by Opal Carew
But as he looked at her, he realized… he couldn’t.
His jaw clenched.
She was frightened and alone. She’d been kidnapped and terrorized by his brother.
It was wrong. And she didn’t deserve it. No matter how much pain she’d caused him.
His hands clenched at his sides. And he knew deep in his heart, he would never forgive himself if he hurt Lily like that. His heart ached.
Because he still loved her.
She seemed to be sleeping, her chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. He sucked in another deep, calming breath of his own and grabbed a thin coverlet from the back of one of the plush armchairs. He walked to her and gently draped it over her body, covering her nakedness.
He sat down on the bed and, trying not to wake her, carefully unfastened the small buckles holding the leather strap around her ankles. Once he had both ankles freed, he shifted to her wrist.
Although she still lay perfectly still, he could sense that she was awake. Probably too afraid to move.
He finished with her wrist, then freed the other one. As soon as he pulled up the blindfold, her eyelids popped open and she jerked sideways, scurrying to the other side of the bed. She sat with her back against the wall, panting, clinging tightly to the coverlet with both hands as she stared at him with wide eyes.
“Come here. Let me remove the gag.” It was a ball-gag, fastened around her head with a leather strap.
She shook her head, trembling as she pressed tighter to the wall.
“You can undo it yourself, but that lovely coverlet might just fall away if you don’t keep holding it. And the small buckles on the strap can be tricky to undo if you can’t see them.”
She stared at him for a long moment, but finally she moved a little closer. He leaned forward and unfastened the buckles, trying to ignore the feel of her silky hair against his fingers.
As he pulled the gag away, her gaze flickered around the room, as if seeking an escape route.
“Do you remember me, Lily? From college?” he asked as he pulled the gag away.
Her eyes turned to him in surprise. “Yes. Of course,” she said hoarsely.
God, her voice. He’d heard it in his dreams so many times. Usually thick with desire as they’d shared the delights of physical passion.
“Who am I?” he pressed.
“Yasin,” she whispered.
The fact she remembered his name affected him more than he would have thought.
“Good. Then you know I won’t hurt you.”
But her eyes told him otherwise. She was afraid of him.
She glanced around the room, as if seeking an escape route.
“We want to get something straight right now,” he said firmly. “You don’t want to leave this room unless you’re by my side. It’s not safe.”
Her gaze locked with his.
“And it’s safe here with you?” she asked.
She made a good point. He wanted her so badly, his self-control could fail at any moment.
But staring into her wide, frightened blue eyes, he knew he would not force himself on her.
“Yes. You’re safe with me.”
“But that other man... your brother... he said that you wanted revenge.”
“My brother says a lot of things that make sense in his world. But if you really remembered who I am, you’d also know that I would never take revenge on a woman just because she broke my heart.”
Despite his earlier urges, he had to believe that was true about himself.
Her eyes clouded. “Yasin, I never meant to hurt you.”
Fuck, he hadn’t meant to reveal how much her rejection had affected him.
“You didn’t,” he said in a cold tone. “It was just a figure of speech.”
She stared at him with wide eyes, looking so completely vulnerable.
Shit, he wasn’t making this easier on her. He should be reassuring her, not pushing her away, so that she would know he was her ally.
But he realized a part of him wanted to make her suffer.
And he hated himself for it.
“Do you want some water? Or food?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’m very hungry.”
He walked to the phone and dialed the number for his private servant, then ordered a meal. And some wine. She could probably do with some to help her relax.
He picked up the carafe of ice water on the round table near the window and filled a glass, then carried it to her. She took it and drank deeply, finishing half, then stared at the glass as she drew in air. After a moment, she took another few sips, then handed it back to him, her hand trembling.
He set the glass down on the table and pulled a chair beside the bed, then sat down.
“Lily, I know you’re frightened. You’ve been through a traumatic ordeal. I’ll do what I can to get you out of here as quickly as possible, but while we’re here, you need to behave a certain way. You need to do exactly as I tell you. When I tell you. Do you understand?”
She shook her head. “Not really. Why can’t you just take me home?”
He pursed his lips. “My brother is a very powerful man. One does not simply defy him. He invited me here for a week, and if I were to just leave now, it would insult him.”
“Are you afraid of your brother?”
“Not afraid. I care about my family and I came here to help mend family relationships and I’m not about to throw that all away because of your impatience.”
Her fingers tightened around the coverlet and she drew it closer. The fact that she was naked under that thing... the memory of her exposed body still washing through his brain... was keeping him dangerously off balance.
He regretted the caustic tone in his voice. His emotions towards her were fluttering between lust, concern, and anger so quickly he was barely aware which one was affecting him at any given instant.
“You need to understand,” he said firmly. “If I were to insult him, there could be repercussions.” He raised an eyebrow. “Including him taking back his birthday gift.”
He gave that a moment to sink in.
“I don’t know what you’ve seen of what goes on here,” he continued, “but if you aren’t in my care...” He sat back in the chair and paused for effect. “I have two brothers and three cousins here. I know all of them are intensely attracted to your exotic red hair and pale skin. If Omar takes you back, he will share you with them.”
He saw terror flare in her eyes and she began to tremble more, pulling the coverlet to her neck. Maybe he’d gone too far, but she needed to understand the precariousness of her position.
That understanding was vital to helping him prevent her suffering more horrendous trauma than she already had.
“Do you understand now?”
She dropped her gaze and nodded.
A knock sounded on the door.
“That will be the food,” he said.
He stood up and placed the chair back at the table, then strode to the door. When he pulled it open, Hafsa stood at the door with a tray holding a covered plate and the bottle of wine.
“Good evening, Hafsa. Please come in.” Yasin stepped back.
She nodded, her eyes lowered and walked into his quarters, then placed the food and wine on the table.
“Would you like me to pour the wine, sir?” she asked.
“No, thank you. That will be all.”
A knock sounded at the door again. Hafsa hurried to answer it, then bowed her head and stepped back as Omar strode into the room. She then slipped out the door and closed it behind her.
“Omar. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
Omar stood in the center of the large room, hands on his hips. “Only minutes after leaving your birthday celebration, I hear that you ordered a meal. I would think you’d be concerned with something other than food, considering the birthday gift I presented you with. Either that or you are not interested in the woman. Is that the case?” His dark eyebrow swept upward.
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“Of course I’m interested. I could not keep my hands off her.”
Omar frowned. “You’re saying you’ve already had your release? So quickly?”
Yasin laughed. “Omar, you expect much of me. You give me a beautiful woman I have longed for since college... fill me with wine... tease me with beautiful dancers...then you expect me to last longer than a few minutes in bed with her?”
Doubt filled Omar’s eyes. He turned to the bedroom and strode toward it. Shit, if he saw her sitting on the alcove bed, shivering in that coverlet, he wouldn’t believe Yasin had bedded her.
“Omar, these are my quarters. You should respect my privacy.”
Omar turned. “These might be your quarters, but they’re in my house. On my island.” He glared at Yasin. “And you do not tell me what I should or should not do.”
Omar pulled open the door and entered the bedroom, Yasin on his heels.
Chapter 5
Yasin glanced at the alcove, but Lily was not there. He turned to see Omar staring at the large bed. Yasin’s gaze darted there, too.
There was Lily, her body casually sprawled across the bed, her auburn hair cascading across the emerald satin pillowcase. Her eyes were closed and the satin sheet was carelessly draped over her, leaving one shapely leg exposed. She looked every bit like a woman who’d just been made love to.
Omar turned to Yasin. “You seem to have tired her out.”
“That’s why I ordered the food. To revive her strength.”
Omar laughed. “Very good.” He walked out the bedroom door again. “Enjoy your gift. Then, when you’re done with her—be it tonight or another day soon—let me know. I would like to sample her delights, too.”
Yasin frowned as he followed his brother to the entrance.
“Why do you think I will want to part with my gift?”
Omar laughed deep from his belly.
“Does one keep the empty bottle once the wine is consumed?” Omar slapped Yasin on the back. “Believe me, brother, you will tire of her. Then I will have my enjoyment, too. As will the others. Surely you would not deny me that.”
Yasin frowned. “I will not tire of her.”
Omar’s eyes glinted like granite. “We shall see.” Then he swept out the door.
Yasin walked back to the bedroom. He stared at her still form, his heart pounding at the possibilities.
Her eyelids fluttered open and she glanced around.
“Is he gone?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He smiled. “That was wise. Draping yourself in my bed to fool my brother.”
“You told him we’d... been together... so it’s what he would expect.”
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms, his smile broadening. “You look good in my bed.”
If only he could convince her to stay there.
At his words, panic flashed across her eyes and she jerked to a sitting position. His breath locked in his lungs as the green satin fell to her waist. Then he saw that she had the coverlet wrapped around her body.
He released his breath.
She glanced down at herself, realizing what he’d expected. Her cheeks turned a rosy red.
“Hafsa brought you food. You should eat it before it gets cold.”
“Of course. Thank you.” She tried to push her feet off the bed, but he could see she was getting tangled in the layers of cloth.
He smiled more broadly. “I could bring it to you. Then you could stay right there.”
“No, thank you.”
She tugged at the sheets until she freed her legs, then carefully hung onto the coverlet, but as she stood, he caught a glimpse of her long, creamy thighs before she could get to her feet and smooth the fabric into place.
“Do you have some clothing I could put on?” she asked as she walked toward the door.
“I’m afraid not. And I certainly won’t request that the servants bring something for you to wear. That will convince my brother that I’m tired of you.”
As Lily sat down at the table, she cringed inside. Terror had jolted through her when the brother had talked about her so casually, as if she were an object. And his insinuations...
Her stomach tightened.
“Would he really do those things he said?” she asked, staring at the covered plate in front of her. She was hungry, but with her stomach roiling the way it was, she was no longer sure she’d be able to eat.
“If you mean fucking you, then passing you around to the others to do the same, then yes. He would.”
She trembled and pursed her lips, wanting to crawl back into the bed in the alcove and curl into a ball.
Yasin, who had sat down beside her at the round table, rested his hand on hers. She wanted to pull it away, afraid of any man touching her right this second. But she didn’t. He was her only ally here and, although she didn’t know if she could trust him, she wasn’t about to alienate him.
“I don’t want to frighten you, Lily. I just want you to fully comprehend your situation.”
“Which is being totally under your control?”
“Which is both of us being aware of my brother’s way of doing things,” he corrected, “and working together to keep you safe.”
She glanced up and the somberness in his eyes unsettled her.
“What you just did—draping yourself in my bed to fool him—was a smart move. I want you to continue to keep your wits about you. And it is of utmost importance that you do exactly as I say, especially in front of others.”
“You’ve already told me that.”
He nodded. “I want to make sure it sinks in. Now eat.” He pulled the cover from her plate.
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Eat!”
Shocked by his commanding tone, her gaze flashed to his. His eyes glinted with an authority that chilled her.
She picked up the wrap and took a bite.
“Good.” He sat back in his chair with a smile and poured some wine into a glass. “Drink the wine, too.”
After she finished the food and two full glasses of wine, he rose.
“Come.”
She followed him to the bedroom, her stomach fluttering. Would he command her into his bed? Then simply order her to have sex with him?
But he said nothing as she walked to the smaller bed and lay down on it. He pulled off his linen jacket and laid it over the back of a chair, then his tie. When he began releasing the buttons of his shirt, she tried to turn her gaze away, but the sight of his muscular chest being revealed bit by bit was too much for her.
She had been so attracted to him in college. Smitten actually. He’d been charming and funny. He’d gotten to know her before he asked her out on their first date. Then he hadn’t tried to rush her into bed, settling for soft touches of his lips on her hand... his fingers entwined with hers... and delicate kisses that had built to more passionate embraces.
He slipped his shirt from his shoulders and she couldn’t help staring at his sculpted chest and taut abs.
But he’d always stopped himself, even when she’d been able to feel his arousal pressed tight against her belly. And she’d always been curious just how big he was because, from what she’d felt...
Her heart pounded as he unfastened his pants. Would she find out now?
The thought caused her chest to constrict... and heat to flood through her veins.
He dropped his pants and stepped out of them, standing now in only his boxers, which hugged a thick, rigid bulge. Every bit as big as she’d imagined.
His gaze locked on her and...
Oh, God, it grew bigger still.
Would he come over here and—
He turned and climbed into the big bed.
“Good night,” he said, then turned out the lights.
Fuck, his cock was so hard he’d never get to sleep now. Yasin stared into the darkness, all too aware of Lily naked only yards from him.
And in no position to turn down his advances if he chose to take her. The te
mptation was great... fuck his family genes... but he would not succumb.
He rolled onto his side. Why did these urges plague him? Thoughts of dragging her into his bed... of pushing her arms over her head and pinning her beneath him... then driving into her softness.
As much as he’d always tried to convince himself he would never take a woman against her will, the thought of her struggling beneath him turned him on so much, he was sure one stroke of his cock right now would plummet him over the edge.
Finally, he fell into a light, restless sleep. Until something calmed him. A dream of a soft, warm body snuggling close.
He faded into a deep slumber.
Sunlight caressed his eyelids and Yasin slowly became aware of his surroundings. Or more precisely, of the soft, female body ensconced in his arms. Her round ass was pressed tight against his groin and his cock responded in the most natural way.
He heard her small gasp and realized she was awake. He lay perfectly still as she wiggled a little, clearly trying to slip from his arms without waking him.
He couldn’t help himself. He pressed his lips to the back of her neck and nuzzled.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice deep and raspy from sleep.
She seemed to panic and tried to lurch from his arms, but he tightened his embrace. She squirmed against him, making his cock swell even more.
Chapter 6
“I’m sure your actions aren’t having the affect you hoped for. Staying still would be a wiser move,” Yasin said.
Lily stopped instantly. He could feel her rapid breathing, whether because of anxiety, or excitement, he wasn’t sure. Maybe both. He smiled, realizing that was only wishful thinking on his part, but he always had been a bit of a dreamer.
Finally, he slid backward and rolled her onto her back.
He smiled. “So you do like my bed.”
“I was worried that your brother might come back. That if he found I wasn’t in your bed, that he would assume you were done with me.”
His smile faded.
She’d been lying terrified in the night while all he’d been concerned with was own sexual frustration. Fuck, what kind of man was he?
