One More Night with Her Desert Prince.... Jennifer Taylor
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Sam observed. ‘I’m hoping to train some of the local midwives and make sure they understand how important it is that basic issues, like cleanliness, are addressed.’
‘You’ll find that the women are more aware of the problems than you may think. You shouldn’t assume that they’re ignorant of the need for good hygiene.’
Sam looked up when she heard Khalid’s deep voice. He was standing beside Jessica’s seat, a frown drawing his elegant brows together. His comment had sounded very much like a rebuke to her and she reacted instinctively.
‘I have no intention of assuming anything. I shall assess the situation first and then decide what can be done to rectify the problems.’ Her eyes met his and she had to suppress a shiver when she saw how cold they were. Just for a moment she found herself recalling how he had looked at her that night, his liquid-dark eyes filled with passion, before she brushed the memory aside. Maybe Khalid had wanted her for a brief time but he had soon come to his senses after that article had appeared in the newspapers. After all, what would a man like him, a man who had the world at his feet, want with someone like her?
Sam bit her lip, determined not to let him know how much his rejection still hurt. It wasn’t as though it had been the first time it had happened or the last but it was incredibly painful to recall what had gone on that night. Even though she had worked hard to get where she was, she had never been able to rid herself completely of her past. Oh, she might know how to dress these days, might have refined her manners and shed her accent, but she was still the girl from the rundown estate whose mother had brought home one man after another and whose brother was in prison.
She took a deep breath and used it to shore up her defences. The truth was that she hadn’t been good enough for Khalid six years ago and she still wasn’t good enough for him now.
Khalid inwardly cursed when he saw the shuttered expression on Sam’s face. Why on earth had he said that or, at least, said it in that tone? Sam knew what she was doing. She wouldn’t be here if he had any doubts about that. Peter had kept him informed of her progress over the years and Khalid knew that she was making her mark in the field of obstetrics. Sam was clever, committed, keen to learn and a lot of people in high places had recognised her potential. Rumour had it that she would be offered a consultant’s post soon and it was yet more proof of her ability.
He knew how difficult it was for women to rise through the ranks. Although most people believed that equality between the sexes was the norm in modern-day Britain, it wasn’t only in countries like Azad where women came off second best. It happened all over the world to a greater or lesser degree. His own field—surgery—was one of the worst for discriminating against women, in fact. Although he knew he was good at what he did, he also knew that it helped to be male. And rich. And have the right connections.
Sam had none of those things going for her but she was making her mark anyway and he admired her for it. She had guts and determination in spades, which was why he had been attracted to her in the first place. Sam had been very different from the other women he had known.
The thought hung in the air, far too tantalising to feel comfortable with. Khalid thrust it aside, needing to focus on what really mattered. How he had felt about Sam was of little consequence these days.
‘Of course. And I apologise if you thought I was criticising you,’ he said smoothly. ‘You are the expert in this field and, naturally, I shall be guided by you.’
She gave a small nod in acknowledgement although she didn’t say anything. Khalid hesitated, wondering why he felt so unsure all of a sudden. He wasn’t a man normally given to self-doubts—far from it. However, her response made him wonder if he should have been a little more effusive with his apology. He didn’t want them getting off to a bad start, after all. It was on the tip of his tongue to say something else when Jess let out a yelp.
‘Look! That can’t really be what I think it is? Oh, Peter has to see this.’
Khalid moved aside as Jess shot out of her seat. Bending, he stared through the porthole, smiling faintly when he realised what had captured her attention. After the time they’d spent flying over the barren desert, he could understand why Jess had such difficulty believing her own eyes.
‘It’s like something out of a fairy tale. It can’t possibly be real.’
The wonder in Sam’s voice brought his eyes to her face and he felt a rush of tenderness envelop him. Sitting down on the recently vacated seat, he pointed to a spot a little to her right.
‘Oh, it’s real enough. Look over there and you’ll see the lights on the runway.’ He laughed deeply, feeling his chest tighten when he inhaled the lemon fragrance of her shampoo as she turned to do his bidding. It was an effort to continue when his breathing seemed to have come to a full stop. ‘It looks less like a fairy-tale palace when you see the modern-day accoutrements that are needed to keep it functioning.’
‘What a shame.’ Sam shook her head, oblivious to the problems he was having as she studied the lights. ‘It would have been nice to believe the fantasy even if it was only for a few minutes.’
She glanced round and Khalid stiffened when he saw how soft her eyes looked, their colour echoing the pale grey tones of the doves that flew over the summer palace. They had been the exact same colour that night, he recalled. A softly shimmering grey. He could picture them now, recall in perfect detail how she had looked as she had lain on the bed, waiting for him to make love to her.
The memory was too sharp, too raw even now. Khalid couldn’t deal with it and had no intention of trying either. He stood up abruptly. ‘We shall be landing in a few minutes. I need a word with the pilot, if you’ll excuse me.’
He made his way to the cockpit and told the pilot to radio ahead and make sure the cars were standing by to meet them. There was no need for him to do so, of course. Everything had been arranged but it gave him something to do, a purpose, a reason to get away from Sam and all those memories that he’d thought he had dealt with years ago. As he made his way back to his seat, he realised with a sinking heart how wrong he had been. The memory of that night hadn’t gone away, it had just been buried. He wanted to bury it again, bury it so deep this time that it would never surface, but could he? Was it possible when Sam was here, a constant reminder of what he had given up?
Khalid glanced across the cabin and felt a chill run through him as he studied the gentle lines of her profile. He had a feeling that he might never be able to rid himself of the memory of that night. It might continue to haunt him. For ever.
By the time they were shown to their accommodation, Sam was exhausted. Maybe it was the length of time it had taken to get there but she couldn’t even summon up the energy to look around. Jess had no such problems, however. She hurried from room to room, exclaiming in delight.
‘A sunken marble bath! And a separate wet room!’ Jess opened a huge glass-fronted cabinet and peered inside. ‘Oh, wow! Look at all these lotions and potions. It’s like having our very own beauty salon on tap.’
‘Not quite what I was expecting,’ Sam observed pithily, tossing her bag onto the bed. There were three bedrooms in the guest house they’d been allocated, each decorated in a style that could only be described as lavish. Opening her case, she tipped its contents onto the umber silk spread, which matched the draperies hanging from the bed’s ornate gilt frame.
‘Me too. I thought we’d be camping out in a grotty old tent in the middle of the desert but this is great.’
Jess went into one of the other bedrooms and Sam heard a thud as she threw herself down onto the bed. She sighed, wishing she could share Jess’s enthusiasm. If she had to describe her feelings then she would have to say that she felt … well, cheated. Surely Khalid hadn’t brought them all this way so they could lounge around in the lap of luxury? She’d honestly thought she would be doing valuable work, making a positive contribution towards improving the lives of the desert women, but how could she do that if she was cloistered away in here?
The thought spurred her into action. Leaving her clothes in an untidy heap on the bed,