Page 3 of The Sheik's Embrace

His eyes narrowed on her lovely features. Mentally, he berated himself for such a ridiculous possibility. Tara was one of those rare women who had no clue how beautiful and enticing she really was. She was completely oblivious to the impact she had on the male species. Despite her obvious attempts to diminish her femininity with drab, ill-fitting clothes. The grey dress she wore today had a curved collar that cupped her neck and the dull material draped down over her body, the hem falling to the middle of her calves.

And yet, the dress couldn’t fully hide her lush curves. Quite the opposite, in fact. The material taunted the male species, himself in particular, by floating around those curves, brushing against them, hinting at what was underneath, but that he couldn’t have!

In that moment, he realized something amazing. He was no longer betrothed! Princess Ciara, the woman he’d been betrothed to for the past ten years, had finally broken off the contract. She was now engaged to marry Sheik Falk, one of Zayed’s good friends!

Reminding himself of his betrothal over the past two years had become a habit. But now, he didn’t need to continue restraining himself. He didn’t need to keep holding off on pursuing the one woman who intrigued and enticed him more than any other ever had!

Tara! Tara Treon was going to be his!

As he observed her in the moment, he recognized the fear in her eyes. It served as a stark reminder that she was in jeopardy. Over a hamburger?

He read the message again;“Just letting you know that the hamburgers are ready. They are on their way to your destination. Enjoy!”

No, this wasn’t about a hamburger. It couldn't be that simple. Clearly, someone was en route to Pitra, having discovered that Tara was here.

Someone dangerous.

But who? And why?

Stuffing the phone into his pocket, he waved towards the other end of the hallway where his office was located. “Let’s talk,” Zayed commanded. He turned and started moving down the hallway towards his office.

It took him several steps to realize that Tara wasn’t by his side. Turning back, he saw her timidly peering around the corner, as if she was worried that someone was going to jump out and grab her.

Turning back, he stopped right in front of her and took her hand, his fingers sliding against the softness of hers.

“Tara, no one is going to hurt you. I guarantee your safety.” He lowered his head so that no one could overhear. “I will protect you with my life, Tara.”

She gasped and started to pull away from him. But he tightened his grip on her fingers, shaking his head. “No, don’t try to deny that you are in danger,qatah aghira.” He ran his thumb over the top of her hand. “I can see the fear in your lovely, green eyes. I can also feel the way you’re trembling.” He tilted his head slightly. “Or is that trembling because you are afraid ofme?”

“No!” Tara gasped and took a small step closer. “You would never hurt me. I know that, Your Highness.”

Nodding his approval, he straightened up. “Jyid.” He took her hand and gently tugged her out of the odd sanctuary. “You’re going to tell me what that message meant and I’m going to fix the problem for you. And then we’re going to talk about other subjects more to my liking and yours.”

Chapter 3

Tara stared at the cell phone where it sat in the middle of Zayed’s desk, waiting for him to return. She sat in the extra chair, her hands folded primly on her lap. Memories of other conversations, painful, humiliating, stern lectures in front of a different desk, flashed through her mind, but she closed her eyes and banished them. Zayed wasn’thim! Looking around, Tara reminded herself thatHEcouldn’t get to her if she stayed inside the palace. She was safe here! She’d overreacted earlier, but she was safe. Looking around, she reminded herself of the layers of security both inside and out of the palace. She was safe. Perfectly safe!

Even if her sister's message held an ominous accuracy — Kaia was always right, though Tara could never fathom how Kaia unearthed the schemes of those malicious individuals — the gravity of the situation loomed. The idea thathecould not find her here, despite Kaia's purported insight, injected a surge of tension into the air. Tara grappled with the dual weight of her sister's warning and the realization that, perhaps this time, even Kaia's foresight might not be enough to shield her from the impending threat that inched closer, threatening to shatter the fragile semblance of safety Tara had sought to carve out for herself.

The awareness of her own posture struck like a cruel revelation — the submissive pose, the bowed head, a grotesque echo of her past training. A jolt of panic surged through her veins, propelling her abruptly to her feet as if the chair itself had scorched her. The rapid retreat was a desperate attempt to distance herself from the haunting remnants of her past self. She fervently hoped that Zayed, the observer of her involuntary regression, remained oblivious to that stark displayof vulnerability. In the silent aftermath, the room held the lingering tension of a suppressed history threatening to unravel.

He had witnessed her hurried exit from the meeting just moments ago. Moreover, he'd seen her huddled in a broom closet. "Good grief!" she whispered, a self-directed exclamation filled with frustration. Closing her eyes in an attempt to gather composure, Tara began pacing, seething with anger for two distinct reasons. First, she had succumbed to fear at the mere hint of her tormentor finding her. Second, she had bared her vulnerabilities to her boss, an uncharacteristic lapse that fueled her fury even further. The weight of embarrassment and self-reproach hung heavily in the air as Tara grappled with the repercussions of her actions.

Zayed was big and strong and never cowered! There wasn’t a gosh-darn thing that scared him!

No, that wasn’t right. He hated spiders. Tara smiled as she remembered the man leaping out of his chair one day while in the middle of giving her instructions. When she’d walked around to the other side of the desk, thinking to find a woman hiding under there, she found, instead, a tiny spider crawling on the floor.

That moment had been her big show of bravery. The one and only time she’d been brave, she thought miserably. Point of fact, Zayed had run away from a tiny spider only that one moment in his life. She’d been running from her monsters for years.

Correction, she’d been cowering, terrified of her monsters her whole life!

The door to Zayed’s office opened and Tara’s head swiveled. She never denied herself that moment of pleasure. Watching Zayed step into a room was truly a magnificent sight!His strength and confidence were a palpable force. Plus, the man was gorgeous! She even liked the tiny bump on his nose, a telltale sign that someone had broken his nose at some point.

She’d like to know that story. No, that wasn’t true. Tara wanted to find out who had broken her…the…man’s nose, and hurt them in return for wounding someone as wonderful as Zayed.

The man in question stopped midstride and looked at her. His sudden lack of movement confused her. Tara was used to him barreling through every moment of his day. The man worked long hours, often seven days a week. He worked eighteen to twenty hours and never had a full day off. Of course, she worked right alongside him and reveled in every moment. He made her feel alive! The work and his presence motivated her more than anything else. Plus, she felt as if she sparkled with every new accomplishment.

“Have you had your fill yet?” his deep voice asked.

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