by Erin Snihur
“What are you doing here?” she hisses at him.
“Me? What are you doing here, Amira? Don’t you know it is too dangerous for you to leave the palace without your guards?” Kasin answered back quickly, his anger fuelling his voice so much that a few children looked their way in obvious concern for the woman who brought them candy.
Exasperated, Amira scoffs at Kasin and turns away from him, arms crossed, “I come here all the time, Kasin. The people in this village are kind, hard working people. They wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Kasin gazed Amira up and down, noting her tight jeans and flowy blouse that accentuated her rising chest, “I doubt they would hurt you for your fly like qualities.”
Gasping, Amira turned around and levelled Kasin with a glare, “You’re the only one I’ve ever felt would harm me physically in the last five years, Kasin. So if you’re so concerned with my safety, why don’t you just leave!”
Stunned by her words, Kasin glared back, “You’re coming back to the palace with me, wife, whether you like it or not. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
Obviously planting both her feet on the ground, Amira turned her little nose up at Kasin, “Leave, Kasin.”
“I intend to. With my wife,” Kasin growls. Before she has a chance to react, Kasin scoops Amira up over his shoulder, slightly wincing at the pinched feeling of his bruised body from training that morning.
“Kasin! Put me down!” Amira screeches, earning a few laughs from the children, though none of the adults present are impressed, most stare, wide eyed at the sight of their Sheikha being hoisted over a man’s shoulder and carried out of the building.
Even the village folk stare in shock as Kasin carries a struggling Amira over to the awaiting SUV. Nodding at an amused looking Abel, Kasin calls out, “Make sure her servants have a drive back to the palace. My wife and I need to have a talk.”
“No! We do not…” Amira began to protest, but a quick slap to her behind quieted her before Kasin could stop himself. Her round ass was within biting distance of his mouth. He could bite her if he wanted to. Oh, Allah, he wanted to and so much more.
No matter what Amira did, she couldn’t manage to wiggle her way out of Kasin’s hold. Every time she would hit his back, pinch his skin or pull on his hair, Kasin would reach up and give her rear a slap. At first, it was shocking. Now, every slap sent little jolts to Amira’s core. Amira wasn’t stupid. She knew what went on between a man and a woman. She’d come across a couple of the servants engaged in a romantic liaison a time or two.
The whole thing became even more embarrassing when they entered the palace gates and Kasin threw her back over his shoulder, much to the amusement of the guards who watched. Some even whistled. Amira’s face had never been redder.
Thankfully, Kasin dropped her before she had a chance to react. Instead of bringing her to one of the studies or sitting rooms, Amira found herself sitting on the largest bed in the entire palace. In the master suite, Amira’s stomach filled with dread. There could be only one reason he would bring her here. Her burning rear throbbed at the realization.
“Kasin, please don’t,” Amira begged as she backed away on the bed, scrambling to get to her feet on the other side.
Kasin stared at her, his eyes softening as he held up his hands as a show of peace, “That isn’t why I’ve brought you here, Amira. Know this. I will never take you to my bed against your will.”
Staring at him, Amira felt her body begin to relax. He was so sincere looking. Could she trust him?
“Now, why don’t you tell me about this,” Kasin grumbled as he strode over to the master closet and pulled open the door revealing a closet of empty shelves and the hardwood floors littered with unopened gifts.
Turning back to face her, arms crossed, Kasin raised a perfectly shaped brow at her, “Care to explain?”
6
“Care to explain?” Kasin asked, his voice hard as steel as he motioned to the unopened gifts.
Swallowing the lie in her throat, Amira thrust her chin up. She had nothing to hide. He was in the wrong when it came to their relationship.
“They’re gifts.”
Watching him clench his fists tightly, probably to keep from throttling her for her impudence, Amira’s skin began to tingle as her sore, red rear rubbed deliciously against the silk sheets.
“Gifts I had purchased specifically for you, Amira,” Kasin growled out slowly, his words enunciated with practiced patience, “Why aren’t they opened and instead stuffed in a closet?”
Shrugging, Amira stands straightening her clothes as she does so, wanting to keep her hands busy, “I didn’t want your gifts bought out of remorse.”
Sweeping his hands around the room, Kasin incredulously gazes at her in shock, “In what way could you possibly believe these gifts were purchased out of remorse, Amira?”
Shaking her head, Amira stomped over to the small desk in the corner of the room. Opening one of the drawers she hated even thinking about, Amira reached in and pulled out the dozens of magazine clippings and online photos of Kasin engaging with other women.
Thrusting them into Kasin’s hands, Amira took a step back and watched as he gazed at page after page of proof of his affairs during their fraud of a marriage.
“Every time you were photographed with a woman, I would receive a gift the next day,” Amira murmured, her voice shaking. How was it possible that after all this time he continued to break her heart.
Because you love him, you fool! A voice hissed in Amira’s conscious, but she just pushed it aside. There could be no love between Amira and Kasin. It was impossible.
Throwing the papers to the floor with the other presents, Kasin made a move toward her, but at her backing away, he paused and held up his hands in a show of peace. “I don’t know what to say, Amira.”
“Say nothing, Kasin. I don’t want your falsehoods. I just want my freedom,” Amira pleaded and clasped her hands to her chest as the tears began to roll down her face. “I want the annulment, please. Keep my dowry, I don’t care about the money, I just want to be free.”
Freedom. Freedom from him? Freedom without safety? Never.
Resolved, Kasin took Amira by surprise and approached her, enclosing his arms around her and lightly brushing her tears aside with one hand. It reminded him of their wedding. When he’d drawn her into his arms and kissed her. His drunken thoughts had consumed him. The darkness was imminent. It had been then that Kasin knew what he had to do. Hide Amira away. Keep her safe and innocent, away from his darkness.
“I never wanted to hurt you, Amira,” Kasin murmured as she stared up at him in confusion and a bit of fear leaching from her violet eyes. Those women, they were nothing to him. He didn’t even remember any of their names. They were a means to an end. A way to distract his enemies away from Amira. She was his wife and they were nothing to him. To his enemies, Amira would have been the perfect bait for the new Sheik of Masarat.
“You did anyway,” Amira whispered. “You tore me into pieces when you cheated with that first woman and all the rest for five years.”
“Let me pick up those pieces, Amira, and heal them. Let me be the type of husband you deserved five years ago and deserve now,” Kasin whispers back, his face closing in toward Amira’s face.
Shaking her head through his hand’s grasp, Amira’s tear filled eyes met his as she whispered, turning her face away, “I don’t think I can.”
Chest aching, Kasin dropped his head so that it was pressed against her angled forehead and sighed, “I couldn’t expect you to agree.”
At his pause, Amira turned to him as he continued, “But you are my wife, Amira. I know you can’t understand it now and maybe you never will, but know this, I will never let you go.”
Releasing her swiftly caused Amira to gasp and back away. The anger returned to her violet depths and Kasin’s body responded swiftly as he took in her beautiful fury. Such a perfect wife.
“Your maid should be back by now. I sugg
est you prepare yourself for dinner tonight,” Kasin murmured and with a nod began his march to the bedroom doors, knowing full well her clothes weren’t even in this room.
Before leaving, Kasin turned and called out to her, gaining her glare, “Wear something you don’t mind being torn apart.”
With a wink at the sight of her innocent blush, Kasin departed the room, knowing full well his little wife was probably planning his demise at this very moment. By the shriek of fury he heard as he took the stairs that led to the main floor, Kasin chuckled at the rage bubbling within Amira.
Good, wife, a little rage bodes well in my bed.
7
Amira watched with a sinking feeling of deja vu as Leeta placed a simple french braid plait into her pale hair before allowing the rest to fall naturally down her back. Smiling in thanks to Leeta who scurried about the room to pick up Amira’s discarded clothes, Amira watched the girl who was her maid and her friend all in one.
“Leeta?”
The young girl’s eyes met hers with an easy smile, “Yes?”
Biting her bottom lip as the girl stared at Amira expectantly, Amira wondered how she would go about asking the question she so wished she had the answers to. Googling had led nowhere. Sighing, Amira steeled her resolve and clasped her hands tightly together in her lap to keep them from fidgeting.
“Have you ever had…” Amira asked bravely before her words trailed off and in silence she motioned with her free hand toward her pristinely made bed, “You know?”
Leeta looked to Amira’s bed with a cocked eyebrow before understanding seemed to dawn on the girl’s face and her cheeks blushed prettily.
“Oh, yes, miss, I have,” Leeta giggled.
Gasping in shock, Amira’s mind raced. Leeta had only been eighteen when Amira had arrived to the mountain palace. Thinking back on their time together, Amira hadn’t noticed any lingering looks Leeta had placed on anyone in particular.
“Who?” Amira asked before she could stop herself.
Blushing even brighter red, Leeta began fidgeting with her hands that were full of clothes Amira had worn that day, “I doubt he even remembers me.”
Standing, Amira moved forward, “You don’t have to tell me, I just wondered about some things.”
Gazing at Amira in confusion, Leeta asked hesitantly, “Is this about this afternoon? Did his Majesty hurt you?”
Her red and bruised bottom throbbed in reminder. It was a sinfully delicious sort of pain, much to Amira’s shock. When she’d fled to her own bedroom after Kasin left her in the master bedroom, she’d found her core sopping wet.
Amira shook her head in answer to the young girl, “No, of course not. I’m just not as experienced as Kasin is.”
Leeta hummed for a moment before her bright eyes twinkled with mischief. “Neither was I. My first, well, he was perfect. I put my trust in him and he delivered, if you know what I mean.”
Giggling with Leeta about her joke, Amira shook her head. “I don’t know if I can put my trust in Kasin that much.”
Cocking her head to the side in confusion, Leeta questioned, “What about on your wedding night, my lady?”
Mind swimming as she recalled the way Kasin had delivered her to a private jet in the dark of night still wearing her wedding dress, Amira shook her head to clear her mind of those aching memories. Kasin had barely touched her. His only touch had been to push her in the direction of the gun wielding security officer, Abel.
“It all happened so fast,” Amira murmured absentmindedly.
Leeta nodded in understanding and giggled, “I wasn’t expecting my first. He found me walking to the servants’ quarters and confessed that I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. I know it may be silly, but it was the perfect first time.”
“What happened to him? Does he still work here?”
Shaking her head sadly, Leeta bit her lip before answering, “No. He left the next morning. I haven’t seen him since.”
Smiling at her maid’s words, Amira reached over and squeezed her maid’s hand, “Thank you for confiding in me, Leeta. I promise not to tell your mother.”
Giggling at the way Leeta’s mouth opened in a shocked gasp, Amira ducked out of the way as her friend threw Amira’s blouse at her. Catching it, Amira held up her hands as a show of peace. Leeta’s mother was the head servant of the palace. No need upsetting the older woman more than necessary.
A knock at her doors made both laughing women freeze and when Amira called whoever it was to enter, Amira smiled at another servant’s nervous face.
“His Majesty requests your presence for dinner, my lady, he is quite impatient.”
Leeta gasped as she took in the time. “I kept you too long, my lady!”
Ignoring the two women’s looks of concern, Amira pretended to gaze at herself in the mirror and fluff her hair.
“Let Kasin wait. He has kept me waiting for five years.”
Ignoring the looks on their faces, Amira marched to her closet and flung open the doors. Digging past the more demure and plain outfits, Amira pulled out the white outfit she’d bought online out of boredom. She didn’t even think it would fit, but when it arrived, it had been perfect. At the time, Amira regretted the fact that she would never get to wear it. Now was the perfect time.
Here I come, Kasin. Eat your heart out.
“Where is she? I told her to be ready,” Kasin grumbled as he paced behind the head seat at the ornate table. Dishes lined the slab of carved wood, protected by shiny covers.
Abel hummed non-committedly and leaned back in his own chair a few steps away. “You kept her waiting five years, the least you can do is give her five minutes.”
“Don’t start with me,” Kasin growled. He’d been as hard as a rock since their little argument this morning in the master bedroom. Nothing he’d done had relieved the ache. Not even the cold shower he’d taken had soothed his libido. Not when thoughts of Amira flush and waiting for him a few rooms away was all that consumed him.
“What could be taking her so long?” Kasin muttered and out of instinct reached for the glass at his seat, but grimaced at the sight of the clear water. Inwardly, his stomach rolled. He needed something stronger. It had been too long since his last drink.
“She invited her maid to dinner after you invited me. I imagine they are scheming against us at this very moment,” Abel muttered back grimly as he downed his coffee.
Wanting to take his mind off his errant wife and her silly ways, Kasin clenched his fists behind his back and stared out one of the windows, watching the sun set beautifully over the horizon.
“Have you received any news from any of our fractions?”
Sighing, Abel snorted before answering, “No. Like our previous intel stated, all fractions have fled Masarat. We are at peace.”
Shaking his head, Kasin turned away from the window to glare at Abel. “There will never be peace as long as those murdering cowards draw breath. Especially that fiend, Karos. We should reach out to our neighbors. Contact Khalid, Malik and Amoz’ head of security. Perhaps if they keep an eye out, we will find those traitors.”
Feminine whispers drew both Kasin and Abel to pause and when Abel stood to greet Amira and her maid, Kasin felt as though his eyes would melt from their sockets. Hair braided back loosely and left to hang down her back in soft waves, Kasin’s gaze trailed from her sparkling, mischievous violet eyes to her plump lips and then to that thing she called a dress.
Amira’s dress was stark white against her tanned skin. The sleeves wrapped around her arms and body tightly, accentuating every curve and faint muscle. While the fabric was sheer material, it left little to the imagination. Kasin even wondered if she was wearing anything underneath. At the sight of her chest rising and falling harshly as she inhaled, he saw the faint outline of her nipples and instantly, his shaft awoke once again.
“Ladies, so wonderful of you to join us,” Kasin murmured before nodding to Abel, “Amira, you remember my friend and head of security for
the royal families, Abel Sar?”
At Abel’s bow, Amira nodded with such grace, Kasin nearly lost his breath until the little woman with dark hair and big, brown eyes behind her gasped in astonishment.
“Leeta?” Amira murmured and touched her maid’s shoulder. “Are you ill? You’ve gone pale!”
“Let me get you a warm drink. That should help,” Abel crooned and, before Kasin could question him, his friend stalked from the room in the direction of the kitchens.
At his friend’s departure, Kasin pulled out the seat at his left and nodded for Amira to sit. She did, but only after ensuring her maid was sitting comfortably at her right before taking the offered chair from Kasin.
Helping Amira push in her seat, Kasin leaned forward and brushed his lips against her ear, causing Amira to freeze in place.
“You look beautiful tonight, wife. You chose the perfect outfit. I cannot wait to rip it off of you,” Kasin crooned in her ear. It was barely more than a whisper, but from the way Amira’s face blushed, he knew she heard every word.
Kasin knew what she was doing. She was trying to tease and torture him into submission. It wouldn’t work.
As Abel entered and placed a mug of steaming chocolate before Leeta, Amira’s maid, Kasin briefly saw a hint of desire flooding his friend’s eyes before disappearing into that of a neutral expression. The maid, Leeta, blushed at Abel’s close proximity. Even Amira noticed the way both seemed to react to one another.
Inwardly, Kasin mused, Interesting. Perhaps I am not the only one struggling with women lately.
8
Amira listened with rapt attention as Kasin’s friend, Abel, told an impressive and hilarious story about his time working for a security detail guarding a well known biologist.
