The Sheikh's Diamond (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 1) (4 page)

“I’d point out that’s impossible, but I have a feeling that you’re the type of person who needs to find that on her own. When were you planning on telling me about this oasis?”

She reddened. “I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure that I was on to something. I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

Masoud smiled and reached up to brush a finger along her cheek. It was a surprisingly intimate gesture, and she inhaled sharply. “You don’t want to disappoint me. I appreciate that. Does he have to come with us?”

“We’re a team,” Bruce said quickly. “Where she goes, I go.”

Masoud narrowed his eyes and studied Fleur. “If it’s his money that is compelling this union, you don’t need it,” he said softly.

“It’s not just money. He’s my support team.”

“I’d rather this not fall into the hands of someone I don’t know. If you’ll hand over the maps, I’ll let you know what we find,” Masoud said as he held up his hands.

Fleur felt a streak of anger as she held the maps close to her chest. “Do you speak Aramaic or Coptic?”

The Sheikh hesitated. “You don’t have a translation?”

“I don’t need one.”

Masoud chuckled. “I see. You speak Aramaic and Coptic, and you’re not going to share your knowledge.”

“You told me you need me,” she said slowly. “You can’t shut me out now.”

“Very well. You’ll travel with me. Your partner,” his eyes slid toward Bruce and he frowned, “can travel with security.”

“Now hold on,” Bruce protested, but security was already loading their bags. Fleur couldn’t even hear Bruce’s complaints. She was too excited about this next step in her adventure.

Research,
she reminded herself as she climbed in the car. This was research, pure and simple. Researching an undiscovered oasis in a foreign land with a sexy Sheikh.

Sounded more like an adventure to her.

Masoud watched as Fleur tapped her finger nervously on her knee as they pulled to a stop. He could see all the passion and excitement pent up in her, and he wanted to unleash it in a far more carnal way. In the past, he never cared much for academic types. They simply plundered his country and took what they wanted in the name of knowledge without ever asking for permission.

The monuments and artifacts spoke of the rich history of his country and people. He wanted desperately to keep them out of the eager hands of the Western world, and yet when he watched Fleur, he realized how different she was. She’d spent her entire life looking to prove Solomon’s Diamond was real, and he was desperate to know why.

She grabbed the door handle and jumped out. Holding her hands over her eyes, she scanned the area. “We’re probably going to have to split up and search the area. I can go with Bruce…”

“I don’t think so,” Masoud said with a shake of his head. “This area is still relatively wild, and you’ll need to be with someone who is familiar with the local animal life and vegetation. Split up in twos. Someone partner with the annoying male American. Fleur is with me,” he announced.

“You should have security with you,” one of the men protested, but Masoud held up his hand. “We’re in the middle of the wilderness. I doubt there will be any assassins hiding in the caves,” he said dryly. “If you find the site, you are to call me immediately. Do not touch anything. Is that clear?”

Everyone agreed except for Bruce. “Fleur?” he growled. “Don’t you think we should be sticking together?”

She hesitated. “He’s right, Bruce. We’ll cover more territory if we split up, and you and I would get hopelessly lost. I’ll be fine. I promise.”

Masoud put his arm around her and smiled. “She’ll be fine,” he echoed.

“Really,” Fleur muttered as she shrugged off his arm. “We have a diamond to find, remember? Stow the male bravado.”

Masoud chuckled and followed her around the rocky terrain. The cave dwellings were well known in this area, but they were rarely explored. Nothing but dirt, sand, and rocks for as far as the eye could see. The series of caves went for miles and miles. It was impossible to explore them without months’ worth of water, and if the dehydration didn’t kill them, the many different snakes, spiders, and other poisonous creatures would. The farther into the area they went, the more treacherous the land became for unprepared explorers. Masoud grew up playing in the rocky areas, but his redheaded beauty was far less stable in her footings. More than a few times, her foot slipped on the rocks.

He reached out to steady her, and she fell against him. “Easy,” he murmured huskily in her ear. He could have easily reached down and brushed his lips against hers, but she didn’t even seem fazed by him as she pulled away and scanned the area. “I should have worn hiking boots. Do you have any idea how far back these caves go?”

“Miles, I suppose. I could always carry you if you’d like,” he offered teasingly.

Fleur turned that pretty mouth to him and frowned. “Interesting request, but we won’t get very far if you’re carrying me. I’m sure I’ll get my footing eventually.” She pulled away from him, and he raised an eyebrow. What exactly did it take to get this woman’s attention?

“So what should I be looking for?” he asked with a sigh. If she wanted to talk about the oasis, they would talk about the oasis.

“Listen for the sound of water trickling on the rocks. An oasis will have to have the right combination of water, shade, and sunlight.” She ducked in between two of the cave formations and looked up. “If I can get up, I might be able to get a better sense of what we’re dealing with.” She planted her foot in a nook within the rock and grabbed the ledge to hoist herself up. Masoud reached up to grab her waist and gasped when he saw a snake slithering out from a hole near her hand.

“Fleur,” he yelled as he yanked her back. They both went tumbling to the ground, and he held her close so that he would cushion her fall. Hitting the ground hard, he groaned as the rocks bit into his back. Pain ricocheted through his muscles and down his legs.

“Masoud,” she cried out as she wrenched her body around. Straddling him, she immediately lifted his head and ran her hands over his hair. “Are you okay? What the hell were you thinking?”

“Right now I’m thinking that this is one of my favorite positions,” he managed with a smile. She narrowed her eyes and smacked her hands lightly on his chest, but his smile faded when she moved slowly over him. She reached again to move her hands through his hair. She obviously didn’t believe that he wasn’t hurt.

“Fleur, I’m fine,” he said softly. Her eyes darkened as she looked at him, and for a moment, he thought she was going to lean down and kiss him. He yearned for it.

Then, she blinked. The spell was broken and she rolled off him. Shaking his head, he couldn’t even begin to imagine what was going on in that mind of hers. Carefully, he got up and took stock of himself. He’d be sore in the morning, but there were no open wounds. “There are quite a few species of poisonous snakes in the cave formations,” he said as he lifted himself into a standing position. “You need to be more careful where you step and put your hands.”

Fleur glanced at the snake slithering away and nodded. “Understood. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Why don’t you let me go first, and I’ll help you up,” he muttered as he reached up for the ledge. The pain was already ebbing. Climbing up, he scanned the area. She wasn’t wrong. They had a good vantage point. Turning, he held out his hand, and she grabbed it and climbed up.

“It never ends, does it?” she muttered as she glanced around. There was nothing but sand and caves for as far as the eye could see.

“We have to be careful about how long we stay out here. If we go in too deep, we might run out of water. Two more hours, Fleur. If we don’t find anything in two hours, we’ll have to come back better prepared. Deal?”

She nodded, but her shoulders drooped. It seemed an impossible feat, and he reached out and pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. “I believe in you. We will find it,” he said softly. He didn’t like to see her pout.

Straightening, she nodded. “You’re right. We will find it.” Flashing him a smile, she sat on the ledge and scooted down to the ground on the other side. He scrambled after her. If he didn’t keep an eye on her, she was likely to get in trouble again.

He almost hated to admit it, but she reminded him of his mother. Determined, sharp, logical. His mother also never fit into the family. He imagined that Fleur probably felt the same way. Still, he reminded himself that her feelings weren’t his concern. He was here for the diamond. Nothing else.

A subtle flash of light caught his eye, and he turned sharply. Grabbing his phone, he texted his security guards to find their status. They all responded that they were fine.

Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but it looked like someone was messaging someone with a mirror. And none of his people would need to do that.

Feeling uneasy, he turned and followed Fleur into the shade of one of the bigger caves. Her safety was his only priority.

Chapter Eight

Fleur tried to focus on the project at hand. Find the oasis. Find the diamond. Write her paper. Graduate. Rub it in her colleagues’ faces.

No. Scratch that last part. That wasn’t very professional.

But then again, neither was lusting after the potential distraction of the dangerously sexy, dark man who followed her every move. When he wasn’t touching her, she could feel his eyes on her. She would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t enjoy it.

He excited her.

The light barely filtered through the cave they were exploring, and he moved ahead of her to check out an opening. She took the opportunity to study him. Who was she kidding, gawk is more like it. Fleur knew that she was attractive, but she never considered herself the type to attract a man like him. Someone who could have anyone he wanted at the curl of a finger. So, why was he so interested in her? No one took her theories seriously. Why now?

Why did he have to be so sexy?

She didn’t trust him. He wasn’t telling her something and both her credibility and future career were at risk. For her to pursue this and then to fall flat on her face would mean she’d never find a position at a teaching institution, much less a position on a dig. But if she was right…. This was everything she ever dreamed and to have permission to search on his family’s land was a boon she couldn’t turn down, even if it meant Masoud was part of the agreement. And she knew without a doubt that he rarely heard the word no.

And the woman beneath her jeans and flannel shirt appreciated the way he looked at her. How he kept her within arm’s reach to make sure she stayed safe. Although she tried to be flippant, it meant a good deal to her that he wanted to protect her.

Another flash of light hit the cave wall, and she stiffened. Luckily, Masoud didn’t react this time. As subtly as possible, she pulled out her phone and texted Bruce.

Who is following us?

She wanted more than anything to believe that the light wasn’t trying to get Bruce’s attention, but she knew him too well. If he suspected that the diamond was real, he would have called someone. Except that there hadn’t been enough time for him to realize that Masoud had told her, so something else had to be at play. Keeping a close eye on the Sheikh, she glanced down at her phone again

I’m sorry, Fleur.

Sorry? She felt panic well up in her chest and tried not to freak out.

WHO IS FOLLOWING US?

It took another few minutes before Bruce finally responded.

Anton.

“Fuck,” she cried aloud. Masoud whipped his head around just as she was stuffing her phone in her pocket.

“What? What’s wrong?”

Blushing furiously, she tried to smile at him. “Sorry. I lost my footing,” she lied. Lying never came easy to her, and she prayed he thought her red cheeks were simply flushed from the heat. Anton Negatin was a collector, and not the old man kind who paid millions of dollars for their shiny things.

Anton was a thief. An incredibly dangerous one.

She’d run into him during her studies when she heard rumors that he’d actually acquired Solomon’s Diamond. In excitement and disbelief, she’d contacted him and asked to inspect it. It was months before he got back to her, and only after he ran an extensive background check on her and had her followed. The problem with Anton was that his collection was illegal, and he could never brag about it. Believing that she wouldn’t go to the police, he invited her back to his place for a chance to inspect the diamond.

He’d also had more romantic interludes in mind before she looked over the diamond and immediately declared it a fake. He was furious, and his temper was enough to scare her into leaving his house and never contacting him again. It made sense that he was on the trail of Solomon’s Diamond, but it didn’t make sense how he knew.

Masoud had turned back and was moving deeper into the cave. He pulled out his flashlight, and she pulled out her phone again.

How long have you known?

The response was immediate. Bruce must have been sweating her answer.

I’ve known for years that the Khalidizacks had the diamond. I just didn’t know it was missing.

She gritted her teeth and tried to get her breathing under control. It shouldn’t have surprised her in the least that her stepbrother was using her, but it still felt like a huge act of betrayal. The fact that he’d added Anton into the mix was a huge problem. Bruce she could handle. But Anton and his men were a different story entirely. While Anton was brilliant, he was also extremely obsessed and a little insane. She had no doubt that he’d do whatever it took to get his hands on the stone.

Even if that meant spilling blood.

She should tell Masoud, but she didn’t trust him enough not to harm her or leave her to fend for herself in the middle of the desert. Right now, the only person she could trust was herself, and that meant she needed to find the diamond and keep it as quiet as possible.

“It’s not here,” she cried out impatiently. The cave wall was getting narrower and narrower, and soon Masoud wasn’t going to be able to fit through. “If there was sunlight streaming somewhere in the cave, it wouldn’t be so dark. Come on. Let’s check another one.”

She turned to lead them out, and she felt him press himself up against her. As his arm snaked around her waist, he shined his flashlight in front of them.

Fleur stiffened, but it wasn’t in repulsion as much as it was in excitement. His scent was intoxicating, and she had to fight her desire to touch him. All of her nerve endings were screaming for her to get closer. Just being near him was overwhelming, and she found it terrifying. Taking a deep breath, she tried to regain control of her body. “What are you doing?” she asked instead in an even tone.

“I could ask you the same,” he said in an amused voice. “You’re the one who stopped.”

“Right,” she muttered as she broke out of his embrace.

“Is everything all right? You seem tense,” he said easily.

Nervously, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Everything is fine. I’m just nervous because we’re running out of time.”

“Did you really think we were going to find it the first day that we were out here? I didn’t. We have plenty of camping gear, and I’ll send some of my men to stock up on more water tonight. Don’t worry, Fleur,” he murmured. His breath tickled her ear as he moved up close behind her again.

She didn’t really expect that they would find it so easily, but she certainly needed to find it before Masoud realized what Bruce had done. The last thing she wanted was for the expedition to turn into a blood bath. And she wasn’t about to let Anton get his hands on that diamond.

They checked out a few more caves before Masoud ordered everyone to meet back at the cars. Dejected, she watched as his men pitched a camping area for everyone.

“He doesn’t look like the type of guy to sleep in a tent, does he?” Bruce asked timidly as he sidled up next to her.

“You don’t talk to me,” she hissed. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t even look at me. You have no idea what you’ve done.”

“Fleur, it’s not a big deal. With this diamond, think of how many expeditions I can fund for you. Anton has deep pockets. “

“Deep pockets and a quick trigger finger. If he just wanted to buy it from you, he wouldn’t be here, Bruce,” she whispered furiously. “You forget that I’ve met him. He’s a dangerous and violent man. He’s here to steal it, and he’s probably going to kill us all in the process. We need to call it off.”

“Absolutely not. The Sheikh could dump our bodies out here and no one would know,” he muttered. “And Anton isn’t like that. He just wants to inspect it before he buys it. That’s all. If you find it, you need to keep it from Masoud so we can smuggle it out. I’m sure you can distract him.”

Fleur felt sick to her stomach as she watched Bruce saunter away. There was a time when Fleur suspected that Bruce had feelings for her. She would have never suspected that he would put her in danger. But now, she was in the crosshairs of a dangerous man, and she’d dragged a royal figure in the mix with her.

She was no Indiana Jones. She should have just stayed behind her desk where she belonged. If she didn’t figure out something quick, she was going to get them all killed.