Bella and the Merciless Sheikh (8 page)

He gave an impatient sigh. ‘You need to stop thinking about the way you look and learn humility. And obedience. I told you not to sit there and watch. Don't challenge me,
habibiti
, because you will
not
win.'

‘Oh, dear, am I annoying you?' She forced the taunt past dry, stiff lips and saw the flare of anger in the depths of his gaze.

‘Yes,' he gritted, his hand tightening around her wrist, ‘but my response to that will not be to send you away, but to keep you closer. Remember that, before you push me too far, Kate.'

Kate? Who on earth was Kate? Bella opened her mouth to tell him that he ought to at least get her name right and then remembered that
she
was the one who had introduced herself as Kate.

Out here in the burning sands of the desert, Bella Balfour didn't exist.

What a confusing mess she'd created, although there
was
something liberating about being anonymous. It would be even better if she could be anonymous somewhere with decent facilities.

‘Why would you keep me closer if I'm annoying?'

His smile was lethal. ‘Because I intend to teach you how to behave. You need to learn respect.'

‘What are you going to do? Throw me over your knee?' Bella's tone was sassy but her heart was thudding. ‘This is the twenty-first century.'

‘You are in the desert. Here, time has stood still. And since you are so determined to watch me in the water, you can join me.' Without warning, he swept her off her feet and dropped her into the water.

Unprepared, Bella sank under the surface, the water closing over her head. For a moment everything was muted and she kicked frantically, swallowed several mouthfuls before she surfaced, coughing, only to find him in the pool next to her. Sweeping her sodden hair away from her face, she took a gulp of air.

‘Are you trying to drown me?' She coughed again and thumped her chest with her hand, trying to clear the water from her lungs. ‘Why did you do that?'

‘I thought you needed cooling down.' A sardonic smile on his face, he swam away from her, leaving Bella staring after him.

Filling her lungs with air, she ducked under the water and followed him across the pool, making sure she was deep enough not to create a ripple on the surface.

Where was he?

She peered through the murky grey-green water, wishing she had swimming goggles, and then saw a pair of strong male legs directly in front of her.

Smiling, Bella silently ducked to the bottom of the pool, intending to grab his foot and unbalance him, but a large hand caught her shoulder and hauled her to the surface.

‘You can swim.'

‘Were you hoping I'd drown?' Grumpy that he'd seen her, Bella fought to catch her breath. ‘How did you know I was there?'

‘Because your behaviour is extremely predictable. It's designed to cause maximum irritation.'

‘You think I'm predictable?'

‘Kate, you do whatever you can to be as annoying as pos
sible. Are you afraid of wildlife? Because there is plenty in this pool.'

‘Is that what women do around you? Squeal and come over all girly? I hate to remove the opportunity for you to play macho man, but I can lift spiders from the bath without help.' Bella twisted her hair into a rope, wringing out the water. ‘If you want a screaming maiden, you're looking at the wrong woman. I tell you what—I'll race you across the pool. If I win, you take me back to the city.'

His eyes darkened. ‘I will
not
race a woman.'

‘Why? Because you might lose? Don't worry, Your Highness. I promise not to tell anyone when I beat you.'

He stared at her in incredulous silence and then he shook his head and started to laugh. Trans fixed by the change in him, Bella's own smile faded.

Moody, he was incredibly handsome but when he smiled… Oh, no, no, no—

Her limbs felt weak and suddenly she was thinking about that kiss.

About his wickedly clever mouth…

This is
not
good, Bella thought uneasily, trying to ignore the heat spreading through her body. Finding a total chauvinist so shockingly attractive was incredibly embarrassing. Not something you'd ever admit in public. Still, at least no one she knew was around to see her temporary lapse in taste and judgement.

Watching her, he lifted an eyebrow. ‘Now what? No smart remark?'

Arrogance just wasn't attractive, Bella told her self firmly. ‘I'm just psyching myself up to beat you. I hope you're a good loser.'

‘I wouldn't know.' A sardonic smile touched his beautiful mouth. ‘I've never lost.'

Bella gritted her teeth. ‘Everyone lets you win because you're the Sheikh—
ob
viously.'

‘You think so?'

‘If you're not afraid to be beaten, then you'd let me race you.'

‘What would be the point? You cannot possibly win such a race,
habibiti
.'

Bella put her hands on her hips, her irritation increasing by the minute. ‘Watch me! Watch me as I disappear into the distance, Your Highness. You can't possibly swim that fast because you're hauling the weight of your ego—'

He was still laughing, as if the mere thought of being beaten had genuinely entertained him. ‘You are the most aggravating female I've ever met. And you really do need to learn to show respect.'

‘Respect should be earned.'

‘I agree. So when I win, this ends.' His smile faded and his tone was suddenly hard. ‘You will stop annoying me on purpose in the hope that I will return you to the city. I am prepared to give you a start.'

As infuriated by his patronising tone as she was by his arrogance, Bella faced him. ‘I don't need any favours.' Holding his gaze, she undid the belt she'd made for herself. Reluctant to spend another hour plaiting date-palm leaves, she flung it out of the water and watched as it landed with a splat in the sandy dust by the side of the pool. Then she grabbed the hem of her robe and stripped it over her head.

Get a load of that, handsome
, she thought smugly and had the satisfaction of hearing the breath hiss through his teeth.

Without looking at him she bunched the robe into a ball and threw it non chalantly after the belt. Standing only in her wet bra and pants, she turned and gave him a sunny smile.

‘I was wearing more clothes than you. That gave you an unfair advantage,' she said airily, but her heart thudded as she saw the blaze of disapproval in his eyes and a tiny part of her wondered just what he'd do if she
did
push him too far. ‘That's all the start I need. Ready, steady, go!' Without
waiting for his response, Bella plunged forward into the water, lithe as an otter, driving forward in a stylish front crawl that was the result of endless races with her siblings in the lake at Balfour Manor.

At school she'd been unbeaten in the swimming races and she was confident that, over a short distance, she'd be the winner. She was fast, light and strong and she had the additional advantage that he clearly underestimated women. So confident was she of success that when she turned her head to breathe and saw him passing her, she felt a flash of shock. Shock was immediately eclipsed by a burning determination to win and Bella put her all into the last few strokes, her heart pounding and her lungs bursting with the effort.

He beat her by a full length and he wasn't even breathing hard.

Hauling air into her struggling lungs, Bella saw his amused smile and silently plotted all sorts of retribution.

‘I offered you a start,' he said mildly, reaching forward and removing some weed from her hair. ‘You should have taken it.'

Bella felt her vision darken and in the distance she heard him mutter something in a language she didn't understand. Then he was scooping her up in his arms and placing her gently by the side of the pool.

‘Why did you push yourself so hard?' His tone rough, he sprang from the pool, water streaming from his body, his hair slick to his head. ‘You are recovering from heat stroke. You should be taking it easy in the shade. You are the most aggravating, infuriating woman I've ever met.'

‘And I love you too.' But Bella kept her head down for a moment, deeply humiliated that she was showing weakness yet again.
Macho man was going to love this.
‘If you're going to gloat, please go and do it from a distance. I just need a minute.'

‘What you need is a lesson in humility.' He paused, his
expression thoughtful as he studied her face. ‘You're a surprisingly good swimmer.'

The dizziness cleared slightly. ‘I'm a good swimmer
for a woman
, isn't that what you're saying? Savour your victory while you can—I'll beat you next time.'

‘There won't be a next time.' His bronzed shoulders gleamed strong and powerful under the bright sunlight. ‘Put some clothes on, Kate. And stop trying to provoke me. I won the race. You stay.'

Bella squeezed the water out of her hair. Every part of her body was tingling with awareness and it was impossible not to stare at his strong legs and board-flat stomach.

His gaze lingered on her bra, which was now little more than a transparent film.

Bella had a sudden urge to cover herself, which was ridiculous because she'd never been prudish or self-conscious about her body. She was used to being photographed from every angle, accustomed to being studied by men.

But this man was different.

Ignoring the sizzle of awareness low in her belly, she stood gracefully, instinctively exploiting the advantage she had over him. ‘Take me back to the city, Your Highness.'

She saw the sudden flare of anger in his eyes and then his hand closed around her wrist and he pulled her against him. ‘You play a very dangerous game.' Pressed against his hard, damp body Bella felt an instant rush of chemistry. Exasperated by her response she twisted her wrist, but it was like being held in a vice.

‘Let me go. I'm not your type and you're
certainly
not mine.'

His answer was to scoop her up in his arms and Bella gave a gasp of shock.

‘‘Where do you think you're taking me? You can't just throw me over your shoulder like a caveman,' she muttered, conscious of his hands on her bare thighs and trying to ignore
the tiny voice in her head that said she didn't know another man who could lift her with such ease.

He didn't pause in his stride. ‘We're alone in the desert,
habibiti
. I can do anything I please. And I intend to.'

‘What's that supposed to mean? You're proving you're the Sheikh? I've got news for you,
Your Highness
—I don't do as I'm told.'

‘Then it's time you learned.' Tough and unyielding, he strode into the tent and deposited her on the floor as if touching her had burned him.

‘You can't just—'

With a warning growl he clasped her face in his hands and brought his mouth down on hers with raw, untamed hunger. As their lips collided the chemistry exploded, the sudden eruption of passion so primitive that it was like being caught in white water. Bella was swept along, her senses churning and tumbling, unable to escape the flow of searing excitement that shot through her body.

Her mouth opened under the demands of his and she felt the erotic stroke of his tongue and the pressure of his hand on her back as he pulled her against him. As their bodies touched, Bella melted. Her head swam, her knees weakened and everywhere there was heat—around her, inside her, frying her nerve endings. With a moan of desperation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, fascinated by the strength of his shoulders and the sheer power of his masculine frame. But the biggest high came from knowing that he wanted her. He wanted
her
. Not Bella Balfour. It was the woman he was interested in, not the name or the family connections.

He made her feel beautiful, desirable—
irresistible
—and she gasped as she felt his hands on her breasts, his touch unerring as he removed her bra and dragged his thumbs over the swollen peaks.

He didn't speak and neither did she, but their actions said
everything as they feasted on each other's mouths and savoured each fresh exploration. When his hand moved lower Bella closed her eyes, and when he finally touched her
there
, she shivered and buried her face in his neck, breathing in his masculine scent and savouring the roughness of his jaw with her tongue.

She was so lost in the fire he'd created that she didn't protest when he lifted her off her feet and lowered her gently onto the mattress. His muscles bunched as he supported her weight and then he drew back slightly, scanning her semi-naked form with eyes that glittered dark with raw, masculine desire.

‘You are truly beautiful,' he said huskily, and then he removed the last of her flimsy protection with a single confident slide of his hand. Naked, Bella felt a flicker of uncertainty but he shifted his body so that he was covering her, the movement oddly protective. Mesmerised by the startling beauty of his eyes, Bella gazed up at him and then tensed as she felt the skilled slide of his fingers touching her intimately. It was maddeningly, impossibly good and she gave a moan of disbelief and tried to say something but his mouth covered hers again, silencing her incoherent whimper. Displaying an expertise far beyond anything she'd ever experienced before, he created a storm of pleasure so intense that she felt desperate. She'd never wanted anything or anyone as much as she wanted this man. Her pelvis was burning and she shifted frantically, trying to ease the almost agonising pressure, but he refused to release her from her sensual agony.

‘Please,' she gasped, dragging her hand down his back in an attempt to urge him closer. ‘Please…oh, please, can you just—'

His answer was to fasten his mouth over the tip of her breast and Bella moaned as another explosion of heat erupted inside her, the dark feverish pleasure almost too much to bear.