Desert Barbarian

'For God's sake, sit down, girl!' he barked.

She sat down where he had pointed, and Stonor lay back, relaxing, his dark eyes fixed on her face.

'What have you been doing with yourself?' he asked.

She shrugged. 'Nothing much. Today I did the shop­ping and then played with Jeremy.'

'And yesterday?'

'I spent the day at the marshes watching the animals feed with Jess and Jeremy,' she told him, then added deliberately, 'In the evening I had dinner with Peter.'

The dark eyes narrowed. 'How romantic! How far has the affair got? Does he make love to you?'

She flushed hotly. 'We've kissed,' she flung defiantly.

He bared his teeth in a grim smile. 'Now I wonder why you feel the need to be so belligerent about it?'

'You make me nervous,' she said defensively.

'Do I ?' he asked very softly. 'Why ?'

She shifted uneasily. 'I don't know. You just do.'

He put his free hand over her fingers. 'Stop fidgeting like that. You're like a cat on hot bricks.'

The touch of his hand made her bones turn to water. 'How… how are you getting on with the King?' she asked.

'It was easier than I'd imagined,' he said calmly. 'As it turned out, he needs me as much as I need him. He lacks capital, and he was eager to work out a deal. I think we shall both make a lot of money.'

'And Jedhpur? Will that benefit?' she asked cynically.

The dark eyes lifted to her face. 'Sarcasm doesn't suit you. Yes, Jedhpur will benefit a great deal. It needs in­vestment. It needs industry. It needs tourism. I'll supply all three.'

'Then if you've already made your deal you don't need to keep up the pretence of being here to see me,' she said.

'More than ever,' he told her. 'The King wants to keep our deal a secret for the time being. He's afraid of trouble from the conservative element, and he wants to present them with a fait accompli.'

Marie tried to withdraw her fingers from his grip, but he tightened it. 'Let me go, Stonor,' she said breathlessly.

'No,' he murmured.

Their eyes battled, then hers dropped away. Once again she felt that strange, weak helplessness which she had first felt when he kissed her; overwhelmed by the realisation that she was physically his inferior, unable to win a fight against him.

'I can't stay much longer,' she said. 'It's a long drive back.'

'I like that dress,' he merely replied. 'The colour suits you. It's gently understating your femininity.'

She looked at him through her lashes. 'Thank you.'

'Don't do that,' he said abruptly. 'You don't need tricks like that.'

'Tricks?' She was blazingly angry. 'Why, you…'

He laughed at her expression. 'My dear girl, I've known too many females to be taken in by any of those age-old tricks: the eyelash fluttering, the sidelong glances, the tossed head…'

'How about the slap in the face?' she said furiously.

His mouth twitched. 'Try it and see.'