by Leslie North
The Sheik’s Reluctant Hostage
The Quabeca Sheiks Series Book 1
By Leslie North
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Dedications
I dedicate this book to you, my loyal readers. Thank you for all the lovely e-mails, reviews and support. Without you, this wouldn't be possible.
Contents
The Sheik’s Reluctant Hostage
The Quabeca Sheiks Series Book 1
Dedications
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
Epilogue
Chapter 1
The sound of smashing porcelain ricocheted off the walls as El-Tamar's wife threw yet another vase against the wall in anger and humiliation. The news of her husband losing his title and wealth made her furious while he sat passively on the sofa as if he had lost the will to live. All his life he had wealth and status. He did not know where to go from here. His wife was taking it worse than him.
“It is all because of that bastard of yours,” Abia screamed at her husband. “Why did you have to sleep with another woman?” she shouted as she threw a vase towards her husband.
“Abia, we had this argument before. There is nothing to be gained from having it again,” El-Tamar said. He knew it was a mistake twenty-four years ago when he slept with Pamela. That was now irreversible. However even if he hadn't slept with her and gotten her pregnant, Aman still made a mess of things. He was responsible for them losing their wealth, not Saja.
“She bewitched the Prince and turned him against you,” Abia cried. She stood there with her hands on her hips panting. She was so angry she wanted to rip Saja’s head off with her bare hands. Abia threw herself on the sofa, as if she had come to some sort of revelation. She nodded a few times and ran her hands threw her hair.
“We will need to move out,” El-Tamar said. The Prince had seized all his assets to cover some of the monies lost from the embezzlement and that included the home where they raised their three sons. El-Tamar and his wife would have to move into a much smaller home.
“Father, that is so unfair,” Akeem complained as he walked into the living room where his parents were. He had overheard them talking about moving out. He was born and raised in this house and despite not living there anymore; he still considered it his home.
“Blame your father's illegitimate bitch,” Abia said to her son. She stood up and walked over to the glass cabinet. She grabbed a bottle of scotch and opened it. She did not even bother pouring it into a glass and simply drank straight from the bottle.
“Isn't there anything you can do about it?” Akeem asked his father. He felt as though his father hadn't begged for forgiveness enough or tried anything really. El-Tamar shook his head and buried it in his hands. He had thought about it over and over again, there was nothing he could do about it. In fact, as far as he was concerned, the Prince had let them off lightly. With the amount of money Aman stole, they were lucky not to be in prison.
“We cannot simply sit back and do nothing!” Aman said as he walked into the room. His parents looked as though they had given up. He was not ready to give up without a fight. He was his father's heir. He was ready to take over but then this happened. This meant that he was not going to be sheik. He would have to find employment, as his wife had grown accustomed to living a certain way and she was not open to making changes. He was not sure that he would be able to live out his days as an ordinary man. He knew Saja was trouble when he met her.
* * * * * *
Saja was brushing her teeth when Basil walked into the bathroom and switched on the shower. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he kissed the top of her head. It had been two weeks since they were married and it was finally time to show their faces. People were starting to worry. He was still the Prince and had plenty of work to do. He could not take more than a week off for their honeymoon and he hoped that Saja wasn’t too disappointed.
“Come and bathe me, woman,” Basil commanded, as he unwrapped his towel and dropped it to the floor.
“You can wash yourself,” Saja replied. What was his obsession with her washing him? Before they were married, he always demanded that he bathe her, something she always refused. She rinsed her mouth with mouthwash. Just as she was about to escape, Basil grabbed her and yanked her towel free. “Oh my gosh!” Saja cried out. Basil carried her into the shower.
“I’ve already showered,” Saja complained.
“Good,” Basil replied with a wink. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her. She smiled and kissed him back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes, as he reached for the taps. Water sprayed them from all directions. Basil picked Saja up forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist while he walked her to the nearest wall. Tilting his hips, he entered her swiftly as Saja moaned into his mouth. Picking up speed, Basil moved smoothly in and out until he was completely buried deep inside her. With a groan, he held her pinned to the wall as he ravaged her mouth. One hand snaked up to grip her hair and tilt her head farther back. He simply couldn’t get enough of her. With a moan, Saja managed to tilt her hips encouraging him to start moving again. With a savage thrust, he started pumping hard into her, each thrust generating bolts of pleasure that had them both spiralling higher and higher.
With a cry, Saja clamped down as her orgasm hit her. The suddenness brought Basil to climax as the clenching of her muscles milked every drop of cum from his body. Shuddering against her, he held her tight before he slowly withdrew; making sure Saja was able to stand on her own. Kissing her deeply, he stepped back as he reached for a cloth and some soap. Giving her a wicked grin, he handed both to her as he said, “Since, you’re here; you might as well wash my back.”
* * * * *
Mona and Amber waited for Saja and Basil. They were scheduled to have lunch with some of the sheiks from the local area. It was their first appearance as a married couple and all eyes would be on them. The newlyweds had been showering and getting ready for a couple of hours. The two maids were very aware of the reason why they were taking so long. Since they returned from their honeymoon, the couple could barely keep their hands off each other.
They finally emerged out of the bedroom fully dressed and ready for lunch. Saja's face was glowing. The two of them looked so happy. Mona and Amber bowed their heads to them. Both of them had mischievous smiles on their faces. Saja noticed it.
“What are the two of you so happy about?” Saja asked.
“It is simply a good day. Wouldn’t you agree your highness?” Mona asked with a straight face. Saja laughed and shook her head.
Basil and Saja headed to the courtyard where the lunch was being held. Saja felt a bit awkward about their first meeting. She had never met any of these sheiks or his friends. She had no idea how she was to act around them. She assumed that they would be boring and discuss things like politics and the economy. Saja knew that this was going to be the rest of her life and she had to find a way to cope with the changes. She had her arm linked around Basil's when they walked out onto the courtyard. The sheiks all stood to greet them bowing their heads as the couple approached the table. Bas
il pulled out a chair for Saja and tucked her in before sitting down next to her.
“It is nice of you to join us,” Basil said to them. The sheiks smiled and bowed their heads.
“Congratulations, your highness,” Sheik Atif said. The other sheiks also congratulated them both and complimented Saja on her beauty.
The maids brought out lunch and served them all while the sheiks asked Saja what she did in London. She told them about her medical degree. Most were impressed with the fact that she was both smart and beautiful. Then they began discussing political matters. Saja had never been interested in politics and simply smiled through it. She enjoyed seeing a different side to Basil. Not only was he handsome, he was very intelligent. When he spoke, the sheiks listened and they respected him.
That's my husband; she said to herself and smiled. She realised that there was more to him than she first thought. So far, she liked what she had discovered about him and she couldn’t wait to find out more.
After the lunch, they bid farewell to the sheiks. Each of them kissed Saja on both cheeks before they left. She smiled and bowed her head to them. She turned her attention to Basil after they had left.
“Politics,” she said to him and stretched her neck. Basil was amused. It did not surprise him that she was not interested in politics. She was not that kind of woman.
“I noticed your silence during lunch,” he replied to her. “A rarity, I will add,” he said with a grin. She sighed and took her shoes off. “Do your feet hurt?” he asked her.
“No, I am going to sit in the sun for a bit,” Saja smiled like a little child. She loved sunbathing, particularly since they did not get much sun in London. It always rained in summer or it was cloudy and humid. Sunny days were few in number.
Saja walked onto the grass. She smiled the moment her feet touched the grass. She stretched her arms out to the sky. Lying on the grass, she lifted up her dress to expose her skin to the sun. Basil shook his head. She was never going to be a proper lady but that was what made her so interesting.
Chapter 2
Badir went to see Basil in his office. Even he had not seen the Prince since the wedding. He bowed to him before joining him at his desk. The Prince leaned back in his seat. He looked so relaxed and there was something else about him that Badir could not quite put his finger on. He had never seen the Prince like this.
“There is something different about you,” Badir said to Basil and slowly analysed him. Basil held up his right hand.
“This gold band maybe?” Basil joked.
“I must say, I never thought I would see this day. You, actually marrying Miss Saja. The fights I witnessed between the two of you,” Badir laughed. “Must have been the sexual tension,” he added. Basil laughed quietly. There were many times he wanted to take her but he had restrained himself and he was glad that he did.
“She was a handful,” Basil said as he remembered how they met. She is a handful, he thought. Never in his life had he witnessed such a relentless and strong-minded woman.
“The honeymoon must have been great.”
“What makes you say that?”
“The two of you have not been seen or heard from since the wedding.”
The Prince did not respond. He had enjoyed the honeymoon more than he had anticipated. He never thought that being alone with one woman would bring him such happiness. He’d chosen a villa in Al-Badry for their honeymoon. It was close to home, but still far enough away that they could be alone. The villa sat on a large lot of land, and included a swimming pool and a stable with a few horses.
Saja seemed to enjoy the villa. Basil taught her how to ride a horse. She had never been on a horse before and she was a very clumsy rider. It amused Basil when she fell off her horse a couple of times, but she never gave up and seemed to enjoy it, despite the bruises she acquired.
“How is it going then with El-Tamar? Have you heard anything from him?” Badir asked, interrupting Basil's thoughts.
Basil frowned before he spoke. “He has been rather quiet, as he should be,” Basil said. He had not given El-Tamar much thought but then there was the house he was taking from them. He sighed as he wondered if that was too much. Part of him wanted to give them back the house, only because El-Tamar was still Saja's father. The other part of him wanted to make him suffer because of how he treated Saja. He abandoned her and then tried to use her to cover up his transgressions. That part of him was winning the argument. He was going to get revenge on Saja and Pamela's behalf.
Before the wedding, Pamela had spoken with Basil. She told him everything in regards to El-Tamar; from how they met to when he abandoned her. Hearing it from Pamela angered Basil deeply. Seeing how hard she worked to raise Saja, he bought her a property in London and hired a team of servants to see to her needs. He wanted his mother-in-law to live the life she should have had. Being a single mother wasn’t easy. She had taken multiple jobs so she could sustain herself and Saja. Basil thought it was time for her to relax and reap the rewards of having raised his future wife.
* * * * *
Saja stood there wide-eyed staring at the walk-in closet. Her side was filled with brand new clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery. She felt like she had walked into a boutique. The closet in Basil's bedroom, which was now her bedroom too, was large; much bigger than her living room in London. She stood in the middle staring at the clothes. To her surprise, there was a mixture of dresses, trousers, shorts, skirts, lingerie, traditional Arabic clothes and a range of tops. She expected him to have her only wear loose fitting dresses.
“This is all for me?” Saja asked.
“Yes and there is more,” Mona replied.
“More?” Saja turned to face her maids. She was not used to people buying her things. Especially things this expensive. It seemed that Basil liked to spend money on her. She was speechless. He had spent a lot of money on her mother and now on her. She was not used to all this. She grew up knowing that she would have to work hard for everything. Since a very early age, she managed to work part-time to help her mother. All this was overwhelming and would take time for her to get used to it.
“Yes, but we will get to that later,” Amber said and gave Saja a cheeky grin.
After exploring her new wardrobe, Saja went to make dinner for Basil. Even though they had a great chef, she wanted to cook for her husband. She made him cream of mushroom soup for a starter, then spicy grilled chicken with mixed peppers, Mediterranean salad for the main dish and a red velvet cake for dessert. Basil was pleasantly surprised when he returned to his quarters for dinner. He kissed Saja before he sat down.
Mona informed him that Saja had prepared dinner. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Saja. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” he asked her as he loosened his tie.
“Can't a woman cook for her husband?” Saja asked. He stared at her for a moment before he replied.
“I guess she can,” Basil replied as he picked up his cutlery. The women he was used to did not know how to cook, preferring to instruct the servants.
“How was your day?” Saja asked him. Basil smiled. If this was what married life was like, then he loved it. It pleased him to come home to her and have her prepare his meals for him. Even talking to her about his day made him feel warm inside. He liked how attentive she was. He felt as though he could talk to her about anything. He asked her what she wanted to do with her medical career.
“Well, I have completed my housemanship, so I want to specialise,” Saja said to him.
“Which speciality?” Basil was pleased that his wife possessed both brains and beauty even though he had never admitted it to her. His past lovers weren't particularly intelligent. They were more interested in the idea of marrying the prince and sitting at home doing nothing. They had no ambition.
“Cardio-thoracic surgery.”
“That is impressive.”
Saja laughed. Was Basil actually complimenting her? Was he already getting softer? The first time he had found out that she was a doctor, he was n
ot so impressed or maybe he was pretending. He simply looked away and did not comment on the matter. It was his brother who was more intrigued and impressed.
“Do you like my food?” Saja asked him.
“It's fine.”
“Liar.” Saja could see that he was enjoying her food. He had finished his food faster than he normally did. Also, with his personality, he would most certainly inform her if he were not impressed with her cooking. He never held anything back. “You're practically drooling,” she joked.
“Where did you learn how to cook?” he asked, diverting the attention away from himself.
“On my own.” Basil raised an eyebrow. “I always experimented in the kitchen. Well that was mostly before med school,” Saja added. When she was younger, she had taught herself how to cook for her mother's sake. Her mother always came home from work so tired that Saja wanted to do her part by cooking for her. She learned by experimenting with different types of food.