in by skyscrapers that blocked her vision, that blocked the sun.
Here, in every direction, Jasmine could see a horizon. She felt free.
“Come on,” she said playfully, turning her reins in a new direction. She had no idea where she was going, but she loved not knowing. “On the mark…get set… go !”
She took off at a gallop into the desert, and Kareef pursued her.
Jasmine was ahead of him for about three seconds before his stallion whooshed past her. She followed, clinging to Bara’ah’s back with every ounce of her determination. But Kareef had been a horse racer since childhood, and he was on a bigger, faster horse; her ten years of practice could not compete with his glorious fearless speed.
Whirling around, he pulled in front of her with a grin. “I win.”
“Yes,” she sighed. “You win.”
“And so I take my prize.” Drawing his horse beside hers, he leaned over and kissed her in the saddle. It was a hard, demanding kiss that left her aching for more.
When he pulled away, she stared at him in shock.
Here in the desert, the sun burned away all lies. As she stared at his beautiful, strong, arrogant face, everything suddenly became clear.
She loved him.
She always had, and she always would.
Jasmine gripped the pommel of her saddle, blinking, staggered by the realization.
Smiling, Kareef reached out to stroke her cheek.
“You kiss like you ride. Like a wanton,” he murmured appreciatively. He looked down at her intently. “Jasmine,” he said in a low voice, “you have to know that I…”
Then his eyes suddenly focused on something in the distance behind her. His hand dropped from her cheek. He sat back stiffly in his saddle.
“What is it?” she whispered, staring at him.
Clenching his jaw, he nodded to a spot behind her. “The house where you will live. Hajjar’s house.”
She twisted in the saddle and gasped. Far on the horizon, she saw an enormous monstrosity of a mansion, a red stone castle with red flags flying from the turrets. She blinked at it in horror.
“He’s not there,” he said quietly behind her. “They’re not at home.”
“So where are they?” she whispered. “Where did they go?”
Kareef exhaled, hissing through his teeth. She heard him shift in the saddle. “Don’t like the look of those clouds,” he said. “See them?”
Desert sandstorms were the subject of scary tales told to Qusani children, so Jasmine looked sharply at the horizon. The sky had indeed darkened to a deep gray-brown; but she could barely look past Umar’s hideous red castle to see the clouds. Comparing the hideous red edifice to Kareef’s simple home in the oasis, she wanted to weep. But she wouldn’t let Kareef see her cry. Couldn’t!
“Jasmine, we should go back,” Kareef said quietly behind her. “Then we need to talk.”
She whirled back in the saddle. She saw his hand already reaching in his pocket. She sucked in her breath. In another moment, he’d pull out the emerald necklace. He only needed to hand it to her and speak three words to separate them forever.
Irony. The same hour she’d realized she loved him, he would divorce her.
She would marry Umar and be his trophy wife, caged in this monstrous red castle and other sprawling mansions just like it in luxurious locations around the world.
She would have respectability. She would have a family.
But at the price of her soul.
Kareef’s eyes narrowed as he again stared past her toward the horizon. “We must hurry. Come now.”
With a low whistle, he whirled his horse around and tore into a gallop, clearly expecting her to follow.
She watched him for one instant.
“No,” she whispered. “I won’t.”
She turned her reins in the opposite direction. With a sharp voice in the mare’s ear, she leaned forward, pushing her heels hard against the mare’s sides. With a snort, the horse flew.
“Jasmine!” Kareef shouted behind her. “What are you doing? Come back!”
But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t even
Here, in every direction, Jasmine could see a horizon. She felt free.
“Come on,” she said playfully, turning her reins in a new direction. She had no idea where she was going, but she loved not knowing. “On the mark…get set… go !”
She took off at a gallop into the desert, and Kareef pursued her.
Jasmine was ahead of him for about three seconds before his stallion whooshed past her. She followed, clinging to Bara’ah’s back with every ounce of her determination. But Kareef had been a horse racer since childhood, and he was on a bigger, faster horse; her ten years of practice could not compete with his glorious fearless speed.
Whirling around, he pulled in front of her with a grin. “I win.”
“Yes,” she sighed. “You win.”
“And so I take my prize.” Drawing his horse beside hers, he leaned over and kissed her in the saddle. It was a hard, demanding kiss that left her aching for more.
When he pulled away, she stared at him in shock.
Here in the desert, the sun burned away all lies. As she stared at his beautiful, strong, arrogant face, everything suddenly became clear.
She loved him.
She always had, and she always would.
Jasmine gripped the pommel of her saddle, blinking, staggered by the realization.
Smiling, Kareef reached out to stroke her cheek.
“You kiss like you ride. Like a wanton,” he murmured appreciatively. He looked down at her intently. “Jasmine,” he said in a low voice, “you have to know that I…”
Then his eyes suddenly focused on something in the distance behind her. His hand dropped from her cheek. He sat back stiffly in his saddle.
“What is it?” she whispered, staring at him.
Clenching his jaw, he nodded to a spot behind her. “The house where you will live. Hajjar’s house.”
She twisted in the saddle and gasped. Far on the horizon, she saw an enormous monstrosity of a mansion, a red stone castle with red flags flying from the turrets. She blinked at it in horror.
“He’s not there,” he said quietly behind her. “They’re not at home.”
“So where are they?” she whispered. “Where did they go?”
Kareef exhaled, hissing through his teeth. She heard him shift in the saddle. “Don’t like the look of those clouds,” he said. “See them?”
Desert sandstorms were the subject of scary tales told to Qusani children, so Jasmine looked sharply at the horizon. The sky had indeed darkened to a deep gray-brown; but she could barely look past Umar’s hideous red castle to see the clouds. Comparing the hideous red edifice to Kareef’s simple home in the oasis, she wanted to weep. But she wouldn’t let Kareef see her cry. Couldn’t!
“Jasmine, we should go back,” Kareef said quietly behind her. “Then we need to talk.”
She whirled back in the saddle. She saw his hand already reaching in his pocket. She sucked in her breath. In another moment, he’d pull out the emerald necklace. He only needed to hand it to her and speak three words to separate them forever.
Irony. The same hour she’d realized she loved him, he would divorce her.
She would marry Umar and be his trophy wife, caged in this monstrous red castle and other sprawling mansions just like it in luxurious locations around the world.
She would have respectability. She would have a family.
But at the price of her soul.
Kareef’s eyes narrowed as he again stared past her toward the horizon. “We must hurry. Come now.”
With a low whistle, he whirled his horse around and tore into a gallop, clearly expecting her to follow.
She watched him for one instant.
“No,” she whispered. “I won’t.”
She turned her reins in the opposite direction. With a sharp voice in the mare’s ear, she leaned forward, pushing her heels hard against the mare’s sides. With a snort, the horse flew.
“Jasmine!” Kareef shouted behind her. “What are you doing? Come back!”
But she wouldn’t. She couldn’t even
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