Page 37 of Defenders of Jawhara

“What does that mean?” Shira asked, wishing she understood just a little Arabic.

“It means ‘light of my life’ roughly,” Khalil explained. “There are many phrases we use that are not used in America. I know we’ve only known each other a short while, but I feel things for you that I’ve never felt before.”

Shira nodded, unable to put into words exactly what she was feeling. She felt attached to Kale in ways that went against everything she had ever thought about love and falling in love. “I never felt this way before, either.”

“Good. It is only right that you should reserve such strong emotions for the one you are destined to spend eternity with.”

“Eternity? Don’t you think we might be rushing things a little? I’m only here for a few weeks…”

“Not just a few weeks. I forget that your bosses did not tell you about the change in plans.” Levering himself away from her, he grabbed a nearby towel, helping her adjust the back of the lounger so she could sit up. Reaching up, he adjusted the umbrella again, making sure she was protected from the sun while she covered herself with a towel.

“As you now know, the Addams Group has accepted my brother’s generous offer to open a satellite office here in Jawhara.” Shira nodded. While she would have liked to hear that from her bosses, she was happy knowing that she would be able to spend more time with Kale. “Well, what they didn’t tell you is that after much discussion, it was decided that you would be the best candidate for the permanent position. I am to help you set up your office this coming week and hire local staff to assist you in your work.”

Shira sputtered. “But…Rick and Damon didn’t say anything to me. They expect me to move to Jawhara? Permanently? This is all so sudden. I couldn’t possibly.”

“Will living in close proximity to me be such a hardship then, habibti?” Kale asked.

“What does that word mean?”

“It is another term of endearment. Much like your young men would use the term ‘sweetheart.’”

“I can’t just move around the world…”

“Why not? Are you so tied to your life in Washington that you would be giving up a lot?”

Shira shook her head. “This is all happening too fast. I only got here yesterday, and already I’m expected to move here?”

Kale watched her, and Shira knew she must look distressed. Shaking his head, he reached for his trunks to put them back on as he spoke. “I think the time for serious discussions has long passed.” Holding out his hand. “Come. Let us enjoy the rest of the day. The ocean is waiting, and you have been thoroughly sunscreened. Let us cool off, and then we will see what the servants have left us to eat.”

Shira smiled, eager to enter the ocean and feel the waves crashing against her body. She quickly located her suit and shook the sand from it. Sliding her bottoms back into place, and then her top, she looked up to find Kale watching her with the heat in his eyes once again.

Stepping around the lounger, she took several steps toward the water and then hollered over her shoulder as she began to sprint for the water’s edge. “Race you!”

Kale laughed before giving chase. She made the mistake of stopping once she reached the water’s edge, and he took advantage of that fact. Coming up behind her quickly, he scooped her up, making her squeal before taking long strides into the water and tossing her in. Shira rose with a splutter and splashed him in retaliation.

They spent the next twenty minutes cooling off and taking turns trying to dunk each other under the waves. Anyone watching them would have thought they were watching a couple of teenagers play in the waves instead of the crown prince and his future bride.

10

KALE

After rinsing the salt water from their bodies at the outside shower, Kale led her to a small table in the shade where a luscious meal of cold meats, cheeses, and fruit awaited them. A sweetened tea was also in abundance, and soon they were both full and ready to rest.

Kale looked at the pink already beginning to form on Shira’s exposed skin and knew that with any more exposure to the sun’s rays, she would be a very miserable young woman. “You are becoming sunburned.”

Shira looked at her arm, pushing a finger into her bicep and noticing that it immediately turned white and then faded back to a gentle pink. She glanced up at Kale and nodded. “You’re right. The sun seems much stronger here than what we get at home.”

“It is. No more sun for you.” While the sun had already begun to sink in the sky, there were still several hours until daylight would give way to night. “Tomorrow, I thought we could take a camel ride into the desert.”

“Really?” Shira asked. “I can’t wait. You’ll ride with me, right?”

Kale chuckled. “Of course! I wouldn’t want you to fall off.”

“Good!” Shira exhaled. “Is it hard to stay on them? And do they really spit?”

Kale laughed outright. “Yes! They do spit! And they will be saddled. The foolish tourists who try to ride a camel without the benefit of a saddle deserve to find themselves sitting in the sand.”

Shira laughed with him. “You know, when I found out I was coming over here, I watched some YouTube videos of Americans trying to ride camels, and every one of them made a fool of themselves while the locals looked on. I kind of felt sorry for them.”

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