Delaney's Desert Sheikh Read Online Free Page B

middle of something immoral.”
    She chuckled. “In other words, I became the kid sister from hell. It didn’t take long for them to stop meddling in my affairs and back off. However, every once in a while they go brain dead and start sticking their noses into my business again. But it doesn’t take much for me to remind them to butt out or suffer the consequences if they don’t.”
    Jamal shook his head, having the deepest sympathy for her brothers. “Are any of your brothers married?”
    She stared at him, her eyes full of amusement at his question. “Are you kidding? They have too much fun being single. They are players, the card-carrying kind. Alisdare, whom we call Dare, is thirty-five, and the sheriff of College Park, a suburb of Atlanta. Thorn is thirty-four and builds motorcycles as well as races them. Last year he was the only African-American on the circuit. Stone will be celebrating his thirty-second birthday next month. He’s an author of action-thriller novels and writes under the pen name of Rock Mason.”
    She shifted in her seat as she continued. “Chase and Storm are twins but look nothing alike. They are thirty-one. Chase owns a soul-food restaurant and Storm is a fireman.”
    â€œWith such busy professions, how can they find the time to keep tabs on you?”
    She chuckled. “Oh, you would be surprised. They somehow seem to manage.”
    â€œAre your parents still living?”
    â€œYes. They have been together for over thirty-seven years and have a good marriage. However, my mother bought in to my father’s philosophy that she was supposed to stay home and take care of him and the kids. But after I left home she found herself with plenty of spare time on her hands and decided to go back to school. Dad wasn’t too crazy with the idea but decided to indulge her, anyway, thinking she’d only last a few months. I’m proud to say that she graduated three years ago with a graduate degree in education.”
    Jamal set his empty coffee cup aside. “For some reason I have a feeling that you influenced your mother’s sudden need to educate herself.”
    Delaney chuckled. “Of course. I’ve always known she had a brilliant mind—a mind that was being wasted doing nothing but running a house and taking care of her family. You know what they say. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. And why should men have all the advantages while women get stuck at home, barefoot and pregnant?”
    Jamal shook his head. He hoped to Allah that Delaney Westmoreland never had the opportunity to visit his country for an extended period of time. She would probably cause a women’s rights revolution with her way of thinking.
    He stretched his body, tired of the conversation. It was evident that somewhere along the way Delaney had been given too much freedom. What she needed was some man’s firm hand of control.
    And what he needed was to have his head examined.
    Even now his nostrils were absorbing her feminine scent, and it was nearly driving him insane. As she sat on the steps, her drawn-up knees exposed a lot of bare thigh that the shorts she was wearing didn’t hide.
    â€œDo you have female doctors in your country?”
    He looked at her when her question pulled him back into the conversation. It was the same conversation he had convinced himself a few moments ago that he no longer wanted to indulge in. “Yes, we have women that deliver babies.”
    â€œThat’s all they do?” she asked annoyed.
    He thought for a second. “Basically, yes.”
    She glared at him as she pursed her lips. “Your country is worse off than I thought.”
    â€œOnly you would think so. The people in my country are happy.”
    She shook her head. “That’s sad.”
    He lifted a brow. “What’s sad?”
    She drew his gaze. “That you would think they are happy.”
    Jamal frowned, feeling