Chapter 7

Mia awakened to the hot desert sun shining through her room, making everything appear ethereal but not quiet blinding. The soft cotton sheets where unlike anything she had ever slept in, like sleeping in a cloud. She didn't even want to get up because she had never slept in a bed so soft. Her bed back home never provided her with such luxury and comfort.

Her job back home in LA never paid enough to provide her with extra luxury. Having a degree in computer science one would think a job opportunity would be coming towards you like a tornado on steroids. Mia never managed to get a proper job but she still liked to make a point of her being a computer scientist to sexist men or women known and she wasn't about to stop.

Mia knew or at least had an idea on how the middle eastern men treated their wives or women. She wanted no part of it, yet she still always wanted to visit the countries in the middle east. The hot deserts called to her. even though they where unbearably hot, but she could overlook that for her love of safaris, even though she had never been on one.

Watching people go on safaris in land rovers and quad bikes really made her happy and excited but with her current situation she was really rethinking if all that was necessary.

Now looking around the beautiful room she couldn't help but appreciate the soft light illuminating around the room. She had to get up, she knew that, but she just couldn't relay messages to her limbs. After wallowing in her sleepy haze she finally sat up, looking at the clock on the wall, it read 10:06 am. earlier than usual for her on a day when she is free but then considering the circumstances, nobody could blame her.

She got down from the bed and couldn't help but moan from the feel of the soft plush carpet on her bare feet. It was a soft cream color against the bold polished wood flooring. She stood up and went to use the bathroom. After she had finished using the bathroom she got her toothbrush that she always travelled with even though most hotels provided extra toothbrushes and began brushing her teeth by the mirror on the sink. She cleaned her face with water, wiped it and made her way out of the bathroom before she fell to the temptation of falling asleep in the bathtub. It was very beautiful, with white marble on the double sinks, counter and walls where one wall was a bold creamy nude. It had a shower cubicle at the other end of a wall which was translucent. She had certainly enjoyed her time in there.

She ran her hand through her head and removed her bonnet on the way to the sliding doors. The beautiful pool was calling to her. It was so blue and beautiful. If only she had brought her bikini, but it was too hot she even began contemplating on swimming naked, and immediately shut down the idea because she would probably get arrested for indecent exposure even though she was in the privacy of her own room.

" legend has it that if you stare at water too long it disappears" Adil said from the hammock which Mia had somehow failed to notice.

Mia flinched and clutched her chest and turned around then immediately exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding after she spotted Adil" you scared me"

" forgive me, habibti, it was hardly my intention" Adil said while getting off the hammock.

He had on a form fitting shirt with plaid Pyjama bottoms, emphasising on his fit physique. Mia was just glad she was dark skinned otherwise she would be as red a tomato.

" why are you here?"

" you would think someone would want to relax in the confines of their own room" he said with a slight accent which Mia didn't fail to notice.

"yes but this is my room, isn't something like this frowned upon here?" Mia said and couldn't help but notice how she was getting angrier by the minute.

" sharing a room or a pool?"

" well, both..."

" relax Cara, i'm in the next room"

She relaxed a bit and sat down on one of the chairs by the pool. her shirt rode up as she sat, which was not missed by Adil. He was fascinated because not many women wanted to be in his company in a formless shirt and a scarf on their head, which was still sexy by the way. she was really beautiful and just right then he believed she could look good in just about anything by his side.

" what do you want from me?" Mia asked, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Taken back by her bold question, Adil turned fully towards her.

" i don't know, habibti, what do you think?"

" well it's certainly not to kill me because you would have done that a long time ago"

" how sure are you?" Adil asked her, amused.

" well, do i look stupid to you?"

" no, tell me, are you?" Adil asked, standing to walk u to her.

" well i am a scientist" she answered him while looking up at him. he was a very tall man and having him stand up while she sat down seemed like she was looking up mount Everest from the bottom.

" yes, you are a very smart woman, Habibti, i don't know if i should be proud or annoyed"

" yes so as you know i have to get back home to my job if you aren't going to kill me me"

" what's the hurry? you are supposed to be on vacation right?"

" how did you...?"

" you don't want to stay with me?" Adil cut her off.

" why would i, you are the one who kidnapped me and on top of that you are a murderer! you killed that man at the hotel and had your men chase me! do i look like i would want to stay with you? you sexist, vile man..."Mia was now standing and ranting while she hit his chest with her fists. Adil had infuriated her and it made her tick. She was furious.

" such spirit and fire, habibti, don't you know by now that you can't fight me? yet you still try." He now had both her hands in a tight grip while his other hand was on her neck with her back to his front.

" you know who i am yet you still disobey me" Adil said in a low voice with his mouth at her ear.

Mia continued to struggle against him.

" you have to stop wriggling like that or it won't end well for you"

She immediately saw red. She stomped on his foot making sure to connect his toe with her heel which caught him off guard, slightly loosening his grip, mia took advantage of that and her short frame by connecting her elbow with his gut then finally throwing her head back which almost connected with his nose but ended up on his jaw due to his height.

" damn"

He let her go and bent over due to the pain she caused. He had to hand it to her, she was pretty strong. and really cunning. sly fox.

By the time he had at least recovered, Mia had already run to the sliding glass doors and locked them.

" open this door!" Adil banged on the glass. Mia just stared at him and drew the curtains, which to her felt like a shield, protecting her from a dangerous dragon. she just wondered who the prince to save her was going to be, but at this point she knew deep down that she was on her own. She had survived on her own and she wasn't about to stop.

The act of closing the curtains really angered Adil. He got his phone from his pocket and made a very important phone call he should have made at the beginning of all the drama.

Mia's heart was still pumping fast even when she got out of the bathroom. She hoped her neck wouldn't bruise as she stared at herself in the mirror. She could see fear in the girl in the mirror. pathetic. She had told her all her life when she saw fear in her eyes, but at that point she let her off with a free pass due to the just to the justifiable condition they were in.

" head up baby girl" she told her and went off to her closet.

She chose a thin white t-shirt with form fitting, faded denim jeans and her favourite ysl boots. she untwisted her hair which fell to her mid back near her waist. She got her fake diamond studs and sprayed a little leave- in- conditioner in her hair. By the time she was done, she was smelling like vanilla and orange blossoms. She went and sat on her bed and immediately remembered her phone.

She quickly dialed Dana's number.

" come on, pick up" Mia muttered while tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.

No service. She clearly knew that hotels where supposed to have network. At least she thought. this was clearly that man's doing, if he could stop her flight he could clearly stop network from her room. He seemed important, she wondered who he was that he could go to such immense trouble just to prevent her from running off and talking. She still wondered why he wouldn't make it easy for himself and just kill her.

She got up and started pacing. This was the most scared she had ever been and being in a strange country did not help at all.

" you hungry?" Adil asked from the doorway and almost immediately Mia's stomach rumbled.

" Don't you knock?" Mia asked and noticed he looked calm enough.

" Hardly, considering i'm the one paying for this room"

" well then you can have it, it's not like i asked for it" Mia looked at him with her arms crossed on her chest. He was wearing black jeans and a thin black t-shirt with his aviator glasses perched on his wavy black hair.

" lets go have breakfast, maybe you shall cool down once i show you around," he strolled towards her and took her elbow with a strong grip and led her towards a set of mahogany wood double doors, he led her across the sand to what looked like a private breakfast setting with a canopy blocking the overhead sun.

" wow" She couldn't help but mutter. there was a variation of breakfast foods. There where pancakes, waffles and strawberries with other berries and cream on one big glass plate. orange juice and another sparkly gold liquid that she guessed was apple juice, her favorite, where in glass jars. A jar of milk rested to the side with empty glasses beside it. Croissants rested on one white ceramic plate with beautiful designs. There where bowls and what looked like a setting for only two people.

It looked very intimate and more like a date but she didn't really care because she was very hungry. She immediately sat down without waiting for anyone to pull her chair out for her. Her mouth was watering.

" Beautiful isn't it?" Adil asked after he had sat in his own sit opposite from her.

A waiter appeared with a cup of steaming black coffee and set it in front of Adil. He continued to put a plate with bacon, eggs and sausages on the table and left. Adil grabbed a slice of toast and put on his plate. She got her fork and began digging in her waffles and the delicious cream and fruits. it was all she could do not to moan.

Adil watched her as he silently ate his toast. He liked his coffee black with the strong caffeine hit for tough situations like the one he was in. They continued to eat in silence as Mia ate all her waffles with some apple juice. One thing she wasn't shy about was eating her food in front of anyone.

" you have quite the appetite"

" why wouldn't i?" She asked him.

" No reason" Adil answered with his cool and collected gaze on her. She produced a snort that wouldn't be considered very lady like.

She knew why he said that. Most guys didn't like girls eating food in the name of staying slim but if someone asked her she would have to say it was none of their business if a woman chose to eat a lot or little food.

" Are you done?" He asked her as he dropped his napkin on the table after a few minutes.

" yes"

" Great, let's go then" Mia wondered how this scary man could change his mood in a matter of seconds as he led her across the sand and towards the front entrance.

" wait, my clothes are still inside" Mia planted her feet in the floor and tried to stall him.

" You won't need them."

" What! No, my passport, my hair, i need all that" Mia tried to reason.

" silence!"

"No i will not be silent, do you know how much it cost to buy all that?!"

He gripped her strongly and led her towards the waiting range rovers with his men standing beside them, waiting for the two of them. Adil put a struggling Mia in the passenger sit where the door was opened by Aman and closed the doors. He got in the drivers seat and drove off after clicking in his seat belt.

" This is so not fair' Mia sat while fuming. she ran over all her staff she had with her. Her phone, passport, hair products. Did he know how expensive all that was? Mia thought. given the chance, she would slit his throat.

She had a permanent scowl on her face. She knew it was pointless trying to reason with him as they made their way towards the city.

" Hold on tight" Adil said to her as he increased his speed making adrenaline course through her veins all over her body. fast moving cars have always excited her even though they where considered dangerous.

They made there way towards what looked like a private airstrip. she knew he was rich but to drive right on the runway. He had to be super rich and very important indeed. All these thoughts run through her mind as they drove towards a matte black private jet with gold " AMARI" engraved on the side. Below the jet there stood what could only be two pilots and two female and male flight attendants.

" oh shit" Mia gasped.

" You like" he taunted her.

" Hardly"

He just chuckled and parked the car next to the beautiful jet. She got out of the car ignoring the hand that tried to help her out. The flight attendants where impeccably dressed in crisp white shirts tucked into a dark blue pencil skirt for the woman and trousers for the man.

" Welcome Mr Amari" The female attendant greeted him with a sultry smile with her blood red lips. She looked at Mia with a narrowed expression. She had on a scarf around her neck and a beautiful little hat on top of her sleek hairstyle consisting of a low bun.

" Hello miss..?" The attendant started.

" Oh call me Mia" she said.

" Well then if you may come this way" The attendant said just as they finished greeting everybody.

They where led inside and Mia's mouth immediately hang open.