The elders stood in something resembling a reception line. Kateb went first, greeting them. They each embraced him, obviously pleased with their choice. Victoria wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. She knew she would be seated next to Kateb at the main table, but until that happened, she thought it might be best to stay in the background.
Then she was surrounded and urged forward by the crowd. Before she could get out of the way, she was standing next to the first of the elders, Zayd.
He was old and very small, bent, but with bright, wise eyes. “So you are Kateb’s mistress.”
Victoria didn’t know what to say, so she smiled and hoped it would be enough.
“He needs someone to make him happy. Are you up to the task?”
“I’ll do my best,” she murmured, thinking that Kateb was actually only interested in counting down the days until he could find out if she was pregnant or not. It wasn’t as if he sought out her company or wanted her in his bed.
“You need to do more than that,” the elder told her. “You must claim him with enthusiasm and energy. That’s what a man wants.”
“You make him sound like the last chip on a nacho plate,” she said without thinking. “And Kateb’s more of a man who does the claiming rather than the other way around.”
It was one of those horrifying party moments when the entire room goes silent at exactly the wrong time. Her words echoed in the great hall.
Where was a natural disaster when you needed one? she thought grimly. The old man stared at her for a long time. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t move and she had no idea where Kateb was or if he’d heard. The way her luck was going, he was standing next to her, ready to snatch back the tiara and lock her up in the harem.
Then the old man began to laugh. He put his hands on his belly and laughed and laughed until tears streamed from his eyes. Conversation around them resumed.
“I’ve heard of nachos,” he said. “Very good. Yes, you’ll do.” He waved her on.
Victoria quickly made her way through the rest of the line, careful to only smile and not say anything. Kateb was waiting for her when she finished.
When she glanced at him, he raised one eyebrow. Great. Just great.
“You heard,” she said.
“It seemed an unusual thing to say.”
“You had to be there for the entire conversation.”
“Apparently.”
He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the head table.
“Are you mad?”
“No. I’ve been compared to nachos. My life is complete.”
She smiled. “You’re funny. It’s kind of strange, but I like it.”
“Thank you.”
He held out her chair. As she sat she realized his humor wasn’t the only thing she liked about him. She liked that he listened and that, except when it came to assuming the worst about her, that he was fair. He would be a good leader. She liked…him. As a man and maybe even a friend. She respected him.
Which was fine. Better that they get along rather than not. Eventually she would leave and it would be nice to have good memories of their time together.
The dinner progressed smoothly. Kateb endured the elders speaking about him in glowing terms. Their stories were to reinforce their decision but took simple events and expanded them.
“Is there a story about how you slayed the village dragon?” Victoria asked quietly as she leaned toward him. “Or rescued fifteen orphans from a burning building while inventing the Internet at the same time?”
“Later,” he told her, enjoying the scent of her skin.
“I like a big finish.”
“Then you’ll enjoy the dancing girls.”
She stared at him. “Seriously? I love dancing girls. I’ve seen them in the city. Well, I was standing in the back of the room, so there wasn’t much detail, but it was very cool. I could never be that graceful.”
“You’re not insulted?” he asked, surprised by her reaction. “You don’t think it’s barbaric or demeaning?”
“Why would I be insulted? They go through years of training and it’s beautiful to watch. Like ballet, but with sheer pants and veils and different music.”
Music filled the large hall. Conversation quieted as several young women walked out in front of the head table. True to her word, Victoria stared intently, as if mesmerized by the entertainment. When the women began to move, she smiled and swayed in her seat.
He did his best to pay attention to the entertainment, but couldn’t seem to avoid glancing at the woman next to him. The heat of her body invaded him and no matter how the dancers moved and tried to catch his eye, he could not be interested in anyone but her.
He reminded himself that she might be pregnant and in getting pregnant, she might have tied herself to him forever. He repeated that he couldn’t trust her—that she had come to El Deharia for the express purpose of marrying Nadim, and if not him, then someone else with money. He should be angry and not trust her in the least.
But all the words in the world couldn’t keep him from remembering what it had been like to make love with her that lone night. The need to touch her again, to please her and be pleased, to hear her breathing catch and feel her soft skin overwhelmed him.
He disliked the sense of needing her so much. Living in the desert had taught himself control. What had happened to it? To him?
Then it no longer mattered. All he could think of was being with her again. The minutes crawled by as the dancers performed. Victoria whispered to him, but he couldn’t hear her words. There was only pounding desire that burned through him.
At last the women were still and everyone applauded. The evening had come to an end.
He stood and spoke, not sure of his words, counting on years of attending such events to ensure he said the right thing. Victoria was smiling when he finished, so he must have done well enough. Then he grabbed her hand and started for the exit.
Many people wanted to speak with him, congratulate him, tell him how they were looking forward to his leadership. He nodded and replied where he must, but continued to move toward the hallway.
“Are you all right?” Victoria asked. “Don’t you feel well?”
“I feel fine.”
“You seem in a hurry.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
He waited until they were free of the crowd, stepped into an alcove, pulled her close and kissed her.
Victoria didn’t know what to think, but the second Kateb’s mouth touched her, it didn’t really matter. His lips were warm and demanding, taking her with a passion that made her tremble.
He held her tightly, his arms strong and safe. He deepened the kiss, plunging his tongue inside her mouth, making it clear that he wanted her. There was an edge of desperation to his touch, a power that thrilled every part of her. She’d thought they would never make love again and now he was making it known that he wanted to claim her as his.
Even as she kissed him back, their tongues stroking and dancing, she surged against him, wanting to feel all of him. His hands dropped to her rear and squeezed her curves. Her belly tightened, then she leaned in and felt his hardness. She couldn’t help rubbing against him, imagining him inside of her, filling her, taking her.
She pulled back enough to see the fire burning in his eyes.
“The harem is closer,” she whispered.
He hesitated only a second, but she knew what it meant. Last time they’d been swept away. Last time they hadn’t used anything. Neither of them was prepared for the consequences of that act.
“Yusra is very efficient,” she told him. “She’s stocked my nightstand drawers.”
He picked up her hand and kissed the palm. His breath was hot, his touch insistent.
They hurried toward the harem and stepped inside. She led the way to the bedroom she used.
Someone had already turned the lights on low and pulled back the bed. She knew the ever-efficient staff hadn’t b
een reading Kateb’s mind. Instead they prepared her room for her every night…as if expecting her to eventually bring home a lover.
And tonight she had.
She turned back to him. He kissed her again, just as insistent as before, his mouth so hungry it made her weak with longing. Even as their tongues mated, he grabbed the front of her gold jacket and jerked it open. Buttons went flying. She shrugged out of the garment. By the time it had dropped to the stone floor, he’d unfastened her bra.
He moved his hands to her bare breasts. Her nipples were already tight and exquisitely sensitive to his touch. He stroked her, lightly brushing the very tips, sending ribbons of fire burning all through her.
When he dropped his head so he could draw one of her nipples into his mouth, she gasped with the pleasure. She clutched his head in her hands, holding him in place, arching her back and whispering for more.
He sucked deeply, pulling her into his mouth. His tongue dueled with her nipple. She was already so wet and swollen, so ready. She wanted to squirm and beg, but she liked what he was doing to her breasts too much to ask him to stop. It was an impossible choice—there was so much pleasure.
He moved between her breasts. Wanting filled her until she thought she would faint from the need. At last he dropped to his knees in front of her and reached for the hidden zipper on her trousers. He tugged them down, along with her bikini panties, then parted her swollen flesh and pressed his mouth against the very core of her.
He kissed her intimately, stroking her with his tongue. She was so close already, so near to release, so desperate for him, that it only took a few seconds for her to start shaking. Muscles tensed in anticipation. She could feel herself starting to lose control.
“No,” she whispered. Not like this, half dressed, barely able to stay standing.
Once again he seemed to know what she was thinking. He stood and began to remove his own clothing. She kicked off her shoes, pulled off her trousers and stepped out of her panties. He paused to pull a condom out of the nightstand drawer, then they were naked together on the bed, his arousal pressing into her thigh.
She reached down and took him in her hand. His breath caught in a hiss as she rubbed the length of him, then moved her fingers against the tip. He surged against her, only to stop.
“Not so fast,” he told her.
He slid down between her legs. She parted for him and tried to hold in a moan as he pleasured her with his mouth.
He moved slowly at first, as if discovering what made her shiver and moan and writhe. He kissed all of her before finding that one swollen spot that thrilled her. His touch was beyond anything she’d experienced, she thought as her body prepared itself for her release. Muscles tensed. She pushed down with her heels and rocked her head back and forth.
Closer and closer. He moved faster, keeping a steady rhythm that made the ending inevitable. Her muscles convulsed as her body shook. Her release claimed every part of her, taking her to the edge and dropping her off the side.
He continued to stroke her with his tongue, more lightly until he’d drawn the last bit of paradise from her body. When she was finally still and able to breathe again, he grabbed the condom, pulled it on and pushed inside of her.
He filled her completely, stretching her, arousing nerve endings until they began to pulse once more. Before she could figure out what was going on, she was coming again. The unexpected release caught her off guard. She clung to him, unable to control her body. Her gaze locked with his as she lost herself in each thrust.
She told herself to look away or at least close her eyes, that this was too intimate, but she couldn’t seem to stop staring at him. Neither did he turn away.
He continued to stare down at her, pumping in and out, each stroke sending her into a new level of pleasure. It was beyond anything she’d ever experienced. Each time she thought she was done, she came again until she trembled with exhaustion.
Another thrust and another until his features tightened and she felt the exact moment of his release. She saw everything, the yearning, the relief, the satisfaction. At last he was still and they were done.
Victoria had thought Kateb might simply leave, but instead he lay down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She went willingly, wanting to prolong the moment, to feel him next to her. She told herself it was more about being lonely than needing the man and hoped she was telling the truth.
“Did you mean to do that?” she asked, her head resting on his shoulder.
“Make love with you? Are you wondering if it was an accident?”
She heard the humor in his voice and smiled. “Maybe.”
“I didn’t slip and fall into you.”
“I know. But you didn’t want this to happen again.”
“Perhaps I can’t resist you.”
If only that were true.
He stroked her hair. “Why did you offer yourself to me?”
“I told you when it happened. I couldn’t let you put my father in jail.”
“Because of your mother. Did the promise mean so much?”
She sensed he was genuinely asking rather than questioning her loyalty.
“She was always there for me,” Victoria said slowly, closing her eyes and inhaling his scent. “Even though she loved him more than she should have, she took care of me and loved me. No matter how bad things got, I knew she adored me. It helped, through all the other stuff.” She opened her eyes. “I made the promise to take care of him because I hoped it would be enough to keep him alive.”
“You didn’t have that power.”
“I was only a few weeks shy of graduating from high school. I wasn’t ready to be alone in the world. I had to believe in something.”
“You made your way.”
“It wasn’t easy.” She didn’t want to think of that time, of the struggles and the fear. Not tonight. “I learned to be strong.”
“You were always strong,” he told her.
“I wish that were true.”
“It takes strength to survive tragedy.”
She thought of the boxes in the room next to his. The trapped memories and the pain.
“You must miss her very much,” she murmured.
He stiffened slightly. If they hadn’t been touching, she might not have noticed.
She put her arm across his midsection. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Whatever you were thinking. Leave. Shut down. We can talk about her.”
“No, we can’t.”
“Why not? She was your wife. You loved her and now she’s gone. You should talk about it.”
“Maybe I have.” He stared at the ceiling as he spoke.
“I doubt that. You’re not the type. You’ve kept it all inside. So talk to me. I’m a safe bet.”
“In what way?”
“I don’t matter.”
He turned toward her. “Why would you say that?”
“I don’t mean it in a self-defeating way. As soon as you’re sure I’m not pregnant, you’re sending me back to the city.” She wasn’t sure exactly why. Perhaps he had initially believed she had tried to trick him, but she doubted he’d stayed convinced of that for long. It was too ridiculous and Kateb was a logical man. “I’m a safe bet. So tell me. What was her name? What was she like?”
His dark gaze locked with hers, as if he wanted to test her sincerity. She didn’t look away. Eventually he relaxed. A slight smiled pulled at the corner of his mouth…the corner not touched by the scar.
“Her name was Cantara. She was the daughter of a chieftain and I met her when I was ten and she was eight. She didn’t believe I was a prince because I didn’t have a crown and she could ride a horse better than me. We became friends. That never changed.”
“You’re lucky,” she said. “Being friends with the person you marry sounds like a great way to make a relationship work.”
“It was,” he said as he shifted onto his back and tucked one arm behind his head. He kept his other aroun
d her. “She understood the desert and understood me. From the time we were sixteen or seventeen, we knew we would be married.”
Victoria wondered what it would be like to have that much certainty in her life. To know she was loved by a man and to love in return.
“We waited until I was twenty-two,” he continued. “My father thought I was too young, but I insisted and eventually he agreed. Cantara and I were married and came to live here.”
“You must have been very happy.”
“I was. I had everything. A few years later, I had to attend tribal meetings. They can go on for weeks and be very tedious. She decided to go to Europe with a couple of her friends. She was killed in a car accident. She died instantly.”
He spoke calmly, as if telling a story about someone else. But she knew there was pain inside of him. Grief that would never fully heal.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“As was I. Time heals.”
“Not enough. You’re going to marry for duty, not love.”
He looked at her. “Yusra talks too much.”
“That’s very possible, but you’re not going to stop her.”
“Probably not.” He touched her hair again. “I will wait until I am leader, then pick a wife who brings power with her. My goal is for my people to know peace and prosperity. An alliance with one of the larger desert tribes will help with that.”
“That’s your only criteria?” she asked, a little unnerved by his calm determination. “What if you don’t like her? What if she smells funny or doesn’t have a sense of humor?”
“Ours will be a marriage of duty, nothing more.”
“You’re expected to have sex with her.”
“Not often, if I do not wish.”
She sat up and glared at him. “Just enough to get her pregnant? That’s romantic.”
“It is easier for a man than a woman,” he said, obviously amused by her reaction.
“Right. Because all cats are gray in the dark, right? That’s beyond disgusting. What about her feelings?”
“If she is a chieftain’s daughter, she will understand the importance of the alliance.”
Victoria stood and glared at him. “Let me guess. She’ll be fulfilled by her children and you’ll have the harem to keep you company.”
The Sheik and the Bought Bride Page 11