Page 14 of The Forbidden Sheik
“But you’re certain your cousin is behind everything?”
“Yes,” Amit confirmed. “If I can stop him this time, I believe that it will be the end. I believe that I’ve anticipated his next actions and, if I’m right, then I’ll have him cornered. At a minimum, he’ll be bankrupted and discredited by the people who have been financially backing him. It will take him years to rebuild enough credibility to make another attempt.”
Her eyes turned anxious. “And if you’re wrong? If you’re wrong about what his next step will be?”
“Then I could lose control of my country,” he told her honestly.
She stared up at him, her lips twisting thoughtfully. “That would be bad,” she admitted.
He half smiled. “I agree.”
“I only know Jadwat in an abstract sense. I’ve heard others speak about him. He wouldn’t be a benevolent ruler.”
He grinned at her words. “ I don’t think anyone would describe me as a benevolent ruler either.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed impatiently. “Don’t even try to pretend that you don’t enjoy control.”
He chuckled knowingly and Marianna suspected that he wasn’t thinking about his ability to rule a country.
“Control is a very…interesting conversation that I don’t think you are quite ready for yet, my dear.” He brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Are you hungry? You haven’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. How about some food?”
Marianna swallowed hard, her thoughts following his down a very sexual pathway. “Yes,” she replied hurriedly. “I’m very hungry.” At the intense look in his eyes, she hurriedly added, “For food!”
He chuckled and Marianna couldn’t help but shiver. Anticipation was thrumming through her body.
Since this was the first time that they’d actually been alone together, other than formal greetings when he visited the Lativa palace, Marianna suddenly felt very…shy. And shy wasn’t something she was used to. Correction, being shy wasn’t something she allowed others to see. She was actuallyveryshy, but being a member of the royal family, she’d learned to step out of her shell and pretend to be comfortable in social situations, even when she desperately wanted to hide and read a book.
“What is your favorite food? I have an excellent chef on staff. She can whip up anything that you might like.”
Marianna smiled, relieved by the change of subject. “How about something easy, like soup or a sandwich?”
He nodded. “I’ll have that brought here. Would you like a shower while you wait?”
Marianna was suddenly very aware of the dirt and sweat covering her skin. She’d never felt so grimy before in her life.
“A shower would be lovely,” she replied. “Is there a place I can…?”
“You’ll have to stay here,” he pointed out. “The goal is for no one to realize that I stole you away from your kidnappers.”
Marianna didn’t like the sound of that. “Are you saying that you’re my new kidnapper?” she demanded, anxiety rushing back.
"Of course not," he assured her quickly, sliding his hands into the pockets of his slacks. "I am formally requesting that you remain hidden here." He gestured towards the doors on the right side of the suite. "There are several bedrooms available for your use. I won’t even ask that you share my bed." Lowering his voice, he added, "Unless you would like to, of course."
Marianna opened her mouth to reply, but the words didn’t come. She stared at him, then at the smile tugging at one side of his mouth.
Thankfully, he didn’t comment on her lack of a reply. “I’ll leave you to shower,” he said, nodding towards one of the doors. “You can use that bedroom. The bathroom is straight through to your left. If there’s anything you need, just ask.”
"Thank you," she forced out, though she couldn't shake off the awkwardness as she turned to make her way towards the indicated spare bedroom. Why would a man of his stature have spare bedrooms within his private suite? If he had guests, wouldn't he offer them their own suite elsewhere in the palace? Marianna recalled when Tasha and Khal had been expecting Zayn six years ago. The palace construction staff had combined Khal’s original suite with the adjacent apartment, providing more space and additional bedrooms. So, why did Amit have extra bedrooms?
When she stepped through the door, it was to discover an intimately beautiful bedroom made up in soft lavender and creamy white. The room was decked out with flowers and soft, fluffy rugs, a canopy bed wreathed in delicate lace. Marianna gasped, wondering if he’d anticipated her coming here since lavender was one of her favorite colors.
The thought was ridiculous. How could he know her favorite color? Snorting with derision, she walked through to the bathroom and…gasped in horror at her appearance. Yesterday, she’d donned a pair of brown riding pants and a white top for riding.
The top was no longer white. It was covered with black smears, like motor oil, and covered in dirt. She’d worn small, gold hoop earrings, however only one earring remained. But it was her hair that really caught her attention. It was an absolute mess! Yesterday, she’d pulled it back into a smooth braid to keep it out of her eyes while riding. The braid was completely unraveled, replaced by clumps of sweat-matted hair going every which way, festooned with dried weeds. She looked like she’d been in a fistfight with a tornado, and lost!
Or like she’d been kidnapped, Marianna mentally corrected.
Horrified, Marianna pulled the band from her hair, relieved when the tresses tumbled down over her shoulders. The pressure she hadn’t even noticed eased on her scalp, and she sighed in relief as she ran her fingers through her filthy hair.
