And the Desert Blooms Read Online Free

changed,” he said slowly.
    “I’ve grown up. We all do eventually.”
    “Let’s find out just how much you’ve changed.” He held out his hand. “Come here and let me look at you.”
    She felt her heart give a little jerk. She only hoped her reaction hadn’t shown in her face. She moved forward, swaying with deliberate grace. She felt a little shock as she slipped her hand into his. “I hope you think I’ve improved,” she said lightly. “That little scarecrow had a long way to go.”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled. “I had a certain fondness for that scarecrow.” He pulled downward with sudden force, and she found herself on her knees before his chair, looking up at him with startled eyes. His gaze was suddenly on the lush cleavage revealed by the low neck of her gown. “Though I can see a couple of advantages to the new you.”
    She wouldn’t blush. “I’m glad. I suppose old habits are hard to break.” She met his eyes. “I still want to please you.”
    His thumb began tracing a lazy pattern on the sensitive flesh of her inner wrist. “That’s not an old habit, that’s a new development. I don’t recall your ever caring whether I was pleased or not.”
    Her lashes lowered. “I cared.” Oh Lord, how she’d cared.
    There was a sudden note of anger in his voice. “Look at me, dammit. You remind me of a blasted Khadim.”
    She kept her eyes fixed on the middle button of his shirt. “But you like Khadims.” Her tone was gently teasing. “I remember that very well. There was always one on the horizon or one disappearing into the sunset. From what I read in the newspapers, you still use their services or that of their Western counterparts. Some of them are very lovely. Am I as pretty as they?”
    His thumb abruptly ceased its movement on her wrist. “Are you inviting comparisons?”
    She didn’t answer. Her throat was so tight she didn’t think she
could
speak.
    “I take it silence is assent?” His voice was no longer curt, but a silky drawl. “That puts a different light on our little meeting. Interesting. But then you were always that, Pandora.” He released her wrist and leaned back in his chair. “Why don’t you get up and go sit on that couch across the room? I think putting a distance between us would be a good idea at the moment. A proposition like that has a distinct physical effect on a man that tends to cloud his judgment. I believe we need to resolve a few points before we take up the issue you’ve raised.”
    “If you like.” She stood and crossed the room. “Though I’d have thought you would be accustomed to this sort of thing.” She sat down on the couch and gave him a brilliant smile. “It’s not as if I’m asking for any kind of commitment from you. We’re both adults and know what we want.”
    “Do we?” He smiled cynically. “I know what I want. I’ve known since you walked into the room, but I’m not sure I know what you want.” He paused. “Are you going to tell me why you ran away six years ago?”
    She shrugged. “I left a note.”
    His lips tightened. “A note that contained two sentences: ‘Don’t look for me. I’ll come back only when I’m ready.’ Very melodramatic. Didn’t it occur to you that it was also a little inconsiderate?”
    For a moment her control broke. “No more than it did to you when you sent me away,” she said fiercely. “I told you I didn’t want to go. You wouldn’t listen to me. I told you—” She broke off. “But that’s all in the past. It’s not important now.”
    His lips curved in a curious smile. “For a moment there I thought it did matter to you,” he said softly. “My mistake.” He stretched his legs out before him with the deceptively lazy grace of a stalking cat. “So what have you been doing all these years?”
    She glanced away. “Nothing much. I had a few jobs. I managed to survive.”
    “You don’t intend to confide in me?” He clucked reprovingly. “And we’re such old