The Prince's Forbidden Lover (The Samara Royal Family #3) (6 page)

Despite all of the benefits, Joline knew that it would still be dangerous.  Signing a contract with Rais as the landlord only meant he would be closer to her.  That was something she had to avoid.  “I don’t think that your store location is going to work out with our long term plans,” she told him, lying through her teeth and feeling ashamed that her fear of this man was getting in the way of a sound business decision. 

Rais chuckled softly.  Taking her hand, he led her to the back of the store.  “Come along, my beauty.  We should probably discuss this in private.  Where’s your office?”

Joline was halfway to the back of the store when she realized what he was doing.  Pulling back, she tried to extricate her hand from his but he only stopped and looked down at her with those dark, mysterious eyes that made her stomach tighten with anticipation. 

“We can’t go to my office,” she whispered, trying to get him to understand.  “In fact, we can’t go anywhere together.”

Rais pulled her closer.  “Joline, you have three options.  We can go to your office, you can come with me or we can have this conversation right here in the middle of your store.”  He moved closer, letting her know that he wasn’t going to stop touching her.  Nor was he going to allow her to hide behind her fears.  They were explosive together and he was going to show her how perfect they could be once she accepted him as her lover. 

And he damn well wanted to help her out in business as well!  If she’d just stop being so stubborn!

Joline looked up at the man who had haunted her nights when she’d been trying to sleep.  He really was a huge man, but she didn’t like huge, arrogant men! 

It didn’t help that her mother had heard about her visit to Shantra’s country.  That conversation had pretty much doomed any possibility of a relationship with Rais out the door.  There was no way she could put his family through the ridicule that would most likely occur if he ever became serious about…

What was she thinking?!  Rais never became serious about anyone!  He was the ultimate playboy, hopping from one continent to another, and one woman’s bed to another.  The list of women that had shared his bed was probably enormous!  Goodness, in some ways, he was worse than her mother!  At least she sought out men who could make her happy, even if that happiness was completely based in mercenary desires. 

This man sought out women purely for sexual satisfaction then tossed them aside when his lust for them diminished.  She refused to be the next in a long line of women stepping daintily through his revolving bedroom door. 

“Listen,” she said as calmly as she could, “I sincerely appreciate all of your…”

“In your office, Joline,” he interrupted, taking her hand and pulling her along to the back of the store. 

Joline really didn’t have much choice but to follow along behind him, feeling like a puppy as he closed the door to her miniscule office. 

He looked around at her tiny office that was filled with papers, filing cabinets and the cheapest desk she had been able to find when she’d initially gone looking for office furniture.  There was a metal, folding chair that she sat on but with a pillow on top of the seat because it became pretty hard to sit on that thing for several hours straight.  There were no windows, white walls that had been beaten up by the movers over the years and no decorations of any kind.  Not even pictures of her friends or family.  “This is really where you work?” he demanded in a horrified voice. 

“Yes,” she replied, looking around at all of the paperwork that was neatly stacked on each side of her desk, perfectly color coded to help her prioritize the issues she needed to resolve.  “What’s wrong with my office?”

“It’s not even big enough for a closet,” he told her.  “This isn’t an office, it is a broom storage area.”

Joline laughed and leaned against the opposite wall.  “It works for me,” she countered.

“This is ridiculous, Joline.  I’ve seen the financials of this business.  I know now that you’re a partner in this venture and you should have a larger office.”

Joline shook her head.  “We’re putting all of our profits back into the business.  My partners and I have agreed that this is better.”

“Who are your other partners?” he demanded.

Joline had known that this would come up.  From the moment she’d stepped into his office last week after his arrogant summons, she’d known that he would demand more information from her.  That didn’t make her any more prepared, but at least she’d been forewarned.  “Keith is my other partner,” she mentioned, hoping he would just leave it at that. 

“There’s a third partner on the books but only listed as a corporation.  Who is that?  Is that the person that has the money?  Are you financed through a private equity firm?”

Joline shook her head.  “At this point, we are a limited liability company, incorporated out of Delaware.  Our third business partner is private.  And we’ve set things up to maintain that privacy,” she told him.  There was absolutely no way she was going to reveal Shantra’s role in their business.  He would be livid if he knew that his baby sister was the fabulous designer that everyone has been talking about. 

“But you’re going to tell me the name,” he said softly. 

Joline’s system went on high alert.  “No.  I’m not.”

Rais chuckled softly.  “Yes,” he countered, moving closer to her.  “You are going to tell me.  And we’re going out tonight, by the way.”

“The third party has requested anonymity and I’m going to ensure that request is respected.  If you can’t handle that, then I would offer you several other businesses who would be thrilled with your attention.” 

Rais laughed again.  “No business is thrilled when my attention is caught.”

Joline swallowed painfully, watching as he moved slowly closer to her.  “Why is that?  Are you that horrible to work with?”

He shrugged one massive shoulder.  “It is possible that I am a bit more dictatorial than other people enjoy.”

“I’m one of those people,” she told him, wishing that she’d taken a bigger area for her office now that she was trapped in this tiny room with him. 

“Are you saying I would be dictatorial towards you?”

She pressed her back up against the wall.  “I don’t think you can help it.  It’s part of your nature.” 

His eyes moved up and down her body, appreciating the simple wrap dress that flattered her figure and hugged all of her delectable curves.  “Would you want me to change?”

She laughed nervously but scooted off to the right, behind her desk.  She was hoping that the furniture might deter him, send the message that she didn’t want him to stalk her like this.  “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Anything is possible,” he replied, but lifted his hand, running a finger down her skin.  The desk was too narrow for her to be completely out of his reach.  That, and the fact that he had long arms.  “I wouldn’t have thought it possible that one’s skin could be so soft, but you’ve shown me that I’m wrong there.”

She wasn’t aware of her head turning, leaning slightly into his touch.  Her eyes were transfixed by his gaze.  “What are you doing?” she asked, but she knew!

He moved around the desk, trapping her just like he’d done in his office.  “I’m going to kiss you.  Again.”

Her eyes moved lower, glancing at his mouth before moving right back up to his dark eyes.  “I don’t want you to kiss me,” she told him but her words were barely a whisper.  Her tongue darted out, wetting her suddenly dry lips. 

He smiled slightly.  “If I were to step back and walk out of your office, would that make you happy?” he asked.

Joline opened her mouth to tell him yes, but the words wouldn’t come.  She just couldn’t lie to him like that.  She knew that, deep down inside, this man terrified her and fascinated her.  She didn’t want to experiment with whatever was going on between the two of them because this chemistry between them scared her more than all of her childish nightmares ever could.   But she couldn’t lie to him. 

“That’s what I thought,” he said and his head lowered to hers, his lips brushing against hers almost tentatively.  But then again, Rais never did anything tentatively.  He was rough and demanding and powerful, but never tentative. 

Whatever it was that he was doing, it wasn’t enough for her.  Joline lifted her head, trying to capture his kiss, to deepen the teasing touches.  Every time she came closer, he lifted his head out of her reach and she was growing more frustrated with each attempt.  When she couldn’t take it any longer, she reached up with both hands and pulled his head down to hers.  Kissing him, initiating the kiss and deepening the connection caused her heart to beat frantically.  But she was only allowed a brief moment to control that caress.  Rais, naturally a take-charge sort of man, took over the kiss, pulling her against him once more and making her very aware of her femininity.  Well, and his very impressive masculinity. 

Once again, he didn’t let up until she was shifting against him, unaware of the sounds she was making as his hands moved over her lush figure.  Each time he moved his hands, she’d gasp or moan or do that deep, sexy sound that had him hard as a steel rod faster than he could have thought possible. 

And damn it!  Once again, they were in a place where he wasn’t able to follow through.  “Joline, we have to try this again when we’re in a more private place,” he urged, lifting his head but he couldn’t stop his hands from touching her.  She just felt too good, so soft and feminine everywhere! 

Joline pulled out of his arms, trying hard to look around and get her bearings.  “You have to stop doing that to me,” she told him with anger growing in her voice.  “This has to stop.”  She ignored the fact that she’d started the kiss this time around. 

He laughed but there was a painful quality to the sound.  “We’ll stop when we’re both satisfied.”

She lifted her hand.  “I’m satisfied!” she exclaimed, pushing her hair off of her face.  “I’m totally satisfied.”

He shook his head.  “You aren’t right at the moment, but I’m guessing that’s because you’ve never been with a man who knows how to satisfy you.  Is that correct?”

She was having trouble listening to him when his thumb was rubbing against her waist like that.  She suddenly realized that his thumb was underneath her shirt!  How had that happened?  And when had it happened? 

She grabbed his wrist and tried to pull his hand away, but his thumb wasn’t budging.  “I’ve never been with a man!” she told him furiously, then froze when she realized what she’d just said.  “I mean…I haven’t…I didn’t mean…”

Rais was still for all of five, maybe ten seconds as the import of her words sunk into his brain.  “I’m guessing you’re not trying to tell me that you’ve been with a woman, are you?” he suggested.  At the disgruntled look in her beautiful, hazel eyes, he threw back his head and laughed, thrilled to know that she’d never given herself to a man as she was going to give herself to him.  She would be all his. 

He grunted when he felt her jab him in the stomach even though it didn’t hurt him.  She’d barely even punched him but it was enough to get his attention.  “Sorry,” he told her.

“A woman admits that she’s…well…you know…”

“A virgin?” he filled in helpfully, ignoring her feeble attempts to get his hands off of her waist. 

“Yes,” she hissed.  “And you laugh?  Is that really the right response?”

He chuckled again.  “No.  Probably not the best way to react.  But I’ll let you know something,” he told her and bent lower to nibble on her neck, enjoying the way she shivered and leaned into him even as she still tried to grip his hands and pull them away from her.  Not that it was working. 

Joline grabbed each of this thumbs with her fists, trying to pull his hands away but it was impossible.  The man was just stronger than she was.  Perhaps her efforts weren’t as wholehearted as she should have mustered, but…even so!  “You’re going to leave me alone and let me go out with Toby?”

“Hell no!” he told her and nipped her earlobe as punishment for suggesting anything so insane. 

“What?” she demanded, hoping to distract him but then his hand slid up higher onto her ribcage and she bit her lower lip to keep herself from begging him to touch her breast.  Closing her eyes, she unconsciously let her head fall backwards, eyes closed.  All of her attention was on that hand that was so precariously close to her breast.  She was aching to feel his hands there, right…yes!  Just a little higher, she silently begged.  She wasn’t aware of her fingers loosening around his wrist.  Or the way his other hand was unbuttoning her shirt, releasing the clasp on her bra. 

“Don’t move,” he told her, looking down at her breasts that were finally bared to his gaze.  She had perfect breasts, he thought.  Full and pert, her nipples pink and tight, just begging him to taste them. 

Joline flinched when she felt the first touch of his fingers on her breast, his thumb rubbing against her nipple.  When it moved away, she gasped and grabbed his hand, pressing his fingers against her breast. 

“Move your hand, Joline,” he commanded, his voice deep and husky but his fingers didn’t move. 

“Please,” she whimpered.  Her eyes were still closed, but every muscle in her body was tense, waiting for his touch, needing that almost painful pleasure. 

“I’ll give you what you want, but let go.”

Her fingers splayed out against his hand, begging him to stop and to continue.  She’d had no idea that her body was this sensitive!