Page 31 of The Forbidden Sheik
The older three stared at the youngest of their cohort, the one they considered to be the “baby” even though he was only one year younger than the rest.
“He’s right,” Angela whispered, wrapping her arms around Zayn and planting a loud kiss on the top of his head. “My dad talks about how Uncle Khal tried to do it all by himself when he first took over.” She looked at Laith and Rafi. “Your dad told us stories about how he used to run around with the Special Forces team before he realized that his older brother needed help.” She pointed to herself. “And my dad used to run a whole bunch of businesses around the world. That’s how he met my mom. But when they realized Uncle Khal needed help, they stepped up and took over special areas. Still, when they run into a problem, they go to experts.”
Laith sat up a bit straighter. “You’re right!” he whispered, unaware of the security guards listening in around the corner and rolling their eyes. “Should we talk to our dads?”
The four of them looked at each other, all wanting the others to agree first. Asking for help felt like failure. And yet, they were all sitting on the floor, unsure of where to look next for their missing aunt.
Chapter 39
A whole week. Marianna had been with Amit for an entire week! She’d spoken to each of her brothers and sisters-in-law every day, checking in with them and enjoying the stories of her niece and nephews’ adventures through the palace, looking for her. And she’d researched ideas for her next few posts. She’d even managed to write a bit.
But mostly, she was distracted. Every night, Amit would come into the apartment looking haggard and tense. She talked with him, brainstormed on his obstacles, told him about her ideas and assured him that she hadn’t posted her usual twice weekly articles.
And then he’d pull her into his arms and make love to her. She felt as if her world was rocked every night, not just by the intensity of their intimacy, but by the way he held her at night. He was so sweet and gentle, peppering her with kisses and soothing her until she fell asleep, listening to his heartbeat.
However, the man was always gone by the time she opened her eyes in the morning. And they never spoke about their feelings, or discussed where this relationship might be going. Marianna wanted to bring it up, but she was scared about what he might say. Was this just a fling? A nice way to pass the time while Amit sorted out his cousin’s treachery? Or was this time together something more significant?
It felt like a fling. The sex was hot and it felt as if Amit couldn’t keep his hands off of her.
Unfortunately, that scared her. Because this kind of sexual heat couldn’t last. She’d read so many articles about relationships that started with this kind of passion, but then just fizzled to nothing.
Marianna knew that she was in love with Amit. It was such a strange sensation to realize that she was in love with a man that she’d always thought she’d hated. But she now knew that that hatred was just masking her sexual attraction to the man.
Okay, and it had also masked her hurt at his first interaction with her.
But the man really had no romance. No matter how hard she tried to keep talking to him at night, as soon as he touched her, or if she accidentally brushed against him, their need for each other just spiraled, too hot to ignore. One moment, she was trying to convince Amit to play another game or maybe going for a walk or a swim, and the next moment, they were both naked and gasping.
She loved the sex, hadn’t known this kind of sex could be real. Nothing she’d read could have prepared her for this level of passion. It blocked out common sense and obliterated the rest of the world for the few hours that they were making love. At first touch, they were blind to everything, needing to find that climax, and give the other person as much pleasure as possible.
Sighing, she closed her laptop and headed for the pool. She didn’t bother with a bathing suit this time. She just needed the relaxation that the cool water would give her as she swam. So, she just stripped off her clothes and dove into the shimmering water. Immediately, she felt better. There was something about water that always calmed her, made her brain slow down a little, so she could come back to her problems later and work through them.
Chapter 40
Amit rubbed his forehead, trying to concentrate on his current meeting. But his thoughts weren’t cooperating. He’d thought making love with Marianna might get her out of his system. That plan had worked with his previous mistresses over the years. But for some reason, making love with Marianna only made his need for her grow stronger by the day. It wasn’t easing the sexual need he felt for her. It was having the opposite effect. He was losing his mind, becoming addicted to her. He couldn’t think, couldn’t concentrate and couldn’t make decisions because he needed to see Marianna, needed to make love to her, and find a way to make her want to stay.
Plus, there was this nagging sensation that he was missing something. Something big. Something important.
Amit prided himself on understanding the global chess game. He knew the pieces, anticipated other countries’ moves. He regularly met with powerful world leaders, as well as business leaders closer to home. He hadn’t respected Khal when he’d first met him, thinking that the man was a rapacious dictator and a threat to his country. But having met with him, negotiated with him, Amit’s mind had changed. He now considered Khal to be a strong, confident leader, and he was also fair. He understood the give and take needed to make complicated decisions that benefited everyone, not just his country.
In fact, he might even dare to consider the man a friend. Khal’s brothers were equally arrogant, yet they possessed admirable qualities. And yet, whenever he’d visited Lativa, he’d felt compelled to seek out Marianna, even if their interactions were often charged with anger and confrontation. However, through these encounters, he had also come to know and respect the three brothers. And Marianna.
Rubbing a hand over his face, he sighed with frustration. The meeting’s speaker droned on but Amit had no idea what was being said, nor was he even aware of the meeting’s subject. Again! His thoughts were completely focused on Marianna. He wanted to know what she was doing, what she was wearing, if she was okay, had she eaten breakfast, did she prefer tea or coffee?
He wasn’t getting enough sleep either. After making love to her over the past week, he’d watch her while she slept, keeping the covers over her nakedness, jerking awake whenever she moved…to make love to her again or just to make sure that she fell back to sleep. He loved having her head against his shoulder while she slept because he could feel her soft breath caress his chest, and know that she was…safe and alive.
Was that it? Was that the reason he was so tense? So on edge? Was his concern because he needed to ensure her safety? Or was there something more going on?
“And in conclusion…,” someone said, breaking into his litany of questions.
Amit looked up in time to see everyone packing up their files. He stood as well, thanking the meeting leader for the information, even though he had no clue what he’d just spent the last hour not listening to.
This had to stop, he told himself firmly. He had a country to lead and his inability to concentrate was interfering with his duties.
“Cancel my meetings for the rest of the afternoon,” Amit told his assistant. The man looked startled, but Amit didn’t care. The command was unprecedented, but he was going to fix this…whatever this was…with Marianna. He needed to concentrate!
Walking into his apartment, he looked around, determined to confront Marianna, to demand that she stop whatever voodoo, magic, spell or…whatever the hell she’d cast over him. But she wasn’t sitting at the dining room table, working on her next article. He didn’t find her in the bedroom or the bathroom.
There was only one other place where she might be. He was confident that she hadn’t left the suite. He trusted her not to show herself and ruin Amit’s attempts to capture his cousin. At the reminder of his cousin, Amit stopped, startled to realize he hadn’t thought of the man in…days! Hell, he had no idea what was going on with Jadwat! Why the hell wasn’t he back, reporting on what he’d heard and seen? Amit had anticipated that the man would try to steal some of the ligi berry bushes for himself and had put some of his best guards on the plane with his cousin!
