Sheik by Connie Mason Page B

having even greater difficulty finding sleep. He summoned Leila to his bed and then dismissed her when he found she did not appeal to him. He considered calling Amar or Saha but realized it wasn’t his concubines he wanted. Only Zara would satisfy him, and he had no stomach for forcing a woman to his bed. The Berber vixen had turned him into a cursed eunuch!
    Having finally found sleep, Zara wasn’t prepared to be awakened a short time later. A hand came down over her mouth, and she felt a warm breath next to her ear.
    “Awaken, Princess. I bring a message from your father.”
    Full awareness came swiftly at the mention of her father.
    “I will remove my hand if you promise not to cry out.”
    Zara nodded vigorously and the hand came away. “Who are you?”
    His words were a mere whisper of sound against her ear. “I am Rachid the camel trader,one of your father’s spies. I heard a rumor that you were a stable slave but didn’t want to believe it. The sheik is a fiend to force you to perform such menial work.”
    “From whom did you hear the rumor?”
    “The sheik’s concubines spoke of you when they visited the
souk
yesterday. But I heard it from other sources, too. I promptly relayed the news to Youssef. He is camped in the mountains just beyond the oasis. His reply came today. He wants you to be prepared for a rescue attempt tomorrow night. The Blue Men will come in the darkest hours before dawn.”
    “How will it be accomplished?” Zara wanted to know. She was literally shaking with excitement.
    “Youssef and his men will scale the walls. Be prepared.”
    “What can I do to help? They must be careful; guards are everywhere.”
    Her words were met with silence. The messenger was gone.
    The next day passed far too slowly for Zara’s liking. She tried to keep busy but found herself staring at the high walls surrounding Paradise far too often. Where was her father now? she wondered. Her heart leaped into her throat when Jamal appeared and asked to have his horse saddled. He and Haroun were going hunting in the mountains.
    Zara’s first thought was that they would find her father. Then she chided herself for thinking such a thing possible. Youssef was too smart to be caught. He knew the mountains well and wasas wily as a fox. Jamal would never find him.
    Tonight she would be with her people and never have to see Jamal again. Somehow that thought was not as comforting as she’d expected.
    Jamal’s mind wasn’t on hunting. His thoughts were consumed by the stubborn Berber vixen who fought tooth and nail to stay out of his bed. Was he so repulsive then? His concubines didn’t think so.
    “If your mind isn’t on hunting, Jamal, we are wasting our time out here,” Haroun commented dryly.
    “I needed to get away, my friend,” Jamal said testily. “As you have noticed, I’ve not been in the best of moods of late.”
    “Force the witch to your bed, Jamal,” Haroun advised. “You have been patient longer than most men in your place would be. Once you’ve feasted on Zara’s sweet flesh, you can turn your mind to more important matters. It isn’t like you to neglect your concubines. Had I a woman like Saha to pleasure me, I might never leave my bed.”
    Jamal grew thoughtful. “You covet Saha, my friend?”
    “Forgive me, my lord, I meant no disrespect. It is wrong of me to desire that which is not mine. I accept whatever punishment you deem proper.”
    “We have been together a long time, Haroun. I would not dream of punishing you for so minor an offense. Saha is a troublesome baggage who needs a firmer hand than mine to control her.”
    Haroun grinned. “I would tame her with gentle but unyielding patience were she mine.”
    “Why have you never married, Haroun?” Jamal asked curiously.
    Haroun flushed and looked away. He didn’t dare tell Jamal he could not marry as long as he coveted Saha so fiercely. “I have yet to meet a woman I wish to marry,” he said at length.
    Jamal let the subject