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“But, I thought you said they were bowing to you, not me?” Shira asked, puzzled.
“Today, they are bowing to us both because you are my guest.” Soon, they would be bowing to her because she was his wife. Kale kept that thought to himself. He wasn’t sure how Shira would handle her future being planned out for her so quickly. It was inevitable, but he would give her a few days to become accustomed to his country before filling her in.
After spending several hours walking around the village and visiting several historic buildings, Shira was ready to return to the palace. Kale had promised to take her to the beach right after lunch, and she was glad she had let the girls from the office convince her to purchase a new suit. She couldn’t wait to see Kale’s response to it.
Lunch was an entertaining affair filled with Shira watching Kale interact with his brother in Arabic. They both had a habit of speaking with their hands, and she marveled that the glasses and dishes weren’t knocked from the table several times as they discussion was heated at times.
“Shira,” Kamal asked her at one point, “how do you like my country so far?”
“Your Majesty, what I’ve seen of it so far is stunning. And the people are so friendly and warm. I’m enjoying myself immensely. Thank you for having me.”
Kamal said something to Khalil in Arabic as he watched her and then nodded at the response. Keeping her gaze, he told her, “I am glad. Please, if you need anything at all, let Khalil know and he will see to it. I hope your visit here will be long and prosperous.”
“Thank you,” Shira told him, inclining her head and wondering at the odd wording he had used. Long? Prosperous? Certainly strange words to apply to the reason for her visit. She was only here for a few weeks before she would be heading back to the States.
Thinking about home, she realized that she really needed to contact Erin and let her know she had arrived safely. Turning to Kale, she asked, “Is there a phone I can use to call home? I promised Erin I would let her know I had arrived safely. She doesn’t even know the rest of the team stayed behind.”
Kamal spoke up, “Erin is fine. It is the middle of the night in the States. She needs her rest; maybe you should wait until this evening to contact her.”
Something in Kamal’s voice gave Shira pause, “What’s happened to Erin? Why would you tell me she’s fine? Have you spoken to her?”
“There was a small incident at her office with a disgruntled husband. Talib took care of it and she is home, sleeping.”
Shira shook her head, “I told her one of these days something bad was going to happen over there. You can’t hide women and children from angry men and expect them not to react. Why, last year…,” she trailed off, seeing the thunderstorms gathering on Kamal’s face. So, maybe telling him about the other times Erin’s life had been in danger wasn’t such a good thing right now.
“Last year…” Kamal prompted her.
“Oh, nothing. I was just rambling.” Directing her attention to Kale, she asked, “Maybe I’ll just send her a quick email before we head out. She always checks her email when she first gets up.”
Khalil inclined his head, “You will find everything you need, including the password for the network, lying next to your computer. Take your time and return here when you are ready to go.”
Shira smiled at him and just
before the exited the room, she turned back, “Do I need to change into my suit before we leave?”
While Kale couldn’t wait to see her in a bathing suit, parading her through the palace in one wasn’t his idea of fun. No, the palace had a private beach, complete with cabana and she would change there, where only he would see her body revealed. “No. Bring what you need with you and you can change when we arrive.”
Giving him a big grin, she hurried out of the room. She found her computer and the required passwords sitting on a desk in the large sitting room she had only caught a glimpse of the night before. The walls were lined to with books of every kind, many written in English and she smiled upon seeing some of her all-time favorites.
She quickly sent out an email to her bosses and to Erin, letting them know she had arrived safely and everything was going well. She promised Erin she would call later that night and closed down her computer. She quickly gathered her beach gear from her suitcases and half an hour later, found herself back in the dining room where Kale awaited her.
Chapter 7
The beach was covered in white sand, and the contrast between that and the bright blue water was a visual feast. A gentle breeze was blowing, keeping the oppressive humidity at bay and Shira breathed deeply of the ocean air, tainted with a slight saltiness.
Kale led her to the large cabana structure and invited her to join him after changing. He waited impatiently outside for her to return, images of what she would look like in a bathing suit consuming his mind.
His mind had failed him! When Shira stepped back out of the cabana, he felt the breath stall in his lungs. She was more than gorgeous! She was more than beautiful! She was nothing short of a Goddess come to earth to tempt man!
Shira saw the heat flare in Kale’s eyes and felt her confidence take a huge jump up the scale. She had been hesitant to wear this suit after seeing herself in the changing room mirror. The sleek gold two-piece suit was cut more daringly than any suit she had ever worn before. The cups of the top barely covered the important parts, the push-up bra giving her mediocre cleavage and significant boost in both size and elevation.
The bottom half of the suit sat so low upon her hips, she was glad she had visited the spa the day before her departure for a complete Brazilian wax. The suit left little to the imagination and stopped several inches above her pelvic bone in front, and rode the base of her spine in the back.
The tanning beds had helped give a healthy glow to her normally pale white skin, and she carried with her a strong sunscreen, not wanting to begin her stay in Jawhara with a nasty sunburn.
Kale made a circling motion with his hand and she dutifully complied, turning slowly on her bare feet in the sand to give him a complete view of her body. She felt her nipples tighten at his frank appraisal and felt her own desire start to heat up from the low simmer it had been maintaining.
While she had changed, Kale had donned a pair of board shorts, which rode low on his hips, and removed his shirt. She gazed with longing at the thin line of hair that bisected his pecs and travelled down his stomach, disappearing beneath the waistband of his shorts. His body was magnificent, all hard muscles and smooth skin. She took a step towards him, reaching out to place her hand upon his chest and letting her fingers dig into the muscles there.
