Page 45 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

Nicole lifted a brow. "To be late?"

"Amongst many others," he responded.

"What others did you have in mind?" she teased.

Rashid grinned and pulled the chair out from the table. "Aren't you hungry?"

Nicole squinted at him. "I heard my tummy rumbling on the way down here," she said sliding down onto the chair. Catching the sweet scent of her freshly washed hair, he paused for a moment as she made herself comfortable. He couldn't resist savoring the sight of her shoulders and her graceful neck.

Nicole glanced up at him. "Enjoying yourself there?" she joked.

Rashid grinned. "Of course," he murmured. For a moment their eyes met, an understanding exchanged in that glance.

She was no fool, he told himself. She was already teasing him in that way which was completely unique to her. He smiled and took his place on the other side of the table.

"I hope you like the food," he said.

"Right now, any food is a good idea, as far as I'm concerned."

Over the next hour, plate after plate was brought. The usual combination of small snacks and main courses. Some of the food had to be unfamiliar to Nicole, but she didn't hesitate to try everything, commenting on the perfection of the lamb, the bewildering variety of side dishes. He was worried it might be too spicy for her, but she'd been in Qazhar long enough to get used to the food. Rashid took pleasure in seeing how much she enjoyed trying the dishes.

They talked throughout the dinner. She told him more about her life back in America. Growing up, she'd always been a bit of a tearaway. He didn't find that hard to believe. Not one bit.

Apparently, ever since she'd been young, she'd always found some way to get into one scrape after another. The feisty look in her eyes confirmed Rashid's impression that Nicole had pretty clear ideas about how she wanted to live her life.

Nicole pressed him for more details about his past and, for the first time in years, he found himself opening up, recounting parts of his childhood, some of which he'd never shared with anyone before.

He wondered why he'd felt comfortable doing that. Then he realized it was because of Nicole's openness about her own life. It was as if, with every passing moment, she was drawing him back out into the world, returning him to life.

Throughout the meal, Rashid kept asking himself one question. Why did this American woman have the ability to make him feel so different? So alive.

The evening seemed to pass as if in a dream. To Rashid it went too fast. Before he knew it, they were finishing the coffee and rising from the table. He offered to get a wrap to place round her shoulders in case she was beginning to feel the coolness of the night air, but she declined his offer.

The terrace stretched the whole length of this side of the palace. They started to walk along the marble tiled terrace with the bright lights of the palace on one side and the dimly lit garden on the other.

Rashid saw Nicole gazing up at the inky black sky and the scattering of diamond bright stars. He heard her sigh softly, obviously content, and smiled to himself.

They moved in silence for a short time. The conversation at the dinner table seemed to have, temporarily, drained them both. Now it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for them to enjoy these moments.

Finally, they halted and stood side by side, gazing out into the night desert beyond the palace walls.

"It looks so mysterious," she observed.

"It has its own magic. And its own dangers," he replied.

"You must feel that you never want to be away from this place," she said.

"It is a part of me," he admitted. "Part of my soul."

Nicole smiled gently and leaned against the marble balustrade. Rashid leaned next to her. He saw her glance at him as he moved closer, but she did nothing to make him think she didn't want him to be close to her. He took encouragement from that, but hesitated. This moment was too important for Rashid to ruin by being too forward.

Nicole tilted her head. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

Her brows furrowed slightly. "You've been up here all alone for a long time."

Rashid nodded. "It was what I chose to do."

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