Born In Secret

She shivered under his lips. His fingers burned through the thin silk of her nightgown, branding her flesh. “This is a stupid risk. We know there are bugs in the other room….”

“So you’d have to be quiet this time.” The combination of his words and his warm breath caressing her skin had a shudder working through her. She could hear the hint of humor in his voice. “We both would.”

“No!” She pulled away and whirled to face him. His expression abruptly shuttered. “I think we can both agree that last time was a mistake. It is one I will not make again.”

“It doesn’t have to be a mistake this time. We’d both know what to expect.”

Her lips twisted at his response. “And what would that be, Walker? Should I expect to rise in the morning from the bed of my lover and return to an angry stranger making vicious accusations?”

“No accusations. No anger,” he said carefully. “We’d both go into this with our eyes wide open.”

And therein lay the heart-rending pain of it. He couldn’t have said more plainly that there was nothing between them but sex, a basic physical need that he could appease with anyone. At any time.

“I do not think so.” Her indifferent tone would have done an actress proud. “I have grown a bit more discriminating since we parted. And it is far less complicated to choose lovers who are not involved in our jobs, is it not?” Without waiting for an answer, she went to her bag on the counter, took out a hairbrush. As she pulled it through her hair, her gaze met his in the mirror. Her hand faltered. Banked emotion was apparent in his eyes. The new colored contacts couldn’t disguise the familiar piercing intensity.

Then, so quickly that she wondered if she’d imagined it, the moment passed and his expression went guarded once again. “If you plan to stick to your new formula for selecting lovers, you’ll want to tone down your come-on to Abdul. He doesn’t strike me as a guy who needs a whole lot of encouragement. And from what I saw tonight, you were giving him plenty of that.”

He could elicit flash points of emotion from her, dragging her from one to the other with almost dizzying speed. Her fingers clenched around the handle of the brush. She longed to throw it at his arrogant head. “You can go to the hellfire.” The amused lift to the corner of his mouth at her mangled English was like throwing gasoline on a flame. Her cursing was much more fluent in Arabic, so she reverted to her native language. From the way his brows skimmed upward, she knew he’d correctly interpreted at least part of her words.

“Calm down. I’m going. Don’t lock the window on the south side while we’re here.”

She pressed her lips together in an effort to regain control. “Why?”

“Because that’s how I get in.” Before she could react, he crooked a finger and ran a careless knuckle over the curve of her cheek. “Dream of me, Jaz.”

His exit stemmed any rejoinder she might have made. Dropping the brush, she gripped the edge of the sink with both hands, battling the welter of emotions crashing and colliding inside her. With short, jerky movements, she yanked off her nightgown and stepped under the shower’s frigid spray.

The icy needles of water raised shivers and chills but did nothing to douse the heat that Walker had torched deep inside her. She was very much afraid that there wasn’t enough cold water in the hemisphere to do that.

Chapter 4

“The talks have been progressing well.” Jasmine strolled alongside Walker in the courtyard, purposefully lingering close to the listening devices. “Prime minister El-Dabir has been quite enthusiastic about forging an alliance between Tamir and Maloun. I believe Sheik Kamal will be pleased at some of the trade prospects we’ve discussed.”

In his role as her assistant, Walker kept a respectful distance from her. But Jasmine was aware of his presence as never before. From his manner toward her in the time since, one would never suspect that he had climbed through her window two nights ago; that he’d suggested they give in to the passion that still simmered between them. No, he was firmly in character. It was a matter of pride that she appear the same.

“The development of another ally at such an uncertain time would be a relief to the sheik.”

“Of course you are right. With an enemy country on one side, Tamir must have friends surrounding its other shores. The sheik does not wish to leave his country vulnerable.”

“It sounds as though you’ve almost finished your negotiations here.” Walker slipped on some sunglasses to shield himself from the blinding sun, and steered Jasmine to a bench beneath a bit of shade. “Are you ready to return and report to Kamal?”

Jasmine settled on the bench, aware of the bug planted beneath it. She was more willing than she’d like to admit to get out of the sun. The heavy garment she wore beneath her caftan was stifling in the heat. “I am not yet convinced that I can suggest to Kamal that he enter into an agreement with Maloun.”

“Because of the rebel faction in the country?”

“The Brothers of Darkness, yes. Each time I broach the subject, the prime minister assures me that the group is harmless. An organization more patriotic than dangerous.”

“You don’t believe that?” Walker was as good as his word on the day of their arrival. He was following her lead in the conversation; she only hoped El-Dabir acted on the misinformation.

“I do not know what to believe. But I cannot do the sheik the dishonor of suggesting an alliance, unless I can assure myself that The Brothers represent no threat. It will be my duty to voice my reservations to Kamal.”

“Of course, if you are unsure about the Brothers, there is little else you can do.”

Having laid the groundwork, Jasmine smoothly changed the subject. “At any rate, my job here is nearly done. Did you make the changes to the car that I spoke to you about?”

Her tone had taken on a deliberately haughty note— princess to servant. Walker’s mouth quirked, just a little, in recognition of the fact. “Yes, Madame Mahrain, I tuned up the engine yesterday.”

Some hint of mischief seized her. She was finding that she enjoyed having him subservient to her, even in pretense. “And what about the springs in the seats? I informed you that I found them quite uncomfortable.”

She couldn’t read Walker’s eyes behind the dark glasses, but she recognized the look that came over his face— wicked and just a little bit feral.

“Of course, madame. Your pleasure is my utmost concern, always.”

Abruptly, Jasmine gave up their battle of words. In a war of double entendres, she was woefully ill-equipped. Once again he had gotten the upper hand. Because she remembered, all too well, when he had concerned himself with her pleasure. And the shattering results.

“We will have a guest joining us for dinner this evening,” El-Dabir informed her. He met her in the hallway at the base of the stairs, playing the dutiful host. “I hope that meets with your approval.”

“Of course, Hosni. I am not surprised you have frequent guests with the wonderful hospitality I have found here.”

The man preened a bit, and Walker inwardly rolled his eyes. There was certainly a part of this farce that Jasmine was perfectly suited for—winning men over and turning them into simpleminded fools. That he had once skated too close to having the same description apply to him was a fact that still stung.

Leaving her alone in her bathroom a few nights ago had taken a great deal more control than it should have. It wasn’t as though he wanted any more from her than the physical. He had strong sexual needs, and he usually didn’t deny himself for as long as he had during the course of the last assignment. He was used to controlling those needs, but despite the antipathy that had developed between them, he hadn’t gotten his fill of Jasmine three years ago. Hadn’t steeped himself in her body deeply enough to erase this sharp-edged hunger that had flared to life the moment he’d seen her again.

Walker was a pragmatic man. The solution seemed simple enough. A few hours in Jasmine’s bed would burn out the sexual frustration and stamp an end to this uncomfortable ache for her. Then, and only then, would their relationship be completely over. On his terms.

Women being the emotional creatures that they were, she was balking a bit at the sheer logic of the solution. But not for long. Whatever else she claimed, he knew when a woman was interested. As a matter of fact, knowing that Jasmine suffered from at least a shadow of the lust burning in him was equal parts comfort and frustration.

He shifted from thoughts of the physical to the professional with a long-practiced ease and followed Jasmine and El-Dabir into the drawing room. When he saw the man standing near the table there, he mentally gave credit to Jasmine’s earlier prediction.

Tariq Abdul sprang to her side, displacing El-Dabir as he showered Jasmine with flowery compliments. Walker made sure the flicker of annoyance he felt didn’t show on his face. Whether Abdul would prove to be connected with the Brothers remained to be seen, but some of his motives were clear enough. If ever there was a man on the make, it was this guy. And Jasmine played the part of a woman enchanted with an ease that seemed just a little too natural.

“Madame, it is the greatest pleasure to see you again.”

With a sense of déjà vu, Walker sat at the large table, set for a more intimate gathering than the last time Abdul had been present, and watched, without seeming to, Jasmine’s handling of the man.

“Your visit is a welcome surprise,” she was telling him.

“Welcome?” Abdul’s brows raised, and he inched his chair infinitesimally closer to Jasmine’s. “I am glad. But it should not be a surprise. I promised that I would return. I could not have stayed away.” The light in his dark eyes as they rested on the woman at his side was all too easy to read.

“I am happy we could meet one more time before I returned to Tamir.” Jasmine accepted the tea the servant handed her and sipped, while Abdul exchanged a quick glance with El-Dabir.

Walker’s inner radar interpreted the message passed and received between the two men. If he’d had any question that Abdul’s return visit had been hastened by the conversation he and Jasmine had planted earlier that day, it was erased. He only hoped that she could pull off the rest of her task.

Issuing a sharply worded order in Arabic, El-Dabir dispatched the servant. Once the man was out of hearing, he smiled toothily. “I, too, am grateful you came by, Tariq. I believe Rose has some reservations about recommending a closer relationship between Maloun and Tamir. Perhaps you can help me convince her.”

Walker watched narrowly as a delicate flush colored Jasmines cheeks. Could the woman actually blush on command? Her voice, when she spoke, was firm. “I must give the sheik the benefit of my perceptions gathered here.”

“And you have concerns?” Again that quick glance exchanged between the men. Jasmine appeared to not notice. She looked for all the world like a woman out of her element, with news she was reluctant to share.