Page 22 of Hiding in the Sheik's Arms

Tasha felt a warm glow come over her. She’d asked the chef to switch coffee brands last month. The newest coffee was more environmentally friendly, not using as many chemicals. They use natural predators to keep the pests away and the coffee beans tasted much better than those that use pesticides.

“I’ll do that,” she replied.

And then he was gone, leaving Tasha to wonder why her cheek still felt warm.

Chapter 18

The reporters were everywhere! Not just the local news agencies and the reporters based out of Lativa. Apparently, the explosion at the power plant had caused an international news story with speculation rampant about who might have sabotaged the power plant.

As soon as Khal stepped out of the black SUV, the reporters were calling questions to him.

Tasha realized that she was exposed now. The reporters would be snapping pictures and taking video of Khal walking through the mess so she hung back, trying to stay out of the line of cameras. She doubted that Nathan was still after her, but she didn’t want to risk it.

Plus, this was Khal’s time to shine. She knew he’d done a great deal to improve the lives of his people over the past few years. His reign as ruler of Lativa had been excellent for his people. Businesses were thriving, unemployment was down, and the general consensus was that things were good. She didn’t want to get in the way of that potential headline. Whatever was happening here at the power plant, it was an anomaly.

Plus, seeing Khal walking amidst the damage followed by greeting the victims meant that the political tensions couldn’t be nearly as dire as speculation had theorized yesterday. If he was here, then there wasn’t a sniper out to get him.

As soon as the thought popped into her mind, Tasha looked around, scanning the crowd. The reporters seemed eager to take video and pictures of Khal, and the power plant workers just wanted to shake his hand.

Was there someone out there that had done this to lure Khal out of the palace? Or was she just being paranoid? For some reason, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Something was wrong. She wasn’t sure what, but she could feel it. Looking over at one of his guards, she noticed that he seemed a bit more alert. The bodyguards were carefully examining the crowds.

Ignoring her desire to stay out of the line of cameras, Tasha walked over to where Khal was greeting the power station manager. “We should get inside,” she whispered to him, adding a smile for the cameras.

Immediately, Khal looked around. The glance looked casual enough, but he understood. “What is it?” he asked, putting his arm around her shoulders and shifting his body weight to better shield her from the cameras.

“Your Highness,” she hissed, “I should be protecting you! Not the other way around.”

Khal grunted. “Humor me,” he countered, but he shifted again, his arm around her waist now, as his powerful body still shielded her from everyone’s view.

Tasha lowered her head and allowed him to lead her into the power station. Once inside in the relative safety of the building, she breathed a sigh of relief. But that relief was short lived when Khal kept his arm around her shoulders, directing her towards a private room. When the door closed and it was just the two of them in the space, he turned and looked at her, pinning his hands on the wall behind her. “What’s going on?” he demanded.

Tasha couldn’t tell him that she was in hiding. He’d laugh, then demand the whole story.

“I just…sensed something wasn’t right, Your Highness,” she told him, which was the truth.

“What did you sense?”

“I don’t know, Your Highness,” she replied softly, her gaze moving from his eyes to…his lips. He was so close! And she’d fantasized about those lips.

No, that wasn’t completely accurate. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about what it would be like to kiss Khal. First of all, she’d been mentally “sleeping” for the first few months. It was only recently that she’d awakened to the realization that Khal was…gorgeous. And sexy. And amazing!

With every second that passed, it seemed that her heart pounded against her ribs. Harder. Faster. Surely he could hear it!

“You’re not going to tell me, are you?” he asked, his voice deeper, his words penetrating her subconscious on a level that had been sound asleep. But his tone awakened desires she’d thought long gone!

“It’s irrelevant,” she whispered back.

His eyes moved over her face, his lips compressed, but a moment later, they softened. Had something else flashed through his mind? What was he thinking? She’d prided herself on keeping one step ahead of the man. But at the moment, she was lost. Completely befuddled when he was this close. Goodness, he smelled amazing! And his lips…they were mere inches from hers. What would happen if she just…?

Tasha didn’t have a chance to contemplate the what-ifs in this scenario because Khal took matters into his own hands. He leaned in, closing the distance between them. And theexplosion of sensation that hit her with that touch sent her mind reeling.

Without thinking, she lifted her hands, cupping his jaw, almost as if she needed to ensure that he remained close. Her lips trembled as his moved over hers and she opened her mouth, needing to taste him, to finally discover the essence of him.

She heard a soft growl and then the kiss deepened. Suddenly, his strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her firmly against him.

That’s when the panic set in and she cried out, jerking backwards and retreating to the “safety” of the wall. For a long moment, Tasha stared wide-eyed up at Khal, her body still pulsing with excitement. But there was also a layer of fear. No, that wasn’t the right word. Terror!

---