Page 22 of The Sheikh's Unexpected Bride

His private encampment just a short horse ride west of Qabiyah.

I might take considerable persuasion on his part. But, he already knew he was more than capable of persuading her.

The prospect of taking her there triggered instant anticipation in him. His mind filled with images of her in the small encampment; of her in his tent; of her in his bed.

Ahmed drew in a deep breath.

Yes.

He would go there, and perhaps he would find her.

And if he did, he would offer her the ultimate sanctuary. The last place anyone would expect to find the beautiful American.

In his bed.

CHAPTER SIX

It had been the right decision, after all, Gemma told herself as she sat at the outside table of one of the two small coffee shops in Qabiyah. She leaned back against the low wooden seat and gazed down the length of the main street in the town.

The sun beat down upon the town, but Gemma was protected from it by the awning which hung over the group of tables. The air was cooler beneath the awning. Gemma sipped her coffee. It was black and extremely bitter, but she felt she needed something to keep her awake. It was late afternoon and the drive had been longer than she'd anticipated.

But she was here. That was all that mattered.

And she was already beginning to feel the peace of mind which came with total anonymity.

She watched the dozens of people making there way to and fro along the dusty street. They were all dressed in loose robes, perfect for desert life.

The buildings were very basic, consisting of two level structures made of light brown stone. There were some shops on the street, but they were small stores selling food and the basic goods required for the simple life which people lived out here.

Gemma drew in a deep, satisfied breath. It had been the right choice, she reflected. Since she had driven along the dusty street and parked her car close by, she had felt completely at home in this strange, alien place.

Ahmed had been right. This was really off the beaten track, even as far as Qazhar was concerned.

Back in the city, once she'd made her mind up what to do, Gemma had hastily arranged a rental car. Directions had been provided, at first by her, cell phone.

But, as she'd headed out into the desert north of the city, she'd lost the signal, but she'd taken note of the distances to the main junction which split off from the main northbound highway.

Then, she'd driven for miles along a dusty single-lane road, heading northwest. She'd known it had been the right direction, because there was simply no other road in this part of the desert.

Then she had arrived. From the top of a desert hilltop, she'd looked down upon the little town and known instantly that she'd come to the right place.

In many ways, it looked like a town which had been frozen in time. It filled the hollow between two high ranges of desert hills.

As far as Gemma was concerned, right now, given what her life had become, Qabiyah was the most perfect place on earth.

Since arriving she had noticed that, being probably the only newcomer in town, she was the subject of the occasional glance. That was more to do with the fact that, although she was dressed in plain white desert robes, and her head was covered, she was sure it was still pretty obvious that she was an outsider. It was hard to completely hide her blonde hair and strikingly blue eyes.

She didn't mind so much that once in a while, a passing man would glance at her, and visibly take note of her different appearance. But, unlike the life she was used to, there was no recognition, no sudden demand for attention by a stranger.

Instead, anyone who noticed her quickly moved on. Perhaps they respected outsiders here, she reflected. Maybe there was nothing special about visitors. People seemed to just accept her presence, and then they went about their daily business.

Even that was refreshing, Gemma told herself as she sipped more of the coffee, feeling the sudden rush of the caffeine. She wanted to take in everything she could see, and the coffee was certainly making everything seem sharper and more vivid.

She thought about how people would be reacting to her sudden departure. She'd made sure to leave a message for Rashid with the concierge of the apartment house. Although she hadn't said where she was headed, she was sure that at least the reassurance that she had left on her own and that she planned to return within a day or two, might prevent Rashid from assuming the worst.

At least she hadn't called Rashid and told him that she was leaving the country. That this had all been a terrible misjudgment on her part. That she was sorry for the trouble she had caused, but that she needed to go home.

No. She hadn't done that.

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