Promised to a Sheikh

She had spent the afternoon after he’d left, playing and replaying in her mind the entire time with him. Each time he’d looked at her with those beautiful dark eyes of his, she had felt a shiver of excitement. For in his eyes she’d seen desire.

When she’d told him about her trouble at school and he’d pulled her into his arms, she’d wanted to remain standing there forever.

His arms surrounding her had made her feel more safe than she ever had, and for just a moment she’d thought she could hear his heartbeat against her own.

A knock on her door pulled her from her thoughts, and she whirled away from the bedroom mirror and hurried to the door, certain it must be the car to drive her to Omar.

She opened the door, surprised to see not Rashad standing on her front stoop, but her father. “Daddy!” she exclaimed in surprise.

“Hi, darlin’. Don’t you look like a picture of prettiness?”

“Thank you,” Cara replied, and smiled affectionately at her father.

Ford Carson was a big man, with broad shoulders, a belly that just overhung the large belt buckles he favored, and hair that had gone a snowy white in the past couple of years. Since Cara had moved into the cottage two years before, Ford often dropped in un-announced just to visit with her.

He stepped into the living room but remained standing. “I guess you’re on your way out,” he said. “Your mama told me Sheik Al Abdar is in town and you’ve been spending time with him. I hope this isn’t anything too serious.”

Cara looked at him in surprise. “You don’t like Omar?”

“Hell, I like him fine, but I’d hate to see my little girl taken off to some foreign country, even if the country is friendly with the United States.”

Cara smiled. “Daddy, I’m not a little girl anymore, and I’m sure I could come home to visit whenever I wanted.”

Ford frowned, his bushy dark eyebrows pulling together in the center of his forehead. “So, this is serious.”

“Oh, I don’t know. But I like him a lot,” she replied honestly.

Ford sighed. “I always figured it would be your sister who’d eventually go off to live in some foreign place. She’s never seemed satisfied in Mission Creek. But you…I just always thought you’d be around.”

With a small laugh, Cara threw her arms around his neck. “I’m not gone yet,” she said. “I’m just enjoying Omar’s company at the moment. Don’t look so worried.”

Ford kissed her soundly on the cheek. “I always worry when it comes to my family.”

Cara stepped back from him. “Well, you know you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not about to do anything foolish or impulsive.”