Page 11 of Her Older Sheikh

I take a peek at his expression, wondering if I might have offended him, but Mr. Mine seems to have relaxed, and the lightning-change of his mood makes me feel rather dizzy.

"Tell me then," he invites in a tone so thick, the sound has lust slithering over my folds. "What kind of question are you unwilling to answer?"

"Oh, you know," I say airily. "Just the usual."

His almost-smirk flashes over his lips. "I still make you nervous, don't I?"

"Only because I'm new to all this while you..."

"Me?"

"You're very..." A dozen words pop in my mind, but all of them are terribly inappropriate, and I end up saying exactly that. "...inappropriate."

I kinda thought that would make him laugh, or maybe even have him want to flirt with me some more if I'm lucky, but all he does is stare at me broodingly.

Not good, self.

I keep reading him wrong, and that's honestly starting to worry me. Is this the universe's way of telling me Mr. Mine is out of my league, and that staying with him will only lead to misery?

"Are you thinking of staying away from me?"

The words turn my entire world upside down, and it suddenly hurts to look at him. While I can't seem to get anything right about him, Mr. Mine is the opposite. He reads me like a book, and won't that make me boring in his eyes?

"Should I?"

The words are out before I even realize what I'm saying, but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise as they catch Mr. Mine off guard, and emotion flashes over his face.

Anger.

It lasts only for a moment, but even though his beautiful face is now expressionless, I know what I saw.

I know what itmeans.

The thought of me staying away actually angers him, and just as my face breaks into a smile, a scowl darkens his beautiful features, and he growls at me for the first time.

"Don't."

But I'm too giddy to be intimidated. "Don't what?"

"Thisis how it all starts," he warns. "A moth attracted to a flame—-"

Oh, Mr. Mine.

Don't you know by now that the more you push me away, the more I want to get closer?

"Until fire licks its wings—-"

I know the words are supposed to scare me, but it's just too late. He's already taken me hostage without knowing it—-

"And its whole world burns."

I'm already yours, Mr. Mine.

And now there's no turning back.

"I know what you're doing," I say softly, "and it's not working. You can make me burn to death, and I'll love every moment of it."

Mr. Mine's fist clenches over the table. "You're obviously too young to understand what you're asking for. You don't even know me—-"

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