The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 5) (16 page)

Malik leaned closer to Lana. "I don't want you to leave," he murmured. His voice was even and assured.

Lana hesitated. "I was only going back to the tent," she said after a moments pause.

The corner of Malik's mouth creased with the shadow of a smile. "That's not what I meant," he said evenly.

Malik's brows furrowed into a dark, determined ridge. She felt him draw her closer, and she allowed herself to drift languidly nearer to him.

Malik's face was inches from hers. His dark gaze penetrated her, making it impossible for her to wrench her attention from him. Not that she even wanted to, she realized.

"That's not what I meant, at all," Malik added. "In fact, I think you know just what I did mean. Don't you, Lana?"

Lana squinted at him, that vague unease curling again in her middle. She didn't say anything, feeling the tightness in her throat.

Malik's head dipped, and he kissed Lana, his lips a tender persuasion. Lana's treacherous body submitted to the sheikh's powerful gesture. Every nerve in her body quivered with need.
 

Then, he wrenched his lips from hers and gazed deep into her soul. "I will not allow you to leave, Lana," Malik declared.

Lana's heart juddered, the quickening caused by his kiss halted for a brief, shocking moment.

Malik leaned closer, and she could feel his warm breath against her lips. Then, he murmured one word, the single word she'd told herself she didn't want to hear.

"Ever," Malik said softly. The sound of the word hung in the air between them. His gaze probed her for a reaction, needing an instant answer.

Lana peered into Malik's dark eyes. There was utter sincerity in those limpid pools, an unstoppable conviction. His jaw had tightened into a thin, hard line. Lana felt her heart racing like that of a panicked animal.
 

Because that was what she suddenly felt like. A vulnerable creature, caught and captured.

The silence between them seemed to last for an eternity. He was waiting, and she didn't know how to respond. What had that single word really meant? Was he asking her what she thought he was asking her?
 

Her pulse raced, the blood coursing through her veins at an unnatural pace. Her feet felt as if they were sinking into the sand. Why had he asked her such a question? Especially after what they had shared.
 

Then she realized what had really prompted this. He hadn't been lying when he'd told her the purpose of coming out to the oasis, to this sacred tribal sanctuary. It hadn't been made up at all. Her skepticism had been misplaced. Malik really had brought Lana out here to test her. He really had come here with the intention of finding out if she could be his.
 

Forever?

Lana tried to take a step back, needing to put some distance between herself and Malik. He held onto her hand, and she froze, looking at his hand with a disapproving sharpness. He saw her sudden irritation and released her fingers.

Lana took a few steps and started to make her way down the dune.
 

"Lana," Malik roared. His voice drifted off into the vastness of the desert. She halted and turned to him.
 

"Did you not understand?" Malik asked. There was an urgency in his voice that hadn't been there moments before.

Lana nodded. "Of course, I did, Malik."

She saw his brows rise with expectation. There was an unspoken question on his features.

Lana paused and wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly naked with only the nightdress protecting her rapidly cooling body. Was it the desert wind that had caused the goosebumps on her skin? Or was it something else?

"I don't know what to say, Malik."

Malik's brows furrowed. "You understand what I am asking you, don't you? I want you to be mine. For all eternity, Lana," Malik said.
 

He started to move toward her, but she shook her head, and he halted.

"How can you ask me such a thing, Malik?"

Malik said nothing in reply, merely opening his arms wide, a gesture hinting that his question had made perfect sense to him. Even if it had taken Lana by surprise.
 

Hadn't it?
 

Or had there been some part of herself which had expected this from Malik? He'd been pursuing Lana ever since she'd stepped off the plane. And now, it had come to this.

Her mind was a whirl of confusing thoughts and sensations. She didn't know what she could say.

With a sharp sense of urgency, she knew that saying nothing would be the best response. There was no answer she could give that would satisfy either Malik or herself.

Lana looked at Malik. "We fulfilled our obligation, Malik. We came here and spent one night. I think we got the answer we both needed. Don't you?"

Malik's mouth opened in shock. His eyes widened, and she knew he was about to say something in response to her bold statement. But, before he had a chance to say anything, Lana turned quickly away from him and started to make her way back to the tent.

It was going to be a long drive back to the palace.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Once they'd finally made their way back to the palace, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world for Lana to avoid any contact with Malik. Things were just too busy, with the wedding taking place the next day.

Mia had pressed Lana for details of what had happened at the oasis, but Lana had refused to provide any but the most basic information. She certainly wasn't going to share with anyone what had happened during the passionate night she'd spent with Malik.

The journey back from the oasis had passed in silence. Malik had seemed lost in thought as he'd driven the car across the desert. He hadn't even tried to persuade Lana, and she wondered if he had given up that easily.

Surely not, she had told herself. Had she humiliated him so much by simply refusing to talk to him about what kind of future their encounter at the oasis had created for them? His lengthy, grim silence as the car had sped along the road back to Qazhar city, seemed to suggest that she had offended him.
 

But, she'd had no choice.
 

It had all happened so quickly; had all been so intense. And, it brought to mind other incidents in her life, other times when a powerful man had apparently made his feelings clear to Lana. Colton's rejection had made Lana cautious in affairs of the heart. It didn't matter that this was a different man, a different world.
 

As before, Lana had fallen for a rich, powerful man; had allowed that man into her heart. She'd learned a harsh lesson, and the pain still burned, the hurt still made her wary.
 

The words he'd uttered back at the oasis had sent Lana running for her safe space, the walled enclosure inside herself where she had kept her heart safe from hurt, kept her feelings cloistered.

No.

She needed time; needed to keep busy, and the impending wedding was the ideal distraction.

All she needed to do was keep away from Malik.

And, since their arrival late in the afternoon on the day before the wedding, there had been no sign of Malik in the palace.

In spite of herself, Lana had found her mind drifting to speculation about where Malik had gone. She assumed that he and Rafiq were busy with their own preparations. Late in the afternoon, during a particularly difficult and bad-tempered fitting session for Mia's wedding gown, Mia had informed Lana that she'd seen Malik and Rafiq together in a distant part of the palace. It was the tradition that the groom avoided seeing the bride for twenty-four hours before the wedding. So, Rafiq and his two brothers had taken refuge in a wing of the palace, safe from the possibility of any unexpected encounters with Mia.

It occurred to Lana that that was quite convenient for Malik, too. He'd be safe from any embarrassing encounters with Lana. Even if she did bump into him, Lana had no idea what she could say to Malik.
 

As she helped Mia with the adjustments to her friend's beautiful wedding gown, Lana's mind drifted to that conversation back at the oasis.

Had Malik really been asking Lana the most serious question a man could ask a woman? Had he really been edging close toward that one request that held such momentous consequences?

Lana couldn't quite believe that Malik would have been so bold, so determined. Surely it was too soon for such a union. Because, that was what he had been proposing, wasn't it? Some kind of union, something permanent.
 

Lana dragged her attention back to the present. Mia fussed and fidgeted while Lana and one of the palace servants who had been provided to Mia, tried to make the necessary adjustments. Lana knelt at Mia's feet, trying to put some pins on the lower edge of the elegant, draped gown.
 

"It's no good," Mia exclaimed, standing in front of the mirror. Lana felt Mia stamp her feet. "It'll never fit properly," Mia complained. She grasped the fabric of the dress and shook it.
 

Lana glanced up at Mia. "Nervous?"

Mia frowned down at Lana. "I guess so. I'm sorry I'm so grumpy."

Lana stood and glanced at the palace servant. The young woman looked at Lana and understood that Lana wanted some private time with her friend. The girl bowed and left Mia's apartment.

Now that they were alone, Lana beckoned Mia over to the long sofa. Both women sat down on the sofa. Lana ran her gaze along the length of Mia's amazing looking wedding dress. "You know you've nothing to complain about, don't you?"

Mia sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "I know. You're right. It's just that I've become a bag of nerves. You don't know what I was like when you and Malik were away," Mia said.

Lana nodded. "I can imagine. Without my calming presence, I'm sure were a right little diva," she said giving Mia a wide grin.

Mia rolled her eyes. "You're right. I'm acting like I'm already a spoiled princess, aren't I," Mia asked.

Lana frowned. "I'm making no comment. Not to a sheikh's future wife."

Mia's brows furrowed and she looked suddenly thoughtful. "That does sound kinda amazing, doesn't it?"

Lana nodded. "Just a little."

Mia's gaze locked upon Lana. "And, am I the only one?"

Lana's mouthed opened, forming a shocked circle. "You've already asked me that once."

"And, I'll keep on asking it, until I get an answer," Mia said with a smile. "You know I don't give up that easily."

Lana cocked her head. "I know that," she admitted.
 

"Well?" Mia asked expectantly.

Lana shook her head. "Nothing doing," she blurted out. "What happened at the oasis stays at the oasis."

Mia lifted her chin and nodded sagely. "I was right, then. He did convince you," she stated.

Lana frowned at Mia. "He did not. There was nothing for him to convince me of," she said defiantly.

"You can't fool me, Lana. I've seen the way you look at him."

Lana squinted at Mia. "I do not look at Malik unless I can help it. In any case, the whole idea of going to the oasis was foolish to begin with," Lana said defensively.

"It was tradition, and so it was important," Mia said. "I have to be seen to be upholding any traditions, now that I'm going to be living here."

Lana laid a hand on Mia's arm. "Have you really thought about what that means. You're life is going to be so different. You're not going back to work?"

Mia shook her head. "I'll have plenty to do here," she said. "My brother can find someone to replace me back in London. I won't miss the British summers, I can tell you," Mia said with a grin.

"They're not much better than the ones in New York," Lana added.

Mia paused, and Lana saw her carefully consider her next words. Finally Mia spoke: "There's no future for you and Malik, then? Really?"

Mia sounded disappointed. Genuinely let down. Lana was slightly taken aback by her friend's sudden change of tone. How could she lie to Mia? The truth was, she couldn't. Lana had never done that, and right now wasn't the time to start.

"I don't know, Mia," Lana said. She sighed and leaned back against the side of the sofa. "I really don't know."

"What happened back there?" Mia asked calmly.

Lana shook her head. "You know, Mia. I don't have to spell it out, do I?"

Mia drew in a deep breath. To Lana's relief, Mia said nothing in reply. Mia gazed at Lana. There was deep sympathy on Mia's face. If anyone knew what Lana was going through, it was Mia.
 

Both friends had found something special with men who shared a common bond. In Mia's case, everything had turned out fine. A wedding and a bright future. And, Lana was so joyously happy for her friend.

So, why did Lana feel so left out? Why did it look as if she and Mia were about to have such contrasting fortunes? Was it simply because Lana didn't have the courage to accept the reality that Malik had found his way into her heart? Or was it that the barrier Lana had erected between herself, and the world of relationships had been built so well that not even Malik could break it down?

"So, what's next?" Mia asked.

Lana's gaze met Mia's and an unspoken communication passed between them both. "Next?" Lana asked.

Mia nodded.

Lana leaned across and hugged Mia. She gazed into her friend's eyes that were now shimmering with the beginnings of a tearful episode.

"The next thing that's going to happen, Mia, is that you are going to get married tomorrow. At least one of us is going to have a happy ever after. Right?" Lana said defiantly.

Mia nodded at Lana, but there was a hint of sadness in that smile.
 

"Now, let's see what we can do with the hem of that dress," Lana said scowling down at the folds of fabric.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Weddings!

Malik was beginning to detest the whole idea of weddings.

He'd passed a truly awkward night with Rafiq over at the far wing of the palace. Overnight, his normally level-headed brother had disintegrated into a bag of nerves. It had taken Malik every ounce of patience in his body to cajole and reassure Rafiq that everything was going to be fine on the day of the wedding.