Read Online Sheikh's Ex-Girlfriend (Khayyam Sheikh Series #1) by Sophia Lynn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sophia Lynn
Tags: Romance, Literature & Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Fiction, Contemporary Women, Women's Fiction
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them, like American, sheikh, and family.
Before she could drive herself to distraction thinking about it, he came back, looking delightfully wet and scrubbed from the shower.
“Ready to eat?” he asked, and she nodded eagerly, because one thing that wasn't feigned or imagined was her hunger.
The pizza was a little strange, the sauce far tarter than she expected, and made with goat cheese rather than mozzarella, but it was hot and filling, and there was no beating the barbecued chicken wings that came with it.
Finally, she pushed her food away, unable to eat another bite. “This was amazing,” she said, grinning at Nasim.
“You're very easily impressed for a day grubbing in the sand and a late lunch of pizza and wings,” he teased.
Ella shrugged, a little self-conscious. “Well, I mean, we didn't just grub around in the ruins. We did … other things.”
Nasim's smile got a little darker, and she shivered as she felt the air between them heat up.
“Yes, other things. Now that we are back at your home, Ella, we can decide whether we might like to do those other things again.”
Her instinct was to tell him yes immediately, to tell him right away, that they should start in on those other things with no time for delay. Instead, a small grain of common sense prevailed and she shook her head.
“I want to,” she said honestly, “but I'm not sure it's wise.”
When he raised his eyebrows, she rushed to explain.
“What we did … what you did to me was amazing. When I think about it, I feel this deep heat inside me. You wake me up like no one has ever done, Nasim. It's just … where you're concerned, I'm spun around. I don't know up from down, left from right. I don't trust myself, and that's terrifying for me.”
Instead of arguing with her, Nasim reached across the table to take her hand. “I understand. I think I do at least, and what I want, dearest, is for you to be sure. Whether you tell me yes, or no, or not right now, I simply want you to be sure.”
His words stayed with her after he left that evening. They rang in her head. He wanted her to be sure. He didn't want her to make any decisions that might hurt her.
It wasn't a secret that she loved Nasim. It never had been. Now, however, that love was taking a central place in her life. It was rising up like some kind of leviathan out of the depths, and soon, nothing would be the same.
Still, when she got into her pajamas and climbed into bed, she could remember the way he had felt touching her. She could remember the words he whispered in her ear, and when she fell asleep, she had a smile on her face.
Chapter 6
Nasim sent Ella a text, telling her he would be busy for the next few days, and he set it down with a sigh. He had known that he was going to be in Arana for at least an overnight stay, but their Asian business contacts had required more wrangling than either had accepted.
Now he was seated in Marid's airy penthouse living room, the remnants of a truly impressive lunch on the table, and all he could think about was not being able to see Ella that evening.
“You look like a troubled man,” Marid observed, picking up a stray olive and popping it into his mouth. “If you feel that this deal is not worth the headache, we can almost certainly find others who are willing to be more amenable.”
Nasim shook his head. “This deal is exactly what I thought it was going to be, my friend. It is a pain in the ass that is going through some seriously twisting and turning machinations, but in the end, it is going to be something that we are grateful for, and that perhaps even our children will be grateful for whenever we have them.”
Marid made a face. “Here we are having a fine time wrestling foreign policy, and you have to bring our legacy into it. I suppose your mother has been pressuring you to find more suitable girls lately?”
Nasim sat up, an uncomfortable feeling of surprise in his belly. “Not at all. Why would you say
Before she could drive herself to distraction thinking about it, he came back, looking delightfully wet and scrubbed from the shower.
“Ready to eat?” he asked, and she nodded eagerly, because one thing that wasn't feigned or imagined was her hunger.
The pizza was a little strange, the sauce far tarter than she expected, and made with goat cheese rather than mozzarella, but it was hot and filling, and there was no beating the barbecued chicken wings that came with it.
Finally, she pushed her food away, unable to eat another bite. “This was amazing,” she said, grinning at Nasim.
“You're very easily impressed for a day grubbing in the sand and a late lunch of pizza and wings,” he teased.
Ella shrugged, a little self-conscious. “Well, I mean, we didn't just grub around in the ruins. We did … other things.”
Nasim's smile got a little darker, and she shivered as she felt the air between them heat up.
“Yes, other things. Now that we are back at your home, Ella, we can decide whether we might like to do those other things again.”
Her instinct was to tell him yes immediately, to tell him right away, that they should start in on those other things with no time for delay. Instead, a small grain of common sense prevailed and she shook her head.
“I want to,” she said honestly, “but I'm not sure it's wise.”
When he raised his eyebrows, she rushed to explain.
“What we did … what you did to me was amazing. When I think about it, I feel this deep heat inside me. You wake me up like no one has ever done, Nasim. It's just … where you're concerned, I'm spun around. I don't know up from down, left from right. I don't trust myself, and that's terrifying for me.”
Instead of arguing with her, Nasim reached across the table to take her hand. “I understand. I think I do at least, and what I want, dearest, is for you to be sure. Whether you tell me yes, or no, or not right now, I simply want you to be sure.”
His words stayed with her after he left that evening. They rang in her head. He wanted her to be sure. He didn't want her to make any decisions that might hurt her.
It wasn't a secret that she loved Nasim. It never had been. Now, however, that love was taking a central place in her life. It was rising up like some kind of leviathan out of the depths, and soon, nothing would be the same.
Still, when she got into her pajamas and climbed into bed, she could remember the way he had felt touching her. She could remember the words he whispered in her ear, and when she fell asleep, she had a smile on her face.
Chapter 6
Nasim sent Ella a text, telling her he would be busy for the next few days, and he set it down with a sigh. He had known that he was going to be in Arana for at least an overnight stay, but their Asian business contacts had required more wrangling than either had accepted.
Now he was seated in Marid's airy penthouse living room, the remnants of a truly impressive lunch on the table, and all he could think about was not being able to see Ella that evening.
“You look like a troubled man,” Marid observed, picking up a stray olive and popping it into his mouth. “If you feel that this deal is not worth the headache, we can almost certainly find others who are willing to be more amenable.”
Nasim shook his head. “This deal is exactly what I thought it was going to be, my friend. It is a pain in the ass that is going through some seriously twisting and turning machinations, but in the end, it is going to be something that we are grateful for, and that perhaps even our children will be grateful for whenever we have them.”
Marid made a face. “Here we are having a fine time wrestling foreign policy, and you have to bring our legacy into it. I suppose your mother has been pressuring you to find more suitable girls lately?”
Nasim sat up, an uncomfortable feeling of surprise in his belly. “Not at all. Why would you say
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