The Things I Lost In The Desert

Chapter 2 - The Man Who Broke The Camel's Back.

His thick European accent was a surprise. I felt my face heat up, my attempt at making him look stupid backfired. Badly. I only spoke one language and I clearly wasn't travelled enough to place where his accent was from.

"Whatever," I huffed out and I glanced over at Sofia who was staring at the grey-eyed-european-sounding-arab-looking-six-foot-stud like he was a piece of meat.

If I was wasn't so humilliated, I could've admitted that he was kind of good-looking. Ok, 'kind of' is an understatement, he was extremely good-looking.

He wore a black and white keffiyeh that framed his squared jaw face. He was probably wearing it as a form of protection from the sun. It was almost unfair how perfect his eyelashes and eyebrows were, but that was usually the case with men. Blessed with features we would pay millions for. His long dark eyelashes framed his bright grey eyes that openly studied me. He looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days and in all my years of living I had never wanted to run my hands over a man's stubbled cheek like I did right now.

More like, smack the smug look off his face.

I had never seen grey eyes until today, and they were staring right at me. He looked at me as if he was waiting for something. And I looked at him confused at what he was waiting for. Clearly he had bested me, there was no need for us to continue conversing.

"Well," I lifted my chin holding on to whatever pride I had left. "We're leaving."

A small smirk crept up on his handsome face. "So soon?"

Dammit, he really thought this was a game? What the hell was so funny?

"Don't be coy, you people don't want us here anyway!" I grabbed Sofia's arm and tried to march past him but his tuxedo'd men step to us blocking our way.

"It is rude to walk off when someone is speaking to you." He closed the distance between us forcing me to tilt my head up. Something about his presence commanded respect, yet his eyes danced with humour. "If my people have offended you in anyway, allow me to make it up to you."

I opened and closed my mouth, trying to form a coherent sentence but my brain wasn't working. He looked even better up close and he smelt amazing. He smelt like...like Arabic royalty. I stepped back, he had clearly put me under some spell that made my thought and speech a little dizzy. "Well, Karim says they're closed."

"Not for me."

"Excuse me?" I turned back to Face Karim. "What the hell is this guy talking about."

When I pointed my thumb in six foot's direction, Karim gasped again going off in a string of Arabic. This time he grabbed my hand.

"Don't do that!" He scolded like I was a child.

"I told you not to touch me." I pulled my hand back. Unfortunately, I pulled with so much force that when Karim let go, I went stumbling back into mr six foot. He placed two hands on my arms to steady me. His hands were warm in a way that set me alight, they felt big and strong but soft.

The minute we made contact, his tuxedo men lunched forward and startled me. Before one of them could take me from Mr six foot's embrace, he called out a command that made the tuxedo men step back. I quickly stepped out of his reach, feeling completely uncomfortable. He turned his attention back to Karim, who was now as white as a sheet.

"Karim. If the lady wishes to ride the camels today, please allow them to do so." 

After a few formalities and a long stretch of awkward silence, Karim brought out three camels. Even though this hit stranger had spoilt my mood, Sophia was suddenly amped to camel ride so I stayed the course.