barely picked at her food.
There were shadows beneath her eyes. Pale purple hollows that gave her a heart-wrenching fragility that tugged at him—even though he refused to put a name to the emotion.
The array of dishes at her elbow remained untouched. The succulent pieces of skewered lamb. The breads baked with great care in his kitchens. The char-roasted vegetables on earthenware platters. Even her wineglass remained full. Something of the fine spread should have tempted her. But nothing had.
Finally, his aunt could clearly contain herself no longer. “My daughter is at university in Los Angeles. Did you meet Rafiq when he studied abroad?”
Rafiq answered before she could reply. “Tiffany and I are … business acquaintances. She’s been traveling—and decided to visit.” It didn’t satisfy his aunt’s curiosity but she wouldn’t ask again.
“You look tired, dear.”
“I am.” Tiffany gave Lily a smile. “I can’t wait to go to bed.”
“After dinner I’ll show you where the women’s quarters are.”
“Thank you.”
The subdued note in her voice made Rafiq want to confront the turmoil that had been whirling around inside his head. He’d been rough on her earlier. Even his aunt could see that her travels had worn her out.
A trickle of shame seeped through Rafiq, then he forced it ruthlessly aside. What else was he supposed to have done? Accepted the lie that she was pregnant? Paid through the nose for the privilege of silencing her new blackmail attempt?
Never.
He’d taken the only course of action open to him: he’d brought her here, away from the bank, away from any possible contact with his father, brothers and staff to learn what she wanted.
Pregnant? Hah! He would not let her get away with such a ruse. Now she was confined to his home. And he would make sure she wasn’t left alone with his aunt. He made a mental note to assign one of the maids to keep the women company. His aunt would never gossip in front of the servants.
Tomorrow she would leave. He’d escort her to the airport himself. He certainly wouldn’t allow himself any regrets. Tiffany was not the stranded innocent she’d once almost managed to con him into believing she was. He’d already allowed her to squeeze him for money once.
By foolishly possessing her, taking her under a starlit sky, he’d made a fatal mistake. One that she would milk for the rest of her life—if he let her.
Rafiq had no intention of becoming trapped in the prison she’d created with her soft touches and sweet, drugging kisses.
He became aware that Tiffany was talking to his aunt. He tensed, and started to pay attention.
“You must miss your daughter,” Tiffany was saying.
Lily nodded. “But I’ll be joining her when the holidays come. She wanted a little time to find her feet.”
“How lucky for her that you respect her need for independence.”
“I still worry about her. She had a bad romantic experience a while back.”
That was enough! He wasn’t having this woman interrogating his family, discovering pains better left hidden.
“Wine?” Rafiq brusquely offered Tiffany.
She shook her head, “No, thanks.” And focused on his aunt. “Do you have any other children?”
“No, only Zara.”
“I’m an only child, too.”
“Oh, what a pity Zara wasn’t here for you to meet. You would’ve gotten along like a house on fire.”
Rafiq narrowed his gaze. If Tiffany even thought she might threaten his family’s well-being she would learn how very ruthless he could be.
“I would’ve liked that.”
She sounded so sincere. His aunt was glowing with delight. Lily put a hand on his arm, “I’m sure your father and brothers would like to meet Tiffany.”
“I’d like that but—”
His killing glare interrupted the woman who had caused all this trouble. “Tiffany will not be staying for very long,” he said with a snap of his teeth.
Aunt Lily looked crestfallen. “What a pity.”
Rafiq wished savagely that he’d been less respectful of Tiffany’s modesty. He should’ve known better than to introduce her to any member of his family.
“She’ll be leaving us tomorrow.”
The bedchamber Lily and the little plump maid called Mina showed Tiffany into was rich and luxurious. Filmy gold drapes surrounded a high bed covered by white linen while beautiful handwoven rugs covered the intricately patterned wooden floors. On the opposite walls, shutters were flung back to reveal a view of a courtyard containing a pool surrounded by padded loungers. Water trickled over a tiered fountain on the far side of the pool, the soothing sound adding to the welcome.
It felt as if she’d been transported into another, far more exotic, world.
Alone, Tiffany stripped off her crumpled clothes and pulled on a nightie. She felt dazed and disoriented and just a little bit queasy. Jet lag was setting in with vengeance.
Through an open door, she caught a glimpse of an immense tub with leaping dolphins—dolphins!—for faucets before weariness sank like a cloud around her. She padded through to the large bathroom to brush her teeth before heading for the bedchamber and clambering between the soft sheets where sleep claimed her.
The next thing she knew she was being wakened by the loud sound of knocking. Seconds later the door crashed open.
Tiffany sat up, dragging the covers up to her chin, thoroughly startled at being yanked from deep sleep.
“What do you want?” she demanded of the man looming in the doorway.
“Neither of the maids could awaken you.” Whatever had glittered in Rafiq’s eyes when the door first opened had already subsided.
“I was tired,” she said defensively. “I told you that last night.”
“It’s late.” He glanced at his watch. “Eleven o’clock. I thought you might’ve run out—” He broke off.
Eleven o’clock was all she heard. “It can’t be that late.”
He strode closer, brandishing the square face of his Cartier timepiece in her direction. “Look.”
The wrist beneath the leather strap was tanned, a mix of sinew and muscle. Oh, God, surely she wasn’t being drawn back under his thrall?
“I believe you,” she said hastily, her grip tightening on the bedcovers as she pulled them up to her chin so that no bare flesh was visible. Her stomach had started its
