Hell, he hadn’t wanted to stop. If it hadn’t been for Rashid interrupting, Amit doubted that anything could have stopped him. Unfortunately, his life, his time, was not his own. Tamping down on the smoldering resentment, he pushed it aside and focused on capturing the heat in her eyes, the fullness of her lower lip, and the soft, delicate hairs along Harper’s jawline. He shifted the paper, trying to get the angle right on her cheekbones, the tilt of her eyes, and the slide of her nose. Every part of her was a challenge, he thought. Every look, every expression on her lovely face drove him wild and the need to draw her compelled him time and again to this space in his private apartment.
He knew that he needed to stop and dress for dinner. Even as he thought it, his servant stepped forward, his eyes asking if he should back away, as was sometimes the case when Amit was drawing, or if he should prepare the shower.
Amit debated, wanting to work on the angle of her ear, but then he realized that he’d see Harper at dinner. The need to see her, to touch her again, even if it was only to hold her hand as he led her into the dining room tonight, was too strong. Setting down his notebook, he nodded curtly to his servant.
An hour later, he strode into the salon for pre-dinner drinks, a little girl’s hand in each of his own. “Everyone, I decided that Elsa and Ellora are old enough now to join us for pre-dinner drinks. Any objections?”
His eyes swept the room, looking for Harper, but she wasn’t here.
“I think that’s a great idea!” Gaelen announced, stepping forward to scoop Ellora into his arms. “And since you’re old enough for drinks with us, I think that you’re old enough for a ginger ale with a cherry in it. What do you think?”
The little girl smiled tentatively, nodding her head. She even wrapped her arm around Gaelen’s neck, holding on as she leaned her too-thin body into his.
Elsa looked up at Amit and he was just about to lift her into his arms when Tarin swooped down and lifted her up into his arms.
“Oh no you don’t!” he laughed, kissing the top of Elsa’s head. “My big brother got to walk you down the hall. I get to introduce you to drinks with the family!” and with that, Tarin carried Elsa over to the bar where the bartender was pouring two ginger ales, adding a cherry to each glass.
Amit smiled as his brothers and sister circled around the two little girls. He watched for a long moment, feeling a sense of rightness. The girls should never have been kept in the nursery. He’d done that to isolate their feelings from the oppressive silence that the four older siblings had endured after hearing about the death of their older sister. He’d thought he was doing the right thing, protecting the girls from the grief of the adults. But Harper had explained how wrong he’d been.
Damn, he was so grateful to her. The girls still weren’t speaking, but he could see the looks in their eyes. They wanted to talk. They wanted to cry. They just needed more time to be around their family, to see how the adults dealt with their grief. More talking, less hiding, he thought to himself.
Speaking of Harper, where was the good doctor? He turned, glancing at one of his guards, who shrugged apologetically. Even as they both realized that she should be here and wasn’t, she rounded the corner, slightly out of breath.
“Goodness, I’m so sorry for my tardiness,” she told him, smoothing down the same black dress she’d worn the previous two nights she’d dined with them.
His eyes skimmed down over her curves, noting the soft flush to her pale cheeks that made her skin seem to glow. “That’s the same dress you wore last night,” he commented.
Harper shook her head. “Yes. Um…well…I don’t…normally…” she paused, looking around at the others, including Talia who was dressed in a shimmering ivory silk cocktail dress. “My normal dinner attire is just a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt during the cold months and a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt during the summer months,” Harper explained, obviously feeling self-conscious of her simple black dress. “Occasionally, I wear socks,” she told him. She must have come to some sort of conclusion in her head because she pulled her hands away, a daring challenge to her uplifted gaze. “I don’t have a huge need for formal attire.”
“If my clothes offend you, then I’ll just…” she started to turn away, but he caught her elbow, chuckling as he pulled her back to his side. “Don’t you dare,” he growled in her ear. “You look lovely and you know that we need you here. I’ll fix your wardrobe issue tomorrow.”
He thought that he’d just eliminated one of her concerns, but the tensing in her shoulders told him otherwise.
“I don’t have a wardrobe issue, Your Highness.”
He almost burst out laughing at her use of his title instead of his name. Oh, she was so adorable when she tried to rile him! “We’re back to that again?”
“Back to what?” she asserted firmly, glaring up at him with fury burning in her gaze. And was that a touch of nervousness?
Yes. She definitely was nervous.
He shifted so that his body blocked her from the view of the others. “Using my title to distance yourself from me?” he offered.
He almost laughed out loud at the way she tried to pull away. It wasn’t happening. He was staking his claim, so to speak, showing his brothers and Talia what was going on. Gaelen glanced in their direction, then quickly away, but Amit saw the knowing smirk. Tarin was a little slower on grasping what was going on, but he eventually figured it out. Talia…yes, his sister understood. She was less proficient at hiding her feelings, but that was okay. He liked being able to read her more easily. Especially after this afternoon. Again, it had taken Harper to see that someone was in pain and do something about it.
Damn, he was in debt to her! She’d done so much to help his family. The others moved closer, everyone sitting or standing as they discussed things that had happened that day. Harper remained quiet, but he could feel her interest. Amit listened with half an ear, but he was more attuned to Harper’s unspoken messages than the conversation around him as his family talked about various issues.
What she didn’t know was that she was going to become a part of that family as well. He could feel her wanting to lean against him. Every few minutes, she’d relax and accept his touch, but then remember that she wasn’t supposed to enjoy it and pull away. He didn’t let her, but it was an interesting, and revealing game.
“Dinner is ready,” a servant announced, then stepped back to open the doors from the family salon to the dining room.
“I’m starving!” Talia announced, then moved over to kiss Elsa on the cheek. “You two are up past your bed time aren’t you? Are you going to stay awake long enough to eat dinner?”
Both of them nodded eagerly, not wanting to stop their entre into this close-knit ritual of dining with the family.
“You sit over there,” Tarin said, plunking Ellora into a booster seat. “You’re going to have to eat all my broccoli. I hate the stuff, but Amit loves it, so the chef makes it too often.”
Ellora glanced worriedly at Amit. Talia came over and patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t you worry about your uncle, Ellora,” she whispered. “I love broccoli and I’ll eat yours, if you need help. But we’re going to make him eat his own, okay?”
Amit watched with increasing understanding of what they’d been doing wrong over the past several weeks. Not just for the twins, but for each other. “Harper, you’re next to me,” he said when she tried to take the seat next to Gaelen. Tarin immediately took that seat, winking at Harper as if they were in cahoots.
He was immediately grateful for his siblings, all of whom understood more than the woman who was trying so desperately to not understand.
He held her chair out for her, waiting as she slowly came around the table. His eyes traveled down over her figure in the black dress and he almost chuckled at the blush that stole up her cheeks. For a woman who understood other people so well, the lovely Doctor Ross was trying quite hard to ignore what was obvious between the two of them.
He wondered
why. As the wait staff served, he watched, trying to figure her out.
Chapter 12
“Okay, little ladies, it’s time for bed,” Tarin announced, picking up a half dozing Elsa. Immediately, her head flopped onto his shoulder and he rested a hand on her back. Gaelen lifted Ellora up and she did the same.
Harper watched, fascinated as the two huge men handled the small girls with delicate care. It was like seeing Rottweilers with newborn kittens. “Good night,” she called softly.
Both girls wiggled their fingers towards her, even hugged Talia back when she wished them a good night.
Amit had left the room several minutes ago on some sort of official business, but he’d kissed each of them on the top of their heads before leaving the dining room.
There was a long silence after the uncles carried their sleepy charges out. Talia sighed. “Thank you for this afternoon,” she said, eyes still on the doorway.
Harper smiled. “I’m happy to help,” she replied. “It’s sometimes easier for an outsider to see things.” Her hand fluttered lightly. “Objectivity and all that.”
Talia sipped her wine. “Is that what you think you are?” At Harper’s lifted eyebrows, she continued, “You consider yourself an outsider?”
“Of course,” Harper replied, but the memory of that kiss earlier today came to mind and she felt a warmth rise within her.
Talia smiled. “I don’t think that you will be an outsider for long,” she said mysteriously, then stood up. “You’re a wonderful person, Harper.” She slipped silently from the room.
Harper sat there for another moment, stunned and pleased by her comment. A few minutes later, Harper stood as well and walked casually out of the dining room, that warmth following her as she made her way through the maze of hallways.
Once she’d reached her room, she got ready for bed, wondering what crisis had called Amit away. He hadn’t even sighed when his assistant had stepped into the dining room, indicating that this was a normal occurrence. How often was Amit’s day interrupted by one crisis or another, she wondered? And what would it be like to be married to a man with so many responsibilities?
She laughed, shaking her head and letting her hair drift down over her shoulders. Now that the pins were out, she scrubbed her fingers along her scalp.
The knock on her door interrupted her fantasy and she swung around, frowning at the closed door. It was Amit, she thought immediately.
“I’m not here,” she whispered. But before she could finish that thought, the door opened and he stepped into the room.
“You didn’t answer,” he said, closing the door firmly behind him.
“I…um…” she looked around, flailing for a reason why she hadn’t answered.
“You’re nervous,” he observed. It wasn’t a question.
“I’m fine,” she lied.
Amit pushed away from the door, sauntering towards her, his intent clear in his eyes. “Should I apologize for this afternoon?” he asked, reaching out to pull her blond hair forward, over her shoulders. His eyes followed his hands, examining the blond locks.
“I…um…” she cleared her throat, trying to find that shield of professionalism. Unfortunately, his hands were warm and the man smelled incredibly good! “It was just a kiss,” she finally replied. “A kiss of gratitude.”
He shook his head. “Not gratitude,” he countered. “This is a kiss of gratitude.” Amit lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a polite kiss to her fingers before lowering her hand back to her side. “This,” he warned softly, his other hand coming up to curl around her neck, “is a different kind of kiss.”
Harper was stunned when his lips covered hers because, yes, this was a completely different kind of kiss. Again, her body curled into his. He didn’t have to pull her into his arms because she stepped forward, touching his shoulder as he deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened and she held her breath as he held her head in his hand, controlling the passion…barely!
Her eyes fluttered open and she stared into his hazel eyes, stunned all over again by his kiss.
“Yes,” she blurted.
“Perhaps you need another example,” he offered, stepping into her. But Harper pulled back, lifting a hand to stop him.
“I don’t think that is a good idea.”
“Why not?”
She laughed, feeling…odd. Out of control and…as if the world had suddenly changed course and she no longer knew where she was headed.
“Let’s just say that I think it would be safer if we didn’t do that again.” She stared up at him, wondering if he would accept that. When the tension in his features eased, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“Will you come riding with me tomorrow?”
The question was so far from where her mind was, it took a long moment for her to process the request.
“Um…riding?” She looked up into those hazel eyes of his, completely confused.
“Yes. Tomorrow? You enjoy riding, correct?”
Riding? She gulped and looked at the floor, trying to hide her sudden panic. “On horses?” she squeaked.
He chuckled and her cheeks flamed red. “Yes. Horses. For now.”
Harper took several more steps backwards, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. “No. I…um…I’m not a fan of horses. But thank you for the invitation.”
He frowned thoughtfully. “Why don’t you like horses?”
She laughed, shaking off the illusion of that crazy kiss. “Because they frighten me?”
He shook his head. “That can’t be allowed. Meet me at the stables tomorrow morning. I’ll introduce you to a very gentle mare and will teach you to ride.”
She was shaking her head even before he reached the end of the sentence. “No. Thank you for the offer, but I prefer to admire horses from a distance.”
He chuckled. “Harper, have you ever met a horse up close?”
“Nope. And it isn’t going to happen tomorrow either.” She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.
He moved closer and she knew that she was in trouble. “Horses are huge animals!” she gasped, holding up both hands to stop his forward momentum. “And they are stronger than I am!”
He nodded as if she’d said something profound. He took her hand and placed it against his chest. “Yes. They are. My stallion weighs just over thirteen hundred pounds.” He moved closer, his hand covering hers against his chest. “You can feel the muscles, can’t you?”
He whispered the question softly, seductively.
“Just as you told Talia a secret, I’ll share a bit of wisdom with you.” He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her mouth. “The bigger the male,” he kissed the other side of her mouth, “the more they want to please and pleasure a woman.” Amit nibbled at her lower lip. “But with just the slightest pressure,” he pressed his fingers over hers, “powerful males back away.”
Amit stepped back from her, leaving Harper feeling overwhelmed. “Are we still talking about horses?” she whispered.
He shook his head. “No. But tomorrow, I will prove to you that the things that you fear the most, might give you the most pleasure.”
With one final caress of his lips against hers, Amit turned and walked out of her suite, leaving her cold and aching for more than simple kisses.
Chapter 13
Harper stepped out of her suite the following morning, her head aching because she hadn’t slept well. She’d struggled to get to sleep, Amit’s words echoing through her thoughts while her body ached for…well, for a whole lot more than just one kiss!
But Harper wasn’t here for an affair! And especially not an affair with the ruler of this, or any, country! It was such an outrageous idea, to have sex with a man like Amit, that…!
Okay, if she were being perfectly honest with herself, she couldn’t stop thinking about having sex with Amit. No one had ever tempted her like this. Yes, she’d had romantic relationships before. She’d almost become engaged! But those relationships had been so much less…infl
ammatory! Oh, what a perfect word for how Amit made her feel. She felt inflamed whenever he was around and, now that he’d kissed her, twice, she knew how quickly their desire could spiral out of control.
Did she want that? Did she want to open herself up to a romantic relationship that would end in…well, in weeks? What kind of heartache would she endure once she left Amit and went back to her regular life?
Hurrying out of the palace that morning, she didn’t stop by the nursery to say good morning to the twins, and as soon as her driver headed away, Harper felt a huge wave of guilt for running away. Hadn’t she told Amit and his siblings not to do exactly that? Not to run away from their feelings? And yet, that was exactly what she was doing now.
Of course, these interviews had been scheduled last week, so it wasn’t as if she was truly running. But…there was no doubt about it, she’d definitely had time to stop by and say hello to the twins. Unfortunately, the possibility of running into Amit again had her running scared. After last night’s kiss, Harper simply wasn’t ready for another interlude. And horses? Um…nope! Not gonna happen!
Doctor heal thyself, she mentally chided.
Several hours later, Harper was exhausted. The interviews today hadn’t been especially difficult, but her lack of sleep had caught up with her. Plus, it was hot, she hadn’t stopped for breakfast, and the lunch that had been served at her last meeting had been chicken. Again. Harper had eaten chicken just about every day this week and she was just sick of it! So now she was hungry and irritable, exhausted and…still guilty for leaving the palace this morning, running away from her fears.
As soon as she stepped out of the back of the SUV, she knew that her time was up. Rashid, Amit’s diligent assistant, stood at the top of the steps leading to the entrance of the palace. There was no way she could enter the palace without passing him, and he didn’t look like he was going to allow her to simply say hello and head off to her suite for a refreshing shower.
Seduced by the Sheik (The Raminar Family Book 1) Page 8
