Page 52 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

The nights had been long and filled with tormenting, tempting thoughts about Rashid. She'd struggled not to think of him, lying in his bed, naked and calling her to his side. She knew it was scandalous to think of him like that. That there was no point. That nothing would come of it.

But she couldn't help it. The long nights were all about thoughts of him and the impossibility of sleep.

Images of Rashid's body close to her had consumed her every night and, more than once, she fantasized about what it would be like to be in his bed, to feel his body against hers, to taste him, touch him, have him close to her. So very close.

Nicole had chided herself for thinking such things about the man who had saved her, the man who had treated her as if she was the most precious person in his life, even though they were still almost strangers to one another. But, somehow that didn't matter. They'd been forced into such close proximity and they'd uncovered a surprising attraction.

It had been impossible to control those treacherous, passionate thoughts. Rashid wanted her in his bed. She knew that. She could see it in his eyes, in his every glance at her. She could feel it every time he came near her, visibly struggling with the temptation to touch her, but resisting that temptation at every instance.

It hadn't made her lonely nights any easier that they'd spent time together during the last few days. She could tell that time had meant a lot to Rashid. He'd let her have all the time she needed to be alone. She was positive that hadn't been easy for him. If she'd given him the chance, she was certain he'd have spent every available moment with her.

But she'd made the decision to keep him at bay, and it hadn't been an easy decision to stick to. He was so incredibly sexy, such an amazingly tempting man. She could hardly believe she'd spent so many days and nights alone with a sheikh and that she'd managed to resist him.

Now, it was their last night, and she didn't really know what to think about that. She wondered if he'd be cold with her, perhaps distant, now that they'd seen it all through to the end.

Hakim had lost out; honor would be restored; life would resume; Nicole would go back to her normal life.

So, why did that thought fill her with a strange apprehension? Maybe Rashid had found his way into her heart, in some mysterious, inexplicable manner. And what did she think of that?

Nicole gazed at herself in the mirror and found herself smiling at that thought. Surely it wasn't the worst thing in the world to be the object of such passion; to be the one person that such a gorgeous, powerful, handsome man as Rashid wanted above all else in the world. That was pretty amazing, she told herself. It made her feel a glow of anticipation about the coming evening.

She glanced at her watch. It was a few minutes to eight. Tonight she wouldn't keep him waiting. The time for those kind of games was well and truly over.

With one last fuss with her hair, Nicole left her room and made her way downstairs. As usual, Rashid was waiting for her on the terrace. The night was cool and the desert beyond the wall was dark. No sign of camp lights tonight, she thought.

Rashid smiled at her and ran his gaze down the length of her body, taking in the sight of the dress. "Lovely," he said simply.

She gave him a twirl and smiled at him. "I thought this was your favorite."

"So you wore it for me?"

Nicole nodded. "Seemed like the least I could do," she said.

His brow furrowed at the obvious reminder this was to be their last night. He pulled the chair out and she sat down. As on every night before, he placed his hands on her shoulders and she smiled up at him. This time she resisted the temptation to make a snarky, good-natured remark. It seemed somehow wrong to do that tonight.

He took his place opposite her. Rashid looked like he was determined to make the most of the evening. When the food was brought, he started to talk with her about his past. There was so much to know about this amazing man, she told himself. It was almost as if he was cramming everything into the last few hours they would spend together. Did he think that by doing that he would change the way she thought about him? Change what she needed to do tomorrow?

Half way through the meal, she realized he seemed to be doing everything in his power to avoid talking about the future. She could understand that because she could hardly think about what it would be like to leave this place.

Leave Rashid.

Finally, the meal was over and they settled back in their chairs, drinking the sweet, black coffee from the tiny cups.

He seemed suddenly thoughtful and she wondered what he was about to ask her.

"What did your mother say when you told her you were coming home tomorrow?" he asked.

"You knew that?" she asked, feeling surprised.

"I didn't listen in, if that's what you mean. I just figured you'd want her to know."

Nicole shrugged. "I did tell her tomorrow was the day when I could come home. She sounded relieved."

"I'm sure she's been worried."

Nicole gazed across at him. "She needn't have been. You've been a very gracious host."

"Is that all?" he asked seemingly disappointed.

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