“Good afternoon, Doctor Ross,” Rashid greeted her with a slight bow. “His Highness has asked that you meet him at the stables after you have had time to change your clothes.”
Harper groaned. “Yes. He mentioned something along those lines last night.”
She walked towards her suite, not sure how to get out of this “summons”, which was really what it was. As soon as she stepped into her suite, she saw riding clothes had been laid out on the bed. “Oh no,” she whispered.
A servant appeared with food and Harper smiled in relief. “How did you know that I was hungry?”
The servant placed the tray of cheese and crackers, fruit and nuts on the table, bowing slightly. “We received word that you didn’t eat much of the lunch offered today,” she explained. “His Highness said he would meet you in a half hour at the stables.”
And then she was gone. Harper glanced over her shoulder at the riding clothes, hoping they wouldn’t fit. As she nibbled on a handful of grapes, she walked over and checked the tags. Sure enough, whoever had purchased these clothes knew her size. “Darn it!”
With resignation, she changed into the pants and shirt, sliding her feet into the buttery soft boots. “Wow!” she whispered, running gentle fingers over the soft leather. “I don’t even want to know how much these cost.”
The knock on her door startled her and she spun around, almost falling off the bed as her nervousness increased. She knew that Amit was on the other side of that door, but why would he be? He’d told a servant to tell her to meet him at the stables. So this wasn’t Amit, she thought. It was another servant telling her that he was still waiting at the stables for her.
Harper almost laughed at the way her mind was spinning, creating silly scenarios in the hopes of avoiding another interlude with Amit. It was also funny how he communicated with her. While the rest of the world used text messages to communicate, Amit had an entire palace filled with servants to relay his messages.
“Come in!” she called out, reminding herself that the servant complaint wasn’t really fair. The man was insanely busy, always on call for whatever emergency arose within the country.
Standing, she smoothed down the new shirt and picked up her feet, stomping them slightly to get used to the feel of the soft leather. “Nice!” she mumbled, surprised at how light the boots were. And how soft!
“I’m glad that you approve,” Amit’s deep voice replied.
Harper’s head snapped up and she watched warily as Amit approached. “What are…” her eyes swung to the doorway, then back to him. “I thought I was supposed to meet you down at the stables.”
“You were supposed to meet me at the stables this morning. But I was informed that you rushed out of the palace instead.” He knelt to run his hand over her boots, feeling for her toes. “As for just now, I was delayed by an issue, so I came by to escort you myself to the stables.” He nodded with satisfaction as his hand slid along the back of her calf. “These will work. Are they comfortable?”
“Very,” she replied, trying not to squirm under his touch. Even through the leather, she could feel the warmth of his hand! How was that possible? “Very comfortable.” Her words were strangled slightly and he looked up at her. Something flickered in his eyes and he stood. Very close!
“You look great in those riding pants,” he said, his voice thick and husky. “I knew you had a gorgeous body hidden beneath those stiff slacks of yours.” He ran a finger along her chin, sending licks of flame along her nerve endings. She felt almost surrounded by his heat. Not to mention how close he was standing.
“My clothes?” she whispered.
“Yes. I hate your clothes.”
Harper wondered if she should be offended, but she laughed, shaking her head at his outrageousness. “Why do you hate my clothes?” she asked when she had her amusement under control.
His hands settled around her waist and her amusement faded away as that awareness came racing back.
“Because they don’t suit you,” he explained.
She had to tilt her head far back to see his eyes. But her gaze kept straying to his lips. “How…” she started, but she was too distracted by his hands and his closeness and…and his lips.
As she watched, those lips came closer. Closer still. Harper felt her heart pound against her ribs, her stomach fluttered, and her knees went a bit wobbly. Then his lips touched hers!
Just like before, all thoughts vanished as she opened her mouth to him, kissing him back, her hands sliding up his chest to curl over his shoulders. She felt his hands pull her against him, crushing her body against his and she loved it! She loved the way his mouth moved over hers, his tongue teasing hers, and her body trembling with the hope for more. Liquid fire shot through her veins and she could barely breathe! It was just…glorious!
And then it was over!
His lips were gone and she heard a small whimper, but didn’t realize that she’d made the sound. All she knew was that she wanted him to keep kissing her.
“We need to get away from this bed,” he grumbled. “Let’s go meet your horse.” And with those words, he stepped back and took her hand, almost dragging her out of her suite.
The only consolation she felt was that his voice wasn’t normal. It was still deep and sexy and…good grief, she’d felt his arousal on her stomach and…looking at him, she realized that he truly was fully erect!
“I know,” he growled, pausing with a hand on the door. “And if you don’t stop looking at it, then it won’t go away.”
It took a moment before his meaning got through to her. When it finally did, she gasped, her hand slapping over her mouth as she laughed.
Amit made a strange sound that might have been a laugh or perhaps a groan. Maybe both. “It isn’t funny.”
She looked up at his scowling face and couldn’t stop another laugh from bursting out of her.
He swung her around, right into his arms again. “If you don’t stop laughing at my...predicament…then we’re not leaving this room.” He jerked his head meaningfully towards the bed. “We’re going to find a different solution that I guarantee will be much more satisfying.”
“I’m sorry,” she replied, then resolutely smoothed her features into a straight face. It was difficult though, because she felt giddy with the power she had over his body. Even as they stood there, she could feel his arousal against her stomach. It was heady, knowing that she could do this to him with just a kiss.
“Harper, I’m warning you,” he grumbled, lowering his head.
She leaned back, laughing but quickly banished it. “I’m sorry!” she gasped, his hands firm against her back. “It’s just…you’re…and I’ve never had that sort of effect on someone before!”
He frowned curiously at her for a moment, not understanding. “Harper, you’re a beautiful woman.”
She shrugged, biting her lip for a moment. “Men are normally…well, they are intimidated by me, I think.”
There was still a fire in those hazel eyes of his, but the confusion increased. “Intimidated how?”
Looking at his genuine confusion, her heart soared. Feeling almost light-headed, she leaned towards him slightly. “Well, because I generally make more money than most men. Several of my…uh…romantic partners have mentioned that my income was emasculating.”
He blinked at her for a moment, and threw his head back, laughing. When he looked down at her again, he shook his head. “They were idiots, Harper,” he told her, then kissed her briefly. Pulling back, he sighed deeply, then nodded. “I think I have this under control. Let’s go visit the stables.”
She didn’t argue this time, happy to walk alongside him as he explained about the various horses in the stables and the one he was going to introduce her to in particular. She was fascinated by the depth of his knowledge of horses.
Until they arrived at the stables!
That’s when she saw the massive horse that he wanted her to ride. Granted, the lady had beautiful eyes and she looked gentle e
nough, but she was still huge!
“Harper, this is Hiccup,” Amit introduced, then turned around to discover that Harper was no longer by his side. In fact, she was several feet away and looking as if she was considering bolting.
With a chuckle, he walked back towards her. “Trust me,” he urged, gently taking her hand and leading her towards the gentle mare. “She won’t bite and she’s very sweet.”
“Why is she named ‘Hiccup’?”
Amit took her hand and lifted it so that she was stroking the mare’s neck. “Because when she was born, there were several issues with her birth. The vet attending her birth didn’t think she was going to make it, but every time something happened, he’d simply tell the mother that there was a hiccup in the birthing process. It seemed to soothe the mother mare, so we named the foal Hiccup.”
“That’s horrible!” Harper soothed, instinctively moving closer to the mare, just as he’d expected. Harper was an incredibly empathetic woman, which was what made her such an amazing psychologist.
Instantly, the mare’s mood shifted, changing from wary of Harper’s hand to curious.
“It’s okay,” Amit assured her when Harper grew antsy of the big animal’s movements. “She’s only showing you that she likes your touch,” he explained, moving behind her so that she’d walk into his body if she tried to move away. He lifted her hand and showed her how to stroke the animal. “Just like this.” Together, they stroked Hiccup’s neck, then he moved her hand down to her back and sides. “Don’t ever go behind a horse,” he warned as he led her slowly along Hiccup’s flanks. “They kick when startled.” He felt her tense, but moved his hand around her waist, pressing his palm against her stomach. “Always run your hand along her body, letting her know where you are. If she knows your location, then she’ll feel better.”
“She is very sweet,” Harper whispered, as if saying it louder might startle the horse.
He laughed softly. “Horses have an excellent sense of hearing. She can easily hear you whispering. It’s pointless to try to keep a secret from a horse.” He guided her hand back up towards Hiccup’s head again. “Horses love our voices. Another way to soothe your horse is to talk to her. Let her get to know your voice and feel comfortable with you. She’ll quickly start to understand the tones in your voice.”
“Just like kids,” she replied. He heard her astonishment and smiled.
“Exactly. Kids pick up the nuances of their parents’ voices. So do horses. They feel bad moods and good moods and react to both.” He led her hand closer and closer to Hiccup’s head. “Sometimes, when I come out to ride and I’m frustrated about something, my horse knows and he is extra irritating. He forces me to concentrate on riding instead of whatever is bothering me.”
“That sounds annoying,” she grumbled.
Amit chuckled. “It’s his way of getting me to stop thinking about my troubles and focus on him. He’s a bit self-centered.”
Harper glanced over her shoulder at him, her eyes conveying her disbelief. “Are you teasing me?”
His arm tightened around her waist. “Not even a little.”
She smiled, shaking her head, but she didn’t take her hand away from Hiccup’s neck.
“I have some apple slices in my pocket. Reach in there and give them to Hiccup. She’ll fall in love with you.”
Harper ignored his suggestion. “I don’t think that I’m ready to feed her. Don’t they have big teeth?” she asked, pushing back, but he was right behind her and wouldn’t let her step away.
“Yes, they have big teeth, but if you hold the apple slices flat in your hand, they can’t easily bite you. Besides, if they bite, they won’t get another treat. They all know this and Hiccup is especially careful since she’s such an apple fanatic.”
Harper laughed and, because his hand was still around her waist, he felt the sound echo through his body. It was electrifying and he cursed himself for bringing her out here instead of staying in her suite and making love to her. He knew that he could have done just that, but he also suspected that she wasn’t ready for intimacy so quickly. And for some reason, Amit wanted her all in when he finally took her to bed.
“Here,” he said, handing her the apples since he could feel her wariness about digging into his pockets. He positioned the apple slices in her hand, then moved her closer to Hiccup’s head. The mare already smelled the treats and eagerly searched for them, finding them in Harper’s hand and nuzzling her fingers.
“Just relax,” he soothed when Harper jerked. “I’m here and she won’t hurt you. I promise.”
“I don’t believe you,” she gasped, huddling back against him as Hiccup sniffed her hand. “Amit!” she yelped.
He laughed and reached for her fingers. “Open your hand, palm flat.”
Harper followed his instructions, but he suspected it was because he was holding her hand out.
Hiccup obviously understood Harper’s fears and slowly sniffed the apples. The gentle mare reached out and, with only her lips, delicately picked up the apple slices one at a time.
He felt her release the breath she’d been holding and laughed softly, his arm tightening around her waist. “Not so bad, huh?” he asked, then offered her more apple slices. “You do it this time.”
Bravely, Harper took the apples and extended her hand towards the horse. Very carefully, Hiccup accepted the offering, watching Harper as she chomped on the treat.
“There. You did it.”
Harper smiled, turning to grin up at him over her shoulder. “That was amazing!”
“Good. Are you ready to ride her?”
The smile vanished and he tightened his grip on her before she could run away. “Trust me,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck. “I’ll be right here, guiding Hiccup the whole way. We’ll just walk around the corral today.”
“Just the corral?” she asked with trepidation. “You won’t make me go out…there?” she pointed towards the open fields near the palace.
“Not a chance,” Amit vowed. “You’re not ready for that. Not yet. But soon.” With those words hanging in the air between them, he led her to the side of the mare and lifted her into the saddle.
“Okay, now hold the reins in one hand. I’m going to lead her from the front. Are you okay?” he asked, adjusting the stirrups for the length of her legs.
“I think so,” she said, although she looked terrified.
“Relax, Harper,” he soothed, stoking her thigh.
“I’m relaxed,” she lied, her knuckles white from her grip on the reins.
He laughed softly. “You’re tense and Hiccup knows it. See how her ears go backwards, then twitch?”
Harper’s eyes turned to look at the head of the mare. “Yes. Is that a bad thing?”
Amit moved to her side, still holding the reins in his hands. “It’s not a good thing. Horses sense feelings and emotions, Harper. But Hiccup doesn’t understand what’s going on. You’re riding her, but you’re not enjoying the ride. She doesn’t like that.”
“Right,” she grumbled, still not relaxing her death grip on the reins.
“I’m serious, Harper. Hiccup loves taking people on rides.”
“Doesn’t this hurt her back?”
He sighed and squeezed her thigh. “Actually, you’re not riding on her back. You’re on her shoulders. Think of what it’s like for a toddler to ride on a parent’s shoulders.”
Immediately, Harper shook her head. “It’s not the same.”
“It’s exactly the same. And if the toddler pulls at the parent’s hair, it hurts. So relax,” he urged, putting one of his hands over hers. “If you’re tense, then you’re more likely to pull on the leathers, which will hurt Hiccup’s mouth.”
“Oh!” her hands relaxed, but the tension didn’t leave her body. “Okay. I can do that. No pulling on the reins. Got it.”
She’d stared right at Hiccup’s ears the whole time and Amit shook his head. “I think the only way to prove to you that this will be fun is to show you. Let
’s walk, okay?”
Harper tried to take a deep breath, but it was hard, being so high up and not sure if she was hurting the horse or…what was happening. But as Amit led her through the gates of the corral, there was a slight swaying motion as the horse clopped along that she had to admit was rather pleasant.
“Are you okay?”
She hesitated, still staring at the horse’s ears. “Define okay?”
He laughed again, thinking she was adorable. “You’ll make it.”
Around and around, they walked along the fence line of the corral. Thankfully, it well shaded so the sun wasn’t beating down on her. Also, there was a giant fan moving the air around. So even the temperature wasn’t an issue. In fact, there wasn’t really a problem with riding, other than her fears, which she tried very hard to ignore.
After several minutes, when she hadn’t been thrown off, bitten, brushed against a fence, or anything else, Harper started to relax. And after a few more turns around the corral, she actually liked being on the horse. Hiccup was sweet, she finally accepted. Reaching out, she stroked Hiccup’s neck, feeling a sort of odd bond with her. Amit caught the action and smiled approvingly.
After about a half hour, Amit finally led Hiccup over to the fence, then reached up to help her down. “That wasn’t as bad as I antici…” she didn’t finish because Amit’s strong hands held her against him, her body sliding down his and she felt every inch, every tingle, and every muscle against her own. Her body came alive and she looked into his eyes, realizing that he was feeling the same sparks she did. The heat in his eyes was just as strong as the heat in her own body and she opened her mouth, ready to say something, but the words didn’t come. Nothing occurred to her. No words could adequately describe this moment and she felt…electrified.
“Yes!” The screech, startled them. He released her, but kept an arm around her waist as they turned to watch as Tarin and Gaelen, on massive stallions, barreled through the gates of the corral. A laughing little girl was seated in front of each man, both shrieking with delight.
Seduced by the Sheik (The Raminar Family Book 1) Page 9
