The Sheik's Sensuous Trap (11 page)

Oh, why had she opened her mouth last night?  After making the comment about oil and consumer perception, Rashid had looked at her differently.  And that look, so filled with admiration, had gone directly to her heart.  For the first time in a long time, someone looked at her as if she had something to say that was important and perceptive, intelligent. 

Oh, she’d had that aplenty in university.  Alea had thrived on that atmosphere where her opinions were allowed.  But it was different coming from someone from her own culture.  She had never had it from her father.  Her mother would never think of fashioning an answer about anything except
clothing
and raising children. 

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around her and walked out of the bathroom. 
The door to the bedroom opened suddenly and Alea pulled the
towel
up higher, covering herself and ignoring the amusement she saw in
Rashid’s
face. 

“This is going to be awkward
,”
she said shyly, smiling hesitantly as he approached the bed. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, walking over to the bed.  He was already dressed in a perfectly tailored suit with a silk tie accenting his dark eyes. 

Her hungry gaze watched him and smiled, trying to brave her way through this awkwardness.  “I mean, this morning.”

He chuckled and leaned a shoulder against the column at the end of the bed, crossing his arms over his chest as his eyes roamed over her body underneath the
towel
.  “Actually,
it’s
afternoon.  I’ve been conducting meetings all morning and have even had lunch delivered although
it’s
going to be cold if you don’t hurry.”

“Lunch?” she asked,
trying to ignore the sensations she felt when he used that smile
. Trying to be reasonable and ignore his kidnapping or marriage threat, she said, “
Why don’t I just
head back to my place, escape all the awkwardness of the morning, or afternoon, after.
  My father will never know, we’ll just walk away from this mistake in our lives and we’ll go on as we were before.
”

Rashid understood the game she was playing and wasn’t having any of it. 
“No need.”
  His amusement was evident in his eyes although his face remained as emotionless as always. 

Alea looked down at
the floor
.  That same feeling that she’d had in the car last night was rearing its head. 
Concentrating on diplomacy instead of antagonizing the man, she looked back up and smiled.  He’d seemed so reasonable after dinner last night, it had given her hope. 
“Of course there’s a need.  I have to get back to my apartment.
  You bought me lovely clothes, but I really need to check in with my roommate
and my family
, let them know that I’m okay.
”

“No.  You don’t.”

She leaned back against the
door frame, a bad feeling creeping into her bones
.
  Keeping the smile on her face, determined to not shout at him as she’d done in the past, she took a deep breath before saying,
“Yes.  I really need to get
back home and check in
.
  Besides, this prisoner thing
is going just a little too far, don’t you think?  I mean, do you really mean to keep me here against my will until my father agrees to a wedding between the two of us?
” 

“I’m afraid you aren’t going anywhere Alea
,
”
he said softly but firmly.

His words caused her heart to lurch. “
Rashid
, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’m going to get my clothes and go home.
  I’m tired of this game and I can guarantee that I’m not going to stand for it anymore.  My father won’t be amused either, I can assure you of that as well.
”

“Ever since that night at the dance club, Alea, I knew what the future would hold for the two of us.”

Her eyes narrowed and she was finally able to put two and two together.  “You knew exactly who I was in that dance club that night, didn’t you?” 

He didn’t answer at first and she could see that there was much more to this story than what she understood.  “Actually,” he started saying, “I knew who you were while you were waiting outside in line.  And I had one of my staff forward a picture of you, just to be sure.  The dinner last night, was postponed from that night two weeks ago.  I was scheduled to attend the opera with the Prime Minister that night but when I saw you, I changed my plans.”

Alea couldn’t believe her luck.  What were the odds that she’d meet up with her father’s enemy in a
London
dance club
?
  Not very good.  If she played this just right
, bringing all of her diplomatic training from her mother into play
, maybe she could get out of here without any
repercussions
.  “Well….” She said, her mind working overtime,
“I think this has been a very interesting adventure, but I’m going home now.  I’m going to call my father and tell him that classes are over.  If you’ll excuse me,” she said primly and stepped around him to get out of the
bathroom
,
tightening the towel around her as she walked
. 
Despite being almost completely covered, she was still self-conscious. 
She knew she was being silly but she had only had sex with him, she’d never woken up and spoken to him afterwards.  It was a very odd feeling and she couldn’t be casual about it. 

She picked up her shirt, her bra, her skirt, but couldn’t find her underwear.  She glanced hurriedly around but
found
nothing. 
She suspected that all the clothes she’d bought the previous afternoon were somewhere in the bedroom, or perhaps another bedroom but she was too nervous to ask him where they might be. 

“Looking for these?” he asked.

Alea looked up and saw
a lacy pair of
underwear hanging from his fingertip.  She flushed and walked over to grab them.  “
Not particularly but they’ll do since you ripped the ones I was wearing yesterday.  They were nice, comfortable cotton. I’m not sure why men think these are so wonderful
,” she said,
rolling her eyes before
tucking them into the rest of her clothes
.  She quickly turned
arou
nd and headed for
the bathroom to get dressed. 

“Alea,” he said when she had almost reached the bathroom.  His voice stopped her, every muscle in her body tense, waiting for whatever he was going to say next.  He didn’t say a word until he was standing next to her, his face looking down into her anxious one. “When we’re married, I want you only in lace and silk,” he said. 

Alea’s back slammed against the door jamb and her eyes grew wider.  She couldn’t say anything, just heard the sentence over and over again in her mind.  Her eyes stared back at him, and her head turned from side to side, denying his statement.  “No.
  You can’t dictate things like that.
”

His eyes were dark pools of something indefinable as he lo
oked down into her nervous ones
as he said,
“Oh, yes.  Cotton has a certain appeal for the innocent, someone who isn’t anticipating her lover’s caress or gaze.  But you, my love,” he said, reaching up and running a finger along her soft cheek, “will know that I will be looking, touching, feeling.”  He leaned forward even more, his lips brushing her brow in a gentle, soft caress.  “And when I’m not actually seeing, I want to picture you in my mind, knowing how I want to undress you, take away the silk or lace and see the woman underneath, nothing concealed to my gaze.”

One hand was still clenching the
towel
while the other hand held onto the door behind her, the only solid force in her world that was right now being tilted beyond recognition. “No.  That can’t happen.”

“It can and it will,” he stated. 

“I don’t know who you think I am
or why you want to have this much control over me
, but last night was just sex
.  The whole past week has only been about sex
.
  I’ll be heading home as soon as I can get away from you and this will all be a nightmare in the past.
”

Rashid chuckled softly, impressed by her bravado.  “No Alea.  You are the daughter of Dasir Al Basiri, brother to D
iran
Al Basiri.  And we will be wed, with your father’s blessing, by the end of the week. I guarantee it.”

His confidence increased her panic.  “But why?”

“You can ask me that after last night?” he laughed.
  “Or the previous week?”

Her mind worked frantically and she didn’t like the path it took
.  “We won’t get along.  I’ll make your life miserable and you know it.  I’ve never wanted a political marriage,” she replied tensely.  “My father knows this and he’d never push me into a marriage I don’t want.”

His only response was a slight elevation of his eyebrows. 
“
Why don’t we put it to the test?  Shall we?
” 

“You bastard!” she said, her hand reaching up to punch his chest.  But he only caught her hand and rubbed the tender flesh. 
“I hate you!  You can’t do this to me!”  She was lashing out because she knew that her father would indeed jump at the chance to marry her off and end the hostilities.  She was trapped unless she could get away and talk to her mother or father first.

“
T
hat isn’t what you were calling out last night.  Shall I repeat your words?”

“No!” she said, one hand covering her ears for fear that he would do exactly that.  “Just go away and leave me alone!  I never want to see you again.”

“That’s going to be a little difficult, considering that you’re going to be my wife, Alea.”

“I’ll never be your wife,” she said
, more bravado than confidenc
e
.  “You’re crazy if you think I’ll marry you.”

“You will if your father gives you to me.  You and I both know that all I need is his permission and to say the words,” he said, his tone harsh, not allowing her any point of retreat.  “And since we made love last night, I don’t even need your father’s permission, do I?” he said, his voice seductive and he leaned closer.  “But that’s not going to be a problem, is it?
  Not in our culture.  Once a woman gives herself to a man freely, he can claim her as his wife. 
It
i
s
n’t done often anymore, but the laws still apply and I’m willing to invoke them if necessary.
”

Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head violently.  Knowing he was right, she pushed away from him, putting space between their bodies so she could think more clearly and come up with a solution to this mess. 
“Shut up!  No, I’ll deny everything.”

“Deny anything you’d like,” he said.  He stepped back and gone was the lover of only moments before.  Here was the ruthless, merciless leader of the
country
that had bordered hers and battled, hard, relentless
conflicts
for decades.  “But the truth is in the pictures on the table.  You’re father has already been informed of my request to meet with him although he was not told of the reason.  He will meet me at my home tonight.  You will be there.”  He walked over to the doorway and looked back at her.  “
The wardrobe you selected yesterday, along with appropriate undergarments, has been placed in the closets to your right
.  Your previous school clothes are not adequate so I’ve taken the liberty of
having them packed up so they can be shipped along with your other personal items
.  Can you be ready in an hour?” he asked, one hand resting on the door handle as he looked back at her flushed, angry face.

“I’ll deny it,” she shouted.  “I’ll deny that we had sex.”