The Sheik's Gentle Triumph Read online

  She laughed, rolling her eyes. And yet, she liked him for the teasing. It made him…more human somehow.

  Shaking her head, she stepped back and looked up at him, startled all over again by his presence. Or more specifically, her awareness of him as a man. “Goodness, you’re even more handsome than I remembered,” she whispered, then cringed as her cheeks flared with heat. “I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

  He laughed and lifted her hand to his lips. “I appreciate the compliment, Danielle. I think you are an extraordinarily beautiful woman. And I’m glad that you are here. I’ve ordered dinner. I hope that you are hungry.”

  Her stomach growled, revealing the truth without her having to say a word. But then the reason for her famished state came to mind and she looked down at the blue box she was still clutching against her chest. “I can’t stay for dinner, Mika. I just came by to return this to you.”

  “You don’t like it?” he asked, taking a bottle of wine from a small bucket of ice and pouring her a glass.

  When she realized he didn’t look as if he were going to take it, she set it down on the bar’s countertop.

  “I think it is the most beautiful necklace I’ve ever seen. But,” she paused, firming up her resolve. “I just wanted you to know that I work for Oz and…well, he and his partners make an obscene amount of money. He’s very generous with his wealth, plus he pays me a very good salary. My loyalties are to The Solutions Group.”

  The man smiled and her insides tightened. Wow! He was shockingly handsome, especially when he smiled like that.

  “I know that he makes a great deal of money, Danielle,” he replied. “He won over ten million dollars off me last month in a poker game.”

  “Ten million?” she repeated weakly.

  “Yes. Why is that such a shock to you? He’s an excellent poker player.”

  Danielle shrugged, feeling odd all of a sudden. “I just…last month, I saw a ten million dollar deposit into the company’s account. The next day, Oz came to me and,” she grinned, suddenly putting the pieces of the puzzle together. “He asked me to make an anonymous, ten million dollar donation to the Children’s Hospital.”

  Mika blinked at her for a long moment, then threw his head back, roaring with laughter. “Figures,” he chuckled.

  After handing her the glass of wine, he took her other hand, leading her outside to the terrace where the cool night was warmed by mysterious heaters tucked into the lush landscaping. A small table, set with flowers and lovely crystal and china plates, waited for them.

  “If you liked the necklace, then why won’t you accept the gift?” He lifted one of the silver covers, revealing a plate filled with elaborately cooked foods.

  “Oh my!” she sighed, so hungry that just the scent of food made her stomach growl again.

  “Please, have a seat and eat. You’re obviously hungry and this will give you an opportunity to explain why you can’t accept my gift.”

  Danielle was too hungry and too overwhelmed to resist. “Fine. Dinner. But only because this smells delicious. If there had been broccoli on the plate, I’d be gone,” she took a seat. He waited until she was seated before sitting down opposite her and lifting the silver covers off the other dishes. A servant appeared out of nowhere and took the covers from him, then disappeared again, leaving the two of them alone with the intimacy of the night and the smell of perfectly cooked seafood.

  “Please,” he said, gesturing to the food. “Taste and let me know if you approve. I don’t know what you like, so I went with my own favorites.”

  She stabbed a piece of shrimp and nibbled, then closed her eyes as the savory, spicy flavors hit her. “Oh, this is delicious!” she sighed.

  “I’m glad that you enjoy seafood,” he smiled and lifted his own fork. “Now, about the necklace. Please, I chose it specifically for you and I would enjoy knowing that you have it.”

  She took another bite, shaking her head firmly. “No, the necklace is too expensive. I have no place to keep a piece like that safe. I was terrified all day of leaving my office with the necklace sitting in my desk. And that office building is probably more secure than Fort Knox.”

  He laughed, shaking his head. “Jewels are meant to be enjoyed. Not worried about over their potential loss.”

  “Says the man who can afford that necklace. I can’t. So no, I can’t accept it.”

  “Please.”

  She tilted her head slightly. “Have you ever watched any of the Monty Python movies?”

  He leaned back, confused. “No. Never.”

  She smiled and looked down at her plate. “There’s a scene in one of them where the professor of a prep school walks in and…” she stops, realizing what the scene is really about. “Well, he’s about to teach the bored, teenage boys about sex. It’s their first sex education lesson and,” she paused, feeling her cheeks turn red with embarrassment. But she plowed ahead. “Anyway, the professor asks the class what they think should be the first thing to do with a woman as a prelude to good sex. The boys answer with…uh,” she blushes for a moment, but perseveres, “…highly inappropriate answers. But the professor shakes his head. He mocks the boys and says, ‘How about a kiss, boy?!’ indicating that men should…” she stopped and looked up at him, realizing that he was listening intently. “I suspect that I don’t need to explain to you that women need a bit of foreplay before getting to the main event.”

  Mika stared at her for a long moment, bemused by her story, but charmed by the blush that stole up her cheeks. He also admired that she was obviously embarrassed, but still continued in an effort to make her point.

  When he realized what her point was, he threw back his head, laughing. Delighted with her!

  “You’re saying I should add a bit of foreplay to my gifts to you?”

  She cringed. “Well, yes. But not specifically to me. Perhaps a bit of build up with your ladies would be appropriate.”

  “The diamond necklace was too much for you, too soon. I understand.”

  She smiled, enjoying the conversation even if it was a bit…outrageous. “Do you?”

  “Yes. Now tell me about your day.”

  For the next several hours, she ate and talked and sipped the amazing wine, finally relaxing in his presence. So it seemed perfectly natural for her to move with him to one of the long sofas and relax while continuing to talk.

  And it seemed right when he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. Just a gentle brush, but it was enough to send her mind spinning and her lips tingling.

  Mika stared down at the beautiful woman who had enchanted him with her lively conversation, watching her eyes dilate with desire. She was so damn beautiful! He wanted to pull her into his arms and make love to her now!

  But she was different. He could feel it in the way she touched him and hear it in the way she spoke. She wasn’t a woman out for his money or the prestige that being with him could convey. She was different.

  And because of that, he felt different. The story about the kiss echoed in his mind and he pulled back. “And now, I will drive you home.” He stood up and knew that he’d made the right decision. The relief in her eyes was almost insulting, but because of his restraint, she didn’t shy away when he touched her hand, helping her up from the sofa.

  Twenty minutes later, she stepped out of the limousine and smiled as one of his guards handed her the keys to her car, which he’d driven home. “Thank you,” she whispered, looking down at her keys instead of at Mika.

  “Danielle,” he said softly, moving closer, his guards disappearing to form a protective perimeter and to give them some privacy. “I respect your need for less,” he told her, kissing the top of her head. “And because of that, I’ll leave you here. But go inside the house and lock the door so that I know that you are safe.”

  Danielle looked up, startled. “You’re not…?” she stopped, not wanting him to know how much she wanted him to kiss her again.

  “Going to kiss you again? I don’t think tha
t’s a good idea. After that last kiss, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop. Especially with your bed so close and my curiosity about what you wear to sleep in so intense.”

  She laughed, both relieved and oddly disappointed. “Mika, you’re a very strange man.”

  He chuckled softly. “Yes, but you think I’m gorgeous and sexy,” he told her, then broke his word and kissed her again. Still, it was just a brief brush of his lips against hers. She licked her lips, but quickly turned away and rushed into the house. She locked the door behind her, smiling as she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom.

  Chapter 6

  “Another delivery?” Carly demanded, stepping into Danielle’s office and eyeing the big, cardboard box. “This requires a meeting,” she announced and whipped out her cell phone. “Deni? Yeah, can you meet me and Danielle for lunch? At that sandwich shop we love? Right! We have a mystery to solve.”

  Danielle bit her lower lip, trying to figure out what to say about the two deliveries in two days, but also worried about what might be inside this particular box. Especially after yesterday’s over the top delivery.

  “This is from your sheik, isn’t it?” Carly asked, her eyes glowing with the mystery of whatever was in the huge, unmarked box.

  Danielle gasped, horrified that Carly might know something. “No!”

  Carly shrugged as she leaned against Danielle’s desk. “It’s okay, Danielle, You can date the man,” she pointed out gently. “Just be careful! He’s a good man, but he can be dangerous as well. Just…watch your heart, okay?”

  Danielle shook her head, determined to remain immune to the man, even though she’d dreamed about Mika last night. “I’m not...” she stopped, the memory of the kiss from the night before washing over her. “I’m not dating him,” she said firmly, which was the truth. One dinner together didn’t mean that they were ‘dating’. “He’s a nice man and he stopped by my office a few days ago, asking me to dinner, but I said no.”

  Carly’s green eyes widened in surprise. “Why? You’re obviously attracted to him. Why wouldn’t you go out with a man that good looking? I certainly would!” she finished with a laugh and an odd light in her eyes.

  Danielle huffed a bit as an intense fury blindsided her at the thought of her gorgeous friend going out with Mika. “You wouldn’t!” she gasped.

  Carly laughed, leaning forward with a mischievous light in her eyes. “Gotcha!” she whispered.

  Eyes narrowed, Danielle grabbed her scissors. “You’re an evil woman, you know that?”

  Carly laughed again while Danielle quickly sliced through the packing tape, then pulled open the flaps. Bracing herself, she was a little afraid of what might be in the box. But looking down, she realized that…

  “Why did you order an entire case of chocolate chips?” Carly asked, lifting one of the yellow plastic bags out of the box. “Are you going to make cookies or something?”

  Danielle stared for a long moment at the…she couldn’t even count the number of bags of Toll House chocolate chips, then laughed, picking up one of the bags herself. If there was anything Mika could have done, besides the brief kiss last night, that told her he’d genuinely heard her, this was it. A bag of inexpensive but delicious chocolate chips. “Yep. I guess it’s going to be a baking night tonight. Want to join me?”

  “You’re on!” Carly agreed.

  A dark, looming figure cast as shadow in the doorway. Looking up, Danielle found Oz Cole standing there, looking grim.

  “What’s wrong, Oz?” Danielle asked.

  Carly rolled her eyes. “You’re such a softy with him! You know that, don’t you?”

  Oz looked at his sister with an almost triumphant grin. “That’s because she loves me more than you do. She’s concerned about my mental health.”

  Carly chuckled. “She hasn’t figured out that you’re just an annoying…”

  “Watch it! Or I’ll bring my dog over for a visit.”

  Danielle laughed because she knew that Oz had a sweet, fluffy dog named Betty who had so much hair, she looked like she weighed about two hundred pounds. She loped around, happy to be with any human who would pet her.

  “You wouldn’t dare!” Carly growled back. “That dog is a menace! And Betty traumatized Lucifer!” She replied, referring to her gigantic, spoiled cat.

  Danielle’s hand flew to her mouth, remembering the last time Betty had stayed with Carly for a visit. Carly had grumbled about the dog chasing her beautiful Lucifer for weeks. Betty loved to play and Lucifer…didn’t.

  Oz chuckled, adding a shrug. “Yeah. Lucifer wasn’t thrilled with Betty’s exuberance.” Turning back to Danielle, the amusement faded. “Seriously, what’s going on? Who are you dating and why is he sending you presents?”

  “Nothing is going on!” Danielle lied and prayed that Oz didn’t notice the pink staining her cheeks. “I am not dating anyone.” That was the truth, anyway. What she was doing with Mika was…not dating. Definitely not dating.

  Oz wasn’t fooled. “You received a package yesterday too.”

  Danielle waved dismissively. “A mistake. That box should never have been delivered to me. I sent it back.” Another truth, thankfully.

  Oz crossed his arms over his massive chest, his green eyes narrowing.

  Danielle lifted a bag of chocolate chips up to show Oz that the delivery was completely innocent. Well, the delivery was innocent, at least. The intentions behind the delivery…not so much.

  Oz’s eyes switched from concerned to curious in a flash. “Who sent you a giant box of chocolate chips?” he demanded.

  Carly stepped in. “She ordered them herself. We’re having a baking party tonight. Want to come? I’ll get extra wine, just for you.”

  Oz visibly cringed at the idea. Or maybe it was the suggestion of wine. Danielle had no idea, but she giggled when he lifted his hand into the air in defeat. “Fine. But I expect some cookies tomorrow.”

  He glanced at the box once more, hesitating and Danielle froze. He couldn’t know, could he? There was no way he could know! Oh, goodness, she hoped he wouldn’t figure it out!

  Not that she’d mind if any of her friends and co-workers knew that she was dating someone. But there was just something about Mika that she wanted to keep private. It was her secret…something. Whatever happened between herself and Mika, she didn’t want Oz to know!

  “Don’t you have that meeting with Belinda about some problem with…?” Carly began.

  Oz lifted a hand, palm out to stop Carly’s inquisition. “I’m gone! You don’t want me to know, I’ll keep my nose out of it.” He hustled out of Danielle’s office. For such an enormous man, Oz could move quickly.

  Danielle released the breath she’d been holding and Carly’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

  “Someday, a woman is really going to freak that man out,” Danielle said, relishing the thought of a moment when Oz found a woman that could hold his attention for more than a few weeks.

  But before her friend could ask anything, Jayce, Carly’s other brother, stepped through the door. Danielle’s hand flew back to her mouth as Carly groaned.

  “Who the hell is sending you packages?” Jayce demanded, his hands fisted on his hips, which caused the material over his chest to strain as his bulging muscles pulled the fabric. His green eyes and dark hair made him look like a walking, talking thundercloud.

  “No one!” she lied.

  Jayce lifted a hand, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Finally he dropped his hand and leaned forward. “Danielle, you are one of the best damn accountants we’ve ever had. But you’re too trusting when it comes to men. Remember that other guy? The one who stole your television?”

  Danielle gasped, then snapped her mouth shut, glaring at her friend. “You promised never to bring that up,” she pointed out in a low, ominous voice.

  Jayce shrugged one massive shoulder dismissively. “Yeah, and you promised never to date again.”

  Darn it, he was right. “That was said in the heat of the momen
t!”

  His eyes sharpened. “So it’s true! You are dating someone!”

  Caught! Darn him! He was diabolically good! “No. I promise that I’m not dating anyone. Tonight, I’m baking cookies with Carly and Deni and drinking too much wine!”

  Jayce was unconvinced. “Tell me his name. Just let me run a check on him.”

  She shook her head. “Not dating. No dating!”

  He was silent for a long moment before, in a dark voice, he warned, “I’ll find out, you know.”

  Danielle put a hand on his shoulder, beaming gently up at the gentle giant. “I’m fine, Jayce. I promise. You don’t need to protect me.”

  He shook his head slightly. “You’re too trusting.”

  She groaned. “One time!” she snapped, throwing her hands up in the air. “Just one time!”

  “The ass stole your television, Danielle!”

  “Yeah, but I rarely used it anyway.”

  Carly snorted. “Except when we had our binge sessions,” Carly interrupted. “My television isn’t nearly as good as the one that guy stole.”

  Danielle had to agree. She’d had a big, beautiful television that she’d gotten simply because she liked watching the stars dance on the big screen. “Yes, but…!”

  Carly shook her head. “I’m with Jayce,” she interrupted. “Your ex-boyfriend stole from you.”

  Danielle crossed her arms over her chest. “So from now on, you’re going to investigate every guy I date?”

  “Yes!” they exclaimed together.

  “Why don’t you investigate Carly’s boyfriends?” she demanded.

  Jayce’s eyes narrowed and he turned on his little sister. Startled, Carly lifted her hands into the air. “Not dating anyone!” she asserted quickly. “She’s just asking in a hypothetical situation!”

  Jayce glared at his baby sister for a long moment, then grunted and turned back to Danielle. “Last chance.”

  Danielle opened her mouth, about to explain. But this was her secret and she didn’t think the relationship with Mika would go anywhere. “Nothing to tell,” she stated firmly.