Page 21 of At the Sheikh's Pleasure
He thrust his hands in his pockets and continued alongside her without speaking for a few moments.He was content with stealing occasional glances of her stony face—those beautiful lips pouting slightly in her desire to keep them unexpressive—and with inhaling her fragrance.Contrary to her cool demeanor, the fragrance she wore was feminine and light, like flowers after rain, with an earthy note which was definitely sexy.He couldn’t help wondering which came from her actual scent and which came from her.Her skin.He sucked in a deep breath and cleared his throat, trying to control his arousal.He definitely wouldn’t get anywhere by allowing his mind to travel there.
“I think you’ll be very interested in what you find in the throne room,” he said, determined to get his mind back on track.
She half-turned toward him, before thinking better of it.
“I’m sure,” she said crisply.“Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”
He swallowed a grin.She really was such a princess.He wouldn’t have accepted such insolence from anyone else.But from her?It was an enjoyable challenge.
“Iamsurprised, though,” he said.
They continued walking in silence, which he was determined not to break.Shewouldanswer him.They stopped at another door, which required a security code.He didn’t enter one.Instead, he raised a questioning eyebrow at her.She was forced to meet his gaze, which she did briefly before looking down, a welcome blush suffusing her face.He knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up the pretense that there was a barrier between them.Because the kiss had destroyed that last night.
“At what?”she finally muttered, her eyes downcast.
“Hm?”he said, as if he hadn’t heard her.“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you said?”
She heaved a sigh and looked up at him with a steady gaze now.She had courage, but he’d known that.“What are you surprised at?”
He couldn’t think for a minute, because he was totally lost in those eyes.Their velvety darkness held hints of green, making her eyes a more hazel shade of brown, suggesting complexity.She certainly held that in spades.Then her eyes narrowed, her dark brows lowering a little, and he was brought around, realizing she wanted an answer to her question.
But he wasn’t ready to give an answer yet.He wanted that curious gaze to continue to be focused on him, because at last he had her attention.He punched the code into the door, and it sprang open.He gestured for her to enter.Her lips pressed together tightly, drawing their fullness into an almost, but not quite, straight line.They were too full for that.The doors of the throne room were before them and he waited as they walked a few steps further before answering.
“I’m surprised that, for someone who wanted to leave her royal family and lands and culture behind her, you specialized in royal tradition.I’d have thought you’d have had enough of all that.”
“You mistake wanting to leave my country with not loving my country.”
“Now there’s a paradox if ever there was one.Please explain.”
“I doubt you’d be interested,” she said.
He stopped walking and eventually she stopped on the pathway, overhanging blooms brushing her head as slowly she turned to look back.“You doubt I’d beinterested?”
“I mean, why would you?”She opened her arms wide and shrugged.“We hardly know each other.We met only a few days ago.Your interest, if you have any, must be superficial.”
He bridged the gap between them in a few paces.To her credit, she didn’t move away, although he could see alarm in her eyes.Instead, it was he who took the step back.He didn’t know what had made her so fearful of a man approaching, but he never wanted to see that look in her eyes again.
“Is there a period designated after which interest is allowed?”he asked.“Have you never met someone, or something, that has piqued your interest, stirred you after a moment, or two, or a few hours?Or maybe after a significant event?”
He was rewarded with a lick of the lips.He gave a brief sigh of pleasure.So long as all of this ended up with another taste of her lips, he’d be happy.
“Significant event?You consider a horse ride a significant event?”
“No,” he said, becoming irritated by her absolute refusal to acknowledge what they both knew.“I consider a significant event the fact that you kissed me.”
Her shocked expression had him reaching out for her, determined to stop her from running from him.
“You can’t make it go away, Rosana.You kissed me, and I kissed you back, and it changed everything.”
He felt the tension leave her body as she shook her head.He turned her around, and she continued shaking her head, her eyes downcast.
“Rosana, you can’t turn the clock back.You can’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
She shot her chin up and glared at him defiantly.“Watch me!”
“Believe me,” he said, releasing his grip.“I will.”
He allowed her to pull away from him and to enter the room.He waited a few moments to gather himself before he followed.The woman was impossible!He huffed a frustrated sigh.How the hell was he going to make her see sense?Then he remembered Galila.She’d taught him how to behave with frightened horses, horses that had been abused.Gentleness and kindness were required.You had to earn their trust.And all he’d been doing was bullying her.He had to give her free rein, even if that meant she ended up walking away.Because, unless he did, she’d most surely leave, and fast.
