The Sheikh’s Second Chance Seduction (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 19)

by Cara Albany

  She rolled her eyes and then glared at him. She lifted a hand and started counting off her points one by one as she spoke. "Let me see. Didn't you say you were going to insist that I come to you. On your orders." Her eyes widened. Her voice rose as emotion took hold of her. "You want to drag me away from my work. As many times as you'd like. You want me to be at your beck and call. Not only that, but you want me to pretend that the last twelve months never happened?"

  She folded her arms. Now there was a fire in her eyes. He could see just how much their encounter last week had affected her.

  He gestured casually with his hand. "I think I'm perfectly entitled to everything you just said." He smiled at her. "Don't you agree?"

  She sighed and groaned. "And last week, you told me that I should just agree to fall into your arms, just because you kissed me. Once." She frowned. "And that doesn't include some of the other stuff you said to me. Which was all so insulting, by the way."

  Once more there was fire in her icy blue eyes. For a moment, he wanted to sink into that harsh, defiant gaze. He met her gaze with a steady look of his own. He felt need tighten inside him. Did she have any idea what she did to him when she looked at him like that?

  He peered at her, momentarily at a loss for what to say. No longer did she look hesitant or curious. Now she looked angry. Had that anger been building up this past week? Had she merely come here tonight to end things once and for all? To tell him that she would no longer cooperate with his demands?

  "That's not what I meant, Amber," he retorted.

  "Then what did you mean, Sayid?" she demanded.

  He noted her use of his name and, as always, loved the sound of it on her lips. He leaned closer across the table. She stiffened and gazed steadily at him. Seeing her defiance merely triggered his desire, made his need even more urgent.

  "What did I do to make you leave?" he asked suddenly.

  The change of direction took her visibly by surprise. Her mouth opened slightly and she hesitated before replying.

  "Last year?" she asked. Her voice was quieter now.

  He nodded. He wanted to go around the table and sit next to her. But he knew that if he did that, it would be a mistake. "What did I do to make you run?"

  Her eyes brightened. "I didn't run, Sayid," she said emphatically. "You did everything you could to make me feel that I wasn't welcome in your life, anymore," she added, her voice cracking.

  "How?"

  She shook her head and turned her face away from him. "You were cold," she stated.

  "Cold?" he replied, astonished.

  She nodded. "Icy cold," she said. Her words were spoken with a breathlessness that made him almost feel a chill in the air. "I left before you had a chance to toss me away. I wanted to leave on my own terms. Not on yours."

  So that was it, he told himself. She'd wanted to avoid being hurt by him. But hadn't she realized that he'd never had any intention of ending their relationship? That ending it all had been the last thing on his mind?

  "I wasn't going to do that, Amber. Believe me."

  Amber shook her head. "I read all the signals, Sayid." She continued to shake her head as she said: "The distance. The sudden changes of mood. The broken promises. No calls for days." She sighed. "It was all there. And you can't deny it."

  Sayid leaned across the table. "I do deny it. You misunderstood what was happening with me."

  Amber shook her head. "No I didn't. I've seen it all before. I wasn't going to hang around and be burned again."

  He saw instant hurt in her gaze. As if the memory of last year had come back to haunt her. Sayid felt a jolt of shock course through him. He'd had no idea that Amber had felt that way. That she had been almost afraid of being cast aside. Something he knew he'd never do. How had he misjudged the situation so badly? How had he let that happen?

  Amber stood quickly, her chair scraping noisily against the marble surface of the terrace. Instinctively, Sayid stood and went to her. He faced her. "Amber. Please. Listen to me."

  She groaned, tightened her jaw and then peered at him. He saw the mistrust in her eyes, and he felt his heart sink. She curled her arms around herself, as if she wanted to shield herself from him. Once again, seeing that gesture merely made him feel pain. The same kind of pain he'd felt when they'd gone their separate ways.

  Was she that intimidated by him? Or was this how she had felt a year ago, after the breakup?

  "What can I do, Amber? To make it up to you," he said.

  She stared at him for a few long moments. "You can tell me the truth. And show me you've changed. That you're not the kind of man I thought you were. That you're not a liar."

  Liar!

  He felt the color drain from his face. She wanted the truth? Did she think he had lied to her?

  "What makes you think I lied to you?" he asked.

  She frowned. "You took what you wanted and you were going to discard me like a unwanted rag," she accused.

  He stared incredulously at her. "I had no such intention," he declared.

  "I could see it in your eyes, Sayid," she stated. "I could see it growing day after day." She narrowed her eyes and he saw her jaw tighten. "You can't deny it. And now you want me back? You want me just to pretend none of it ever happened?"

  He wanted to reach out and take gentle hold of her arms. Just as he'd done the last time they'd been this close. But he restrained the urge.

  He knew what he had to do. How he could convince her. He summoned up all his strength, all his resolve. He peered into her eyes, willing himself to show her just how much she meant to him. "And now?" he asked. "What do you see in my eyes now, Amber?"

  She hesitated, gazing into his eyes, examining them for a long moment. Her scrutiny was intense. Focused like he'd never seen before. It was as if he was weighing up whether she could trust him ever again.

  Sayid saw Amber pause. He knew what he wanted her to say. Could only hope that her next words would be what he wanted to hear.

  She sighed before finally replying in a soft, even voice. "The same look," she said quietly. There was a terrible certainty in her voice.

  Sayid felt as if the floor had shifted beneath him. He felt the wind from the desert sweep around him. For the first time since he'd noticed the gathering clouds, Sayid heard the soft moan of the wind. This time it was firm enough to make the curtains across the doorway twist and flap noisily. He ignored that, staring for a moment at Amber.

  Hadn't she seen the need in his gaze? Hadn't she believed a word he'd said to her?

  "How can you say that, Amber?" he asked in astonishment. He peered intently at her.

  She shook her head and then turned away from him. "It's just the same, Sayid," she said.

  He restrained the urge to disagree.

  She glared at him. "There's the same look in your eyes, Sayid. The one I saw last year. You only want one thing. Just as you did in California. And once you get that again, you'll do exactly the same this time as you did then."

  He could hardly believe what he was hearing. Did she hold such a low opinion of him as that?

  Then she did something which truly shocked him to the core. She leaned closer, lifting her chin and gazed steadily into his eyes. "You haven't changed one bit, Sayid."

  He drew in a sharp breath. Before he had a chance to respond, she continued. "It doesn't matter that you're the lord and master of this province. That everyone submits to your every whim. That you think you can just take what you want, whenever you want it." Amber shook her head and smiled sardonically. "You're still the same man I walked away from, Sayid."

  He moved instinctively toward her, intending to curl his fingers around her bare arms and draw her close to him so that he could persuade her in the only way he knew how. But she suddenly lifted one hand and pressed it hard against his chest. He glanced down at her hand, feeling it press hard against his chest.

  She was holding him at bay. As if he was a wild animal, and she was intent on taming him.

  He felt her
fingers bend slightly, her nails digging into his flesh through the thin fabric of his shirt. She pushed against him, sending him a clear signal that he should not advance any further.

  He sensed something like an electric shock vibrate through his body. He gasped and peered into her eyes.

  In response, Amber lowered her head, and looked straight at her hand. He saw her eyes narrow, as if she couldn't quite believe what she'd just done. Or was it more than that? Had she been taken aback by something else?

  He could feel his heart pounding furiously. He heard Amber's breathing, fast and sharp. He saw her breasts rise and fall beneath the fabric of her dress. Need became firm and insistent in his body. His entire body tightened, every muscle taut.

  Then Amber slowly lifted her head and he gazed once more into the icy depths of her blue eyes. Beautiful pools he wanted to dive into.

  He wanted to lose himself inside her. He wanted to abandon himself in a place where he had once been exquisitely and hopelessly lost.

  He was brought back to the moment by a gust of cool desert air that brushed against his face. The scent of the desert caught in his nostrils, mixing luxuriantly with the aroma of Amber's sweet perfume.

  Sayid felt the tiniest scrape of sand grains against his skin. He turned and gazed out toward the desert. He could see that what he had taken for clouds in the sky had now become the broad expanse of a dark storm cloud.

  He glanced at Amber and saw her eyes widen. She opened her mouth as if she was about to say something. But then she stared incredulously toward the desert. Sayid followed her gaze.

  A desert storm was coming. And it was going to hit the palace within minutes.

  Sayid looked at Amber and knew he had to take action.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Amber stared at Sayid. She could see the urgency in his gaze. And then he did something which took her by surprise, but which she realized was entirely to be expected.

  Sayid reached out and gently curled his fingers around the bare flesh of Amber's left arm. She drew in a sharp breath as she felt the roughness of his fingers against her skin. It wasn't a harsh gesture, she realized. Judging by the concerned expression in his dark eyes, it was a protective movement.

  "We have to go inside, Amber," Sayid said sharply.

  Amber gazed up at the menacing dark clouds. The light had faded noticeably. It wasn't dark, but there was a curious quality to the light that made everything seem suddenly unreal.

  Amber narrowed her eyes as she felt the gentle sting of sand and wind against her face. The wind forced her dress to wrap tightly around the curves of her body. She could feel the force of the wind as it buffeted against her. The trees in the garden were already starting to quiver violently in the wind.

  Sayid was right. They couldn't spend any more time out here on the terrace. She nodded. "Okay," she said and then allowed Sayid to guide her back through the open doors of the terrace and into the sitting room.

  The wind swept into the room, making the curtains billow. Sayid released her arm and went to the double doors. He grasped each of the door and forced them both shut. She saw that he had to push hard against the wind, his muscles straining to close the doors.

  The instant the doors were closed, calm settled in the room. Amber hadn't realized just how loud was the sound of the storm wind. Now that she was alone with Sayid, inside the palace, it seemed suddenly and unnaturally quiet.

  Sayid turned to Amber. "These storm whip up really quickly," he explained. He glanced out through the window. Amber saw their drinks glasses thrust over by the force of the wind. They spun around on the tabletop and then crashed down onto the marble floor, shattering instantly.

  The double doors shivered noisily in response to the pressure of the wind. Suddenly, Amber felt curiously safe. Moments ago that would have seemed inconceivable. Out there, on the terrace, she and Sayid had been so close to unleashing their very own storm of disagreement. But, the temporary emergency had put a stop to that.

  "How long will it last?" she asked.

  He shrugged. "I don't know. Could blow over in a few minutes. Or it could go on a lot longer."

  She folded her arms, feeling a sudden chill in the room. "Can't I go back to the camp?"

  He frowned. "In this? Are you kidding?"

  "Surely your limo won't have a problem dealing with that," she suggested.

  He shook his head. "No way. It isn't safe to be out in that."

  "Did you know this was coming?" she asked.

  For a moment he looked outraged. "You think I arranged for you to be here when this storm was coming?" he asked incredulously.

  She cocked her head at him and said nothing.

  "I know you think I like getting my way in everything." He grinned at her, flashing that incredible smile that she'd worked so hard to forget. "But surely you can't think I get the weather to do my bidding," he said.

  She realized how stupid she must have sounded even suggesting such a thing. She ran a hand across her forehead, feeling the grains of sand which clung to her skin. "I know. It's been a long day," she said, as if that explained anything, she told herself.

  Sayid cleared his throat. "I had no idea the storm was coming. They're unpredictable."

  Amber realized it had been a stupid suggestion. He couldn't possibly have known the storm would arrive just as she arrived at the palace.

  She sighed. "Of course you didn't," she admitted, trying to make sure he knew she was being sincere. Their clashes out on the terrace had been filled with rancor caused by old wounds being opened up. And after talking with him, she could tell that, not only did he want her back in his life, but that he had been hurting as much as her during this past year.

  She felt a sudden tinge of worry take hold of her. "What about the people at the camp?" she asked.

  "I'm sure Monica has it under control. She'll make sure everyone gets under cover."

  "I should be there," she stated firmly.

  He nodded and took a few steps closer toward her. "I understand how you feel." His voice was filled with a sudden sincerity.

  Did he really know how she felt? That her concern wasn't merely professional. During the past days she'd gotten close to so many of the people in the camp. She was beginning to feel a real sense of connection to the inhabitants of Meriyah. That was something Amber wouldn't have predicted before she'd arrived.

  She'd thought she could come here and maintain a professional distance. But, somehow, through the work she'd done, and because of the proximity to the townsfolk of Sayid's domain, Amber had grown to understand the people and to feel very much a part of their lives and their predicament.

  Sayid came closer to Amber. Now he was a mere few feet away from her. She saw that his features were flushed, his eyes wide with concern. "I'll make sure you get back as a soon as the storm is over," he said. And then he added slowly. "If that is what you really want to do."

  Was it what she wanted? She asked herself that question as she watched him stand there in front of her.

  "Thank you, Sayid," she said quietly.

  He seemed pleased that he had, at last, found a way to please her. But he did still look concerned. As if the memory of the conversation out on the terrace was still disturbing him.

  She couldn't reconcile his sudden concern with the man who had spoken to her with such impulsiveness out on the terrace. Out there, his conduct had bordered on the arrogant and self-centered. All he'd seemed to be interested in was finding a way to bring her back into his life.

  Back into his bed.

  No matter what she wanted for herself. No matter how badly she wanted to keep him at bay. No matter how much she wanted to see this whole assignment through to its conclusion and move on to another project. Another life.

  But now she was alone with Sayid.

  Again.

  And this time there was going to be no easy way out. She was trapped in his palace until the storm blew over.

  There was a sharp gust of wind and the doors to the
terrace rattled noisily. Amber went to the sofa and sat down. Sayid followed her and took his place alongside her.

  She leaned back on the sofa, listening the wind from outside buffeting the doors, threatening to burst its way into the sanctuary she'd found with Sayid.

  "Are you warm enough?" he asked. "Do you want a drink? Or something to eat?"

  Amber smiled in response to the boyish urgency of his attempts to reassure her. "I'm fine, Sayid. I don't have much of an appetite," she said and glanced toward the terrace. "Not with all of that going on outside."

  Sayid smiled and nodded. An awkward long silence passed between them. For a few moments all she could hear was the wind from outside. All she could feel was the slowly increasing beat of her heart.

  Then, Sayid moved suddenly closer toward her. All she could do was watch as he slid easily across the sofa. Now he was mere inches from her. He looked at her, as if waiting for her to express some kind of objection. But she didn't. She just watched him with an impassive, blank expression on her face.

  As if encouraged by her reaction, Sayid slowly placed a hand across his middle. He laid his fingers flat against his stomach. He leaned casually against the back of the sofa and gazed at her. It was a surprising gesture, but one that immediately caught her attention.

  In spite of herself, Amber's gaze flickered treacherously down toward Sayid's hand. She saw the strength of his body beneath the thin fabric of his white shirt. The tightness of his abdomen. The appealing darkness of his skin. She felt her throat tighten. Her heartbeat quickened.

  His other hand moved and came to rest on his powerful thigh. Amber watched its slow, hypnotic movement and felt something shift inside her. Could he still affect her like that?

  When she lifted her gaze, she realized he'd been watching her. He knew she'd been observing him. Enjoying the sight of his powerful body. Just like she'd done so many times in the past. This time there was no self-satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth. He looked at her steadily, as if he was content for them both to simply be together like this, sheltered from the storm. Was he waiting for her to say something? Give him some kind of signal? Demand that he leave her alone until the storm blew itself out?