Page 12 of The Sheikh's Temporary Girlfriend

Marietta’s critical gaze turned satisfied. “Now that I know your measurements and have an eye for your coloring, I can make a few more creations without having to be here.” She clucked her tongue, a smile creasing her face. “I have such grandiose ideas for you.”

Amber ignored the sudden wilting sensation within to announce, “That is very kind of you, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be—“

“Thank you, Marietta. That will be all for now,” Basam interjected as he walked into the dressing room.

Amber froze even as Marietta scooped up the rest of her bags filled with fabrics and dressmaker paraphernalia and said to Basam, “She has one abaya for tonight, and another that will be ready soon. I will send the others as they’re made.”

He nodded. “I knew I could rely on you.”

Marietta beamed. “Thankyou,Sheikh Basam, for entrusting me.”

The dressmaker hurried out the door as though her head was exploding with ideas for her new client, leaving Amber behind on a little dressmaker’s platform in nothing but her panties and bra. And with nothing but Basam’s hot eyes on her.

Everything inside her screamed to move, to cover up, but her legs wouldn’t unlock and her eyes were caught by his as he approached, a predator ready to strike. “You are exquisite,” he growled softly.

She swallowed hard at the savage intensity in his eyes and the bulge behind his thobe. He was the king of the desert now more than ever, a hunter stalking his quarry. That she was on the precipice of giving in to him caused logic to finally reinsert itself. Her muscles unlocked and she stepped down onto the carpeted floor to pick up the bathrobe and push her arms into its sleeves.

Basam chuckled indulgently. “It’s too late to hide yourself from me now, sunshine. Your gorgeous body is now imprinted onto my brain.”

She drew the bathrobe tighter around her. “I believe I mentionednosex.”

He nodded. “That you did. Though I believe I also mentionedunless you want it.”

She lifted her chin. “Well, I don’t want it.”Liar!She cleared her throat. “I’m here for one thing and one thing only.” She grimaced at the unlikelihood of what she was about to enact. “To convince your people that we’re blissfully in love.”

He pushed up his thobe’s sleeve and glanced at the chunky gold watch on his wrist. “Then you might want to get comfortable here for a while.” He glanced around the dressing room. Beside the dressmaker’s platform, there were two chairs in front of mirrors. On the counters beneath were baskets holding various makeup odds and ends. Hair products in shelves lower down sat beside straighteners and curling irons, as well as scissors and various other paraphernalia.

He glanced back at her. “The hairdresser is due to arrive shortly along with my personal jeweler.”

“You have your own jeweler?”

He nodded. “Yes, he designs and handcrafts all my pieces.”

She noted his thumb ring. His jeweler couldn’t be too busy. She sniffed as another, unpleasant thought surfaced. “No doubt he has been kept busy making your girlfriends their pieces of jewelry?”

“Ex-girlfriends,” he agreed amicably. “And those pieces were mostly parting gifts.”

She arched a brow, reminded yet again of why she was here. “Is that to soften the blow of them not being the special girl who gets to marry the sheikh?”

He smirked, his dark golden eyes appraising her. “Something like that. Though, to be honest, most of them were more than happy with their consolation prize.”

“Ugh, no wonder you’re so cynical about women.”

He cocked his head to the side. “So you’re saying you’re not happy with your choker and earrings or your one-hundred thousand dollar consolation prize?”

She gritted her teeth with frustration. “That’s hardly the point!”

“Isn’t it?” He stepped closer. “Not all the women I’ve been with in the past have been wealthy.”

“It’s nice to know you don’t…discriminate,” she said drily.

He sighed softly. “We’re doing each other a favor.” He reached out and cupped her chin, his thumb rubbing softly under her jawline and sending hot sparks straight to her core. “If we enjoy each other’s company in the meantime, then all the better.”

She stepped back. “All the better foryou!”

His face flickered with emotion, too fast for her to read. “I think we both know it would be better for you, too, sunshine.”

She resisted squirming at his words, all too aware he spoke the truth. She sensed with everything inside her that he was a man she wouldn’t soon forget, in the bedroom and out of it. Deny it all she wanted, sex with him was becoming the focal point of her thoughts, a need that grew with every minute she spent in his company.

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