The Call of the Desert

With a sigh Julia got up, went to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Once finished, and dressed in a robe with a towel around her damp hair, she stepped out onto the open terrace to see that breakfast had been left for her on a table. She grimaced at the dewy fresh rose in an exquisite glass vase. That was a touch Kaden wouldn’t welcome.

All that existed between her and Kaden was this intense heat. They couldn’t even seem to hold a coherent conversation before things became physical. And she didn’t doubt that was exactly how Kaden wanted it.

Julia assured herself stoutly that that was just fine. She picked up a croissant and walked to the wall, from where she could see the stunning city of B’harani spread out before her.

Her heart swelled—not for this city in particular, but for this part of the world. If any city held her heart it was Burquat, high on its huge hill, with its ancient, dusty winding streets and mysterious souks. But the air here was similar, and the heat …

She heard a sound behind her and turned to see Kaden standing at the doors. Her heart leapt. He was dressed in faded jeans which clung to powerful thighs and a sweaty polo shirt, boots to his knees. Damp hair stuck to his forehead.

As she watched, he started to pull off his shirt with such sexy grace that she dropped the croissant and didn’t even notice. How could she feel so wanton and hot, mere hours after—?

Kaden threw down his top and came to Julia, hemming her in against the wall with his arms. His mouth found and nuzzled her neck. He smelled of sweat and musk and sex.

Julia groaned and said, half despairingly, “Kaden …”

He pulled one shoulder of her robe down and kissed her damp skin. “You missed a bit here … I think we need to remedy that.”

With that awesome strength he picked her up, and within minutes they were naked and in the shower.

Much later, when the daylight was tipping into dusk outside, Julia woke from a fitful sleep. She felt disorientated and a little dizzy, even though she was lying down. Flashes of the day came into her head: the lavish wedding ceremony in the ornate ceremonial hall, Samia looking pale and so young, her husband tall and dark and austere, reminding Julia of Kaden.

And then, after a token appearance at the celebration, Kaden pulling her away, bringing her back here, where once again passion had overtaken everything. Her body was still sensitive, so she couldn’t have slept for long.

She heard a noise and turned her head to see Kaden sitting at a table in the corner of the palatial room, with his slim laptop open in front of him. That lock of hair was over his forehead, and he sipped from a cup of what she guessed was coffee.

There was something so domestic about the scene that Julia’s heart lurched painfully. And she knew right then with painful clarity that she had to be one to walk away this time. She couldn’t bear to stand before Kaden again and have him tell her it was over.

As if he could hear her thinking, he looked over. He was already half dressed, in black pants and a white shirt. His look was cool enough to make her shiver slightly, and he glanced at his watch. “We have to be ready in half an hour for the final banquet.”

Julia shot up in the bed, clutching the sheet. “You should have woken me.” With dismay she thought of her dress for this evening that was already in the wardrobe. It was another couture gown, and she was going to require time to repair the damage and restore herself to something approximating normality. If she could ever feel normal again.

Feeling absurdly grumpy, Julia marched into the bathroom and locked the door behind her.

Kaden sat back in the chair and frowned, looking at the tangled sheets of the bed. The truth was he’d felt so comfortable here in the room, with Julia sleeping in the bed just feet away, that he’d forgotten all about waking her. His skin prickled at that. He’d felt that way before … with her, but never with another woman. Even with his own wife he’d insisted on separate bedrooms and living quarters. He knew now that if the situation had been reversed and he’d been married to Julia it would have been anathema not to share space with her.

If he’d married Julia.

That all too disturbing thought drove him up out of his chair and to the phone. He picked it up and gave instructions to the person on the other end.

When Julia emerged from the bathroom there was a pretty young girl dressed all in white waiting for her. She said shyly, “My name is Nita. I’m here to help you get changed.”

Too bemused even to wonder where Kaden had disappeared to, Julia let Nita help her, and within half an hour she was dressed and ready again. At precisely that moment Kaden reappeared at the bedroom door, resplendent in another tuxedo. He held out his arm for Julia, who took it silently.

This time her dress was a deep purple colour. A tightly ruched strapless bodice gave way to swirling floor-length silk which was covered in tiny crystals. The effect was like a shimmering cloud as Julia walked alongside Kaden.

She could feel the ever-present tension in his form beside her, and marvelled at the irony of the whole situation. She was arguably living every little girl’s fantasy, here in this fairytale castle, yet with the bleakest of adult twists.

She had to end this tonight—before he did. Before he could see how helplessly entangled she’d already become again.

A few hours later, when the crowd had watched Sultan Sadiq lead his new wife from the ceremonial ballroom, Julia was exhausted, and more than relieved when Kaden took her hand to lead her from the room. Her traitorous blood was humming in anticipation as they neared the bedroom. But she forced ice into her veins.

When they reached the room she extricated her hand and went and stood apart from him. He was surveying her warily, and she realised just how little they’d really communicated all weekend—as if he had been deliberately trying to avoid any conversation or any kind of intimacy beyond sex. It galvanised her.

She hitched up her chin. “The couple I was talking to earlier are leaving Burquat tonight, on a private flight back to England. They’ve offered me a seat on the plane if I’m ready to go in an hour.”

Julia was vaguely aware of tension coming into Kaden’s form. “You can’t wait until tomorrow morning, when I am going to take you home?”

She shook her head, almost dizzy with relief that she was taking control of things. That Kaden wasn’t coming closer, scrambling her brain. “There’s no need. I need to get back. I’ve got work this week. I’ve got a life, Kaden. I think it’s best if we just say this is over, here and now. What’s the point in dragging it out?”