The Sheik's Beautiful Intruder (The Friendship Series) (4 page)

He smiled slightly.  “Yes you do.” 

She was about to protest again, but his mouth swooped down, covering her lips with his and stopping any additional protest. 

Nikki thought about pushing away from him.  But somehow, some way, she found her hands reaching up and touching his chest, her fingers gripping the expensive material of his shirt as if that were the only lifeline in her world. 

She felt the world tilting and her hands clung to the only solid part of her world.  When she looked up, she was in his lap and she felt more of him.  The panic broke through the lust that had taken over her mind and she stiffened.  He immediately felt it and lifted his head, looking down at her curiously.  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice thick and husky. 

“I can’t do this!” she gasped out.  “I don’t even know your name!  I don’t know anything about you!”

His hand slid slightly higher on her rib cage and she almost jerked away.  With a sigh, he lifted her back to her seat.  “I’m sorry.  I’m moving too quickly for your comfort level.”  He smiled derisively.  “My only excuse is that you take away my common sense.”  His hand drifted along her neck, pushing back the hair that had fallen out of the clasp that had been holding it back.  “Stay and have dinner with me,” he offered.  “We’ll talk.  We’ll get to know each other.  And you may call me Nazar.”

Nazar heard the words come out of his mouth, offering her the use of his first name and he was surprised.  Almost no one but family used his first name.  And it had never occurred to him to have it any other way.  He couldn’t remember what the other women in his life called him and he wasn’t sure if that was because he hadn’t cared, or if this woman so completely occupied his mind that she’d pushed all other women out.  Either way, her calling him by his first name just felt…right.

“Nazar,” she replied, feeling out the name.  He liked the way it sounded when she said it.  He’d never heard it spoken with that slightly southern accent before.  He’d heard American accents, but this beautiful woman’s voice was gentler, slower, as if she were caressing each word.  Hell, was he turned on by her accent as well? 

Nikki looked up at him, her whole body still tingling for something.  She was afraid it was his touch so she moved back on the sofa, putting more space between the two of them.  “I really need to go,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t stop her this time.

“You may go as long as you tell me that you’ll meet me for dinner tomorrow night.”  He stood up then reached down and took her hand, pulling her directly into his arms.  “I know I scared you a moment ago, but I can hold back until you are more comfortable with me.”  He smiled, “And I’ve even overcome your second issue.  You know my name.”

“I think I have a few more objections,” she mumbled and glared at him for his deep, husky chuckle.

“Tell me you’ll have dinner with me tomorrow night,” he commanded, retaining her hands even though she was trying to wiggle them out of his grasp. 

She bit her lower lip, wondering how she should respond.  She actually had no intention of dining with him or ever seeing him again.  But would he let her go now if she told him that?  Probably not.  He didn’t look like the kind of man who would accept rejection.  She wasn’t sure what he would do to stop her from leaving though. 

“Dinner tomorrow,” she finally replied.  “What time?”

Nazar saw it in her eyes.  She was just trying to get away from him.  Astonishingly, he even thought that was cute.  And sexy!  He’d never met a woman who didn’t throw herself at him.  He’d never even realized what a turn on it might be to have to pursue, or convince a woman to be with him.  Damn!  He liked just about everything he’d discovered about her so far. 

“Give me your cell phone,” he replied, not believing her for a moment. 

Nikki hesitated, wondering why he wanted her cell phone.  “Um….” And this is where it becomes awkward.  “I left my cell phone downstairs.”  When he continued to look down at her, she shrugged one shoulder.  “In the employee locker room.”

He smiled slightly.  “Is that where you acquired your enticing ensemble?” he asked, holding out her hands to view the horrid maid’s uniform.  “I’ll admit, the sight of a maid’s uniform is a turn on to some men.  But this one might be the exception.”  He pulled her closer.  “Where are the fish net stockings and the short skirt that flares out with a lace petticoat?”

Nikki blushed, knowing that there were stores that sold sexy maid uniforms.  “I’m sorry.  You’re going to have to hire someone to work through that fantasy for you.”

He threw back his head and laughed, delighted with her stony expression even while her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.  “Perhaps another time.”  He called out to someone and a man appeared immediately at the door.  “Ms. Stewart,” he started out, hesitating over the use of her last name as if he didn’t believe it was hers for a moment, “has left her clothing and purse downstairs in the employee locker rooms.  Could you have someone retrieve them for her?”

The man bowed.  Actually bowed!  “This task has already been seen to, Your Highness.” 

“Excellent,” Nazar replied, his eyes showing her his amusement over her predicament.  “Why don’t you follow this gentleman and change clothes?  My staff will see to the return of the badge and maid’s uniform.”

Nikki grimaced, still not sure how she was getting out of here.  But she followed the stiff looking man to a small ante chamber, one she hadn’t known existed.  Apparently there was a whole staff area that she hadn’t searched.  Shoot!  Could Bri be here somewhere?  She grabbed her clothes and quickly pulled them on, folding the maid’s uniform neatly.  She then went through her purse, trying to discover if anything had gone missing.  Ironic, she thought, that she was worried about someone taking things when she’d just stolen someone’s uniform and security badge. 

Thankfully, everything seemed to still be in her purse.  She slung the bag onto her shoulder, adjusted her sweater over her jeans and stepped out of the room with her jacket slung over her arms.  As soon as she stepped out of the room, she saw the same stiff man waiting for her.  “This way, ma’am,” he said with grave formality and moved towards the door from which they’d come only minutes before. 

Nazar was still standing there, his tall, muscular body looking awesome with the autumn sunshine streaming through the windows.  “I can’t say that’s much better,” he said as he approached.  “You should be draped in silks and satins,” he told her, his eyes showing that he mentally had already dressed her in other clothes.  “I’ll take you to Paris and make that happen.”

Nikki’s mouth fell open.  “Paris?”

He nodded his head as he held her hand again.  “Would you prefer Milan?” he suggested. 

She quickly shook her head.  “I would prefer neither!”  She jerked her hand out of his.  “Look, I’m truly sorry for invading your privacy.  Since we’ll be seeing each other tomorrow night, I need to head home.  I have lesson plans to work through and a million papers to grade.”

His eyes widened.  “You’re a teacher?” he asked.

She crossed her arms over her chest, irritated the he looked so astonished.  “Yes.  High school English.  And my students just turned in their essays on Byron’s poetry and I need to review them all tonight so the students will have their grades by tomorrow.”

“Why such a rush?”

She took a deep breath, grateful for the safe subject.  “Poetry is difficult to understand and even more difficult to appreciate.  So getting the kids feedback on their perception of the poems is important.”  She wasn’t lying now.  She worked hard to get the papers graded as quickly as possible and encourage any of her students who had grasped the concepts behind any poetry assignment as well as help the students who didn’t absorb as much from the sometimes difficult wording.  “Poetry is important in our society,” she enthused.  “It helps a person view the world from a different perspective, but even more importantly, it can show a person that others are going through the same issues they might be currently experiencing.”

Nazar agreed with her.  “And Byron might be portraying their romantic angst, showing them that the same issues were being faced two hundred years ago.”

She smiled, the first time all weekend, thrilled that he really understood!  “Exactly!”

“She walks in beauty like the night/ Of cloudless climes and starry skies/ And all that’s best of dark and bright/ Meet in her aspect and her eyes/ Thus mellowed to that tender light/ Which heaven to gaudy day denies.” 

Nikki barely breathed, her mind so suffused with awe at this man, this tall, arrogant, obnoxious and terrifying man, quoting “She Walks in Beauty” by Lord Byron.  “Oh my,” she whispered, not wanting to break the silence after his quote.

“Dinner tomorrow.  Come here at seven.”  With that, he bent low and gently kissed her lips. 

Nikki walked towards the doorway, but she wasn’t sure if her feet were actually touching the floor.  And it stayed like that throughout the rest of the day and into the night, a silly grin on her face as she remembered Nazar quoting poetry for her. 

Chapter 4

Nikki couldn’t believe she was actually in Yafar.  What was she doing here?  One moment, she was pacing the confines of her tiny house, the next she was calling her boss and asking for some time off.  In the middle of the semester, no less!  Teachers, or at least the good ones, simply didn’t abandon their classrooms and go off chasing down tentative leads that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. 

Except Nikki just knew that this man had information about Brianna’s disappearance.  He was either involved or he knew someone who was involved.  She had no evidence to bring to any official authority, nor did she know who she would even bring that evidence to even if she had it.  The State Department?  Not that she had anything against that organization but she seriously doubted that they would take any action that would jeopardize the newly negotiated monumental change in politics between the United States government and Yafar.  They were allies.  Strong allies!  The recent meetings between that arrogant sheik dude and the president only strengthened that relationship. 

In the eyes of the government, one woman, no matter how important she was to Nikki, would not be worth damaging that new relationship in any way.  Nope, Nikki knew she was on her own.  Both literally and figuratively – and legally as well since she wasn’t even supposed to be here. 

There were no two ways about it; if she got caught, Nikki knew she was in a world of trouble. 

She looked around, astonished by the intense heat that was beating down on her.  She really needed a hat.  And sunscreen.  Oh, and some water!  She hadn’t planned this whole thing out very well, but she was almost inside the palace.  She could do this!  She just had to stay in stealth mode and be very, very careful. 

Nikki’s heart beat frantically and she ducked down behind the stone wall, closing her eyes in the desperate hope that she hadn’t been caught.  Biting her lips, she held her breath, hoping that no sound would give her away. 

If she could just get through this garden area, she might finally get inside.  Her plan was to find a locker room or a work area, put on someone else’s clothes and try walking the halls until she found a prison area, or maybe heard one of the other workers gossiping about a stranger in one of the guest rooms.  The language barrier might be a problem, but she wasn’t going to worry about that until she had to.  Just one step at a time, she told herself carefully. 

Nazar saw the shining head duck down and stood frozen in place, too stunned to accept what his eyes were seeing.  When nothing moved, he did actually doubt his eyes but something inside of him told him that she was here.  He actually smiled but it wasn’t a smile of delight.  It was one of absolute victory.  The woman who had been haunting his dreams for the past several nights, disturbing his sleep and making his body hard with the aching need to possess her…was here! 

No wonder his security team couldn’t turn up her whereabouts anywhere.  She wasn’t where she was supposed to be.  She was here, in his palace compound. 

He stood there watching the spot and sure enough, with growing amusement and a strong desire to spank her adorable butt he saw her bright head pop up to see if she’d escaped discovery.  How could she have put her life in such danger?  He wasn’t sure if he should have pride in her extraordinary skill in getting this far, or fury because she had no idea what could happen to her! 

But right now, he was more amused at her trying to hide from him than anything else.  Or was that just anger?  He wasn’t really sure and, where this woman was concerned, it might be both. 

When she stuck her head up again, he almost laughed out loud.  But she ducked down again, as if she could hide from the numerous guards that were surrounding the area.

“No such luck, my beauty,” he mumbled under his breath.  His eyes sharpened as someone to the left started yelling, guns drawn.  His body guards had somehow alerted the palace guards of her presence and everyone was running in her direction, ready to take her down and imprison her. 

With a furious flick of his wrist, he stopped their forward momentum.  Even his body guards – who were well versed in stopping people who wanted to get near him – were stunned that a person could get so close to him without their knowledge. 

“Stay back,” he ordered to all of them.  Since it wasn’t in their nature to allow any sort of harm to come even remotely close to him, they weren’t sure what to do, but they all obeyed his order without question, although there were several frantic glances. 

“She’s unarmed,” he said, although he had no real knowledge of that.  He just suspected that this little woman wouldn’t have thought to bring a weapon of any sort.  He was equally impressed with her for being so capable and getting through multiple layers of security but also furious with her for even attempting something so suicidal.  If he hadn’t seen her first, she would have been grabbed immediately and imprisoned.  He might not have even known that anyone had gained access to the palace grounds since it wasn’t something that he needed to know about.  He trusted his guards to take care of the perimeter and anyone who dared to come close was prosecuted.