little part of her heart disagreed with her head, telling her to forget the pill. Hadn’t she wondered what kind of sane woman could let a man like Sayed go?
But no woman with honor would want to have him because he was trapped.
Besides, last night had been the first time she’d ever allowed her emotions to rule. And the aftermath had not been a resounding success.
“It has no effectiveness sitting in your hand,” he teased.
She leaned toward him. “Shh...”
“It’s just a pill. Nothing to be embarrassed about.”
“You know what it’s for,” she whispered.
Humor, rather than the seriousness she would have expected, warmed his dark eyes. “Yes, indeed. I do know.”
“I don’t understand how you’re so cavalier about...” She paused, looking for a word that wouldn’t practically burn her mouth to say.
“Sex?” he asked, striving for innocent, but too amused to be anywhere close.
She glared at him. “You’re from Zeena Sahra. You went without for three years. You should understand repressed.”
“Suppressed, maybe. It’s not the same. I am not ashamed to share a common physical need with an entire planet of people.”
“It’s different for you, you’re a man.”
“Do you think so?”
“Mom was pretty adamant that women had to remain chaste until marriage.”
“And yet you decided not to.”
“I doubt I’ll ever marry,” she admitted. “I’m too shy with men.”
“Really?” He didn’t sound doubtful, so she didn’t take offense at his question.
“Most men. The combination of alcohol and you is a lethal combination.”
“I would like to think the alcohol was unnecessary.”
“It probably would be in future,” she admitted with the honesty she seemed unable to suppress around him. “But last night? It definitely played its role.”
“And yet you insist you were in control of your faculties when you chose to make love with me.”
“I was, just not chained down by my usual inhibitions and introversion around men.”
“You will be less nervous with the opposite sex in the future, I am sure.” He didn’t sound exactly pleased by that prospect.
“It didn’t work that way for my mom.”
“She had you.”
“And a family who rejected her. I have no one left to reject me.”
“That’s a rather morbid thought.”
“Sorry.”
“I will reject you if it will make you feel better.”
“Don’t do me any favors.” But she felt a small smile curving her lips.
She liked bantering with him.
Which scared her probably more than it should.
Determined to lead with her head, not her heart, she took a deep breath, tossed back the pill and swallowed it down with water.
AS THE MINUTES wore on, a need for the restroom broke through Liyah’s consuming thoughts.
Loathe to interrupt Sayed in his furious typing on the computer he’d pulled out, she tried to ignore the growing urgency.
She grabbed a magazine from the pocket to the side of her chair and laid it on the table, hoping the glossy stories about other people’s lives would keep her mind occupied and off her biological needs. She flipped through the pages, nothing catching her attention.
Shifting slightly from one side to the other helped, but pretty soon she was going to have to ask Sayed to move.
Suddenly, he stopped typing and leaned toward her. “Are you all right, habibti?”
“Yes, I just, um...” Liyah wasn’t just repressed about sex, but found talking about any private bodily functions a trial.
Which was ridiculous, she realized. She was an adult woman, for goodness’ sake.
“You should have told me you were a virgin.” Sayed frowned at her. “I could have shown more restraint with you last night.”
“Are you trying to undo a lifetime of repression in a single day, or something?” If asking him to move so she could use the restroom would have been embarrassing, this was mortifying. “I’m fine.”
“You are clearly in pain.”
“I need to pee,” she huffed out in a furious whisper, frustrated by her own reticence and his insistence.
“Why did you not say so?” He rose, allowing her to exit her seat.
When she got back, she considered sitting across from him, but didn’t gainsay him when he stood again so she could retake her seat by the window.
Once she was settled in again, he handed her an electronic reader. “It has most of the recent bestsellers, but if you want to download something else, the plane is set up with wireless internet.”
“Thank you. The magazines would have been fine.”
“Nonsense. Though, really, you should probably take a nap.”
Startled, she asked, “I look tired?”
“Perhaps a little. It has been a full and wearing day.”
He could say that again. “For you, too, but I don’t see you dozing in your chair.”
“The last time I napped, stuffed animals still decorated my bed.” He smiled. “Getting six hours of sleep in a row is a luxury for me.”
“But that’s not healthy.”
He shrugged. “Such is the life of an emir taking over the responsibilities of a melech with no younger brother to take over my own diplomatic duties.”
“Why is your father abdicating? Does he have health issues?” she asked before realizing it was probably an invasive query. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer.”
“I never answer questions I do not wish to.”
“Arrogance has its benefits.”
He
