Page 25 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

CHAPTER EIGHT

Soon after falling asleep, Nicole awoke to the distant sound of voices. Male voices somewhere nearby, outside her balcony.

For a moment she struggled to remember where she was. Then it came drifting back into her mind. She was lying in a bed in a sheikh's palace in the middle of the border wilderness in the north country of Qazhar. Sleep clawed at her, tempting her to remain in bed, to claim her badly needed rest.

Nicole ran a hand through her tousled hair and realized she wasn't wearing anything. She saw a traditional robe thrown over a chair by the bedside. Of course, her own clothes had been taken away by Raina, one of Rashid's staff. The promise was they'd be ready for Nicole before the morning.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was after midnight. Soft light came in through the thin curtains draped across the double doors which led out onto her balcony. The doors had been left slightly open and fresh night air filled the bedroom.

Nicole sat upright sharply when she heard the distant roar of a male voice. Who was out there? She slid out of bed and grabbed the robe. It took her a few moments to put the robe on. She padded across the marble floor on her bare feet. The floor felt cold against the soles of her feet, and even cooler when she pushed open the double doors and stepped out onto the balcony.

The lights from the palace lit the garden most of the way to the far wall and the gate at the end of the driveway. Nicole could just about make out two figures at the gate. Both were men dressed in traditional white robes. They seemed to be arguing. Or at least one of the men was more agitated than the other.

A shock of recognition coursed through Nicole's body when she figured out the identity of the man outside the gate.

Hakim.

He'd come for her.

In spite of everything Rashid had done to make her feel safe, Nicole couldn't control the twisting knot of anxiety which settled in her middle.

Had Hakim come to demand that Nicole be released from the palace? Would Rashid give in to Hakim's demands?

Nicole squinted, trying to see what was happening at the gate. She couldn't make out what was being said. But it was clear that Hakim wasn't happy.

Then she saw Rashid open the gates and step outside the confines of the palace grounds. More inaudible words were exchanged and on one occasion Hakim made as if he wanted to attack Rashid. But Rashid stood his ground. It was obvious there was some serious resistance being mounted by Rashid.

Nicole watched as the conversation wound down and then Rashid came back inside and Hakim rode off on his horse.

Relief swept through Nicole.

Rashid had sent Hakim packing. That much was sure. Nicole knew she should feel relieved, even thankful that Rashid had proven himself loyal to her. He had obviously told Hakim that Nicole was here, and that she wasn't going to be dragged out into the desert in the middle of the night.

As she watched Rashid make his way back to the house, Nicole stepped back into the shadow on the balcony. She didn't want him to know she'd been watching him. Most of all she didn't want him to think she'd been spying on him.

But, there was clearly something to ask Rashid. What had been said down at the gates? What was the plan for Nicole to return to Qazhar city?

She decided to go to Rashid. The night air had woken her up, and if she didn't get some answers, she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep.

Nicole went through her room and out into the softly lit corridor. She didn't know where Rashid's room was, but as she reached the end of the corridor she heard footsteps from the far end. Racing quietly on her bare feet, she saw Rashid entering a room and closing the door behind him.

The palace was deathly quiet after the sound of his door closing had faded into the night. Nicole walked slowly along the corridor, debating with herself whether she should ask Rashid about his meeting with Hakim.

Of course she should, she chided herself. She couldn't wait until the morning.

Nicole reached his bedroom door. She knocked quietly. There was no immediate answer. She knocked again, this time louder. As her knuckles rapped on the ornately carved wooden door one last time, the door was wrenched open.

Rashid stood there, dressed in his white robes. His face was flushed with emotion and his eyes were wide. He looked amazed to see her. Rashid's gaze ran down the length of Nicole's body, taking in the sight her wearing Qazhar robes. For a second he looked genuinely puzzled, then quickly regained his composure.

"Nicole? What are you doing here? I thought you were sleeping," he said.

"I heard some voices. They woke me up. Did someone come to the palace?"

Rashid's brows furrowed. "I see." He nodded. "Hakim was here."

"What did he want?"

"What do you think he wanted?" Rashid asked. He looked at Nicole. "He wanted you," he added bluntly.

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