by Susanna Carr
But that could have been a gesture of protection before she was discarded. Not that his protection would do her any good if Nadir wasn’t there to enforce it.
He was going to annul the wedding. Zoe was sure of it. The fear crystallized, scraping inside her until she didn’t think she could stand straight. Zoe kept her gaze on the Persian rugs as she considered her getaway.
But there was nowhere to run or hide. She’d last less than a day in the desert that surrounded the village. The only thing she could do was stand before everyone.
The music ended abruptly and the guests fell silent. Zoe went from cold to numb as she heard the familiar shuffle of the chief elder getting closer. It would only be a few moments before Nadir either claimed her as his wife or disposed of her.
Nadir needed this marriage. No, it was more than that, Zoe decided as she remembered the earnest look in his eyes. They needed to rely on each other.
Zoe’s heart pounded. She wasn’t sure if she was brave enough to take that kind of risk. She wasn’t very good at relying on someone else.
The elder stood before them. Zoe struggled for her next breath as black dots formed around the corners of her eyes. She tightened her grip on Nadir’s arm. She found it strange that she was relying on the very man whose strength could destroy her.
Her hands were ice-cold as Nadir and the elder exchanged pleasantries. When they turned their attention to Zoe, she felt as if she was going to shatter.
“Allow me to introduce my wife,” Nadir said to the older man.
Her breath was suspended in her throat. She was afraid to sag against Nadir in case she’d dreamed those words. It was only when the guests exploded with cheers that Zoe knew she was no longer under her uncle’s heartless power.
Now she belonged to the Sheikh.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ZOE dismissed her curious maids for the night and gave one final glance at the clock. It had been hours since the ceremony concluded. Instead of returning to the honeymoon suite with Zoe, Nadir had been invited to a private meeting with the tribe’s elders. He had sent her upstairs without a backward glance.
Now that she had risked everything to stand beside him, Nadir had no use for her anymore. Good, Zoe decided as she flicked the hem of her short emerald-green negligee and walked over to the bed. She was happy with the development. Thrilled. She was tired and she didn’t have to be on her best behavior anymore.
Slipping between the sheets and turning off the lamp, Zoe rested her head on the pillow and tried to get comfortable. If only she could forget the pleasure Nadir had given her last night. She needed to keep a safe distance. She knew better than to get close to a man. Rely on him. Want him. It only brought trouble.
Zoe frowned as images of Nadir and Uncle Tareef tumbled across her mind. They had spoken like friends at the ceremony, and that hurt because Nadir knew how the man had treated her. Maybe Nadir didn’t believe her. After all, what man would take the word of a woman over that of another man? The word of an outcast over a respected citizen?
She needed to be cautious with Nadir. If she had problems with her uncle, Nadir would side with Tareef. She still wasn’t safe or free while living in this ultra-conservative desert kingdom, but she would safer under the Sheikh’s protection.
His protection was all she would get from Nadir. She was fine with that. Ecstatic. If she was lucky, he would barely pay attention to her. He had consummated the marriage and no longer needed to associate with his wife. He was probably in the second hotel suite right now, while she was aching for his touch.
Zoe moved restlessly. So what if she was in a loveless marriage? So what if she longed for a man who didn’t want to share a bed with her? It was better this way. She’d get over the rejection. And once she got back to Texas she would be embraced by her old friends and wouldn’t feel so alone.
She gave her pillow a punch and settled down. At least she wouldn’t throw herself at Nadir out of loneliness. She wouldn’t make the mistake of equating love with sex. It was a good thing she had learned her lesson with Musad, because if Nadir tried to seduce her again she wouldn’t be able to resist.
She didn’t have anything to worry about because he wouldn’t lower himself again. She was an outcast. A bride no man wanted. She wasn’t a perfect Jazaari woman. She hadn’t come to him as a virgin. He wouldn’t return to this bed.
Zoe curled into herself, determined to dream about a better tomorrow. It took a long time for her to relax.
Just as she started to fall asleep she felt the sheets lifted from her warm skin and the mattress sink underneath her. She blinked groggily and saw Nadir lying beside her.
Heat rushed through her veins and her heart leapt. She hated how energized she felt when she was with Nadir, but at the same time she found the sensation addictive. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s my bed.”
Were the shadows creating an optical illusion, or was he moving closer to her? She could have sworn he hadn’t moved. “It was your bed last night but you didn’t sleep in it.”
“Last night I didn’t know your ulterior motive for marrying The Beast.”
Her breath hitched in her throat. He sounded so confident, but he didn’t know everything. He couldn’t. “And now you know?” she asked, hiding her vulnerability with aggression. “Or have you suddenly gotten over your raging paranoia?”
“You agreed to an arranged marriage because you needed to get out of your uncle’s house before he found out about your … ill-advised romantic liaison.”
If she hadn’t been so nervous she would have smiled at his attempt to soften what was her biggest mistake. “Nothing gets past you. But how does this change last night? You were furious that I wasn’t a virgin.”
“You took me by surprise, but it doesn’t matter to me if you were a virgin or not when entering this marriage.”
“How modern of you,” she drawled.
“You could have warned me.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Last night I thought you were hiding something else. Something more serious. But your only fear was being sent back to your family. That concern is gone. Tonight you have nothing to hide.”
He had no idea that she had even more reasons to hide tonight. The more she revealed herself to him, the sooner he’d learn all her secrets.
“You are in a very forgiving mood,” she said. “What’s really going on?”
“Honestly?” He reached for her and drew her close. “I couldn’t stay away from you.”
“Stop teasing. It’s not funny.” She pressed her hands against his bare chest. As her legs collided against his she discovered that he was naked. Dark excitement pierced her.
“You don’t believe me?” he asked in a husky voice. “Let me show you.”
Zoe knew she should protest and avoid him. When he touched her she didn’t think about anything else. The way he made her feel was so intense that every goal and dream she had was momentarily forgotten.
Nadir covered her mouth with his. Pleasure, hot and tingly, washed over her. She softened the moment his lips touched hers. She wanted to melt into him as his kisses became urgent and demanding.
She shouldn’t yield so quickly. She needed to create an emotional distance and not reveal her deepest fears and desires. It was safer that way. She must never give Nadir that much power over her.
She pulled away. “There is no need for us to sleep in the same bed. We are officially married.”
“I know one way to celebrate an official marriage.” Nadir pulled her against his chest and she felt the heat pouring off him. “And it requires a bed.”
When he pressed his hands against the small of her back she couldn’t resist tilting her hips. He murmured his delight as she slid her bare leg over his.
“This is a bad idea,” she whispered as she immediately straightened her leg. “We don’t have to have sex. The marriage has been consummated. It’s legal. It’s done. There’s no going back.”
“Thi
nk of this as added insurance,” he suggested, his hand caressing the length of her spine.
Zoe arched, her breasts thrusting against his chest, her tight nipples rasping against the thin silk. She discovered that she really wanted to accept the flimsy excuse. She wanted to have one more night with the Sheikh.
Nadir plucked the strap of her negligee with impatience. “Take this off,” he said against her mouth.
Zoe hesitated and shook her head. The more barriers they had between them, the better it was for her.
Nadir’s kisses became less demanding and more persuasive. Zoe sighed as his lips lingered on hers. “You don’t need to be shy with me,” he whispered.
Shyness had nothing to do with it. Her first instinct was to strip off the emerald silk. But she couldn’t capitulate so quickly. She wouldn’t let him take over. If only she had as much power over him as he did over her.
“What if I let you set the pace?” he asked.
Zoe bit her lip as heat washed over her. “Let me?” she asked. “I can take control anytime I want.”
“Then what’s stopping you?” he challenged.
“Because you’ll snatch the control away from me.” It wasn’t the full truth but just one of the reasons.
“Try me.”
She’d love to, but she shouldn’t. She wanted Nadir, but she didn’t want to get too close. But it would be just one more time. How could she possibly get too attached, knowing that this would be the last time? Especially if she was setting the pace.
Zoe skimmed her hands over his broad shoulders and muscular back. She felt the strength and power under his warm skin. As she trailed her fingertips over his hip bone he jerked. Zoe smiled against his mouth at the telltale sign. She had just discovered he was ticklish. She was inordinately pleased that he had a weak spot.
She drew her hand lower, but Nadir encircled her wrist with his strong fingers. She groaned with disappointment as he moved her hand to his shoulder.
“Don’t you want me to touch you?” she asked.
“I don’t want this to end before it begins,” he said as he skimmed the strap down her shoulder.
“We have all night,” she reminded him as rubbed her fingertips along his chest. She would need all night to wrestle control from him. It would take a lifetime to hold any sexual spell over him.
Nadir looked intently into her face. Zoe held her breath. She wasn’t sure what he hoped to find. The darkness was a veil, and he wouldn’t be able to read her eyes among the shadows.
To Zoe’s surprise, Nadir gathered her close and rolled onto his back. She was sprawled on top of him as she stared at him in confusion.
“Touch me as much as you want,” he offered.
Zoe’s heart started to pump hard. Her skin felt hot and taut. She wanted to explore and taste all of him, but that would reveal just how much she wanted him, how much she couldn’t keep her hands off him. He would use that to his advantage.
Unless she drove him wild first. She wasn’t sure if she could. She slowly straddled his legs and placed her hands on his shoulders.
“Put your hands behind your head,” she ordered softly. She sensed his curiosity and added, “I don’t want you to stop me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he drawled as he laced his hands underneath his head.
She couldn’t read his eyes, but she saw the arrogant smile and felt the male confidence coming off him in waves.
She wanted to rattle his confidence. She dipped her head, her long hair cascading onto his shoulders. She darted her tongue at the center of his collarbone. He tasted warm and male. She dragged the tip of her tongue from the base of his throat to the cleft of his chin. She dared a glance at his face as she deliberately licked her lips. His features were stiff, his jaw clenched.
“Do you want to stop me now?” she taunted.
His eyes glittered. “No,” he answered gruffly.
A reckless fire coursed through her veins. He didn’t want to show his weakness any more than she did. Zoe leisurely stroked his chest before licking and teasing his flat brown nipples with her teeth. As she caressed his abdomen she listened to the way his breath hitched in his throat and felt his muscles bunch under her touch.
She gently wrapped her hand around the base of his hard length. Nadir bucked. She pumped her hand and watched him arch his back, listened to his choppy breathing. When Zoe took him in her mouth he tangled his fingers into her silky hair.
Suddenly he pulled her up. She barely had time to protest as he grabbed her by the waist. She looked down at him, her tousled hair in her face as Nadir positioned her. She straddled his hips and he guided her down.
“I thought I was in charge,” she murmured.
“I changed my mind,” he said through clenched teeth. She felt the sexual energy pulsing from him. He was through indulging her.
“I knew it wouldn’t last,” she said in a husky voice as her breath caught in her throat.
A relentless heat flushed through her as she sank onto his length. He slowly stretched and filled her. Zoe struggled for her next breath. She rocked her hips and a shower of pleasure sparked inside her.
Wild need lashed inside her. She wanted to close her eyes to hide how she felt, but she couldn’t pull her gaze away from his.
She reached for the hem of her short negligee. Slowly she bunched the silk higher. She teased Nadir, enjoying the rise and fall of his chest as she rolled and tilted her hips. She allowed the silk to fall back down before she bunched it up higher still. As she finally stripped and tossed the negligee to the side she no longer felt vulnerable under his hot gaze. Instead she felt beautiful. Sexy. Powerful.
When his hands tightened on her hips she knew the teasing was over. He had indulged her long enough and he was taking over. She saw the primal male look in his eye before he led her into a wild, intense rhythm.
The pleasure Nadir gave overwhelmed her. Overpowered her senses. She was out of control, mindlessly following him. It was as if her body was not her own. She desperately needed to pull back even though her body begged for release.
She wanted to submit to the excruciating pleasure, but she knew the moment would change her. If she surrendered now, she would be bound to him in the most elemental way.
Nadir slid his hand against the damp curls between her legs and pressed his fingertip against her clitoris. White hot pleasure ripped through her like a bolt of lightning.
Zoe cried out as sensations tore across her mind. She couldn’t hide her response. She rode the wave of pleasure as she felt Nadir find his own thundering release.
Moments later she slumped against him. Her body still pulsed, her skin was slick with sweat and she nestled her head against his shoulder. She knew it would be better, safer, if she went back to her side of the bed. But she needed to sustain the connection a little longer.
She squeezed her eyes shut as she listened to the erratic beat of Nadir’s heart. If she wasn’t careful she might become infatuated with her arranged husband.
That would the biggest mistake she could make. She wasn’t going to trust this feeling. Nothing would keep her in Jazaar.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SUNSHINE streamed into the bedroom windows. Nadir propped his arm and rested his chin against his hand as he watched Zoe sleep. She was curled up in a ball, her fists under her pillow, her legs drawn up.
Even in sleep she wouldn’t let anyone get close. He knew that wasn’t always true. She had allowed one man into her heart. A man who hadn’t been worthy of her trust.
Soon Zoe would learn to trust and rely solely on him. It was his right to expect complete loyalty and honor from his wife. Perhaps he would need to visit her in the mountains from time to time to reinforce her commitment. It wouldn’t be a hardship to share her bed whenever he visited.
But she could never live in the Sultan’s palace. She was too American, too improper to be his wife. He would have to hide her away if he wanted the political support of the Jazaari men.
Nadir br
ushed a wayward piece of hair from her cheek. He was amazed that someone with her harsh upbringing had such a soft exterior. Zoe’s forehead wrinkled in a frown and she curled into herself even tighter.
He was tempted to stroke her gently. Coax her into opening up to him. She had last night, giving him a glimpse of the passion and fire inside her. He imagined how wild and intense the sex would be if she trusted him completely.
Nadir shifted restlessly as anticipation coursed through his veins. He wanted her again. He was becoming insatiable. Throughout the night he had reached for her. Even as they slept he had had to touch her. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this about a woman. He didn’t want to inspect this need too closely, certain the fierce lust would burn out once the honeymoon was over.
He had decided that Zoe had had enough time to sleep when he heard the familiar buzz of his cell phone. He hesitated for a moment, wanting to ignore his duty. He was tempted to tune out the rest of the world so he could enjoy a leisurely morning of pleasure with Zoe.
The persistent buzz of the phone reminded him that the demands of business would continue to intrude. He got out of bed quietly so he didn’t waken Zoe. With the hope that he could conclude business quickly and return to bed, he strode naked to the sitting room to find his cell phone.
He grabbed it from a low table and answered with a harsh growl. His mood didn’t improve as he listened to his assistant.
“I will go to Singapore and deal with it myself,” he said. “Make the arrangements for me to leave tonight.”
Nadir ended the call, wrestling with an unfamiliar sense of reluctance and disappointment. He didn’t want to leave Jazaar. He stared out the window that overlooked the desert. These days it felt as if he was away from his beloved land more than he was home.
“You’re going somewhere?”
Nadir turned when he heard Zoe’s voice, husky with sleep. He saw her leaning against the bedroom door. Her tousled long hair fell in waves, hiding most of her face. She held a rumpled bedsheet against her.
