Midnight Seduction (Scandalous Sheiks Book 3) Read online

  Midnight Seduction

  By Elizabeth Lennox

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  Copyright 2021

  ISBN13: 9781950451517

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited, unless you have the direct consent of the author.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from “Tempting the Dangerous Tycoon:

  Chapter 1

  The sun was just coming up over the ocean as Andrea meandered along the shoreline. The only sounds were the waves crashing against the sandy beach and the birds singing a good morning song. Andi loved these moments. They were the calm before the storm, in some ways. Although, being here on this beautiful Caribbean island, she wasn’t sure that storms were a problem here in paradise. She adored the thunderstorms that rolled over the islands. They were like powerful surges of energy that drenched everything in a warm downfall, then moved on out to sea.

  A bit like her life, she thought as she took another slice of the mango. Yes, her life over the past few weeks was like a happy break from her normally hectic schedule. She loved her life! As a high school literature teacher, Andi had the summers and holidays off, and was able to come to the Caribbean to whichever island sparked her interest to work and explore. During the school year, she worked hard, challenging her students and pushing herself to find new ways to teach them. But that meant that she usually burned out around May. Coming to one of the islands and working at a resort was completely different, and allowed her to relax and re-energize.

  Yeah, being a teacher was one of the most wonderful aspects of her life!

  Plus, there were the views, she thought, turning her head slightly to admire a tall, powerfully built man running down the beach in her direction. “Oh my!” she whispered, the slice of mango forgotten halfway to her mouth.

  The man was…shockingly gorgeous! Tall, muscular, and bare chested, rippling muscles glistening in the early morning sunshine.

  “Goodness!” she thought, her hand dropping to rest against her thigh, still holding the slice of mango. Whoever he was, the man was a visual delight! Absolute perfection! If Michelangelo were alive today, he would have demanded this man stop in order to model for a marble statue.

  No, not marble. The man was too alive. Too vital and powerful for cold, unmoving marble. Maybe clay? Andi snorted quietly at her ridiculousness. Like she knew anything about sculpting?

  Okay, so she’d love to run her fingers over that man’s well-sculpted abs!

  Not that she ever would. Andi wasn’t the kind to go up to a man and flirt. She might come across as vivacious once she got to know someone, but Andi was a cautious person.

  Vaguely, she noticed he wasn’t alone, there were several others running with him. But they weren’t nearly as interesting. They still had their shirts on. Pity, because they might have been more interesting otherwise!

  She shook her head at herself. Since when did she objectify men? She despised those pictures of scantily dressed women that men drooled over! And the porn industry only made things worse.

  And yet, she couldn’t pull her gaze away from the tall man.

  He stopped running and walked a while, allowing Andi the opportunity to watch him more closely. Thankfully, he couldn’t see her here behind the…!

  He turned and stared right at her. Andi’s throat tightened painfully. He could see her! She’d thought the bougainvillea bush hid her presence! Holy cow, he was looking right at her!

  Zahir stared at the woman, wondering how long she’d been hiding behind the bushes. She was stunning, he thought. Her long, brown hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail, the ends trailing sensuously over her shoulder. Her cat-like eyes seemed to glow, causing him to stumble slightly. She looked oddly skittish. Like a kitten, wide eyed and spirited. Would she run off if he approached? Zahir hoped not. Even from far away, he sensed something, a sensation of heated awareness that bounced between himself and the woman perched on the edge of the stone wall framed by bright pink flowers.

  Even as Zahir thought that, he mentally scoffed at the fantastical whim. There were dozens of beautiful women lazing their day away at this resort. So what was it about this one in particular that caught his attention? His gaze dropped to her full, lush lips. Were they real? Or were they chemically enhanced? He knew that women did the strangest things to their bodies, hoping to lure the attention of wealthy men.

  What was her story? Why was she sitting there? She wore the resort uniform like the other employees, but on her, it looked sexy as hell! Her khaki shorts hugged her slender hips and the blue polo shirt was just tight enough over her breasts to make his body tighten with awareness.

  Was that her plan? Had she seen him take off on his run earlier this morning and hidden here on the beach, hoping to draw his eye?

  If so, she’d been waiting a long time. He’d been gone for over ninety minutes and had left well before dawn.

  No, she didn’t look as if she’d been sitting there for an hour and a half. She looked as if she’d simply perched there on the ancient stone wall and was enjoying the sunrise. She looked fresh and vitally alive.

  She licked her lips and his body tightened with that powerful awareness. What the hell? Women always played these tricks! One slight tongue display shouldn’t have this strong of an impact on his senses!

  He hated that she stole his discipline. But since she was here, and he was adequately intrigued, he’d play along. Normally when women played their subtle, or not-so-subtle sexual games, he ignored them. Usually, those games irritated the hell out of him! He preferred being the predator. He enjoyed the chase, although there wasn’t normally any sort of chase once women discovered who he was. And most of them were fully aware of his identity long before they crossed his path. Over the years, Zahir had learned that women were shockingly cunning and creative in their pursuit.

  But this woman…she was different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on the difference, but he was willing to play her games. He was willing to be lured into her realm and see where this little scene headed.

  “Good morning,” he greeted her. He wasn’t sure why he’d used English. Perhaps there was something about this woman that seemed British. No, American. Yes, she was definitely American.

  “Good morning, sir,” she replied efficiently, standing up and brushing her hands against her thighs. “How can I help you?”

  Professional! Not sensuously inviting? That was good. His predatory instincts kicked into high gear.

  “How are you?” he asked, igno
ring her question. His answer to her query might terrify her.

  “I’m fine, sir,” she said with a subservient tilt of her head. “It’s a beautiful morning. Would you like some breakfast? I can have some hot coffee, fresh fruit, and a variety of delicious pastries brought down here to the beach, if you’d like to relax.”

  He watched her eyes during her little speech and noticed that she’d closed off. She wasn’t interested? Then he noticed the pulse at the base of her neck, pounding delicately against her throat and smiled his satisfaction. Yes, she was interested! Damn, his body tightened further, the predator instincts inside of him sharpening.

  He backed up a step, hoping to reassure her. He might be in predator mode, but he wasn’t going to jump on her. Too many men in his world would do that to a woman they found alone. He wasn’t one of them! He preferred his lovers to be fully on board with their encounters. Enthusiastic, even!

  This woman was interested, but that wariness in her eyes held him back. She was beautiful, but he suspected he needed to take this slowly.

  “Thank you for the offer,” he replied with a slight bow. “But I’ll shower and dine in my suite,” he told her. “How long have you been out here?” he asked.

  He was fascinated by her lips. They were full and soft, and he found he wanted to taste them. He wanted to feel those soft curves pressed against him and see what it would take to get her over this surprisingly intriguing shyness.

  She looked around as if only just now realizing where she was. When she turned back to him, her eyes didn’t quite meet his own. “Oh, I just come out here to enjoy the view before I start my shift at the resort,” she told him, waving a hand dismissively. Apparently, backing up a step had helped. That was a good sign.

  “What do you do for the resort?” he asked, wanting to take her hands and feel the softness of her fingers. Instead, he put his hands on his hips, accepting that the only touch he’d feel at the moment was the barely-cool morning air.

  “I’m a runner,” she told him, clasping her hands in front of her.

  “What’s a runner?” he asked, intrigued by her body language. She was open with her upper body, but closed off everywhere else. Her smile was friendly enough and he could see the interest shimmering in her eyes, and yet, her lips pressed together, as if she was trying to stop herself from saying too much.

  “A runner is a resort employee who runs around, helping out whoever needs it.” Her smile brightened. “So I’m the one that gets not only the horrible jobs, but also the best ones!”

  He laughed, charmed by her sudden smile. It brightened her features and the sparkle in her emerald eyes intensified. As did his curiosity!

  “What sorts of jobs do you normally do?”

  She laughed and he was captivated by the sound. Her voice was interesting as well. Was she from the southern states? The soft, lilting accent seemed like a southern drawl, but…it wasn’t quite. Where was she from? He wanted to know everything about her.

  “Oh, it depends on how badly I’ve upset Dan.” She wrinkled her nose, realizing that she might have said too much. “I mean, I guess…well,” she fluttered a hand, “just whatever anyone needs me to do.”

  “And how often do you irritate the resort manager?” he asked, chuckling as she tried desperately to backpedal.

  The woman’s green eyes widened when she realized that he was aware of the resort’s head honcho, then she relaxed, smiling once again. “Daily,” she told him, a touch of pride coloring her tone. “To varying degrees. The man’s a stickler for rules,” she whispered, leaning forward slightly before pulling back. Then she realized what she was saying and straightened her shoulders. “And one of those rules is that I’m not supposed to flirt with the resort guests. So my apologies, sir.” Her hands dropped to her sides. “That was very unprofessional of me. I shouldn’t have said that.”

  A dark eyebrow lifted at her comment. “Is it that outrageous to comment on the stick Dan has up his ass?” he asked, teasingly.

  She clapped her hand over those luscious lips as she valiantly tried to smother her laughter. It was pointless because her eyes were so expressive. But still, he appreciated the effort.

  “Oh, that’s very naughty of you,” she whispered, then glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone had seen her speaking so casually to a guest. She turned back, her eyes still shining with laughter. “I’d better get to work. I haven’t clocked in yet.”

  He wanted to ask her more questions. Hell, he wanted to invite her to have breakfast with him. Maybe even share a shower with him! He knew that was out of the question, but the idea popped into his head anyway. As did the image of her cute backside pressing against his…

  Of course, his mind pictured her ass because the woman was running away. Literally! She sprinted across the stone pathway and hopped over the stone wall as if she’d been a gazelle in another life.

  Zahir watched, fascinated. Her legs were long and lean, and her ass…it was cute, round, and just the right size to fit his hands. Perfect, he thought. Yes, she was absolutely perfect!

  He watched until she disappeared around a corner, then sighed and turned towards his suite. Damn, she’d been a fascinating interruption to what he anticipated would be a tedious, miserable day of mostly useless negotiations.

  Still, he had to try. The meetings could potentially be important, so he’d put forth a reasonable effort, then he’d get on his plane and head back to Brumadi. He didn’t want to be here. The beaches were lovely enough, but they were nothing compared to the glory of the beaches lining Brumadi’s stunning coastline.

  Chapter 2

  As anticipated, the day had been absolutely pointless! Zahir tossed aside a stack of documents as he sat down under a yellow and white striped cabana, irritated at the hours of unproductive dialogue. The two men he’d been negotiating with didn’t want to compromise. Of course, neither did he, but Zahir had gone into the meetings hoping to make some progress.

  Shuffling noises filtered over to him from the other side of the cabana “wall”, but Zahir ignored it, still fuming over the pointless negotiations.

  But that’s when he heard the now familiar lilting voice. A moment later, an image of long, svelte legs and the cutest ass he’d ever seen flashed behind his eyes. “Please, Ben, don’t argue with me. Just give me a fix!”

  “Not a chance, Andi,” the bartender replied. Zahir could hear the amusement in the bartender’s voice. Amusement? Over a plea for drugs?!

  His attention on high alert, Zahir sat up, listening intently. She wasn’t…the cute woman from this morning wasn’t….! Was he listening in on the woman from this morning? Or was there someone else here that had the same, lilting accent. “Andi” hadn’t struck him as a drug user! Not even a casual one! Besides, the woman from this morning had worn a name tag announcing “Andrea”! Surely it wasn’t the same woman!

  Zahir listened, stunned by the conversation. Of course, he couldn’t see “Andi”, but it had to be the same woman. He doubted that two women could have that same playful tone, the identical beautiful accent.

  “Please!” she whispered urgently. Obviously, she was quite desperate! Zahir did not agree with drug usage and if one of the resort employees was buying or selling drugs, he’d have a pointed conversation with the general manager!

  The pleading continued. “Ben, you have no idea what I’ve been through today. On top of all of the hellions that came through my station, I heard from Danny that there’s some nit-picky big-wig here this weekend! So please, just…just give me a small taste! I promise I won’t come back for another hit until tomorrow.”

  There was amused laughter before the bartender replied, “No way! You’ve already had your quota today. You know what happens when you have too much!”

  Zahir’s jaw clenched. An overdose? Not today!

  “It won’t happen! I promise! I’ll be careful and I won’t let anyone know that you gave me any,” she asserted.

  Zahir watched the bartender shaking his head in his
mind’s eye. “I don’t believe you anymore, Andi. You promised to stop last week. And then you–”

  A feminine gasp followed. “That was a freak accident! Not my fault!”

  “Right,” the bartender snickered. Zahir didn’t like that he was taking a colleague’s drug usage so lightly.

  “I’ll let you beat me!”

  Zahir stiffened in his chair. What the hell?!

  The bartender chuckled. “You never let anyone beat you.”

  Beating? Drugs? What the hell? As the majority stock holder in the resort, albeit a silent one, Zahir refused to allow drugs on his property! And he certainly wouldn’t permit a woman to be beaten! The cabana style bar didn’t allow him to see the two having the conversation, but he set his drink down with a sharp snap and stood up, determined to confront both the buyer and seller of the illegal drugs.

  “Come on!” the woman pleaded.

  “Fine!” the bartender sighed, obviously worn down by the incessant pleading of the faceless woman. “Here! But if you go nuts, you’re cut off for two days!”

  Zahir stood up, determined to stop the consumption before it happened. No drugs!

  “But Ben, what about–”

  “You’re really pushing it, Andi!” he sighed. There was a plunking noise that Zahir couldn’t identify. “But if Dan finds out, then you’d better cover for me!”

  Zahir moved around the yellow and white striped curtain of the bar and…froze as he watched the bartender plunk a maraschino cherry into…was that…? It couldn’t be!

  “You’re my hero!” the woman with the most adorable ass breathed as she lifted the glass of ginger ale to her lips and took a long sip. Zahir noticed there were two cherries in the innocent drink. Ginger ale?

  The woman turned, literally dancing as she stepped away from the bar, but as soon as she spotted him, Andi came to a complete stop, staring up at him. “You!” she hissed.

  For a long moment, neither moved. He could feel the tension building, watched as her eyes moved over him. Her lips softened and he could literally feel her indecision.