Bound by the Sheik's Ring Read online

  Pushing the cowardly boy out of her mind, she listened to Zahir. She loved talking with him, listening to the gravelly timbre of his voice, enjoyed the sparkle in his eyes as he listened to her talk about her classes. She even enjoyed the details of his work issues, and his business strategies fascinated her. Zahir had a unique way of looking at the world that she admired immensely. Every business he bought had a strategic value to the core of his empire. Even other businessmen didn’t understand why he bought certain companies, and took over certain products…until it was too late.

  Zahir sighed as he pulled off his clothes that night. Breakfast with Sada had been…wonderful. She was intelligent, beautiful, and a delight to be with. He texted Tavon with an update, telling him that Sada was fine.

  Tossing his phone on the bed, he walked over to the windows, thinking about his day. Sada was more than fine. She was lovely, brilliant, and when she smiled, he just…aljahim! He felt better after their times together.

  Images of her in the arms of that…buffoon…infuriated him. That idiot had been about to kiss her. Kiss Sada! She was only eighteen years old. Damn it, he knew that she was almost of marriageable age now. And in many countries, she might have been married already. That didn’t make the realization any better. She’d been hurrying to the stables towards another man!

  “Another man?” he growled aloud, pacing around the bedroom of his penthouse. “Madha bihaqi aljahim?!” Sada wasn’t his, which meant that she couldn’t be cheating on him. Nor did he want her. She was too young, too inexperienced. She needed to see the world more, to understand what she wanted. She’d been accepted to one of the best universities and deserved time to earn her degree, and discover what really thrilled her.

  Zahir wouldn’t admit how relieved he was that she was furthering her education. He would only acknowledge that he admired her dedication, her desire to learn something that could help her country.

  Of course, she’d be married soon. If the idea made him sick, it was just because she was like a…sister…? Did he really think of the dark haired, blue-eyed beauty as a sister? He shrugged, accepting that term for the moment, simply because he didn’t have a better term to use. So yes, Sada was like a sister.

  No, that term didn’t feel right. Maybe a cousin…a very distant cousin…to him and he didn’t like the idea of her being married to anyone.

  But Sada would be a beautiful mother. He could easily picture her excitement when she realized that she was pregnant. She’d jump up and down. She’d throw her arms around her husband and…

  “Allaena!” he cursed, turning away from the London skyline when he realized that he was picturing himself in the role of Sada’s husband. He was seeing himself holding her as she told him that she was going to have their baby.

  Shaking his head, he banished the thought. Sada was not the woman he would marry. She was young and impressionable. She needed to find herself, to figure out what she wanted.

  If a small voice in the back of his head pointed out that she was what he wanted, Zahir ignored it. He was too old for Sada. He couldn’t think along those lines.

  Walking over to his desk, he sifted through the papers, lifting up a contract. Business. He had business here in London. Yes, he should be in Tokyo right now for that conference. He shouldn’t even be here in London.

  No answer occurred to him so he focused on the contract, using a red pen to slash through several clauses.

  He’d fly out to Tokyo tomorrow, after meeting with the director of his London based office.

  As he read through the contract, he tried to stop picturing Sada’s soft lips as she smiled, or the way her head tilted when she listened intently. Stripping off his clothes, he brought the contract into the bathroom and…

  Glancing down, he realized that his body was hard and aching for….

  Not for Sada. “Hell!”

  Dropping the contract on the marble counter, he flipped on the shower and stepped under the warm spray. Ignoring his erection, he focused all of his attention on his next acquisition and made a mental note to visit his mistress.

  His next thought irritated him more. He needed to find a new mistress. His last had left in a huff, irritated that he hadn’t been to see her in months. Her furious departure hadn’t even raised a blip on his mental radar.

  Women were nice, but business took priority.

  After the shower, he checked the weather on his cellphone. A cold front was coming through London in a few days. Sada needed new sweaters and he told his assistant to send her several. “Make sure at least two of them are blue,” he finished.

  Sada’s blue eyes were an interesting contrast to her creamy skin and dark hair. Yes, blue sweaters would complement her eyes perfectly.

  Chapter 2

  Two Years Later…

  “Why do I continually find you in the stables, Sada?” Zahir teased, as he entered the building.

  She was kneeling on the rough, wooden floor, peering behind a bale of hay and Zahir had to stop himself from admiring the enticing curve of her bottom, which was all he could see of her at the moment. Gone were the smells of the horses and manure, the heat from the afternoon sun. His entire concentration focused on Sada and her…

  When she turned to look up at him, the tears in his eyes froze him in place for a long moment. He hated nothing more than to see Sada cry.

  “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” he demanded, bending down so that he could check her over. “Did you fall off your horse? Did someone hurt you?”

  She’d been at university for two years now, but came here to the stables to ride, enjoying the freedom of being one with her horse. What had happened?

  He couldn’t see anything wrong, but perhaps she was hurt internally. Maybe someone had…

  “I’m fine,” she reassured him, grabbing his hands to stop his search for broken bones. “It’s not me. I’m not hurt.”

  Looking into her beautiful blue eyes, he tried to decipher if she was telling him the truth. If she was fine, why was she trembling? She was hurt!

  “If you aren’t hurt, why are you crying?” he asked, looking at her legs. She was wearing tight riding pants that hugged her figure and he sighed, forcing his gaze away from her long, slender legs. Yes, he’d seen her ride before and had admired her…form. She was an excellent horsewoman and rode with an elegance and freedom that was exhilarating to watch. Sada showed graceful confidence no matter what she was doing.

  His hands moved to her legs and he gently pressed, looking for broken bones. Had she been thrown? It happened with other riders, but he’d never seen Sada come close to falling. And thank goodness for that! The horse she’d chosen was a massive beast that was taller and stronger than most of the other horses in the stable.

  “Sada, are you…”

  She squeezed his wrists gently, stopping him from finishing his question. “I’m not hurt, Zahir,” she cried, hiccupping. “It’s the stable cat. He’s very sweet and I like the little guy.”

  He frowned, confused. Wisps had come out of the band holding her hair away, softly framing her face. She looked like she’d just returned from a ride because her skin was dewy and soft, her cheeks rosy.

  Trying to focus on what she was saying instead being distracted by her beauty, he glanced around. “Your cat? I thought the university didn’t allow students to keep pets?”

  With a slight shrug, she nodded, dislodging a piece of hay from her shoulder. “She isn’t really my cat,” Sada admitted and twisted back around, looking at something beyond a pile of hay. “But I’ve sort of adopted her. Fluffy loves the cat and they get along well. Fluffy protects Cat and Cat snuggles up to Fluffy when he’s restless.”

  Somehow, Zahir refrained from groaning, yet again, at the ridiculous name she’d given her horse. Fluffy was not a dignified name, especially not for such a massive and proud horse. And now there was a cat?

  “What is wrong with your cat?” he asked. “And where is the cat?”

  “Here,” she pulled her riding j
acket back from behind the bale of hay, much to Zahir’s surprise. He’d thought she’d just dropped the riding jacket there after riding. Sure enough, there was a small, gold cat lying on her side. The feline’s breathing was labored and she barely reacted when the jacket was pulled back. Her stomach seemed oddly bloated, but since he had virtually no experience with felines, he wasn’t positive what might be “normal”.

  “What’s wrong with her?” Sada asked, as she stroked the distressed cat’s head soothingly. “She won’t get up and Fluffy is worried.”

  Zahir glanced up and, sure enough, the enormous black horse was peering over the side of the stall, snorting and stomping around.

  Zahir wondered if the cat might be dying. Of course he cared about the cat’s pain, but he was more concerned about Sada and if she was upset, he would fix any problem for her. Zahir didn’t question why it was so important to make this right. He just knew that he had to.

  “I’m calling a vet,” he announced, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. When his assistant picked up, he quickly explained what he needed. “Tell the vet that we’re in…” he looked around and shook his head. “Never mind, just text the vet’s address to my driver and let them know that we’re on the way in.”

  He pulled his jacket off and, ignoring the fact that he was ruining a five thousand dollar suit to protect a stray cat, carefully wrapped the feline up before gently lifting her into his arms. “Tell your horse,” he refused to use the horse’s name, “that his cat will be okay.”

  He waited, cradling the cat in his arms. The struggling animal tried to mew, although it was clear something was seriously wrong and the sound wasn’t very strong. Zahir might not be a cat person, but he hated seeing anything in pain.

  He watched for a moment as Sada stood up and explained to her horse what was going on. Non-riders would never understand why, but a rider knew exactly what Sada was doing. Horses understood. They might not understand the words, but they understood the tone a person used. Sada’s tone was gentle and soothing as she scratched behind the horse’s ears.

  “We’re going to take care of her, Fluffy,” she whispered, sniffling. “Zahir will help her and everything will be okay. I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I can, okay?”

  The horse nudged Sada’s hand affectionately, indicating that he understood. Well, as much as the horse could. Fluffy trusted her. Sada was his friend. Horse and rider understood each other, trusted each other to care for one another. It was the mark of a good partnership when they connected so completely with each other.

  “Let’s go,” he urged, feeling the cat wiggle. He pulled the cat in closer, wondering what her claws were doing to the lining of his jacket. But after catching another glimpse of Sada’s teary eyes, he forgot about his jacket. He just knew that he had to help.

  Fifteen minutes later, Zahir’s driver pulled up outside of a veterinary clinic. Apparently, his assistant had done an excellent job of conveying the urgency of the situation because the vet was waiting for them in the parking lot.

  “This way,” she called out and led everyone back to a pristine examination room. Zahir laid the struggling animal on the metal table, then stood back. The doctor examined the cat’s stomach, limbs and paws, frowning thoughtfully as she did so. When she stopped, Sada gulped, terrified of what the vet might say.

  But the smile on the older woman’s face was reassuring. “I think everything is going to be okay. Your cat is pregnant and in labor but…” she paused as Sada leaned into Zahir with surprise and relief. “But for some reason, labor isn’t progressing. She’s out of energy and something is wrong.” The doctor petted the cat soothingly but the feline didn’t even lift her head, barely opening her eyes. “Let me take a look and see what’s going on. If you could wait in the lobby, I’ll be out shortly.”

  She looked down at the cat, then over at the assistant. It seemed that both of them knew what was happening and it wasn’t going to be good.

  “Please,” Sada begged, unconsciously tightening her hold on Zahir’s hand, “Don’t let her die! She’s a sweet one and my horse loves her. They watch out for and help each other. We all need her to be okay.”

  The doctor smiled, trying to reassure, but there was obvious concern in her eyes. “Let me get her into surgery. But I have to caution you, she is very sick. She’s been in pain for hours, possibly even days. Not to mention, she should be much larger at this point in her pregnancy.”

  Zahir gathered Sada into his arms when a sob burst out of her. The vet nodded to her assistant and Zahir led Sada out of the examining room.

  After they settled into uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room, he took her hand and squeezed gently. “Tell me about your classes. Didn’t you have a test yesterday?” he asked.

  For the next hour, they sat and talked. Zahir wasn’t sure what they discussed because he was listening more to her voice than to her words. He wanted evidence that she was okay, that her fears were abating, but the tension in her tone continued and he wanted to do something, although he wasn’t sure what.

  Two hours later, the doctor stepped out in scrubs with a relieved smile on her face. Instantly, Sada was on her feet, moving to meet the vet. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s going to be fine, and she has four babies to help you and your horse,” she announced, grinning from ear to ear.

  Sada sighed in relief, before beaming in delight. “Four kittens? That’s wonderful! Fluffy will be thrilled! I might never get him out of the stable again!”

  The doctor peered at Sada curiously. “Who is Fluffy?”

  “That’s her horse,” Zahir explained, shaking his head as if to say, “I know, stupid name.”

  Sada turned around, and threw herself into Zahir’s arms. “Kittens!” Zahir tightened his arms around her, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he savored the feeling of her in his arms. Sada felt like…heaven, he thought. But he forced himself to pull back quickly. No use getting used to the feel of her. No matter how good she felt, Sada was his best friend’s sister. He would never insult Tavon by touching his sister inappropriately.

  Thankfully, Sada didn’t notice, or perhaps she didn’t care, that he’d pulled back. “Can I see her and the babies?” Sada asked the doctor.

  “Of course. Let me take both of you back.”

  They went through a series of doorways, and entered a small recovery room. There, sitting in the middle of everything, was the cat with four teeny kittens that were nursing on a mechanical device.

  The vet reached out to adjust some of the dials. “Momma-Cat was too weak to nurse her kittens, so we are feeding them this way. Once she’s regained her strength, she’ll be able to nurse on her own.”’

  Sada sighed happily. “That’s wonderful! Will she be okay?”

  “I think so,” the vet replied, petting the feline who appeared to be sleeping comfortably. “She’s weak, exhausted, and on pain medication. I also have her on an IV with antibiotics and fluids to help stop infection and get her hydrated. Unfortunately, she’s so weak right now, if she gets sick, she wouldn’t have the strength to fight it off. So we’re helping her out a bit.”

  Zahir stepped back, unconcerned with the diagnosis now that the vet had assured them that the cat would recover. He moved out to the lobby and paid for the surgery, shaking his head at the six thousand dollar bill. Apparently, giving birth to kittens was an expensive activity. Granted, the vet had performed surgery and was helping the kittens. In the end, he didn’t care about the expense. He cared that Sada was happy.

  She came bouncing out of the back room, grinning from ear to ear. He almost chuckled, but that’s when he once again noticed her tight riding pants and the shirt that hugged her breasts. How could he have been with her this whole time and not noticed the form fitting clothing? She was…stunning! As he looked, he noticed that her breasts were larger than he’d realized, her legs slender but strong, with full, round hips under a tiny waistline.

  Sada was…gorgeous! A feminine drea
m.

  Or a nightmare, he corrected, trying to stop his body from reacting to such a sight. He couldn’t…wouldn’t…look at her curves again. She was too…tempting!

  Zahir resolutely turned his face away, unwilling to allow such thoughts into his mind.

  Sada headed for the stables, a new bounce to her step. When she walked up to Fluffy’s stall, the horse poked his big nose over the top half of the stall.

  “She’s going to be okay,” Sada told the big horse. He looked mean and intimidating, but Fluffy was just a big softy! He was always gentle and careful when they rode together. “She had kittens! Can you believe it? Kittens! Now you have four more little ones to take care of you!’

  The horse snorted and pushed his nose into her hand, begging for more affection.

  Sada chuckled dreamily, rubbing his nose just the way he liked it. “I know. You’re going to take care of them too. I know you’ll love them. They’re so tiny though. So, make sure you don’t step on one.”

  Another snort and he lifted his head, silently admonishing her for even considering the possibility.

  Sada laughed. “I know. You’ll protect them.” She leaned her head against his neck and Fluffy stood very still, seeming to know that she needed him right now. “And Zahir took care of them for us, Fluff. He was amazing!” She wiped a tear and the big horse leaned slightly into her. Sada turned, burying her face in Fluffy’s mane. “He was so sweet! I wish you could have seen him! His jacket was completely ruined! The babies were trying to come out but the birth canal was blocked somehow, only some of the amniotic fluid seeped out. The vet didn’t say with what or why.” Sada laughed and Fluffy snorted again, his version of a chuckle, Sada thought. “Although the cat and kittens are going to be okay, his jacket…! The look on his face when he’d tossed that jacket in the trash was hilarious!”

  Fluffy looked at her, not understanding why she was laughing and crying at the same time.