“Johari? Is there a reason why a marriage between you and the sheikh should not take place?”
It was Jamal who was asking the question. She met her brother’s gaze and for some reason she felt the brother who knew her well, at that moment, realized there was something she was not telling them. She lifted her chin and said, “I won’t answer that, Jamal. I need to meet with Sheikh Valdemon and I will let him decide.”
Without saying anything else, she quickly left the room.
* * *
Upon awakening the next morning Johari received word that Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon had arrived at the palace and had agreed to meet with her. It seemed the entire palace was buzzing and all the young female staffers were whispering about how handsome the sheikh was. She ignored their chatter, not at all impressed and thinking no man could possibly be more handsome than her Monty.
She deliberately stayed in her room most of the day, even taking her breakfast and lunch there. Her mother paid her a visit when she was eating lunch and Johari couldn’t help noticing the excitement that was shining in her mother’s dark eyes.
“You don’t appear to be excited about this being your wedding day, Johari.”
She stopped eating to look up at her mother, fairly certain her father had shared the details of yesterday’s meeting with her. “I’m sure you’re aware, Mother, that a wedding might not be taking place.” Johari was grateful her mother did not ask her why she felt that way.
She had showered and dressed in a skirt and blouse when she received word that Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon of Mowaiti was ready to hold a private meeting with her. Instead of meeting with her in one of the conference rooms in the same wing as her father’s office, as she’d assumed, she was told he would meet with her in one of the entertainment rooms in a wing of the palace that was seldom used. Johari was further surprised when she was informed there would be no chaperone for this particular meeting.
Just as well, she thought as she walked the long corridor to where the meeting was to take place. The fewer people who knew of her predicament the better. She intended to tell the sheikh everything, including the fact that she was in love with another man, and like she had told her father, the decision as to whether there would be a wedding later today would be his.
The room that had been selected for their meeting was usually kept private except for when her father entertained dignitaries from neighboring sheikhdoms. One of the features in the room was a huge fountain in the center of the room that had been sculpted in the shape of one of the Egyptian waterfalls.
She knocked on the closed door and a deep, husky voice speaking in her native tongue indicated she could enter. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. She could not recall the last time she had been in this room, not since she was eight or nine. But just like all the rest of the rooms of the palace, it was richly decorated in colors of red and gold. Another thing she noticed was that the blinds hadn’t been opened, which gave the room a dark effect except for the few wall lanterns that were lit and shining brightly.
Her gaze swept the room and then she saw him. The sheikh’s back was to her as he stood staring at the huge waterfall. He was wearing royal sheikh attire complete with his native headdress.
Even with his back to her he emitted a power that she couldn’t help but feel. She knew this was a man who issued orders that were obeyed. He was also a man who over the past six years had taken an impoverished country and turned it into a thriving one.
She found herself clearing her throat and then saying in her native tongue, “I am here for our meeting, Your Highness.”
Instead of turning around to acknowledge her presence, he responded likewise in their native tongue. “You wanted to meet with me before the wedding, Princess Johari?”
She was slightly annoyed that he hadn’t turned to look at her, and wondered if the reason had anything to do with his disgust with her behavior in the States. If that was the case then he was about to become more annoyed with her. “Yes,” she said. “I need to advise you of some developments.”
“Such as?”
She paused for a second and then decided to just get it out. “While in the United States, I met someone. A man I fell in love with. And I think you should know that we were intimate and I could be having his child.”
That confession should turn him around, she thought, and when it didn’t, when he just continued to stand there silently with his back to her, she was puzzled. “Your Highness, did you hear what—”
“Do you know for certain that you are pregnant?”
She stared at his back, more confused than ever. He was asking the question as if a pregnancy was something he was anticipating happening. “No, but if you marry me tonight without knowing for sure then you could possibly claim someone else’s child.”
“Not necessarily. In fact, I know not.”
It was then that he slowly turned to face her. She frowned at the dark eyes staring back at her and when he reached up to remove his headpiece, her head began spinning and she thought she was going out of her mind. Her breath caught and the name she had held to her heart slipped from between her lips. “Monty!”
* * *
Rasheed stared across the room at the woman who had been in his dreams each night, the woman who was on his mind each day. The one and only woman who had captured his heart. She stood staring at him, speechless and as beautiful as he remembered.
“Monty, I don’t understand. What are you doing here? And where is Sheikh Valdemon?”
He slowly crossed the room to her. “The reason I am here is because I am one and the same. My friends know me as Monty. To others I am Sheikh Rasheed Valdemon of Mowaiti.”
He watched as it slowly began to dawn on her what he’d said and what his admission meant. And he was very aware of the exact moment the surprise in her eyes turned to anger. “You deliberately misled me into believing you were someone else,” she said in an accusing tone. “That night in New York, when you first approached me at the club, you knew who I was, didn’t you?”
Rasheed saw no reason to be less than honest with her. “Yes. In fact, my only purpose in coming to New York was to find you and send you back to Tahran.”
She lifted her chin in a defiant manner. “And just how did you manage to find me? Everyone else was looking for me in California.”
He nodded. “Yes, you deliberately sent them to the wrong area of the country. However, a friend of mine is an ace when it comes to tracking people. I hired him to find you and he did so within forty-eight hours without falling for your false leads.”
“And once he found me, you decided to make it all fun and games?” she snapped.
He crossed his arms over his chest. “At the time I figured why not, since you’d made a point that you were looking to have some fun anyway. In fact when I walked into that nightclub you were dancing on the tables.”
He noted the embarrassment that stained her features. “Yes, I wanted to have fun but it wasn’t my intent to be used!” she shouted angrily.
She turned to walk away, intent on leaving the room. He reached out and grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. The moment they touched, sensual sensations that they had previously experienced raced through their bodies.
He pulled her close to him so she could look directly into his face. “And tell me, Johari. Just how did I use you? Did I force you in any way? I don’t recall kidnapping you any of those times you were on my jet or when you went to my islands. In fact you seemed rather happy to be there. To my way of thinking, I kept you out of trouble. And also to my way of thinking, I gave you everything you wanted.”
Another blush stained her features. “And you were probably laughing behind my back while doing so.”
“Trust me, the only laughing moments are those we shared together. Otherwise, the tone between us was serious, pretty intense and sexual if you were to ask me, or if I need to remind you.”
She glared at him. “We
ll, I’m not asking you nor do you need to remind me of anything,” she said. “In fact, I don’t want to have anything to do with you!”
“That’s not possible with your admission of two things tonight. You love me and there’s a possibility that you might be pregnant with my child. Make no mistake about it, Johari. I want both. I intend to keep your love and I want you to have my baby. If I didn’t want those things then you wouldn’t be in the predicament you’re in now. I was well aware of each and every time I made love to you without protection.”
Shock showed on her face. She would have stumbled back if he did not have a firm grip on her arm. “Are you saying you deliberately tried to get me pregnant?”
“What I’m saying is that I deliberately didn’t use protection. It felt better that way inside of you and since you were going to be my wife anyway, I decided it wouldn’t bother me in the least if you were to have my child.”
“Because you had me no matter what! And you led me to believe you were American and then Greek. You made a fool out of me!”
“I never said I was American, nor did I say I was Greek. You assumed those things because of my fluency in both languages, but like I told you I can speak several languages,” he said fiercely. “So you were wrong about my nationality just like you were wrong about my age. As you can see I’m not an old man after all, Johari. Most of my good days are far from being gone.”
He knew his words made her recall just what she’d said and in anger she tried pulling her hand away, but he only tightened his grip.
“I told you all my secrets regarding my upcoming marriage when the marriage was going to be to you,” she said with hurt in her eyes. “You deliberately maneuvered me into bearing my soul. You were teaching me ways to please my future husband, who conveniently happened to be you. You played me well and I won’t forgive you for doing so. There is no way I will marry you now.”
A heavy frown settled on Rasheed’s expression when he saw the tears forming in her eyes. “We are getting married tonight, Johari.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “No, we’re not.”
“Yes, we are.”
She glared at him. “You can’t make me.”
He couldn’t restrain his smile. “Yes, I can and I will. Have you forgotten that I have a knack when it comes to seduction? I will keep you in here and by the time I’m finished with you, you will agree to just about anything.”
She narrowed her eyes. “My father and brother will not let you touch me.”
A smile touched his lips. “Your father and brother are probably aware that I’ve already touched you. They knew I was going to use my resources to find you and they were told the moment you were found. So they know you were with me the entire time, the majority of those two weeks.”
She snatched away from him, livid. “Which means, considering your reputation with women and my naiveté, that they knew I was in your bed.”
“And with my full intent on marrying you, no matter what.”
She threw up her hands. “Why? Why do you want to marry me when you know I will cause you nothing but trouble? I refuse to compete with your mistresses. I couldn’t tolerate being with you knowing others have been with you, as well.”
“So you’ve told me, several times, and that is something you don’t have to worry about. There won’t be anyone but you.”
Johari rolled her eyes and nearly laughed out loud at the same time. “And you expect me to believe that?”
“Yes, I expect you to believe that and you can believe this, as well. I love you and I don’t intend for any other man to have you or our baby.”
He saw the stunned look on her face. “What did you just say?” she asked him in a shaky voice.
Rasheed had no problem repeating it. In fact he would shout it to the entire world if he had to. “I said that I love you, Johari, and I don’t intend for any man to have you or our baby.”
She lifted her chin. “That’s not love. That’s possession.”
He couldn’t help but grin. His future wife was a spitfire and there would not be a dull day around her. “Actually, it’s both,” he decided to clarify. “But love has the higher percentage. I, Rasheed Amin Valdemon, have never loved a woman until I fell in love with you. I had no desire to love one or a need to love one. But my need for you, my desire for you, Johari, leaves me vulnerable to things I’ve never experienced before.”
Rasheed paused, knowing he had to make her not only understand but believe. “When I see you, I am filled with exceeding joy, happiness, so much it is staggering. And when I’m with you intimately, inside of you, making love to you, you pleasure me more so than any woman. That includes any woman before and there will be none after, because you’ve taken away my desire for any others. I only want you. I love you.”
He could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted to believe him but still wasn’t fully convinced. Probably because of his past reputation with women, she couldn’t imagine such a thing as being true. But he knew he had spoken the truth. She was the only woman he wanted. Now he understood what his good friend Jake Madaris meant when he’d said that although he hadn’t been interested in having a wife, since marrying Diamond he couldn’t imagine his life without her.
Rasheed could admit that he felt the same way about Johari. He couldn’t imagine a life without her. He couldn’t bear it if she was not by his side, in his bed, the mother of his babies. His queen.
He reached out and captured Johari’s wrist and gently pulled her to him. “I am possessive with you so I know you will be possessive with me. I have no problem with that. In fact, I want exclusivity. Totally. I haven’t touched another woman since meeting you and before I landed back in Mowaiti a few days ago, I had my secretary call my mistresses and dismiss them all. They are no longer needed. You are the only women I want, the only woman I need. During those days you were with me, you wrapped me in pleasure so tight I couldn’t imagine having any other woman in my bed but you.”
“Are you sure?” she asked, seemingly through a forced breath.
Rasheed saw the ray of hope that glimmered in her eyes but she was still holding back. “I’m sure, Johari. I am positive. I want the type of marriage with you that will last forever.” He reached out and placed her hand on his chest, right on his heart. “Every beat is for you and will be always. This has been the longest week but I knew I had to give you time to adjust to being back home before I stated my plea to your father. I have to marry you tonight, Johari. I can’t live another single night without you.”
His gaze burned into hers when he added, “You are my heart. You are my soul. You are my woman. You will be my queen. Please say that you will be.”
More tears came into Johari’s eyes, but Rasheed knew these were tears of happiness. She shifted her body to wrap her arms around his neck, held his gaze and said, “Yes, I will be your queen. I want to be your everything.”
A satisfied smile touched Rasheed’s lips. “You are already that, sweetheart.”
And then he lowered his mouth, sank down into the pleasures he knew awaited him there. Her response was immediate, her passion quick. He kissed her like a starving man. A man who needed this and her to survive. And she clung to him, returned his kiss with the same fire and passion he was displaying. The same pleasure.
Reluctantly, he pulled his mouth back and smiled down at her. “Now you understand why I wanted to marry you tonight? If there was a bed in here you and I would definitely be in trouble. I can guarantee you that we would have fun.”
She threw her head back and laughed and tightened her arms around him. “Oh, Monty. I love you so much. I will have plenty of fun as your wife.”
He liked the sound of that. “So you are in agreement. We marry tonight to make things legal and then six months from now we have a huge celebration in Mowaiti and invite others.”
She nodded. “Yes. The only problem with that is if I am pregnant now, I will be very much pregnant at our celebration. What will everyone
think?”
“That I am a man who’s found favor with Allah.” He then lowered his head to reclaim her mouth once again.
EPILOGUE
“Your wife is a very beautiful woman, Rasheed.”
Rasheed smiled up at Jake Madaris. A number of his American friends and those he considered family had traveled to Mowaiti to attend his wedding celebration.
He followed Jake’s gaze and saw Johari as she stood talking to Jake’s wife, Diamond, his sister-in-law, Delaney, her friend Celine and several other women. Jake was right; Johari was beautiful and the six months since their wedding had been the best ever. She hadn’t gotten pregnant during their New York adventure but she had awakened him that very morning with the news that they would be expecting their first child, so he had double the reasons to celebrate.
“Thanks, Jake, and you are right. She is very beautiful.”
Rasheed continued to stare at her, thinking of all the happiness she had brought to him. All the wonderful moments they had shared. “Excuse me a moment, Jake. I need to grab my wife for a moment.”
He moved in her direction, ignoring the interested looks other women were giving him. There was only one woman who had his heart, body and soul. And now she had his baby growing inside of her, as well.
Johari turned and smiled at Rasheed. She’d known he was headed her way. It was as if certain parts of her body were like radar and had honed in on him. Already she felt the tightening of her breasts and the sensitive nipples pressing against the fabric of her gown.
She studied him as he made his way toward her. Studied him and appreciated him as a man. He had the ability to steal any woman’s breath away, just as he was doing now.
Instead of wearing his native garb, he was dressed as she had seen him that first night in New York in a business suit tailored to his body. Broad shoulders. Muscular arms. Firm thighs. Flat abs. She knew just what good shape he was in, both physically and mentally. And to think she had thought her life was doomed being promised to an old man. She had to take power naps during the day just to keep up with him at night.
Seduced by a Stranger Page 15
