CHALLENGED BY THE SHEIKH

by Kristi Gold

  "And you still enjoy this job?"

  She shrugged. "Guess I'm into self-torture." He had no idea how much truth there was in that statement. Or maybe he did. "Besides, this job is only a stepping stone. I have much bigger plans for my future."

  He scrutinized her with eyes a close match to the skies outside. "Is your job the only thing that is troubling you?"

  Raf's uncanny knack at reading her continually surprised Imogene. Maybe she should tell him what had been bothering her. Maybe if she did, he would be more inclined to open up to her. God knew, she wanted that more than anything now. "I had a dream about my little sister. That's what woke me."

  "A nightmare?"

  "A five-year nightmare. She's been gone that long."

  He tightened his hold on her. "What became of her?"

  Imogene took a deep draw of air and let it out slowly, preparing to talk about the horrible episode in her life with the only person she'd ever confided in outside the family. "She went to a concert in Atlanta and she never returned home. Vanished without a trace."

  "Did she run away?"

  Imogene shook her head. "No. She wouldn't do that. Even if she had gotten it in her head to do something like that, she would have eventually called me. We were very close. She's the one who called me 'Genie' first. And I'm responsible for her disappearance."

  He frowned. "How are you responsible?"

  She wasn't too sure she could confess with him staring at her expectantly, but she would if it meant he might eventually open up to her. "It was Victoria's seventeenth birthday. I was supposed to go to the concert with her, but I was too busy trying to keep afloat so I could get ahead. I can't help thinking that if I'd been there, I might have prevented it from happening."

  "Or perhaps you might have fallen victim, as well."

  Imogene stiffened in his arms. "She's not dead, Raf. I know this sounds crazy, but I can feel her presence. In the dream she told me not to give up, and I won't. I can't."

  He drew her against his solid chest and stroked her hair. "Nor should you give up hope if that gives you peace."

  The regret in his tone led Imogene to believe he did understand her pain. And she wanted to know why. "What do you hope for, Raf?" she asked, seeking his eyes in order to weigh his reaction.

  He pushed her bangs aside and left a kiss on her forehead. "I hope that you will be willing to come back to bed with me so that we can do nothing for the rest of the day and well into the night."

  It was obvious to Imogene he still wasn't going to bare his soul. But that was okay since he had at least bared his gorgeous body. One obvious part of him had come fully awake, and she was lost to him again.

  She ran her hands over the curve of his bare bottom. "I can't think of anything better than spending the day under the covers with you."

  Taking her totally by surprise, he swept her off her feet, at which time the robe drifted away along with Imogene's tenuous hold on her heart. He laid her down carefully on the mattress and kissed her thoroughly, tenderly. He touched her again, first whispering words of consolation then words of seduction that made her want him all the more. Made her want to love him. And with every ragged breath she drew, with every rapid beat of her heart, she did.

  * * *

  For the next few days Imogene was caught in a surreal web of carnal pleasure at the hands of Raf Shakir. He now knew every inch of her body, and she knew his, had explored it without inhibitions with her fingertips and her mouth. She'd learned to voice her own desires and he'd had no qualms about telling her what he liked and where he wanted to be touched.

  He'd been insatiable, but then so had she. He'd grown more brazen to the point Imogene never knew exactly when or where they would make love. She'd told him about her love-in-the-horse-stall fantasy, and he'd made that a reality one afternoon in broad daylight with their bodies slick from the hot, summer sun, running the risk that they might be caught even though they'd kept on most of their clothes. One evening following dinner and Doris's departure, they had fondled each other beneath the table, both so hot and needy that they'd never made it beyond the stairs before he'd made love to her on the landing.

  He had shown her every form of pleasure imaginable—and some she hadn't begun to imagine—in front of the mirror. Needless to say, she would never look at her reflection in the same way again. She would never look at lovemaking the same way either. He was spoiling her with his mastery, and stealing her heart with every lovely interlude.

  But at night, in the quiet aftermath of their lovemaking, when they had talked about their day, when she'd witnessed his inherent gentleness in his voice when he spoke her name, when he'd held her until the first signs of dawn, those were the times she would cherish most. Those were the moments when she'd known he was a man she could love for all time and probably would, regardless of what the future held.

  But as Raf had grown more liberal with his affections, Sid had grown more impatient with Imogene's absence. She'd taken to carrying her phone with her at all times, even during lessons, in case he called. She tried appeasing him in order to buy a little more time at the stables. He'd been all for Imogene striking a deal with Raf regarding his syndication, but that hadn't been enough to subdue his threats about finding a replacement for her if she didn't get back to the office.

  Today Imogene pushed all those concerns out of her mind. Raf had promised to take her to the next step in her lessons. She'd assumed that meant she would be riding Maurice, but as she approached the arena, she found Raf sitting atop BáHar, sans saddle, the gelding nowhere in sight.

  She stared up at him—a dark, arresting image against the blue, blue sky. Today the wind was strong, blowing his hair back from his face and complementing Imogene's topsy-turvy emotions. Every time she looked at him, her heart took a skid. Every time she considered the limited number of days before her departure, depression settled over her. But because she had so little time left, she refused to spend it moping around. To do anything less than value each moment with him would be completely counterproductive.

  She laid a hand on his thigh, a sure sign of the intimacy that now existed between them. "Where's my mount?"

  "I would like to show you something before we begin our lesson."

  Imogene grinned. "I'm sure you would, but I thought you were going to show me how to canter."

  "I will in a while. First, we ride together."

  When he held out his hand for Imogene, she started to issue a protest, to insist that she needed the lesson badly if she was ever going to pull this whole client thing off. But when he continued to study her with his powerful gray eyes, all her arguments fled.

  Raf took her hand and lifted her up with little effort, positioning her in front of him, the same as he had the first time they'd ridden this way almost two weeks ago. But this time Imogene was so much more comfortable, both with Raf and the horse.

  They took off at a walk down a path past the paddock where Jasmine grazed on lush grass, the yet-to-be-named filly that Imogene called Sassy running circles around the mare. Open pasture soon gave way to a thicket that nearly blocked the sun.

  As Raf guided the horse forward through the woods, Imogene leaned back against him to enjoy the leisurely ride. They hadn't gone far before he managed to find his way to the drawstring on her wind pants that she'd worn instead of the breeches. She'd thought it odd that he hadn't commented on the attire. Now she knew why.

  "You're a bad boy, Raf," she said as he slowly untied the string.

  "You did not say that last night outside on the verandah." He slid his hand beneath the pants and traced the lace band on her panties with one fingertip.

  "Last night it was late and dark and—" Any attempts at further protest escaped her when he inched a little lower, this time below the satin.

  "Yes, Genie?" He sounded amused, but his caress was deadly. Deadly to her senses, to her sense of reality. The pulse pounding in her ears drove away the afternoon sounds as he teased her with his arousing touch, tempted
her with his evocative words, propelling her into a world of uninhibited pleasure.

  Lost to him once more, Imogene managed a broken breath and a halfhearted scolding. "I swear, Raf, I'm going to…"

  "Yes, I believe you are."

  And she did, shuddering over the climax he was capable of giving her with such little effort.

  Imogene no longer recognized the woman she had become under his expert guidance. A woman who only now realized what she had been missing while going about the business of day-to-day living. A woman totally captivated by a man who treated her as if fulfilling her desires, her fantasies, held more importance than anything in his life. Even if she spent years searching for this experience with another man, she wouldn't be successful. And she probably would never find anyone who came close to being his equal. Maybe she wouldn't have to conduct a search. She could always hold on to that hope, at least for today.

  After removing his hand from beneath her clothes, Raf rimmed the shell of her ear with his tongue. "I have wanted to do that since the first day we rode together. You are very responsive."

  "And you are very, very wicked." She laid a hand on his thigh. "I can't reach you to return the favor."

  "I will allow that soon enough."

  Her phone began its strident ringing, interrupting Imogene's euphoria. She pulled the modern-day demon from her waistband and noted it was her personal burr in the buttocks. "What's wrong now, Sid? You got a hangnail?"

  "Real funny, Danforth. Lovell is threatening to take his business elsewhere if he doesn't see you soon. You've got to get back here."

  Imogene sighed. Mr. Lovell was one of her best—and wealthiest—clients. She couldn't afford the loss of his business. "Okay. Set up a meeting for tomorrow morning."

  "He wants to see you today. What am I supposed to tell him?"

  "Be creative, Sid. Tell him I'm sick or out of town. He's a reasonable man. He'll wait twenty-four hours."

  "You better hope he does, Danforth. This is your last chance."

  She snapped off the phone and shoved it back into the holder attached to her pants. Tomorrow she would have to embark on her return to reality, and she hated that thought.

  "You will be leaving soon?" Raf asked in an even tone.

  "Looks like it. I've put my boss off as long as I can."

  "I thought you were learning to ride per his instructions. Does he not understand what this entails?"

  She glanced back at Raf to find him frowning. "Sid only understands the power of money. So I guess this means we're going to have to work very hard today."

  "One more day will not be enough."

  Imogene would have to agree. Not enough time to learn all she needed to know. Not enough time left with Raf. "I'll have to take my chances, I guess. Or I could come back on Saturday and take up where we left off."

  "That would be favorable," Raf said as they entered a break in the woods where a large area leading to the river had been cleared. He stopped near one cypress hanging over the break and dismounted, pulled Imogene from the horse, then secured BáHar's reins on one limb.

  She propped her hands on her hips and stared at Raf when he began unbuttoning his shirt. Even though she'd seen his chest several times, she couldn't claim to be impervious to the incredible sight. "Obviously, we're done riding for now."

  With his hand poised on his fly, he smiled. "I thought it would be a good day for a swim. Then we will return to the arena for your lesson."

  Imogene glanced at the river that looked a little too muddy for her taste. "I can't imagine what's lurking in there. And the current looks pretty strong."

  He shrugged out of his jeans and briefs, leaving him totally nude and extremely proud. All of him. "I will make certain you are not carried away, at least not by the current."

  How could she possibly resist him? Easy. She couldn't. With that in mind, she unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off along with her bra. She had a little more trouble with her boots and had to use a tree trunk for support. By the time she had the pants and underwear off, Raf was already in the water.

  He went under for a few moments then rose up like some mythical sea god and slicked his dark hair away from his equally legendary face. His chest glistened in the sun, a solid, rippling mass of male beauty. And Imogene planned to enjoy it to the fullest.

  When she started to pick through the debris on the ground to join Raf, her phone rang again.

  "Do not answer it," Raf said, his gray eyes narrowed with frustration as he stalked toward the bank.

  "I have to see who it is." As if she didn't know. But when she fished the phone out of its holder and depressed the connect button, Raf snatched the cell from her grasp and raised his hand.

  Imogene shouted, "Don't you dare!" but not before he hurled it into the river. For a few seconds she could do nothing but stare, her mouth hanging open like a sprung door. "Why did you do that?"

  He tugged her into his arms. "I do not want any more interruptions."

  "That phone was very expensive."

  He burrowed his face in her neck. "I will buy you several before you leave."

  Did he have to keep reminding her she was leaving? And did he have to sound so nonchalant about it? "I'll definitely hold you to that."

  He guided her hand down to his erection. "I would prefer you hold this."

  She grinned. "What about our swim?"

  "I am getting to that."

  He picked her up and pulled her legs around his waist, then carried her into the water. He kissed her then, deeply, insistently, while turning them around in a slow circle. Imogene was dizzy from the motion, light-headed from the sheer pleasure of being in his arms.

  When he broke the kiss, he slid her down his body until her feet touched the sandy bottom and they were fitted perfectly together. Only one thing would bring them closer.

  She pushed his hair back from his face—a face she wouldn't mind waking up to every morning. "This is nice," she said.

  "Too often I forget to enjoy the simplicity of nature."

  She whisked a kiss along his shadowed jaw. "Me, too. In fact, I spend most of my time indoors, taking care of business."

  "I despise the business of running the stable. I would prefer to work with the horses. Before I left Amythra, I spent most of my time training."

  "Why don't you hire someone to take care of the business side now?"

  "I am very particular. I prefer to handle it myself."

  Imogene slid her hand down his belly and below. "Are you sure about that?"

  His grin gave the sun a run for its money. "I suppose that does not hold true in every instance."

  As promised, Imogene returned the favor, at least for the time Raf allowed it before he said "Enough" and pulled her hand back to his chest.

  "You are no fun," Imogene said as she tilted her pelvis against him.

  "That is not what you said—"

  "I know. Last night."

  He feathered kisses along her jaw as he lightly stroked her breast. "I am beginning to believe that clothing is overrated. Perhaps we should skip that formality for the rest of the day."

  "We almost have. But I'm not sure I want to try to ride naked. Besides, what would Ali and Blaylock think?"

  He nailed her with a serious stare. "I am the only one entitled to that pleasure."

  Imogene decided he might be entitled now, but after she was gone, would he find someone else to replace her? After she returned to Savannah, she would have no control over what he did or with whom he did it. She refused to spoil this heavenly interlude with those concerns.

  Just when Raf ran his hands down her bottom and kissed her again, Imogene was suddenly aware of the sound of horse hooves approaching.

  "Someone's coming." Her voice came out in a panicked whisper.

  "That is my plan."

  "I'm serious, Raf."

  Raf's gaze snapped to the bank the moment the bay horse and rider came into view. He set Imogene down and pulled her behind him, concealing her fro
m Ali who had stopped near a copse of trees, his gaze averted. "Forgive me for the interruption, Sheikh Shakir, but Ms. Danforth has a call awaiting her at the stables."

  "She is occupied at the moment," Raf said. "Tell him she will return the call later."

  Ali focused his attention on the sky. "This is not a man. This is Ms. Danforth's mother. She insisted on waiting until I retrieved Ms. Danforth."

  Imogene's chest constricted with alarm. "Is it an emergency?"

  "She sounded concerned but she did not mention an emergency."

  That was welcome news to Imogene. If it had been a crisis, her mother would have said as much. However, with her family's recent problems involving the campaign and sabotage, anything was possible. "Tell her I'll call her as soon as we can get back to the barn."

  Ali nodded without looking at her. "I will inform her of that. And again, my apologies." He turned and spurred the horse into a gallop, disappearing in a matter of seconds.

  Again Raf pulled Imogene into his arms. "Do you think she could possibly wait awhile longer?"

  As much as Imogene wanted to say yes, she couldn't. Her mother wasn't one to overreact so the call had to be important. "We can continue this later in the tub. Right now I need to see what she needs."

  "Of course. Your family and your job are more important than our afternoon outing." His tone was flat, emotionless, but Imogene could see the tempest brewing in his eyes right before he dropped his arms and started up the bank without even a parting kiss.

  During the journey back to the stable, Raf remained silent and stoic. Imogene couldn't imagine why he was in such a weird mood, but she supposed it was his possessive nature coming out. That might be flattering under some circumstances but she would expect him to understand in this instance. Her family did need her and she intended to be there for them. Her job was an essential part of her life.

  Her relationship with Raf was becoming significant, as well. Almost too significant. Imogene had to remember that although they had shared as much as any man and woman could share in terms of intimacy, no promises had been made. No mention of seeing each other beyond the present. That probably wouldn't happen unless she made the suggestion, something she would have to decide later.