Jahlil wasn’t sure how to respond. “A climbing trip?” he prompted. “With Mike? You’ve mentioned Mike several times over the past few months.” Jahlil watched, fascinated as his younger brother blushed and looked hastily away.

  Sandoor’s fingers tightened around the now empty glass. “Yeah, Mike is a good guy.”

  Leaning forward, Jahlil looked into Sandoor’s eyes. “I’d love to meet him some day. Would you consider bringing him home when you have a chance?” he asked, trying to convey that Jahlil supported his younger brother, no matter what. Sandoor was a happy-go-lucky guy. Or at least, Jahlil had thought so, but the excessive drinking was new and rather worrisome. And this Mike guy…Jahlil had gotten the impression there was something special going on between Mike and his brother. Was he wrong?

  The blush that stole up Sandoor’s neck proved that Jahlil wasn’t off the mark. This Mike guy…he was special to Sandoor. So, why was Maya here? What was going on? Why was Sandoor engaged to Maya when his brother clearly had feelings for Mike?!

  “Mike is engaged to a lovely woman,” Sandoor said, toying with his glass. “They will be married in about two months.”

  “Ah!” Jahlil replied, understanding dawning. “Is that why you proposed to Maya then?”

  Sandoor’s eyes lifted, and the raw pain in his brother’s gaze startled Jahlil. He opened his mouth to say something, then shook his head slightly. “No. Of course not.” Sandoor thought for another moment, then shrugged. “I love Maya. She’s great. And she’s good for me.”

  Jahlil didn’t comment as he considered everything that had been said. And what hadn’t been said, which was probably more important. Finally, he nodded his head. “That’s good to hear. One’s life partner should balance out one’s personality.”

  Sandoor’s troubled features morphed back into his customary grin. “That’s what I said when Maya turned down my proposals the first few times.” He chuckled, shaking his head at the memories. “She kept saying that we’re too different. That we might work out in the short term, but long term, we’d grow to hate each other.” He laughed again. “But I said that we balance each other. We’re two extremes. She’s all serious and sedate while I’m more extravagant and frivolous. I convinced her that she needed me in her life to give her laughter and adventure.”

  “Like rock climbing?” Jahlil offered, more impressed with Maya now that he knew more about the relationship. He was still confused though.

  “Yeah,” Sandoor replied, and turned serious again. He glanced down at his shoes, at his empty glass of scotch, then finally lifted his eyes to look beseechingly at Jahlil. “I was hoping that…well, maybe you could keep an eye on Maya for me? Make sure that she’s okay while I’m gone?”

  What the hell? Sandoor was leaving his fiancée, basically abandoning her in a foreign country surrounded by strangers? Namely, himself? His eyes sharpened as he frowned at his brother. “You’re not taking her with you?”

  He slapped his knee as he laughed at the possibility. “Maya? On a mountain? Oh hell no! She doesn’t even like climbing ladders!”

  Jahlil’s eyebrow lifted at that. “So, when are you going on this ‘last hurrah’?”

  Sandoor shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “Mike was finally able to get some time off this weekend. Do you think…?”

  “That’s in two days!” Jahlil snapped, tamping down firmly on the sudden urge to shake his brother. “You came here to introduce me to your fiancée, and you’re going to abandon her so that you can take a climbing trip?”

  Sandoor shrugged, looking a bit worried now. “Well, it all came together so quickly. The opening with the climbing team wasn’t expected. And I know how tight your schedule is. So when you told me that you had time this weekend to meet someone special, I got Maya on the plane as fast as I could. I didn’t want to lose this opportunity for the two of you to meet.”

  Jahlil was trying to understand the subtexts here, but for once, Sandoor wasn’t being his normal, straightforward self. Which, in itself, was strange. Sandoor was usually an open book. He was a fun-loving man-child that always knew where to find a group of people to hang out with, always knew where the fun was. He could sniff out a good time anywhere, or he’d create a good time by gathering like-minded people around him. Jahlil didn’t condemn his younger brother because of Sandoor’s need for adventure. He accepted him for who he was. But leaving Maya in a couple of days with strangers? That didn’t bode well for a happy life together.

  Jahlil had thought that he’d understood and respected Sandoor. Now he wasn’t so sure.

  And yet, Jahlil knew that there was no way to convince Sandoor that abandoning his fiancée was a bad idea. So instead, he nodded and agreed to Sandoor’s request. “Maya is family now. Of course I’ll watch out for her,” Jahlil assured his younger brother. “How long will this trip be?”

  Sandoor’s shoulders dropped and his tight features relaxed back into an easy grin. “Just three days. I want to collect Maya before I register for classes in Boston. We’re on a tight schedule, since she’s starting her new job in about two weeks and needs to pack up her apartment. She’s moving to a new place, one a bit further away from campus, but much more affordable.”

  This was a surprise. “You won’t be living together?” he asked, impressed all over again by the woman’s choices.

  Sandoor flushed as he shook his head. “No. Maya told me that I have to prove myself before she’ll move in with me. She also wants to prove something to herself. She wants to live on her own to prove to herself that she can make it on her own in the world. She’s very ambitious and is eager to start her new job.” He grinned, bowing his head slightly. “She’s going to be amazing at it too!”

  Jahlil nodded, thinking that Maya was indeed a very interesting woman. Smart, beautiful, and she’d caught the attention of Sandoor. She must be a good person!

  “That’s very sensible of her,” Jahlil said, thinking of how pretty her blue eyes were and the way her lips had trembled when he’d shaken her hand. “Let me know what I can do to help.”

  Jahlil stood up, taking Sandoor’s glass and setting it on the table, hoping that his brother didn’t help himself to any more. Already, Sandoor’s eyes were a bit glassy. “You must be exhausted from your trip. Why don’t you go relax by the pool?” he offered.

  Sandoor smiled, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, that sounds nice.” He started to leave, then turned back. “Thanks,” he said, his voice filled with sincerity. “You’ve always supported me, Jahlil.” For a moment, he looked defeated. “I know I’m a mess. Maya has talked to me about taking on more responsibility, to stop acting so silly.”

  Jahlil’s eyes sharpened. “She said that to you?” Angry on Sandoor’s behalf.

  Sandoor laughed. “No way! She used pretty words, just like you. But I still got the message.” He smiled sadly. “Maya said basically the same thing that you’ve been trying to tell me this whole time. That I need to grow up.” He sighed, rubbing his hands over his slacks. “Maya is going to help me do that. It’s going to be different. You’ll see,” he vowed. “From now on, as soon as I get back from this trip, I’ll be a different man. Someone that you and Maya can be proud of.”

  And with that, he left Jahlil’s office with his chin held high.

  Jahlil blinked at the now-closed door, wondering just what the lovely Maya had said to Sandoor. Whatever it was, Jahlil appreciated her efforts. He also appreciated the fact that they weren’t jumping into marriage immediately. Still, the engagement seemed sudden. Jahlil called his younger brother at least once a week, just to check in and chat. Of course, Sandoor’s body guards also submitted reports of his activities, but no one had mentioned this Maya person. At least, he didn’t think so. Perhaps he should go back through the reports. In previous weeks, Jahlil had read through the reports looking for news of Mike. Not someone with a female name.

  Time to dig a bit deeper into Maya’s background. He was pretty sure that the beautiful Maya was hiding something behind those big, blue eyes of hers.

  Chapter 2

  “Can I help you?”

  Maya jumped, startled, covering her mouth to keep herself from screaming. When she saw the large shadow, she froze. But as the huge shadow unfolded, Maya recognized Sheik Jahlil Bin Asdoor. “Your Highness!” she murmured nervously. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” She started to back away, but the deep voice that had kept her awake most of the night stopped her retreat.

  “Don’t go,” he commanded. There was something so authoritative about that voice. She stopped and turned around, watching as he came nearer, his shadow dancing in and out of the moonlight coming in through the windows. “It’s two o’clock in the morning. What are you doing up and about?”

  “I just…” she sighed, tucking her hair behind her ears, painfully conscious of the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. She’d gone to sleep in just an old tee-shirt and panties. When the hours had ticked by and she knew that she wasn’t going to get to sleep without a little help, she’d pulled on a pair of loose shorts. She prayed that he couldn’t see her too clearly in the dim light. “I often have trouble sleeping.”

  “And you decided that wandering around the palace would help?”

  She felt her cheeks heat up and was grateful for the lack of bright lights. “I was looking for the kitchen. Warm milk usually helps me to fall asleep,” she explained awkwardly. When he continued to stare down at her, she clenched her fingers together. “Milk has small amounts of tryptophan, which is the precursor to serotonin. Although, not really enough to induce sleep, it seems to help.” She tried to stop rambling, but her tongue refused to give control back to her brain. When she was nervous, she chattered, she couldn’t seem to stop. “It isn’t necessarily the tryptophan that helps me sleep.” She crossed her arms over her stomach, then forced herself to drop them back at her sides, worried that the gesture made her look defensive. “The proteins in the milk actually inhibit the absorption of the tryptophan. One would need to eat more carbohydrates to help the brain process such a small amount of the chemical and…” she trailed off, grasping that he was struggling not to laugh at her. “Well, it helps,” she finished lamely and sighed.

  “You went the wrong way. The kitchen is that way.” He turned and pointed.

  She frowned and looked around. “I did? But…I thought…” she stared into the darkness, but she didn’t recognize this hallway. Sighing, she lifted her hands into the air helplessly, and let them drop. “I have no idea where I am.”

  He laughed and Maya thought the sound was…unsettling in an odd way.

  “This way,” he said, waving at her to follow, turning down the hallway in the other direction.

  “Oh!” she turned, starting to follow him. “You don’t have to…” she stopped because he was already striding off down the hallway. She hurried to catch up, painfully aware that she should have put on more clothes before venturing out of her suite. “If you just tell me how to get there, I can find it myself.”

  He glanced at her as she quickened her pace. “We’d find you wandering the stables tomorrow morning if I don’t show you the way,” he teased.

  She laughed nervously. Had his gaze darted down to her breasts? She certainly hoped not. Sandoor was always very sweet about not noticing when she was less than perfectly dressed. In fact, that was one of the things that she liked about him. Maya knew that she could just be herself, as casual as she liked and Sandoor would just…accept it. She never felt any pressure from him in any way.

  “What is keeping you awake?” he asked, pushing through a set of double doors. They continued down another long hallway, this one less fancy than the previous area.

  “I just…I guess I’m still on Boston time. Right now it’s…” she blinked, trying to calculate the time difference.

  “Seven o’clock in the morning,” he supplied, without skipping a beat.

  Seven? But…then why did she feel so tired?

  “Dehydration,” he added, seeming to read her mind. “The air on a plane is extremely dry. They take as much of the humidity out of the air as possible to keep the weight of the plane down,” he explained, pausing outside of another set of double doors. “You need to drink more water when flying. Otherwise, your mind and body are thrown out of balance. Add in the fact that we’re in a desert...” He shrugged and eyed her meaningfully.

  “Is that right?” she asked, even though she’d read that somewhere. “I guess I just need some water then.”

  He pushed through the doors, revealing a spacious kitchen. “I’ll warm you up some milk, just to ensure that you can get some rest tonight.”

  He walked over to one of several large refrigerators, the steel kind that commercial restaurants used. Reaching in, he took out a jug of milk and carried it over to the stove, then moved to a rack of pans hanging down from hooks high up over a steel counter.

  “You don’t have to do that for me,” she exclaimed. “I’m sure that you have more important things to do. Maybe you could use some sleep yourself?” she teased.

  He laughed softly, turning the heat on under the pan.

  “I’m fine,” he replied.

  She stared at him for a moment, noticing the tension in his jaw. “You have trouble sleeping too, don’t you?”

  He shrugged noncommittally as he poured milk into the pan. “What’s on your mind?” he asked, grabbing a metal stool and bringing it over to the counter, pointing to it as if telling her to sit. She sat.

  “I just…I’ve always had trouble sleeping. I remember sneaking into the family room as a kid so that I could sleep on the couch.” She shrugged. “For some reason, it was easier to sleep on the couch than in my bed.”

  Jahlil grabbed a wooden spoon, stirring thoughtfully before asking, “What was your room like as a child?”

  “White,” she replied. “White walls, white bedspread, white furniture, and white pillows. But I had lots of stuffed animals. I used to pile them up on the bed. I loved the bright colors.” She eyed him curiously, the strong muscles along his back and arms flexing appealingly as he stirred the milk. “What’s on your mind?”

  He turned his head and she saw the surprise in his eyes. Had no one ever asked him what bothered him? Probably not, she thought. Jahlil looked as if he could take on the world, and have strength left over to start working on the rest of the solar system. But she saw it. In his eyes, there was surprise. Yes, things bothered him. Deeply, she thought with surprise.

  “I had some reports to read,” he explained.

  There was a long silence and Maya considered his words. And what he wasn’t saying. “And the information in those reports bothered you?”

  Another startled look. “Yes.”

  She shifted slightly, leaning forward on her elbows. “Sometimes it helps to talk about it.”

  He continued to stare at the milk. “I can handle it,” he said.

  “I’m sure you can.” She sighed. “Okay, so I’m guessing that the bothersome reports are top secret and you can’t talk about them. So, why don’t you talk about something else?” she offered. When he looked at her with a dark eyebrow lifted with amusement, she shrugged. “Sometimes it helps me to talk about something else. Then my brain isn’t so focused on the bad stuff. I’m concentrating on the good stuff. So tell me something good, Your Highness.”

  He smiled slightly. Well, it wasn’t a smile so much as a crooked lift of his chiseled mouth. She waited, her breath caught in her throat, hoping that he might reveal a little bit about himself. Why was this revelation, this moment in time, so important? Maya had no idea. But watching him, she knew that she was fascinated. As she should be! It wasn’t a bad thing to be concerned. He would be her brother-in-law very soon.

  Well, not all that soon, she mentally corrected. She’d told Sandoor that she wouldn’t marry him until he finished school and she was going to stick to that vow. At his current pace, he wouldn’t finish for another decade.

  Maybe he’d come to his senses by then.

  Woah! Where had that thought come from? Maya blinked, startled by the thought. She loved Sandoor. Didn’t she?

  Yes. But enough for marriage?

  Hmm…now, that was the big question.

  When she looked back at Jahlil, she noticed that he’d been watching her. Quickly, she hid her fears behind what she hoped was a bland smile.

  “You’re stalling,” she teased. “Tell me something that isn’t upsetting.”

  Those hard lips twitched again and Maya felt a surge of triumph. Because she was helping him relax? She made Sandoor laugh all the time! Of course, Sandoor laughed no matter what was happening. For some reason, helping Jahlil, and yes, she was beginning to think of him by his first name, to relax, would be a pretty wonderful accomplishment.

  Jahlil stirred the milk without really seeing it. Instead, his mind replayed the soft, gentle concern in Maya’s eyes. She was incredibly sweet, he thought. The very idea that he could talk about something non-controversial in order to push away the bad thoughts was an astounding and naïve thought. It was also sweet that she wanted to help to get his mind off the reports he’d just read. They were pretty horrific, and the consequences of the decisions he needed to make were…either decision he made…would hurt someone. Her efforts wouldn’t work, but for some reason, he searched his memory for something to tell her. Something that she might like.

  “The daughter of one of my generals just gave birth to a little girl.” Now where the hell had that come from? He remembered walking into a meeting today and hearing General Azari bragging about his new granddaughter. But as soon as Jahlil had walked in, the room went quiet and everyone quickly took their seats, beginning the briefing on a military base that had seen more threats than normal lately. The general had given a report on how the base commander was dealing with the threats, then they’d moved on to other potential problems.