at him. “You’re a flirt.”
“Either that or I’m speaking the truth.”
“Or both.” She laughed. “I think you’re very easy to take at face value.”
“Good. Would you like to walk down toward the river? There’s a path here—look.” A narrow trail between the trees zigzagged across the hillside.
“Why not?” The sparkle was back in her eyes. “In fact, I’ll lead the way.” The kestrel spiraled overhead as she proceeded—gingerly—down the gravelly path toward the sparkling water in the wadi below. He enjoyed the view of her body in the fitted jeans that showed off her athletic-looking curves. The mystery of her traditional clothing had its own allure, but he preferred the what-you-see-is-what-you-get simplicity of Western clothing. Maybe mystery wasn’t his thing. His hands itched to run themselves over her lithe body, but he counseled himself to take it slow.
Take your time. It will be worth it
. The last thing he wanted was to add to her burden of grief and regret. When they parted, he wanted to leave her smiling.
His own thoughts jolted him, and he almost slipped on the loose ground. Why was he thinking about their parting already? In business he always had an exit strategy in mind. Was he the same in relationships, even though he’d never admitted it to himself?
Something felt different this time, though. What were his intentions with Dani? She was quieter and gentler than the kind of women he usually dated, and that made him take their whole new relationship more seriously. He knew everything that happened between them would mean a lot to her, and that made it important to him, too. Already he felt a connection to her far deeper than such a short acquaintance would normally produce. He wanted to make her happy.
“Almost there!” She flashed him a brilliant smile that made his breath catch in his lungs. In moments like this he could see Dani shake off the shroud of fear and transform back into the vibrant young woman she was supposed to be. Her exhilaration was catching and he bounded down the last few yards like a clumsy gazelle, arriving on the pebbled shoreline at the same tizme she did.
“I wonder if the water is cold.” He crouched and dipped his fingers in it. “Yes. It must be spring water.”
She let her fingers play in the water. “In the old days there were underground channels that carried water hundreds of miles through the desert—all the way to the cities—without evaporating.”
“Proves that in some ways our ancestors were more advanced than we are. Today that kind of pipeline is usually filled with oil.”
“One day something else will replace the oil. A few centuries ago the frankincense trade was the beating heart of this area. You still see the trees dotting the landscape. Some of them are hundreds of years old, maybe even thousands. They tap them for the sap, which dries into hard chunks of frankincense. People still burn it for the aroma, though it isn’t worth more than gold anymore.”
“Value is always relative.” Quasar splashed water on his face and neck. “Anyone in business will tell you that. Can’t knock the oil, though. It made my family wealthy, though they’ve since branched out. Is your father in the oil industry?”
“He used to be. Right now he’s employed by the latest building boom. He does pretty well but for some reason he’s always complaining. I think he feels he should be a millionaire by now. He’s never satisfied. He’s griping about supporting me again. I wish I could find a job.”
“Have you looked?”
“Here in Salalah?” She laughed. “I haven’t. I’ve just assumed there’s nothing in my field.”
“Don’t give up before you even try.” He splashed a little water at her. She shrieked and splashed him back. Suddenly they were engaged in an all-out splash war that left them both drenched and breathless—and kissing again.
Four
D ani’s clothes had almost dried by the time she unlocked the back
“Either that or I’m speaking the truth.”
“Or both.” She laughed. “I think you’re very easy to take at face value.”
“Good. Would you like to walk down toward the river? There’s a path here—look.” A narrow trail between the trees zigzagged across the hillside.
“Why not?” The sparkle was back in her eyes. “In fact, I’ll lead the way.” The kestrel spiraled overhead as she proceeded—gingerly—down the gravelly path toward the sparkling water in the wadi below. He enjoyed the view of her body in the fitted jeans that showed off her athletic-looking curves. The mystery of her traditional clothing had its own allure, but he preferred the what-you-see-is-what-you-get simplicity of Western clothing. Maybe mystery wasn’t his thing. His hands itched to run themselves over her lithe body, but he counseled himself to take it slow.
Take your time. It will be worth it
. The last thing he wanted was to add to her burden of grief and regret. When they parted, he wanted to leave her smiling.
His own thoughts jolted him, and he almost slipped on the loose ground. Why was he thinking about their parting already? In business he always had an exit strategy in mind. Was he the same in relationships, even though he’d never admitted it to himself?
Something felt different this time, though. What were his intentions with Dani? She was quieter and gentler than the kind of women he usually dated, and that made him take their whole new relationship more seriously. He knew everything that happened between them would mean a lot to her, and that made it important to him, too. Already he felt a connection to her far deeper than such a short acquaintance would normally produce. He wanted to make her happy.
“Almost there!” She flashed him a brilliant smile that made his breath catch in his lungs. In moments like this he could see Dani shake off the shroud of fear and transform back into the vibrant young woman she was supposed to be. Her exhilaration was catching and he bounded down the last few yards like a clumsy gazelle, arriving on the pebbled shoreline at the same tizme she did.
“I wonder if the water is cold.” He crouched and dipped his fingers in it. “Yes. It must be spring water.”
She let her fingers play in the water. “In the old days there were underground channels that carried water hundreds of miles through the desert—all the way to the cities—without evaporating.”
“Proves that in some ways our ancestors were more advanced than we are. Today that kind of pipeline is usually filled with oil.”
“One day something else will replace the oil. A few centuries ago the frankincense trade was the beating heart of this area. You still see the trees dotting the landscape. Some of them are hundreds of years old, maybe even thousands. They tap them for the sap, which dries into hard chunks of frankincense. People still burn it for the aroma, though it isn’t worth more than gold anymore.”
“Value is always relative.” Quasar splashed water on his face and neck. “Anyone in business will tell you that. Can’t knock the oil, though. It made my family wealthy, though they’ve since branched out. Is your father in the oil industry?”
“He used to be. Right now he’s employed by the latest building boom. He does pretty well but for some reason he’s always complaining. I think he feels he should be a millionaire by now. He’s never satisfied. He’s griping about supporting me again. I wish I could find a job.”
“Have you looked?”
“Here in Salalah?” She laughed. “I haven’t. I’ve just assumed there’s nothing in my field.”
“Don’t give up before you even try.” He splashed a little water at her. She shrieked and splashed him back. Suddenly they were engaged in an all-out splash war that left them both drenched and breathless—and kissing again.
Four
D ani’s clothes had almost dried by the time she unlocked the back
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