They breathed hard as they laughed.
“You never told me you were an Olympic swimmer!” Mehdi said between deep breaths and laughter.
“I guess it just slipped my mind,” Steph said. “You know, with that pesky arranged marriage and all.”
They took a moment to catch their breath as they lay on the sand staring up at the clear blue sky. When they finally recovered, Mehdi sat up, holding out a hand to help Steph do the same. She took it gratefully.
“There is a reason I wanted to bring you here,” he said, glancing behind them.
Steph followed suit and saw several stone archways that led to a series of caves. Something was glowing inside them. Something she couldn’t wait to explore.
When she looked back at Mehdi, he was grinning from ear to ear.
“Well,” she said, “what are we waiting for?”
ELEVEN
Steph
Steph grinned at Mehdi before dashing over to the caves, continuing their race. She heard him laugh behind her before he easily caught up, jogging alongside her. When they reached the cave’s entrance, Steph stopped.
“Is it safe to go in there?” she asked. As much as she had longed for an adventure just like this, she was still a cautious person. Wasn’t she?
Mehdi nodded, allaying her fears. “Perfectly. Come on,” he said, reaching for her hand as he stepped forward into the cave.
Inside, the clear blue waters turned translucent beneath the cave ceiling, which was glowing a neon cyan that sparkled above the reflection of the water.
“What is this?” Steph said, amazed.
Mehdi gazed around them, his eyes bright in the glowing light.
“It’s a type of algae that’s particular to this region. The salt from the water evaporates into the air, causing the unique glow.”
They stood hand in hand, staring in wonder at the beauty of nature. After the initial shock passed, Steph became acutely aware that she was holding the Sheikh’s hand, and she suddenly felt awkward about it. Should she let go? She knew better than to let things go too far.
Taking a breath, she tried to focus on the magnificence of the cave around them. Overthinking would just dispel the dream that much faster.
“Would you like to take a dip?” Mehdi asked.
Steph nodded, taking that opening to release his hand, which she did with great reluctance.
They spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in warm waters, alternating between the cave and the open ocean, talking about nothing in particular. Mehdi continued his lessons on El Farahn culture and life, doing the best he could to help prepare her for living there, if she chose to do so. Steph realized then that the Sheikh had given her that choice back. With no marriage, she could easily head back to Vermont and live her life there…but did she really want to?
As the afternoon wound down, Steph found herself feeling famished, so Mehdi proposed they return to their cabana for dinner. Rather than racing, they swam back to the main island at a leisurely pace. Back in the cabana, Steph pulled her towel from a chair and sat down while Mehdi headed to the main building for a few minutes. When he returned, he was followed by two staffers, who quickly set up a table on the beach before making a swift exit.
“Shall we?” he asked, gesturing toward the table.
“Of course,” Steph said, beyond ready to eat.
Mehdi opened the fridge, and together they loaded up the table with fruits, cheeses, cold meats and a bottle of sparkling white wine. Steph filled her plate as Mehdi popped the cork and filled their glasses before he raised his.
“To a perfect day,” he said, a glint in his eye.
Steph wanted to meet him there. She wanted to indulge in feeling the way her heart and her body clearly wanted to. Her mind was tugging at her, nudging her, reminding her quietly that there was a world outside this island that she would have to go back to. As she told that voice to shut up, she raised her own glass and clinked it against Mehdi’s.
“To a perfect day,” she agreed, and they both took a sip.
“You haven’t told me much about what you did at the bank,” Mehdi said.
Steph took another sip before she answered. “It wasn’t exactly exciting,” she said.