Desert Encounter
Chapter 20

Three long months already that every evening without exception, Naomi went to dinner with the sheikh, sorry Emir. The matter of the death of the guard and the treachery of the concubine seemed to have become an old story.

In appearance only.

Their relationship had improved somewhat after Naomi learned of the harem’s closure and the departure of these stunningly beautiful women.

Although she was disappointed to know that the sheikh was engaging in this type of practice (harem) which for her belonged to the last century, a pang of jealousy was lodged in the pit of her stomach as she realized that perhaps being the sheikh behaved the same way with other women.

But this thought was quickly dismissed when during a conversation about the role of his concubines in the palace, Mariama confided to him that she found Emir different in her presence.

The only question that lingered in his mind was why? Why now?

No matter, she wasn’t like the others, she hadn’t joined the palace for unhealthy purposes and that reassured her.

The special moments she shared with Emir made her discover a side of him that no one else knew. She felt different, unique.

As for Emir, the time he spent discovering his beautiful guest increasingly reinforced the growing feeling he had been harboring deep within him since the first day he laid his eyes on her, sleeping in this desert.

– then he said to me, Miss Black I’m fed up with you, you’ve won, so take your two weeks off and get out of my office but I’m warning you, I want to see you first thing Monday and at your post . She said proudly after telling how she was able to obtain her paid leave.

Which when she thought about it was no longer so. She now knew that she was eligible for unemployment upon her return.

Emir didn’t miss a single thing of what she had to say.

She was really intriguing, he wanted to know everything about her.

He detailed it with the same intensity from the beginning and wondered what had pushed him to be interested in this young woman.

Their eyes? No, his brown almond eyes. Nor perhaps her long, soft hair? or perhaps her lips are still swollen with pink b***d and plump?

He had to pull himself together

– you are beyond redemption Naomi. So you are a logistics assistant?

Hearing his first name pronounced like that, with this hoarse and virile tone, excites him a little more each time.

– it was necessary, it was even 3 long years that I worked for him and even sick leave he had not given me. Yes, the position I held was not easy, especially when I had to assist him when he suddenly found himself too old to come to work.

– 3 years?

– Yes why?

– tell me Naomi how old are you?

She almost choked on the sip of wine she had just brought to her lips, letting the delicious aroma with the fruity taste of cherries flow.

Naomi suddenly turned red while the sheikh had left his cutlery to look at her attentively.

She felt like his age was a turning point in the invisible bond he was forming day by day.

In fact Emir already knew the answer. Two months earlier, he had been given the young woman’s bag which hikers found and dropped off at the nearest police station.

He had been informed immediately but had not wanted to say anything to the young woman for fear that she would want to return home, thus cutting off the complicity that was being created.

– but…….but it’s not okay to ask this kind of question to a young lady. She said, red with shame

– oh yes and why that?

– but because……. She made a sulky gesture which finished off the sheikh

– ahahahaha

Naomi opened her eyes wide and her mouth slightly in shock, she wasn’t dreaming. It was the first time that Emir laughed in front of her, he didn’t smile like a few times she was surprised to notice during his three months, no he laughed

with a frank, beautiful laugh, his eyes narrowed, ready to laugh. closed, it was simply beautiful, hearing the gurgling sounds of his voice did something deep in her stomach.

Something she wanted ignored, hidden, it was far too soon.

But looking at it closely, she couldn’t help but find it delicious, she had never seen anything like it. Not a man laughing, no, the energy that the latter gave off even made her want to laugh with him because he was so superb when he laughed.

– it suits you well, you know?. she said in a small voice

– what then? He said, stopping laughing and raising an eyebrow.

– your laugh, it suits you well, you should smile more often. She became more and more red as these words passed the walls of her lips.

Emir suddenly became serious.

He had laughed it was true, for a while he had felt a change in himself. He knew he hadn’t been the same for a while

– you didn’t answer my question. He finally said to return to the subject.

He straightened up and leaned back nonchalantly in his chair with a playful glint in his eyes, Emir wanted to play and he didn’t hide it.

At this precise moment, he did not want to be the sheikh, the king, or even the ruler of the kingdom of Rub’al Khali. He just wanted to be the man.

His intense gaze focused on her, detailing her from every angle, she was wearing a long red dress and had once again tied her hair into a strict bun that he dreamed of pulling and undoing.

Which made her uncomfortable.

Naomi felt like it was suddenly very hot, too hot for this small room.

She coughed twice before saying in a small voice

– 23 years old

– you are very young

– no…… well yes ……sorry but very young why?

He didn’t answer. Emir was afraid that she would find him too old.

Her deceased fiancé was 25 years old according to the information he received.

– And you, how old are you ?

Dare she ask

– I’m much older than you young lady I’m 29 and 30 in a few months.

– But no! you’re not old…well yes…I mean…..

She said stuttering, looking for the right words, she was mauling her fingers at the bottom of the table

– Naomi ?

She looked at him without saying anything, hypnotized by his stormy gaze

– breathe