Beauty and the Sheikh(25)

“Rafiq.” Her nails dragged down his back as she once again called his name.

And then the ability to speak at all faded as he moved harder inside her. Their moans of pleasure were as intertwined as their bodies.

Her pleasure crested again, sending her tumbling into ecstasy. Rafiq joined her a moment later with a hoarse cry, burying deepest in her yet.

Seconds passed before he collapsed onto her. With his heavy, muscled body pressing hers into the mattress, Holly traced her fingers over his spine and made no attempt to stop the tears of happiness.



Rafiq struggled to the surface of his pleasure, trying to find some semblance of normalcy. Their lovemaking had been equivalent to a bomb going off inside him, leaving his emotions and his body shaking with exhaustion.

He slowly lifted himself off of Holly and glanced down to see tears drying on her cheeks. “Are you all right, habiba?”

“I’m fine, I promise.” She reached up and pushed a damp strand of hair off his forehead.

The tears were an obvious indication their intimacy had been as powerful for her as him. A surprising wave of tenderness swept through him and he lowered his head to brush a kiss over one lone tear that hadn’t dried.

Her soft sigh feathered warm against his face and everything Rafiq fought against ceased to matter. For the moment, at least.

He moved completely off her and then settled Holly into his arms. She came willingly, snuggling against him and pressing a kiss against his chest.

“I’m glad you were my first, Rafiq.”

Her words should have thrilled him, but he couldn’t help but focus on one word. First.

The moment soured a bit. He didn’t want to be her first lover; he wanted to be her only one. Which was an enormous problem.

When he didn’t immediately reply, he felt the tension invade her body.

Say something.

“I am honored you let me be.” He winced, knowing the reply sounded strained. Trite, even.

But then, what response would have been suitable short of a declaration of love?

A wash of cold slid through him. No. Never love. Loving someone was far too dangerous, and he needed to remember that. Do whatever it took to remember.

“When do we fly back to Raljahar?”

Her change of topic was a welcome relief, though he sensed his tempered response was part of her reason for doing so. “The flight is scheduled in the morning.”

“So soon? But you’ve hardly had time to enjoy Monaco. You didn’t even visit the beach.”

“I rarely do.”

“You work too hard,” she chided softly. Her fingers teased over the hair on his chest. “We’ll have to see about making sure you have more fun.”

His body stirred. “And I look forward to it, habiba.”

He caught her chin with one finger and lifted her head. She met his kiss eagerly, her soft fingers curling around his shoulders. When she made a soft moan, he realized the passion still burned in her as well.

Not breaking the kiss, Rafiq cupped her bottom and rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him.

What did it matter if they had an early flight? Sleep could be had on the plane.



The next day, however, came the reminder that Holly would never be at ease enough to sleep on a flight.

Rafiq watched her as they took off, her face pale and hands trembling, and he cursed quietly. As with the flight over here, he held her hand again and didn’t protest as her delicate fingers nearly squeezed the blood from his.

Frustrated he couldn’t do more to ease her fear, he let out a sigh of relief when they reached cruising altitude.

He unfastened his seatbelt and stood. Within seconds he had her unbelted and lifted into his arms. She gasped, her eyes squinting closed.

“Oh, please, what are you doing, Rafiq? I don’t want to move—”

“You will be safe, Holly. Trust me.” He strode through the open cabin to a small private room near the back.

The door closed behind him with a small kick of his foot, and then he moved to the bed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Her words were pinched. “Not even for you will I join the mile-high club.”

Amusement pricked through his frustration, and his mouth twitched into a smile. “It is not my intent to seduce you but to help you relax.”

“I can’t relax. Not while we’re in the air.” She looked terrified and unsuccessfully defiant as she sat trembling in the middle of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them.

His heart softened and sympathy swelled in his chest. He would do anything to ease her fear.

“What if I put on a movie—”

“It won’t help.”

Perhaps not, but he wasn’t through trying. Rafiq didn’t respond, reaching for a remote on the bedside desk. With a few clicks of the buttons, soft classical music began to fill the room. He set the remote back down on the table and walked back toward her. Pillows and blankets in dark burgundy and purple covered the bed. He’d had this room designed with the intent of giving him the comfort and luxury of home, because all too often he spent hours of his life in this plane.

Rafiq set a few of the pillows to the end of the bed and sat down next to her. He made sure his back was propped up against the headboard before sliding an arm around Holly’s tiny waist.

She didn’t protest, but her muscles tensed as he moved her against him.

“I know you are afraid, habiba. But I promise you—swear to you—nothing will happen.”

Holly didn’t reply but her head burrowed against him, and her arms slid around him.

There was a slight tap on the door. Rafiq called out in Arabic for the flight attendant to enter. The woman came into the room, her head lowered as she set the tray he’d requested before take off on the bedside table. And then she was gone as quickly as she’d come.

“You do not have to drink it, but I have requested a bit of brandy for you. It may help you relax.”

When she didn’t reply negatively, or at all, he took that as an indication she might be willing to try.

With his free arm, he reached for the short glass and brought it to her lips.

She hesitated only a moment before taking a small sip. And then another, wincing and coughing as she swallowed. “This is why I don’t drink this stuff,” she rasped. “My God, my throat is on fire.”

He smiled and took the nearly empty glass from her, setting it back on the table. Rafiq smoothed his hand down her back and remained silent. Waited and hoped his comforting touch, the music, and the bit of brandy would help her relax.

And she did. He felt the muscles ease from their rigid coils, the warmth of her sigh against his neck.

“I’ve never trusted anyone enough before,” she said softly. “Enough to have a drink in flight. Not with what happened.”

But she trusted him. His chest swelled and he closed his eyes, not ceasing in the gentle, comforting strokes down her back.

“Thank you, Rafiq. I won’t lie and say the fear is gone, but this is helping.”

“My father was the same way.”

“What do you mean?”

Rafiq hesitated. He hadn’t meant to make such a confession. He rarely spoke of his parents nowadays unless the subject was unavoidable. “My father despised flying. It literally made him sick to his stomach. He couldn’t get on a plane without at least two shots of Scotch.”

“Really? You wouldn’t lie to make me feel better?”

Rafiq grimaced. “If I was going to lie, habiba, I’m sure I could be quite a bit more creative.”

She lifted her head and her brows were furrowed in that adorable way. And her eyes, thankfully, were lacking most of the fear now.

Talking was a distraction as well, it seemed.

“What happened to your parents that day, Rafiq?”

This time it was his turn to have tension invade his muscles. He never discussed what had happened. Not with anyone. Darkness curled inside him, coiling through his blood and gripping his heart. He had the urge to run or retreat from this conversation.

But Holly needed him right now, and he wouldn’t abandon her. Not physically or emotionally.

Almost as if it were another person speaking, Rafiq heard himself answer, “My parents were killed in the same assassination attempt that nearly took my life.” He paused. “And the man responsible for the attack was my uncle.”





Chapter 14



Shock ripped through Holly, her heart twisting with the horrific words. Rafiq’s uncle had attempted to kill him? Had killed his own brother and sister-in-law?

“But why? Oh God, why would he do something so horrible?” Her voice broke and she tightened her grip on his robes.

“Because he wanted the Sheikhdom, and my father and I were the only people standing in his way.”

Holly struggled to swallow as emotion gathered thick in her throat. Even without looking at him, she could bring to mind the thick scar that ran across his face and down his neck. The horror of it all had her stomach churning with bile.