One Hot Desert Night Read Online Free PDF Page B

believed Sunny would not be forthcoming with that information. In that regard, she was very much like him, withholding details due to a lack of trust. However, one person would mostly hold the answers he sought.
    Though he should wait until morning to question Piper, Rayad’s thirst for the truth drove him from the bed. He retrieved a guest robe from the closet and slipped it on before entering the hallway. He strode through the corridors and sprinted up the staircase to the living quarters. Once there, he paused and attempted to discern which room belonged to Adan and his new bride. Fortunately, a meek-looking, dark-haired woman walked out one door to his immediate right and met his gaze, obviously surprised to find a nearly-naked man standing in the hallway.
    After recognition dawned in her expression, she bowed her head slightly and muttered, “Your Highness.”
    He tightened the sash on the gaping robe. “I need to locate Sheikh Adan’s room.”
    “At the end of the hall,” she said, keeping her eyes averted as she pointed to her right. “But they do not wish to be disturbed. That is why I am tending to the young prince tonight.”
    If he retained any decorum whatsoever, he would take his leave. This mission was too important. “I will make certain you are not held responsible for the disturbance.”
    With that, he headed to the designated quarters without glancing back. Once there, he rapped twice on the wooden surface and waited. He had almost given up when the door creaked open to reveal his disheveled cousin, also dressed in a robe. “Bloody hell, Rayad,” Adan muttered. “I hope you tell me we’ve gone to war, the only excuse I will accept for you showing up here in the middle of the night.”
    “There is no war, but I must speak to your wife.”
    “
My
wife is not presentable at the moment, and why would you need to speak to her?”
    “I need to inquire about her sister.”
    Adan narrowed his eyes. “If you are entertaining thoughts of garnering permission to seduce Sunny, discard them now. She does not need to have you hounding her under the circumstances.”
    Perhaps he could bypass Piper after all. “Which circumstances would those be?”
    “She was thrown over by some bastard and has suffered a severe broken heart. Those were my wife’s exact words.”
    Siblings had been known to withhold truths from one another before, as it had been often with his cousins Adan and Zain. Or perhaps in this matter a wife was withholding information from her spouse. “And you are certain Piper is not concealing other details pertaining to her sister?”
    He presented a stern scowl. “I have no reason not to believe what she told me. Now what is this all about?”
    “I sensed there is more to Sunny’s sabbatical than the end of a relationship when I was with her this evening.”
    Adan took on a murderous expression. “Define
when I was with her
.”
    “We took a walk together in the garden.”
    “And where, Rayad, did you end your walk?”
    He realized exactly what his cousin was implying. “We ended the walk in the garden, and that is when I realized she has unexplained fears.”
    “Of what? You?”
    “Indirectly, yes. When I attempted to touch her—”
    “
Where
did you attempt to touch her?”
    “Her hand.”
    “Are you bloody sure you didn’t reach a bit higher than that?”
    Adan’s question echoed loudly through the hallway and apparently disturbed his bride, who suddenly appeared in the doorway. “If you two don’t lower your voices, you’re going to wake the entire palace, including our son and the twins. What in heaven’s name has you both so worked up?”
    Adan pointed at Rayad. “This cad made a pass at your sister.”
    His wife seemed surprisingly calm. “She’s an attractive woman, honey.”
    Rayad felt the need to defend his honor. “I only attempted to take her hand, yet her reaction to that innocent gesture has led me to believe she has possibly suffered a recent