Page 9 of The Sheik's Vow

Instead, she soothed his skin, running her fingertips over his chest. The movement caused her whole body to tighten. She stepped closer.

“I can’t marry you, Your…” she stopped because he kissed her. It wasn’t a hard kiss as she’d half expected. And even more, it wasn’t an invasive kiss. He didn’t crush his mouth against hers as she’d seen so many people do. Even better, he didn’t shove his tongue down her throat. She’d seen one man do that and had been disgusted.

No, this man teased her lips, moving his mouth over hers, tempting her to do the same.

For a moment, she almost did. In fact, she pressed her lips against his, exploring for a brief, delicious moment. But she quickly caught herself and pulled away. She stared up at him, wondering why he’d kissed her.

“Now, you must use my first name,” he growled.

Like a lion.

A lion to her lioness!

Kaia realized in that moment that, not only was she gripping his massive shoulders, but his hands were around her waist. Even more astonishing, she found she enjoyed being held like this. Instead of the terror that would happen when she was in a man’s arms, she felt…safe. Yes, there was the sexual pull that couldn’t be ignored. However, Kaia sensed that he…she still couldn’t think of him by his first name…would protect her. Maybe even…cherish her?

The thought was so enticing, she pulled away out of reflex. Her fingers touched her lips where the sensations continued to echo. Kaia imagined she could feel the imprint of his lips on hers.

That was silly though! And Kaia was not a silly person. She couldn’t afford to be silly. She was practical and a survivor!

“Marry me, Kaia,” he repeated, his voice lower. Huskier.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” he asked, his tone not angry, just curious. “Your sister married Zayed. She’s safe now.”

Kaia smiled, but turned away…almost tripping over her backpack which had fallen from her shoulder, sitting in a lump on the floor. With a heavy sigh, she hefted the bag back onto her shoulder, wondering at the magic he wrought that managed to make her forget her precious life preserver, if only for a moments.

“I urged Tara to apply for the assistant’s position to get her out of the United States. Elijah, the man who tried to attack Tara after her wedding, and Ethan Howell, a man you don’t ever want to meet, were getting too close and I knew that Tara was tired of running. She found a safe place here.”

“Here?”

Kaia nodded. “Yes. Here in Pitra. She needed a place to hide that was out of the country. The fact that it took her to a different continent was even better. The job as Zayed’s personal assistant gave her a bit of breathing room.” She chuckled softly, unaware of the soft smile playing across her lips. “I had no idea that she was falling in love with her boss. Every time we spoke on the phone, I could hear the growing happiness in her voice, but I thought that was because she’d finally found a place where she could relax and maybe enjoy her life a little.” She let out a breath of air and ran her hands down her denim covered thighs. “Until I arrived to warn her about Elijah’s presence, I had no idea how intense her feelings for Zayed had become.”

“Your brother-in-law is a very charming man.”

Kaia nodded, still surprised by the events of the last week. “Yes.” She thought of the pure joy that had constantly emanated from Tara since she’d married her husband. She was truly in love with Zayed. Blissfully in love!

Then Kaia sighed softly. “Tara is madly in love with Zayed. And he, apparently, feels the same. So, when he proposed, it wasn’t to protect Tara, although I know that he will protect her with his life.”She shrugged, the material of her soft, well-worn tee-shirt shifting with her gesture. “Marriage between them made sense. Marriage between us,” she waved her hand in the space between them, “would be two strangers making a mess of things.”

Riaz eyed her intently as he attempted to decipher not just her spoken words, but also the unspoken sentiments beneath them. It wasn't merely the verbal exchange he wanted to comprehend; it was the silent discourse concealed within her gaze and gestures.

The absence of certain words stung him, revealing a painful truth—that Kaia harbored doubts about her own lovableness. Her unspoken narrative echoed in the subtle nuances of her expressions, a silent symphony of hesitations and well-guarded emotions.

His understanding of Kaia's past was limited to broad strokes. He knew that she’d been raised in a deeply religious community and that both sisters bore the scars of their abuse, both externally as well as internally.

The weight of Kaia's unspoken pain tugged at him, an invisible thread connecting the dots of her untold story. With each passing moment, his desire to unravel the layers of her past intensified, motivated by an empathetic yearning to heal the wounds that he knew lingered beneath the surface.

But now that he was here, now that he’d met Kaia, he wanted to know more. He sensed that she needed him, which was a powerful aphrodisiac. Yes, Kaia needed him for the protection he could offer, the same protection that she’d rejected. However, what she felt towards him was something more, something fundamental.

Moreover, he entertained the suspicion that his growing need for her surpassed mere physical desires. While the cravings for her body and touch were undeniable, there existed a profound yearning that transcended the realm of the physical. As they stood together, the palpable sense of connection he felt with Kaia surpassed the boundaries of mere physical proximity.

He made a snap decision. “Since you won’t marry me and let me protect you as a husband, then I’ll find another way to protect you.”

He watched her stiffen. It wasn’t from anger though. No, her not-so-subtle body language practically screamed anxiety and fear. For him?

Damn, that felt good! Not that Riaz wanted her to fear for him, but because he watched her eyes and saw her protective instinct kick into high gear. And he knew that Kaia was immediately protective of…him!

“You must stay out of this mess!” she whispered.

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