Page 51 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The remaining days of Nicole's stay in his palace passed in much the same way as her first had done. Rashid shared breakfast in the dining room with Nicole every morning, chatting pleasantly, neither of them admitting the truth to one another. That they were pretending nothing existed between them; that their kiss on the terrace had ignited a passion to which neither of them dared admit.

Every day, in the mornings and afternoons Rashid kept his promise to Nicole. He gave her space, left her alone, despite the fact that all he wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her that he couldn't get her out of his thoughts. He wanted to confess to her that every night was a torment, knowing that she was a short distance away from him, yet completely and utterly out of reach.

But still he kept his word.

In the afternoons they spent some time together, usually with one or two of the staff in close proximity. Rashid and Nicole spent some of this time getting to know even more about each other, sharing childhood stories, how they'd both lived their lives in recent years.

The more Rashid got to know her, the more he felt as if she'd been delivered to him by fate, by destiny. She was the most incredible woman he'd ever met, and she was totally beyond his reach.

Having her in his palace in such circumstances was sheer torture. Rashid racked his brains for ways to overcome this barrier he'd inadvertently built inside the walls of his home. Never once did he even consider calling a halt to their agreement, by asking her to leave. He would never place Nicole in danger. He even went so far as to persuade her notto take a trip to the nearby town to get some new clothes for herself. Instead, he arranged for Raina to go and buy some simple outfits for Nicole.

When Raina had returned, Rashid had made sure he was present to witness Nicole's reaction to Raina's purchases. Nicole had been delighted by the three dresses which Raina had obtained. When Nicole had insisted on trying the blue dress, Rashid had made sure she knew just how beautiful Nicole looked, showering her with compliments. Of course, she'd waved the praise aside with a dismissive comment, but Rashid could tell she'd been secretly pleased at what he'd said.

Seated on the sofa of the reception room, looking at Nicole dressed in an outfit that made her look like one of the women of his country, triggered an urgent, vital desire in Rashid. Wearing those outfits, she looked like a true Qazhar born woman. And, the way she spun around to show the outfit off to Rashid, told him she was relieved to be out of her usual clothes, excited to try something new. But, that was Nicole. She always wanted to experience something new.

He'd known she liked to play games with him, and dressed like that he'd felt overwhelmed by her beauty. It was as if she'd become a wholly different kind of person; as if her identity had been transformed in front of his eyes.

So, it was a pleasure to spend the time with her during the day. Evenings were no different. As they had done on their first true night, they shared a meal on the terrace, talking into the late hours. Every night.

But, unlike that first night, there had been no more solitary walks, no more passionate encounters beneath the stars. For the first few nights, Rashid had struggled to accept the fact that the wall between them was unbreakable, especially now that they both knew how they felt about each other. But feelings didn't seem to matter anymore. All that was important was that the days and nights were passing and the final night would soon be upon them.

And then what? He asked himself that question every day. Every night, alone in his room, tormented by unfulfilled longing he tried to understand what would happen once she left, once she returned to her real life, far from the fantasy they were sharing.

Rashid tried to console himself with the knowledge that he'd done the right thing in saving Nicole. Even if he still hadn't confessed to Nicole the real reason why he had been compelled to turn up in Hakim's camp that night, Rashid knew that saving Nicole had been the best thing he'd ever done.

It went some way to salving his conscience about the past. The only secret he'd kept from Nicole. The real reason he'd been in Hakim's camp that night.

The last day arrived.

On that last day, just before lunchtime, Nicole had asked Rashid for the satellite phone. He'd heard Nicole speak with her mother, possibly telling her that she was due to start home the following day. The thought that Nicole was already thinking of going back home merely made the need in Rashid become even more insistent, almost impossible to ignore. It was as if there was a ticking clock driving him to distraction. All he could think was how much he wanted Nicole.

But it could never be.

It would never be.

He was certain of that now.

His last secret came to mind over and over. He'd put off telling her about it. Maybe now was the time.

Maybe there was one more thing he could tell her, one more declaration that could make all the difference.

****

It was the last evening, almost eight o'clock, and Nicole was up in her room, getting ready to go downstairs and join Rashid for their final dinner date. She stood in front of the mirror and gazed at herself. She'd chosen the knee-length blue dress because she was sure it was his favorite. She'd seen the way he looked at her when she wore it, the way his eyes lit up when she walked into the room.

She sighed. It had been a difficult few days.

No. Scratch that, she told herself.

It had been almost impossible to get through these last few days.

True to his word, Rashid had been the perfect gentleman, courteous and polite toward Nicole at every moment. But, every day, she'd seen the struggle in his eyes, how hard he'd been trying to contain himself, to restrain the obvious emotions he felt while in her presence.

She'd felt exactly the same, and she marvelled that they'd made it through the last few days without giving in to temptation. It was a testament to Rashid's sense of honor that he'd been able to exercise such self-control.

And for Nicole, it had hardly been any easier. Especially during the nights, knowing that the man whose passion for her burned so fierce was merely a short distance away from her down the corridor. Nicole had not slept well these past few nights, and she was sure it showed. She peered at her face in the mirror. Shadows curved beneath her eyes.

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