Beauty and the Sheikh(31)

“You swore I wasn’t a prisoner.”

“And you have never been treated as one, but your safety is my concern and I must be kept apprised of your whereabouts.”

“This is ridiculous.” Her hands balled into fists, as if she were trying to restrain herself. “I was never in any danger.”

“That has yet to be established.”

“You can’t punish him for what I’ve done.”

Rafiq sighed. He really didn’t want to have this conversation with her. There were lines his employees didn’t cross, and the man guarding Holly had crossed a big one. “He broke my trust, Holly. He must be dealt with.”

“Dealt with? Do you even know his name, Rafiq?”

His brows drew together as he stared at her growing agitation. “I can’t remember it at the moment, but does it matter?”

“Yes! His name is Mahdi. He has a wife and children. If you fire him—”

“Do not begin to tell me how to run my country.” Finished with this conversation, his tone held enough icy warning to make her draw back against the seat.

But it didn’t keep her silent. “Somehow, these past few weeks I’d thought you’d changed, Rafiq.”

“You should be careful with your presumptions.” He flashed her a hard smile. “I demand a certain level of accountability from my employees, Holly. Even more so from my lovers.”

She shook her head slowly as her lips compressed.

The limo arrived back at the palace and she was out the door before he could move. He followed her into the palace, but her brisk pace clearly indicated she wanted nothing more to do with him or this conversation.

What did she expect, though? She’d put her safety at risk. Surely she could understand why he would be upset now?

Rafiq strode through the palace after her, ignoring the startled glances of his staff as they retreated back into the shadows. His hands curled into fists as he bit back a growl of frustration.

Once in the room, he slammed the door behind him. “Don’t walk away from me.”

She ignored him and quickened her stride toward the bathroom, but he beat her there, catching her arm and swinging her back around.

“Holly—”

“I thought you would be happy I was learning your language.” There were tears in her eyes as she thumped his chest with her fist. “I thought you’d changed. I have no idea who you are right now.”

His heart twisted and all his anger fled. “You know who I am, habiba.”

“You’re not the man I fell in love with,” she choked out.

The silence that fell over the room was so sudden and thick—only broken by the furious pounding of Rafiq’s heart.

Holly’s words seemed to resound in the room. Spreading joy and a sharp, poignant fear.

She loved him.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” she whispered, lifting her hands to her mouth. “I don’t know why I said that.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Rafiq pulled her to him, his hands not quite steady, and lowered his mouth just above hers. “Please, habiba, don’t regret those words.”

He claimed her mouth before she could reply, and Holly let out a soft moan as she clung to him.

Needing her more than ever before, Rafiq led her to the bed. “I should have trusted you, Holly.”

Her lashes fluttered down, once again hiding the pain there. “Yes, you should have.”

“I’m so sorry. I think I wanted a reason to believe you weren’t so damn perfect, a reason to push you away.” His voice grew hoarse. “But I can’t. I need you. I need you so much.”

She didn’t reply but reached for him, pulling him down to her again. He took his time undressing her, lingering on every inch of flesh he exposed.

Rafiq couldn’t be rushed in making love to her. He teased her breasts, molding them in his hands before taking the pink tips in his mouth. Holly writhed beneath him, her pleas for more encouraging him to seek the slick folds of her sex with his fingers.

Rafiq brought her to the edge, not rushing his slow, deliberate strokes that ultimately brought her pleasure.

Finally he eased into her, taking her. Joining her. And even then there was an urgency, almost desperation to their lovemaking.

Only afterward, when she lay curled in his arms so vulnerable and sweet, did all the fears her declaration brought out rise once more. And this time, there would be no distracting him from their unsettling grip.



The dinner party was a blur of introductions and conversation. Holly knew she had a silly smile on her face, and she really couldn’t bring herself to care. She was still floating from Rafiq’s confession that he needed her and then the tender way he’d made love to her after.

With her spirits raised and her constant smile, she felt more beautiful in the gown she wore tonight than any exclusive dress she’d ever modeled. Not that this gown wasn’t expensive, but its quality and simplicity made her feel like a princess.

It was a cross between western and eastern attire. Layers of aqua chiffon did not hide her figure but revealed very little skin. It was the perfect fit for tonight’s dinner.

Her attempts at speaking Arabic had been greeted with enthusiasm and respect. If anything, it had made Rafiq’s friends and associates warm to her even more.

Throughout the dinner Rafiq would glance her way, and the smoldering intensity in his eyes would send a flush from her ears to her toes.

She’d told him she loved him tonight, and he hadn’t running screaming from the room. No, instead he’d made love to her so painstakingly slow and thoroughly she couldn’t quite convince herself this time that he didn’t care.

Rafiq did care. It showed in everything he did. The way he watched her, made love to her, held her at night. And it also made sense why he’d come down so harshly on Mahdi—who he’d ultimately promised her would not lose his position.

“If you’ll excuse me.” Holly stood from the table and strode from the exquisite dining hall to retrieve a shawl from Rafiq’s room. The air conditioning had kicked in, sending a chill through her.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

The accented voice, spoken in English, and snide words brought Holly to a halt.

She turned to find a petite woman approaching with a look dripping with disdain.

Wariness slid through her. This likely would not be a pleasant conversation. She recognized the other woman as one of the wives who’d been placed near the end of the table and struggled to remember her name.

Ah, yes. “Thank you, Mrs. Albujar, I am. And are you enjoying the dinner?”

“It would be better if certain people were not in attendance.” The other woman slid a disapproving glance over her. “So, I finally have the opportunity to meet the Sheikh’s newest mistress.”

Holly flinched at the word, but kept a smile on her face. “I find the word ‘mistress’ entirely outdated.”

“Hmm. Perhaps you’re right. Maybe you would find the term ‘whore’ more suited?”

The breath ripped from her throat at the blatant, vicious verbal assault, but the other woman wasn’t finished.

“You know, in my culture it is custom for a woman to remain pure. So that her husband will enjoy a virgin on their wedding night.”

Holly felt the heat stealing into her cheeks. The guards in the hallway must have been able to hear the conversation, though they showed no indication they listened. It would’ve been so easy to inform the woman she’d been a virgin until Rafiq, but that would only bring humiliation upon herself.

And the woman was right, in a manner. She’d been Rafiq’s virgin mistress, but would never be his virgin wife.

“You do realize Rafiq can never marry a westerner such as yourself,” Mrs. Albujar mocked. “Quite soon, I imagine, he will settle with my daughter, Nuha. Perhaps you saw her in Monaco, speaking with the Sheikh?”

The memory of Rafiq speaking to the young Arabic woman in Monaco flitted through her head, making her stomach clench.

“Did he buy you that diamond necklace?” the woman continued. “It will be a nice souvenir when you leave.”

It took everything within her not to reach up and touch the large diamond Rafiq had placed around her neck before the dinner.

Oh God, she was going to be sick. “I must go,” she whispered, and tried to step around Mrs. Albujar.

When the woman made to block her, one of the guards stepped in.

“Allow Miss Winchester to pass.”

Grateful for the intervention, Holly darted down the hall to Rafiq’s room and then closed the door behind her. Tears burned her eyes as she drew in a ragged breath, crossing to the lush settee in the middle of the room to sink down onto it.

Before that horrid woman had come along, tonight had been almost magical. Now she felt like a cheap imposter playing dress up.