Death and Desire (Love in Cairo #1)

Chapter Twelve

V iolet swept the final strands of her hair into a chignon at the base of her neck. The evening breeze drifted in through the open balcony door, a gentle reminder the hour grew late.

A glance at the clock made her swear. Damn. Dinner began five minutes ago. Her father would be quite displeased, especially when she offered the excuses of both her brother and David. Isaac certainly knew how to bargain when it came down to it.

She grabbed a light wrap to cover her bare shoulders and braced herself for the certain confrontation she would face when her father realized his son’s absence. Pasting a sweet smile on her lips, Violet made her way to the restaurant.

When she entered the small private room, she stopped short, startled at the scene before her. Her father sat with several men, among whom was one she hadn’t anticipated.

James rose from his seat with the rest of the party. His presence puzzled her. She’d last encountered him on the fateful trip on the Nile. His bespoke suit and genteel appearance complimented the rest of the men in the room, every one an extremely wealthy businessman. It bothered her to have not realized before, but his attentions, it seemed, had been not for her benefit but his own.

“Ah, Violet, please, join us.” Her father motioned to an empty chair at the table.

Ignoring a twist of unease, Violet smiled brightly. “Forgive me. I lost track of time.”

“No harm done.” James flashed a regal grin and pulled out the seat beside him. “Please, join us.”

The other men nodded in agreement, and her father made quick introductions.

Violet settled into the cushioned chair and placed a white linen across her lap.

“And this is James Beaumond,” her father continued, motioning to the gentleman beside her. “An American businessman researching...what was it again?”

“Crude oil,” James said. “My family owns a refinery in Louisiana.”

“American, you say?” She lifted her brows in polite curiosity.

“Yes, but we won’t hold it against him.” Her father laughed, and the other men joined in. “He’s got quite the appetite, venturing across the Atlantic searching for...how did you phrase it? Alternative forms of energy?”

“Something like that, yes,” James demurred before turning to her. “Your father graciously invited me to dinner after a run-in this morning. It seems there was a mix-up, and our parcels were delivered to the wrong rooms.” He laughed. “How fortuitous.”

Violet bit her tongue to keep from saying something rude. The few encounters she’d had with James painted him in a very different light than the man who sat beside her. Charming and handsome, of course, but she would wager any amount of money the mix-up had not been an accident. The way he blended seamlessly into the group seated around the table told her it had been orchestrated. Was it to put him closer to her ? Or for him to gain an audience with her father ?

“When James told me he’d already made your acquaintance, I invited him to dinner.” Her father glanced between them. “I trust that meets with your approval?”

“Of course.” Violet lifted her wineglass in salute. “The more, the merrier.”

As if on cue, a dark figure appeared in the doorway. The tension in Violet’s limbs softened when Khalid entered the room.

“My apologies.” He bowed. “I received your summons.”

“Yes, Khalid, please join us.” Violet gaped at the realization her father invited him to the dinner.

She held the glass to her lips, inhaling fragrant wine as her father introduced him to the rest of his guests. Khalid settled in the chair opposite her, his dark eyes searching, his expression completely neutral. How could a man hide himself so easily behind a mask of indifference?

A mask. She chuckled to herself. He certainly wore more than one. Her soft laugh drew curious glances. She cleared her throat and set her wine aside.

While the servers placed the first course before them, Violet regarded the man opposite her while pointedly ignoring the man beside her. She reached out with her mind.

Why are you here?

Khalid held her gaze. Your father invited me. It would have been impolite to refuse.

I’m sure you could have found a way to politely decline.

I had no reason to lie. He lifted his glass, conversation continuing around them. Would you rather I leave you in his company?

Violet noted the gentle sweep of his gaze settle briefly on James, who seemed distracted enough by the discussion to not notice her discomfort.

If I desired spending time in his company, what difference would it make to you?

None. Khalid sipped the wine. If you desired him, I would know. You do not.

Her cheeks warmed at the brusque observation. I told you to stay out of my mind.

I do not need to know your thoughts to read your desires, little thief. Desire is a release of pheromones, an easily recognizable scent.

A snort erupted from her, and she nearly choked on her wine. The action drew the attention of the rest of the dinner party, but she played it off, feigning clumsiness.

How could he say such things and expect no reaction? Did he do this on purpose?

He desires you, Khalid continued, his voice both soothing and disconcerting inside her mind.

Enough. She smoothed her hand over her lap, brushing down an errant corner of the napkin. The voice in her head went silent, and a pang of guilt stabbed her.

James turned to her, attempting to engage her in friendly conversation. Khalid remained silent, taking slow, methodical bites of braised lamb and allowing his gaze to skim across the dinner party, as though committing their faces to memory.

Perhaps he was. He was Anubis, after all.

“How are you enjoying Cairo, my dear?” Dina’s father, Ibrahim, asked, pulling Violet from her thoughts.

“It’s a lovely city. I enjoy exploring it.” She kept her answer simple and unfettered, lest her father catch wind of her other adventures by an inadvertent slip of her tongue. “Your daughter has been quite gracious showing me all of the wonders it has to offer.”

“I’m just glad she has someone to keep her company.” He fell into a story about a recent trip to Italy, and Violet’s attention drifted away as the conversation shifted to other topics.

“Is something wrong?” James’s soft question echoed in her ear.

“Not at all.” She stabbed a piece of lamb and stuffed it in her mouth.

He chuckled. “You look like you’d rather be anywhere else.”

“You’re quite perceptive.” She offered a smile she didn’t feel. “Are you enjoying your meal?”

“I am,” he whispered conspiratorially. “I’m enjoying your company even more.”

Unease glided over her skin at his candor. James had never done or said anything to give her cause for concern, but there was just something about him to set her on edge. A sense of foreboding hung in the air at his presence. He was polite and gracious, handsome to a fault, and she could find no valid reason why she should feel such strong distaste for his company. And after Khalid’s candid observation, she was more keenly aware of his interest in her.

Her attention fell back to her plate. “You flatter me.”

“I merely speak the truth.”

Violet sipped her wine, unable to find a suitable response. Her gaze fell on Khalid, who watched the exchange between them without pretense. He inclined his head a fraction before taking a drink of wine.

A soft wave of peace drifted over her, as gentle as a caress of silk over bare skin. It warmed her, soothing her unease. She sighed when it retreated, leaving her bereft. What in the devil?

Her eyes narrowed on Khalid, but his stoic expression betrayed nothing.

Anubis, she whispered his true name deep in her thoughts, inviting him in once more.

The gentle caress returned, offering the respite she often felt with the strange invasion.

What are you doing? she asked him through the bond.

You seemed distraught. I merely sought to ease the tension. His fathomless eyes glittered in the dim light.

So you seek to manipulate my emotions as well as my thoughts? She scoffed, earning a curious glance from James.

You requested I remain out of your mind.

Which includes trying to soothe me with some sort of mystical power without my consent.

His soft laugh echoed in her mind. Would you rather be uncomfortable through the entirety of the meal?

Violet couldn’t deny the welcome reprieve his strange power gave her. She sighed before taking a bite of decadent cake. It wasn’t as though he were bringing her harm by using them. Although she imagined with such an ability, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume he could harm with little effort.

Such a curious mind you have. Anubis’s observation derailed her thoughts.

Out of my head, Anubis.

But you invited me.

She glowered at him across the table. And again, I’m rescinding the invitation.

With a solemn nod, Khalid broke contact, his gaze slipping to her father, who remained engaged in a discussion with the other guests.

Deep in Violet’s soul, the tether between them loosened and the bond went silent.

She frowned as disappointment filled her. The invasive action should have left her bristling with indignation, and yet...she missed it. When he’d first used the ability, it left her disoriented, as though her mind had been ripped open and laid bare, spilling her secrets and desires for the world to see.

A slow realization came over her—it was bared to no one but him. Anubis, god of the dead, who could probably read her like a book without stepping into her thoughts. But with all his power, his abilities, he respected her enough to obey her command.

The rest of the dinner passed in a blur. When Violet finally found the opportunity to excuse herself, the men were all too distracted with their animated discussion to notice her departure.

She slipped away from the table as her father asked James his opinion on the recently repealed prohibition law in the United States. James’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before he relented and turned back to his conversation with an articulate response. One she paid little attention to as she found the exit to the gardens.

The stifling warmth of the room where they’d dined had been thick with the scent of aftershave and cigars, and stepping into the moonlit garden, she inhaled deeply to cleanse her lungs. Violet was accustomed to spending extended periods of time in the company of men. Her father. Her brother. David. The vast circles of business associates who visited their estate and dined with them on a regular basis. Their tastes were predictable...and quite dull.

Violet followed the path, a string of lights illuminating it with a golden glow in the darkness. She passed several people in the quiet areas. Most of the hotel guests were out on the town, taking in the sights and visiting clubs. Cairo boasted a vivacious night life, one Violet wished to see, but she knew her father’s wishes. Defying them in moderation proved easy enough. If she truly longed to indulge, all she had to do was convince her brother to join her. Or Khalid.

As she rounded a corner, she glimpsed Khalid over her shoulder, her ever-present shadow. Heat rose to her cheeks at the memory of earlier, the three thieves in the marketplace. How quickly he’d come to her aid with a single thought. There was no reason for him to follow her so closely, for him to remain in her presence. Not when she knew who... what he was.

Anubis, is it necessary for you to follow me?

No.

Pleasure filled her at the sound of his voice. Why was it such comfort? She pushed the nagging feeling aside before stopping in the center of the path and turning to him. He came to a halt before her.

She angled her head to meet his eyes. “Yet you persist?”

“Would you rather I leave you to wander the garden alone?”

Goosebumps prickled her arms at the soft but gruff tone of his voice. Try as she might, she couldn’t deny she craved his company. “No.”

“Would you rather have him by your side?” Khalid asked.

“Who?” Confusion furrowed her brow. “James?” Violet laughed, hiding horror behind the forced humor. “Absolutely not.”

“He finds you quite attractive.”

Her face warmed at his statement. “And you know this how?”

“The way he looks at you. And I told you, desire has a specific scent.” Khalid regarded her for a long moment. “You do not feel the same for him.”

“Of course not.” Violet stammered, unable to find the words. “I mean...he’s handsome and charming, but there’s just...something about him that makes me uncomfortable.”

“Do I make you uncomfortable?”

Violet committed his face to memory in this moment, bathed in moonlight and glowing electric light beneath the Egyptian sky, shrouded in a garden alcove. The sharp angles of his face. The black waves framing his strong jaw. The stern set of his full lips. Were they as soft as they looked? Would they taste like the wine from dinner? Or the chocolate cake he ate for dessert?

“No.” The word finally spilled free.

“How do I make you feel, Violet?”

“I...I don’t know. It’s complicated.” She licked her lips. “Why me?”

“Because you possess something special .”

A derisive snort escaped her. “What an evasive answer.”

“How long have you dreamed of Egypt?”

The question stunned her for a moment. “Since I was a girl.”

“Since your mother gave you this.” He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist, encasing the bracelet in his palm. Warmth radiated through her at his touch.

She nodded. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath caught at the intimacy of the contact, at the way his eyes held hers. She couldn’t blink. Couldn’t breathe. Violet stood rooted to the spot, unable to break free or turn away.

“This belongs to me, Violet.” His words surrounded her, tempting and soothing.

Something didn’t make sense. None of this made sense.

“I don’t understand.”

“I cannot make you understand.” Khalid took a measured breath. “This gem belonged to me. It was stolen. Ripped from Egypt and placed in your care.”

Violet stiffened. “But I—”

“You did not steal it, no, but it found its way to you regardless.” He smoothed his thumb over the pulse point beneath the bracelet, and her body thrummed with need. “It forged a bond between us. One I have tried to ignore.”

“You called to me. In my dreams.”

“I did.” He drew closer.

Beyond a row of palm trees and greenery, a couple walked past. Violet held her breath, praying they would move on quickly.

“They cannot hear us,” he said softly. “Nor can they see us.”

“How?”

His soft laugh made her stomach flip. “You ask me that question when you’ve seen what I truly am, what I am capable of?”

She knew who he was, what he was, and yet, she longed to unravel more of the shadowed mystery surrounding him. He’d shown her his true form, his power. It should have left her quaking in terror, but it only fueled her desire to learn more.

Those foggy memories of her time in his palace haunted her. She craved to sate her curiosity. Was he as formidable as she remembered? The initial fear she encountered there had dissipated, giving way to something more desirable. She wanted to see him .

Violet lifted her free hand to his face, resting her palm against the curve of his jaw. “Show me again.”