Maggie Cox – The Sheikh Who Married Her: One Desert Night / Strangers in the Desert / Desert Doctor, Secret Sheikh (страница 11)

Hearts pounded a lot in romance novels, and now Gina knew why. She released the painful breath she’d been holding and nervously smoothed her hand down the side of her dress. ‘In my search to establish the truth about an artefact I would hardly ignore anything that came up time and time again in the research—however unimportant or inconvenient a client regards it to be. My father taught me to fearlessly examine everything.’ She unconsciously jutted her chin.

The man in front of her sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead. ‘Your father?’

‘He’s a professor of antiquities and ancient history back home.’

‘Ah, yes … The man you deemed more important than coming back to me.’

‘He’s my only remaining family,’ Gina said miserably. ‘He needed my support.’

Zahir’s hot temper dissipated as abruptly as sometimes a sandstorm in the desert came to an end. How was a man with healthy red blood coursing through his veins supposed to ignore the tempting vision before him and resist? Especially when the vision was all glittering blue eyes, flushed cheeks and quivering coral-glazed lips—the lower slightly fuller than the upper, and so divinely shaped that they would drive a sane man mad?

‘When it comes to his work he’s very diligent and—and …’ the big blue eyes were staring at him as though transfixed’ … thorough. He doesn’t leave any stone unturned.’

The space between them seemed to thrum with electricity.

‘Is that so?’ Zahir responded softly.

Before Gina had a chance to answer him, his mouth claimed hers. His possession was clumsy and rough at first, because of his desperation to taste her again, but then he pulled her to him, and her slim body sagged against his, so that he felt every undulating curve and dip, and he kissed her more slowly and seductively. Kissed her and sampled her intoxicatingly addictive flavours until the heat in his blood consumed him like an inferno—until he wished he had the power to make the rest of the world go away, simply to forget about affairs of state, and the threatening insurgence in a local mountain region that would command the rest of his day, and take her to bed. And when he got her in his bed he would ravish and pleasure her until she was quivering in his hands … until she wept and swore she wanted only him—that any other man she had ever known since they met was erased from her mind and heart for ever.

His hands were in her hair, his fingers massaging her scalp, when he finally raised his head to look down at her. Aware that he was breathing hard, he smiled unabashed. ‘You taste even more delectable than I remember. I had not foreseen the end of our meeting finishing like this, Gina, but I suppose after what happened between us the first time we met it was inevitable.’

She tried to prise herself free from his arms, but Zahir was having none of it. Right then he didn’t even care if Jamal or one of the other servants walked in and saw him. They had sworn their fealty to him at his coronation, and no tittle-tattle would leave the palace—he was certain of that.

‘Let me go, please! We can’t—we shouldn’t—’

‘There is nothing to fear. There will be no stain of dishonour on you should we be seen together, Gina. This is my palace, remember? I am the law-maker in this kingdom.’

‘I’m not worried about what anyone else thinks if they see us together, but I am concerned about how I conduct myself while I’m here. I came here for professional purposes only, to present the results of my research. I’m not here as a personal friend of yours. I’m also here with a colleague.’

‘You are concerned about what the diminutive Dr Rivers with his tasteless loud shirts thinks?’

‘He may not have your stature or standing, or indeed your dress sense, Zahir, but he is a good man—a man who might be hurt if he finds out I knew you from before and didn’t tell him.’

He muttered a well-used Kabuyadir curse and released her abruptly. ‘Why should he be hurt?’ he demanded, his heart hammering wildly inside his chest. ‘Are you telling me that you two are having an affair?’

Gina appeared slightly dazed by the question. ‘Me and Jake.? No, of course not!’

‘Then why should you care what he thinks?’

‘Out of respect—nothing more.’

Owning to feeling thoroughly dissatisfied with her answer, Zahir gave her a distinctly cool glance before turning away and striding across to the large desk. Pulling open a hidden drawer, he retrieved a small ornate knife with a high-polished blade that was pointed at the end. He slid it into the previously empty leather sheath on his belt and once more swung round to face her.

‘I have to go out, so our business is at an end for now.’

‘Where are you going? And why do you need that weapon?’

‘There’s a band of lawless rebels in the mountains who have been visiting local villages at night and causing trouble. They have received warnings from my council before, but still they continue to make a nuisance of themselves. Now I need to go and address them personally.’

Gina walked towards him a few steps, her expression alarmed. ‘Isn’t that dangerous? You’re not going there alone?’

Liking the feeling that she cared about whether or not he might get hurt, Zahir allowed himself a lazy smile. ‘I am not Zorro, Gina. I will of course be accompanied by a small detachment of trained soldiers.’

‘But still …’ She twisted her hands in front of the gold and yellow kaftan that so fluidly fell to her feet, caressing her shapely but svelte body underneath on its way. ‘Please be careful.’

‘I have too much at stake here to take unnecessary risks … My beloved sister, for one.’ Aware that he sounded aloof and distant, and that he’d made a point of telling Gina it was his sister he cared most about in the world above anyone else, Zahir knew he was feeling anything but aloof towards the lovely woman who stood in front of him. Whenever he was near her molten heat seemed to beat an urgent path to his loins, and now was no exception.

‘Of course.’ She dipped her head.

‘Later, when I return,’ he continued, ‘there is another matter that I would very much like to discuss with you. Even if it is late you should make yourself available. Do you understand?’

The prettily shaped chin that he could cup in one hand if he had a mind to jutted forward in surprise. The big blue eyes sparkled defiantly. ‘Is that some sort of royal command?’

Her rebellious stance stunned Zahir. It also aroused him. His hands itched to touch her, sweep her high into his arms and carry her to his private apartments to do with as he willed. Knowing he could not, because even now his detachment of soldiers awaited him in the courtyard, he promised himself that he would teach her the most exquisite lesson later.

‘Yes,’ he bellowed, then swept past her to the twin doors, ‘it is!’

Feeling on edge and restless, knowing that Zahir might possibly be in danger and that there was nothing she could do about it, Gina made a poor effort at eating lunch that day. At this rate she’d return home to England looking like a bag of bones! But how was she supposed to eat when fear that she might never see him again all but made her crazy?

That incendiary kiss they’d shared earlier had irrevocably reminded her why he was the only man in the world she could ever love. The warm pressure of his mouth and the hot silken tongue that had passionately invaded her had left an indelible tingling imprint, and she longed to experience more of the same.

She decided to try to distract her mind by asking Jamal if she could explore the palace grounds a little on her own. He immediately offered to escort her, as he had done Jake earlier, but she persisted in her request to go unaccompanied. With obvious reluctance in his expressive amber eyes, he agreed.

There were several paved paths—some extravagantly shaded—meandering into the lush gardens. Birdsong abounded. Various enchanting scents hung in the air. Gina detected jasmine, orange blossom and heliotrope amongst others. Everywhere she glanced there were ornate fountains and stately stone statues—presumably of ancestors of the illustrious Kazeem Khan family? If her mind hadn’t been so distracted with worry about Zahir, and if she’d known for certain that he was safe, Gina might have allowed herself to investigate the statues further, indulge her love of history and genealogy together and truly revel in the discoveries she made. But under the circumstances, that was easier said than done.

She was almost level with the slight, black-robed veiled figure sitting on a bench before she realised she should probably retrace her steps in case she was intruding on someone’s peaceful contemplation. It was a woman—a young, elfin-faced woman—with the prettiest brown eyes and yet perhaps the saddest expression Gina had ever seen.

‘Who are you?’ the woman asked, first in her own language and then, when Gina didn’t immediately respond, in English.

‘I’m so sorry if I disturbed you. I’m Dr Gina Collins, and I’m here to help make an inventory of the palace artefacts for His Highness.’ She bit her lip after this announcement, feeling more than just slightly guilty as she did as directed and supplied her alleged reason for being there.