Read Online Captive Bride by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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joy at the surprise. She swung around to face him now, her eyes a soft blue-green again surrounded by their dark ring.
"Are these for me?" she inquired demurely, running her hand over a bolt of soft blue velvet that matched her eyes.
"They were, but I don't know if I should give them to you after the way you have been acting," he said.
His eyes gave no clue whether he was teasing her or not. She suddenly felt desperate.
"Please, Philip! I'll die without anything to occupy my time."
"Perhaps you could give me something in return," he replied huskily.
"You know I can't. Why must you torture me so?"
"You jump to conclusions, my sweet. What I had in mind was a kiss—an honest kiss with some feeling in it."
Christina took one more look at the bounty of goods on the couch. What harm could one little kiss do, she thought, if it would get her what she wanted? She came to him and waited, eyes closed, but he did nothing. She opened her eyes and stared into his amused ones.
"I asked you to give the kiss, my lady, with feeling." He smiled down at her.
After a moment's hesitation, Christina put her arms around his neck and drew his lips down to hers. She opened her mouth to his. The kiss began softly, then his tongue penetrated deeply. The butterfly feeling came over her again, but this time she didn't fight it. His arms went around her, crushing her body to his. She could feel the hardness between his legs as he lowered his lips to leave a trail of fire across her neck.
Philip picked her up and began to carry her into the bedroom. Christina started to struggle.
"A kiss was all you asked for! Please put me down," she begged.
"Damn you, woman! The time will come when you'll gladly go with me. I promise you that"
He set her down and went outside. A smile crossed Christina's lips when she saw that she'd won again. But how long did she have before her luck ran out? Philip's kiss stirred something in her that she didn't understand. It left her empty, wanting something more, but she didn't know what.
After a few minutes, Philip came back into the room, followed by a girl who brought in the evening supper. When she left, Philip spoke harshly.
"We will eat now, and afterward I'll take you to meet my father. He has been expecting us."
They ate silently, but Christina was too nervous to enjoy the meal. She was a little afraid of meeting Philip's father. If he was anything like his son, then she had much to fear.
"Couldn't this meeting be put off for a few days until I can make something more presentable to wear than this?" she asked.
Philip frowned at her. "My father has lived his whole life here. He's not used to fancy gowns and dresses on women. What you're wearing will be quite suitable for the occasion."
"And whose clothes am I wearing? Did they belong to your last mistress?" Christina asked distastefully.
"You have a sharp tongue, Tina. The clothes belong to Amine, the girl who brought in the food. Amine is the wife of Syed, one of my distant cousins."
Christina felt ashamed, but she wasn't about to admit it
"Shall we go? My father is eager to meet you."
Philip took her hand and led her to a smaller tent to the right of his. They entered, and she saw an old man sitting on the floor in the middle of the tent
"Come in, my children. I have been looking forward to this meeting." The old man beckoned them to enter.
Philip led her across the room and sat down on a sheepskin across from his father, pulling her down beside him.
"I would like you to meet Christina Wakefield," Philip said to his father, then looked to her. "My father, Sheik Yasir Alhamar."
"You must stop calling me sheik, Abu. It is you who are the sheik now," Philip's father scolded.
"I shall always think of you as sheik, my father. Do not ask me to stop addressing you with respect."
"Well, it does not matter between us. So this is the woman that you could not live without," Yasir said, staring intently at Christina. "Yes, I can see why you had to have
"Are these for me?" she inquired demurely, running her hand over a bolt of soft blue velvet that matched her eyes.
"They were, but I don't know if I should give them to you after the way you have been acting," he said.
His eyes gave no clue whether he was teasing her or not. She suddenly felt desperate.
"Please, Philip! I'll die without anything to occupy my time."
"Perhaps you could give me something in return," he replied huskily.
"You know I can't. Why must you torture me so?"
"You jump to conclusions, my sweet. What I had in mind was a kiss—an honest kiss with some feeling in it."
Christina took one more look at the bounty of goods on the couch. What harm could one little kiss do, she thought, if it would get her what she wanted? She came to him and waited, eyes closed, but he did nothing. She opened her eyes and stared into his amused ones.
"I asked you to give the kiss, my lady, with feeling." He smiled down at her.
After a moment's hesitation, Christina put her arms around his neck and drew his lips down to hers. She opened her mouth to his. The kiss began softly, then his tongue penetrated deeply. The butterfly feeling came over her again, but this time she didn't fight it. His arms went around her, crushing her body to his. She could feel the hardness between his legs as he lowered his lips to leave a trail of fire across her neck.
Philip picked her up and began to carry her into the bedroom. Christina started to struggle.
"A kiss was all you asked for! Please put me down," she begged.
"Damn you, woman! The time will come when you'll gladly go with me. I promise you that"
He set her down and went outside. A smile crossed Christina's lips when she saw that she'd won again. But how long did she have before her luck ran out? Philip's kiss stirred something in her that she didn't understand. It left her empty, wanting something more, but she didn't know what.
After a few minutes, Philip came back into the room, followed by a girl who brought in the evening supper. When she left, Philip spoke harshly.
"We will eat now, and afterward I'll take you to meet my father. He has been expecting us."
They ate silently, but Christina was too nervous to enjoy the meal. She was a little afraid of meeting Philip's father. If he was anything like his son, then she had much to fear.
"Couldn't this meeting be put off for a few days until I can make something more presentable to wear than this?" she asked.
Philip frowned at her. "My father has lived his whole life here. He's not used to fancy gowns and dresses on women. What you're wearing will be quite suitable for the occasion."
"And whose clothes am I wearing? Did they belong to your last mistress?" Christina asked distastefully.
"You have a sharp tongue, Tina. The clothes belong to Amine, the girl who brought in the food. Amine is the wife of Syed, one of my distant cousins."
Christina felt ashamed, but she wasn't about to admit it
"Shall we go? My father is eager to meet you."
Philip took her hand and led her to a smaller tent to the right of his. They entered, and she saw an old man sitting on the floor in the middle of the tent
"Come in, my children. I have been looking forward to this meeting." The old man beckoned them to enter.
Philip led her across the room and sat down on a sheepskin across from his father, pulling her down beside him.
"I would like you to meet Christina Wakefield," Philip said to his father, then looked to her. "My father, Sheik Yasir Alhamar."
"You must stop calling me sheik, Abu. It is you who are the sheik now," Philip's father scolded.
"I shall always think of you as sheik, my father. Do not ask me to stop addressing you with respect."
"Well, it does not matter between us. So this is the woman that you could not live without," Yasir said, staring intently at Christina. "Yes, I can see why you had to have
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