Page 17 of The Sheikh's Desert Princess

After the breakfast, she followed him out of the tent. The light of the early morning was bright and the air surprisingly cool. Eva breathed in deeply as she stood and gazed at the scene around her.

As on the previous evening the place was a hive of activity. Tribesmen were moving around and over on the far side she saw some packs been loaded onto the backs of camels and horses.

"Are they getting ready to leave already?" she asked sharply.

Riaz shook his head. "No. Once the business is attended to, tribes generally move on pretty quickly. They have long journeys to make. As do I," he explained.

Her interest was instantly stimulated. "And where exactly are you headed?" she asked.

Riaz's eyes narrowed and she saw him examine her, obviously aware that she had switched hats and was now in full professional mode.

"My settlement is a short ride up to the north," he explained.

Eva lifted her chin and looked into his eyes searching for the barrier she'd seen go up the previous night when she had asked him questions. "North?" she probed.

Riaz nodded and said nothing else, turning away from her, tight-lipped. Was he giving her a signal already that that would be the full extent of her knowledge about where he lived? Why wouldn't he tell her where his encampment was located?

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" she said tentatively.

Riaz looked immediately cautious. His gaze was steady and even. He didn't say anything but she saw his eyes narrow slightly.

"You know I'd like an interview don't you?" she declared bluntly.

She heard him sigh. He rolled his eyes slightly and turned away from her. Once again, she knew she'd stepped over a line. But they both knew it existed.

Riaz gestured with his hand at the scene around them. "I would have thought this would be enough for someone like you," he said.

Eva squinted at him. "Someone like me?"

Realizing that what he'd said might be misinterpreted, Riaz peered at her intently, as if determined to clarify what he'd meant to say. "You're a journalist. We don't often have such visitors to this gathering."

"I suppose you're telling me I should feel privileged," Eva snapped.

Riaz shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

"Never mind," she said waving a dismissive hand towards him. She squinted at him. "I'll take that as a no" she added. "A girl's got to try," she added with a tilt of her head.

Eva saw a few curious glances toward her and Riaz as they made their way slowly through the crowd of men.

She realized they had probably seen her emerging from Riaz's tent. She didn't care what they thought, although she could see by the looks in their eyes that they assumed something she knew not to be true.

She wasn't the sheikh's woman. As primitive as that sounded, she told herself.

Some low seats had been set up in a circle and already a few obviously senior tribal leaders had taken their places at those seats. Eva assumed this was where the meeting would take place between tribal heads.

"Would you like to listen in?" Riaz asked.

"I've only got a smattering of the Qazhar language," she explained. "I'm afraid I won't be able to understand everything that's said."

Riaz's brows furrowed. "As a journalist, I'd have thought you'd know the language more than just a little."

Eva nodded. "I get by on what little I do know," she said trying not to sound too snarky.

Riaz's eyes narrowed and she was sure he was trying to judge the tone of her voice. "I thought perhaps you may find it interesting just to watch," he said.

She peered up at him. "Maybe you could translate for me," she suggested.

Riaz snorted. "Me? Translate? I don't think so," he said firmly. He seemed genuinely surprised at what she'd said.

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