“And now you’ve gone the other way. You’re practically engaged, for God’s sake, and yet you’re acting like a possessive boyfriend. Who I have sex with after you, or who I’ve slept with before, is none of your business.”
“Wrong,” he murmured. He was very still, in a pose that might have seem relaxed to some.
“How do you figure that? You told me you wanted the same from me. This is just sex.”
“Wrong,” he repeated, his laugh mocking.
Something dangerous sparked in Cassie’s chest. She put a hand on her hip, and stared down at him pleadingly. “Don’t you see the double standards here? You will be married in a month! Why do you care what I do when you’re gone?”
“Because,” he finally pushed off the bed, so that he could stand in front of her. His body was rigid, his face darkened by his mood. “I do. Okay? It might not be fair, but that’s who I am. I am to be Sheikh Layth Sati, Emir of Takisabad. I have been raised to know that my will is absolute.”
She thrust her other hand onto her hip and glared at him in angry frustration. “You don’t have any say over me, Layth. I am not your servant and I’m not your subject.”
He put his hands behind her back, pulling her abruptly against his body. “Aren’t you?” His black eyes bore into hers, his meaning clear, and Cassie was mortified to admit to herself that he was right. Saying no to a man like Layth was not a question of geography so much as a burden on her soul.
She shook out of his arms, taking refuge in anger. “No. And if you can’t accept that this is casual and light, then I can’t see you again.”
Layth ignored the pounding in his chest. She was bluffing and they both knew it. “I cannot offer you more than this fortnight,” he intoned flatly, his words giving her no indication of what he wanted. “But nor will I lie to you, nor let you lie to me.”
Her breathing was ragged. “I’m not lying to you.”
“You think it is just sex between us?”
She bit down on her lip. “I … yes. You agreed to that.”
“Before I knew you, yes.”
Her chest felt like a weight was pressing down on it. “You don’t know me.”
He laughed at the ridiculous statement. “You are fighting against the tide, Cassie.”
She exhaled a defeated breath. “I’m happy with my life. I didn’t approach you at the bar because I wanted a boyfriend. I wanted what I got. So did you.”
“Yes. When I saw you in the bar, I wanted what most men want from you.” Her cheeks flamed at his cruel assertion. “But I am not most men, Cassie. What many idiots might be prepared to take and then let go, I am not.”
She blinked furiously to combat the wave of tears that were threatening. “You are talking in riddles and hypotheticals. I’m just a woman you met last week. And you’re a guy who I won’t even know in a month. How can you be making this into such a big deal?”
“Because I know you,” he repeated. “And I know me. I might let you go Cassie, because I have no choice in the matter. But I will not be happy if I think you have forgotten me. If I believe you have gone back to seeing what we have shared as a meaningless exchange between two bodies.”
“It is meaningless,” she muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. “And I’m going now.”
Layth watched her stalk towards the door. Only when she was almost at the elevator did he prowl behind her. “Come back tomorrow.”
“I’m working tomorrow.” Her words were stony. Her face did not meet his.
He kept his distance though he ached to stand in front of her and make her see him. “If you were my subject, or my servant, I would insist you not go to work. I would insist that you come here, instead.”
“Your insistence would render this beyond meaningless,” she retorted quickly.
Her words made him pause. He liked sparring with her. He was provoking her, he knew in part, because he loved to argue with her. It was rare for him to find someone willing to take an opposite viewpoint and he was relishing it. “Perhaps,” he murmured. “Then let me beg you, Cassie, to come to me tomorrow when you have finished with this work.”
His proposition surprised her, but she clamped down on the emotion. “I’ll think about it,” she said finally, relieved when the elevator doors opened.
Only once in the safety of the small, carpeted space did she feel confident to meet his gaze. His dark eyes were loaded with emotion as he stared at her. “By all means, think. But do not think my patience will last forever. If you do not come tomorrow night, do not come at all.”
6
The decision had been difficult to make, but how could she go to him? Everything Cassie was railed against the idea of subjugating herself to a man like Layth Sati. No matter how good the sex was, or how amazingly gorgeous he was, she was a woman who wanted more.
No.
She was a woman who expected more of herself. She certainly didn’t want ‘more’ from Layth, or any man.
She called the shots.
Not Layth.
Cassie had the power.
She was in charge.
She had told Layth her ground rules from almost the first moment she’d met him. True, she’d had no way then of knowing that their connection would be … freaky. It had unnerved her, the way he had of looking at her and seeing more than she wanted him to.
That was why she’d stayed away.
How could she go to him when he threatened everything?
The life she had built for herself could fall apart if the wrong thread was pulled.
And he was pulling it. Tugging at it incessantly, actually.
She swallowed the feelings of panic that arose whenever she thought of her past.
Since meeting Layth, she’d done a lot more of that. Slipping back through the fabric of time as though it had no quantity. As though ten years ago was as relevant and proximate as the previous day.
Only Layth had apparently not taken the hint.
Dressed in a cream coloured skirt and a pale peach blouse, Cassie had felt prepared for anything. Her favourite gold heels had added a touch of glamour to the outfit; she’d dressed that morning for the busy day ahead.
She had told herself that she wouldn’t think of Layth. That she wouldn’t wonder how he’d waited for her. How he’d watched the clock and grown increasingly impatient with her, until the penny had finally dropped that she didn’t plan to go to him – that night or any.
Her gut clenched at the very idea, but she knew her decision had been the right one.
Since she’d realised that she could redefine how she viewed sex, several years earlier, she’d never once met a man who threatened that. She’d been happy to see sex as an exchange of desire and lust, passion and hunger. It had been a revelation!
An act that had, at one time, been a source of abject misery and fear, had morphed into something else altogether. And yet, Cassie was powerful.
Layth took that power from her.
He made her see that she was his subject, whether a citizen of Takisabad or not.
That was why she’d stayed away from him the first time, and why she should have stayed strong. Instead, she’d crumbled, and now the mess was spreading.
Especially because he appeared to be unable to take ‘no’ for an answer.
The building was like all the others in the small Kensington cul-de-sac. Beautifully presented, it loomed over the shade-covered street. Despite the mildness of the day, Cassie shivered now.
It was the first time she had seen the flag of Takisabad. Gold, white and green, it waved in the passing breeze, and it seemed to be speaking to her. It almost seemed to be saying that she wasn’t welcome here. That she didn’t belong.
Cassie sucked in a deep breath. He had summoned her in the only way she couldn’t refuse.
Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the darkly tinted windows. Was he behind one of them, looking out at her?
He had done way more than simply summon her. He’d gone above her head, and conta
cted her boss. Her entire day of appointments had been cancelled for this.
For him.
Again, her throat worked overtime to remove the lump.
Watching or not, he was in there somewhere.
And she had to see him. If only to know why. Why had he arranged this?
Her feet were a little unsteady as she propelled herself forward, up the steps and towards the door. Two guards stood sentinel, though they were far more formally dressed than the men she’d become accustomed to seeing at his Knightsbridge hotel. These wore black suits embellished with gold detail, and crisp white shirts.
At her arrival, one lifted his wrist and spoke into it. Presumably he wore a radio of some sort.
The door was opened inwards by yet another servant of the Emir – this one dressed in a robe.
He didn’t speak to Cassie, but indicated with a small nod of his head that she should follow him. And she did, but not at speed. How could she move quickly through a place of such beauty? Her eyes clung to the masterpieces that adorned the walls. Paintings and tapestries adorned the surfaces, many of them obviously over a thousand years old. Her heartbeat accelerated as the servant took her up a flight of stairs and into a wide corridor. Flowers! Everywhere! Enormous arrangements of brightly coloured blooms, fragrant and foreign. She paused at one vase, almost as tall as she. It was filled with something that looked a cross between a gladioli and a bird of paradise. Tall and spiked with pastel colours, it smelled of honey and vanilla.
Cassie couldn’t resist touching it. She put her fingers out and ran it the length of the stem. It was soft and velvety.
The servant cleared his throat, startling Cassie out of her admiration. She stepped back from the arrangement and moved towards the man. When she neared, he began to walk again, all the way down the flower-lined corridor, to a pair of ornate gold doors at the end. Cassie had presumed they were painted, but on closer inspection she saw that they were, quite possibly, made of actual gold.
Her heart was racing still, like a bee trapped in a glass. The servant rapped on the doors and they opened almost instantly.
The room was enormous. A burgundy carpet covered the floor, luxurious looking sofas were set up on one side, and a desk made of marble was near the windows. As for them, they were enormous, framing the view of Knightsbridge. And in the very centre of the room stood Layth.
He was dressed in a robe – she presumed it was traditional Takisabad clothing – and his dark eyes were glittering intently in his handsome face.
The servant who had escorted her approached Layth slowly and then bowed low – so low his nose almost brushed his feet.
Layth’s eyes didn’t waver from Cassie’s face. Without looking at the servant, he waved his hand dismissively. A moment later, they were alone.
Despite her sense of awe, Cassie managed a droll frown. “What, no crown?”
Layth’s expression was thunderous. He moved to the desk and lifted a golden box from beneath it. He pressed something to open it, and then lifted out a jewelled headpiece that sparkled with an almost blinding brilliance. He slipped it onto his head and the effect was terrifying.
He didn’t need a crown to seem regal. He couldn’t help but radiate power and strength. But the crown was the cherry on top of the sundae. Cassie bit down on her lip, drawn to him out of fascination and curiosity, rather than anything else.
“They’re not all diamonds are they?” She murmured, studying the piece from the other side of the desk to him.
His sigh was exasperated. “What do you think?”
She nodded. “Of course they are.” The stone in the centre must have been at least fifty carats, and there were several others almost as big. She shook her head to clear the distraction and then focussed on Layth. Her pulse was fire in her veins. “You asked me to come here today. How can I help you?”
His eyes lanced her soul. “You left me with little option.”
“Oh?” Her breath burned in her lungs.
“You are running away from me.”
“No. I ran away from you. Past tense, it’s done”
“Why?”
Yes, why exactly. The answer was too hard to explain. She dug her teeth into her lower lip and distractedly lifted a hand to her necklace. Layth’s eyes followed the betraying gesture of anxiety and his lips twisted into a mocking smile. “You know why,” she shrugged. “I told you what I wanted. No fuss. You were … making fuss.”
“Because I was honest?”
She shook her head, confusion making her head swim. “Look at this, Layth. You are literally a world apart from me. I live in a small apartment in a hook of the Thames with a cat-loving room mate. I sell art for a living – I don’t have a museum worthy collection at my disposal. And whatever you think we are, you are going to be getting married soon. One of us has to walk away.”
“No.” His eyes flared. “I will not let you. Not for these reasons.” He paced around the desk, bringing his body within touching distance of hers. “There is a fire between us, a flame that still burns. You do us both a disservice to ignore it.”
She groaned softly. “Come on, Layth. Be fair. This is hard for me. But I don’t want to get hooked on you. You’re going back to Takisabad soon.”
“Life is unpredictable, Cassandra. Even within the boundaries of what we know to be true, such as my upcoming marriage, there are uncertainties. Can you truly justify closing yourself off to what we share when we are together?”
A shiver ran down her spine. “I made my decision. You had no right to manipulate me into seeing you today.”
“Did I not?” He pushed thoughtfully.
“You’re the one who said you wouldn’t be patient forever.”
“Does this seem like the actions of a patient man?”
She toyed with her necklace again. “Layth …”
“I brought you here today so you can see what I am. From where I come, and for what I live.”
His words were laced with passion and fire. And despite herself, she felt her curiosity growing. “Why?” She pushed.
He couldn’t have said.
He lifted a hand and wrapped it around her wrist. “I waited for you.” The admission was a throaty husk. “I waited for you to come last night. And somewhere before dawn, I realised that I am prepared to do for you what I have done for no other woman.”
She was shivering. “What’s that?” Her words were a whisper. A snatch of doubt.
“Beg.”
Cassie lifted her pale blue eyes to his face. “What do you mean?”
“I want you in my life. I cannot offer you any more than this small stretch of time. Beyond that, this will all be over. Finished. But for now, I need you. I believe you need me, too. I beg you Cassie, to be fair to both of us.”
Her heart turned over in her chest and she sucked in a shaking breath. “I don’t want to need you.”
“But you do.”
She stared into his dark eyes, and felt an ancient connection that seared her very core. “Yes,” she mumbled, dropping her gaze before the truth of the situation could make her panic. “But it makes no sense. I don’t know you.”
He didn’t say what he was thinking; that she knew him better than most. Instead he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. “Come. I want to show you something.”
She took a step beside him, knowing that she wasn’t simply walking with him in that moment. She was agreeing to so much more than that.
The guard she hadn’t even been aware of opened the door and Layth strode into the flower-strewn corridor. “This is so beautiful.”
He eyed the flowers. “I barely notice them now.”
“How can you not?” She breathed in the heady scent with a small smile. “I don’t recognise so many of these flowers.”
“They are flown in each week from Takisabad.”
“They are?” Her breath caught in her throat. It was yet another example of his phenomenal wealth; the world he inhabited that was vastly at odds with hers.
“They are some of our most celebrated flowers. These are called Silenias. They grow rampantly in the valley near my palace. At sunset, they seem to almost glow.”
“Amazing,” she smiled up at him, shy suddenly. His admission had been humbling and confusing. For a man such as Layth Sati to beg for her to spend time with him; she knew what that must have cost him. He was a proud man, and yet he’d been braver than she.
She moved towards the spikey flowers she’d admired earlier. “And these?”
“Phalistremona.” His accent was almost as magical as the flowers. She leaned closer and breathed in their fragrance. “You like them.”
“Yes.” She shrugged. “They look pre-historic.”
“They are ancient.” He nodded. “In our earliest writings, reference is made to these plants. They grow in the desert, in big clumped bushes.”
“They’re stunning.” She squeezed his hand, her doubts fading as they always did when they were together.
“When the first Sheikh of Takisabad died, every single bloom in the desert was cut. How could such beauty grow in the face of such loss?”
Cassie’s heart turned over. “A beautiful legend.”
“Since then, the Phalistremona has been a symbol of life, and loss. It is displayed at both weddings and funerals.”
“That’s interesting; usually what’s appropriate for one is shunned for the other.”
“Yes. Love and loss are mutually dependent. You cannot have one without the other. Everyone who loves eventually must grapple with loss, and loss cannot sting without the presence of love.”
Cassie wanted to say something light hearted, but how could she? “Yes,” she said finally, her voice rich with emotion. “Though sometimes loss is a blessing.” She thought of her mother and stepfather and shivered. “Absence can be a gift.”
He was watchful. “You know such an absence in your life.”
“I think everyone probably does.” She looked up at him and felt the jolt of connection. “Don’t you?”
Layth shook his head. “No. Though I have few relationships of value, I do value them.”
“You do?”
“Value them?”
Clare Connelly Pairs: Warming the Sheikh’s Bed & Love in the Fast Lane Page 7
