Read Online Nan Ryan by Burning Love - Free Book Online

my blood.”
    Rubbing her fingers clean on her dusty riding breeches, Temple hissed, “Damn you, you are totally insane. A mad savage! A dirty, demented Arab beast!”
    As if she hadn’t spoken, he carefully blotted the residue of blood from his ribs with his shirt, bent, and picked up the dagger. Tossing aside the soiled shirt, he held out the jeweled hilt of the dagger to her.
    Temple stared at the dagger, not understanding his meaning.
    He prompted, “Go ahead, take it. Try again. Maybe you won’t fail this time.”
    Her jaw hardening, her eyes snapping with anger and frustration, Temple reached out and took it. She gripped the handle tightly in her hand and looked up at him. Their gazes locked for a long tense moment. Her eyes were hot green fire. His icy black stone.
    Big and bare chested, he stood there unmoving, his arms at his sides, his booted feet slightly apart. Silently daring her to try it.
    Temple watched him closely, like a predator with dangerous prey. Was this a trick? Did he have another weapon hidden somewhere on his person?
    “It’s no trick,” he said softly, as if he’d read her mind. “I’m unarmed.” He lifted his leanly muscled arms and raised his palms. He turned about in a complete circle so that she could examine him.
    When he was again facing her, he lowered his arms to his sides and asked, “What are you waiting for?”
    She gave no reply, stared at him unblinkingly, wondering if she had the nerve. Could she actually bury the blade in his abdomen and twist until his lifeblood flowed from him? Could she kill this dark, dangerous Arab who very likely meant to rape and kill her?
    Acting on the survival instinct so strong in all living beings, Temple abruptly lunged at the Sheik, intent on killing him before he could kill her. She brought the dagger’s flashing curved blade up in a swift, underhand arc that would rip open his stomach if she succeeded in hitting her target.
    She was quick.
    But the Sheik was quicker.
    His reaction was so incredibly swift, Temple never knew exactly what happened. She knew only that one second she had the dagger in her hand and was lunging at him and the next she was in his forced embrace, her arm twisted behind her back, the dagger now in his hand, its tip stuck beneath a pearl button at the center front of her soiled white blouse.
    Poised, his dark eyes holding hers, he made her wait and wonder.
    Temple’s breath came in strangled gasps, and her heart throbbed painfully.
    One quick flick of his wrist and the button flew off, the blouse parted over her breasts. She tensed and held her breath, bracing for what was to come.
    But it never came.
    A hint of a cruel smile touched his lips as he lowered the dagger and said, “You jump to conclusions, Temple. When I want you, you will know it.” He set her back from him and added, “And when I want you, I’ll take you without a struggle. You will gladly give yourself to me.”
    *     *     *    
    A long, perplexing stay in the lush desert oasis of Sheik Sharif Aziz Hamid had begun for a frightened and totally baffled Temple Longworth.
    After his utterly arrogant pronouncement, the Sheik had turned his back on her and walked away. At the far side of the room he had stepped through some curtains and disappeared.
    In seconds he’d returned to the main room, shoving his long, bronzed arms into the sleeves of a clean white shirt. He’d never looked at her. He hadn’t said a word. Unhurriedly he’d buttoned the shirt, shoved the long tails inside his trousers, crossed the spacious tent to the entrance, bent his head, and ducked outside, leaving her alone.
    For a long time after he’d gone, Temple continued to stand there, in limbo. Confused and frightened and angry. She had felt sure, when he had kissed her, that he’d meant to take her against her will. Had he stopped only because she’d tried to stab him with his dagger? Would he try again later?
    She shuddered.
    Why had he brought her to his