Familiar Oasis

Chapter Two

Harad wanted only to close his eyes, open them, and find that he was not in a hospital room with the blond, willful and very American Amelia Corbet. Though she was one of the most attractive women he’d ever seen—and he’d made it a point to see a lot of women—she was opinionated, bossy and without the first hint of manners. So many women, when they stepped into the business world, lost their femininity. Amelia Corbet would walk over a man and never even look back to see if her spiked heels had left holes in the body.

Because of his brother, Harad knew Amelia was his responsibility until he could get her out of Egypt and on her way to wherever it was that she did her jet-set business. Which would be as soon as possible. He did not trust her—especially with the secrets of his people.

“How long before the doctor will release you?” he asked, forcing his voice to a level of politeness.

Mauve jumped in with the answer. “The doctor said he would come by before dinner. If Amelia’s health checks out, she can leave right after that,” she said.

Harad glanced down at his wristwatch. Maybe half an hour, but it would be the next day before she could catch a flight out. “I’ll book a room for you in the Abbula Hotel,” he offered. “And for you, Mauve. I know you’ve been at the Crescent, but I’d like you to be near Amelia if you don’t mind. The Abbula is a comfortable blend of my culture and your own, Ms. Corbet. Perhaps you won’t feel so much that you’ve been dropped in the middle of barbarians.”

He saw the flush creep over her cheeks once again and felt a dart of shame at his own conduct. At least Amelia had the upbringing to be ashamed of herself. And she had apologized. Now he had been the one to show rudeness.

“That would be lovely, Mr. Dukhan,” Amelia said with perfect grace. “But it isn’t necessary. I’m sure that I can manage in Alexandria as well as I can in any other international city.”

There was just enough challenge in her voice to make Harad smile. She was a woman of spirit, a trait he admired in both men and women. “My offer was not meant to imply that you needed assistance, only that I would like to extend the courtesy. Your first impression of my country could not possibly be favorable. I assure you that most visitors aren’t accosted in the airport. While you are here, I want you to see the best of what Alexandria has to offer.”

He could see that Amelia wasn’t fooled one little bit, but she nodded and thanked him sweetly.

A tap at the door signaled the arrival of the doctor. Mauve greeted the white-coated gentleman like an old friend, and Harad remembered that the redhead had been poisoned, too. Someone had put something in her coffee and Dr. Rashad had taken care of her—with some help from Omar. In fact, Beth Bradshaw’s entire quest to find the lost City of Con had been fraught with dangerous incidents. But Omar, Harad, Beth and the uncanny black feline, Familiar, had rounded up the men responsible for trying to injure Beth and to steal her research. Those men were behind bars.

So why had someone attacked Amelia? The question niggled in the back of his brain as he started to make his excuses and step from the room to allow the doctor time to examine Amelia.

Another tap at the door halted him. It swung wide to reveal a tall man with broad shoulders and a long stride who stepped immediately to Amelia’s side. He carried a clipboard, and his dark eyes were solemn as they examined Amelia.

“Ms. Corbet, this is Dr. Mosheen.” Dr. Rashad made the introductions. “He specializes in poisons.”

“Kaffar Mosheen,” the man said, stepping slightly in front of Harad as he took Amelia’s hand. He kissed it in a smooth, continental gesture.

“Dr. Mosheen is a botanist as well as a doctor,” Dr. Rashad explained. “He provided the antidote for you, and he’s expressed a personal interest in your case. He asked to meet you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” Amelia said, turning to the taller doctor. “Thank you, Dr. Mosheen. I was very sick, but I’m feeling much better now.”

Harad felt his jaw muscles twitch at the way Amelia was smiling up into the doctor’s eyes. She was looking at him as if he had descended from heaven.

“The poison was very interesting,” Dr. Mosheen said. He leaned toward Amelia and unerringly bent to examine her neck. “The point of injection was fortunate. It missed the arteries. It is my guess that your assailant had a small ring that would spring open and reveal a tiny needle. The needle had been dipped in the poison, which is not normally lethal. My supposition is that the incident was intended to make you very sick and dizzy. You were spared much of the discomfort thanks to your friend, who acted so quickly and called an ambulance. My curiosity is aroused, though. It is a very old poison not commonly used against humans.”

“You’re making us feel better and better,” Mauve said with a hint of sarcasm. “Next you’ll tell us that the poison is the weapon of choice of either a satanic cult or a terrorist group bent on killing all Americans.”

Dr. Mosheen laughed softly, but his eyes remained serious. “Not quite so dramatic. The poison comes from a common plant, therefore many people could have knowledge of its use. In a very diluted form it’s used to spray cotton plants to kill insects.” He shrugged. “It would not be difficult to find. An attack of this sort is not the style of a terrorist group. More likely the attacker was a common thief who targeted Ms. Corbet as a wealthy American traveler.”

“I’m sure you’ve informed the police of all this,” Harad cut in.

He saw Amelia’s eyebrows lift slightly, and he knew his tone had been curt.

“Yes, the authorities are informed,” Dr. Mosheen said smoothly. “They will want to question Ms. Corbet tomorrow, when she is completely recovered. I will send them to your hotel—”

“I’ll make sure she gets to the police department,” Harad said. “Can Ms. Corbet leave now?” He addressed the question to the older doctor.

“Yes,” Dr. Rashad said. “She must be watched, though.”

Kaffar Mosheen seemed oblivious to Harad’s terse behavior. He turned back to Amelia. “If you are staying in Alexandria, I’d very much like to talk with you about the sensations of the drug—and that interesting pendant you’re wearing.” He reached into the pocket of his white coat and pulled out a business card and pressed it gently into Amelia’s hand. “Please call me if you find you have a free hour. It would greatly help my research.”

“Yes, thank you, Doctor.” Amelia took the card.

Both doctors left the room, already talking about another case. Harad found himself standing at the door, feeling completely out of place. It wasn’t an emotion he’d felt often, and he distinctly disliked it.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Amelia said, “I’ll dress with Mauve’s help.”

Harad nodded and stepped outside the door without a word. He took up his position in the hallway, waiting for the women. Amelia was a burden transferred from his brother’s back to his own. So why had he gotten so irritated at the way Dr. Mosheen had been coming on to her? And it had been a come-on. Research! Bah! The doctor recognized a beautiful woman when he saw one, and he was not so wrapped up in his research that he wasn’t interested in making a move on the American.

AMELIA GRINNED as she looked into Mauve’s dancing eyes. “Well, that was interesting.”

“It would appear Mr. Dukhan has a personal stake in what you do, and with whom.” Mauve’s grin was delighted.

“Wrong,” Amelia said. “I don’t let men boss me around. Especially not men I don’t know. Most especially not a man with an attitude.”

Mauve reached under the hospital bed and pulled out Amelia’s suitcase. She lifted it to the bed as Amelia swung her legs out from under the sheets and gingerly stood, fighting a wave of dizziness as she clutched at the hospital gown. “These things ought to be banned,” she said. “They’re hideous. I wonder what happened to my clothes.”

Mauve shrugged. “They took you into the emergency room, and when you came out you were in this hospital getup. I can go check if you’d like.”

Amelia shook her head. “Let it go. I just want to get out of here.” Reaching for the suitcase, she started to unzip it, when she found a long slash in the leather. “Look at this,” she said, calling Mauve’s attention to the cut.

“When did that happen?” Mauve asked, fingering the slash that gave access to the interior of the bag. “Maybe it got caught on a machine in the baggage department.”

“I didn’t check the case at baggage. It was with me the entire time. I don’t know when it could have gotten cut like that…” She looked at Mauve. “The man that poisoned me, he must have cut the bag. That’s the only time anyone got close enough to do it.”

She thought back to the incident. It had to have been the man who’d poisoned her. Reaching into her bag, she got clean clothes and quickly dressed in a silk sheath and sandals. Just as the doctor had predicted, she was feeling better and better.

“If getting your bag was the goal, then the man had a reason to poison you,” Mauve said. “What did he think you were carrying in it? Money? Jewels?” She looked pointedly at the gold scarab on Amelia’s neck. “Sometimes it isn’t wise to wear expensive jewelry when you travel.”

“Beth told me to wear this necklace. I thought it was so that you could identify me.”

“As if I could miss you after listening to Beth talk about you for months on end,” Mauve said, making a mock face. “Beth told you to wear the necklace?”

“When she sent it, the note said to wear it.” Her fingers went to the scarab. “What kind of bug is it?”

Mauve rolled her eyes. “Jeez, Amelia. It’s the beetle of the tombs. It’s sort of the scavenger bug.” She hesitated. “It feeds off the bodies.”

Amelia’s hand dropped the pendant. “Beth never had that kind of sense of humor.”

“It’s an expensive piece. The gold looks pure and the craftsmanship is exquisite.”

“Maybe so, but it isn’t exactly the kind of gift Beth would normally send to me.” Amelia’s long fingers went back to the pendant. She was troubled by the scarab and what it might represent. Had Beth been trying to send some kind of message? The best thing to do would be to find Beth and ask her in person. Her sister was a lot more important than even the premier French-perfume account.

“Ready?” Mauve asked.

“Yes.” Amelia took a deep breath. “I suppose we’re going to have to allow Mr. Dukhan to take us to the hotel he’s selected for us.”

“Don’t make it sound like such a sacrifice. The Abbula is a wonderful old hotel. Expensive, I might add. And as for Harad Dukhan, I think I could easily take a few orders from him.”

Amelia laughed despite herself. “He is rather good-looking,” she admitted.

“That, my dear, is the understatement of the year.”

“Okay, he’s drop-dead gorgeous,” Amelia conceded. “But just because he’s attractive doesn’t mean he’s a nice man.”

“Now that sounds like your sister, Beth. The old ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ routine. Honestly, if I’m going to be bamboozled by a man, I’d just prefer it to be a handsome, virile hunk, like Harad.”

“You have a point,” Amelia said, lifting her suitcase. “Let’s continue with the bamboozling and see where it gets us.”

“Hey, if you decide on Harad, maybe you could point that doctor in my direction. He wasn’t hard to look at, either.”

“Somehow, Mauve, I don’t think you need any help in the men department.” Amelia opened the door to find Harad standing only three feet away.

“Ladies,” he said, walking into the room to lift the suitcase. He gave the slashed leather a long look.

“Amelia thinks it was the man who stuck her in the neck,” Mauve supplied. “Probably a thief.”

“An unsuccessful one,” Amelia added. She walked out of the room, aware of Harad’s gaze on her. Despite herself, she felt a shiver rush over her skin. He made her very aware that she was a woman.

HARAD CHOSE a table in the corner of the restaurant where he could watch the lobby. He’d reserved rooms for both Mauve and Amelia and they had gone to refresh themselves. First thing tomorrow, when he was sure Amelia was okay, he’d get her a flight out of town. He sipped a glass of wine as he tried to decide what to do with the two women for the remainder of the evening.

On the off chance that there was a night flight, he’d had his secretary check the airlines. If he could only reassure the blonde that Beth was okay, Amelia could be on a plane to Paris at ten in the morning. That was the scenario he preferred. No good could come of her visiting the lost City of Con. She was a danger to herself and others. Once she was airborne, he was relieved of all obligations to keep her safe. She could come back to visit at a better time.

He felt something under the table and reached down to stroke the black cat that twined through his legs. The last time he’d seen Familiar, the cat had been in the airport. Now he was at the Abbula. After listening to Omar and Beth talk about the cat, nothing about Familiar surprised Harad.

“Meow.” Familiar hopped onto the chair beside Harad and looked pointedly at the dish of fresh butter.

“Lucky this is Egypt,” Harad said as he buttered a piece of warm bread for the cat. “I don’t think restaurants in America allow feline guests.”

With great finesse, Familiar took the bread from his fingers. Harad was so engrossed in Familiar that he didn’t notice the tall, slender woman who walked quietly up to the table.

“What is it with cats and Egyptians?”

Startled, Harad looked up to find Amelia watching him with humor.

“We honor the feline,” he said, buttering another piece of bread and handing it to the cat. “Especially this feline. He played a large role in preventing injury to Beth.” He could see that Amelia was both intrigued and a little skeptical. “Would you and Mauve care to have dinner with me? I’ll fill you in on the details.”

She hesitated, then gracefully sat in a chair opposite him. “Mauve is doing some vital work on a computer tonight and I get the feeling you’re guarding me,” she said as she settled a napkin onto her lap.

“I promised my brother that I would make sure you were safe.” Another question popped out of his mouth, surprising him as much as her. “Does it bother you?” He signaled the waiter to bring another glass of wine.

Amelia quit playing with her napkin and looked directly into his eyes. “Yes and no.”

When she didn’t continue, he pressed. “Is there an explanation that comes with that answer?”

“I’ve fought a long time to be considered independent in a very tough business. For me to do my job effectively, I can’t afford for anyone to look at me as someone who needs protection or to be cared for in any way.” She spoke slowly, as if she was exploring her feelings as she went. “That’s the yes part. The no part is that I have to admit, it is rather nice to know that someone cares what happens to me, even if it is someone who’s obligated to care because of his brother.”

Her smile took the sting out of her last words, and Harad found that he was smiling back at her. “Our siblings have woven an interesting web around us,” he said. “You’ve come to protect your sister, who I might add seems completely capable of taking care of herself. And I’m here because of my brother. Soon you’ll be safely on your way home. Perhaps we can simply let it go at that and enjoy dinner. I highly recommend the sea bass.”

Amelia pushed her unopened menu aside. “Seeing as how you’re my protector for the evening, I’ll have the sea bass. By the way, my rooms are lovely. This is a wonderful old hotel.” She leaned toward him, “Even if they do allow cats to dine in the restaurant.”

Harad was captured by her warm smile and the hint of cleavage that was revealed by her forward movement. She wore a coral dress that fell smoothly over her slender figure. With her blond hair pulled casually into a bun, she was the perfect image of sophistication and poise. Yet there was a twinkle in her blue eyes that promised humor and mischief.

The waiter came to the table and Harad was about to order, when Familiar put a paw on the menu beside him.

“Meow!”

It was a demand not a request.

“I believe we’ll have three sea bass,” Harad said without blinking. “And a saucer of heavy cream.”

AMELIA LEANED her wrists on the edge of the table to keep her hands still as Harad told her about her sister’s involvement with criminals intent on using the ancient plant called the orbus to produce a potent drug that might give them an unfair advantage in controlling global events.

“I believe their goal was to use the drug to predict the future for political and financial gain,” he said. “But Beth and Omar figured out that several of Beth’s associates were involved in the plot. The criminals are in jail,” he concluded.

“Beth was almost killed?” Amelia knew she sounded breathless. “When I got the packet she sent me, I knew something was wrong. But I never dreamed she was on the verge of being murdered.”

“My younger brother is a very capable man. He’ll see to it that Beth is safe now.”

“Then all of the criminals were captured?”

Harad hesitated. “The man who backed Beth’s expedition, Nazar Bettina, could not be found. The authorities have discovered that no such man ever existed. We believe that John Gilmore, one of the scientists in Beth’s employ, created the identity of Bettina to hide a cabal of wealthy Americans.”

“And those men will go unpunished?” Amelia didn’t try to hide her disappointment.

“I hope not,” Harad said. “But it is now between your government and mine. Mr. Gilmore will be strongly pressured to reveal the names, which so far he has refused to do. He claims he doesn’t know who Nazar Bettina really is.”

“Is my sister safe?” Amelia asked.

“She’s very safe. Though Mr. Gilmore has so far refused to cooperate, the men who stood to gain from his deeds no longer have anything to gain. The plant that they sought has long been extinct. There is no longer an interest in your sister’s explorations.”

“I’m still worried about her.” Amelia’s hand caught at the scarab pendant. “She sent a note that said I should get to Alexandria as quickly as possible and to bring some photographs. Then I received this pendant so I would be recognized by the people who would meet me.”

“I knew nothing of the pendant,” Harad said, his gaze taking in the piece. “Omar sent me to meet you at the airport to make sure you understood everything was fine. And it is. Beth is safe and happy. You have my word. There is no need for you to change your business appointments. Beth’s only regret was there wasn’t time to get you to the wedding.”

“I’d give anything to be there, but Beth’s happiness is all that’s important.” Amelia said. She couldn’t help but notice Harad’s hands. The fingers were long and tapered, and he used them with great eloquence as he talked. What would it be like to feel those fingers on her flesh? The thought was so erotic that she looked down at her plate. “And this lost city that she was searching for, will she ever find it?”

Harad shrugged. “That’s between Omar and Beth. They must weigh the future.”

It was a diplomatic answer and gave Amelia time to compose herself and frame another question. “Why is it that Omar is head of your people? You’re the elder brother. Isn’t it traditional for that role to go to the oldest son?”

“Or daughter, in the case of my people.” Harad refilled her wineglass. “With my people, the gift of prophecy was passed from mother to daughter. A female child was the greatest blessing of the gods.” He gave a wry smile. “I suppose you could say that I’ve grown up in a reverse culture.”

“That would be fascinating to experience,” Amelia said. “But you didn’t answer my question. It was a good dodge, but not good enough.”

Harad laughed out loud, and Amelia found that she took great pleasure in his laughter. It had been a long, long time since she’d spent such an enjoyable evening.

“I wanted something other than the desert life. Omar loves the horses. He enjoys the sun and the restless nature of a nomadic tribe. He is also the keeper of the faith, and I’m not mocking him when I say that. Tradition, to him, is vital. To me, it is a hindrance. Once we both received our education in Paris I knew I would never return to the old way of life. I wanted to live in the city, to enjoy the luxuries that I could earn. He was the exact opposite. So I stepped aside and let the man best suited to rule take over. Instead of a desert leader, I studied architecture and then put together my own development company.”

Amelia played with the remains of her fish as Harad talked, but she was watching him closely. Though he was adept at casual talk, he didn’t back away from revealing personal truths. In many ways, he was far more open about his feelings than anyone she’d met in ages. He was a fascinating and compelling man.

“You seem lost in thought, Ms. Corbet,” he said, teasing her gently. “Are you envisioning me astride a camel in the middle of sand?”

Amelia shook her head. “Quite the contrary. I can more easily see you on a Paris street or at an Austrian business table. If I were staying longer, I’d like to see some of the buildings you’ve developed.”

“My secretary did check on a flight to Paris for you,” Harad said, reaching into his coat pocket to bring out the information. “The first flight is at ten in the morning. I took the liberty of booking a ticket for you. You’ll arrive in Paris in the evening. A car will be waiting for you there.”