Page 23 of Hiding in the Sheik's Arms

“What happened?” he asked, his voice rough but he didn’t reach for her again. “Did I hurt you?”

Immediately, Tasha stepped closer, not wanting him to think that for even a moment. “No!” she gasped, reaching out to touch him again. But before her fingers made contact with his chest, she flinched back, curling her fingers into a tight fist. She stared at him, wishing she had the words to explain. Flashes of Nathan coming after her, pressing her against his chest that night, his fingers digging into her upper arms. And when she’d turned her head away, avoiding his sloppy kiss, the pain that had slashed through her moments later…yes, that’s what terrified her.

“Someone hurt you in the past,” he rasped out, rubbing a hand over his face. “I’m so sorry, Tasha.” He looked around, but they were still alone in the room. “I remember the remnants of the bruises that you tried to hide when you first started working for me.”

“You…do?” she choked out, her lashes coming down to hide her shame.

“Yes. Who did that to you?”

“I thought they were well hidden.” She wrapped her arms around her waist.

“They were. But it wasn’t just the bruises. You flinched occasionally. A loud noise, someone calling down the hallway, or someone coming up behind you…everything made you flinch at first. The first few weeks after your arrival, you buried yourself in work.” He sighed. “I know the drill.”

She looked up at him, trying to understand. “What does that mean?”

“Everyone has their own addictions, Tasha,” he replied. “Some people hide their pain with drugs, alcohol, or gambling. Some people shop for things they don’t need.” He paused, looking down at her. “And some people lose themselves in their work. That’s what I do. When I can’t handle the personal issues, I work. I lose myself in making everyone else’s problems go away.” He sighed. “I recognized the solution in you. Every day, I’d come into the office early in the morning, and you’d already be there. And I’d leave for the night, and you’d still be at your desk, tapping away at your computer.”

“You knew!” she hissed, the words slipping through her lips. “I didn’t even understand what I was doing, Your…”

He put a finger over her lips. “After a kiss like that, it isn’t really appropriate for you to address me with only my title.”

She let out a burst of nervous laughter. “I can’t…won’t, call you by your first name, Your Highness,” she told him.

He made a grumbly sound. But he didn’t contradict her.

“We should get back to the inspection, Your Highness.” She used his title again, but Khal suspected that, this time, it was a test. Was she trying to anger him? To push him to violence? She’d never seen Khal have an outburst of anger. Not even when there was a crisis, Khal remained calm and in control. He would simply shift his priorities and call in the appropriate people to research the problem, and then he’d come up with a solution. He would be grumpy and irritable, but never outwardly angry.

“You’re right. We should get back to the others. I’m sure that there is rampant speculation about what we are doing for so long in this…,” he paused, looking around. “Where the hell are we?”

Tasha looked around as well. The cement walls had been painted white at some point, but they were a dull beige now. They were standing in a long hallway. There was nothing else to distinguish this hallway from any other. The door behind Khal’s broad shoulders was the only exit other than a window high overhead and a stairway behind Tasha.

A sound echoed through the space and Tasha realized that it came from her. She’d just laughed!

Quickly, she clapped a hand over her mouth, but she couldn’t hide the laughter dancing in her chocolate eyes.

His dark gaze swung towards her, a nearly black eyebrow lifting in inquiry. “You think this is funny?” he grumbled, straightening up and putting a hand to the small of her back. “We just shared our first kiss in a damn hallway!”

There was another sound that sounded suspiciously like a giggle, but surely couldn’t have been. Tashanevergiggled! She was too serious for that kind of ridiculousness.

Khal grunted, then looked around again, wrapping his arm around her waist again. “Next time, I promise to be more romantic.”

With that vow lingering between them, Khal opened the door and nudged Tasha outside. There was a large group of men in hardhats waiting for them to emerge.

Tasha prayed that her cheeks weren’t as red as they felt and she turned her head away, trying to hide from the men’s curious gazes.

For his part, Khal turned to the power station manager who had greeted them upon their arrival. “Mr. Koons, could you show me the damage to the station? I’m eager to find out what happened and provide whatever assistance you and your team need to ensure that everyone is safe before the power station goes back online.”

Mr. Koons flushed with pride and puffed up with importance as he gestured towards a large, open area that seemed to hum with energy. Quite literally, Tasha thought as she walked beside Khal while the station manager explained what they’d learned over the past twenty-four hours.

Chapter 19

Khal tried to listen to the station manager’s explanations, but his mind was elsewhere. He was reeling about the fact that he’d just kissed Tasha. And damn, it had been amazing! Her lips were softer than anything he’d ever touched. And the soft, trembling response had made his whole body tighten with need. Even now, desire pulsed through him. He wanted to lift her into his arms and carry her to some place private where he could kiss her again and again.

But equally intriguing was her terror. And yes, he knew that her reaction when he’d pulled her into his arms had been complete terror. She’d jerked back as if he was about to hurt her.

Next time, he’d have to be more gentle. He’d hold her in his arms, but give her more control.

Glancing over at her, Khal wondered what had happened to her. Obviously, she’d been hurt by a previous boyfriend. He also knew strong women sometimes found themselves trapped in dangerous relationships.

---