was hearing. Jamal had just offered to free her if he couldn’t seduce her within four weeks. Allah was indeed kind to her. She would never willingly place herself in Jamal’s bed. He was her enemy. Sayed was dead, and it was Jamal’s fault.
“Is that all there is to the wager, my lord?” Zara asked suspiciously. She did not trust him.
“If you lose, if you take my manhood inside you,” Jamal continued evenly, “you will reside in my harem and come to me when I want you.”
Zara thought his proposition over carefully. Clearly Sheik Jamal had an inflated ego.
“I agree. But I can only lose the bet if I take your manhood inside me willingly. If you take me by force, or without my permission, you lose the bet. Am I correct?”
“So be it.”
“Will you answer a question for me?”
“What is it you wish to know?”
“Did you send me to the stables to pleasure your stable slaves?”
“What ever gave you that idea? You went to the stables because the sultan wanted you punished for your brazen behavior.” His brows came together in a black scowl as comprehension dawned. “Which of my slaves accosted you? Is that why you left the stables tonight?”
“You can’t blame them for thinking I was meant for their pleasure. Nothing was said to disabuse them of the notion that I was theirs for the taking.”
“What did they do to you?” Jamal asked fiercely. If they had touched her he would have their heads.
“Nothing … yet. Mustafa found a pitchfork in his face when he tried to force me. I told him you would punish him if he touched me.”
“And so I would have. You’ll sleep in my harem from now on. You’ll be safe there.”
“Safe?” she hooted. “It will be a simple matter for you to seduce me if I sleep in the harem. Nay, I will return to the stables with the other slaves, but you must tell them I am not to be touched.”
“Zara, my fierce Berber warrior,” Jamal said softly. “You are too proud for your own good. I will tame you yet, my fiery pearl.”
He stared at her mouth, lush and moist, and decided his seduction would start tonight. “Turn around, let me soap your back.” When she appeared reluctant to obey, he gently turned her and closed his legs around her so she couldn’t escape.
Dipping another glob of soap from the jar, he spread it over the elegant curve of her back, massaging the knobs of her spine with the pads of his fingers until she moaned; the pressure was wonderfully soothing after her hard day’s labor. Then she felt him squeezing her buttocks, his fingers slipping into the separation between the perfect halves, sliding between her thighs to tease the sensitive nub there, probing her opening.
Abruptly his hands fell away and he pushed her down into the water. “Rinse off.” She came up sputtering. Jamal grasped her beneath the arms and hauled her out of the water. She stood there shivering in the night air as he dried her with a soft linen cloth.
“I can do that myself,” Zara declared. When Jamal touched her, her body behaved strangely. She felt weightless, without substance. Her flesh tingled and burned; his touch set fires inside her. In order to win her freedom she had to gird herself against him, to remember that he was the enemy, else she’d end up in his bed.
“Allow me,” Jamal insisted. “Your skin is like silk. I wonder, do you taste as delicious as you look?”
Fearing he intended to find out, she backed away from him. But Jamal was not ready to let her go. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her through the open double doors into his chamber, placing her on his sleeping couch. His dark eyes glowed as he stared down at her. Light from the hanging oil lamp bathed her in gold dust and magic. Jamal trembled with desire.
“Don’t move,” Jamal whispered. “I’ll be right back.”
Spellbound, Zara couldn’t have moved had she tried. In any event, she wouldn’t have gotten far. Jamal returned almost instantly with the vial of scented
“Is that all there is to the wager, my lord?” Zara asked suspiciously. She did not trust him.
“If you lose, if you take my manhood inside you,” Jamal continued evenly, “you will reside in my harem and come to me when I want you.”
Zara thought his proposition over carefully. Clearly Sheik Jamal had an inflated ego.
“I agree. But I can only lose the bet if I take your manhood inside me willingly. If you take me by force, or without my permission, you lose the bet. Am I correct?”
“So be it.”
“Will you answer a question for me?”
“What is it you wish to know?”
“Did you send me to the stables to pleasure your stable slaves?”
“What ever gave you that idea? You went to the stables because the sultan wanted you punished for your brazen behavior.” His brows came together in a black scowl as comprehension dawned. “Which of my slaves accosted you? Is that why you left the stables tonight?”
“You can’t blame them for thinking I was meant for their pleasure. Nothing was said to disabuse them of the notion that I was theirs for the taking.”
“What did they do to you?” Jamal asked fiercely. If they had touched her he would have their heads.
“Nothing … yet. Mustafa found a pitchfork in his face when he tried to force me. I told him you would punish him if he touched me.”
“And so I would have. You’ll sleep in my harem from now on. You’ll be safe there.”
“Safe?” she hooted. “It will be a simple matter for you to seduce me if I sleep in the harem. Nay, I will return to the stables with the other slaves, but you must tell them I am not to be touched.”
“Zara, my fierce Berber warrior,” Jamal said softly. “You are too proud for your own good. I will tame you yet, my fiery pearl.”
He stared at her mouth, lush and moist, and decided his seduction would start tonight. “Turn around, let me soap your back.” When she appeared reluctant to obey, he gently turned her and closed his legs around her so she couldn’t escape.
Dipping another glob of soap from the jar, he spread it over the elegant curve of her back, massaging the knobs of her spine with the pads of his fingers until she moaned; the pressure was wonderfully soothing after her hard day’s labor. Then she felt him squeezing her buttocks, his fingers slipping into the separation between the perfect halves, sliding between her thighs to tease the sensitive nub there, probing her opening.
Abruptly his hands fell away and he pushed her down into the water. “Rinse off.” She came up sputtering. Jamal grasped her beneath the arms and hauled her out of the water. She stood there shivering in the night air as he dried her with a soft linen cloth.
“I can do that myself,” Zara declared. When Jamal touched her, her body behaved strangely. She felt weightless, without substance. Her flesh tingled and burned; his touch set fires inside her. In order to win her freedom she had to gird herself against him, to remember that he was the enemy, else she’d end up in his bed.
“Allow me,” Jamal insisted. “Your skin is like silk. I wonder, do you taste as delicious as you look?”
Fearing he intended to find out, she backed away from him. But Jamal was not ready to let her go. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her through the open double doors into his chamber, placing her on his sleeping couch. His dark eyes glowed as he stared down at her. Light from the hanging oil lamp bathed her in gold dust and magic. Jamal trembled with desire.
“Don’t move,” Jamal whispered. “I’ll be right back.”
Spellbound, Zara couldn’t have moved had she tried. In any event, she wouldn’t have gotten far. Jamal returned almost instantly with the vial of scented
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