"What are you really doing here? I know you don't respect my job, so I know you're not here about the feud. If you're concerned that I'm plotting behind your back with your cousin, you can rest easy. Haris and I have a professional relationship."

  "And what do we have?" he asked softly.

  "A less professional relationship, but that doesn't mean we have a personal one," she snapped. "It means that when we're together, you bring out the worst in me."

  "If that kiss was the worst in you, I’m dying to see your best."

  "Rameez, I'm tired. I don't feel up to playing your little mind games today, so why don't you tell me what you really want so we can both go about our day."

  He straddled the stool at the breakfast bar, and she tried to ignore the fact that he seemed to take up so much room. He sucked the air right from her lungs, and the mental images that danced through her head were less than professional. The man really did know how to fill out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and she wondered what he would do if she straddled him and kissed that gorgeous mouth. His taste still lingered on her lips, and she ached to feel his arms around her again.

  "I'm actually here to let you know that it's not safe for you to take a taxi anymore. There have been some robberies in the area, and I don't want you getting hurt. If you need a ride somewhere, call me."

  His tone was terse and abrupt, and she whipped her head around so quickly she was afraid she'd have whiplash. She'd heard about the robberies, but it hadn't even occurred to her that it might be dangerous. Still, what did she expect? It was the city. Needing something to do with her hands, she grabbed the coffee pot and ran it under some water to rinse it out.

  "I wouldn't want to take up your time," she said carefully. "I could rent a car."

  "Do you have any experience driving in the city?"

  Silently, she shook her head. "Coffee," he said suddenly.

  "What?"

  "Your coffee is brewing."

  "Oh!" Whirling around, she grabbed the coffee pot and shoved it back in place. Coffee had already covered the warming plate beneath and it sizzled and burned.

  "It's dangerous to drive in the city if you're not familiar with it, and I don't want you to use public transportation after dark. My job is mostly mobile, so I don't mind, and if I'm not available, I'm sure Haris could take you."

  His voice strained at the end, and Wynifred couldn't help but smile. "Things must be improving if you're willing to let Haris drive me around," she teased.

  "You shouldn't be in the middle of this. Haris should never have hired you," he said quietly. "But while you are here, you are under our protection. The city isn't safe for a single woman."

  Turning her back to him, she busied herself with pulling the cups down from the cabinet and pouring the coffee while she tried to get her emotions under control. The pleasure at the thought that Rameez cared had quickly soured. It was starting to sound like she was a burden to him more than anything else.

  "Fine," she muttered as she handed him his coffee. Looking him square in the eyes, she forced a smile. "At least that means you'll have to spend some time with me, and that can only mean we'll get to the bottom of this faster."

  "You're the one ignoring me right now," he pointed out.

  Biting her bottom lip, she nodded. "You're right, and I apologize for that. I acted unprofessionally the other night, and I needed some time to find my center again. I assure you that nothing like that will happen again."

  "Nothing like what?" he asked in a dangerously low tone. "Nothing like dancing with me? Being alone with me? Kissing me?"

  "All of the above," she snapped. "I mean, not that I can't be alone with you because I can. We will be alone, like now, because it's necessary, but we won't be alone like we were alone the other night. Not that we were alone, because, you know, there were musicians and the waiter, but we were still alone."

  She was fully aware that she was babbling, and a small smile played on his gorgeous lips. "I think we both made some mistakes that night," he said carefully. "I won't let my temper get the best of me again. In the meantime, I think I know what Haris is up to."

  "Excuse me? Why do you even think Haris is up to anything?" Wynifred stumbled over her words. The change in subject was abrupt and obviously deliberate.

  "Haris is always up to something. I told you, he only thinks for himself. While you might think that he cares for my aunt, the truth is that he only cares for himself. My sources tell me that he recently ran into some financial troubles. I have a feeling that he's holding out until I'm desperate enough to give him money. I'm not really interested in playing his game, so ask him how much he wants so we can put this whole thing behind us."

  Shocked, she set her coffee down and stared at him. "Rameez, I'm here to bring a feud to an end, not to orchestrate a payment for you to get what you want. Paying him isn't going to solve anything, and I don't think that Haris wants anything like that from you. Just because he's having issues with money doesn't mean that he expects you to bail him out."

  Rameez sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Wynifred, the faster you realize that you can't solve our problems, the quicker we can end this. If Haris didn't want anything from me, he wouldn't have hired you. He needs something, and I'm willing to give it to him. I have a lot on my plate. I have an island that I need to develop and a mother that I need to care for. I don't have time for this charade to continue much longer. Find out what he wants and let me know. I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement."

  "You're a piece of work," she snorted. "You come here spouting that you're concerned for my safety, and I think that maybe you care enough to put in the effort to make this work, but you don't want to put the work into anything. You simply want results, and you're so cold."

  "You're one to talk," he growled back as he stood. "Love solves all? Love doesn't solve anything, Wynifred. Most of the time, it’s the very reason we all have problems. It takes hard work to make a relationship work, and right now, I don't have that kind of time."

  Silence descended on them, and Wynifred could only stare at him. They both knew that they weren't talking about him and Haris anymore. At least Wynifred finally had an answer to the burning question inside her.

  Rameez did like her.

  Not that it mattered. He clearly didn't see anything in her worth fighting for. He was probably only interested in a tumble in the sheets. "You should probably go," she whispered. "I'll see you at dinner tonight."

  "Wynifred," he sighed.

  "Please don't," she interrupted quickly. "I'll ask Haris to pick me up tonight, so you don't have to worry about anything."

  "I'll pick you up," he said gruffly. "You may trust my cousin, but I don't. Whatever his intentions are, they're not pure. I'll be back at seven."

  She didn't say anything as he saw himself out. His words had hurt more than she wanted to admit, and she bent down to the counter and cradled her head in her arms.

  She was way in over her head, and she had no idea how to dig herself out.

  When Rameez arrived to pick Wynifred up, he struggled to find the words that would fill the awkward silence. Once again, she looked stunning, this time in an emerald green dress that draped provocatively over her curves. He had a feeling that telling her she was beautiful would only make things worse. Luckily, Haris had picked a place that was close to where she was staying. "I've got some business that will keep me busy for the next couple of days, but maybe this weekend we could get together," he said finally.

  The Khalidizacks were meeting him on the island to discuss its future. Although the land was his, he wanted their input in how it would be developed. A surveyor was also going to meet them to give him an estimate on how much it would cost to clear out the overgrowth. Rameez wanted to leave as much of the island's natural beauty as possible, but the place had been unattended for far too long.

  "That's fine," she said stiffly.

  They pulled into the parking lot, and Rameez turned off the engine. Unable to help himself, he reached over and lightly touched her thigh. Although he wanted to skim his fingers over her bare skin, he was careful to keep her dress between them. "I need you to know that this is important to me, and that I do respect you. But, I don't see how you can do much to help us. Haris and I are never going to be as we were."

  "So what do you want from this?" she asked.

  He sucked in his breath and slowly moved his fingers down past her knee so he could finally touch her silky skin. Caught in her gaze, he slowly leaned across the console with every intention of kissing her.

  Instead, she put her hand up on his chest and stopped him. "That's not an answer," she whispered. "How many women have you dated, Rameez? Really dated. Took the time to get to know them and actually let them into your life."

  It was as if she'd doused cold water on him. Pulling back, he jerked the keys from the ignition. "That's none of your business," he said heatedly. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

  Wynifred scowled at him but didn't push the issue. Rather than guiding her in like he normally did, he clenched his fist to his side and refused to touch her. Opening the door for her, he noticed that she didn't even meet his gaze.

  "Mr. Molamid, it's good to see you," the host greeted them. "The other Mr. Molamid and his date are already waiting for you."

  "Date?" Rameez frowned. "Why would Haris bring a date?"

  Following Wynifred and the host around the corner, his gaze fell on Haris and the woman at his side, and he froze.

  Haris hadn't just brought a date. He'd brought the only woman Rameez had ever loved.

  Qaura.

  8

  Tension rippled in the air as Wynifred sat down. The beautiful woman next to Haris watched her with an interested look on her face, and Haris had a satisfied smirk plastered across his. Wynifred had a terrible feeling that things were about to go very wrong.

  When no one said anything, and Rameez continued to stand at the edge of the table, she cleared her throat and stretched her hand across. "It appears that the gentlemen here are going to glare at each other all night, so I'll introduce myself. I'm Wynifred."

  The lovely woman took her hand and shook it. A sly smile spread across her face. "It's lovely to meet you. I'm Qaura."

  As soon as the woman said her name, Wynifred gasped. "That's right! You're the model that made Jules Dennison so famous!"

  Qaura laughed. "Well, I'm not sure I made him famous as much as he made me famous."

  "Nonsense! Not a single person had heard of the designer until you stepped on that runway. Every single photo of that event is of you, and it wasn't until your name was well known that anyone started paying attention to the designer. You graced the cover of almost every single women's magazine that my grocery store carried," Wynifred laughed. "Haris. You've got great taste!"

  Rameez finally sat down next to her, and Qaura lifted an eyebrow and turned her head. "Haris? Is there something here that you're not telling me?" she asked in a musical voice.

  Wynifred looked at the three and frowned. "You're not here with Haris?"

  "Well, I thought I was until you showed up," the model said, her voice suddenly strained. "Now it appears that I'm being used. How long have you and Rameez been dating?"

  "We're not," Rameez growled. "Haris, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

  Haris opened his mouth, but he was interrupted by the waiter. The man leaned forward with a bottle of wine in his hands, but he froze when he saw the two men glaring at him. "Should I give you a few more minutes before pouring the wine?" he asked in a small voice.

  Wynifred shook her head. "Actually, you should probably go ahead and pour it. I have a feeling we're all going to need it."

  The waiter silently did as she asked and slipped away from the table. Haris picked up his glass and swirled it leisurely. "I don't see why you're so upset, Rameez. I thought you'd be happy to see an old friend." He took a sip and smiled at Wynifred. "Rameez and Qaura used to date. Three years was it?"

  Rameez dated this gorgeous creature for three years? Suddenly feeling very small, Wynifred picked up her wine glass and drank deeply. Finding her composure, she buried her feelings of jealousy and returned Haris’ smile. "I see. And you thought that inviting her here would help the two of you in some way?"

  "It certainly helps him," Rameez muttered. "This is so typical of you. We're supposed to be fixing things, and you're digging up the past!"

  "I'm a thing from the past now?" Qaura asked with a frown. "That's humbling."

  Haris and Rameez both ignored her. "I thought Wynifred would like to talk to people from your past. After all, it's not like you actually have any friends to talk to."

  "What the hell are you talking about? I have a ton of friends!"

  "You have people that you use. Like the Khalidizacks, whom you conned an entire island out of," Haris argued. "Why would you be upset now? Surely, you don't still have feelings for Qaura, do you? And if you do, maybe now would be a good time to explore them."

  Their voices grew, and Wynifred realized that half the restaurant was looking at them. She tried to clear her throat, but Rameez leaned closer to Haris in a threatening manner. "I'll tell you exactly what you can explore….”

  "Qaura, would you like to join me on the patio?" Wynifred asked politely.

  "I would love to."

  The two men stared at them as they rose from the table. Gathering their menus, Wynifred reached over and snagged the bottle of wine. Without a second look back, she sashayed through the tables to the patio.

  "Ladies?" the waiter asked hurriedly as he joined them.

  "We'd like a table outside," Qaura said pointedly. "And the gentlemen will still be paying our tab."

  "Of course. Right this way." The man held the door open and guided them to a small table at the edge of the balcony. It overlooked the concrete steps that led down to a large lit fountain. Below them, people still milled around even though the shops around the area had long ago closed.

  "That was extremely embarrassing," Qaura muttered as they sat down. "Maybe you can explain to me what's going on."

  "I'm a mediator. I'm supposed to be mediating a truce between the two of them, but their proving difficult. I have a feeling Haris invited you out tonight to get a rise out of Rameez, which is exactly what happened."

  Qaura clicked her tongue against her teeth. "Sweetheart, Haris flew me in from New York. He had more on the brain than upsetting Rameez. How long have you known them?"

  "Not long. Two weeks," Wynifred admitted. "Do you have any idea what makes them hate each other so?"

  "I don't. I met Rameez at the very beginning of my modeling career. His consulting business was mobile at that point, so he traveled with me when he could. When he started working for the Crown Sheikh, he stopped traveling as much. I didn't mind. I love it here, but things were strained. I didn't even meet Haris until well into the relationship, but he consumed Rameez's thoughts."

  Wynifred leaned forward. "I don't mean to pry, but what happened?"

  Qaura gazed to the window where the two men were brooding and staring at them. "That's a story for another day," she said softly.

  The waiter came over and took their order. As he gathered the menus, Wynifred noticed the charm bracelet that jangled around Qaura's wrist. Inhaling sharply, she reached over and grabbed the other woman's arm. "Are you a member of Phi Gamma Chi?"

  "I am!" Her eyes danced with delight. "Are you?"

  "Defining success one woman at a time." Wynifred quoted the sorority slogan, and just like that, the tension eased. "I haven't thought about that place in years."

  "Really? I still try to attend at least one chapter alumni meeting a year, but it can get tricky," Qaura admitted.

  "Those years really brought me out of my shell. When I started college, I was a complete introverted bookworm. My roommate had to drag me kicking and screaming to parties. My friend said if I pledged to one sorority house, she'd let me live in the library in peace." Wynifred laughed at the memory. "I had absolutely no idea that I'd be accepted. Before that first semester was over with, I'd finally learned how to balance my time. I was still a huge bookworm, but with the help of my sisters, I started networking, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do."

  "Mediate?"

  "I had a gift, but it never occurred to me to turn it into a career. The world needs to believe in love again, and I really wanted to make that happen." A cool breeze lifted her hair slightly, and Wynifred sat back and smiled. "Not to sound like I'm terrible at my job, but I think this is the most relaxed I've been since I got here."

  "I'm surprised Rameez agreed to hire you. He doesn't like to accept help from others."

  "He didn't," Wynifred admitted. "Technically, I work for Haris, but I made it very clear that mediation wasn't about taking sides. I like to think that Haris hired me because he knew that they would need help."

  "And now?"

  Wynifred shook her head. "It's like they feed off their hatred of each other. I've never seen anything like it. People fight and hate each other all the time, but there's a reason. Usually it's adultery or betrayal of some sort, and sometimes its little things that mount up. Leaving a towel on the floor. Forgetting to turn the coffee pot off. People keep things bottled up, and when they finally explode, it's hard for them to reconcile after that moment. But all anyone can say about the Molamid cousins is that they've always hated each other. No one knows why, or if they do, they're not saying."

  Qaura cocked her head and frowned. "Maybe you're not talking to the right people. They weren't always from here.”

  "They weren't?"

  "I don't know the whole story, but I know that they moved here after Rameez's father died. Rameez would have been a teenager. Haris’ father got a job here, and he asked Shifa to come with him so he could help support her. Haris’ father passed away not too long after that. Before that, they lived in Dhahashken."