by Leslie North
It almost sounded as if Amira knew first-hand, but Liyah kept her mouth shut.
Their conversation was cut short as a group of women drifted toward them, giggling and laughing.
Liyah didn’t want to dwell on Amira’s warning. The princess pulled her onto the dance floor and acted as though she hadn’t just been coaching Liyah how to tear apart the delicately stitched business arrangement. The sparkle in Amira’s amber eyes, a contrast of warm copper smoke and shadows, showed no guile, yet she’d all but asked Liyah to seduce Asad into giving up his heart and play to win.
By the time the boat docked and the car drove them home, Liyah was exhausted. “Bed,” she muttered as Asad wrapped a hand around her waist, keeping her upright as he unlocked the suite.
“I’m going to take a shower. Care to join me?” he asked and kissed her on the forehead.
She shook her head and repeated her request. “Bed.”
“Very well,” he chuckled. “I’ll join you shortly.”
She knew that he expected her to come to his bed, but when she heard the water of the shower start, she made a decision to sleep in her own bed that night.
Alone.
Liyah was already falling for Asad, and she had no intention of playing games with him, no matter what Amira had said. The only option left to her was to close off her emotions. When the arrangement ended, and she prayed that it would end soon, they would both go their separate ways.
She woke in the middle of the night with his lips trailing down her spine and her legs spread as he slowly slipped a finger inside her. Even in her sleep, she was wet in anticipation. Moaning into the pillow, she tried to turn over so she could kiss him, but he kept her pressed on her belly as his lips moved lower and lower, his tongue leaving behind a trail of wet heat. Only when he reached the apex of her legs did he lift her hips and slide his tongue over her.
“Oh, God,” she cried into the pillow. “Asad. What are you doing?”
“You were not in my bed,” he hissed in disapproval. “Naked, yes, but not in my bed. Why?” His tongue slid over her again, and she couldn’t believe he expected her to answer. When she only whimpered in response, he flicked his thumb hard over her clit, and her hips jumped at the mixture of pain and pleasure.
“I was so tired,” she gasped. “I didn’t think.”
“You shouldn’t have to think. Your body is mine, and it should be in my bed so I can listen to your cries of pleasure all night long.” His touch turned gentle again, but she didn’t like the soft feathery sensations.
She wanted him hard and fast.
Impatient, she shoved her hips back, and he chuckled. “You should not be rewarded, but I cannot resist you. Not when you’re so tantalizing in the moonlight, like a nymph beckoning me to my sweetest pleasure.”
Almost without warning, he moved, driving into her so hard that she almost dove headfirst into the headboard. A scream of pleasure ripped from her throat, but he gave her no time to adjust.
She reveled in every single second of it.
Her legs were so shaky that she almost collapsed in the bed, but he held her upright, and it was all she could do to bury her face in the pillow so she wouldn’t wake the rest of the palace. It only took minutes before her orgasm shook her so hard that she thought she might break apart, and his own orgasm rode in the wake of hers.
Collapsing next to her, he drew her tenderly into his arms and kissed her. “Did you like that?” he murmured in her ear. “I find that I sometimes have no control over myself, but I would never hurt you.”
A slow smile curved over her face as she cuddled with him, but in the haze that followed her orgasm, Amira’s warning haunted her.
She needed to take control of the situation.
“You mean, did I like having you wake me with your tongue?” she asked as she trailed a finger down his naked chest. He hissed at her sudden change in attitude. “Did I like it when you buried that tongue inside me with all the promises of what your cock would do to me? Has done to me?”
“Liyah,” he groaned. “When did you get so naughty?”
Leaning up, she licked his ear. “Did I like it when you fucked me face-first into the pillow, so hard and fast that I thought I might die from pleasure? Did I like it when you filled me and stretched me?”
“Careful, or you’ll have it again,” he warned her. His cock stirred beneath her, and she straddled him, rubbing him against the juices of their combined orgasm.
“I don’t know, Asad. Maybe we should try it again, just to be sure.”
With a grunt, he seized her hips and thrust himself up inside her again, and while it was hard and fast, it was hardly quick. By the time it was over, she was too tired, too sated to deal with her emotions, and there were no more tender words as he passed out next to her.
12
Asad woke the next morning to find a note, hastily written by Liyah. She was planning on spending the whole day perusing the family’s personal collection of books. He thought briefly about interrupting her and dragging her back to bed, but he remembered what had happened the last time he’d interrupted her in the library, and that was when she had still been encased in her wallflower shell.
Recalling the images of last night, he felt his gut tighten. He’d been furious when she wasn’t in his bed, but he’d only meant to play. He hadn’t meant to get that rough with her, and he certainly hadn’t expected her to react as she did.
The whole thing reeked of desperation, as if she was using him to drive something away.
Immediately, he discarded the notion. Liyah was inexperienced when it came to sex, and she’d never use it as a distraction.
His phone beeped, and he pulled it out to check it.
It was from Bashar. The investors were calling a final meeting about the condo.
This was it. Today, they would sign the papers, and he could finally begin to work on the project.
They met at a private high-class club downtown. A lunch buffet was already spread across the table as Asad took his seat and greeted each of the others. Finally, his gaze landed on Bashar, and he saw something strange in the man’s expression.
Something calculating.
“I know that we hadn’t planned this meeting, and I’m glad that you could join us,” Bashar announced. “Given your situation, we thought it might be best to finalize all the details.”
Starving, Asad filled his plate. “What situation?”
“Your impending marriage,” Bashar said with a grin. “A woman like that is not going to stick around if work keeps dragging her man away.”
So they wanted to sign the papers early so he could focus on his non-existent wedding? Asad was okay with that, even if it did make him feel a little sick to his stomach. “I appreciate that.”
A folder was passed down the table and landed next to his plate. “These are the terms we’ve agreed to. There isn’t much that we’re willing to negotiate on, so read the terms carefully before making your decision. If you agree, then we are happy to declare ourselves your partners on this condo expansion.”
Eagerly, Asad picked up the folder. He knew that Bashar wouldn’t hand him something unreasonable, so he wasn’t too worried as he skimmed the numbers. The investors were willing to put up the exact amount he’d requested, which surprised him. In fact, it looked like they were agreeing to all of his terms.
Except for one.
“The date of this contract is wrong,” he frowned. “It’s dated three weeks from now.”
“I am a family man,” Bashar said with a grin. “Most of us here are, and we’ve all agreed that you have shown tremendous maturity and wisdom in your selection of a bride. It’s clear that you love her, and we don’t want anything to stress you out. We also know that, despite all that Liyah said last night, you’d like to marry her quickly. We will sign this contract only after your wedding and honeymoon. Construction can begin immediately, and I have a feeling that in fifteen months, we’ll be toasting your success, and maybe even
your heir—if things go well.”
Asad’s whole world tilted. He’d planned on breaking the engagement as soon as the ink was dry, but he couldn’t fake a wedding. Weddings were binding legal contracts. Divorce would bring embarrassment to his family, and annulments were out of the question.
“We hadn’t planned on marrying so quickly,” he said as he pushed his plate away. He suddenly didn’t feel so hungry. “I had thought that we might wait a few more months.”
The men started to grumble among themselves, and he knew what they were all thinking. Pushing the project back a couple of months invited more trouble. The contractors might not be available. Someone could pull out. Prices for materials could rise. Money could be lost. “I’m sure Liyah will not mind if we’re in the middle of building when we wed. She’s very understanding of my work.”
“No.” Bashar shook his head and stood. “You disappoint me, Asad. I thought you’d finally found someone you were willing to put before your work. Perhaps I was mistaken.”
His gut clenched. He was going to lose this contract if he didn’t do something. “I’ll talk to Liyah,” he promised. “I’m sure she’d be delighted to get married in three weeks.”
Liyah stared at him. She felt as though a brick wall had hit her. “What did you just say?” she whispered.
“I’ll double the salary. I’ll triple it,” Asad said desperately as he reached for her. “Give me one year, and then we’ll divorce. I know that it’s not ideal, but we’ve gone too far to stop now.”
“Marriage? I don’t suppose this can be a fake wedding, can it? We just pretend to marry?”
Mutely, he shook his head.
Liyah couldn’t breathe. The whole situation was turning into a nightmare. She’d been trying desperately to figure out how to block her emotions from him for the next month or so—but a whole year?
How could he ask this of her?
“This business deal is really so important to you? Tell me this isn’t just to top Rashid.”
“It’s for the family,” he said grimly. “My father has allowed his foothold in the business world to slide, and I need to reclaim it.”
How ironic that Asad was going to enter a marriage to a woman he didn’t love for the sake of family.
“I don’t know that I can do this for a year,” she whispered. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought of the money. Not only would she be able to help Sahaar, but she’d be able to take care of her mother. She could convince her mother to leave that new husband, now that she wouldn’t need his money.
“Six months,” Asad said desperately. “Six months, and we can separate. You can go back home or wherever you want to go. Would it really be so bad to stay with me for six months?”
If only he knew.
“We’d have to be married in three weeks.” Her tone was hollow.
“Two. A week for a honeymoon.”
“I guess I should call my mother and tell her the good news,” she said dully. “And Mila and Sahaar. They’re all going to think I’ve lost my mind. And you’re going to have to tell your family.”
“Take the day. Do what you must. And Liyah? Thank you.” He kissed her, but it wasn’t the kiss of a lover. They’d entered a whole new territory, and Liyah had no idea how to deal with it.
She took three days. After six phone calls and messages to her mother, she still hadn’t spoken to her. Part of her wondered if her mother had simply decided never to speak to her again, now that she had someone else who would love her—if her new husband was even capable of love.
Mila and Sahaar were speechless, and it was the first time that she’d told the truth. She told them of the whirlwind romance between herself and Asad, and how she’d fallen in love.
Mila was ecstatic, hugging and kissing her, shouting, planning a celebration party.
“Are you happy?” Sahaar asked her quietly.
Liyah felt herself retreat a little more into her shell. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She stayed with Sahaar that night and returned to the palace the next morning.
Asad had stuck around, like a dutiful fiancé, and had prepared a large breakfast. There was no server in sight. Approaching her with a cup of Darjeeling, he held it out to her. “Amira said that it is one of your favorites,” he said quietly.
“Yes, thank you.”
“Dine with me.” Once again, she knew that it wasn’t an invitation. He escorted her to the table and pulled out her chair as she sat down. The amount of food waiting there was enough to feed a village.
"I missed you last night."
Liyah was taken aback. All traces of his usual cockiness seemed to be gone, but she could see the wheels turning in his mind.
What was he up to?
“I’ve missed Sahaar and Mila. I enjoyed catching up with them, and I . . . needed to recharge."
"Is that all?"
“I’ve just agreed to something huge, even if it’s just a six-month commitment. I needed to collect my thoughts.”
He looked as if he’d been taken a little off balance, but he recovered well enough—a sexy grin spread across his face, and he extended a platter of spiced pastries.
"Of course. And are you all charged up, now?"
Drawing a breath, she summoned a pleasant, serviceable smile.
“Yes. Quite."
"Good to hear. A jet will be waiting for us at noon. We're flying to look at the site in Abu Dhabi, and I’d like you to see it.”
“I would love to,” Liyah said cheerily, feeling artificial. She dragged out breakfast as long as she could, beyond relieved when Asad was called away. She already had a terrible feeling that when she finally left Dubai, she’d be a completely different person.
Maybe she’d be as hard and cold as Asad.
As Asad held her hand and pointed things out as they flew, Liyah’s mind roamed a million miles away. It bothered her that she hadn’t been able to get hold of her mother. She’d never been away from her this long, and she was worried. What if something had happened to her? It was doubtful that her mom’s new husband would even think to call Liyah and tell her.
Sahaar had opened her home for however long Liyah needed it, but she hadn’t expected to stay this long. Running away from the alienation and loneliness that awaited her at home, she’d thought that by now her mother would have called her and apologized.
Now she couldn’t even get her mother to answer the phone.
“And there it is!” Asad said, pride in his voice. “The new home of Sand and Smoke.”
Liyah nodded absently. She’d thought that her new stepfather was just a little too slimy, but who was she to judge? She, Liyah, was getting married for an insane amount of money just so her lover could build some silly condos. Maybe her mother was happy, and the only villain in this story was Liyah.
“Where are you?” Asad asked softly after the plane had landed.
She met his beautiful green eyes and tried to smile. Would things be different if she just told him how she felt? “Thinking of home.”
He searched her eyes for a moment, and his face hardened. He withdrew slightly. “Well, you’ll be there soon enough.”
Liyah had no idea where she would be in six months. She wasn’t entirely sure she could go home, but she knew that she wouldn’t be able to stay in the city if it meant that she might see him again.
They sat quietly through the descent, and he immediately instructed Ori to drop her off with a tour guide.
“Tour guide? I thought you were going to show me around!”
“I’ll meet you afterwards,” he said tightly. Then, without even saying goodbye, he walked away.
13
After abandoning her to the tour guide, Asad met up with her again at the resort, and there was no trace of anger in his face. In fact, he was in a wonderful mood. He talked about the plans he had for the condo, while she stared out the window. The resort was breathtaking. Candles illuminated the walkways around the three pools tiled in luxurious Arabian
patterns. Triangular arches opened into entertainment and dining areas that were draped in variations of heavy to translucent fabrics, fairytale-stone lights forming the chandeliers. If that wasn’t enough, the pool ran right up to their door in a private and enclosed entrance. It was a marvel of design, and she desperately wished that she was here under different circumstances.
Joining her at the window, Asad began to undress her.
She didn’t refuse him as the light by the pool in the highest dome mingled with the night streaming in through the windows. Enchanted and mesmerized, she asked herself what she was doing, knowing she was inching deeper into the dangerous unpredictability of him. Laying herself out to be consumed by this man whose hands turned women to putty.
His eyes seared through her possessively. There was no mistaking the look.
And though it did not seem an act, she couldn’t help but feel too vulnerable for comfort.
He seemed to sense this and lifted her up in his arms. "You enchant me."
Eyes pricking with emotion, she blinked it away as best she could. "You don't have to charm me. There are no cameras here."
Grinning, he tilted his head, eyes searing through her. "All the more reason for you to know my words are true."
Sitting her along the edge of the pool, he dove into the water and came up for air right between her legs. Dropping back on her elbows, she let him devour her until there was no more room for guilt, and no remorse. There was just this, the passionate sex that she’d never known existed, and the man who had taken possession of her heart and soul.
When he finally drew her into the pool with him, he wasn’t gentle or easy. Their panting moans echoed off the walls, but she didn’t care who might hear. She just wanted to lose herself in the sensations and pretend that this was all she needed. Skin-to-skin contact. His lips on her throat. His teeth tugging her nipples. His cock sliding all the way in, until she couldn’t tell where she ended and he began.
