The Sheik's Reluctant Lover (16 page)

Rachel stared at the door, completely dumbfounded by his words.  She had no idea how long she sat there staring at the empty doorway but her mind had a very hard time trying to wrap itself around the idea of being in love with
Rais
. 

Was it possible?  She dismissed it as ludicrous and turned to face her computer screen, but her eyes couldn’t focus on what was in front of her.  She was still mulling over the idea that she was in love with
Rais
. 

They’d known each other for so long….but love? 

That’s crazy! 

No, she told herself.  She was merely infatuated with him just as she’d been starting at sixteen.  She didn’t love him, she told herself firmly.  Love would mean caring and being emotionally invested.  This was just an affair.  He would get over her and….

She couldn’t go on from that thought because it hurt too much.  She pushed the idea of
Rais
moving on to another woman out of her mind and focused on the tasks she had to deal with right now.  She had errands to do, vendors to check on.  She had to visit each of the vendors this week to ensure that they were ready and able to get everything prepared on time and she didn’t just assume that they were making their deadlines.  She’d learned from past experiences to check up on them at intervals the week before the party.  The flowers should already be at the florist by
now,
Lana should have most of the meal prepared except for the
items that needed to be steamed fresh. 

As she made her way to each of the vendors for Friday’s event, she thought about what Derrick had said, her mind going over and over the possibility that she was in love with
Rais
.  Thankfully, some of the vendors had some problems that she needed to deal with so it was a distracting day.  In fact, there were several emergencies that cropped up that week, leaving her exhausted
by the end of each day. 

She checked her cell phone too, hoping that perhaps
Rais
might call her.  She just wanted to talk to him, but she didn’t make the call herself, knowing that he was a very busy man.  However tired she was at the end of each day just trying to get a party together, he was probably pretty wiped out after having
to deal
with the problems of an entire country. 

By Thursday afternoon, she knew that the party was going to be wonderful.  All the
issues
had been dealt with, the ice sculpture was perfect and fr
eezing, the food was delicious as expected, the flowers were ready to be transported and the tent was already constructed with the tables set up. 

She’d refused to utilize the helicopter
Rais
had left at her disposal.  She just couldn’t get past the expense of the machine but she thought it was very nice that he’d offered it to her to save her time.  The drive out to the farm
wouldn’t be
too bad because she’d leave about three o’clock to inspect the site, then have dinner with her father and spend the night, driving back to her apartment in the early morning to avoid commuter traffic.

There was one thing bothering her though.  All week, she kept feeling as if someone was watching her.  She actually spotted a man leaning against a car one morning.  He appeared to be reading a newspaper, but when she glanced back at him, he was looking right at her. 

Wednesday, she saw another man sitting in a coffee shop outside of the floral shop she’d contracted for the event and by Thursday afternoon, she suspected that the same man from Tuesday was following her out to the farm for the final inspection.  She’d visited with her father that evening, but left
out the back exit of the farm to get home, just trying to be cautious.  It was six o’clock when she got back on the road this morning and she was proud that she hadn’t been followed. 

She hadn’t mentioned her suspicions to anyone.  She hadn’t wanted to worry her father and she was afraid
Rais
would take her off of the event if he knew someone might be following her.  So she kept the issue to herself.  By Thursday evening, she was feeling a little silly for being so paranoid, but couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed. 

When she drove into the parking garage at her apartment, she actually took the stairs to her floor.  She’d seen a dark car parked on the opposite side of her parking space with a man in a dark coat sitting inside reading a newspaper.  It looked odd because Rachel didn’t think there was enough light in the dim garage to read the newspaper. 

She was out of breath when she slipped into her apartment and peered through the peep hole, wondering if she could see anyone who might be trying to spy on her. 

Was she being crazy?  She glanced through the glass one more time, then sighed with relief when no one walked by.  She sagged with relief, dropping her purse on the counter.  She felt weird because normally she would have stopped by the lobby to get her mail but she’d avoided that area today, preferring to just hibernate in her apartment, wanting that odd feeling to go away. 

“What’s out there that is so interesting?” a deep voice asked.

Rachel scre
a
med and jumped about a foot in the hair, her hands reaching out to steady herself as she looked for the voice.  It was familiar, but
Rais
wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow afternoon so it couldn’t be him here tonight!

“Rachel?”
Rais
asked, coming out of the darkness towards her, turning on lights as he walked.  “What’s wrong?” he demanded, his dark eyes looking down at her with both anger and concern. 

Rachel’s hand went up to her chest as if to slow her racing heart.  “Goodness!  You scared me!” she grumbled, her body still in fight or flight mode and her head almost lightheaded.  Adrenaline and no food were not a good combination she thought as she took a deep breath to try and calm
herself
. 

“What are you doing here?  And how did you get into my apartment?” she asked.  She was excited to see him, but still jumpy because of the people she’d seen around the city. 

He ignored her question and pulled her into his arms.  She didn’t fight it because he was strong and secure and he held her tigh
tly, decreasing the shivering until
it was only a mild irritation. 

“What’s going on? Why are you so scared?” he demanded, his arms tightening around her.  His cell phone rang once and he answered it quickly, speaking into the phone in Arabic, just a few words before he ended the call and slid the phone back into his pocket. 

“Oh, I’m just being silly,” she said and leaned against him.  Now that the scare was passing, she was overjoyed that he was here with her.  “But what are yo
u
doing here?  You weren’t supposed to fly in until tomorrow.”

He grinned down at her.  “I canceled my meetings tomorrow, telling my advisors that I had priorities here.  They all understood,” he explained, leaving out that he’d told
them that he was trying to conv
in
c
e this woman to marry him.  They were all eager for him to be married, telling him it should have happened years ago. 

He bent down and kissed her neck, feeling her shivers increase and smiled to himself because this was for a different reason. 
Not that he wasn’t going to get down to the other reason,
but she smelled to
o
good right now, too distracting. 

“I want to hear all about your week, but first, I need you naked and in my arms,” he said as he lifted her up, tossing her legs in the air
and carried her into her bedroom.  He laid her down in the middle of her bed,
then
joined her, slipping her shoes off at the same time.  “I missed you,” he growled into her ear before biting it softly. 

Rachel smiled and lifted her arms, wrapping them around his shoulders, feeling as if she’d just come home.  And if that little voice nagged at her that she was becoming too involved, too excited to see him, she ignored it and kissed him back, showing him how much she missed him and how happy she was to have him back with her. 

“I have to go to work,” she whispered, the dawn just starting to break over the horizon. 

“No you don’t,” he countered and pulled her closer, nudging her back down to the mattress.  “You need to stay right here with me.”

She laughed, feeling her sore limbs reach out for him.  “You’re going to hate my bathroom,” she told him when she slipped out from under his arm.

Rais
let his head drop down onto the pillow, wondering what he could do to get her back into bed with him and forget about the day and their respective responsibilities.  She looked sexy as hell as she pulled that silk robe over her naked body but he though
t
she looked even better on the bed next to him
without it
. 

He sighed, knowing she was too responsible to lure back to bed.  He didn’t like the result, but he respected her work ethic.  Rolling onto his back and stuffing pillows behind him, he watched as she walked out of the bedroom.  He assumed she was stopping in the kitchen to make some coffee.  At least he hoped she was.  He could really use a cup and he had no idea how to get it other than her making it or him calling down to his guards to bring some up.  And he didn’t think she’d like it if he called his guards.

“Coffee is brewing,” she said as she drifted back into the bedroom, only to disappear once again into the bathroom and closed the door. 

He smiled lasciviously as he
contemplated her disappearance.  He really should be a gentleman and leave her to shower
in peace
.  She’d probably finish much more quickly if he just stayed put. 

In the end, he realized that he really wasn’t much of a gentleman.  Throwing off the comforter when he heard the shower start, he walked into the bathroom, completely unconcerned with his nakedness.  He surprised her as she was rinsing her hair and jumped when she felt his hands on her waist.  “You woke up too early,” he explained, letting his hands slide up her slick body.  “I thought I could help you out with your shower.”

She thought about telling him to get out because she knew with absolute certainty that he would not help her in any way.  But as soon as his hands slid along her skin, she was lost once again in his sensual spell.  She couldn’t believe how many times he’d brought her to a screaming orgasm last night, almost embarrassed and wondering if her neighbors had heard them.  And now he wanted more?  “You’re insatiable,” she gasped, but her arms were already winding around his neck, completely ready for another round with this man. 

“Only for you,” he said as he nipped her shoulder.  He picked up the soap and lathered his hands before smoothing them all over her arms and back, making sure she was completely lathered.  Along the way, he touched her everywhere, driving her insane with his hands and his touch. 

When she tried to pull back, unable to take anymore, he reached outside of the shower, picked up the foil packet and sheathed himself in the condom.  With a deft move, he lifted her into his arms and
smiled when she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist.  He slowly lowered her onto him, watching her face as he impaled her on his shaft.  “You feel incredible,” he groaned, turning to lean her shoulders against the tiles so he could clasp her hips.  Lifting her up, then slowly lowering her down, he began the rhythm that never failed to get her started.  As he increased the pace, he could feel her body tighten, clamp around him and he sped up, pushing her higher and higher.  When she splintered apart, her climax took him right along with her and he just about tumbled both of them to the shower floor. 

“
D
on’t move,” he ordered, his body still shuddering from her amazing body.  “You’re amazing,” he said as he tried to regain his breathing. 

She laughed, pushing the hair out of her eyes as she looked up at him.  “I don’t recall doing a great deal of work here in the past few minutes,” she said, referring to the fact that he’d done all the heavy lifting.
  But she followed his command and stayed as still as possible.

“
Can I put my legs down now?” she suggested, teasing him for maintaining their position. 

He raised an eyebrow.  “Are you saying you’d like to be able to walk on your own? 
Without my help?”

She laughed and rolled her eyes.  “I’m not sure I can walk, but perhaps you’d like a bit of my weight taken off of your own legs?”

He nuzzled her neck, making her laugh.  “Individuality is overrated.”

She giggled once again but pushed against his shoulders.  When he stepped back slightly, she lowered her legs to the shower floor, grateful for his arms that stayed around her to help her regain her balance which wasn’t so easy after that episode. 

When she finally had her balance, she stepped back, self-conscious suddenly. 
She grabbed the shampoo and used some in her hair, turning her back to him so he couldn’t see her face 

“You can’t hide from me, you know.”  He said it softly, but there was
a firmness
in his voice that told her he wasn’t going to let this thing go.  “What happened to the smiling woman of moments ago?” he asked as he slid his hands into her hair to help her shampoo.