Page 35 of The Forbidden Sheik
A long time later, Amit kissed her shoulder. They were naked again, in his bed and they were once again breathless and satisfied.
“Will you marry me, Mari?” he asked, his voice low and grumbly.
She looked at him over her shoulder, unaware of the worry in her eyes. “Why? Because you’re worried that I’m pregnant?”
He shifted until he was once again looming over her, his hands holding hers above her head. “No,” he countered. He kissed her, the gesture light and teasing. “I want to marry you because you’re incredible. And because you challenge me. You make me crazy – and not just in bed.” He kissed her again. “You are intelligent and annoying, and you make me a better man.”
“I do?”
“Yeah,” he grunted. “That article lambasting the education department’s new policies was brutal. But also true.”
She grinned. “That article was about Germany’s policies. Not yours.”
He shrugged, then gazed down at her breasts. “It was applicable here too. As soon as I read it, I wanted to fly to you and demand you retract the opinion.”
She grinned up at him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “That bad, huh?”
“Yeah. But you were also right.”
“What else was I right about?” she asked.
“I can’t think of a single other issue,” he lied, then kissed her neck to distract her. “But I’m also right about getting married.” He lifted his head. “And I know exactly where I’m going to put your office.”
“Oh really? You’re going to move me here to Uftar? I don’t think so,” she teased. “The days when a woman has to sacrifice everything for a man are over! I think you should quit your job and…” she wasn’t able to finish since he rolled them over, so she was straddling his hips. And he easily slid inside her body, causing both of them to gasp as the pleasure began to build.
It took another forty-five minutes for her to react to his statement. By that point, they were both satisfied…for the moment. “Yes,” she blurted.
“Yes?” he prompted, looking over at her again. They were both lying on their backs, staring up at the ceiling as they worked to catch their breath.
“Yes, I’ll marry you.”
He grunted his approval. “Good. I’ll have a jeweler bring a set of rings for you to choose from.”
She rolled over, propping her chin up onto his chest. “I must insist on a lab created diamond.”
“Lab created?”
“Yeah,” Marianna replied with a grin. “Lab created diamonds are more ethical. And lab diamonds aren’t controlled by a single company. They aren’t mined under unethical conditions.”
He grunted his agreement. “Always have to make a statement to the world, don’t you?”
“Absolutely,” she agreed with a laugh.
Chapter 45
“What the hell are you doing?” Jadwat demanded, backing away as two of the island police officers started towards him, handcuffs out and determination in their eyes.
“You tried to steal two of our ligi berry bushes,” the prime minister explained with a scowl. “That is a violation of our laws. And since I repeatedly explained this to you over the past five days, I have no choice but to put you on trial.” He stepped back while the officers pinned Jadwat to the floor of the private plane. It was interesting that the bodyguards who had accompanied Jadwat all over the island didn’t intervene in any way.
The prime minister stepped out of the way as the officers literally dragged the man, kicking and screaming something about diplomatic immunity, off the plane.
The prime minister rolled his eyes at the display. After the officers stuffed Jadwat into the back of the armored police vehicle, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number. It was answered immediately. “I don’t know if you found any information on his crimes in Uftar,” he began. “But I’ve just arrested him for trying to steal our national flower.” He snorted. “ I have no idea why he wants to steal it. The berries are inedible. They’d kill him if he even tried to eat them.”
The man at the other end of the call chuckled and thanked him for his help. The prime minister nodded politely to the bodyguards. “Have a good day.” Then he stepped down from the stairs that had been pushed up to the private plane. “I hope your flight home is smooth.”
The stairs were pulled away as soon as the prime minister stepped onto the ground. He shrugged off his linen suit jacket as soon as he stepped into the back of the limousine. “I’m so glad that man is going to prison,” he told his driver. “He’s a pestilence!”
The driver chuckled, then put the limousine in gear and began the drive back to the city.
