The Sheikh’s Stubborn Assistant

by Leslie North

  When she slapped at his chest, he released her, only to hear her say, “If you wanted to turn me on, you should have told me that you were interested in my opinion.”

  “You expect me to believe that you’re not wet again? Come here and prove it,” he growled.

  “Khalid!” She shoved her dress down and bent down to pick up her panties.

  Pissed, he moved quickly and grabbed her wrist. “Katie, I’m offering you a chance to observe me on an acquisitions trip. Our days and our nights are two very different things. You’re not going to let one affect the other, are you?”

  She hesitated, and he knew that he had her. “Where are you going?” she finally asked as he released her.

  “There’s a private collector in Turkey who recently passed away. He’d been promising me a chance to show his collection of ancient Greek pottery and paintings. He died a few months ago, and his heir is selling the collection. He’s giving me a first look.”

  Her eyes widened in shock. “He’s selling it? Why?”

  “Batuk had an unusually lusty side,” Khalid explained with a smirk. “His son didn’t realize how far in debt his father was until after the old man was dead.”

  Rolling her eyes, Katie pulled her panties up her legs. “You’re telling me that your Turkish collector went into debt buying hookers?”

  “Hookers—and quite a few mistresses who enjoyed a certain kind of lifestyle.” He shrugged.

  “So he had a harem?”

  “What can I say? He was a passionate man.” He ran a finger down her arm and smiled knowingly when she shivered under his touch. “Would you like to join me?”

  She closed her eyes briefly, and he studied her expression. He could read pleasure there, at his touch, but when she opened her eyes again, he could see the uncertainty in her gaze. Clearing her throat, she moved away.

  He knew that he already had her, that she wanted to jump at the opportunity, but it was obvious to him that she didn’t trust herself to remain in control.

  He wanted a chance to see her lose some of that control around him.

  After a minute, she caved, but her voice was clipped and cold. “Fine. What time should I be ready?”

  “I’ll send a car to pick you up at five on Friday morning.” He buttoned up his shirt and reached for his pants. “And Katie? If anyone should question my motives, this is a business trip.”

  Her eyes narrowed, and he saw the irritation in them, but he didn’t relent. The last thing that he needed was for his sister or either of his sisters-in-law to discover that he was sleeping with Katie.

  She didn’t say a word as she left, and he finished dressing. As much as he hated to admit it, he was satisfied with how that had gone.

  She was bending to his will, and that was exactly how he liked it.

  It didn’t surprise her that Khalid had a private jet. It also didn’t surprise her when he barely spoke to her during the trip to Turkey. He spent most of the time working on his computer while she curled comfortably in the leather seat and stared out the window in wonder.

  When they landed, he didn’t even touch her. There were several security guards traveling with them, and Katie knew that Khalid didn’t want them gossiping. It hurt just a little to know that he didn’t want to be open about their affair, but she couldn’t complain. She was the one who’d said that it would just be a one-night stand.

  And now it was going on a month.

  “What time are we meeting Mr. Batuk?”

  A dark sedan pulled up, and a driver got out and opened the door for them. Khalid didn’t wait for her to get in first.

  Bowing her head in a display of respect, she tried not to look annoyed as she climbed in after him. Out in public, she wasn’t his lover, She was his employee, and she had to show a certain amount of respect.

  “Around two. We’ll get settled in our hotel rooms and have some lunch first.” The car doors were shut, and he tugged at his tie. “I don’t suppose that I can convince you to stay in the room while I meet with Batuk?”

  Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms. “No.”

  “Very well. I would ask that you refrain from asking questions, but I have a feeling that won’t be possible for you.”

  “Khalid, I’ll be respectful. I do have experience with collectors.”

  “Sheikh,” he said tersely. “While we are with Batuk, you will address me as Sheikh.”

  Katie lowered her voice just a few notches so that only he could hear. “Did you expect to have a good time tonight?”

  He raised an eyebrow and smirked, though he said nothing. She knew that she’d gotten her point across, but she also knew that he had a point of his own as well.

  She’d let him be dominant during the day, but tonight, she was going to take control.

  It turned out that Batuk’s son was just like his father. The man was eyeing her with lust as soon as they walked in the door to his late father’s home.

  “Khalid, it is good to see you again, my friend,” he said heartily, clapping Khalid on the back. His round belly shook as he pulled Khalid in for a hug. “Have you brought me a delicious treat?”

  Katie immediately stiffened.

  Khalid looked mildly irritated, but then he smoothed his expression to studied neutrality as he gestured for Katie to step forward. “Batuk, this is my assistant, Katie.”

  The large man took her hand and kissed it. His lips lingered a little too long, and Katie stifled the urge to pull her hand away and slap him. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Batuk,” she said sweetly and glanced at Khalid.

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Believe me, my dear, the pleasure is all mine. In all the times that Khalid has been here, he’s never brought an assistant before.” Batuk’s eyes twinkled mischievously, and though Katie had stiffened her fingers in a tacit signal that she wanted her hand to herself again, he kept a firm grip.

  “Katie has an interest in curating. She’s showing promise, so I brought her along to observe,” Khalid said tersely.

  “Really?” Batuk squeezed her hand, and his eyes lowered to her chest. “I love an intelligent woman. Perhaps after our meeting, I can provide you with a private tour of the pieces that won’t be for sale.”

  “That’s very kind of you,” she said as she gently tugged her hand back.

  “But we’ll be far too busy,” Khalid finished for her. “I’m eager to see what you have for sale, Batuk.”

  The Turkish man winked at Katie. “Of course, of course. Right this way.” He held his arm out to Katie, and she had no choice but to take it. There was a slight rumble from Khalid, but he didn’t stop her. Instead, he trailed behind the two as they walked through the immense mansion.

  “My father had a deep interest in the Greek culture, and he was an avid collector. Do you know much about the ancient Greeks?”

  “I took a class in Greek art, but it wasn’t my concentration. Like many ancient cultures, it centers around worship and their gods. It’s through their literature and art that we know quite a bit about their culture. We’re lucky they were so prolific in recording their passions and beliefs.”

  “Passion,” Batuk mused. “Yes. That’s a very excellent way of putting it.” They stopped outside two white closed doors. “I cannot wait to see your face, my dear. I believe my father’s collection might take your breath away.”

  He opened the door, and Katie couldn’t help but gasp. Batuk was right. It really did take her breath away.

  It wasn’t just that Batuk’s father had been into Greek art. It was that he had been into one particular type of Greek art.

  Paintings and pottery dedicated to the god Dionysus: Everything in that room depicted wine, madness, and orgies.

  “Passion, indeed,” she managed, and Batuk roared with laughter.

  “A rather pointed collection, don’t you think?” he murmured as he pulled Katie closer. She stiffened in his grasp. “Such a beautiful display of humanity losing their inhibitions and being truly free. Tell me, m
y dear, when was the last time you felt that free?”

  “Batuk,” Khalid growled. “I did not bring my assistant here to distract you. I will ask her to wait outside if you cannot focus on the business at hand.”

  Batuk immediately released her, and with an overwhelming sense of relief, Katie stepped back. Khalid put a hand on the small of her back, and she felt a little more comforted. “Why don’t you explore while we talk?” he whispered in her ear.

  Katie nodded and slipped away, and she could feel both sets of eyes on her as she walked through the glass displays. She was in the presence of millions of dollars’ worth of art, and as she studied each work, the men, the world, slipped away.

  Batuk was right about one thing. Dionysus was all about lowered inhibitions and freedom. When was the last time that she had felt free? Even in Khalid’s arms, there was still a sense of hesitation. Maybe it was because they never left the gallery. Maybe it was because he was off limits, or maybe it was because she knew that when it was over, she was going to be the one with the broken heart.

  9

  After the meeting, Katie managed to escape without too much more manhandling. Khalid was satisfied with the price for the pieces he wanted, and he’d made arrangements to have them shipped straight to the gallery.

  He barely looked at Katie as they headed back to the hotel. Alone in her suite, she ordered dinner and ate by herself. She couldn’t help but be peeved that Khalid would insinuate that they would spend the night together and then abandon her on their first night.

  It shouldn’t matter. She was able to be a part of the acquisition, and that should have been enough to make her happy.

  Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

  Suddenly, the adjoining door to their suites opened. “Are you disappointed that you’re not spending the evening with Batuk?” Khalid growled as he walked straight to the bar.

  She paused, her bite of chicken halfway to her mouth. “Did you just walk into my hotel suite without knocking?” she demanded.

  “I’m paying for it.”

  “I don’t care. There is such a thing as privacy,” she snapped.

  He unscrewed the top of a bottle of bourbon and poured himself a drink. “You didn’t answer the question.”

  “Also a point of privacy. Whatever man I want to spend tonight with is none of your business.” Her appetite gone, she let her fork fall to the plate and pushed it away. “Please leave.”

  He tossed the drink back and turned to glower at her. “I didn’t invite you here so that you could drool all over another man.”

  “First of all, I was following your instructions. Be respectful, remember? He licked my hand, and you stood by and did nothing. I felt violated whenever the man looked at me. I was not drooling over him. On the other hand, you wouldn’t even look at me, so I’m not really salivating for your company either.” Angry, she rose and crossed her arms. “You should leave before your security realizes that you’re no longer in your room.”

  He poured himself another drink, and she cocked her head and stared at him. She’d never really seen him drink before. He tossed that glassful back as well and then turned to face her. “What happened today was business. I thought you were comfortable with your boundaries between night and day.” His eyes swept up and down her body. “I am sorry about Batuk. I should have stepped in sooner.”

  “But business is business?” she asked sourly. “Be honest with me, Khalid. Was I there because you want me tonight, or was I there because you wanted to use me to soften Batuk up?”

  His expression immediately hardened. “I would never.”

  “That’s what it felt like!” she burst out. “I felt used today, Khalid!”

  Before she could blink, he’d crossed the room and grabbed her. “That was not my intent,” he growled harshly. “You cannot possibly think that of me.”

  “I don’t know what to think of you, Khalid,” she whispered as she stared into his green eyes. “You don’t let me in. You don’t let anyone in.”

  “I’ve given you more than I’ve given anyone.” He reached up and brushed her hair from her face. “What do you want from me, Katie?”

  Swallowing hard, the truth threatened to claw its way out of her. She wanted everything from him, but if she told him, she could lose him. “I don’t know,” she said finally.

  He lowered his head and kissed her hard. As his arms circled around her and pulled her close, she melted against him. What started out slow and sensuous immediately turned hard and rough as he walked her to the bed. “Get undressed,” he ordered in a thick voice. “Slowly. I want to see every inch of your skin.”

  Suddenly, she felt shy. All of their previous trysts had been quick, almost desperate. She’d never been fully naked—most of the time, she hadn’t even been half-naked. Would tonight change things between them?

  “Now, Katie. I want to see you now.”

  As he unbuttoned his shirt, he slowly sank into the mattress.

  Under the spell of his gaze, her hands slowly moved to the straps of her dress. In that moment, she felt as if her body wasn’t even her own as she slipped the straps down her shoulders. Turning her back, she let the dress slither down her body and pool at her feet.

  “The bra.” His voice shook just a little.

  Closing her eyes, she reached back and unhooked the bra. As it fell, she reached up and unclipped the claw holding up her hair.

  “The panties, Katie.” His voice was barely above a whisper.

  Hooking her thumbs under the red elastic of her panties, she bent at the waist as she slowly lowered them.

  As she straightened, his hands circled around her waist, and she gasped. She’d never even heard him move.

  “Spread your legs.”

  Without hesitation, she did as he asked.

  His fingers lifted her hair, and he pressed his lips to her bare shoulder. Her heart hammered against her chest as he slid one finger down her spine to the cleft between her cheeks.

  “Khalid,” she whispered. Her knees threatened to give out from under her, and he’d barely touched her.

  “Let me,” he whispered. His fingers slipped between her lips and probed at her juices. “So wet. Is that for me?”

  When she didn’t answer right away, he tugged at her hair until she slammed against his body. “Is that for me, Katie?”

  “Yes,” she gasped. “Always for you.”

  Her back was pressed against his naked chest as his hands moved to the front of her body. As he sucked at the column of her neck, his hands caressed her abdomen before traveling north to her breasts. He pinched and rolled her nipple between his finger and thumb, and she moaned and rubbed against him.

  His erection was hard against her, and he growled in her ear. “Hold still.”

  “I can’t. Please, Khalid. Give me more.”

  “So greedy. Get on the bed. Hands and knees.”

  Hands and knees? Seriously?

  She wanted to balk, but her body was screaming for release. Feeling like she was walking through water, she slowly made her way to the mattress and crawled on all fours.

  “Back it up. To the edge.”

  Confused, she complied. She tried to look over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see him. It wasn’t until she felt his fingers sliding across her slit that she realized he was kneeling on the floor.

  And then she felt his lips and tongue.

  “Khalid!” she cried out and rocked back against him.

  He moved slowly, deliberately, as he pleasured her but avoided her most sensitive spot. As he licked and nibbled, she gripped the sheets and felt the energy mounting inside her. She was mindless with need, and it wasn’t until she heard him chuckle that she realized that she was begging for him.

  Finally, his tongue slid over her clit, flicking over and over again.

  Seconds.

  Minutes.

  When she exploded, she had to muffle her scream in the pillow.

  He licked her through it all until her body was sha
king so much that she collapsed on the mattress.

  “Easy,” he said soothingly as he stood and moved to the side. “Roll over, Katie.”

  It took all of her energy to flip to her back. As she watched Khalid unzip his pants, she bit her lower lip. Despite the fact that her body was still shaking, she wanted more.

  He joined her and kissed her deeply. “Can you taste that?” he whispered. “That’s you. That’s what you give me.”

  She did taste herself. Tangy. The idea that her juices still clung to his lips woke her body, and she lifted her hips.

  “Ah, yes. You like that, don’t you?” he murmured as he moved his lips down to the column of her throat.

  Shivering, she mewled. Being so exposed to him put them on a whole new level. This was what had been missing before. This wasn’t just sex. It was an intimacy she’d never felt comfortable giving him.

  Now he was taking it, and she was helpless to stop him.

  Khalid rained kisses over her body, lightly licking at her nipples and sliding his hands up and down her thighs until she was straining against him.

  As he shifted his body, she reached up and circled her hands around his cock. He grunted when she squeezed, and she curled until she could lightly kiss the head.

  “No,” he muttered as he moved away from her. “Not tonight.”

  “But . . .”

  Before she could continue to protest, he slipped a finger inside her and pressed a hot and open kiss to the inside of her thigh. Pleasure shot through her, and she rolled back helplessly.

  Closing her eyes, she cried out and moaned as he finger- and mouth-fucked her once again to an orgasm.

  “I don’t think I can take any more,” she whimpered as he twisted and moved over her. His cock settled between her legs, and he slid his hands up her arms until his fingers locked with hers.

  “You can, and you will,” he demanded as he kissed her.

  His tongue stroked in and out of her mouth, long and deep, until she was rubbing up against him. How could someone control her body so easily? How could he make her desperate for him?