“But…she’s your wife! She should be…”
“My wife,” he emphasized the title, “is instrumental in helping me rule, Ms. Lotz. If you’re undermining her, then you are an enemy of the state. My wife’s authority doesn’t come from me. It comes from her position within the government. She will not be undermined. Leave the palace immediately.”
The woman didn’t go down easily. “I’ve served the Ditara royal family for decades,” she spat. “You can’t just throw me out!”
“I just did. Guards!” The door to his office burst open, and his security team rushed in.
“Ms. Lotz is no longer an employee of the Ditara government. Since she is not a citizen, she needs to be escorted from the palace and put on the first plane leaving the country. Her personal belongings will be packed up and shipped to an address of her choosing.”
The guards didn’t hesitate. The screeching woman was carried out of Zahir’s office.
When the door closed behind her, the resulting silence was almost deafening.
Sada turned to glance at Zahir, but when she realized that he was by her side, she cringed away, her anger returning in full force.
“Thank you for that!” she said and stepped back. He looked so incredibly handsome and he had just backed her up.
Unfortunately, her success seemed to feed on itself. The next words tumbled out before she could think it through. “I don’t want you to touch me.”
Zahir stared at her, stunned. “I beg your pardon?”
Probably the wrong approach, she thought. The stunned look quickly morphed into anger and she backed up a step. But she wouldn’t back down! This was too important!
“The passion is gone, Zahir! The way you touch me lately makes me feel horrible! It’s like…like I’m a china doll that you take out and play with, carefully. It’s clear you don’t love me. But I love you, and I have loved you for years! Every time you came to visit me, every dinner, I felt as if I was on top of the world simply because you were with me. Just one look from you would send shivers throughout my whole body.” She took a deep breath, staring at his chin. “I loved the way you touched me when we were first married. There was so much passion! But over the past few weeks, the passion just hasn’t been there. It’s been…awful!” She growled in frustration as the tears she’d fought all morning won the battle. She swiped at them angrily but they continued to fall.
She couldn’t look at him any longer. Turning away, she took a deep breath. “You don’t love me. I understand that and was willing to deal with that because when you touched me, it was as if you couldn’t help yourself. You seemed to be just as out of control as I felt. You’d rip my clothes off, which was surprisingly sexy. You’d make love to me as if you felt something for me.” More tears and she backed up, furious with herself and with him. “But now, the passion is gone! I know you don’t love me, Zahir.” She stopped, her hands wiping away the tears. “And I thought I could love you enough for both of us. But I can’t. I can’t deal with the cold, mechanical way that you touch me now. I just…I can’t!” She ran from the office, hurrying down the hallway, unconcerned with where she was going just so long as she was away from him. She didn’t care how many people saw her tearful departure.
All Sada cared about was getting as far away from Zahir as fast as she could. Yes, she’d have to figure out how to get along with him during their marriage. And yes, she would give him children, but right now, she was thinking artificial insemination was the way to go.
But rational thought was gone. She raced through the hallways, not towards their apartment because she couldn’t face that bed again. She found an empty room and dropped onto one of the sofas filled with pillows. Burying her face in the soft cushions, she sobbed out her anger and frustration. Yes, she might have won the battles with the chef and the human resources department. And tomorrow, she might even celebrate the firing of that horrible woman. But right now, all she wanted to do was grieve the loss of her hopes and dreams.
She cried until her throat hurt and, when there were no tears left, she let her body cry without the tears, her heartache silently wracking her body.
Spent by the wave of emotions, she huddled on the sofa, her head buried in the pillows.
Zahir ordered the human resources director to his office. “You ignored direct orders from my wife?” he demanded.
Fred stood there, not sure what to say. In the end, he nodded. “Yes. I followed Ms. Lotz orders instead of your wife’s,” he admitted. “But do I have resumes here. Seven candidates that are exactly what she’s looking for. I’ve already prescreened them, behind Ms. Lotz’s back, and know that several of them would suit her needs perfectly.”
Zahir stared at the man. He’d been about to fire him, but since the man had followed Sada’s instructions despite the old bat’s machinations, he would be spared. “I want those resumes on her desk in less than an hour.”
Fred stumbled. “Her desk?”
“Yes. I understand that she has an office area.”
Fred cringed, his eyes once again falling to the floor, unable to look at his ruler. “Um…I believe that Ms. Lotz ordered the maintenance personnel to take the furniture back to storage. Your wife’s office area is empty.”
Zahir kept his features blank. “Then I suggest that you rectify that situation. Fast!”
A moment later, the human resources director was gone, replaced by a trembling chef. “I know, Your Highness. I should be fired. I didn’t follow your wife’s repeated instructions. She came to me several times over the past few weeks, asking for menu options,” the chef explained, wringing his hands.
“Then get out!” he snapped, disgusted with the man’s sniveling. He called to his assistant and told the man that the sous chef was now in charge of the kitchens. His assistant nodded, writing down notes in his notebook that Zahir knew would be followed out immediately.
“Where is my wife?” he demanded.
The assistant looked at Zahir curiously. “She went to the south wing, Your Highness. I believe she is in one of the rarely used salons.”
Zahir found her fifteen minutes later, her guards dutifully standing outside of the doorway, watching for dangers.
He stepped through the doors, closing them quietly as he stared at her for a long moment. She was beautiful, he thought. Even with the blotchy skin and defeated slouch to her shoulders, she still looked beautiful. He remembered her impassioned words and hope soared. “You love me,” he stated, remembering those words with clarity.
Sada jumped and looked up at him with dead eyes. Those crystal blue eyes moved over his features and he could feel the caress, wanting to pull her into his arms. But he refrained, knowing what happened to him when he touched her.
Finally, she slowly nodded her head. “Yes. I’ve loved you for years.”
“Present tense?”
She didn’t answer. Just turned away.
He sighed, knowing that he’d have to admit all. “I’ve loved you since that day I showed up and you demanded that I fix your cat,” he told her.
Her shoulders tensed, and she half-turned.
“I love you, Sada,” he repeated.
“But…why…?”
“Why have I been holding back?”
“Yes,” she replied, sniffling slightly.
“Because I hurt you with the way I wanted you, Sada. I hurt your skin, left bruises on your legs and…”
“You didn’t hurt me.”
“Yes. I did. I left marks on you. I can’t let that happen.” He moved closer. “You don’t understand what I feel for you, Sada.”
“I was starting to,” she argued, turning fully around to face him. “The way you touched me gave me hope. I’ve loved you for so long. I thought you considered me my brother’s annoying little sister.”
He chuckled, but there was no amusement to that sound. “If you were only Tavon’s annoying sister, I would have taken you out for dinner that first time and never come back.”
She he
sitated. “But you kept coming back,” she whispered, her eyes widening slightly.
“Exactly,” he told her, moving closer. “Even when I knew that I shouldn’t. I kept coming back. I had to see you. I only used your brother as an excuse.”
“Really?’ she asked, breathless now.
“Really. And I haven’t touched you the same way because…I feel too much for you. Everything I felt came out in my touch and I couldn’t hold back. Until the day I saw the red marks on your skin. Then I knew I had to get control of these feelings.”
“I loved it. I love you,” she told him, holding her breath and hoping he would tell her that he loved her again. She needed to hear those words again, needed this to be real.
“I love you Sada. With all of my heart and soul, I love you.”
She bit her lip and moved even closer. “Show me,” she begged. “You told me once how to show you what I wanted.” She placed a hand over his chest. “Show me how you feel.”
With a groan, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. That’s when she felt it. All of his love was there in his kiss, in the way he held her so tightly, she could barely breathe. In the way he pulled her against him, his hands moving down her body to press her hips against his. And it was there, in the press of his erection against her stomach, in the almost desperate way he kissed her, held her and breathed her name when he kissed her again and again.
Too soon, he pulled back. But Sada noticed that he was just as out of breath as she was!
“And now I’m going to show you,” he announced, picking her up in his arms and carrying her down the long hallway. Sada wasn’t aware of the other servants who walked the hallways, stepping carefully out of Zahir’s way. All she knew was the pounding of her heart as he carried her into the privacy of their suite.
But they didn’t make it to their bedroom. He shouldered the door closed and, before her feet touched the floor, he had her pinned against the wall. Stepping back, he only took the time to grab hold of the top of her dress before he pulled, ripping the material away from her body. He didn’t even push the remnants off of her before ripping the satin of her underwear away. Kneeling down, he pulled one of her legs over his shoulder and spread her wide. Sada didn’t have time to catch her breath before he was sucking her bud into his mouth, making her scream. Her fingers dove into his hair as he quickly brought her right to the edge of a climax. But he didn’t let her go, holding her right there on the edge.
“Why…?” she gasped when he stopped but he wouldn’t let her finish that question because he stood up and lifted her into his arms. A shocked moment later, he impaled her on his shaft, lowering her down and then holding her while she adjusted to his invasion. But before she could become comfortable, he was lifting her up, thrusting into her again and again. It was so fast, so hard, and powerful, she was thrown into a climax so hard and intense, all she could do was hold on, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing as the waves of pleasure hit her fast. Hard.
When it was all over, after her body calmed and his own shuddered to his own release, only then did he pull out and cradle her gently in his arms. “Did I hurt you?”
She laughed, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “I don’t care,” she sighed. “Please do it all over again.”
He laughed, but he carried her into the bedroom, gently laying her on the bed. Only then did he strip off their clothes, then gently and thoroughly make love to her over and over again. When they were both too exhausted to move, he pulled her close, his hand moving back and forth over her shoulders and back.
“Tell me again,” he urged.
Sada smiled, feeling wonderful. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too,” he said and squeezed her slightly.
Epilogue
“I love your dress,” Zahir commented as he stood back at the doorway to her dressing room.
Sada turned, all her love shining in her eyes as her hands rested on her round stomach. “Thank you,” she replied, her grin widening as she saw the heat in his dark eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking. “No. You can’t tear this dress,” she warned him. “It’s the winner of the design competition from last month. It will be going on display after tonight’s ceremony.”
He lifted two dark eyebrows. “So…this dress is special to you?” he asked, moving closer.
Sada laughed and backed up, but her body instantly responded to the husky quality of his voice. “Yes. Very special.”
“Then you know what you have to do as soon as you walk into the room tonight, right?”
Another laugh and she nodded, holding out her hands. “Yes!”
“What’s that?”
“I promise to take it off fast!”
“Good woman,” he said softly, pulling her close. His hands were gentle as he wrapped them around her pregnant belly. “Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?”
She snuggled up against him. “No. You’ve only told me I need to get naked fast.”
“Technically speaking,” he teased, nibbling on her neck, “you pointed out that you’d need to get naked. Those words didn’t come from me.”
She gasped, pulling out of his arms, but he only backed her up against the wall of her dressing room. “Seriously?” she huffed. “Just try to deny that you were thinking about ripping this dress to shreds!”
“Of course I thought it,” he told her, taking her hands and pinning them out to the sides of her so she couldn’t hold him back again. “You’re in it. You look shockingly beautiful so of course, I want you.”
Sada laughed, then sighed, closing her eyes as he found that special spot along her neck. “Zahir, you’re incorrigible.”
“And you wouldn’t want me any other way,” he replied, his hands moving higher, cupping her breasts through the thin material of her evening gown. “Do we really need to attend this event?”
She groaned, wanting to spend the next several hours making love with him. But she knew how important this event was. So she pulled out of his arms.
“Yes. We have to attend. And you’re going to have to tell everyone how much you love this gown because a ten year old girl designed it.”
He stopped, looking down at the dress, surprise in his eyes. “A ten year old designed this?”
Sada nodded, lifting her arms out and spinning, slowly because her balance was slightly off due to her pregnancy. “Yes, Milanay is only ten years old and she’s the winner of the contest. But you’ll be congratulating several contestants tonight, along with their parents. The winner of the fashion design is only one winner.” She stepped away from him and took her earring, pinning it on her ear. “Remember that flood last spring?”
“Yeah?” he asked, leaning against the wall, watching her carefully. “What about it?”
“There’s a seventeen year old girl who designed special ditches and a bridge that helped her village withstand most of the flooding. While the neighboring two villages were pretty badly hurt, this girl’s village had built a series of tunnels and ditches that funneled the flood waters through the village and around it. Only three houses sustained any damage.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “I read about that village in my security briefings. But…”
“Yep. A girl’s designs saved the village,” Sada explained, handing him a necklace so he could put it around her neck. “There are several other awards too. Lots of entries won in different categories, and there were so many amazing submissions, that I expanded the possible awards.”
He finished securing the clasp and kissed her shoulder. “You’re amazing. Do you know that?”
She turned and hugged him, although the embrace was a bit awkward since she was seven months pregnant now. “You’re pretty special too. I know that your country loves you. They idolize you and you’ve brought them through the past year and given everyone hope.”
He sighed, resting his cheek against her head. “Thanks to you, I have hope. I can’t believe the past year,” he said, puttin
g a hand to her stomach. Both of them smile when their baby kicked against his hand. “I love you,” he told her.
“I love you too,” she whispered back, closing her eyes as the intensity of her love for him threatened to overwhelm her. “Come on,” she said, sniffing and taking his hand. “Let’s go give out some awards!”
He followed, impressed with her energy. “Sounds like an excellent plan,” he replied, thinking of tonight when they were alone again. He had a very special necklace that he’d seen in a jewelry shop last week. And he wanted to see what she looked like in that necklace. And nothing else!
Yes, life with Sada was amazing!
(Read on for a FREE Excerpt to “Claiming the Night”, Book 1 in the Sinful Nights Series!)
He’s a self-made billionaire, deceptively relaxed (because he is NEVER relaxed) and determined! He knows what he wants and goes after it. He wins in business and usually in the bedroom – until he meets Selena.
Remember Reid – Giselle’s brother from The Desert Prince’s Bride? Well, here’s her brother’s story!
Claiming the Night
Sinful Nights Series, Book 1
Release Date: December 25, 2018
Elizabeth’s Note: (Okay – I know! You just wanted the excerpt but I needed to give you a small message. I promise, the excerpt is below!) Taking the Night is one of the longest books I’ve ever written – more than 30% longer! The attraction between Reid and Selena is instant, but because of Selena’s past, there’s more of a slow burn as they both learn to navigate through a land-mine of trouble.
Also, I’m finding that many of my stories are connected. Several of you have asked me to write stories about some of the side characters in many of my books. I hadn’t noticed that I was doing exactly that until I finished the story of Ms. Dunworthy – who you briefly met in Sada’s story and in her introduction. Yes, Ms. Dunworthy has her own story (she’s not nearly as frumpy as her name implies!) and then some of her students will have their own stories in “Marriages of Inconvenience” – a future series. You’ll meet Ryan in this series – and several of the characters in his book have their own romance as well.
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