Page 6 of Sheikh's Pregnant Fiancée

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They talked while the sun set. Aubrey suspected Jarah was giving her a chance to see the kingdom at night, just like she wanted, but there was something else lurking in his gaze when he watched her.

A hunger that matched her own.

Absurd. He was a stranger, and while she had no problems with casual sex, this was a small and conservative kingdom. She came knowing that while there were no restrictions against women like some of the neighboring kingdoms, she would need to be respectful of their traditions.

An affair was out of the question, wasn’t it?

The fact that she was even considering it made her realize just how off kilter she was. The sale of her grandmother’s vineyard had her mentally spinning. Was she just looking for any port in the storm?

She’d been gazing at the temple, now just illuminated by the moon, when Jarah stepped closer. Until then, he’d kept a respectable distance, but now he was so close their arms were touching.

“It’s said that when King Umfris fell in love, the oracles told him the goddess disapproved, and the kingdom would not support his marriage. The woman, fearful that her lover would regret their union, left, and the king was inconsolable with a broken heart. He began to build this temple, pleading for the goddess to lead his lover back to him. Every year, he added to the temple, building it bigger and bigger until one day, the woman returned. She’d been wandering, lost, all that time until she saw the temple and followed it back to him. The kingdom saw it as a sign that the goddess approved, and they rejoiced in the union. They bore five sons and five daughters and lived happily ever after.”

“Romantic nonsense?” Aubrey teased as she turned to him.

“Most certainly. Callista believes that old texts have been translated wrong and that King Umfris didn’t build one temple but several, deep into the mountains. The would-be queen followed a path of temples, each one bigger than the last.”

Aubrey knew the tale. Gwen worked closely with Callista and obsessed almost as much over it as the sheikh’s daughter.

“How do you keep tourists and locals from sneaking into the temple at night in hopes of finding a lover?” she asked as she peered out into the darkness again.

“There’s a guard, and considering the new car he just purchased, I have a feeling he’s a well-bribed guard.”

“What?” Wrinkling her nose, she laughed. “You don’t seem very concerned. Does Sheikh Mikal know?”

“It’s not a well-kept secret. As long as he protects the temple from damage, we aren’t all that concerned if someone wants to sit on the steps and talk to non-existent deity.”

“Non-existent? Perhaps. Still, I think you’d be surprised about what happens when someone wants something bad enough. A fervent whisper in the night can make all kinds of things come true.”

“Is that so?”

The huskiness in his voice had her turning toward him, and her heart skipped a beat. Now was the time to let him know that nothing was going to happen tonight.

All she had to do was get the words out.

“Yeah. If you wanted to whisper something in the night, what would it be?”

Damn it, that was not what she was supposed to say. Her skin heated, and the air thickened around them. She was absolutely playing with fire.

Slowly, he took her hand and pulled her close before he leaned down to her ear. “I would wonder what it would feel like to have your body against mine, skin-to-skin, and what it would feel like to have you clenching around my cock as you scream and come.”

Well, damn.

Aubrey swallowed hard and pulled back to look at him. “Wondering something and wishing for it are two different things.”

“Come here,” he growled, and she managed a small chuckle before he bent his head and claimed her lips. The kiss was hot and urgent, and she opened for him immediately, no longer caring about whether it was a good idea. She wanted to taste him.

She wanted to feel him inside her.

As his tongue swept in, teasing and playing with hers, she lifted his shirt to feel the rock-hard muscles she’d been imagining for the last hour.

Her imagination was spot on.

“Wait. Can anyone see us up here?” She pulled back and glanced around nervously. They were the tallest building around.

“Come here,” he growled and pulled her around the corner of the door. It helped block out most of the city so their only view was the temple. “I’ll admit that I had planned to seduce you when I dropped you off, but I need you right now.”

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