“These shorts are ridiculous,” he muttered. "How can you wear such a thing in public?"
Julia was beyond the point of speech. Her eyes flew wide as Zayn pulled at the button and eased the waistband down, just low enough that he could move his thumb past the layer of denim, and the cotton of her underwear, to her most intimate flesh.
His eyes held hers as slowly, he dipped his finger inside her, and felt her clenching warmth. Julia let out a long, slow moan of pleasure as once again, he increased his speed. This time, he didn’t stop. He pleasured her until she cried out and collapsed, spent and warm, against his chest.
Then, with a clinical detachment, he removed himself.
Julia’s fingers were unsteady as she pulled her shorts back into place and refastened the button. She couldn’t believe that had just happened. It had taken him minutes, a few minutes only, to erase all of her barriers and prove that she was as weak-minded as ever, where he was concerned.
“There has to be another way,” she said quietly, to his implacable back.
“Your father has less than a week to appease his creditors.” He shrugged. “If you would prefer to take your chances with them, I will leave now.”
As though it meant nothing to him.
She gulped frantically. “But… even if I agreed to this ridiculous proposal, there would have to be guidelines."
She didn’t see his cynical smile. "I appreciate your attempt to negotiate with me, Julia. I've always admired your spirit. But in case it is not clear to you, allow me to spell it out. You have no bargaining chips to use, beside your body. And even that, I will own."
"No!" She breathed out hotly. "I will never sleep with you, Zayn, do you understand?"
He turned to regard her slowly, and his face was completely expressionless. Only his dark eyes glowed with emotion. “When we are married, you will take your place in my bed whenever and however I want.”
She stared up at him, her mouth hardly working. “No way, Hosé.”
He shrugged coolly.“Then I will leave. Give my best wishes to Colin.”
Julia watched as he moved to the heavy oak door of her father’s study and pulled it open. Was he really going to leave? Again?
“Wait.” She moved towards him on legs that were like jelly.
“Yes, Julia?” His look was one of pure boredom.
“I need to think about it.” She lifted her eyes to his face. The same face that had filled her dreams for years, since her first semester at Oxford. “I just don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
“You don’t need to understand.” He said with a note of steel in his voice. “You need only accept my offer, or allow your father to be dragged through the bankruptcy courts. Tell me, how is his heart these days?”
Her eyes flew wide, like saucers in her pretty heart-shaped face. “You bastard.” Colin’s heart attack had been mild, but Julia had been terrified since then that his health was suffering.
His smile was cold. “I get what I want, Julia, using whatever means are necessary.”
“But why do you want me?” She asked urgently. “Why do you want me now?”
“Oh, I wanted you then, too. But you were a child. You have grown into a woman, ready to be a wife and mother.” He ran a finger down her cheek. “Your delectable body has no doubt pleased many men since I knew you. Now it’s time to add me to the list.”
“You’re one to talk!” She muttered, old wounds suddenly rubbed raw. “Or have your escapades as the Playboy Prince been exaggerated?”
His mouth twitched in obvious amusement. “Guilty as charged,” he said, unconscious of how his admission made her heart clench uncomfortably in her chest.
“I couldn’t open a magazine without seeing pictures of you with woman after woman,” she said quietly, but her expression had a faraway look, as she remembered the totally unceremonious way he had dumped her, and then moved on to a field of more available, experienced women.
“What I did, and with whom, is none of your business," he said firmly.
“It is if I’m to marry you,” she pointed out logically.
“How do you figure that?”
She rubbed at her temples with her fingertips. “You seem to be a man with a voracious appetite. How do I know that you’ll be faithful to me, when we’re married.”
“You don’t.” His voice was firm, his tone unapologetic.
“You can’t be serious,” she spluttered, putting her hands on her hips and glaring at him with frustration. “You actually expect me to marry you, not knowing how many women you’re dragging into bed besides?”
“I have never had to drag a woman into my bed, habibte. More often I find they leap there with alacrity.”
Julia’s fingers itched to slap the arrogant grin off his face. “You disgust me.”
“You wish I disgusted you, but actually, you are just the same as these women. You would lie down here for me, on this cold tiled floor, if I wanted to take you.”
Colour infused her cheeks at his crude, yet accurate, assessment of her desire. “As if,” she said weakly, turning away from him and pacing the length of the floor.
“Careful, Julia. It sounds like you’re asking for a demonstration. As though you need reminding you were just moaning in my arms.”
Her body shook with anger, but she tried to sound dismissive. “So what? By your own admission, you’ve had a lot of practice. Of course you can push a woman’s buttons. Am I supposed to be impressed by your sexual prowess?”
“Whether you are impressed or not is not my concern,” he said with a lazy glance at his watch. “Your role as my wife will not be a hardship for you.”
She shook her head slowly, a great sadness running through her. Once, she had wanted nothing more than to be married to the great Sheikh Zayn Al-melara. But he’d hurt that innocent young girl beyond repair. When he’d broken her heart, he’d broken it completely, and she knew she’d never be the same again.
Julia wanted to beg him not to do this. He was a very wealthy man. He could help Colin with the spare change in his pockets, just about. There was no need to throw her into the bargain. Except that, for reasons known only to him, he’d decided he wanted to marry her. And Sheikh Zayn Al-melara was not someone to accept defeat.
“Stop it!” She whispered harshly. “Just stop talking about it like that. Just stop.”
Her anguish was obvious, but he was done feeling sorry for this woman. She had fooled him once before. He’d believed her to be all that was sweet and good in this world, and he’d been wrong. He was not going to be wrong about her twice.
She twisted the ends of her hair around her finger. It was a gesture that was so sweet, and so familiar to him, that he felt a strange lurch in the pit of his stomach.
Her earnest eyes sought his. “Did you ever really love me?”
“Love is a fantasy,” he said with an impatient wave of his hands.
“So that’s a no?” She turned away from him, so that he wouldn’t see how deeply his words hurt.
Zayn watched her carefully. He knew she had made up her mind to accept, and yet still, she was seeking a way out. It did not please him. He had always believed that, when he finally chose his bride, she would be grateful. Eager to take her place by his side.
“What about work?” She stared unseeing out of the window, towards the stables that housed Colin’s beloved horses.
Zayn’s confusion was genuine. “You will not need to work.”
“I want to work,” she said, spinning around to face him. “You obviously think I'm lazy, and that I have no work ethic, but you're wrong. I have just spent four years slaving away to get my degree. I fully intend to put it to use.”
“What job could my wife possibly have?” He said with arrogant disbelief.
“You don’t have law firms in Naman?” She lifted her chin defiantly.
“You will not have time to join a law firm, Julia.”
“Of course I will,” she said with a determined insistenc
e he admired.
“You will be a princess. Even you must see it is not possible.”
She pursed her lips. “What about your mother? I remember you saying once how you were proud of her for how hard she worked.”
He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “She heads committees. Fundraises.”
Julia nodded eagerly. “Fine. That will work. I have to do something, Zayn, don’t you see that? I’ll go spare if I’m simply expected to be on your arm. You understand, don't you?”
“I will think about it.”
“Zayn, I’ve never been good at handling the spotlight. How can you expect me to marry someone like you, knowing I would never want to be in the public eye?”
He resented the need to lie to her. It weakened his upper-hand to be dishonest. But he knew her naturally shy disposition, and it would be a major problem for Julia if she thought he might ascend to the throne of Naman, taking the place of his older brother. He was impatient now. He had not come here to negotiate, after all, but to take what he had long thought of as his. “I have answered enough of your questions. Now it is your turn to answer mine. Will you marry me?”
A sense of non-reality flooded her limbs as she heard herself say, “Yes. If it's the only way to save dad, of course I will.”
Chapter Three
"Married?" Colin turned his watering blue eyes on his only daughter. She was the spitting image of his wife, Benita, and he felt a clutch of jealous love rip through him at the idea of her leaving him. They had been two peas in a pod for as long as he could remember, and though he knew it was selfish, he'd come to depend on her. He dredged a smile up from somewhere, though it felt heavy on his lined face. "This is sudden."
Julia's eyes flew to Zayn. Not by a single flicker of his expression did he show any discomfort. "Not so sudden, Colin. We met years ago, after all."
Colin frowned. "Has this been going on since then?"
Zayn's eyes locked with Julia's. "It was inevitable, from that first meeting."
Julia's pulse trembled as she felt the full force of this man's desire aimed at her. It had been a long time since she'd felt like a child. Growing up with just Colin, Julia had had to mature young. She'd helped run the house before she was a teenager. But in that moment, she wanted to throw herself on the ground and weep, and beg him to help her sort out the tangled mess.
But she couldn't, of course. One look at his pale expression and she knew she had to convince her father that she was sublimely happy. To remove any doubt or worry from his mind.
"You know me, Daddy. Would I ever, ever agree to marry someone if I didn't love them whole-heartedly?"
Colin's smile with rich with bemusement. "I know your views on marriage, little one. For you to have agreed, well, I suppose I should say congratulations," he pondered belatedly, pushing to stand and extending a hand to the man who would be his son in law. Zayn was intimidating without intending to be; apart from the fact he had the build of an army sentinel, there was a watchful intensity to him that would unnerve anyone.
His daughter, he wrapped in a hug. She was such a tiny thing, just like her mother had been. "When is the wedding?"
"Friday," Zayn cut in quickly, his eyes warning Julia to allow him to organise the details. "I know it's fast, but I have to return to Naman and I do not want to return without my bride."
Colin tried not to visibly react, but he felt as though the younger man had just cleaved him over the head with a cricket bat. "You intend to live in Naman?"
Julia turned a beseeching expression to Zayn, but he didn't waiver. His plan had been to hurt her, to make her pay for her betrayal, and the more she begged him to relent, the more steadfast he became. "Yes. You must see it is not possible for me to live anywhere else."
"Of course, of course." Colin turned away from them so Julia wouldn't see the way his eyes had moistened. And while his back was turned, Julia lifted her hands and pushed Zayn hard on the chest. She was furious with this big hulk of a man. So angry that she wanted to punch him and kick him.
Her aggression only made him smile. Her energy impressed him, but he intended to find a better outlet for it. A much better outlet.
"You'll come visit, though, dad, and I'll come back often." Julia promised.
"Not too often," Zayn said warningly, "And not without me."
Julia glared at him. "We can sort out the details later. But you'll always be welcome in my home."
"Thank you, darling. You too, Zayn. I must say, you've rather surprised me. But come on, let's have a champagne and celebrate."
Julia looked down at her outfit ruefully. "I'm supposed to be meeting Andrew and Georgina at Glastonbury," she said with a small tilt of her lips. She was so focussed on her father that she didn't notice the way her fiancé stiffened beside her.
"I presume they have something such as a mobile phone?" Zayn whispered in her ear, while Colin was busy popping a cork.
Julia rolled her eyes. "Of course."
"Then text them. You will not be seeing them until the wedding."
She narrowed her eyes. "I will text them and ask them to come here and celebrate our news. Whatever you may think, you do not control me, Zayn."
Zayn shrugged. Though he hated her friend Andrew with a vengeance, Zayn had won. Julia was his, and would be for the rest of her life. If the other man wanted to come to Howard Manor, Zayn was very happy to gloat.
"As you wish."
Chapter Four
When she had been dating Zayn, he had described Naman to her in great detail. And his passion-filled descriptions had filled her dreams. But nothing had prepared her for the strangely alluring desert country. As his private jet touched down on the runway, she was immediately touched by the glistening white sands that stretched as far as the eye could see, in to the hazy horizon. She'd been to Greece the summer before, and she knew the haze was a sign of intense heat.
But still, the sheer sultry humidity was oppressive when she first stepped out of the jet. "You will adapt," he said firmly, taking her elbow and guiding her down the steps. There was no waiting media, as might have been expected with royalty. Naman was a country that was famously protective of its royal family, and respect and courtesy were extended to them by the people at large.
Julia angled her face to him, her expression guarded. "Did I complain?" As soon as she had agreed to marry him, she had decided she could never let him see how much he could hurt her. If he was bent on some sadistic mission of power play, she would simply not be a part of it. For all she knew, like a cat with a ball of string, if she refused to play his games, he might even bore of her and allow her to leave.
"I felt you pause." He sounded amused, yet Julia was anything but.
"Bully for you," she muttered, casually stepping ahead of him to remove his touch from her arm. She hated him with every fibre of her being, but even the lightest contact made her body feel like it was about to implode with sensual need.
He let her go. He had been patient for a long time. For years. And the whole week leading up to their wedding, desire had coursed through his body like lava, keeping him awake at night and making him yearn to plunge into her and complete their union. But he had waited. Waited until they were married, and then waited until they were home. Though he knew he had bought her, pure and simple, there was a small part of him that had not believed she would actually go through with it. That had believed her capable of bolting until the last minute. He had not wanted to breathe, lest she disappear.
Now they were back in Naman, her ability to disappear was significantly reduced. In fact, her movements would be closely monitored by his security. She was his princess. As he had always known she would be.
Julia fanned her flushed face as she waited for her bridegroom to join her. She watched him, her eyes speculative as she took in his frustratingly immaculate appearance. He was speaking to a formally attired man at the bottom of the stairs. And though he was dressed in a grey business suit, with a crisp white shirt and a silver neck tie, he di
dn't look to feel the heat at all. It had to have been at least forty degrees celsius, she thought with a grimace; and it was so humid she felt her forehead bead with sweat despite the fact she was standing still and in the shade of the waiting limousine.
Zayn moved in her direction, his stride long and effortless, and Julia had to look away. She hated the way her treacherous body responded to him, even now, after what he had done. As he drew level with her, he looked down at her face, with an emotion that almost seemed compassionate. "Come, Julia." He said finally, stepping back to allow her entry into the spacious vehicle. "I have waited long enough."
Her heart began to race in her chest. She slid into the car beside him, reminding herself fiercely that she did not intend to react. "How far is the palace?" She asked, keeping her face resolutely tilted in the direction of the window as the car sped out of the airport.
"We are not going to the palace."
She didn't show her surprise. "Where are we going?"
"My home."
Despite herself, she turned then to face him, curiosity winning out over stubborn pride. "I thought you lived at the palace."
"I have a residence in a wing of the palace, and I occasionally use it. But I also have a home in the city, and I prefer to spend my time there."
"You never mentioned it."
"I only bought it two years ago."
She turned away from him again. It was a painful reminder of how much time had passed since they'd known one another. And yet now, they were married. "Why there, instead of the palace?"
"It is more private," he said simply.
She kept her face averted, but his meaning was obvious. He had made his intentions clear from the day he'd proposed. If she had wanted to avoid this, she could have. She could have told him to shove his offer of purchase by marriage, and told her dad he would simply need to move in with her until he got back on his feet. But she hadn't.
Sheikhs: Rich, powerful desert kings and the women who bring them to their knees... Page 76
