Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [2]
Instead, she gave in to the more cautious side of her mind and said, “I’m Delaney Westmoreland and you’re trespassing on private property.”
The sexy-as-sin, make-you-drool man came to a stop in front of her, and when she tipped her head back to look up at him, a warm feeling coiled deep in her stomach. Up close he was even more beautiful.
“And I’m Jamal Ari Yasir. This place is owned by a good friend of mine, and I believe you’re the one who’s trespassing.”
Delaney’s eyes narrowed. She wondered if he really was a friend of Reggie as he claimed. Had her cousin forgotten he’d loaned this man the cabin when he’d offered it to her? “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Philip Dunbar.”
“Philip Dunbar?” she asked, her voice dropping to a low, sexy timbre.
“Yes, you know him?”
She nodded. “Yes. Philip and my cousin, Reggie, were business partners at one time. Reggie is the one who offered me the use of the cabin. I’d forgotten he and Philip had joint ownership to this place.”
“You’ve been here before?”
“Yes, once before. What about you?”
Jamal shook his head and smiled. “This is my first visit.”
His smile made Delaney’s breath catch in her throat. And his eyes were trained on her again, watching her closely. She didn’t like being under the scope of his penetrating stare. “Do you have to stare at me like that?” she snapped.
His right eyebrow went up. “I wasn’t aware I was staring.”
“Well, you are.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “And where are you from, anyway? You don’t look American.”
His lips lifted into a grin. “I’m not. I’m from the Middle East. A small country called Tahran. Ever heard of it?”
“No, but then geography wasn’t my best subject. You speak our language quite well for a foreigner.”
He shrugged. “English was one of the subjects I was taught at an early age, and then I came to this country at eighteen to attend Harvard.”
“You’re a graduate of Harvard?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“And what do you do for a living?” she asked, wondering if perhaps he worked in some capacity for the federal government.
Jamal crossed his arms over his chest, thinking that Western women enjoyed asking a lot of questions. “I help my father take care of my people.”
“Your people?”
“Yes, my people. I’m a sheikh, and the prince of Tahran. My father is the amir.”
Delaney knew amir was just another way of referring to a king. “If you’re the son of a king then what are you doing here? Although this is a nice place, I’d think as a prince you could do better.”
Jamal frowned. “I could if I chose to do so, but Philip offered me the use of this cabin in friendship. It would have been rude of me not to accept, especially since he knew I wanted to be in seclusion for a while. Whenever it’s known that I’m in your country, the press usually hounds me. He thought a month here is just what I needed.”
“A month?”
“Yes. And how long had you planned to stay?”
“A month, too.”
His eyebrow arched. “Well, we both know that being here together is impossible, so I’ll be glad to put your luggage back in your car.”
Delaney placed her hands on her hips. “And why should I be the one who has to leave?”
“Because I was here first.”
He had a point, though it was one she decided not to give him. “But you can afford to go someplace else. I can’t. Reggie gave me a month of rest and relaxation here as a graduation present.”
“A graduation present?”
“Yes. I graduated from medical school last Friday. After eight years of nonstop studying, he thought a month here would do me good.”
“Yes, I’m sure that it would have.”
Delaney breathed a not-so-quiet sigh when she saw he was going to be difficult. “There’s a democratic way to settle this.”
“Is there?”
“Yes. Which do you prefer, flipping a coin or pulling straws?”
Her options made his lips twitch into an involuntary smile. “Neither. I suggest that you let me help you put your luggage back in the car.”
Delaney drew in a deep, infuriated breath. How dare he think he could tell her what to do? She’d been the only girl with five older brothers and had