CHAPTER THREE
Sometime during night, sleeping lightly, Eva awoke suddenly.
It wasn't a noise which had woken her, she realized quickly. It had been the sense, the feeling, that someone was close by.
A presence.
She leaned against the wall behind her back, wrapped inside her sleeping bag, feeling the cold stone. She peered into the darkness of the corner where she had tucked herself in for the night, but couldn't see anything except the bulk of her horse a few feet away. The animal shifted nervously. Perhaps it had been that which had woken her.
She wasn't so sure.
She peered out across the open compound of the fort. Everything had quietened down now. The revelries of earlier had subsided and now, by the dying embers of the fire, she could see the sleeping forms of many men. A full moon shone down onto the quiet space, illuminating it with a silvery light.
It seemed that everyone was sleeping except her. The relative silence of the place was mildly unsettling.
Eva sat up.
Here, against the side of one of the fort walls, the darkness was thick and dense. She peered hard, straining her eyes, trying to confirm her suspicions.
Perhaps Riaz had been right. It had been a foolish decision to sleep outside like this. Eva pushed the sleeping bag down the length of her body, and slid out of it.
She crouched for a moment, ready to act if needed.
Then she saw it.
A shadowy figure was making its way along the dark shadowed wall a few yards away. Eva's nerves tingled with sudden anxiety. She wanted to call out, but restrained the urge, concerned that if she cried out it might make the situation worse.
She stood and leaned against the wall, considering what she should do. She was certain that whoever was in the shadows a few yards away moving steadily towards her had no good intentions in mind.
What had she expected? Hadn't it been inevitable that this kind of thing would happen?
She took a step away from the wall tensing her nerves, perhaps ready to run.
She gazed again into the darkness, seeking the shadow and saw it moving again towards her. Nerves jangled again and she was certain that she had to do something. She took one more step and heard the unseen figure move quickly in response.
Eva thought about confronting the figure, but she wasn't sure how that would turn out.
Another movement, this time with sound of footsteps stumbling slightly.
She was certain now. She was being watched. Worse than that. She was been stalked. Fear gripped her, pulse racing suddenly.
She wondered quickly, where she could go to force the stalker to back down. She needed to defuse the situation as quickly as possible.
Eva peered across the compound towards Riaz's tent. It was a tempting solution, but one she hesitated from seizing.
There would be sanctuary in Riaz's tent, but she wondered if she would even be able to make it there unhindered.
Eva drew in a deep breath tensing every muscle, ready to act.
Then she took a step out. The shadow reacted, but did not reveal itself. Whoever was there wanted to remain completely unseen. Her nerves tingled and her muscles tensed.
Then Eva bolted.
She started to run, feet pounding into the dust, her heart racing furiously. It wasn't that far to Riaz's tent, but right now the distance seemed enormous. The sound of her feet pounding across the sandy floor surprisingly didn't disturb any of the sleeping figures she raced past.
Eva gave into the temptation to look behind her only once, desperate to check and see if she was being followed. But there was no one there. No one following her.
Eva felt breathless as she ran. The thought entered her mind that she should have handled this differently, but she had already been warned, and Riaz had proven to be correct. Even if she had stood her ground, here in the middle of night, there was no guarantee how things would have turned out.
A few more paces and she was at the entrance to Riaz's tent. Only once she had reached there did a few sleepy faces turn in her direction from the men sleeping on the ground.
Eva halted suddenly, sliding on the sandy floor. Now she was here, she wondered what she should do. Maybe it was as simple as tugging back to flap of the entrance and asking for Riaz's help. She knew he would help her, probably would not hesitate.
There was nothing else she could do. Eva briefly composed herself and reached out, grabbing the flap of the tent entrance and tugging it aside. She ducked inside the tent.
It was dark inside the tent, and at first she couldn't make out any details. Then she remembered from earlier that there was a sleeping area to the left side of the tent, partitioned off.
Eva stood at the entrance, considering whether to go back outside. Maybe, she could just put all this down to a terrible mistake. But, even as she entertained that thought, she knew she couldn't leave. Whoever was out there would still be there, waiting to see if she re-emerged.
She heard a noise from behind the heavy partitioned off area. Someone was moving in there, and it could only be one person. In spite of all her bravado, despite every impression she had tried to give earlier, she felt instant relief.
Eva's eyes adjusted slightly to the darkness and she saw the heavy, hanging drape swept away to one side and Riaz stepped out.
Eva gasped involuntarily. Riaz was hardly wearing anything.
The only clothing on his body was a simple wrap around his middle. By the soft light which came in from the doorway behind her she saw his naked chest, sensuously matted with dark hair. The muscles of his naked legs glistened as he stepped out onto the carpet front of her. He was an awesome sight. Heat rose to her face and she was glad of the subdued light inside the tent.
"Eva!" he snapped. "What's wrong?"
At first she didn't know what to say. What could she say? That he'd been right all along. That her decision to sleep out there tonight had been foolish? That he knew these men better than she did?
Of course, all that was correct. But she wasn't about to hand him an easy victory.
Eva glanced back toward the open entrance. "I figured I'd take you up on your offer," she said. "It's getting a little chilly outside," she added, knowing that it didn't sound at all convincing.
Riaz's brow lifted in surprise. "Really?"
He moved toward her, his body moving with the lithe grace of an animal. Maybe it was because of the adrenaline flying through her system after running to the tent, but the sight of his body triggered intense sensation in her. He paused in front of her.
Now he was so close, she could see the genuine concern on his face. She saw him glance over her shoulder and thought, for a moment, that he was about to race outside, just to check that what she was saying was true.
But, instead, he reached out and gently took her shoulders. She did not do anything to prevent him touching her, and she briefly wondered why she hadn't resisted. Perhaps the urgency of what had happened in the last few minutes had warped her judgement. In any case, the feel of his hands against her arms was oddly reassuring.
As if to deflect that emotion, she peered up into his eyes and said: "And I also left my camera here earlier," she announced trying to make her voice sound bright and cheerful.
Riaz's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Your camera?"
Even nodded, probably too quickly to be convincing.
Riaz's hands removed his hands and took a step back. It took all her self-control to resist the temptation to run her gaze down the length of his fabulous body. Did he know how he was affecting her?
Of course he did.
Eva peered over his shoulder toward the sofa and saw the camera down on the carpet by the side. "There it is," she declared taking a few steps past him.
She picked up the camera and when she turned she saw that he had disappeared into the sleeping alcove. He emerged a moment later with a heavy blanket draped over his arms. He came to her and wrapped it carefully around her.
Eva was tempted to slip it off her shoulders, refuse the gesture, but then she realized he might question the real reason why she had come to his tent. She gazed into his eyes and smiled. "Thanks," she said softly.
There was a sound at the entrance and Eva saw a figure appear there. She heard Riaz curse softly. Then he turned and strode across to the entrance. She heard Riaz utter harsh words in his own language to the person at the entrance who was probably one of his men.
Riaz listened for a few moments to something the figure said to him. She saw him stiffen and again, there was what sounded like a sharply uttered curse. Then Riaz closed the flap and turn back to face her.
Riaz walked back toward Eva.
Perhaps because he had just spoken with someone else, now Riaz seemed acutely aware of the fact that he was wearing virtually nothing.
"Give me a moment," he said quietly glancing downward. He disappeared into the sleeping alcove.
While she waited, Eva considered the possibility of going back out and facing what had been creeping up on her out there. But she realized on reflection that that would open up a whole new can of worms. Maybe she could stay here for a while, she told herself.
She wondered how many of the men had seen her entering the sheikh's tent. Perhaps tongues would be wagging even as she stood here. Should she even care about that? She dismissed the thought and then watched as Riaz reemerged from the sleeping alcove.
"I've asked for some tea to be brought," he said.
"You didn't need to do that," Eva replied.
"It'll warm you up," Riaz insisted coming toward her.
He had slipped on a loose-fitting robe, but she could still see that powerful chest and the dark mass of hair. She felt her throat tighten inexplicably. She shouldn't be here. She knew it was foolish. Even unprofessional.
Then a thought occurred to her. Maybe something useful would come out of all of this, she told herself, feeling immediately guilty about being so mercenary. Perhaps he might be more willing to talk with her.
"Come sit here," he ordered softly, taking her by the shoulders. He led her to the sofa and sat her down, taking his place next to her.
A few moments later the man who Eva presumed Riaz had just spoken with came into the tent carrying a tray of tea and two small cups. He placed it on the table and left quickly.
Eva noticed that the man had completely averted his eyes from Riaz, as if trying to avoid even the slightest hint of intrusion.
Riaz handed her the cup of hot tea which she guessed must've been brewing for a very long time. The tea was bitter, but it immediately sharpened her senses.
After she finished the tea, she settled back on the sofa. Feeling better now, she was still tempted to take her camera and go back outside, putting all of this down to a moment's madness. But Riaz obviously had other ideas.
"As I said earlier," Riaz started to say. "Maybe being out there isn't the best idea. You're welcome to stay here for the rest of the night," he said.
Eva shook her head. "I don't think that's such a good idea," she said.
"Why not?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.
She searched her mind for an answer, something sharp and dismissive, but she had to give him the only one she could really think of at this moment. "It's kind of unprofessional," she said immediately sensing how lame that sounded.
He didn't seem to care because he simply repeated his offer. "I think since you took the trouble to come here, I don't think I can allow you to go back outside," he said.
Had he just smiled at her when he'd said that? Now who was playing with who, she asked herself.
"You can't allow me?" she asked emphasizing the crucial word. Who was he to allow her to do anything?
Riaz leaned closer to her and once again she felt an involuntary quiver of anticipation. "I mean my sense of honor won't allow me to let you to sleep on the ground in a dark corner of the fort," he said.
He knew exactly where she had been sleeping? Had he been checking on her? Who had been outside? She knew it couldn't have been any of Riaz's own men. She already knew, even from their brief acquaintance, that he wasn't capable of that. She just knew he wasn't that kind of man.
Eva paused for a few moments considering his offer. She glanced around the inside of the tent. As far as she could see, there was only one bed in this tent. Surely he wasn't asking her to share that bed?
"If I do stay until the morning, where exactly do I sleep?"
Riaz glanced toward the alcove. "You can have that," he said.
She glanced in the direction of the alcove and weighed up his offer for a moment.
Eva nodded. "Okay," she agreed.
She waited to see what he would say about where he was going to sleep. As if reading her mind, he patted the sofa. "I will sleep here," he said.
Eva smiled softly at him and stood, holding the blanket around her shoulders. Riaz rose alongside her. "Just give me a moment," he said, quickly moving way toward the alcove.
Eva stood for a few moments listening to him making noises, obviously preparing things for her. Moments later, he was back by her side with a blanket of his own wrapped around his arm. She started to head toward the alcove then paused and turned back to him. "About tomorrow?" she asked.
Riaz's eyes widened. "What about it?"
"What exactly is going to happen?" she asked. "You still haven't explained it all to me."
"There will be plenty of time for all of that tomorrow morning. After you've had some sleep," he said. "I'll tell you about it over breakfast," he added.
Why did that sound strange, she asked herself. She couldn't have imagined sharing breakfast with a handsome sheikh so soon after arriving, she admitted to herself. But she was hardly in a position to refuse the offer.
"Okay," she said moving toward the alcove.
She guessed he must be watching her as she moved across the carpet and into the alcove. When she turned and took hold of the heavy drape which would close off the space she saw that she'd been right. His gaze was fixed intently on her, watching her, as if he was fascinated by her mere presence here in the tent.
Maybe she should have told him what had happened outside. She wondered how he would have reacted. In a moment she dismissed that thought realizing suddenly that she was feeling very tired. The exertions of the last couple of days were obviously catching up with her, she realized.
Eva smiled gently at Riaz. "Good night," she said quietly.
Riaz bowed his head slightly. "Sleep well, Eva," he said, his voice deep.
And then she pulled the drape across and let it settle heavily into place. She turned and inspected the small sleeping area. There was a bed, of sorts, which seemed to have been constructed out of large sections of cushion. She guessed that this would be broken up into pieces and transported whenever it was time to move everything. She pressed down on it with her hand, and realized that it was firm but undoubtedly comfortable.
She let the blanket around her shoulders slip to the floor and laid down on the bed stretching out. It felt good. No. Better than that. It felt great to be lying on something soft.
She slipped off her top and slid out of her jeans, throwing them on the floor. Wearing only her panties and bra, she eased herself under the covers of the bed. She tugged the cover around her, feeling warm and suddenly so much safer.
Safer now that she knew she was in this tent and not out there in the cold and dark. That sense of safety was made even more intense by the knowledge that it was only the drape that separated her and Riaz. He was lying out there on the sofa.
She wondered if Riaz would even sleep at all. Maybe he would stay awake all night just to make sure she was safe and comfortable.
That seemed like such a silly thought at first, but it was also strangely reassuring.
Eva sighed softly feeling a contentment she hadn't felt for days. She hadn't realized just how intense and busy the last forty-eight hours had been for her. The journey to this place had been challenging in more ways than one. Not just the distance involved but also coming to this strange place.
It was a place that many people had warned her not to come to. But, Eva had never let anyone stop her before. She was used to getting what she wanted when I came to her professional life.
But when it came to her personal life, the situation was quite the reverse. She'd had to make so many sacrifices to get where she was. And that had included relationships which had been put on the back-burner definitively these past couple of years.
She turned on the bed and lay on her side, closing her eyes, feeling the softness of her muscles, the warmth and comfort of the bed. She didn't dare think that things were about to change in that regard.
Eva wasn't blind. She'd seen the way Riaz had looked at her tonight when he had seen her standing in the tent, obviously concerned about something. He hadn't pressed her for more details, and she hoped that he wouldn't find out.
Maybe she was overreacting, anyway.
She started to feel sleep tugging at her. She heard a noise from beyond the drape of the entrance to the sleeping alcove. Probably Riaz trying to get settled, she told herself
Eva thought about the coming day. Riaz had told her there would be one huge meeting amongst the tribal elders throughout the morning and then by midday it would all be over. But he'd told her nothing more than that. Nothing about what the various tribes would spend their time hammering out.
It would be her last chance to get the information that she needed, to get more photographs, to find out as much as she could before heading back to civilization.
Because one thing she knew was that out here was a completely different kind of civilization. Here she'd found a wildness, a raw, primitive kind of life, she'd never seen before in her travels.
She'd tried to get Riaz to talk. She'd try one last time tomorrow.
As sleep began to claim her, Eva told herself she would do as much as she could in the coming morning and then, if he was still determined to refuse to tell her what she wanted to know, she would bid Riaz Al Shirah a firm goodbye.