“Then I am free to go.”

“No. I am sorry to inform you that you are not free to go anywhere. This is Saudi Arabia, Miss Kang. Here, women do not drive automobiles or fly airplanes.” This time, it was his eyebrow that raises speculatively.

“Need I to remind you that I am American citizen?”

“Citizenship is irrelevant in the desert. Within these walls, you will continue to be treated guest. You will be safely cared for until arrangements can be made for you to leave the country.”

“I’m not staying here,” Sora affirmed.

“Miss Kang –“ Leeteuk relaxed against the firm cushions of the sofa “- you are in Saudi Arabia. Here a woman covers her head, wears a veil and goes nowhere without the of a male member of your family. Regrettably, there is no member of your immediate family here to take charge of you. Hence, as the son of a business associate of your absent father, the responsibility for your safety becomes mine. You simply must remain at Anaiza. The laws regarding the travel of unescorted women are strictly enforced. I do not wish your experience in Anaiza to be more difficult that it has to be. Now, I suggest you let your hair down and try to relax.”

“Let my hair… no!” Sora set her coffee cup on the saucer with a rattle. The smooth devil was doing everything he could to disarm her.

“I would prefer that we continue our discussion in an atmosphere less laden with mistrust.”

“Oh, do you?” Sora’s eyebrows went up in decided pique. She wiggled her bare toes and retorted, “Tell you what. You take off your shoes and be as relaxed as I am, and I’ll consider taking down my hair.”

“A sharp tongue will not gain you my assistance.” Leeteuk studied her with growing fascination.

‘Are you implying that if I resort to using my so called feminine wiles, let my hair down and blatantly make an effort to seduce you, you will suddenly become as malleable as putty in my delicate little hands.”

A twitch in the corner of the sheik’s mouth told Sora he fought with smiling outright. “My dear Miss Kang, I am implying nothing of that kind. Nor would I ever describe hands as board and strong as yours as delicate. I do not think there is a delicate bone in your entire body. That is not to say that I would not be agreeable to seduction. You are a beautiful woman, very tall for my usual taste, but your hair might make up for that flaw were you let it down where I could see and enjoy it.”

Sora’s jaw sagged at his turnaround. He was damned close to smirking.

“Look, let’s just stick to the facts, okay? I need to return to my airplane and arrange my transport here. Kindly repeat the gesture. I will be out of your hair the minute I start the Vixen.”

At those statements, the sheik fixed Sora with a curiously blank stare. She found that more disturbing – no – all of his looks caused her skin to prickle. He sipped his coffee then said mildly, “it is better we do not flaunt convention.”

“Look, I’m here out of necessity, not ersity. Surely the governments involved will understand that.”

“The reason for your presence does not matter. You have no choice but to accept and abide by the laws of the country where you are. The consequences, should you not comply with customs, would not be to your liking. I assure you. Since I may deduct from your antagonism that conforming is the last thing you will consider doing, you will remain at Anaiza. Safely out of harm’s way until I can personally return you to your family in America.”

Sora force her jaw to unlock. “If absolutely necessary, I can conform to whatever custom is dictated. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. However, I am telling you that I am not going back to America without my father or Uncle Jack. If that means I have to go to Kuwait in a veil and a robe, so be it! Keep your customs and traditions intact. I am not going home without my father or uncle.

For the first time, Sora detected a note of warmth in his too direct gaze. A small smile creased the corner of his extravagantly chiselled, serious mouth.

“I admire your determination. Such courage in the face of grate danger is laudable, however impractical. But I cannot allow you to do that, either. You do not fully understand the danger. I would never be able to live with my conscience if something happened to you that I could have prevented. Be assured that so long as you remain sequestered at Anaiza, you are under my protection.”

“Sequestered!” Sora almost jumped to her feet screaming on that word. “Look, how do you propose I join my father and complete the business we came to the Mideast to finish?”

“Until the troubles in Kuwait have worked themselves out, no business can be conducted. It was an unnecessary complication for you to arrive as the pilot of the second plane. One that your family member must greatly regret at this very moment. I have checked into the matters regarding the Vixen airplane my father ordered. There was no mention of a female pilot. I am aware in your country, some women take such employment. But here, you do not have the same latitude. Your choice are extremely limited.”

“I completely opposed to this purdah thing, I won’t stand for it. I have to join my father. We came here on business. I have a job to do, and once it is done, I am going straight back home.”

“I do not wish to have this conference between us become a test of wills, Miss Kang. You are my guest. Kuwait is in turmoil. You will remain in Anaiza.”

“Just a minute Sheik Leeteuk. We have one grate problem here. I don’t want to stay at Anaiza. I want to leave your house immediately. If I cannot travel freely because of some touchy situation in Kuwait, I prefer going to the capital of wherever the nearest American embassy is.”

“Before you –“

“Oh, no.!” Sora refused to be interrupted before she said all she needed to say. “I can pay my own way in this country or any country in the world. I don’t need another uncle, and I am out of the market for big brothers. The two I have at home are enough. And while I’m on the subject of brothers, let me tell you neither of them would dare to dictate where I can and cannot go, as you have so foolishly tried to do. I make such decision for myself, thank you very much.”

“Are you finished?” Leeteuk asked with deplorable finesse.

Sora was just getting ready to launch another round of her liberation speech, when she remembered the Vixen and the trump card it offered.

“Not quite. One more thing, Sheik Leeteuk. If you keep pushing me around, I’ll see to it that my company cancels the sale of the twenty Vixens to yours.” Sora paused for a dramatic effect and to gauge his reaction. The blasted man didn’t so much blinked an eye! Didn’t he think she had the power to cancel the sale? Well, he was in for a big surprise. Her vote carried as much weight in the boardroom as any other members of the family owned corporation. “Let me guess what Sheik Wali Haj Haaris would think of your interference then?”

“I have already cancelled the sale,” Leeteuk said matter – of – factly.

“The plane you attempted to deliver is worthless as of this moment.”

“Is that so?” Sora lifted her coffee cup and smiled with great satisfaction. She blew softly onto the hot brew making ripples. “Well, that is the first piece of good news you have given me. Now there is absolutely no reason for us to continue this charade. Take me to the base, and I’ll get my worthless jet and go about my business. Then I won’t have to worry about a Neanderthal like you abusing the Vixen’s delicate systems.”

“The more sensitive the mechanism, the more valued a satisfactory response from it would be, Miss Kang. You should restrict your opinions to fields where they might have some value.”

“Aeronautical design is my field,” Sora re-joined smugly, placing her cup and saucer on the coffee table between them. “Where I am from, I’m considered something of a whiz kid, though at my advanced age of twenty six I consider kid a bit inappropriate. There is nothing wrong with the Vixen, I just made sure that you and everyone else is locked out. Take me back to the base and I’ll have the Vixen running in the blink of an eye.”

“No.”

“How about if I say please nicely?”

“No.”

Arrogant swine, Sora thought. Arrogantly, handsome swine! Sora stood up, smoothing her hands down the sides of her pants.

“Is that you final word Sheik?”

A muscle flexed in the sheik’s smoothly shave check telling telling Sora that she’d scored a big one. All right, she admitted privately, it was a below – the – belt hit, but his tactics were unfair as well. How many innuendos was a girl supposed to ignore? She was still smarting from the crack about how he’d value a response from a sensitive machine! Who was kidding whom? He was deliberately holding her prisoner. Judging by the heat in his chocolate-drop eyes, he was on a slow burn to a meltdown.

“I must say it has been an interesting chat,” she said. “Do drop by any time. You are a delightful company, Sheik.”

“Sit down, Miss Kang. I have not ended my visit.”