Read Online The Sheik Who Loved Me by Loreth Anne White - Free Book Online Page B

throat went dry. He told himself this was ridiculous. To even begin to think of her in this way was a fool’s game. She was vulnerable. She wasn’t able to make rational decisions in her state. And she probably had a lover waiting for her somewhere.
    He cleared his throat. “No,” he said. “Storms like that are rare. And when they do come, it’s usually without the rain.” He angled his head, caught her eyes. “And without mermaids.”
    She laughed. The sound caught him by surprise. Husky. Rich. It socked him right in the gut. But even though she laughed, David noted she was rubbing her arm nervously. Inside she was still loaded with angst. He wondered if it would help if he tried to prompt her memory. And a part of him couldn’t help thinking about the possibility she could be faking this. “What do you know about the Red Sea?” he asked.
    “Nothing really…I think.”
    “Seems strange how you washed up out of a sea you know nothing about.”
    She stopped rubbing her arm. “You make it sound like you don’t believe me.”
    He took a long, slow sip of his brandy, studying her face carefully. She didn’t shy away from his scrutiny for an instant.
    “No, I believe you,” he said finally. “What would you stand to gain by faking something like this, anyway?”
    “That’s a rhetorical question, right?” Her words were markedly clipped. “I can’t believe you’d even begin to think I was malingering.”
    “Right,” he said, noting her use of the word malingering. Watson had used the same word in a medical context. That didn’t necessarily mean a thing. But still, it alerted him, put him on guard. David was not a man who trusted easily. He’d never have gotten where he was now if trust had come easy. He’d learned as a child out in the desert that you always had to watch your back. And he’d gradually learned that the more powerful a man became, the more people tried to tear him down.
    No. For David Rashid trust was a very rare commodity. For him trust was hard-won.
    But his suspicion had offended her. She glared at him, fire snapping in her eyes. Even though he’d upset her, he was pleased to see her energy back. He could deal with anger. He couldn’t deal with the haunting loneliness he’d glimpsed a few seconds ago.
    “Believe me,” she said in a low, cool tone. “I have no desire to be stuck out here on some lump of land in the Red Sea with a man who doesn’t believe I can’t remember who I am.” She pushed herself up from the chair. “If you think for an instant that I’m enjoying any part of this, you’re dead wrong. It sucks. And I can’t wait to get off this bloody island.”
    He grabbed her wrist as she turned to go. “I’m sorry,” he said, looking up into her eyes. “That really was uncalled for. It’s just such a strange thing to have happened. And I can’t even begin to imagine how it feels to have no sense of self. I do apologize.”
    She glared at the hand that restrained her. But he wasn’t going to let go until he got through to her. “Will you forgive me?” He smiled slowly, deliberately, aware he was turning on the famous Rashid charm.
    He felt her relax under his fingers. Male satisfaction spurted through him. His charm had effect on her. She was not immune to him. He released her arm. “Please sit.”
    She acquiesced, but a sharp wariness lingered in her eyes. He felt compelled to chase it away. “I should be doing more than apologizing,” he said. “I should be thanking you for allowing my daughter to speak again.”
    Her eyes softened. “Dr. Watson told me she hasn’t spoken in nearly two years, not since the death of her mother.” She hesitated as if unsure of her ground. “I’m sorry for your loss, David,” she said. “I’m sorry for what you and Kamilah must have gone through.”
    The muscles of his neck constricted. He shouldn’t have opened this door. He didn’t know what had possessed him to do it. He looked away. “It’s in the