The Sheikh's Reunion Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs 4) (6 page)

Rafiq smiled. "You need to spend some time in bed."

Rafiq heard Brad's weak attempt at laughter. "I'm already there," Brad said. He laughed. "And, that's rich coming from you, given all the girlfriends you've had."

"Let's not talk about that," Rafiq replied, eager to change the subject. Especially after what had happened with Mia. How was Rafiq going to be able to broach the subject? "What's the call about?" Rafiq asked.

Brad cleared his throat. "I heard from Mia."

Rafiq felt a sudden stab of emotion at the mere mention of her name. "You did?" he said trying to sound casual.

"Seems you don't believe what she showed you."

"How could this have happened, Brad? Even if it is the way it looks, I still don't understand why Sayid would do such a thing. What's in it for him."

"The thing is, it happened just after his wedding to Naima," Brad said.

Rafiq held the silence for a few moments, intent on keeping the subject of his former fiance out of the conversation, but Brad had brought up the issue of Naima. There would be no sense pretending how he felt about things. However, right now probably wasn't the best time to go into the whole subject of Naima.

"You still there?" Brad asked, reacting to the long silence.

"I'm just thinking," Rafiq said.

"About what?" Brad replied.

"What I can do about this. I mean, I have to know the truth."

"Maybe there's a solution," Brad said.

"What?"

Brad coughed again. "I'd go with you to Qazhar and try to sort things out. But, you can hear how bad I am. It's going to take a while before I'm fit to travel. I don't think you're willing to wait."

Rafiq grunted. "That's putting it mildly."

"So why doesn't Mia go to Qazhar," Brad suggested and coughed yet again.

Rafiq paused, letting Brad finish the convulsive coughing. Now, there was an idea. Rafiq allowed himself a wolfish smile. It would be delightful taking Mia all the way to his kingdom. It would give Rafiq a chance to have the one thing he now realized he desired above all else; to have Mia all to himself and show her just how much he still felt for her. He'd seen how she had reacted to his touch; felt the heat of her body next to him; saw the look in her eyes. Rafiq knew that Mia still felt something for him. He was convinced that Mia was holding back, trying to hide the truth of what she felt about him.

Brad stopped coughing. "What do you think?"

Rafiq tried to sound casual. No sense in making his enthusiasm too obvious. "I think it's an interesting idea," he said casually.

"You've got documents over there that we don't have immediate access to," Brad explained. "I think Mia could sort this whole thing out pretty quickly. I'm sure there's been some kind of misunderstanding."

"You may be right," Rafiq replied. "But, what about Mia? Do you think she'll want to go?"

"She's eager to make her mark. And she's good at her job."

"I've noticed," Rafiq said.

Brad laughed weakly. "She's tough and good at what she does," he said.

"Some things don't change," Rafiq said. "I'd forgotten just how feisty she could be."

"Really?" Brad said sounding interested in learning more.
 

Rafiq changed the subject quickly. "You need to get some rest, Brad. Once you're recovered, we can talk some more."

"In the meantime, I'll tell Mia that she's to get ready for a trip to Qazhar," Brad said.

Rafiq grinned and suppressed a sigh of satisfaction. That sounded just sweet, he told himself.
 

He ended the call with Brad and leapt out of bed. It wasn't going to take him long to get himself ready for the flight back to Qazhar. As he got dressed, he thought about how Mia would react to the news. He was pretty sure she wouldn't be completely thrilled about the idea. But, Rafiq knew she took her professional responsibilities seriously. She'd go along with the proposition, even if she was worried about spending time alone with Rafiq.

Rafiq went into the bathroom and started to get ready for a shower. He glanced at himself in the mirror. Mia would just have to get used to the idea that she and Rafiq were about to spend some quality time in very close proximity.
 

Rafiq grinned at himself.

Yes. That sounded like a really sweet idea. And, he was going to do everything possible to show the beautiful, feisty young woman just how much she meant to him, and how much he needed to claim her.

****

"Let's get something straight, right from the outset, Rafiq," Mia declared gazing across at Rafiq. The plane was starting to taxi out to the runway. They'd be up in the air within minutes, but she needed to establish some ground rules.
 

Fast.
 

Mia scowled across at Rafiq. He was sitting facing her. All around them was luxury. The interior of Rafiq's private jet was like something out of a movie fantasy. The cabin was opulently furnished with elegant modern tables and comfortable chairs. At the far end of the cabin, Mia saw Rafiq's female assistant busy in the confines of the galley.

"This is a business trip. Pure and simple," Mia continued. "I agreed to come to Qazhar purely because my brother is sick and there's no alternative."

Rafiq grinned at Mia. Why did he have to keep on looking at her like that? Ever since he'd called at her apartment to collect her and bring her to the airport, he'd had that same look on his face. It was a look that said he was in charge, this was his domain, that she had entered his world. Of course he had been courteous enough, even surprisingly civil to her. Maybe that was out of respect to Brad. Nevertheless, she found his determined expression slightly disquieting.
 

"I understand exactly," Rafiq replied easily. "As you say. It's just old business that needs to be cleared up." He turned and glanced out the windows. It was dark out there, and the weather was still stormy. It was going to be a bumpy ride in more ways than one, Mia reflected. The rain lashed against the plane's tiny windows.

What had he meant by "old business"? Was he still harping on about that distant summer? Hadn't he gotten the message loud and clear last night, when Mia had firmly rejected his advances. Even if the lingering emotion of it was still a memory that tugged insistently at her even now as she sat, cross-legged, opposite him.

Mia saw Rafiq glance down at her knees, causing her to self-consciously uncross her legs. He reached across suddenly and took the straps of her seatbelt, drawing them across Mia's tiny waist. "Let me help you with that," he offered. Mia caught his earthy, manly scent. She tried and failed to control the sudden heat that flared to her cheeks.

Mia tugged the seatbelt out of his grasp and smiled at him sardonically. "I can do that for myself, Rafiq," she said brusquely.

Rafiq pulled his hands away from Mia and she saw his brows rise imperceptibly at the sound of his name on her lips. The corner of his mouth curled into a patient grin.

Mia jammed the two parts of the seatbelt together, clicking them firmly into place. The plane shook slightly in response to a gust of wind. Mia's gaze darted to the window, desperate to see outside.

Rafiq glanced at her. "I wouldn't worry about the weather. My pilot is very experienced in these kinds of conditions."

"I'm sure he's had plenty of experience ferrying around your various lovers," Mia said sharply, surprised at herself for a moment. She saw Rafiq's brows furrow. Had he really deserved that, she asked herself. Mia realized she was more nervous than she had anticipated. This whole idea was crazy. Surely she didn't have to go all the way to Qazhar. Brad had been persuasive. There was nothing else they could do if they were going to clear up this whole mess. Mia would have to spend at least a few days in Qazhar going over the figures. But, she was determined that was all there was going to be about to the visit. No matter what Rafiq's intentions, this was a business obligation. Mia was resolute about that.
 

The plane slowed and positioned itself for take-off. Then the engines roared and Mia felt her body pressed back against the soft seat. Her gaze flickered out into the darkness and then across at Rafiq. She saw that he was watching her intently, a vague concern in his gaze.

"Okay?" he asked Mia.

"Of course," she replied defiantly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Just that you seem slightly nervous," Rafiq said, his eyes narrowing. "Are you a nervous flyer, or is the prospect of a few days in Qazhar so objectionable to you?"

There was a sudden lurch and the plane lifted. Mia felt her body shift in her seat, and she swallowed quickly, taking the moment to consider her reply. She hadn't spoken to Rafiq in the car on the way to the airport. They had sat next to each other in the back seat of his limousine, a cold, stony silence between them like a physical wall. She knew it had been caused by what had happened the previous night in Rafiq's penthouse at the hotel. She hoped he had gotten the message loud and clear. Mia had moved on, even if Rafiq had so obviously not.

At least that was the mantra she had chanted to herself as she had made her way back home the previous night. But, no matter how many times she had repeated those words to herself, the feeling had persisted that Rafiq's touch had reawakened something long buried, something Mia didn't want to admit was still a lingering presence. Her mind rejected Rafiq, rebuffed every one of his arguments, every one of his approaches, but her treacherous body had betrayed Mia, reacting to his caresses as if they had both been separated by mere days, instead of years.

The plane shifted, heading in a southerly direction. Mia wondered how they were going to pass the time in the hours it would take to fly to Qazhar.
 

Rafiq raised a brow, awaiting Mia's answer to his query.

"I love travel," she announced hoping that her voice didn't sound too shaky. "Although, I haven't been to your part of the world."

Rafiq smiled. "I think you'll like it. Apart from anything else, the weather is much more conducive to a relaxed lifestyle."
 

"Brad has told me all about his trips," she said. "He always makes it sound so exotic."

"Exotic?" Rafiq said looking oddly perturbed. "That is such a difficult word."

"What do you mean?"

"It carries so many different associations. Your brother is a very perceptive man. I'm sure his use of the word is wholly innocent."

"Why would you find it offensive?"

"I didn't say I found it offensive. Just that it makes us sound almost barbarous. Even, primitive."

Rafiq's gaze darkened slightly. Mia wondered how he could be so sensitive about such a simple word. Although, she had to admit there were times when Rafiq did indeed look feral and even primal. He had a sensuously dangerous appeal that Mia was sure most women would find impossible to resist. She shifted in her chair and saw the light above Rafiq change.
 

She loosened her seat belt. Rafiq did the same with his own. She saw him glance down at her as she stretched her body, feeling the tension ease away. Her legs extended and her foot briefly brushed against Rafiq's leg.
 

There was a sudden shift in the plane as it flew through some turbulence. Mia gripped the side of her chair and glanced out the window, although it was too dark to see anything. The turbulence continued for a few moments and then finally the small plane stopped rocking from side to side as it emerged above the clouds and into a steady airstream.

Rafiq leaned across and laid a hand on Mia's arm. "Okay?" he said, concern written on his features. His dark eyes gazed at her, and she felt something soft shift inside her now that he was closer to her.

Mia nodded.

"Can I get you a drink?"

Mia shook her head. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Nonsense," Rafiq said playfully. "We're going to be having a meal very soon. It'll be okay to at least enjoy a soft drink. You know I don't drink alcohol. Although I do sometimes make an exception to that rule."

"Don't like losing control?" Mia challenged, immediately regretting her tone. It was all too easy to take everything Rafiq said as a potential challenge. He merely smiled at her comment and stood, moving to the galley, stepping into the space where Mia had seen the flight assistant. She couldn't hear what was being said, but after a few moments Rafiq returned.
 

"Alina will bring our food very shortly," he said sitting down.

"Has she been with you a long time?" Mia asked, realizing that asking Rafiq about any woman in his life was a dangerous thing to do.

"Two years. She is very efficient. She worked in my family's palace for a time before looking after me on my infrequent journeys."

Mia nodded. "How are your family?"

Rafiq seemed pleased at her curiosity about his family. The truth was Mia already knew enough about them that it was almost unnecessary to ask such a question. But, anything which could keep the conversation on a polite level was welcome as far as Mia was concerned.
 

"My family are all very well," Rafiq said with more than a hint of pride in his voice. "My parents are as busy with their formal duties as ever. My cousins all got married recently." Rafiq shrugged and sighed. "That was the talk of the kingdom. The famous Al Kharif brothers all getting wed."

"It sounds wonderful," Mia said.

Rafiq frowned. "Unfortunately it has only served to put ideas of matrimony into my parents' heads," he said, shaking his head. "My other two brothers are in a state of almost pure panic."

Mia squinted at Rafiq. "Why would they panic?"

Rafiq narrowed his eyes. "Let's just say that Tazim and Malik all enjoy their bachelor existence a little too much for their own good."

"Three brothers," Mia exclaimed. "Your parents must be so proud."

"Not so proud that they don't have their own opinions about how we live our lives. My brothers each keep themselves busy in...shall we say...interesting ways."

Mia frowned. "You're making me curious," she teased leaning forward.

Rafiq scowled. "Don't get any ideas."