Page 5 of The Forbidden Sheik
Carefully, she clutched the crystal glass in her fingers, trying to appear casual. “My blog?”
He moved closer and she caught a whiff of his spicy aftershave. Goodness, it was mouthwatering!
“The one where you tell the world which countries need to change their policies and which ones are doing well,” he continued, moving even closer and speaking with that deep, sexy voice. Marianna realized that his voice was like chocolate, thick and darkly sweet. “The one where you call out corrupt corporations, so that ethical countries will stop doing business with them.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “You think I’m doing all that?”
He moved even closer. He was so close now, she had to tilt her head back in order to maintain eye contact. He was so close that she could feel the heat emanating from him, that intoxicating power and masculine scent of him filled her nostrils with tempting scents that made her body tingle with awareness.
“I know that you’re the author of the ‘Global Follies’.” He stared into her eyes. His were nearly black with a barely discernable caramel edge. His lips were firm, chiseled around the edges. He wasn’t a handsome man. Not in the classical sense. But there was something about Amit that just…sent her senses spinning out of control. It wasn’t just his height or the muscles that screamed power and strength. There was something more, a confidence or perhaps an intelligence that made every cell in her body sit up and take notice.
However, him saying the title of her secret blog post startled her and she took a big step backwards. “How do you know about that?” She stared at him, watching his mouth curl slightly at the corners. He couldn’t know! How could he?
He smiled slightly as he took another sip of his wine before answering. “I follow your blog, as do millions of others. I’m impressed with your deep understanding of how political activities affect the average worker.”
“But…how do you know that I’m the writer?” she demanded, clutching the wine glass against her sapphire blue dress. She’d chosen this color because she’d thought that it made her cheeks rosier. But now, she felt…exposed. Vulnerable.
“I’ve known that you were the author ever since you first started the blog several years ago.” He lifted a dark eyebrow. “How are you aware of so many different legal events happening around the world?”
Marianna inhaled, but because the air was saturated with his scent, she had to stop. Slowly, she turned and walked away, gripping the back of one of the chairs as she worked to fill her lungs again. No one knew that she was the author of that blog! Or at least, she’d thought that no one knew. Turning around, she glared at him. “How did you figure it out?”
One dark eyebrow lifted. “That you are the author?”
“Yes.”
The eyebrow lowered and he moved closer again, but not too close. “I didn’t at first. Initially, I read the weekly articles because they were brilliant and insightful.” He took another sip of his wine, watching her with those enigmatic eyes. “But then I…recognized your tone, I suppose.” He took another sip of his wine, watching her over the rim. “Your writing voice has changed over the years. You’ve become stronger and your ability to recognize legislation that favors the wealthy at the expense of the working class has become more…adamant. I appreciate how you look out for the workers. They don’t have the same financial power as the corporate leaders.”
At his praise, Marianna’s shoulders shifted, pulling back as her chin lifted slightly. “That’s actually one of the main reasons I started the blog,” she admitted, unaware of how hopeful her voice sounded. “I was born in Paris and–” she stopped, suddenly recalling that the man she was speaking with was one of those incredibly wealthy people that she battled against with every article she posted. “Well, it doesn’t matter.” She stared down into her wine glass, holding her breath. Then she exhaled and looked directly at him. “Will you keep my secret?”
“Of course,” he replied at once.
Slowly, Marianna’s muscles relaxed. She even managed a small, grateful smile.
“But, how did you figure out it was me?” she asked, needing to know so that she could hide her identity better going forward. Her question had nothing to do with wanting to keep the conversation going. It also had nothing to do with how she really wanted to hear his voice. Amit’s voice wasn’t soothing. Not even a little. In fact, it had the opposite effect on her. So, why did she crave it so much?
“I first suspected that you were the author several years ago.” His eyes moved over her features, making her heart beat faster. “I remember having dinner with you and your brothers one night. The conversation turned towards the United States’ personal income tax rate that had previously been set at seventy percent for the highest income earners. You passionately disagreed with the former president dropping that rate to fifty percent.” The man smiled faintly, “Then you argued against lowering the corporate income tax rate and immediately glared at me.” He chuckled slightly and the small laughter softened his harsh features. “You didn’t agree with my policies and raged about how ‘trickle down economics’ had been disproven over and over again.” His dark eyes lingered on her lips, making them tingle. “And then a few days later, Global Follies posted a blog about the same subject, using the same arguments. That’s when I knew it was you.” He smiled again. “Ever since, your influence has expanded. I’ve noticed that you’ve grown your followers dramatically over the past few years.”
Marianna shrugged dismissively, trying to act as if she wasn’t extremely proud of the number of people who read her opinions. “I was right about that though, wasn’t I? Plus, my readers seem to appreciate my views,” she said, feeling her cheeks warming at his praise. She shrugged and turned away slightly. “I have the luxury of not needing corporate sponsorship, so I can be a bit more…adamant…about my opinions.”
“That’s good,” he replied, nodding as if he truly understood. “The world needs someone who is monitoring what politicians are doing. Your blog allows readers to grasp both sides of an issue. You are fair and offer evidence for all of your arguments.” He reached out and touched her hair. “We need more of that in the world.”
Marianna gasped at his touch. No man, besides her brothers, had ever touched her like that. It wasn’t sexual, although she definitely felt the light singe of his fingertips against her skin. No, this was somehow different. Marianna didn’t feel as if he was making a sexual advance and that made her feel…special.
“That’s…my goal,” she stammered out.
The sound of the door behind her opening and closing warned her that they were no longer alone. She watched as Khal and Tasha stepped into the room. Immediately, Khal’s muscles tightened and he started towards Amit. Marianna had the odd thought to step in front of the man she was supposed to hate. Thankfully, before she could make a fool of herself, trying to protect a man who obviously could take care of himself, Tasha put a gentle hand on her husband’s arm. Still, her brother glared at Amit, his body tense and ready for battle before looking down at his wife.
The moment was brief, but the silent messages between Marianna’s brother and her sister-in-law were profound. Khal relaxed and Tasha turned to face their visitor. Like the queen that she was, Tasha smiled warmly towards the other ruler.
“Sheik el Sandir, it’s a pleasure to see you again. It’s been too long since we’ve shared a meal together.”
Chapter 5
Amit was stunned by the lovely woman’s graciousness despite the fact that her husband had been ready to pounce only moments before. Tasha truly was an extraordinary diplomat, Amit thought, extending his hand. She was a beautiful woman and he understood why Khal, the big brute, adored her so intensely.
“Thank you for your graciousness in the face of my abrupt, unexpected arrival,” Amit replied, lifting her hand to kiss it politely. He didn’t linger as he’d done when he’d kissed Marianna’s hand earlier. But that was because he didn’t feel any desire for this woman. No, his feelings for the lovely queen were dramatically different than his feelings for the beautiful, bristling hedgehog next to him.
Did Marianna even recognize the silent “couple-dom” she was announcing to her family? When she stood at his side, nearly touching her shoulder to his bicep, it was a clear message that she was “with” him, even if she wasn’t ready to consciously acknowledge the connection.
