onto the hard-packed sand. Riaz was momentarily disappointed at her refusal of his help, but he just as quickly pushed his feelings aside. He spoke to one of his men, instructing him to take care of Eva's injured horse, which looked tired after its long haul.
Riaz watched as Eva quickly unhitched her own pack. She stood in front of him holding the pack, an expectant look on her face. She wiped a hand across her brow. "Now what?" she asked brusquely.
Riaz lifted a brow. He gestured toward the entrance to his tent. "I think you already know this," he said.
Eva scanned the outside of his tent. "Sharing again?" she asked.
Riaz frowned. "On the contrary. You are my guest. It is my duty to offer you a place of honor," he replied.
Eva lifted a skeptical brow. "A place of honor?"
Riaz saw her glance at the men milling around the encampment. He could see she was probably thinking about how it would look to his men that she had arrived and immediately taken up residence in the sheikh's private tent.
"Of course," he responded. "They understand that as well as I."
She looked doubtful, standing firm. He saw her brows furrow again, her jaw tightening.
Riaz took a step toward her. "I will use another tent. And you can enjoy the freedom of using mine for the duration of your stay."
"And how long will that be?" she asked.
Riaz shrugged. "As long as it takes for you to fully recover."
"There's nothing wrong with me, Riaz," she snapped. She ran her hand again across her brow and drew in a deep breath. She was agitated, perhaps more tired than she realized, he told himself. The desert could sap all the strength out of a person, even while they were oblivious of its effect. He knew that simple truth better than she did.
Riaz took her elbow in his hand, holding it gently. Eva glanced down at his hand and then back at him. He noted that she did nothing to remove her arm from his grasp.
"Perhaps after you've had a chance to settle in, have a wash and eat some food, you'll be able to decide what you want to do," he suggested.
On hearing those words, something seemed to shift in Eva, as if she realized he was actually trying to be helpful. He knew just how strange all of this must be for her.
Eva nodded. "Maybe you're right," she admitted.
She let him guide her to the tent entrance. He opened the flap and led her inside. She dropped her bag on the carpeted floor. Riaz was pleased to see that the interior had been laid out according to his wishes. It would be a comfortable place for her to recover from everything she'd been through today, he told himself.
Riaz watched as she walked across the carpet. She bent down and pulled off her boots, throwing them roughly to one side. She stood and shook a hand through her hair. He saw sand fall away from her head and onto the carpet.
"It feels so good to be off that horse," she exclaimed.
Eva glanced toward the sleeping alcove. She lifted her bag and boots and headed through the entrance. He followed her and saw her dump her belongings alongside the bed which had been freshly prepared.
"Your men certainly know how to follow orders," she joked.
"They are loyal to me," he replied.
Eva squinted at him. "I was wondering about that," she said advancing toward him. "You'll need to explain that whole loyalty thing to me. I'm having trouble understanding why they just agree to be your servants."
Riaz frowned, surprised at the sudden change in her tone. "They are not my servants," he replied sharply.
"It certainly looks like it from where I'm standing," she said folding her arms across her chest. Had she just shifted into journalist mode, he asked himself. It seemed like it.
He stepped out of the alcove and she followed him.
Riaz turned to her. "Let me show you the camp. And the river. Perhaps you can wash there later," he suggested.
Eva lifted a brow. "With all them watching?" she scoffed. "I don't think so."
Riaz could see that the practical details of her presence here in the camp were already running through her mind. The truth was, those details were also racing through his own mind.
If she was going to be here for a few days and nights, as he hoped, there were some ground-rules which needed to be established. Privacy seemed to be foremost on her mind. Or maybe the events of earlier in the day had left her feeling vulnerable, prompting a need for caution.
"Maybe I can have washing facilities brought to the tent," he replied.
Eva nodded. "That sounds like a better idea."
Riaz nodded slowly, pleased that at last one of his suggestions had found favor with her. Eva could be stubborn at times. Again, she'd shown him her strong will.
And, didn't he like that? Of course he did. But he wasn't about to admit that to her. Not yet, anyway.
She followed him out of the tent. He showed her around the camp, explaining how it was organized, and answering each of her quietly spoken questions. She seemed genuinely curious about the way his life had been arranged, but he managed to resist some of her more probing inquiries. Especially about the absence of women.
Finally, he led her down to the river. He saw her touching the trunks of the trees as she passed them, almost as if she could hardly believe they were here in this arid wilderness. The trees stretched away in both directions on either side of the river. The green of their foliage contrasted sharply with clearness of the waters and the brightness of the distant dunes.
The river was about fifty metres wide. He knew it was deep enough for someone to stand with water waist-high. The sound of the flowing water was hypnotic. Riaz loved this place more than any other. It was where he felt complete, where his spirit could feel calm and strong. Many times he'd stood in its flowing coolness, washing away every care, cleansing himself of every concern.
As she'd sensed how the river affected him, he became aware that Eva was watching him carefully as he stood by the riverside.
Riaz glanced at her and she smiled at him. "I can see this place means a great deal to you," she said.
Riaz lifted his brows. "Really? You can tell that?" he asked making it clear by his tone that he didn't believe her.
"Call it my journalistic sixth sense," she replied.
"So you claim to read minds, do you?" he asked.
Eva took a step closer to the water's edge. "You're pretty easy."
Riaz narrowed his eyes and followed her. "I'm easy am I?" he teased.
Eva shrugged, ignoring that last question, and then squatted down letting her hand dip into the rushing water. She moved her hand slowly. "It feels so good," she gasped. "So cool."
She wiped the back of her neck. He saw the damp sheen of the water on her skin and felt a flicker of emotion stirring in him.
Eva's gaze followed the course of the river. "Does it go all the way to the sea?"
Riaz nodded. He glanced in the same direction. "It starts in the mountains and eventually finds its way out into the Qazhar Sea."
"How far is that?"
He shrugged. "About a hundred kilometres."
Riaz heard her draw in a deep breath and then sigh. She stood and faced him. "So we really are in the middle of nowhere."
Riaz shook his head. "I wouldn't say that exactly." He gazed around at the beautiful landscape. "There's nothing primitive about a place like this. This is the true Qazhar. The one everyone back home seems determined to forget."
"Home?" she probed. He hadn't realized he'd used that word until she'd brought it to his attention like that. She was looking at him, an intent expression in her eyes. Her curiosity had been piqued again. And once again he felt like she was testing him, trying to dig beneath the barrier he'd erected.
"What used to be home," he responded. "Not any more," he added gazing toward the mountains.
Eva looked back at the camp. "But isn't this all a bit spartan? This can't be much of a life for someone like you."
Riaz peered at her. "Like me?"
Eva nodded. "Someone used to so much privilege. So much opportunity and freedom."
Riaz snorted. "Their idea of freedom doesn't match with mine."
He felt irritation well up within him, but he knew he'd have to restrain any expression of it.
Eva looked as if she was about to ask him something else, but he tried to discourage her by turning away and facing the camp.
Why did she have to insist on asking so many foolish questions? Of course, she was a journalist. How could he ever forget that simple fact? He'd have to find some way to distract her, some way to keep the subject of their conversation away from the details of his life.
"You must be hungry," he stated.
Eva hesitated, as if he'd halted her train of thought. "I guess anything would be better than that awful dried meat you gave me."
He smiled, recalling how eventually she'd given in to his persuasion and nibbled on a strip of the meat, hunger getting the better of her visible distaste. She'd chewed on the small piece for a few moments and then uttered an oath and removed it from her mouth.
"Maybe it's an acquired taste," he suggested.
"One I won't be acquiring anytime soon. I hope there's something else on the menu."
"Menu?" he asked. "We don't do menus out here."
Eva tilted her head at him and grinned. " You know what I mean, Riaz."
He liked it when she smiled. It made her pretty, even features even more attractive. Her pale skin was tinged pink with the sun. She'd have to be careful, or else the sun would get the better of her. He reminded himself she wasn't of this land; she was an outsider, unaccustomed to this kind of climate. No matter what she'd said to him about her experience in this region, he knew she'd have to take care. If she resisted, he would have to insist.
"Maybe you'd like to wash before eating," he suggested.
Eva nodded and pulled at her shirt. "I can feel sand in every crevice," she said and pouted her lips. Even looking annoyed though, he still had to fight the impulse to enjoy looking at her.
She shimmied her hips and he felt a tightness in his throat. Riaz saw Eva glance at him. She'd noticed the way he'd watched her do that. Riaz saw the hint of a smile at the corner of her full lips. She was enjoying teasing him, he told himself.
Riaz peered at her, struggling to maintain an impassive expression. "I can show you where you can wash."
"But I thought you could arrange for water to be brought to the tent," she objected.
"There's a better place," he replied. "Follow me."
He started to move alongside the edge of the river, in a southerly direction. Eva walked alongside him for a few minutes. There was a gradual downward incline and the river twisted through rocks, eventually opening out and widening.
Riaz heard the sound of falling water and smiled. He was sure she was going to be impressed.
After a few minutes' walking they came to a wide ledge which stretched away on either side. Riaz led Eva carefully over some rocks and then to the edge of a steep drop. The sound of tumbling water was louder now
Riaz heard Eva gasp. He looked at the tumbling waterfall which wove its way through clusters of large rocks There was a wide pool about fifty feet below where they stood. "This is a better place," he announced.
He could see she was impressed, but still hesitant. She gazed around the enclosed area of trees and rocks around the pool. "Your very own private pool," she said with an edge of sarcasm. "I can see why you use this place as your base." She grinned. "All the amenities."
Riaz tilted his head. "That's one way of describing it. I'd say it was making the most of what the desert has to offer."
Eva frowned. "There's just one thing. You expect me to just swim around there?"
"I can ensure no-one will interrupt you," he replied.
Eva lifted a skeptical brow. "Really," she drawled.
Riaz bowed. "You have my word."
Eva lifted her chin and peered at him. "And that's supposed to reassure me?"
Riaz felt a brief rush of indignation. He took a step closer to Eva. "Haven't I already demonstrated to you that I am a man of my word?"
She blinked, as if she'd suddenly realized she might have offended him with her off-hand remark. "I didn't mean to suggest you couldn't be trusted," she said.
Riaz gazed into her eyes, and saw the sincerity in them. "If I say you will be safe bathing here, then you will be," he stated. "No-one will intrude on your privacy."
Eva nodded. "Okay." He saw her peer down at the pool of water. "Guess there's no time like the present."
She turned to him, giving him a steady look. Riaz turned away, looking back the way they'd come. "I'll be over there. Waiting for you."
They exchanged one final look, understanding passing between them, and then he started back the way he'd come.
"I won't be long," she called out to him.
But he didn't respond, because he was too busy thinking how he was going to get through the next few minutes without giving in to temptation.