Page 25 of At the Sheikh's Pleasure
He didn’t want her to go.The thought slammed into his brain and refused to leave.“Now you’re here, you could always study all of this,” he said, indicating the room full of treasures.“There are bound to be more secrets tucked away here.”
“They’re your secrets to uncover.Not mine.”
He caught the glisten of tears in her eyes as she tried to turn away.He reached out and touched her on the arm.“You’re upset.”She refused to look him in the eye.
“Of course I am.Finding the diamond would have made sense of everything.”
“And it would have shown your father what you’ve done.What you’ve achieved.”
She was silent.And he knew he’d found the real reason for her search for the diamond.
“All this, your work, was to prove your worth to your father, wasn’t it?”
Then she turned to him and he could see the depth of sadness in her, and it reached out to him, as if it were something tangible, and grabbed him where it hurt most—in the heart.
“You don’t need your father’s acknowledgement,” he continued.“Your worth is there for anyone to see.If your father chooses not to see, then it’s his loss.”
She pressed her lips together and shook her head and her gaze darted around the room, before settling on the exit where the officials waited.
“I have to go,” she said.“I have to get out of here.”
He released her arm, and watched her half-stumble, half-run outside.He knew she was crying properly now.He followed her in time to see her disappear along the corridor.
He watched her go, but didn’t race after her.If she wasn’t in her room, he knew where she’d be.
Rosana ran blindlyalong the corridors, trying to retrace her steps, wanting to leave Zaire and his sympathy behind.She hated that he’d found her out.She hated even more that he’d discovered something about her she hadn’t even acknowledged to herself.
She stopped running and looked around.Somehow, she’d found herself at the library.But then, she always had.It had always been her place of refuge—her safe place.She opened the door and entered.She looked around and waited but, for once, there was no soothing of her soul.The smell of musty papers did nothing to sweep away the turbulent emotions which continued to churn through her.
Suddenly, she heard the door open.She looked around, ready to turn away an official in search of information.But it wasn’t an official.
Zaire glanced across at her and closed the door quietly behind him.She quickly swept away the tears which had spilled onto her cheeks, refusing to appear any weaker in his eyes than she did already.
But he didn’t come over to her straight away.Instead, he looked around.
“I haven’t been here for…” He sighed and looked around.“Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been here.”
“Then why are you here now?You can’t be looking for something.”
He held her gaze, but kept his distance.“But I am.”
She bit her lip and walked over to the desk and sat down, smoothing her hands over its dusty surface.She cleared her throat and racked her brains, trying to think of something to say to divert his attention from what he’d been looking for.Because she knew he’d been looking for her.
“I’d have thought you’d have been too busy to… to be running around on senseless errands.”She shrugged.“Whatever they are.”
“There’s nothing senseless about my errand.”He picked up an ancient priceless stone figurine being used as a paperweight and frowned in a puzzled way, before placing it down on the table once more.He leaned against a wall of books and crossed his arms.“Aren’t you curious to know what my errand is?”
“No!”The single word came out too forcefully.“I mean, your errands are your own business.”
“Not in this case.Not if that errand involves someone else.Someone who I’m concerned about.”
“There’s no need to be concerned.”
“I think there is.”
He pushed himself off the bookshelves and walked over to her.She kept her eyes lowered.He gripped the edges of the desk and leaned over toward her.
“I think there is,” he repeated, “when that other person doesn’t seem to understand themselves.Doesn’t seem to see the world around them for what it really is.”
