Page 1 of The Forbidden Sheik
Chapter 1
It was the green nose that caught his attention first. The little girl with the green nose looked angry, but determined. And absolutely adorable!
Why in the world was her nose green? Sheik Amit el Sandir of Uftar stared at the small child, unable to focus on anything other than the green nose and angry, brown eyes.
“Are you here to steal her?” the tiny human demanded, fisting her hands on her tiny hips, feet spread wide in a battle-ready position.
The small, belligerent voice finally pulled his attention away from that oddly colored nose. That’s when Amit noticed there were two identical other humans, still tiny but slightly bigger than the green-nosed girl. The identical boys flanked her, ready to protect the girl, but the small, green-nosed sprite looked ready to attack.
Did this tiny girl really believe she could battle an adult? Even more adorable, Amit thought, trying to hide his amusement as well as his confusion.
“Steal whom?” he asked, moving his hands behind his back as he bent slightly at the waist to look her in the eye.
“We’re not gonna let you!” the green-nosed girl announced, her tiny, pudgy hands balling into fists as her lips pursed into an endearing pucker.
Amit stifled a chuckle, still confused but unexpectedly charmed by these miniature warriors. And there was no other way to describe the trio…uh…a fourth child peered around one of the boys. Four! There were four of them!
Amit thought they were all charming.
“I promise,” he vowed with sincerity, even placing a hand over his heart, “that I have no intention of stealing anyone.” He looked to the smallest boy, still peering around the older boy. Making a quick calculation, he suspected that the young boy was…it took him a moment, but then he remembered Sheik Khal A- Sintra, Ruler of Lativa, had one son. Zayn, he remembered. Yes, the Crown Prince Zayn Al-Sintra was trying to look tough and angry, but he kept smiling, ruining the effect. The two bigger boys, twins, must be Prince Joran’s sons, Laith and Rafi. If his memory was correct, the twins were about seven years old.
The green-nosed girl was new to Lativa, her Arabic tinged with an American accent. She was absolutely adorable, but smaller than the boys flanking her. However, he suspected that the girl was nearly as old as the twins. Her name was…darn it...! Then it came to him. Angela! Yes, that was it. Princess Angela. She was Prince Raj’s daughter. The youngest of the brothers had just discovered her a few years ago when he’d been negotiating a business deal in Chicago. That would make her seven years old as well.
Cute, he thought. Amit hadn’t spent much time around children. The years following his father’s passing had been filled with tedious meetings and strategic decisions. It wasn’t that he disliked children. Amit definitely wanted children. Hell, he was required to produce an heir! The people of his country would demand an heir. But the woman he wanted to have those children with…well, he was working on that. Hence, his presence here today.
“She’s our auntie and we’re not letting you take her away!” the green-nosed girl announced.
Amit smothered more amusement. “I promise you, Princess Angela, that I am not here to steal anyone.”
Abruptly, the tiny girl lost some of her anger, startled by the use of her first name.Allaena, she was darling!
He looked to her “protectors” and was equally impressed. The boys were just as adorable, and since they were tiny copies of their father, Amit had to stifle his bark of laughter. Khal, Joran, and Raj were formidable competitors. Some might even call them enemies.
Amit struggled to define his relationship with the trio. He wouldn’t call them enemies. Not anymore. In fact, he might even dare to call them friends, although not to their faces.
He took a knee, putting him at eye level to the children.
“Which ‘auntie’ do you think I plan to steal?” he whispered conspiratorially, the image of the gorgeous, often furious Princess Marianna popping into his head. He thought about the valid reasons why the lovely princess was furious with him and wondered if these tiny warriors knew of his past interactions with the gorgeous, if wary, princess.
“We know you’re trying to steal Aunt Marianna,” the green-nosed darling insisted. “And we’re not gonna let you.” She took another step forward, and the two boys moved closer as well. The smaller boy behind the “bodyguards” grinned, obviously delighted.
The small boy’s expression, six year old Zayn, he suspected, warned Amit that he was going to be like his youngest uncle, Prince Raj, who was charming and more easy-going than his two older brothers, Sheik Khal and Prince Joran. Raj was still formidable, but he approached life with a more relaxed attitude than his grouchy oldest brother, Khal, or his daredevil brother, Joran.
Sheik Khal had been a grizzly bear of an adversary when he’d been running the country alone. But once Joran and Raj stepped in to help, Lativa had become a powerhouse within the world.
As ruler of Uftar, Amit knew that he should view the brothers running Lativa as his enemy but…the brothers were fair. Amit respected them for that. He respected their intelligence and the way they were truly concerned for their people, not trying to simply grow their personal wealth, as so many rulers were prone to do once in power.
Reminded of the purpose of his visit, he smiled at the group of children, admiring their determination. “I promise that I am not here to–”
A surge of energy crackled through the room as Princess Marianna aAl-Sintra burst in. Amit's gaze followed her entrance, catching the mesmerizing sight of her dark hair swirling behind her, dancing like a rebellious shadow before gently tumbling back into place, silently caressing her stunning features. Her dark eyes frantically surveyed the group of children before her gaze rose and…!
Amit couldn't help but notice her gasp as their gazes collided, a silent acknowledgment of the tension between them. As she straightened, her lips softened into a gentle expression of surprise, and it felt as though the very air around them hummed with a heightened awareness of their connection.
Then his eyes moved lower, his body reacting to the hint of her soft, bountiful breasts and tiny waist, slender hips and…he coughed and stood up, pulling his hands behind his back as he shifted to hide his body’s reaction to her.
He knew the exact moment that Marianna’s eyes left him because his body felt the absence. He almost snarled with anger, desperate to feel the weight of her soft, beautiful eyes on him. It wasn’t a rational reaction. Amit had never felt such a desperate need for a woman the way he did for Marianna. Even knowing his reaction was a bit extreme, it still took him a moment to smother the growl of protest.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Marianna exclaimed, surveying the children. Then she leaned back out the door. “They’re in here!” she called out.
