Page 35 of The Innocent Carrying His Legacy

‘Why? What happened?’

She was silent a moment, then carefully she removed her hand from his and resumed her study of the scenery. ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’

His instinct was to push her, but now wasn’t the time and this certainly wasn’t the place. It would be better once they were at his residence and settled in. Perhaps after he’d satisfied that desperate hunger of hers, she’d relax her guard, lower her walls.

Ten minutes later, the helicopter banked and then came in to land on the rooftop of his private villa. The house itself was of white stone and built into the side of a mountain, overlooking a pretty valley and its famous hot spring.

The place had long been a holiday retreat for Inarian aristocracy, a little town of the same white stone built near the origin of the spring itself. There was an elegant spa resort catering to tourists and a few restaurants and bars, plus the Sultan’s own holiday palace, but Nazir preferred to keep apart from people and so his villa was somewhat removed from the town itself.

It was built around a small waterfall that came directly from the hot spring, flowing down the bare rock of the mountainside and into a deep pool he’d had constructed especially for the purpose. A number of terraces had been built to take advantage of the views of the valley, but the back of the house where the waterfall and pool were located was completely private.

He didn’t often have time to visit and hadn’t been here in at least six months, but he’d sent instructions to the people he employed to take care of the house to make the place ready for his arrival, and sure enough the moment they landed the housekeeper appeared, ushering them down the stairs from the helipad and into the cool peace of the main living area.

It was early evening and dinner was being prepared, or so the housekeeper assured him, and would they like any refreshment? Nazir gave her some more instructions, then dismissed her, glancing at Ivy as she moved over to the large double doors that opened out onto one of the terraces.

She was dressed in her yoga pants ensemble yet again and he made a mental note to check if the clothes he’d asked to be bought for her had arrived, since he knew most women liked to wear different things on occasion. Certainly he didn’t care what she wore; he wanted to see her in nothing at all, quite frankly.

A silence had fallen, tension drawing tight in the space between them.

Ivy had her back to him, her hair in that loose ponytail down her back, the chestnut strands gleaming in the last of the sun that shone through the windows, illuminating the rich texture. Nazir had crossed the room towards her before he’d even thought it through, reaching out to take that pretty skein of hair in one hand, to run his fingers through the softness of it.

She froze, her breath catching audibly in the sudden silence.

The warm silk of her hair against his skin made the simmering desire, which hadn’t subsided one iota since their interlude in the salon, intensify. He eased aside her ponytail and, keeping a grip on it, bent to press his mouth to the sensitive pale skin of her nape.

She trembled, but didn’t move, the tension coming off her so fiercely it was an almost physical force.

She wanted him, wanted his touch. Wanted to surrender. Yet she was fighting it. Fighting herself.

Poor little fury. All this resistance must surely be taking it out of her.

Her skin warmed beneath his lips and when he brushed another kiss over the back of her neck, she shivered again.

‘Come,’ he murmured. ‘I’ll show you the pool. I think you’ll like it.’

‘The pool?’ Her voice was husky and sounded a little shaken.

‘This is a famous spa town, but you don’t need to visit the resort. I have my own personal hot spring right here.’ He combed his fingers through her hair, easing her back against him. She tensed a moment then, as if giving up some private battle, relaxed.

‘I don’t know if I want that right now,’ she said, sounding stiff. ‘I think I might need some time to myself.’

But they weren’t in the helicopter now and he wasn’t going to let her retreat yet again.

Gripping her shoulders firmly enough that she couldn’t pull away, Nazir turned her gently around to face him, letting her see that she couldn’t escape, that he wouldn’t allow it. ‘What is it, Ivy? Why are you fighting me so very hard?’

A small shudder went through her and he caught a glimpse of that desperation, that hunger that lived inside her, once again. She was trying to hide it, trying not to let him see it. She could sense the predator in him and she didn’t want to show weakness.

It was too late of course. He knew now.

‘Is it something to do with what you said on the way here?’ he asked when she didn’t say anything. ‘About your time at the children’s home?’

Her lashes swept down, veiling her gaze. ‘Nazir...’

The sound of his name, offered without any warning, went through him like a sword, clean and bright, and just like that his patience ran out.

Her determination to keep him at a distance ended here. Now.

‘Tell me,’ he ordered. ‘How can I make this better for you if you keep pushing me away?’

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