R onnie couldn't believe she was sitting in a private jet wearing only a bra on top. But the cool wipes were working magic, which Zadir made more intense by blowing softly on her damp skin.
It was as close to bliss as you could get when you were trapped in a desert wilderness in a crashed plane.
"Were you surprised when you suddenly inherited a kingdom?" She'd started to feel relaxed around him. "I read in a magazine that originally your oldest brother was supposed to inherit."
"It was a total shock and not a pleasant one. I wanted to give the kingdom back to my brother Osman. He convinced me that we could all work as a team to bring
Ubar into the modern world."
"Is it backward there?"
He laughed. "We prefer the word traditional. But the truth is that lot of the population is illiterate, and lives much the same way they have for a thousand years. We're starting to tap into the natural resources so we can release a lot of wealth to improve life for the people and catch up with the other countries in the region."
"Your father wasn't interested in exploiting the oil?"
"He had plenty of money to fulfill his personal needs from the high taxes he imposed on everyone. He lived for pleasure and didn't worry too much about anything else."
"It doesn't sound like you really miss him."
Zadir's hands stilled on her back. "I don't miss him at all. I barely knew him. He had little time for children. And if the rumors are true, he had my mother killed when he grew tired of her."
"What?" She tensed, wanting to turn and see his expression but not wanting to intrude. She could hear emotion in his voice.
"Divorce is illegal in Ubar. If a man grows bored with his wife, he can cheat and be looked down on by his peers, or he has to somehow dispose of her." His voice had lowered to a growl.
"I hope you're planning to change that rule."
"It's at the top of the long list of things we intend to address. We have to proceed cautiously, or we'll have a revolution on our hands. Luckily my brother Osman is a natural diplomat, so he's good at knowing what to present and when. My brother Amahd is in charge of bringing the country's oil and gas resources to market. He's been in oil exploration for some time so he knows what he's doing." His hands now moved confidently over her back again. She shivered as he pressed a new, cool towel to a sensitive spot on the side of her waist.