Page 29 of The Sheikh's Desert Princess

CHAPTER SEVEN

"That is not what I expected," Riaz heard Eva exclaim from over his shoulder. "Not at all."

Riaz held back a satisfied smile. He'd anticipated that reaction from her. He gazed down upon his settlement from their position here, up on the crest of a dune. Their journey was over and they'd finally made it to his encampment.

Riaz examined the camp, feeling instantly at home, relieved that he'd made it back to the place which had been his home for almost a year.

His men had arrived a short while before, and had settled back into their familiar routines. Riaz saw the horses and camels in their roped-off area. The cluster of twenty tents spread out along the side of the one thing which must have accounted for most of Eva's expression of surprise.

The clear waters of a wide, fast flowing river traced a line from north to south. Scattered alongside both sides of the river were tall, sparse trees. He was sure that had been the last thing she would have expected here in the desert.

"Where does the river come from?" she asked.

Riaz pointed toward toward the east."Up there," he said. The low peaks of a distant range of mountains stretched from north to south, much like the river by the encampment. The mountains were hazy impressions in the late afternoon light.

Riaz could feel Eva leaning harder against him, and he did nothing to discourage the pressure he felt on his back. He felt her breath against his neck, sensed the delicate feel of her loose blonde hair against his skin. He resisted the temptation to lean closer to her, just as he'd done so many times during the last few hours' ride across the desert.

What was it about this woman which affected him so much? He'd been running that question over in his mind all afternoon, and still he was no nearer to an answer.

All he knew for sure was that he enjoyed every moment of her presence; savored every time her hands accidentally strayed from the front of his chest downward to his middle as she held onto him. That had happened only a few times, but each time had been enough to ignite a flickering desire, one he thought he'd consigned to history by coming out here to this desert existence.

"It's beautiful," Eva said.

Riaz could only nod in approval. It was more than beautiful, he told himself. It was paradise. "I like it," he said simply.

Riaz felt Eva's body soften against his. He turned to her and saw the obvious tiredness on her features. Of course, she would be tired, he told himself. She wasn't used to such journeys across a hot and forbidding desert terrain.

He saw that the side of her forehead was slightly raw from where she had landed after falling off her horse. Perhaps she was trying to hide the fact that she still felt the effects of her tumble. He kicked the horse on, easing down the last dune and onto the wide, flat plain alongside the river's edge.

Already he could hear the calming sound of the running water. Down here, by the riverside, the air was suddenly fresh, instantly cooled by the clear, running water.

Riaz's arrival was noticed by a few of his men and they came toward him, welcoming smiles on their faces. He also saw the expressions of curiosity on their faces as they looked at Eva. They must be surprised at seeing him bringing a woman to the camp, he thought. Especially this particular woman.

He was sure they recognized Eva from her time at the fort. However, he offered no explanation. That wasn't needed, and the men understood that the woman seated behind their sheikh was his business and his alone.

Riaz halted alongside the entrance to his own tent. He felt reassured to see the large expanse of red fabric, reconstructed from its time at the fort. He couldn't wait to get inside. Couldn't wait to get Eva inside the cooling shelter.

Riaz slid down and stood, looking up at Eva. Instead of allowing him to assist her down off the horse, she avoided his gaze and leapt down onto the hard-packed sand. Riaz was momentarily disappointed at her refusal of his help, but he just as quickly pushed his feelings aside. He spoke to one of his men, instructing him to take care of Eva's injured horse, which looked tired after its long haul.

Riaz watched as Eva quickly unhitched her own pack. She stood in front of him holding the pack, an expectant look on her face. She wiped a hand across her brow. "Now what?" she asked brusquely.

Riaz lifted a brow. He gestured toward the entrance to his tent. "I think you already know this," he said.

Eva scanned the outside of his tent. "Sharing again?" she asked.

Riaz frowned. "On the contrary. You are my guest. It is my duty to offer you a place of honor," he replied.

Eva lifted a skeptical brow. "A place of honor?"

Riaz saw her glance at the men milling around the encampment. He could see she was probably thinking about how it would look to his men that she had arrived and immediately taken up residence in the sheikh's private tent.

"Of course," he responded. "They understand that as well as I."

She looked doubtful, standing firm. He saw her brows furrow again, her jaw tightening.

Riaz took a step toward her. "I will use another tent. And you can enjoy the freedom of using mine for the duration of your stay."

"And how long will that be?" she asked.

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