The Sheik's Arrangement Read online

  With a sigh, he moved closer, pulling her against him when she tried to step back. “Don’t,” he ordered gently. “Don’t pull back, honey. Just…give me a moment to hold you.” He kissed her forehead, almost smiling when she leaned into him. Then he felt her arms move around his waist, holding him as if she didn’t want to let him go, but still hesitant to admit that even to herself.

  Progress, he reminded himself. Slow and painful, but progress. That was a pretty major step, after months of hiding from him.

  A knock on the door reminded him that his time was limited. “And it begins again,” he grumbled.

  Pulling back slightly, but not letting her leave the circle of his arms, he called. “What is it?”

  The door opened and Tarin’s chief of staff, Hammad, stepped through the door, poking his head in first. Tarin groaned inwardly, realizing that his staff understood his relationship with Zuri. They knew to enter warily. Better to be wary than to interrupt something embarrassing.

  And what was even more amazing, he didn’t care. Yeah, he cared about Zuri and wanted to protect her from curious eyes. But he didn’t care that others knew how he felt about her. Hell, he wanted the world to know how he felt about her. Of course, they would eventually know since he was going to marry her. Although, usually what the rest of the world perceived about the activities of public figures and the reality were usually polar opposites, in his experience.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you, Your Highness,” Hammad began with a bow, “but your advisors have convened and are awaiting your presence.”

  Tarin nodded sharply. “Tell them I’ll be there in a moment.”

  The man bowed again before stepping backwards out of the office, pulling the door closed as he went.

  When they were alone again, he lifted her face with a finger under her chin. “I’ll tell my staff that I’m leaving to look for your brother. They’ll understand.”

  She frowned worriedly. “Am I pulling you away from something important?”

  He shook his head, surprised that after all these months, she still didn’t understand what she meant to him. “Zuri, you are important to me. You are going to be my wife and you have the right to ask for my time.”

  Tarin didn’t understand why she pulled away, but he also didn’t have time to spare. Not if he was going to find her brother.

  She nodded formally and he immediately felt the change in her demeanor

  “I truly appreciate your help with this issue. I shouldn’t have bothered you, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

  He reached for her but she lifted a hand to stop him. “Zuri, you damn well should come to me! I want you to come to me when you need something. That’s my job, to protect and provide for you.”

  Again, her eyes shuttered and he wondered what the hell he was saying wrong.

  “Thank you again. Please, let me know what you find out as soon as you hear anything.”

  She turned and took several steps towards the door.

  “Stay here,” he called out, surprising both of them. She stopped and turned to look at him, the closed expression in her eyes chased away by surprise. The startled look was so much better than the impersonal gaze.

  “I’m sorry but…?”

  “Stay here,” he repeated, moving towards her again. “Until I find your brother, I think it would be safer if you stayed here, where my guards can protect you.”

  She stiffened at the suggestion. “My personal guards can handle my protection, just as they’ve done for years, Tarin.”

  Good point, he thought with resentment. Thinking fast, he came up with a different reason. “You have a good team of body guards, but so far, no one is willing to tell you what’s going on with your brother. If you leave here, I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through to you in order to send you whatever information I find out. So, it would be better if you stayed here, in my country so, there won’t be anyone to stop the flow of information.”

  He knew that he’d scored a point. In reality, he just wanted her here, where she belonged, with him. Hell, he’d prefer that she even sleep in his bed, but he doubted she’d accept that. In fact, that might scare her right back to her own country and he wanted, needed, to know that she was here.

  He didn’t fully understand the gut level need to have her, not just here in Catare, where his people could protect and care for her but…okay, well, when he put it that way, yes, he understood. He wanted the right to protect and care for her. She would eventually be his wife. Why wouldn’t he want to provide for her and care for her?

  “You don’t think you will be able to get information to me if I’m not here?” she asked.

  “If you go back to Piara, then I will definitely try to get information about your brother back to you. But I can’t guarantee that the news will reach you. I don’t know what’s going on in your country, Zuri. If you are here, I know that my people will relay information back to you, keeping you up to date on my progress.”

  He watched her think through his arguments, her body language revealing her inner thoughts. He could see she was wary by the way her shoulders shifted slightly, but she stiffened her resolve and turned to face him fully once again. Smart woman, he thought, suppressing his amusement.

  “Fine. I’ll stay. As long as you promise to send me regular updates.”

  “Deal,” he agreed and took her hand, ready to shake it. But at the last moment, he decided to seal their deal with a kiss versus a handshake.

  As soon as their lips touched, the kiss threatened to burst out of control again. His lips lingered over hers, brushing against their softness again and again. Tarin waited for her to pull back, but she didn’t and he almost groaned with the knowledge that she was just as curious about this attraction as he was.

  With extreme control, he pulled back, the movement exquisitely painful since he really wanted to pull her into his arms and make love to her. Instead, he stepped back, sighing when he saw her lick her full, swollen lips.

  “I’ll have my personal staff see to you,” he told her.

  And before he could pull her into his arms again and forget his responsibilities, he left the office. With his aide at his side, he instructed, “See that Zuri is made welcome in my private apartment. And I want my security team to watch over her, as well as her own guards. Make sure that she knows where I am at all times. Understood?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” the man replied, writing down the instructions at a rapid pace.

  Tarin nodded his approval as the guards standing outside of the conference room opened the doors. “Gentlemen,” he announced to the twelve members of his council, “we have a situation…”

  The doors closed and he stood at the end of the table. Everyone else stood as well, since protocol demanded that everyone remain standing while he stood.

  “Jabril al Mustar of Piara has left his country. I know that he flew to California to convince Princess Ilara of Ditra to wrest control of her country, Ditra, from her uncle. The man has created a humanitarian crisis in Ditra that has to be stopped.” He stopped, watching each of his council members carefully. “Jabril told me of his plans, but no one has heard from him in three days.”

  The gasps of shock around the table told him that his advisors understood the urgency of the crisis.

  “Exactly,” he nodded. “Piara is a powerful ally and we can’t stand by to see if things work out. Also, Jabril is my friend, and has my support.”

  Every member of his council nodded in agreement and approval. “You should go,” his oldest and most valued advisor agreed. “What do you need from us?”

  “I don’t think he should go,” another said. The room turned as one to the man at the other end of the table. Immediately, the man bowed his head in respect. “I understand and respect your concern. But you are our leader and, as such, you are the most valuable person in this room. With your strength and wisdom, you’ve led our country through many crises. Without you or an heir, if anything should happen to you, our co
untry would be in as much chaos as Ditra.”

  There were several mumbles of agreement and Tarin nodded. “You have a valid point. But what would Jabril do if I were missing?” he asked.

  Silence.

  “Since we all know what would happen, I should leave and find out if he is safe. I will be in constant contact.” He paused and looked each man in the eye. “In my absence, I need every person here to care for and respect Zuri al Mutar who is staying here at the palace as my guest.”

  The eager smiles which greeted him with those words were heartfelt. “Is a wedding date to be announced then?” one of the men asked.

  With a sigh, Tarin shook his head, pushing away from the polished table. “My fiancée has not set a date yet, but with gentle encouragement, we will set one soon,” he announced with grim determination. “But in the meantime, she’s to be treated as if she was already my wife. Understood?”

  “Yes Sire,” one of them spoke up, all of them nodding and several had mischievous twinkles in their eyes.

  “No mischief, either!” he ordered, chuckling as several tried and failed to smother their eager expressions. They all wanted their leader to be married, every one of them eager for Tarin to produce an heir. Tarin knew that they were wily old men who weren’t above manipulating Zuri to gain her approval that would allow an announcement of a wedding date.

  “I want her to feel as if our wedding was her choice,” he stated firmly. “She and I are leaders and members of our royal families, yes. But we’re also human. The need to not feel trapped into one’s life is important.” He eyed his advisory council carefully. “I know how difficult it is to accept one’s fate when one isn’t consulted.”

  “You’re a great leader,” someone pointed out.

  “Thank you. But it took years to fully accept my responsibilities before I became the leader I am today. And many of you helped me through my teenage years when the resentment over my role in life was at its worst. Zuri and I will marry,” he announced with absolute confidence and certainty. “But we’ll marry on our own terms.”

  “We will ensure her safety while respecting your wishes,” another member announced.

  Tarin waited until all of them nodded in agreement. “Excellent,” he replied. “Then I will be on my way, confident that my fiancée is in good hands.”

  “She will be safe and made to feel welcome,” another called out.

  Tarin nodded and turned, leaving the men. As soon as he saw his chief of staff, he waved the man over. “Ensure that Zuri stays in my apartment. I want her to have anything she desires. Make her feel welcome and,” he peered over his shoulder at the now-closed, elaborate doors to his council chambers, “protect her from them. They’re going to interfere and I don’t want any pressure on Zuri to set a wedding date.”

  The man looked at his leader, startled by this instruction. “But, Your Highness, shouldn’t we…?”

  “No,” Tarin replied with a shake of his head. “Absolutely not! I have a plan with Zuri and its working. Never fear, she and I will be married. Soon. Trust that my plan will work.”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” he replied, bowing respectfully. “As you wish.”

  “Good. Now let me talk with my security team so we can figure out where Jabril has gone off to. I don’t think he’s in trouble, but I don’t want to risk his safety either.” He paused, thinking about Mika and Kazan, the other two members of their monthly poker games and good friends as well. Mika was Sheik of Stilan to the south and Kazan ruled Rian to the west. Both men probably felt the same about Jabril’s absence. “Call Mika and Kazan, let them know what’s going on with Jabril. They’ll probably want to help as well. No doubt, they’ll throw their support behind whatever plan Jabril is concocting to fix the mess in Ditra. Sebastian Hughes will need to be updated too. And send a message to Oz. Tell him we might need his expertise.” Sebastian Hughes was a friend and owner of an international bank that might be of assistance after the exchange of power. Ditra was going to need money, and lots of it. Oz Cole was an ex-Navy SEAL, who now ran The Solutions Group, a private firm that helped governments and corporations all over the world to get things done. Oz’s brother, Jayce, and their friend Ryker Thune, were experts at all things security related. They had teams stationed all over the world, trained to step in and fix seemingly unfixable situations.

  “And what if Sheik al Mutar has resorted to kidnapping Princess Ilara?” the man asked, referring to Jabril. The small country of Ditra used to be part of the very large and very strategic country of Piara and the world was fully aware of Jabril’s desire to unite that section of the country back with Piara.

  Tarin was surprised by the question and grinned at his advisor and friend. “You know Jabril almost as well as I do,” he chuckled. “Do you really think that Jabril needs to kidnap a woman to get her to do anything?”

  With the man’s blush, Tarin laughed. “Trust me, old friend. Jabril has charm when he needs it. He might be a pain in the ass, but he’s a fair ruler and would never hurt the princess.” His laughter faded. “What Ilara’s Uncle Kasim might do is a separate issue though. That vile excuse for a human being needs to be stopped and brought to justice for what he’s done to the people of Ditra.”

  “Yes, Your Highness. Unfortunately, the sanctions you’ve put in place against Ditra have not stopped his unbridled greed.”

  “You’re right,” Tarin said. “So, it’s time to stop him with other methods. As soon as I find Jabril, he and I will work up a plan. In the meantime, have my generals contact the Piara military and see if we can work up a united effort to get rid of Kasim. I know that Jabril doesn’t want to go the military route, but we should be ready in case it’s necessary.”

  His aide nodded and wrote down instructions. “Very good, Your Highness.”

  An hour later, he was ready to leave, his generals briefed, his security team prepped and the plane prepared for takeoff. But Tarin needed one more thing. A servant told him where to find Zuri and he walked into the garden. “I’m off. I’ll let you know what’s happening before dinner.”

  Zuri looked up, startled to see Tarin. Goodness, he was so big and strong, she thought. Even after all the years she’d been betrothed to him, he still startled her with how big he was. He wasn’t a handsome man. His features were rough and harsh. But she liked the way the man was put together. His broad shoulders and long legs gave her a wicked feeling low in her belly.

  Not that she’d ever admit that to him. Tarin was a big, gruff man who liked to throw his weight around, so to speak. If he ever knew how he affected her, she’d never be able to delay the wedding. And she had to do that! She had to keep herself distant from the man.

  Even when he kissed her.

  But as he approached, she could read the expression in his eyes. He was going to do it again! Memories of that kiss in his office less than an hour ago, and how overwhelming it had been, flashed through her mind.

  Lifting a hand, she backed up a step, then realized she might appear weak and stood her ground.

  “Tarin, we can’t…” she didn’t have a chance to finish, he took her extended hand in his own and lifted it up to his mouth.

  Had she thought that him kissing her mouth was erotic? Dear heaven, when his lips nuzzled the palm of her hand, she thought her legs just might give out on her! Desire, fierce and hot, fizzled through her veins as he nibbled and kissed, his lips moving along her palm to her wrist, then back to her fingers.

  Then he did something so shocking, she couldn’t even speak. He took her finger in his mouth, sucking hard! Holy…! Again, she hadn’t prepared herself adequately for that move and she shivered, her knees trembling so badly she was actually grateful for the strong arm that whipped around her waist, pulling her hard against his body.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded, but she didn’t pull her finger away. She couldn’t! It felt too…shocking! Too erotic and…amazing!

  “I’m saying goodbye,” Tarin purred. “Will you miss me?” he asked
, bending his head to nuzzle her neck, enjoying the feeling of her wiggling against his body. She wasn’t pulling away, which reinforced the hope that she might eventually understand that they were made for each other.

  But he didn’t kiss her. He couldn’t. The last time had been too dangerous and he needed to get going.

  So instead of lifting her into his arms to make love to her, he pulled back, setting her back on her feet. He didn’t remember lifting her up into his arms, but she was such a tiny thing, it was an easy thing to do.

  “I’ll call you tonight,” he told her, caressing her cheek.

  Without another word, he turned around and walked back out of the garden. It occurred to him that Zuri smelled better than any flower.

  Then his thoughts turned to the task ahead of him. Saving Jabril and figuring out what was going on. Saving his friend was his highest priority, and not just because Jabril was Zuri’s brother and his friend. But also because Jabril was important to the stability of their region.

  Zuri watched him leave, her legs, her hands, her mind…good grief, her entire body tingled. Darn it, every time he touched her, he showed her some new way to touch and feel that made her body ache with desire and need! How was she supposed to make the man tell her that he loved her, or even get him to fall in love with her, if he was so focused on the sexual aspect of their relationship?

  Stupid jerk! She kicked the bench beside her, then hissed as her soft toed shoe came into contact with the not-so-soft marble. Stupid bench! Stupid everything!

  “Your Highness,” a voice called from the entrance to the garden.

  Zuri pretended that her foot wasn’t throbbing and turned to look for the source of the voice. She found a servant standing in the doorway. Quickly, Zuri cleared her features of all emotions and smiled politely in the servant’s direction. “Yes? How can I help you?”

  The servant curtsied slightly. “I’m here to show you where you will be sleeping, Your Highness,” she replied.