Read Online Never Resist a Sheikh (International Bad Boys) by Jackie Ashenden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jackie Ashenden
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isn’t a crime.”
“Of course it is not. But do you speak to clients of your company the way you speak to me?”
There was a pause.
She glanced up at him, quicksilver beneath bright copper lashes. “No. I just…my emotions get the better of me sometimes. And you have to admit, I had reasonto get angry yesterday.”
She, unfortunately, did have a point.
Absently, he swirled his coffee in his cup. “You must understand that my intention was never to harm you, Miss Cartwright.”
“Your hand around my throat would beg to differ.” She gave her coffee a vigorous stir.
Ah, yes. That. “To be fair, you bit me.”
“To be fair, that was because you held up my car and kidnapped me.”
Despitehimself, a thread of amusement wound through him. She was quick, he’d give her that. “I was a soldier before I was ever a king. My first reflex is to defend myself from attack.”
You liked having your hand around her throat. You have always liked that.
Zakir pushed the thought back down into the darkness where it should have stayed.
“Why were you a soldier?” Felicity sat back in her chair, sippingher coffee, her gray gaze wary. “Did you go into the army before you got to be a sheikh?”
“I did.”
“And what happened then? I guess your father was the king and then you got to be?”
The conversation had taken an unexpected turn toward a subject he didn’t wish to go into. No need to talk about Farid just yet.
He lifted his cup and drained the coffee in it before putting it back down on thetable “There will be time for that later. Right now, we need to have a discussion about our mutual needs.”
Her forehead creased as if she didn’t much care for the change of subject. “Okay then.” And her expression changed again, turning calculating and more than a little fierce, which he found fascinating. She was such an expressive little thing.
“So obviously my freedom is out of the question.”
“You may have freedom. As long as you stay in Al-Shakhra.”
“I knew it. Still, worth a try.” She took a sip of her coffee, never taking her gaze off him. “So exactly how long are you expecting to keep me here?”
He didn’t look away. “Indefinitely.”
Her mouth tightened and he waited for some kind of furious protest to escape it. But instead all she said was, “In that case, I want internet connectivity.I have to be able to be able to communicate with my company.”
Rashiq, Zakir’s father, had had very strong views on the internet, viewing it and indeed, anything modern, as anathema and a threat to the very fabric of Al-Shakhran society. He’d closed the borders of the country, enforcing a kind of dark age, only allowing certain government departments access to any kind of modern technology. WhenFarid had succeeded him, inroads had been made into modernizing the country’s infrastructure, but it had been a difficult process, made even more difficult by Farid himself and his mood swings.
Now Farid was gone, modernization had fallen to Zakir and the job hadn’t gotten any easier. Al-Shakhra had barely gotten electricity and running water out to its most remote villages, let alone puttingin the fiber cable needed to ensure internet access. The central business district of Harja had it, but that was pretty much it. The palace itself with its thick walls had been a nightmare to get a signal in, but his office had a direct, broadband connection.
Zakir stared at her, assessing. Remembering her arrogance of the day before. “Ah, yes. You were hoping to use it to communicate with othersto arrange help, thinking I would not notice.”
Another wash of color swept over her already pink cheeks. “I told you I was sorry about that. Anyway, can you blame me?”
“No, but the problem still stands. I cannot let you use something that will help you escape.”
Her forehead creased. “I’d advise blocking my access, but then I’m not sure you’d be able to do that. I can pretty much get aroundany
“Of course it is not. But do you speak to clients of your company the way you speak to me?”
There was a pause.
She glanced up at him, quicksilver beneath bright copper lashes. “No. I just…my emotions get the better of me sometimes. And you have to admit, I had reasonto get angry yesterday.”
She, unfortunately, did have a point.
Absently, he swirled his coffee in his cup. “You must understand that my intention was never to harm you, Miss Cartwright.”
“Your hand around my throat would beg to differ.” She gave her coffee a vigorous stir.
Ah, yes. That. “To be fair, you bit me.”
“To be fair, that was because you held up my car and kidnapped me.”
Despitehimself, a thread of amusement wound through him. She was quick, he’d give her that. “I was a soldier before I was ever a king. My first reflex is to defend myself from attack.”
You liked having your hand around her throat. You have always liked that.
Zakir pushed the thought back down into the darkness where it should have stayed.
“Why were you a soldier?” Felicity sat back in her chair, sippingher coffee, her gray gaze wary. “Did you go into the army before you got to be a sheikh?”
“I did.”
“And what happened then? I guess your father was the king and then you got to be?”
The conversation had taken an unexpected turn toward a subject he didn’t wish to go into. No need to talk about Farid just yet.
He lifted his cup and drained the coffee in it before putting it back down on thetable “There will be time for that later. Right now, we need to have a discussion about our mutual needs.”
Her forehead creased as if she didn’t much care for the change of subject. “Okay then.” And her expression changed again, turning calculating and more than a little fierce, which he found fascinating. She was such an expressive little thing.
“So obviously my freedom is out of the question.”
“You may have freedom. As long as you stay in Al-Shakhra.”
“I knew it. Still, worth a try.” She took a sip of her coffee, never taking her gaze off him. “So exactly how long are you expecting to keep me here?”
He didn’t look away. “Indefinitely.”
Her mouth tightened and he waited for some kind of furious protest to escape it. But instead all she said was, “In that case, I want internet connectivity.I have to be able to be able to communicate with my company.”
Rashiq, Zakir’s father, had had very strong views on the internet, viewing it and indeed, anything modern, as anathema and a threat to the very fabric of Al-Shakhran society. He’d closed the borders of the country, enforcing a kind of dark age, only allowing certain government departments access to any kind of modern technology. WhenFarid had succeeded him, inroads had been made into modernizing the country’s infrastructure, but it had been a difficult process, made even more difficult by Farid himself and his mood swings.
Now Farid was gone, modernization had fallen to Zakir and the job hadn’t gotten any easier. Al-Shakhra had barely gotten electricity and running water out to its most remote villages, let alone puttingin the fiber cable needed to ensure internet access. The central business district of Harja had it, but that was pretty much it. The palace itself with its thick walls had been a nightmare to get a signal in, but his office had a direct, broadband connection.
Zakir stared at her, assessing. Remembering her arrogance of the day before. “Ah, yes. You were hoping to use it to communicate with othersto arrange help, thinking I would not notice.”
Another wash of color swept over her already pink cheeks. “I told you I was sorry about that. Anyway, can you blame me?”
“No, but the problem still stands. I cannot let you use something that will help you escape.”
Her forehead creased. “I’d advise blocking my access, but then I’m not sure you’d be able to do that. I can pretty much get aroundany
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