The Sheikh's Crown (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 2)

by Leslie North

  “Hey,” Bruce barked. “Enough flirting. Back to work. I believe it was both of you who were pushing that we finish this in time.”

  Adil winked at her before snagging the paperwork and giving her space to work. As the hours passed, he couldn’t help but keep a close eye on her. She was sexy and mysterious. He had a feeling that she was planning on keeping him at arm’s length. It was probably for the best if he had any chance of remaining in his brother’s good graces. Besides, she didn’t strike him as someone interested in a one-night stand. No, she was definitely someone in it for the long-term and that just wasn’t him.

  But that didn’t mean he was going to give up; he had to have her in his arms at least once.

  4

  The fake cargo shipment went off like a charm. The Louvre published a piece online about its arrival, and Samine, Adil, and Bruce managed to get everything catalogued in time for the real shipment. It was three days of long hours, and not once did Adil let up. Samine had never felt so wanted in her life, and the more she flirted back, the more she wondered if she was doing it for the crown or because she enjoyed the way the gorgeous man looked at her.

  “I suppose you’ll want to go to Paris with the shipment,” Adil said after Bruce left.

  They were rarely alone. Bruce hovered around them every minute to make sure that they stayed on track. Now that they were alone in the vaults, she felt the electric energy around them. Days of flirtation had done nothing but put her on edge, and she had a feeling that a single touch would set her off. She took a few steps back to keep some space between them.

  She couldn’t lose her head just yet.

  “Are you asking me to go to Paris with you?” she asked teasingly.

  “Do you want to go to Paris with me?” he asked huskily. “Bruce is staying here to finish cataloguing the rest of the collection, so it will just be you and me.”

  “Do you always answer a question with a question?” she fired back.

  “It’s not like you’re giving me any straight answers.”

  There was that look again. Dark. Intense. Adil knew exactly what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to go after it. Samine envied that kind of freedom. She blew out her breath and nodded. “All right. If you want a straight answer, then I’ll give you one. I do want to go to Paris so I can be with the collection and continue my research.”

  “I see,” he said quietly.

  She gave him a smile. “I wouldn’t mind it if you were there with me.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She didn’t need Adil to tag along. In fact, her job would be that much harder if he were there, but the words were out before she could stop them.

  “I’m glad you feel that way, because I’ve already arranged for you to fly with me. I’ll see you in the morning, Samine, unless you want to come out with me tonight to celebrate?”

  God, did she ever want to go out with him and celebrate. Blowing off a little steam would be perfect, but she had work to do before then. If Adil were coming with her, she would have to rearrange her plan. “I have to pack,” she told him with a smile. “But I appreciate the offer.”

  “Very well. Have a good night, Samine.” He gave her a hooded look before leaving her alone in the vault. She watched him go up the stairs with a sigh. Everything about the man was perfect. From his body to his swagger to that asinine grin he gave her all the time.

  When he was out of sight, she lunged across the table and grabbed the clipboard. In all the time that they’d been cataloguing and itemizing, she’d kept her gaze away from what she really wanted. She’d been too scared that her face would show everything.

  With trembling fingers, she flipped through the pages until she found it. “Bathsheba’s Crown. A necklace of pure gold with eight prongs. Seven blue sapphires and seven diamonds,” she read aloud. She put her hand over her mouth and slowly slid to the floor. This was it. She’d finally found it. Nicknamed the crown because of the way it was shaped, the necklace was rumored to have adorned Bathsheba’s head. She was so close.

  The truth was that she’d never thought she’d get here. Part of her thought it was just a wild goose chase, and that it would never amount to anything. But she’d finally found it. It was right there in the crate. She could bust it open right now and take it.

  “Ms. Isme? Are you still down there?”

  The voice reminded her why she couldn’t take it now. It was still heavily guarded. “I’m coming up,” she called out, as she pulled herself up. The large man waited for her up the stairs, and she gave him a winning smile. “That’s precious cargo down there. You make sure nothing happens to it.”

  He looked up in surprise at the heat in her voice. She wasn’t kidding around. If anything happened to that necklace before she could get her hands on it, there would be hell to pay.

  “Yes, miss,” he said quietly. “I’ll get a driver to take you to your hotel.”

  Samine nodded in gratitude. Come hell or high water, that necklace would go to Paris. And then, when Adil was distracted, she’d take it and run.

  Samine’s confidence surged when she found Adil waiting for her by the plane. “Of course you have your own private jet,” she said with a shake of her head. “And here I thought we were flying commercial.”

  “Oh no, my dear. We’re going to Paris in style.” He nodded to his men, and they swarmed her as they grabbed her bags. She inhaled sharply. Practically everything she owned was in those bags, but they didn’t give them a passing glance as they carried them on the plane. Of course, they wouldn’t.

  She gave him what she hoped was a seductive smile. “Is there any other way to go to Paris?” She took his outstretched hand and let him lead her up the stairs. The private plane was beautiful inside. Tan leather seats, red carpet, an ice bucket with a champagne bottle.

  A bubble of laughter filled her. “Champagne. Before breakfast. Classy.”

  “Don’t worry. I have breakfast too if you’re hungry.” Turning, he pulled her close. She gasped when he lowered his face so that it was just inches from hers. “Or, I could entertain you in other ways,” he murmured.

  “As interesting as that sounds, I did skip breakfast. So let’s start with that.” She pulled away from him and shook her head. “Oh, don’t look so disappointed. At least one woman has told you no, right?”

  He shrugged as he pretended to think. “You know what? I don’t think they have. But I do agree that we should start with breakfast. I would hate to see what you look like angry from hunger.”

  She pretended to gasp in indignation. “I’ll have you know that I don’t have an angry bone in my body.”

  Adil gave her a look that clearly indicated that he didn’t believe her, and she laughed. Once the plane took off, the flight attendant brought out a tray laden with breakfast food.

  She stared down at the poached eggs, sausage, and French toast. “Is this what you normally eat for breakfast?”

  Shrugging his shoulders, he smiled. “I went to school in both the US and the UK, so my preferred palate tends to be more for Western food.”

  The smells became intoxicating and she dug in and ate with gusto. When she finished, she felt a sense of peace. She was here, on the plane. Everything was going to plan.

  She hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night. Exhausted, she closed her eyes, and she was soon fast asleep.

  She startled awake when she felt the plane touch down with a thump. Opening sleepy eyes, she looked around as she got her bearings. They had landed in Paris. She was surprised to see Adil standing before her in nothing but boxers.

  Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Nope. Turning around, he saw that she was awake and smiled at her, as she swallowed uncomfortably. Did he have to be so damn comfortable in and out of his clothes? A light spattering of dark hair covered his chest, and she wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

  Grinning broadly, he struck a pose. “Do you see something you like?” he asked, as she blushed and tur
ned away.

  “Do you always walk around without any clothes on when you’re flying?” she muttered as she reached to put her shoes back on.

  “If it meant seeing the look on your face again, I would.”

  “I wasn’t giving you any sort of look, I was flustered, that’s all.” She hoped her response didn’t sound as bad as she thought. His answering chuckle answered that question.

  “If you must know, I didn’t realize that I had spilled some of my breakfast on me and I wanted to change. You were sleeping so soundly, I thought I could finish before you woke. But I must admit, I’m glad you got to see me like this.”

  Adil’s grin spoke volumes. He was a man who was used to women falling at his feet.

  Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her bags. Turning back to face him, she crossed her arms. “Whenever you’re ready, playboy.”

  Grinning at her, he dressed quickly. Samine needed to get the image of him out of her head and fast. “When can we check on the shipment?” she blurted out, needing a change in topic.

  Adil grabbed his phone and checked it. “I got a confirmation that it arrived to the warehouse an hour ago. We’ll check on it in the morning when the Louvre comes to pick it up.” He gave her a brilliant smile. “Until then, we can spend a wonderful evening in Paris.”

  Despite herself, Samine’s heart fluttered. She tried to gain control of her senses. “Adil. You did make sure that we have separate bedrooms, right?”

  “I got us a suite. It sits on the Seine River, and it’s supposed to have a breathtaking view,” he murmured as he reached over to tighten her belt. She shook her head, and he gave her a small smile.

  “Adil, this is a business trip. You’re making it sound like we have the honeymoon suite.”

  “Oh, it’s going to be much better. Come on. Let’s go get checked in.”

  Samine laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. She should have known Adil would make a spectacle of this trip. She knew all about his womanizing. Only he would try to work a romantic rendezvous into a business trip. A hotel suite with a breathtaking view? A romantic dinner in Paris? He was hoping to seduce her.

  Based on her body’s response, she wanted him too. But if she got too close, she wouldn’t be able to follow through with her plan. So she’d keep flirting, but she’d also have to play hard to get. Make him think that she was hooked, but not quite let him reel her in.

  It had occurred to her that someone would get hurt. How could they not? But she’d told herself that she wouldn’t care. The necklace was more important than any feelings that might get crushed along the way. But the more time she spent with Adil, the more she realized that she didn’t feel that way anymore.

  Still, Adil didn’t care about the artifact. He’d probably only be hurt when he realized that he couldn’t seduce her. So maybe this was working out for the best.

  He talked nonstop on the ride to the hotel. She gave him a few smiles and even chuckled a couple of times, but she wasn’t listening. Instead, she was figuring out the best way to slip away tonight and break into the warehouse. She’d brought a couple of sleeping pills with her, but she wasn’t sure she could actually drug him. If he was hell bent on seducing her, she might not be able to get away from him that easily.

  She could fake an illness and leave early. A suite meant that they’d share a space, and his guards liked to keep a close eye on him, but that shouldn’t be an obstacle.

  Adil reached over and took her hand. “Is this your first time in France?”

  She nodded. “I’ve always wanted to come here. Thank you for letting me be part of this. I owe you one.”

  Lifting her hand, he kissed the back of it as he looked her in the eye. “You don’t owe me anything. Just enjoy a beautiful night with me.” She raised her eyebrow, and he quickly frowned. “You’ve been avoiding me. Tonight, we will enjoy dinner together. Agreed?”

  Samine laughed and ducked her head. “I would love to have dinner with you tonight. It’ll be nice to have some alone time with you.”

  “Good.” He leaned over and put his arm around her. “I want to get to know you better, Samine. We haven’t really talked intimately since you’ve started working with me.”

  Oh boy. She tried to keep the flush from creeping up to her cheeks, but her body betrayed her. As he put a hand on her knee, the air around them grew hot. “What makes you think I’m in a position to talk intimately?” she asked coyly.

  “You have a boyfriend?” he asked as he pulled back.

  “No. I was just pointing out that you never asked. But then, I hear you’re not particularly picky when it comes to your women.”

  Adil chuckled and pulled away. “The past is the past. Maybe tonight you can change my mind, and teach me why I should be far more selective about my women. Beautiful. Elegant. Smart.”

  Samine couldn’t help herself. She threw her head back and laughed. The car stopped. “Maybe I can teach you a thing or two,” she said as she winked. She reached over and opened the door handle. Glancing at the hotel, she couldn’t help but catch her breath.

  Absolutely beautiful. Too bad, she wouldn’t be able to settle down enough to enjoy it. She didn’t plan on staying in Paris long. She just needed enough time to grab the necklace and leave before anyone was the wiser.

  5

  Adil was actually nervous, and he didn’t like this new feeling. He took women out all the time and never had any problems with the money he spent on them, but for some reason, it didn’t feel right with Samine. He felt like he could throw all the money in the world at her, and it wouldn’t make a difference. There was something off about everything. He wasn’t even sure if she liked him.

  After he finished the final touches on his suit, he crossed the living room and knocked on her bedroom door. “Samine? Are you ready?”

  The door opened, and his eyes widened. She wore a simple black dress, but it looked anything but simple on her. With spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline, it showed off her glowing sun-kissed skin. It stopped teasingly mid-thigh, and she wore a pair of high pumps that accentuated her calves. Her dark hair fell in waves down her shoulders, and he couldn’t help himself. Reaching out, he ran his hands over a single curl. “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself. I wasn’t sure what I should wear. Are you sure, it’s okay? I don’t exactly own any elegant gowns.”

  Adil shook his head. “You look absolutely perfect. Hungry?”

  “Starving,” she gushed. “You have no idea. Hang on. Let me get my purse.” She ducked back into the bedroom, and he peered inside.

  “Samine. Did you even unpack?’ he asked as he looked around. Her luggage was in the corner, and there was nothing out on the counters. He’d already unpacked and hung all of his clothes.

  She looked around and shrugged. “I’m just a neat person. Does that bother you?”

  “Not at all. I, however, look like a slob compared to you.” He stared at the large bag she’d slung over her shoulder and chuckled.

  “I expected a small clutch.”

  “Trust me. I am not a small clutch kind of girl. Come on. If we wait any longer, I might eat you. And do not turn that into something sexual,” she warned with a wag of her finger.

  With a laugh, he put his arms up in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare. At least, not right now.”

  He couldn’t keep his hands off her on the ride to dinner. She didn’t snuggle up under his arm, but she didn’t pull away either. He brushed his finger along her hair, enjoying how silky it felt. She smelled absolutely amazing with hints of lavender and vanilla. He was growing increasingly intoxicated with everything about her. The only question was if she felt the same way about him.

  He’d reserved them a table at Paradou out on the patio with a view that overlooked the river. The stars twinkled over the water, and the candles danced in the breeze. He wanted to impress her so he ordered for the both of them in fluent French, b
ut she didn’t comment other than to raise an eyebrow and smirk at him.

  After the food arrived, they made small talk as they ate, enjoying each other’s company. Well, Adil made small talk. Samine had limited her responses seeming to prefer to let him talk. Looking over at her plate, he was surprised to see that she had barely eaten anything, merely moved the food around on the plate. “Samine, is everything okay? You haven’t eaten much of your dinner, and you claimed to be starving.”

  She reached across the table and took his hand. “Adil, I’m not going to lie. This isn’t easy for me. I don’t really socialize with men like you. And I definitely don’t have romantic dinners like this. If I seem uneasy, it’s because I don’t want to do anything to embarrass myself.”

  “You don’t have to be anything but you,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “Tell me about yourself. Your family. Your job. Something that makes you more comfortable.”

  He watched as she picked up her glass of wine and took a tentative sip before setting it back down.

  “All right. I grew up in America, but my family is originally from Iran. I have an older brother. My father passed away a few years ago. I work as a reporter in New York, and my magazine is mostly a male-dominated field. I usually report on finances and international news.”

  “Wow.” Adil frowned. “You managed to package up an entire life in five sentences. Usually people love to talk about themselves.”

  The waiter stopped and asked if they needed anything. Adil was about to say that they were fine, but Samine gave him a smile and jumped right in. His mouth nearly dropped open when she continued to have a conversation with the waiter for several minutes.

  “I didn’t realize that you spoke French,” he said slowly.

  “You never asked. Besides, I thought you wanted to impress me.”

  “I did. Apparently, I was not as impressive as I thought. Do you have any other surprises up your sleeve?”