Page 69 of The Sheikh's Desert Princess

Eva shook her head. "I don't fit in here, Riaz," she replied. She gazed around at the dunes. "All of this is another world for someone like me."

Riaz swept his arms around her, drawing her close. "I will do everything I can to make you a part of my world, Eva," he breathed.

Emotion swirled through her. He couldn't be serious, she told herself. But one look at him told her he was absolutely serious about making her a part of his life here. Could she even consider such a thing?

Eva shook her head. "I can't, Riaz. It's all so sudden."

Riaz reached out a hand and lifted her chin with his fingers. Eva gazed into his eyes, sensing her resolve weaken with every moment. The way he was looking at her made every nerve in her body feel alive with anticipation.

"Who are we to argue with fate?" Riaz declared softly. "Destiny only needs a moment to bring two people together."

His words sank into her, taking hold of her mind. Could it be that simple? Could he be right? Was there a force at work over which Eva could have no control. The way she felt about this incredible man had certainly made so much of what she had once held sacred seem unimportant.

"How can we carry on like this?" Eva asked softly. "This is crazy."

Sensing ultimate triumph, Riaz leaned closer, his arms tightening around her gently, drawing her unstoppably into his existence.

"Of course it is crazy," he agreed. "When two people feel this way about each other, it is a kind of sweet madness," he added. He lifted a brow and smiled. "Don't you agree?"

In spite of all the emotion churning inside herself, Eva submitted to the impulse to smile right back at him.

Riaz's lips crashed down upon hers and she was swept up again into a world of sensation that only Riaz had ever given her.

One she knew only Riaz could ever give her.

The kiss seemed to last an eternity. She felt her world shift, felt everything move around her as if her entire existence had changed in an instant.

Then their lips parted and she gazed into Riaz's eyes. "You're asking me to stay?"

Riaz nodded slowly. "I want you to be with me."

"For how long?" she asked breathlessly.

Riaz's brows furrowed and he smiled at Eva. "How long do you think?" he replied.

Eva drew in a deep breath and sighed. Before she had a chance to say anything else, Riaz cupped his hand around her face and kissed her. Nerves flared with delight and there was a sudden joy in her heart. If every day promised sensation like this, Eva told herself, then she knew she wouldn't want to ever leave.

Riaz leaned his head back and gazed into her eyes with such emotion that Eva was temporarily taken aback. This was no casual proposal from Riaz, she realized. He meant every word he said.

And what exactly was he proposing? Even as she asked herself that question, it was obvious that she was about to agree to something which promised to change the entire course of her life.

Would it be possible to stay in Riaz's encampment for weeks or months and not succumb to every one of the temptations he was laying out before her?

And what were those temptations, exactly?

She knew what they were.

Nights of pleasure in his bed, for one thing. Unending ecstasy. Her life transformed.

Also she'd get to share the life of a desert sheikh, be drawn into his life. No longer would she be a mere observer. She would be a part of him, an essential piece of his wild, exotic life out here, cut off from all of civilization.

Anticipation flared inside her at the prospect of such a life. A mixture of attraction and concern seized her. Would she be able to adapt to such a life?

She knew the answer to that.

With Riaz all things were possible.

She looked at Riaz and saw he was patiently awaiting her response.

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