Page 27 of Hiding in the Sheik's Arms

Tasha froze. He’d spoken the name with no hesitation. And on the first guess.

“Why do you think it was King?” she asked, starting to lift her spoon but her fingers trembled too much, so she folded her hands in her lap.

“You were employed by Senator King right before you came to work for me. And I am fully aware of the brilliance you added to his opinions. I have heard him speak and have recognized your words from the reports you create for me.”

Tasha was stunned all over again. He’d heard her words through Nathan’s speeches? That was so…amazing!

“He’s a powerful leader in the senate,” she replied, fiddling with her spoon.

Khal’s eyes narrowed on hers. “King,” he said with absolute certainty. “In front of the cameras, he seems like a charming man. Even the journalists that don’t agree with his views still get along with him and laugh during his weekly press conferences.”

“That’s true,” she said and looked out the windows of the beautiful dining room. “That’s one of the reasons why I didn’t bother to go to the police.” She turned and looked back at him, defeat shadowing her eyes. “No one would believe that Nathan King could beat a woman, much less put her in the hospital. Plus,” her voice quavered and she paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. Her chin went up and she had to blink back tears. “When I woke up in the hospital, that…bastard… was holding my hand, and the room was filled with reporters snapping pictures. He said that my state was evidence that crime was out of control.” She paused and choked back thetears again. Tasha looked away, her stomach roiling as the fury washed over her all over again. “They were taking pictures of me while I had a breathing tube down my throat because Nathan had broken several of my ribs, which had punctured my left lung.”

“After our last conversation, I went online. I saw the pictures,” he admitted.

Tasha had known that the entire world had seen the pictures. But she’d half-hoped that Khal hadn’t seen her at her lowest point. Apparently, her hopes were crushed. Again.

“Well, that was a bad day.” She forced her lips to smile. “I’m better now.” She lowered her lashes. “Thank you for…giving me time to heal.”

He chuckled. “Thank you for being so diligent during your healing process,” he teased with a formal voice.

She looked at him sharply, trying to determine if he was mocking her. But when she only saw amusement in his eyes, her mouth twisted into a grimace that eventually morphed into a smile. “I was a bit of a work-zombie at the beginning, wasn’t I?”

“You were diligent and efficient,” he countered.

Tasha breathed in and mentally shook off the anger that thinking about Nathan always generated in her. She didn’t like that he still had that much power over her.

“That’s in the past. And Nathan won’t bother me again.” She lifted her water glass and, before she drank, added, “I made sure of that.” Then she drained the glass, feeling significantly better, more in control, as she set the glass back down. She didn’t bother to replace the glass on the exact same indented ring this time.

She finally lifted her soup spoon and, with only slightly unsteady fingers, took her first taste. “Oh, this is delicious!”

Khal was abnormally quiet and still on the other side of the table. Finally, he asked, “Tasha, what do you mean? Why are you so sure that King won’t come after you?”

“I have a few videos of him talking about stuff he shouldn’t be discussing,” she admitted, truly hungry now. Revealing all of her sordid past to Khal had lifted a heavy burden from her shoulders. For some reason, she felt lighter, less…confined.

Chapter 23

It was Khal’s turn to be concerned. Watching Tasha, he felt a flash of lust because she was so damn beautiful and she’d survived a horrific ordeal. He appreciated her strength and intelligence even more now.

However, her statement about a video…no, several videos…of a very powerful, ruthless man like Nathan King, warned him that Tasha had no idea of the danger she was still in.

“Tasha, tell me about the videos you have.”

She shook her head. “No, that wouldn’t be a good idea,” she told him with a lighter tone. She looked happier now. The sparkle was back in her eyes. That sparkle had been absent during the telling of her nightmare at the hands of that bastard King. But she looked better now.

“Tasha, what did you do?”

She laughed and perched her soup spoon on the edge of the delicate porcelain bowl. “I protected myself,” she told him. “If anything happens to me, then several organizations will receive one or more videos starring the bastard saying things that would utterly destroy his charming reputation.” She shrugged. “I’m protected as long as I stay alive.”

Khal didn’t think he’d ever been more turned on in his life. A very powerful man had threatened her, and this woman, this slender, gentle, brilliant woman, had turned the tables. The predator had become the prey.

“You’re magnificent!” he growled, then stood up, pulling her into his arms.

Tasha squeaked, but willingly went into his arms.

Khal paused, staring down into those beautiful, brown eyes. “You’re not afraid of me anymore?” he asked, remembering how she’d become scared at the evidence of his passion earlier.

She smiled brightly up at him. “No,” she told him in a whisper. “In fact, if you don’t kiss me soon, then I’m going to–”

---