The Sheikh's Kidnapped Bride (The Sharqi Sheikhs Series Book 3) (4 page)

He used one hand to skim down her side, feeling the soft swell of her breast even as the bulge behind his zipper grew. He’d been hard for what seemed like days, and only the fear that she was in some kind of real trouble had kept him from giving into this need to explore the chemistry simmering between them.

Mahil was so lost in their kiss and the feel of her body against his own; he didn’t realize right away when she stopped responding to him. Only her shoving hard against his shoulders brought him back to reality and the bright lights of his kitchen.

“What’s wrong?”

Carolyn was glaring at him, her lips swollen from their kiss and her cheeks bright with her blush. “Is this why you really brought me here? To be your…your…sex slave?”

Mahil was instantly angry. “Sex slave? We shared a kiss…”

Carolyn shook her head and pushed against him again; not relenting until he took a step backwards, “Go away! I am not sleeping with you.”

“Your body doesn’t seem to be in agreement,” he told her, watching the rapid pulse beat in her neck and seeing her tight nipples puckered beneath the thin cotton of the sundress she was wearing. It was an American item of clothing that a visiting friend’s sister had left in his pool house, and while it was a little big on her, she’d chosen it over the traditional gowns worn by the women of his country.

Modesty was a high priority amongst his people, but here in his home, he’d given orders that allowed Carolyn to dress as she saw fit. He’d also made sure there would be no male servants in the house as long as she was in residence. Ahmed was the only exception as he accompanied Mahil most places and oversaw his security.

“Get out!” Carolyn told him, crossing her arms over her chest when she saw where his eyes had strayed.

“Why are you so angry? You were kissing me back just now…”

Carolyn clenched her teeth and glared at him, “You kissed me without my consent. Now, get out so I can eat my meal and then return to that prison cell of a bedroom.”

Mahil looked at her and shook his head, “I will leave, but not because you have demanded it. I will leave because you need time to come to terms with the fact that your body craves what I can offer it, even if your mind is running scared. The chemistry between us is not something I am prepared to ignore. You would do well to adjust your thinking around that fact and soon. I can only be patient for so long.”

Carolyn glared at him and then dropped her gaze, “Just leave, okay? Just leave me alone. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“A lie if I’ve ever heard one. You kissed me back. With abandon. Maybe you should dwell on that fact while you eat your meal. Good day.”

He stormed from the kitchen, doing nothing to camouflage the fact that he was unhappy with her. She’d basically accused him of bringing her home with him to force sexual favors from her.

That was a huge insult and Mahil fumed as he headed for his library and the bottle of Scotch. A habit that was quickly forming, as he continued to deal with the headstrong female currently in his kitchen.

Carolyn woke to the sound of insistent knocking. Rolling to her back, she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling as she tried to figure out where she was. Realizing that she was still in Al-Sarid, she sat up with a groan. If nothing else, she was catching up on her sleep, she thought as she yawned.

Hearing knocking again, she realized what woke her up and called out, “Come in,” and watched as Mahil walked in dressed casually in dark jeans that accentuated his muscular legs and a form-fitting polo shirt.

She swallowed hard as he walked toward her. She’d spent yesterday and most of this morning trying to get their kiss out of her mind, but it wasn’t working.

“What do you want now?” she asked him, her tone of voice as unfriendly as she could make it. Never mind the fact that her eyes immediately swept across his body before straying to his strong features, landing on his mouth and sticking there.

“I thought perhaps you would like to accompany me to the wildlife sanctuary at the back of this property.”

“Wildlife Sanctuary?” she questioned, somehow the concept not fitting with her perception of the man in front of her.

“Yes.
Second Chance Preserve
is a sanctuary that gives refuge and assistance to injured or endangered species.”

“Like a zoo?” Carolyn questioned him.

“Not quite. This is a private facility and not open to the public at this time.”

Carolyn listened to him talk about the animals currently residing there and the more he talked, the more she got a glimpse of a Mahil she’d yet to meet. He had a softer, more caring side that up until now she hadn’t realized existed.

“How far is it? I can’t seem to find my clothes,” she told him, hoping he would take the open invitation to return her normal clothing to her.

“I will have clothing and shoes brought to you. So you will come with me?” he asked, eager to share this part of him with her.

Carolyn nodded her head, thinking that if nothing else, this little fieldtrip might provide her with the means of escaping his control. “Sure. I don’t think I have anything else pressing on my schedule this afternoon,” she replied, narrowing her eyes. 

She knew she sounded petty, but then again, he’d brought her here and he could damn well deal with her tantrum!

Mahil didn’t respond to her whining, but opened the door and issued a series of instructions in his own language to whomever was standing in the hallway. Within a few minutes, he was back, a pile of clothing and shoes in his hands.

“Get dressed and then meet me downstairs. I will wait for you outside.” He handed her the clothing and then gave her a slight bow, “Be quick.”

Carolyn wanted to respond back, but he was gone and the door was once again closed. She set the pile of clothing down on the bed and growled. He’d had the traditional long dress worn by the women of his country brought to her. The leather sandals were acceptable, but after pulling on the dress, she felt like she was suffocating. It covered her from neck to ankle, and the heavy fabric was stiflingly hot.

She figured he’d had such items brought to her because that was how women were expected to dress while in public in Al-Sarid, but Carolyn was feeling very volatile and not at all in the mood to placate his wishes.

She headed to the bathroom and retrieved the hair scissors she’d spied earlier in the back of the vanity drawer. They weren’t really up to the task of cutting through the thick fabric, so she used them to snip the seams loose at the shoulders, turning the garment into a sleeveless one.

Next, she slid the garment over her head and gathered a pinch of fabric just above her knees. She cut a small slit in the fabric and then proceeded to tear the bottom half of the dress off! It took her almost fifteen minutes to alter the dress, but the result when she was finished was much cooler, and in her opinion, infinitely more to her liking.

She gave her hair a quick brush, refusing to pin it up as the other women she’d met did. She instead left it down, flowing over her shoulders in soft curls. She’d found a small supply of cosmetics in the bathroom drawers, but she eschewed using them as her complexion was flawless and her recent interactions with Mahil had left behind a healthy blush in her cheeks.

She headed down the stairs, ignoring the maids gasps when they saw how she was attired.
Get used to it! I didn’t ask to be here and I’m not going to cover up my body to protect some man’s misplaced sense of modesty.

She opened the front door and stepped out, shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sun, and missing the look of anger that crossed Mahil’s face when he took in her appearance. “Was there a problem with the clothing I provided you?” he asked through clenched teeth.

Carolyn met his gaze and shook her head, “Not at all. As you can see, I was able to make do.” She held his angry gaze, hoping he would lose his control so that she would have another reason to hate him. But he merely closed his eyes for a brief moment and then turned towards the driveway. “Shall we? “

Carolyn looked at the camel waiting for them in a kneeling position and immediately wanted to return to her bedroom. The animal was huge, and seeing that there was only one in attendance, she figured Mahil expected to ride with her.

There was a dual seat saddle on the animal, and a brightly garbed trainer held the reins of the massive beast as it continued to chew slowly on something.

“We’re riding a camel?” she asked, her voice going up slightly in pitch.

“What else? We are in the desert. Come, I will have you sit in front of me.”

Carolyn walked slowly towards the animal, steering clear of its mouth and feeling almost relieved when she felt Mahil’s hand on the low of her back. With his assistance, she climbed into the saddle and seated herself, all the while expecting the animal to give some indication that it didn’t like her.

Mahil climbed onto the back of the saddle and then spoke to the trainer briefly, before he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Hold on. Up we go.”

The trainer tapped the camel with a stick and the massive beast slowly got to its feet. Carolyn was grateful for Mahil’s strong arm around her waist as the animal rocked back and forth, finally coming to a standstill and putting her six feet into the air.

“I don’t know that this is such a good idea,” she murmured to him, as she was suddenly rocked back against his chest. She could feel the hairs on her arms rise as she brushed against him. Suddenly regretting her petulance, she wished that the dress had more fabric to serve as a barrier between them as she sat stiffly in front of him.

Mahi smiled and squeezed her waist, “It will be fine.” He said something to the trainer and received the reins. He issued another command in Arabic and the animal began its long legged-stride down the driveway.

Carolyn held on for dear life, only relaxing and beginning to enjoy the experience after another ten minutes had passed.

“How far is this preserve?” she asked.

“Not too much farther now. Sit back and relax.”

Carolyn tried to do so, but sitting back meant leaning against Mahil’s chest, and the memory of their recent kiss came rushing to the surface. Instead, she sat with her back straight, trying in vain to steady herself so she didn’t bump into him but each brush against him only intensified how she felt. The slight breeze that tickled her bare legs did nothing to calm her increasingly frayed nerves.

By the time they reached the Second Chance Preserve, she was a bundle of unfulfilled sexual energy and in desperate need of putting some distance between the two of them.

Carolyn slid off the back of the kneeling camel, grateful for the hand that Mahil kept on her arm as her legs reacquainted themselves with solid ground. The swaying motion of the camel had made her slightly motion sick, and it was several moments of deep breathing before she finally felt like herself again.

“Sheik Mahil!” an exuberant, high-pitched voice called out.

Carolyn turned to see a vivacious redhead almost running towards them, her bright smile meant for Mahil and him alone.

“Teri, I’d like to introduce you to my American friend, Carolyn Michaels.”

“Carolyn, this is Teri, a research student studying birds of prey here at the Sanctuary.”

Carolyn watched, as the young woman quickly looked her up and down, before making a small face at her clothing. She saw Mahil watching her and briefly nodded in Carolyn’s direction, “Hi.” She immediately turned her smile back to Mahil, reaching out to touch his forearm as she went on and on about their newest animals.

“I’m pleased to see that you’re fitting in here. I have a meeting in a few moments, but I was hoping to give Carolyn a quick tour of the facility. Would you care to join us?”

Carolyn wished the young woman would tell him she had other responsibilities, but she was not so lucky. Teri situated herself on Mahil’s far side, hanging onto his forearm and taking every opportunity to lean up against him as they walked

She was dressed in the traditional long dress, but a small leather belt around her waist made it appear much more feminine and accentuated her lush curves hidden beneath the heavy fabric. Carolyn felt an immediate surge of jealousy as they continued their tour of the facility.

She tried to blame her surge in emotions on her lack of sleep, as she wasn’t prepared to face what they could mean. Mahil had been quick to point out her traitorous body’s response to him, which she had simply attributed to her kidnapping.

They started in the birdhouse and Carolyn was astonished to see an eagle up close. The majestic creature had come to the preserve with a broken wing, which had been splinted and now was almost as good as new.

“So, what will happen to the eagle when the bandage finally comes off?” Carolyn asked.

Teri glanced at her, “She’ll be released back into the wild of course. To keep such a majestic creature captive would be a crime. Don’t you think Sheik…”

“Mahil. Just Mahil, Teri. And yes, I do think she will be much happier back in her natural habitat.”

“She?” Carolyn inquired, trying to ignore the irritation that was building where Teri was concerned.

“She.” Mahil glanced at his wristwatch and then made a face, “Come along. I want to check on Sheba and then I need to attend this meeting.”

“Who is Sheba?” Carolyn asked as Mahil led both women out of the birdhouse and towards a row of metal cages.

“Sheba is a spotted leopard that came to us when she was but four months old.” Carolyn immediately spotted the cat, who had heard their approach and was now happily pacing from one side of her cage to another.

She watched in awe as Mahil spoke to the cat and then reached his hand inside the cage to scratch her ears. The leopard rolled over onto her back, nuzzling his hand as he scratched beneath her chin and her belly.

Mahil glanced back at her and urged her forward, “Come here and pet her. I promise she won’t hurt you.”

Carolyn took a step forward, but Teri shoved her way past and quickly slipped in next to Mahil, “I’ve been wanting to pet her since I got here. I can’t believe she’s so tame.”

Mahil smiled down at the assistant and then stepped back, motioning for Carolyn to take his place. “Come on, Cara. Come pet her.”

Cara?
That was a new nickname even for her, but coming from Mahil, she found she liked the sound of it. She stepped in front of him, but Teri was insistent on keeping Mahil’s attention solely on her. Carolyn slipped her hand inside the cage and petted the animal’s soft fur, but she quickly pulled her hand back when the cat surged to her feet and began pacing the cage once again.

“Isn’t that sweet? She knows you weren’t petting her any longer. Too bad. I would have loved to have petted her for a bit more.” Teri gave Carolyn a smug grin and then directed Mahil’s attention to several other problems the young woman seemed to be having with some of the newest animals.

Carolyn found herself following behind them down the stone path that led back to the administration building, listening and watching as the young research student flirted with Mahil without a conscience.

She was taken aback by the level of jealousy she was feeling. She was attracted to Mahil, but it was only a sexual response. Her emotions weren’t engaged, so why was she feeling jealous?

She’d long ago decided that now was not the time for relationships and she certainly wasn’t going to tumble into one with her captor. No, Teri was welcome to him. If she wanted to be with someone, there was any number of men back home, and just as soon as she could convince Mahil to fly her there, she’d do just that!

                                                                                    *****

Mahil listened to his newest research student continue to talk about everything and anything she thought might keep his attention focused on her, all the while wishing Carolyn would assert herself and tell the young woman to back off.

As they reached the administration building, Ahmed intercepted them, “Sir, your meeting has been postponed. It seems a sandstorm has shut down the capitol city. They’ve asked to re-schedule it for next week.”

Mahil was happy and smiled, “That will be fine.”

“Does that mean we can tour the rest of the facility together?” Teri asked enthusiastically.

Mahil had spent more than enough time in her chattering presence and nodded towards Ahmed, “Why don’t you show Ahmed around? I’m sure he’d love to meet the newest arrivals.”

Teri looked like she wanted to argue, but seeing the firm set to Mahil’s mouth; she nodded her head and then turned a dazzling smile upon Ahmed, “Let’s go see Sheba first.”

“Do not attempt to pet her without me there. The last person who did that required sixteen stitches in their hand and forearm.” Mahil made sure Ahmed got the message and then turned his attention to Carolyn.

“Would you like to see more, or visit the gift shop?”

Carolyn looked at the building and then answered him, “Gift shop, but if this place is not open to the public, why have a gift shop?”

“We open the sanctuary up to school groups and research teams from around the world. The gift shop serves as a focused form of advertising for what we do here. Especially when they buy something with our logo on it.”

“I see,” she murmured, stepping inside as he held the door open for her.

She stopped and he could tell she was immediately pleased with how organized and happy the atmosphere seemed. She was drawn to a display showing necklaces and bracelets. “These are lovely.”

Mahil nodded, “They are made by the locals.” He reached out, selected a necklace with green beads, and secured it around her neck, “Beautiful.”

Carolyn touched the necklace, looking into the small mirror and loving how it looked lying against her skin, but then she remembered she didn’t even have her purse here with her. She reached to remove the necklace, saddened that she would be unable to buy the trinket to remember her time here in Al-Sarid.

Mahil captured her hands, bringing them down between them, “Why are you taking it off?”

“It’s lovely, it really is. But I can’t buy it.”

“I haven’t asked you to. The necklace is for you,
habibti.
A present from me to you.”

Carolyn shook her head, “I can’t accept it.”

“You can and you will, Cara. Because I wish it.”

Carolyn capitulated and found herself being led out the side door of the small gift shop, “Where are we going now?”

“A different route back to the palace.”

“Palace? You call the place you live a palace?” She’d seen the luxury inside, but she’d only spent a few moments looking at the outside. “Exactly what is a Sheik?”

Mahil took her arm and led her towards a stone staircase that led up into the foliage, “I am Sheik of this region. It is similar to a ruler – or a mayor. Except that, I have ultimate final say. Over everything.”

Carolyn didn’t tell him how egotistical that made him sound, too astounded by how much power he actually had here in Al-Sarid.

She let him lead her up the stairs, glad when they finally reached a small area that was mostly horizontal. A variety of wildlife including birds and monkeys lived in the trees of the jungle area they were walking through, but even though there were no cages, none of the animals attempted to do them harm.
It’s as if they know they are in a safe place.

Carolyn followed him, and thirty minutes later found herself descending the final staircase that stopped at the far side of the palace. “Here we are, back where we started from.”

Carolyn smiled and told him, “I’m glad we didn’t have to get back on that camel. Honestly, I can’t believe how sore I am after that walk.”

Mahil looked at her and then slowly smiled, “Come with me. I know just the thing.”