Page 24 of The Sheikh's Temporary Girlfriend

“I don’t approve of him being withyou,” she interjected bitterly, her dark eyes flashing. “It’s easy to see you don’t love him. You’re just using him!”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Amber said softly. “Idolove him. Unlike you though, I wish he wasn’t a sheikh so that we had a real chance at being together.”

“Except heisa sheikh and things willneverwork between you! You’re a commoner. You were born as nothing and you will die as nothing!” Her hands curled into fists at her sides. “He’ll realize soon enough you aren’t the right woman for him. And if he doesn’t, I’ll make sure he does!”

Amber resisted rolling her eyes. She’d met dramatic people before, but this woman took the cake. “And how do you propose doing that?”

The other woman sneered, her face flushing with self-righteousness. “My father has a team of investigative journalists who I’m certain will uncover something about you. Everyone has secrets, right?” She was like a shark scenting blood as Amber gaped at her. “I have no doubt a scandal will be just the thing to break up your relationship with Basam. He won’t have a choice but to walk away and end things with you.”

Chapter Eleven

Though Basam lifted an enquiring eyebrow when Amber returned with Maram, there was nothing Amber wanted to say, she was still reeling by Maram’s threat.

She sat next to him and gratefully accepted another drink, though it was water this time. At least now Amber understood why Basam didn’t want anything to do with the other woman. She might be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside she was a nasty, mean person who wanted what she couldn’t have.

The outing wasn’t quite the same after the unpleasant face-to-face with Maram. Not even the delicious food and drinks, and the wonderful company—excluding one—could make up for Maram’s intent to discredit Amber by uncovering her past.

Her stomach crunched. She no longer had any doubt that Maram’s investigative journalists would unveil Amber’s—her family’s—shameful history, then drag Basam’s name through the mud along with her own. It wouldn’t matter that she had a clean slate; her family didn’t, so she’d be guilty by association.

“Give me ten minutes with Amber before you follow,” Basam said to one of the men in the camel-riding party, interrupting her gloomy thoughts. He stood and reached for her hand, drawing her to her feet. “Come, there is something I want to show you.”

She followed him hand-in-hand as he walked alongside the pool then turned and followed a rocky ledge that went behind the waterfall itself. The noise was powerful, ceaseless, and she laughed as she lifted her head to the fallout of spray that was wonderfully, gloriously cool.

Their companions were no longer visible through the wall of water, Basam taking advantage of that fact when the tugged her gently toward him. His head swooping low, his mouth claimed hers. His kiss was hot, insatiable, the spray of water now barely cooling her heated skin. It was only lucky his arm that was wrapped around her kept her stable, with her legs as shaky and unstable as her emotions.

Maram might have put a dampener on the outing, but the other woman was little more than a faded memory while she was in Basam’s arms, his mouth tasting of decadence and pleasure.

It seemed forever yet no time at all before he drew back, his eyes burning and his thobe barely concealing the hard length of his arousal. “What are you doing to me, sunshine?” he asked hoarsely.

She licked her lips, and he groaned even as he took a step back and nodded behind her. “That wasn’t the ten minutes I requested.”

Of course it wasn’t. She turned her head to see his guests approaching. It was no surprise to find Maram in the lead. The other woman didn’t want Basam alone with Amber for any length of time.Too little too late. Though the falls cooled everything down, nothing could cool the passion burning inside her.

Basam might have experienced the same level of lust, but he was a gentleman by not showing it in front of his guests. Only Maram seemed aware of their heightened chemistry as she looked from one to the other and back again, her mouth tight and her movements stiff.

Basam allowed his guests ten minutes under the cooling spray before he hustled them all back to their camels, where he helped pack away the dishes, hampers and blankets before loading it onto the pack camels. Five minutes later they were all mounted, and their camels plodding steadily away from the lovely oasis.

“Thank you,” she said quietly to his back, watching the way his body so easily swayed to his camel’s loping walk.

He twisted in the saddle, looking back at her with warmth and some other, deeper emotion. “You’re more than welcome, sunshine. I like nothing more than seeing you happy.”

He turned back around to direct his camel, and though she was distracted again by his riding ability, she didn’t need to guess whose scathing stare burned into her back. She exhaled slowly. She wouldn’t let Maram spoil the experience yet again. She only had four more days left of the deal with Basam before she’d be returning home.

Never to see him again.

Her stomach wrenched but she managed to push away any further thoughts about her future. She was determined to just enjoy the remainder of the time she had here with him.

An eagle cried out overhead, and she tilted her head back to view the huge dark wings that were spread out high above her as the eagle drifted on warm air currents, its underside silhouetted by the sun that was closing in on the horizon.

There was such grandeur to the desert and sky out here, like the land and sky merged into one, then carried on forever, and she and everyone else on the planet were just temporary little blips in the cycle of life. It should have made her feel insignificant, instead she felt blessed to be here and to experience such a diverse way of life.

Servants hurried forward as Basam and his guests approached the palace on the camels. Basam commanded his camel to kneel and the other camels immediately followed suit. The riders dismounted, everyone appearing happy and content, while Maram marched away from the group and into the palace.

Amber winced. No doubt the horrid woman was on a mission to humiliate and smear her reputation as quickly as possible.

Basam glanced at Maram’s retreating back, then looked back at Amber. “Anything you want to talk about?”

She shook her head. “Nothing you probably don’t already know.”

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