Read Taken by the Pirate Billionaire Online
Authors: Shelli Stevens
Taken by the Pirate Billionaire (15 page)
“Of course not.” Her eyes rounded in horror. She shook her head, her cheeks tingeing a beguiling pink as her tongue swept across her mouth again. “I would never… My journey to Raljahar isn’t for my benefit.”
Warning bells rang in his head. “Then whose benefit is it for?”
She swallowed hard and lifted her chin, desperation and naked agony in her gaze. “Andrew Gray. He’s in your prison, and I’m here to beg you to release him.” She choked on the last word. “
Please
, he’s all I have, Ra—Your Majesty.”
Rafiq’s world spun out of focus as her words echoed in his head. His heart thumped painfully against his chest and everything inside him clenched with shock. She came here to beg for her lover’s release? The idea of Holly with another man—let alone begging Rafiq to help him—made something dark and resentful build inside him.
With a growl, he reached down and caught her hand, abruptly pulling up the sleeves of the black garment. Holly gasped, attempting to tug her soft fingers away, but he tightened his hold as he searched her fingers again, looking for the ring that perhaps he’d missed initially.
“What are you—”
“You dare come to beg for the release of your lover?”
“N-no.” Understanding dawned in her eyes and she shook her head. “Andrew’s not my lover. He’s my brother.”
Rafiq stilled and some of the tension eased, but he wasn’t certain he believed her. Perhaps she would say anything at this rate to save the man. “Your brother? Then why do you not share the same family name?”
“Winchester was an alias chosen for my modeling career. I ultimately changed it legally.”
“And Holly?”
“Is my real name.”
The fury that had consumed him faded away almost completely. He was inclined to believe her, and all he needed to do was give the word and he could have her story confirmed. Without a doubt he would see it done, would find out if this Andrew was truly not her lover, but her brother.
“Tell me more about your brother, Holly.” He drew his thumb across the knuckles of her hand, watching as her mouth parted and a shudder racked her body.
Her gaze slid to his scar, lingering there, and Rafiq’s nostrils flared. His touch and his appearance repulsed her that much, did it? And yet he couldn’t bring himself to release her hand, no matter how unnecessary holding it was.
There was a fleeting moment in the past where he’d been fooled into believing she enjoyed his touch and had seen beyond his flawed face. Until he’d discovered that not only was the American beauty a top model, but an accomplished actress.
Holly swallowed visibly and hesitated before answering. “Andrew was arrested last week. He was allegedly caught cheating at a cards table in your casino.”
“Allegedly?” he mocked, his lips curling. How pitifully naïve she was. Or perhaps she just thought him a fool. “Are you calling into question the level of security at my casino?”
“No, will you stop twisting my words?” She jerked her hand from his grasp and stumbled backward. “What I’m saying is my brother would never cheat!” But he saw the flicker of doubt in her eyes, and it was compounded by her next words. “Though if he owes any money, I have brought the funds to pay.”
Watching him, she must’ve realized her words were a mistake, because she lifted a hand to her mouth.
“You think I need your money, Holly?” He asked the question with a chilling softness he knew would intimidate.
“No, of course not, but the principle of it—”
“Your brother ignored principle when he chose to steal from my casino.”
She flinched and for a moment he saw the tears of desperation in her eyes. “Rafiq, please don’t be so quick to dismiss me. If you have any compassion, you’d consider my request.”
“If I have any compassion?” Rafiq ground out, unable to believe his ears. The words absolutely preposterous coming from her sensual lips after what she’d done to him. “You, Holly, are a fraud to even speak of compassion.”
Anger flashed in her eyes and she opened her mouth, appearing as if she were about to curse him to pieces, but then closed it again. Her hands balled into fists at her side, nearly disappearing into the long sleeves of her burka. Her head bowed. “I’m sorry. I haven’t come here to argue with you, Your Majesty. I’ve come to beg for help.”
Seeing Holly humbled before him sent a stab of satisfaction through him. Though she’d put space between them, he closed it again. His sense of power grew at the sound of the small, nervous breaths escaping her lips and the trembling of her body.
How was it possible he still wanted her? Wanted her mouth on his. Wanted her beneath him in bed, begging for pleasure and calling his name in abandon.
“Just what are you willing to do to garner his release?”
Her head jerked up, sapphire eyes widening with shock and wariness. “What do you mean?”
Rafiq’s gaze slid to her mouth, so full and currently unadorned with lipstick or gloss and yet so tempting and bewitching. She’d always been uncommonly beautiful, with or without her face painted. The day he’d met her she’d been without makeup, and he’d still been struck dumb by her beauty.
With lightning-quick movements, Rafiq slid his arm around her waist and drew her body flush against his. Her gasp of shock coincided with her hands flying up to press against his chest.
“I think you know exactly what I mean.”
Comprehension dawned in her gaze, followed by something that looked like disgust.
Pain ripped through him and he clenched his jaw. She made no effort to conceal how repulsive she found him, even when her supposed brother’s future was at stake.
“What would you do, Holly?” he rasped again, harsher this time as he lightly ran his palm up her back and then down low again, until it rested just above the swell of her buttocks.
A tremble ripped through her and she shook her head. “You misunderstand. I would never…”
“Ah, but you could,
habiba
.” He cupped her face with his free hand and held her head still.
He wanted to punish her for what she’d done two years ago. And for appearing in his life again when he tried so hard to never think of her—to never think of their passionate moments together.
But more than that, he wanted to feel her lips beneath his and taste her again. Hear her cries of pleasure, even if they were a lie.
She must’ve seen the intent in his expression, because her eyes widened with panic and awareness. “No. Please, don’t do this, Rafiq—”
“Your Majesty,” he ground out, and then claimed her mouth.
Her lips parted on a cry of protest, allowing his tongue to sweep in and conquer. To demand a surrender he knew Holly would never give willingly.
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About the Author
Shelli is a New York Times Bestselling Author who read her first romance novel when she snatched it off her mother’s bookshelf at the age of eleven. One taste and she was forever hooked. It wasn’t until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then she acknowledged the voices in her head didn’t make her crazy, they made her a writer.
Shelli currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her daughter where she writes various genres of romance. She’s a compulsive volunteer, and has been known to spontaneously burst into song.
Sign up for Shelli’s newsletter, and see what other books she has available at
www.shellistevens.com
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Available Books by Shelli
Trust and Dare
Foreign Affair
Negligee Behavior
A is for Alpha series
Beauty and the Sheikh
The Billionaire’s Baby Bargain
Seattle Steam Series
Dangerous Grounds
Tempting Adam
Seducing Allie
Chances Are Series
Anybody but Justin
Luck Be Delanie
Protecting Phoebe
Holding Out For A Hero Series
Going Down
Command and Control
Flash Point
Savage Series
Savage Hunger
Savage Betrayal
Savage Revenge
The McLaughlins
Good Girl Gone Plaid
Kilty Pleasure
Loch and Key
Highland Fling
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