Page 2 of The Forbidden Sheik
A moment later, several big, bulky men appeared in the doorway. Bodyguards, Amit assumed. His own guards stood ready, poised to attack, but Amit held up a hand, a silent signal that they should stand down. No need to alarm the children, who were merely defending their aunt. Besides, any sort of confrontation might fan the flames of the tensions that Amit had been working to dispel over the past several years.
Ever since he’d first met Marianna.
Ealayk allaena, everything in his world seemed to revolve around her. Marianna had no idea how she’d completely changed international politics.
“Good morning, Princess Marianna,” he greeted with a formal nod.
Chapter 2
Marianna froze at the sound of his deep, sexy voice. She’d done an excellent job of ignoring the man over the years, but here he was, just as tall and appealing and…damn it, she didn’t want to be attracted to Sheik Amit! Staring at the enormous man with the harsh features and hard…no, warm, appreciative eyes, she felt her stomach tighten, her body immediately reacting to his presence. He wasn’t even touching her, but she could feel his eyes on her. His gaze was like a warm, secret caress. A caress that was forbidden!
The appreciation in his eyes set off her alarm bells. This man, with his deliciously broad shoulders and lean hips, flat stomach and…all of that intense, overwhelming testosterone filled the air. And it terrified her. There was something so…primal, so elemental and raw about Sheik Amit.
She should be used to large men. Her half-brothers, Khal, Joran and Raj, were all very large, very masculine men. But there was something about Sheik Amit that just…infuriated her. Perhaps it was his assumption that women were property to be traded that riled her temper so badly.
This man had literally demanded that she be traded to him as compensation for the night her brother, Joran, had brought his now-wife and two sons, Laith and Rafi, from Uftar to Lativa. And that stung. More than she’d like to admit, actually. Marianna would never admit the way her heart had jumped at her first meeting with this man. He’d been so kind and understanding, so aware of her heartache.
And then he’d demanded her in trade! Like she was just a piece of property!
Marianna pushed the memory away and straightened to her full height. Which wasn’t impressive compared to this man’s six foot, four inch height, but she refused to be intimidated. Or at least, she refused to show how intimidated she was.
"Good morning, Your Highness," she replied, mustering her best royal posture though her effort was lackluster at best. Unfortunately, in his presence, her manners seemed to take a backseat to her simmering outrage. "Always a pleasure," she added, her words laced with enough sarcasm to make a lemon pucker in envy. Despite her best efforts to maintain a poker face, her body language and her tone betrayed her.
In response, the obnoxious man’s lips quirked up at the corners, and she could practically feel the amusement radiating from him. His attempt to suppress his laughter only stoked the flames of her fury. Oh, how she longed to wipe that smirk off his irritatingly intriguing face with a well-placed slap.
Straightening her shoulders, she tilted her head back, meeting his gaze with a steely glare. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit this time?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain as she fought the urge to roll her eyes so hard they'd pop right out of her skull. A faint rustling in the background hinted at the presence of others, but she didn’t bother to acknowledge them. "I didn't see your name on my brother's schedule," she added, each word laced with a not-so-subtle challenge, daring him to justify his intrusion.
There was another shuffling sound and she and Amit looked down to find the children surrounding Marianna protectively. Angela’s green-nosed face tilted far back as she glared up at Amit.
“You’re not taking my auntie!” Angela declared, stomping her foot for emphasis. Laith and Rafi nodded their agreement. It took Zayn another minute to figure out that he should agree as well. However, the little guy spoiled the effort by beaming with boyish charm.
“We won’t let you take her away!” Rafi announced with a firm nod, then glanced to his cousin for approval.
Marianna smiled, thinking the little darlings were amazingly sweet. But the soft, husky chuckle from the man standing before her broke the spell, reminding Marianna that he was still there.
Looking up again, she sighed with resignation. “I need to get them back to their classes. Their nannies were frantic when the four of them snuck away, hence the search for the little devils.”
Marianna turned, already herding her niblings into the hallway. Where the hell had Angela gotten more green makeup? She and Helen had hidden their green eye shadow after the last four times Angela had painted herself green. Thankfully, this time it was just her nose. The last time Angela had found green eye shadow…! Marianna mentally shuddered at the memory.
“Will you have time to speak with me later?” he asked, startling Marianna’s herding efforts.
Marianna froze, not sure if she’d heard him correctly. She straightened and looked back at the man who…goodness he was so tall! And handsome. If only he hadn’t….! Stop it, she silently ordered herself. That was in the past, she reminded herself.
"I’m sorry... but... you want to speak privately... with me?" she asked, quickly putting a hand on Laith’s head to stop him when the little guy decided to attack with his tiny, pudgy fists. Angela tried next, but Marianna blocked her with an arm, which might not have been a good idea. There was probably a green smear on her sleeve now. Again, Marianna wondered where the girl had found green makeup.
“Yes,” the man in question replied, starting to step forward, then stopping when Rafi moved closer. Rafi reached out and grabbed Zayn’s hand, automatically protecting his cousin. “I would like to speak with you privately.”
Marianna didn’t like his use of the word “privately”, but she was also intrigued. This man had never spoken privately with her about anything. He’d always secreted away with Khal and sometimes Joran and Raj. For some silly reason, his request to speak with her, and only her, made her feel…oddly special.
But as soon as she realized where her thoughts were going, she tamped down on her reaction. He was the enemy and it didn’t matter how many times Khal and he met to discuss the issues between their countries. He was still the enemy.
She glared at him. “Is this another request to barter me in trade after Joran snuck his wife and children out of your country?” she challenged. “Am I old enough to make things right, as you said last time?”
His eyes shuttered as he shook his head. “No, this is a completely unrelated topic.”
Marianna stared at him, feeling…sad. Had she somehow wounded him? Why? He’d been the one to suggest that Khal could “gift” her to Uftar to settle the kidnapping charges. The memory of the callous demand still stung eight long years later. He had brazenly declared that, to rectify a situation, she should be offered up as a bargaining chip. The mere suggestion had ignited a firestorm of anger within her, leaving her wounded pride festering ever since.
But now he wanted to speak with her privately? Marianna was torn between curiosity and anger. She should tell the man to go to hell and walk away. But…something inside of her didn’t want to say no. That niggling sensation, curiosity perhaps, or maybe just the opportunity to tell this man how badly he’d insulted her, was overriding her first reaction to refuse his request.
