Page 14 of Silk & Sand

Ahmet was rummaging through his stack of pans, making Raider wince at the noise. Ahmet returned to the fire with what he referred to as his “magic skillet.” He slid it onto the grate below the spitted meat then disappeared into the kitchen.

With the promise of food comfortably in his future, Raider sipped the kahve and munched on one of the almond biscuits.

Ahmet returned with a basket of eggs, a platter of leftover lamb, and Jasmine at his heels.

“No,” Ahmet said firmly as he scraped the lamb into the skillet on one side and began cracking eggs into it on the other.

Jasmine walked over to Raider. When the hopeful wag of his tail was met with an I’m-sorry-friend shrug, Jasmine settled on the ground by Raider’s feet.

Ahmet said, “He thinks you are the easier mark.”

“I am. I’m very easy. Just look at this skirt.”

Ahmet sent him a wicked grin. “I thought you would like it.”

“Too bad it’s just you and Jasmine here to admire the view. Don’t you have some other overnight guests?”

“Only one, as you well know, and he left early this morning.”

“Ah.”

Raider swirled an almond biscuit in his kahve, busying himself to conceal his disappointment. He knew he should be pleased. After all, he had told Seth to go home. Even though the man looked tough as hell, even though he was built to fight and well-armed for it, it didn’t matter. The Kesh was a thousand dangers, a thousand ways to die.

Besides, the sooner Raider forgot about the Curator, the better. He never got hung up on a man, and he didn’t like the feeling. Sure, it had been fun at first, but fun had turned into frustrating, and that wasn’t Raider’s style.

“Ooh, yum,” he said, setting his kahve aside to take the plate Ahmet held out to him. He scooted over on the bench to make room for Ahmet, who settled in with his own plate of food.

Jasmine propped his chin on Raider’s crossed ankles and gazed up at him forlornly.

“Oh, that’s not fair, Jasmine,” Raider complained. “How can I resist such beautiful, pleading eyes?”

“Don’t you dare,” warned Ahmet.

“Just look at him!”

“Raider, no.” Quickly recognizing the futility of such an injunction, Ahmet said, “Jasmine, no.”

The dog let out a heartbreaking sigh and curled up in a sad ball.

Raider shook his head. “Cruel.”

“He already ate.”

Raider chuckled and spooned up a steaming bite of lamb.

“Gods, Ahmet,” he said around a mouthful, “it’s even better today.”

“It is very good,” Ahmet agreed, and Jasmine sighed again. “But you, invoking the gods?”

“When I’m in a good enough mood, sure. And nothing puts me in a good mood quite like good food. Or raaki. Or handsome men. Sometimes music will do the trick.”

“The gods make good and bad. You do not receive one without the other.”

Raider groaned. “You want to ruin this delicious lamb with your sour-sauce words? I won’t forgive you.”

Ahmet shook his head despairingly. After a few more bites, he said, “He paid for another night.”

Raider’s heart skipped, but he didn’t raise his eyes from his plate. “So this means I’m still stuck with the second-best room, huh?”