Lord of the Desert by Diana Palmer

She forced herself to smile at the waiters and put on a happy face for them. No sense making everybody else miserable because she was.
    As she sat at her lonely table, picking at her food, she looked up and there was Philippe with a huge bouquet of white roses. He searched her eyes quietly for a long moment before he bent and placed the bouquet in front of her on the white linen tablecloth.
    â€œForgive me,” he said quietly.
    She looked up into his dark eyes and he knew at once that she hadn’t slept. Neither had he. His conscience had tortured him.
    He sat down across from her and caught her cool fingers tightly in his warm, strong hands. “I never meant to be so rude to you,” he said quietly. “Or to hurt you.”
    Her green eyes were like new leaves. “You aren’t mad at me?”
    His eyes closed. “I never was!” he whispered, and brought her palm to his lips to kiss it hungrily. “It wasn’t anger, Gretchen!”
    Her heart jumped at the fervor of his mouth on her skin. Her heart began to race wildly. It wasn’t one-sided. He was attracted to her! She studied his tanned face intently, her own coloring with excitement as she looked at him. “I’m so glad! I thought I’d made you uncomfortable. By being too forward,” she added quickly.
    His eyebrows arched. “Forward?”
    She lowered her gaze to their clasped fingers. “I practically threw myself at you, and you don’t like me to touch you, anyway. I knew that and I should have…why are you laughing?”
    He was almost doubled over. He kissed her palm hungrily and gave her hand back, signaling a waiter for coffee. Life was beautiful. He felt years younger and alive and every inch a man. He looked at this woman, so unaware of her charms, and smiled with his whole heart. He looked unspeakably handsome to Gretchen’s eyes, even with those white scars down his left cheek. They were hardly noticeable at all except when he smiled or frowned.
    â€œI love for you to touch me,” he said huskily when the waiter had poured his coffee and warmed Gretchen’s. “In fact, I’ve never enjoyed anything more.”
    She stared at him with delight. “Really?”
    â€œReally.” He leaned back in his chair, toying with the handle of his cup while he studied her. “I’ll tell you all about it one day. This is much too soon. What would you like to do today?”
    Her face brightened. “Anything you would.”
    He chuckled softly at her enthusiasm. “Anything?” he teased softly.
    She leaned forward, glancing around them with exaggerated wariness. “We could hijack two camels and start a travel agency.”
    He burst out laughing. “What a thought! And do you think I could ride a camel?”
    She hesitated. “Well…” She didn’t want to come right out and say she thought he was too fastidious for anything so rough.
    He cocked a black eyebrow and grinned at her. “One day,” he mused, “you may discover that I have hidden abilities. But for now, suppose we go and see the Forbes Museum? The house, actually a palace, is now on the market, but I believe we can have a look around. Malcolm Forbes had a grand party there some years ago, which was widely reported on television.”
    â€œI know, I saw the stories! That house?” she exclaimed. “Oh, I’d love to see it!” Actually, she’d love to have his company all day, but she wasn’t going to risk embarrassing herself again.
    He grinned. “Then finish your breakfast and we’ll go.”
    She dipped her fork into her bowl of fruit with renewed pleasure. It seemed that dreams really did come true. Her eyes fell on the roses and she traced their soft petals with her free hand. “Thank you for these,” she said softly. “I love flowers.”
    â€œSo I noticed.” He gestured to the waiter, said something to him in an