Buch lesen: «Captive For The Sheikh's Pleasure»

CHAPTER ONE

‘I WOULD NEVER have gone if you’d told me!’

Maggie Delaney was less than impressed as she made her way back to the hostel in Zayrinia with her roommate Suzanne.

Red-haired and with fair skin, Maggie had caught far too much of the Arabian sun but it wasn’t that which was concerning her now—the innocent boat trip Maggie had been expecting had been far from that! ‘It was practically an orgy.’

‘I didn’t know how it was going to turn out,’ Suzanne said. ‘I honestly thought that we’d be snorkelling. Oh, come on, Maggie, loosen up!’

Maggie had been told that rather too many times in her lifetime and especially over the past year.

She wasn’t particularly close to Suzanne. They had met a few months ago when they had been working at the same bar and had caught up by chance here in Zayrinia.

For Maggie it was the end of a year-long working holiday and it had been the most amazing year of her life. She had travelled across Europe and Asia and had saved just enough money to go a little off the beaten path on her return journey home. She had squeezed in a stopover in Zayrinia on the last leg of her journey but, even prior to landing, Maggie had promptly fallen in love with the place.

Looking out of the window as the plane had turned in its path she had watched the desert give way to a stunning city—glittering high-rise buildings contrasted with an ancient walled citadel. And then on the final approach they had flown over the glistening ocean and the harbour lined with luxurious yachts. At her first glimpse of Zayrinia, Maggie had found herself entranced.

Today was the anniversary of her mother’s death and so she had awoken feeling somewhat low. Then Suzanne had told her that she had a plus-one ticket on a boating trip out to the coral reef.

Maggie’s trepidation had started even before boarding.

Instead of a snorkelling boat, they had approached a seriously luxurious yacht but Suzanne had waved away her concerns when Maggie had voiced them.

‘My treat—’ Suzanne had smiled ‘—before you head back to London. Are you looking forward to going home?’

Maggie had thought for a moment and had been just about to answer when Suzanne had cut in, ‘Sorry, that was insensitive, given that you don’t have anyone waiting there for you.’

Suzanne’s insensitive apology had hurt more than the original comment, but Maggie simply hadn’t known how to respond. She had told Suzanne ages ago that she had been in and out of foster and care homes since she was seven and didn’t have any family.

‘Or do you have people waiting?’ Suzanne persisted. ‘Do you still see any of your foster families?’

‘No!’

Maggie’s response was swift and a touch harsh. She was well aware that she came across as rather brusque at times. It was something she had been trying to work on during her year away. But opening up to others didn’t come easily at all and Suzanne had touched on a very raw nerve. At the age of twelve, Maggie had been promised the world; for a few short months she had believed she was a part of a family. It had happened once before.

A year after her mother had died a young couple had taken her in, but their marriage had broken up and she had gone back to care. For a while she had received birthday and Christmas cards but they had petered out. It had hurt, of course, though nothing compared to what had happened a few years later when another family had taken her in. Maggie had expected nothing by then, but Diane, her foster mother, had insisted on giving Maggie the world before coldly taking it back.

It was something Maggie did her level best not to think about; she hadn’t even told her best friend, Flo, what had happened that awful day.

‘I have friends,’ Maggie said, trying not to sound too defensive and trying not to let Suzanne hear her hurt.

‘Of course you do,’ Suzanne said. ‘It’s not the same, though, is it?’

Maggie didn’t answer.

Suzanne often left her feeling rather sideswiped. Maggie was trying to be more trusting and open with people, but it didn’t come easily. She was very aware that she was a touch cynical and always kept her guard up. She’d had to in some of the places she had lived.

Still, she tried.

And so, rather than explain the hurt the remark had caused, and rather than question just where Suzanne had got the invitation from, Maggie boarded.

As the yacht set off, it became increasingly clear to Maggie that they weren’t on a trip out to the coral reef. Instead, it was a very exclusive party and it would seem that they were there to pretty up the numbers!

But, other than jumping overboard, there was little she could do.

And so, wearing nothing more than a bikini and sarong, Maggie felt underdressed and over-exposed. She tried to grin and bear it at first but was all too aware of the roaming eyes drifting over her body. It made her feel supremely uncomfortable, as well as irritated, as Suzanne constantly told her to relax.

Maggie declined the free-flowing champagne that was floating around but, sick of water and needing something sweet in the fierce sun, she asked for a mocktail.

It was spicy and laced with cinnamon and tasted utterly delectable, until it was halfway down and Maggie suddenly felt dizzy and ill.

Perhaps they had got her order wrong—though Maggie doubted it—but was grateful when Suzanne steered her away from the blazing sun and led her to a cabin to lie down.

* * *

‘You were gone for ages,’ Suzanne said as the hostel came into sight. ‘Come on, spill, what did you and the sexy prince get up to?’

Maggie halted mid-stride. ‘Nothing,’ she responded. ‘How was I supposed to know it was the royal cabin?’

‘And how was I?’ Suzanne calmly answered. ‘Maggie, it was an honest mistake.’

Maggie shrugged and did her best to let it go. She seemed to have to do that an awful lot around Suzanne, though. But again she said nothing, telling herself that it really had been a simple mix-up and thankfully no harm had been done. In fact, it had been nice to hide for a couple of hours in the cool of the cabin, though it had been a touch awkward at first when the prince had come in to find her lying on his bed!

Suzanne assumed more had happened.

It hadn’t.

Nothing like that ever did!

Maggie sometimes wondered if she had been born missing a fuse, for not even the sight of a sexy prince with just a towel around his hips could ignite her.

It had been a touch awkward at first; she’d apologised, of course, and they’d ended up talking.

There had been nothing more to it than that.

As they walked into the hostel, all Maggie wanted was to have a shower, some supper and answer a few emails. Paul, her boss at the café where she had worked before heading off on her trip, was short staffed and had asked her to let him know when she would be home and whether she wanted her old job back.

She also wanted to send a long email to her friend Flo who would, no doubt, laugh her head off at the thought of Maggie alone in a bedroom with a sexy prince and nothing other than conversation taking place!

After that she just wanted to read in peace.

Perhaps peace was a slightly tall order given that she was in a four-bed dorm at the hostel, but Suzanne was doing the star-gazing tour tonight and the two other women had checked out this morning.

Hopefully nobody else had checked in!

‘Maggie!’

She heard her name being called from Reception and Maggie headed over to the desk as Suzanne made her way to the dorm.

Tazia, the receptionist, gave Maggie an apologetic smile as she approached. ‘We have just heard that tomorrow’s star-gazing trip has had to be cancelled as there is a simoom predicted.’

‘Simoom?’

‘A large sandstorm. I’ve got a refund here for you.’

‘Oh, no.’ Maggie sighed because she had been really looking forward to it.

‘I am sorry,’ Tazia said as she handed over the cash. ‘The earliest I can book is Monday but even that would depend on the storm clearing in time.’

Maggie shook her head. Her flight was on Monday morning, so that was no good. ‘How about tonight?’ Maggie asked, even though she was incredibly tired.

‘It’s fully booked. I tried a couple of other operators but given the unpredictability of the weather most aren’t taking any tourists out tonight.’

It was such a disappointment and Maggie could have kicked herself for not booking the trip for tonight when she’d had a chance. Though she knew the real reason why she’d avoided this evening’s excursion—Suzanne had booked a ticket and, in truth, Maggie had wanted to take this trip alone.

‘Thanks anyway,’ Maggie said. ‘If there are any cancellations, can you let me know?’

‘I wouldn’t count on it.’ Tazia shook her head. ‘You are tenth on the list.’

It simply wasn’t meant to be.

Maggie went into the dorm to collect her toiletry bag before heading for the shower.

‘What did Tazia want?’ Suzanne asked.

‘The trip to the desert tomorrow has been cancelled.’ Maggie sighed. ‘I’m going to take a shower.’

‘While you do, is it okay if I borrow your phone? I just want to send a text to Glen.’

Suzanne’s phone had got wet and so for the last few days she had been using Maggie’s.

‘Sure,’ Maggie agreed.

The shower was far from luxurious but after a year spent in hostels Maggie was more than used to it.

The water was cool and refreshing and so Maggie stayed under for a while, rinsing off the copious amounts of sun lotion she had applied to her pale skin. Then she massaged conditioner into her long red curls while trying to let go of the hurt that Suzanne’s thoughtless words had caused.

‘It’s not the same, though, is it?’

It had been a throwaway comment, yet it still buzzed around in her head and so, rather than think of old hurts, Maggie turned her mind to all that had happened today.

Or rather all that hadn’t!

She was terribly aware that she was light years behind her peers in the sexual department.

It wasn’t through lack of opportunity. In the café where she worked at home there were endless clients who tried to flirt or outright asked her out. Occasionally Maggie went along, but it was always the same outcome—a few awkward kisses were the sum total of her dating repertoire.

Still, even if there hadn’t been so much as a flicker of attraction, Hazin had been interesting to talk to. For all his good looks and privilege, he had seemed refreshingly down to earth. Usually when she told anyone that she had no family they would offer awkward sympathy. Hazin had grinned and told her she was the lucky one, then had proceeded to tell her about his parents and the cold way in which he and his older brother, Ilyas, had been raised.

‘Are you close to your brother?’ Maggie had asked.

‘Who? Ilyas?’ Hazin grinned. ‘No one could get close to him.’

Yes, it had been interesting indeed, and now Maggie could not wait to email Flo and bring her up to date. She turned off the taps and reached around the curtain for her towel and change of clothes.

For Maggie there was no question of drying off in the open dressing area. She had lived in too many places and with too many strangers to trust others and so always emerged from the shower fully dressed.

Thankfully, the copious amounts of sun lotion she had applied through the day seemed to have done the trick because as she dried off it would seem only her shoulders were a touch pink. The rest of her was as white and freckled as ever.

Maggie was incapable of getting a tan and had long since given up trying. In fact, she looked as if she’d come from an English winter rather than a sun-soaked Middle Eastern summer.

She pulled on some pale yoga pants and a long-sleeved top; though the days were hot, the desert nights were cold. Maggie was just thinking about what to have for supper when she returned to the dorm and saw that Suzanne was packing.

‘Getting ready for tonight?’ Maggie asked.

‘No,’ Suzanne said. ‘There’s been a bit of a change of plan. I’m checking out and meeting up with Glen in Dubai.’

‘Oh,’ Maggie said. ‘Tonight?’

‘I’m to collect the ticket at the airport.’

‘Wow! Well, I guess this is goodbye, then.’

Suzanne nodded and smiled. ‘It’s been nice spending time with you.’

‘It has,’ Maggie said politely. There was no offer to keep in touch, from either of them.

Maggie didn’t find goodbyes hard in the least—her childhood had guaranteed that she was very used to them.

To this day, she could still recall coming home from her new school and racing through the door of her new home to see her new puppy, only to be greeted by her social worker and told it was time to return to ways of old.

Maggie could never forget Diane’s cold blue eyes flick away when Maggie had asked to see the puppy.

‘Can I say goodbye to Patch?’ she had asked.

‘Patch isn’t here,’ the social worker had said.

He must have been too much trouble too.

Maggie hadn’t cried as her bags had been loaded into the social worker’s car and she certainly hadn’t cried when she’d walked out of that house.

Even back in a new care home she had not cried that night in bed.

Tears didn’t help. If they did, her mother would still be alive.

Yes, she was very used to goodbyes and, in truth, this particular one with Suzanne came as a bit of a relief. Maggie was happy with her own company and she found Suzanne a bit pushy.

‘Hey,’ Suzanne suddenly said, and opened up her travel wallet. ‘You could use this.’

Maggie looked down at the coveted ticket for the star-gazing trip tonight and a smile lit her face. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Well, I shan’t be using it. I was going to hand it back in at the desk and get a refund...’

‘Don’t!’ Maggie yelped, and handed over the cash that Tazia had just given her. ‘I’m way down the cancellation list.’

‘You’ll have to use my name, then. I booked the Star Package, with a camel ride included.’ She gave Maggie a smile. ‘You’d better get a move on, the bus leaves at eight.’

There was just time for Maggie to tie back her hair and pack a small overnight bag as Suzanne pulled on her backpack.

‘Well, I’m off,’ Suzanne said.

‘Safe travels.’

‘You too! And don’t forget,’ Suzanne said as she headed out of the door, ‘for tonight you’re Suzanne.’