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Authors: Loreth Anne White
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it. He lowered his mouth, almost touching hers. “Don’t ever disobey or challenge me in public,” he growled. “Understand?”
She was furious, unable to breathe under his weight, but the sensation of his hard body against hers awakened a whole other kind of panic. As did the sensation of his warm breath over her lips. Nikki hadn’t felt a man’s weight on top of her in seven years and desire tore through her, so hot and fast and sudden that she began to shake.
He ripped off his glasses, obsidian eyes tunneling fiercelyinto hers as if to negate the weakness she’d glimpsed earlier. To show he was still strong. In command.
Her heart lodged in her throat at his raw intensity. And fear whispered. Would he hurt her like Sam had? Her husband had gone so far as to hire someone to kill her—but the hired gun had killed her children by mistake.
When Zakir finally spoke, his voice was pure steel. “You will obey my word or our deal is off. No medicine. No safe passage. Instead I will return you to Al Na’Jar and ship you off to the States in one of my jets.”
Terror lashed through her. She could not lose her orphans. She could never return to the States. “How dare you threaten me,” she ground out. “How dare you hold innocent children hostage for your own royal pride!”
“It’s not pride, Nikki,” he whispered angrily, so close she could feel the beating of his heart. “Allowing a woman to undermine my authority in public is sacrilegious. If it got back to the Council that I permitted a woman to touch me—a woman to whom I am not betrothed—my throne will be challenged. And I will lose. Don’t do this again, Nikki, or I will be forced protect my country over helping you.”
“You mean protect your power,” she said angrily.
His eyes burned into hers. “My power, Nikki—” his voice went lower “—is the only way I can protect my people and honor my family and my father’s will. This is my duty, my only obligation.”
She swallowed, face flushing. And with alarm she realized her blouse button had popped open in their tussle, exposing the lace of her bra. Nikki’s gaze slid in horror down to her exposed chest.
Zakir followed her gaze. He was silent for a moment, then his eyes lifted, met hers. And in that instant they both felt the intensity of the sexual chemistry between them, fired byadrenaline. He swallowed, but barely missed a beat. “Now tell me which is the path to the Berber village.”
“Zakir, I understand your constraints. But I just cannot risk the lives of my children by allowing the Berbers to think I betrayed them by bringing you and your soldiers into their hidden village.” Her voice quavered slightly, but she stuck to her guns. Never again would a man push her around. Never again would some alpha tyrant take her children. “If you don’t let me go alone,” she said, “I won’t go at all.”
His features turned hawkish, dangerous. “You think you can issue me an ultimatum?”
Nikki began to shake inside, but swallowed her fear. “I just did,” she whispered.
Chapter 6
S he was serious.
If there was one thing Zakir had learned in both business and pleasure, it was never to put into a corner a man—or woman—who had absolutely nothing left to lose.
He sat up slowly, smoothed his palm over his hair.
She wriggled into a sitting position, angrily yanking her blouse back over her bra. But as she did, her scarf caught behind her and pulled off her hair. And Zakir’s focus was shot.
Her tousled strawberry-gold curls, the shape of her mouth, the rapid rise and fall of her chest completely stole his attention and ability to reason. An urge to reach out, touch her hair, feel those silky curls between his fingers overcame him.
And Zakir knew he was in trouble. The only way he was going to get rid of this growing compulsion to touch Nikki Hunt was to get her out of his sight. Out of his country. Out of his mind.
And one way to accomplish that was to get this visit
She was furious, unable to breathe under his weight, but the sensation of his hard body against hers awakened a whole other kind of panic. As did the sensation of his warm breath over her lips. Nikki hadn’t felt a man’s weight on top of her in seven years and desire tore through her, so hot and fast and sudden that she began to shake.
He ripped off his glasses, obsidian eyes tunneling fiercelyinto hers as if to negate the weakness she’d glimpsed earlier. To show he was still strong. In command.
Her heart lodged in her throat at his raw intensity. And fear whispered. Would he hurt her like Sam had? Her husband had gone so far as to hire someone to kill her—but the hired gun had killed her children by mistake.
When Zakir finally spoke, his voice was pure steel. “You will obey my word or our deal is off. No medicine. No safe passage. Instead I will return you to Al Na’Jar and ship you off to the States in one of my jets.”
Terror lashed through her. She could not lose her orphans. She could never return to the States. “How dare you threaten me,” she ground out. “How dare you hold innocent children hostage for your own royal pride!”
“It’s not pride, Nikki,” he whispered angrily, so close she could feel the beating of his heart. “Allowing a woman to undermine my authority in public is sacrilegious. If it got back to the Council that I permitted a woman to touch me—a woman to whom I am not betrothed—my throne will be challenged. And I will lose. Don’t do this again, Nikki, or I will be forced protect my country over helping you.”
“You mean protect your power,” she said angrily.
His eyes burned into hers. “My power, Nikki—” his voice went lower “—is the only way I can protect my people and honor my family and my father’s will. This is my duty, my only obligation.”
She swallowed, face flushing. And with alarm she realized her blouse button had popped open in their tussle, exposing the lace of her bra. Nikki’s gaze slid in horror down to her exposed chest.
Zakir followed her gaze. He was silent for a moment, then his eyes lifted, met hers. And in that instant they both felt the intensity of the sexual chemistry between them, fired byadrenaline. He swallowed, but barely missed a beat. “Now tell me which is the path to the Berber village.”
“Zakir, I understand your constraints. But I just cannot risk the lives of my children by allowing the Berbers to think I betrayed them by bringing you and your soldiers into their hidden village.” Her voice quavered slightly, but she stuck to her guns. Never again would a man push her around. Never again would some alpha tyrant take her children. “If you don’t let me go alone,” she said, “I won’t go at all.”
His features turned hawkish, dangerous. “You think you can issue me an ultimatum?”
Nikki began to shake inside, but swallowed her fear. “I just did,” she whispered.
Chapter 6
S he was serious.
If there was one thing Zakir had learned in both business and pleasure, it was never to put into a corner a man—or woman—who had absolutely nothing left to lose.
He sat up slowly, smoothed his palm over his hair.
She wriggled into a sitting position, angrily yanking her blouse back over her bra. But as she did, her scarf caught behind her and pulled off her hair. And Zakir’s focus was shot.
Her tousled strawberry-gold curls, the shape of her mouth, the rapid rise and fall of her chest completely stole his attention and ability to reason. An urge to reach out, touch her hair, feel those silky curls between his fingers overcame him.
And Zakir knew he was in trouble. The only way he was going to get rid of this growing compulsion to touch Nikki Hunt was to get her out of his sight. Out of his country. Out of his mind.
And one way to accomplish that was to get this visit
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