Page 8 of The Sheik's Vow

That one word. She’d rarely heard it from anyone with authority. Oh, the average person was generally polite. But not anyone with even a hint of power.

However, Kaia was even more startled when she heard herself reply, “Of course.”

She followed him silently into the next room. It was the salon they’d chatted in last night. The delicate, crystal glasses were gone, the tables polished, and the pillows fluffed. Kaia wasn’t used to having a bevy of servants to clean up after her.

Walking into the middle of the room, she tightened her grip on the strap of her backpack, then turned and faced him. He’d closed the door, his hands sliding into the dark slacks. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, so the crisp, white dress shirt tugged impressively over his broad shoulders. Wide, strong shoulders that could probably carry most of her problems with ease.

Except Kaia refused to allow anyone to fool her into thinking they would help. Never again!

“Marry me, Kaia.”

Chapter 5

Kaia had to have misheard him. Staring up at him, looking into those dark eyes, she nearly burst out laughing.

"Excuse me?" she forced out, her fingers tangling with the woven cord dangling from the strap of her backpack. If she pulled the cord, the strap would tighten on her shoulders, pulling the pack snugly against her body.

The gold and cream shades of the room’s décor faded away, nothing else existed beyond his eyes.

"Marry me, Kaia. Let me protect you. Let me help you defeat your monsters."

The laughter, like an uninvited guest, escaped her control. It erupted from her, an explosive release in the tension-filled room. The force of her laughter bent her over slightly, and she shook her head, the sound reverberating with a mix of disbelief and nervous energy.

It wasn't the proposal itself that struck her as funny; it was the audacity of the offer, the surreal quality of the situation. Her mind raced, grappling with the absurdity of the moment while her laughter echoed through the room.

As she straightened, Kaia found him watching her with an unwavering gaze. The air hung heavy with uncertainty, tensionthreading through the silence that followed her laughter. He waited silently for her to collect herself.

In that awkward pause, Kaia realized the weight of his offer. The proposal wasn't a whimsical gesture; he was serious. A strange mixture of amusement and apprehension filled the air, turning the room into a crucible of conflicting emotions.

Their eyes locked, a silent exchange carrying the unspoken tension between them. The woven cord in Kaia's hand seemed to tighten, mirroring the intricate knot of emotions tightening within her. The laughter had vanished, leaving a lingering unease in its wake, like the aftershocks of an unexpected quake.

“Are you seriously proposing marriage?” Surely, she’d misunderstood.

“Absolutely.” He took a step closer and she forgot to breathe for a long moment. Her mouth hung open as he began to plead his case. “You are a lovely, intelligent woman who has survived things I can only imagine. Your compassion and your determination to fight and protect are alluring character traits.” He stepped even closer, his dark eyes flashing with an inner determination. “Kaia, you are the woman that I have been searching for. You are the lioness that I want by my side.”

His words were genuine and his eyes seemed to almost glow with a heat unlike anything she’d ever seen.

Even more powerful, he called her a “lioness”. The feeling that washed over her was one she had never felt before. Her feet took a small step forward without her realizing it. “You think I’m a lioness?” she whispered.

She’d been called pretty, even beautiful. She’d been whistled at and catcalled. Some had even groped her, telling her that she had a “great ass” or “beautiful breasts”. Men had tried to entice her into their beds with sweet words and promises. But none had ever touched her soul.

She found herself yearning to believe in his perception of her, to embrace the notion that she wasn't just a survivor, but a fierce andpowerful force. The room, once fraught with tension, now held a glimmer of something new—hope.

For a moment, the weight of her past, the shadows that clung to her, felt lighter. His words, like a gentle breeze cutting through the stifling air, hinted at the possibility of a different narrative—a narrative where she wasn't defined by her traumas, but celebrated for her strength.

In that fragile moment, the room transformed. The gold and cream colors regained their luster, and the air, which had been thick with uncertainty, now bore the promise of something more. Hope, like a resilient bloom breaking through concrete, sprouted within Kaia. It was a sensation she hadn't anticipated, a tender shoot of optimism threatening to grow against the odds.

Lioness. The word meant she was fierce. The description meant she was a predator, not prey.

And the look in his eyes conveyed his seriousness. He wasn’t just offering her pretty words. He truly believed she was a lioness!

Then she realized what she was about to say. Surely, she couldn’t agree to his request! She didn’t know him, nor did he know her.

“You don’t know me, Your Highness.”

Riaz stepped closer, the tension building. Her gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips. What would it be like to kiss him? His lips were thin and firm. Would he be tender? Or fierce?

“I don’t know the details of your past or the inner workings of your thoughts, Kaia. But I can feel the gentle woman underneath the determined exterior.” He took her hand, placing it on his chest. Her first thought was that the man was hot. Literally, he was really warm. She could feel the heat of his skin against her palm. He was burning up! The next thought was that his heart, the soul of this man, pounded under her fingers. She didn’t understand why that was so…exhilarating! Feeling the vitality that drove him…was heady. She could curl her fingers into his skin. She could scratch him, claw at his chest.

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