was heavy with sarcasm.
"That's up to you. We both know you have guile to spare when you choose to exert it. If it will help, I'll get Philip to have the doctor issue orders that she's not to be moved for that length of time."
"And I only have to keep the homefront from finding out she's being held by a man who'd like nothing better than to tumble Zilah into his bed. Considering her circumstances, that particular knowledge would alarm the hell out of everyone." Clancy scowled. "I don't suppose you'd like to give me your assurance that that won't happen?"
Daniel shook his head. "I want her more than I've ever wanted any woman before, so I can't promise anything." His expression was grim. "But I want her trust as well. That means I can't have both. Not right now."
"Well, that's something at least." Clancy stood up. "You have your two weeks. You leave me very little choice." He placed his glass on the desk with careful precision. "I don't like to be put in that position," he said softly. "Remember that, Daniel. You're walking on thin ice."
"I know." Daniel grinned suddenly. "That should prove how serious I am about this. You always did scare the hell out of me, Clancy."
A reluctant smile tugged at Clancy's lips. He uttered an obscenity that was explicit. "Two weeks. After that I'm coming in to get her and to hell with diplomacy." His smile took on a silky ferocity. "And I'll nail your ass to the wall of the Tower of Tears at Marasef."
"We'll see." Daniel slanted an engimatic smile at him as he straightened. "You've only played the game with me, Clancy. Never against me. You might be in for a surprise. Now that we've reached an agreement,
I want to get back to Zilah." He strode briskly toward the door. "Let me know if you get any word on Hassan."
"Daniel."
Daniel looked back over his shoulder inquiringly.
"This must mean a hell of a lot to you," Clancy said slowly. "But are you sure it's worth the possibility of having to go up against Alex?"
"It's worth it." Daniel's smile was bittersweet. "I feel as if I've found something I've been searching for all my life. I should have known it wouldn't come without a barb or two attached." He opened the door. "But, hell yes, it's worth it."
When Zilah opened her eyes, she saw Daniel. It was obviously night, for it was dark in the room, but there was a lamp burning on the bedside table and Daniel was sitting in a wing chair drawn close to the side of the bed. There was a frown on his face as he gazed abstractedly into the distance.
"Daniel?" she murmured drowsily to bring him back to her. She shifted in the bed, turning to face him. She was naked beneath the satin sheet that covered her, she noticed absently.
He straightened and leaned forward. "I'm here. Go back to sleep, babe. You're safe now."
"I know." She was always safe with Daniel. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine and you will be too. Dr. Madchen said that you'd be weak and lethargic for a few days, but after that you'll be on the mend."
"Dr. Madchen?"
He went still. "You don't remember the doctor?"
She shook her head. "It's all pretty much of a blur. I remember you carrying me into a foyer that looked like something out of an Arabian Nights palace. After that, it was all downhill." She frowned. "No, I remember something else."
There was a flicker of wariness in Daniel's eyes.
"Really?"
"A man with strange-colored eyes. Almost turquoise. Was that the doctor?"
Daniel chuckled. "No, that was your host, Philip El Kabbar. He'll be flattered to know that he made such an impression even while you were in the throes of fever. It will give his ego an enormous boost. Not that he needs it."
"It's very kind of him to let us impose on him like this. I'd like to thank him."
"You'll get plenty of opportunity to do that." Daniel reached out and took her hand in his. "The doctor doesn't want you traveling on to Zalandan for a week or so. He wants to be sure you don't develop
complications."
Her eyes widened. "Why should he
"That's up to you. We both know you have guile to spare when you choose to exert it. If it will help, I'll get Philip to have the doctor issue orders that she's not to be moved for that length of time."
"And I only have to keep the homefront from finding out she's being held by a man who'd like nothing better than to tumble Zilah into his bed. Considering her circumstances, that particular knowledge would alarm the hell out of everyone." Clancy scowled. "I don't suppose you'd like to give me your assurance that that won't happen?"
Daniel shook his head. "I want her more than I've ever wanted any woman before, so I can't promise anything." His expression was grim. "But I want her trust as well. That means I can't have both. Not right now."
"Well, that's something at least." Clancy stood up. "You have your two weeks. You leave me very little choice." He placed his glass on the desk with careful precision. "I don't like to be put in that position," he said softly. "Remember that, Daniel. You're walking on thin ice."
"I know." Daniel grinned suddenly. "That should prove how serious I am about this. You always did scare the hell out of me, Clancy."
A reluctant smile tugged at Clancy's lips. He uttered an obscenity that was explicit. "Two weeks. After that I'm coming in to get her and to hell with diplomacy." His smile took on a silky ferocity. "And I'll nail your ass to the wall of the Tower of Tears at Marasef."
"We'll see." Daniel slanted an engimatic smile at him as he straightened. "You've only played the game with me, Clancy. Never against me. You might be in for a surprise. Now that we've reached an agreement,
I want to get back to Zilah." He strode briskly toward the door. "Let me know if you get any word on Hassan."
"Daniel."
Daniel looked back over his shoulder inquiringly.
"This must mean a hell of a lot to you," Clancy said slowly. "But are you sure it's worth the possibility of having to go up against Alex?"
"It's worth it." Daniel's smile was bittersweet. "I feel as if I've found something I've been searching for all my life. I should have known it wouldn't come without a barb or two attached." He opened the door. "But, hell yes, it's worth it."
When Zilah opened her eyes, she saw Daniel. It was obviously night, for it was dark in the room, but there was a lamp burning on the bedside table and Daniel was sitting in a wing chair drawn close to the side of the bed. There was a frown on his face as he gazed abstractedly into the distance.
"Daniel?" she murmured drowsily to bring him back to her. She shifted in the bed, turning to face him. She was naked beneath the satin sheet that covered her, she noticed absently.
He straightened and leaned forward. "I'm here. Go back to sleep, babe. You're safe now."
"I know." She was always safe with Daniel. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine and you will be too. Dr. Madchen said that you'd be weak and lethargic for a few days, but after that you'll be on the mend."
"Dr. Madchen?"
He went still. "You don't remember the doctor?"
She shook her head. "It's all pretty much of a blur. I remember you carrying me into a foyer that looked like something out of an Arabian Nights palace. After that, it was all downhill." She frowned. "No, I remember something else."
There was a flicker of wariness in Daniel's eyes.
"Really?"
"A man with strange-colored eyes. Almost turquoise. Was that the doctor?"
Daniel chuckled. "No, that was your host, Philip El Kabbar. He'll be flattered to know that he made such an impression even while you were in the throes of fever. It will give his ego an enormous boost. Not that he needs it."
"It's very kind of him to let us impose on him like this. I'd like to thank him."
"You'll get plenty of opportunity to do that." Daniel reached out and took her hand in his. "The doctor doesn't want you traveling on to Zalandan for a week or so. He wants to be sure you don't develop
complications."
Her eyes widened. "Why should he
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