But after having known Hayden for a little over a year, her friend now knew her quite well. Hayden wasn’t letting Arianna avoid anything. “Love will do that to ya. Congratulations!”
Arianna shook her head again. “You don’t understand. This is all just a break from reality. It isn’t going to last.”
Hayden laughed. “Have you told him how you feel?”
Arianna turned her head to peer at the envelope. “Six months ago, I had dinner with Rhys. After our first kiss, he laughed, Hayden.” Arianna looked up at the ceiling. “I don’t know why and I’m actually afraid to ask him for an explanation now. What if he’s still laughing at me?” Even as she said the words, she knew that they were false. She trusted Rhys and yeah, she loved him. But she was scared about that last time, which was absolutely ridiculous, given that he hadn’t laughed at her over the past week and a half.
“I doubt you would let anyone laugh at you, Ari. You’re too strong, and too practical.” Arianna heard something fall onto the floor and assumed that Hayden had dropped her shovel. “Trust your instincts. You’re the cynical one of our group, Ari. If you think something is wrong here, then go with your gut. If you’ve fallen for the guy, then your heart already knows that he’s good. It’s your head that is scared of what your heart is telling you.”
Arianna changed the subject at that point, not wanting to reveal too much more. Another five minutes and she rung off with her friend, promising to call back very soon when they could conference in Natalie and Katia.
Was she cynical enough to not believe that she could find the same happiness as her friends? Or was she fooling herself and this was just another fling for Rhys?
Walking over to the envelope, she stared at it. Not sure if she should open it or ignore it. What could possibly be inside? It had been slipped under her door while she was showering and…
“Arianna? Are you ready?”
Arianna spun around, startled by his sudden appearance.
Rhys moved closer, his eyes narrowing when he took in Arianna’s robe and her wet hair. “What’s wrong?” he demanded, moving further into the room. His hands gently held her upper arms as he looked into her worried eyes.
Her conversation with Hayden kept filtering into her mind. Should she blurt out her feelings and hope that he felt the same? Could she trust him with her heart, even after…?
Clenching her hands together so as to keep herself from touching him, she glanced over at the envelope. “That was slipped under my door while I was in the shower.”
Rhys looked over at the envelope laying innocently on the table, a bad feeling hitting him at the sight. Releasing her, he walked over to the desk and tore the seal. It took him about five seconds to read through the note, but when he grasped the crux of the message, he cursed under his breath.
“What is it?” she asked.
His eyes snapped to hers. “You haven’t looked at this?”
“No,” she replied shaking her head forcefully. “I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was afraid to open it.”
He shoved the paper back inside, not wanting Arianna to read it. It would only upset her. “I’ll take care of it,” he assured her and turned around. In the next instant, she was right there in front of him, blocking his way.
“No! You’re not getting out of here until you tell me what was in that envelope.”
Under other circumstances, he would have chuckled at her attempt to block him. She really didn’t grasp how little she was compared to his height and brawn.
Or maybe she just trusted him too much. Arianna knew that he would never hurt her. That realization soothed him and he looked carefully down into her pretty, golden eyes. “You know I could lift you up and get around you, right?” he teased, his hand reaching out to cradle her cheek gently. It had been only a few hours since he’d left her bed, but still, that was too long.
She rested her hand against his, pressing the palm against her cheek to more fully feel his touch. “Rhys, you’ve been very open and honest about this whole situation from the beginning. When I came here and asked for your help, you immediately changed your plans and we were off, trying to figure out what was going on.” She stared up at him, willing him to understand what she was telling him. “Please,” she whispered, “don’t shut me out now.” When he still hesitated, she continued. “I trusted you with whatever is in that envelope. Now you have to…” she hesitated as the truth hit her. For a long moment, she looked up into his dark eyes, her heart pounding hard against her ribs. When her mind finally caught up with her heart, her smile broke out, a brilliant, shining ray of happiness that was reflected in her entire being.
She felt his intake of breath even before she moved closer to him, wrapping her arms around his lean waist as she pressed her face to his chest. “Rhys, I trusted you with that envelope. I’m trusting you with my heart. Don’t shut me out. Please. Trust me as much as I love you.”
When his arms tightened around her, she knew in that moment that she’d won! He loved her. Probably not as much or as deeply as she loved him, but he was here! He was with her and he wasn’t walking away!
“It’s about time!” he growled, pulling her into his arms. “I love you, Arianna. I love you so much! You’re the kind of brave, loyal, amazingly kind, and generous woman I’ve been looking for but never thought to find!” He buried his face in her wet hair. “I knew from our first kiss that you were the woman I wanted for the rest of my life!”
Pulling back, she looked up at him. “Rhys, please, don’t lie now.”
He chuckled softly. “Why do you think I’m lying?”
She lowered her head slightly. “You laughed. After that first kiss that night so many months ago, you laughed.”
Rhys understood what she was saying and sighed, mentally berating himself for being such a fool. Tightening his arms around her, he held her close. “I laughed because Adjar, my Chief of Staff had warned me that I’d feel lightning when I’d found the right woman.” He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. “I felt it that night and…” he sighed. “I felt it and messed up. I’m sorry, Arianna. I didn’t explain. At the time, I was too stunned that he was right.” Looking down into her golden eyes. “I felt the lightning that night. It was shocking. You electrified me from that first kiss, Arianna.”
She laughed, stunned by what he was telling her. She felt wetness on her cheek, suddenly realizing that she was crying. “I’m sorry!” she laughed, wiping her tears on the back of her hand so she wouldn’t leave spots on his immaculate shirt.
He pulled back, his thumbs gently brushing her tears away. “Why are you sorry?”
“For everything! For running away that first time. For not trusting you. For not believing in you.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “You had no reason to trust me and every reason not to. We didn’t even know each other that first time and I moved too fast. But keep in mind, if I hadn’t been completely enamored of you from that first moment, I wouldn’t have laughed and I wouldn’t have hurt you so badly.” He kissed the top of her head. “Believe me, I don’t blame you one little bit! Just the opposite. I’m grateful that you were strong enough to face me, to challenge me, and tell me what a jerk I had been.” He pulled her close, his cheek resting against the top of her head. “If it weren’t for you, those people would still be putting employees in jeopardy, they would still be stealing from me and my people, and,” she felt him lift the envelope up, obviously glaring at it, “they would still think they can get away with threatening you.” He pulled back and looked down into her beautiful eyes. “This has to stop. Will you trust me for a few more hours?”
She thought about that for about half a second. “Yes, if you’ll tell me what’s going on.”
He kissed her gently. “They tried to bribe you. This is a check for two million dollars. They directed you to deposit it into an offshore account to hide it from both me as well as your government. It explains that the money is only yours if you agree to steer me away from
the investigation.”
She laughed. “How in the world would I steer you away from anything?” she asked, thinking the condition was ludicrous. “You’re not the kind of man anyone can steer.”
He shook his head. “No, Arianna. That’s not entirely true. If there’s anyone in the world who could change my mind and distract me, it would be you.”
Arianna liked the sound of that. “So, I could…” she stepped out of his arms and ran a finger over the edge of her robe, then watched his eyes follow the trail of her fingers.
His eyes heated and he growled, his body tensing as she slowed her finger. “Don’t stop, Arianna. What are you proposing?”
She laughed, feeling liberated and exhilarated. “I’m proposing,” she stepped closer, lifting up onto her toes, “that you go and find out who was trying to bribe me into keeping quiet and putting others in danger. And hurry back, okay? I will ensure that you are adequately distracted.” She beamed up at him.
His eyes flicked down to her robe, then back up again. “You don’t want to come with me?”
She grinned. “Of course I want to come with you. But I won’t. I trust you to be careful. If I’m with you, I’ll only slow you down and distract you.” She hugged him. “I don’t want you distracted in any way.” Pulling out of his arms again, she took a deep breath. “Go. Go do whatever it is that you need to do and hurry back to me. I want to hear everything.”
He stepped out of her arms and was about to turn away, but he stopped. “You’re not going to change into anything, right?” he demanded. “I want you in that robe when I get back, okay?”
Arianna laughed, tightening the belt around her waist. “I’ll wear the robe. Just for you.”
His eyes flicked down to her breasts and Arianna knew that her nipples were hard and aching for him. She also knew that he could see the indentations of her nipples pressing against the silk.
She laughed softly when he groaned and started to turn away. But at that sound, he whipped around and grabbed her around the waist. “Ah, so you think it is funny that you can torment me like this?”
Arianna’s hands automatically grabbed onto his shoulders. Sighing with happiness, she inched closer, trying to get more of him. “I don’t think it is funny, Rhys. I love the fact that you want me like this,” she told him softly. Then Arianna leaned in and kissed him gently, her tongue tracing along his mouth. “I love that you are so strong and powerful, that you have a strength about you that I can’t even fathom and yet, you want me. I want you so much that it makes my stomach clench with need, my body tremble with awareness, and…” she shifted against his growing erection, “…I want you to hurry back because now we’re both half frantic.” She kissed him again. “I didn’t even like you. I didn’t trust you or know you, and yet, you could touch me or kiss me and I was a mass of quivering desire.”
Rhys listened and leaned into her body’s ministrations. But when he understood that she wasn’t taking her kisses beyond the teasing touches, he shook his head, weaving his fingers into her hair to pull her head back and kiss her like they both wanted. His mouth explored, his tongue invaded, and his whole body made love to hers.
When he finally set her down on the floor, they were both desperate and wanting. “Go,” she urged. “Go find out who is doing this to us. And stop them.”
His hands squeezed the soft skin along her waist then he turned on his heel and walked out of the room. She knew that he didn’t even care that his body showed his obvious arousal. The man was earthy, blatant, and he was turned on.
And she’d done that to him! Oh sweet heaven, she’d done that!
Chapter 9
Rhys burst through the doors to Arianna’s suite. When he didn’t find her in the bed as he’d expected, he almost ran out of the room. “She’s gone!” he growled to his guards. “Where did she go?”
A soft hand touched his arm. He swung around, already in battle mode since he hadn’t found Arianna in bed waiting for him. When he saw her, all of that soft hair tousled and looking beautiful if sleepy, he couldn’t hold back. He simply swept her up into his arms and kicked the doors closed.
“What’s wrong?” she asked as he carried her into the bedroom.
“It’s done,” he swept the silk robe off her shoulders. “Your father’s kidnappers are in prison, awaiting trial. It was the project manager and engineer, just as we’d suspected, but my Oil Minister was behind it all. I hadn’t seen him for several weeks, so I hadn’t even considered him to be the culprit, but we found him at the third pumping site today and he was beating one of the workers for not saying the right thing when we questioned him the other day.”
“Why did they kidnap my father though?” she asked.
“Because they thought he’d figured out what they were doing. He’d been looking at the rigging. They’d created a valve that transferred small amounts of oil towards a separate area where they would transport it and sell it. They were making millions off of the stolen oil.”
Arianna gasped, but wasn’t sure if that was because he’d stripped off her robe or because of his news. Both were equally startling.
But he didn’t move. When she’d been naked and in his arms in the past, his hands and mouth, good grief, his whole body made love to her. But at this moment, he was just holding her, his hands pressing her body against his as if…as if…!
“What happened?” she demanded, tightening her arms around him, sensing that something horrible had happened. “Tell me,” she whispered.
He kissed her neck, burying his nose in her hair. “They told me what they’d planned to do to you, Arianna. They were going to…”
She pressed her fingers to his lips. “They didn’t,” she told him firmly. Taking his hand, she kissed his palm. “They didn’t touch me.”
He shuddered in her arms, his face hidden in her hair. That was when she knew that she’d have to take over. “They didn’t touch me. Your guards kept me safe. Right here,” she explained. With gentle hands, she stripped off his clothes. When he was completely naked, she pushed at his shoulders, pushing him so that he was flat on his back, laid out on the bed. Grabbing a condom from the drawer, she shifted so that she was straddling his waist. Instantly, his erection came to life and she wrapped her hands around his shaft as she kissed his chest, his arms, sliding her mouth down his muscular body. Arianna didn’t speak again, simply used her hands and her mouth to prove to him that no one had harmed her.
When she took him into her mouth, heard his growl, Arianna knew that she’d finally convinced him. She also knew that he wasn’t going to last very long. Taking the condom, she quickly rolled it down over his shaft, teasing him throughout the whole process.
“Did you mean what you said this morning?” she asked, still a bit nervous, needing confirmation.
“Yes! Damn, Arianna. I love you!” His hands moved over her, cupping her bottom. “I couldn’t get back here fast enough. I had to know that you were okay. That they hadn’t…”
Her smile was warm and welcoming. Reassuring. “You’re my man,” she whispered to him as she poised herself over his erection. She was already wet and ready for him, so when she pressed her body down over his, she felt her core relax, adjust as he filled up her body. It took a few strokes, but eventually, she had him fully encased in her heat. “Now,” she told him as she braced her hands on his muscular chest. “Now you’re going to accept that nothing happened to me.” She took his hands and placed them on her breasts, gasping when his thumbs rubbed over the taut points. “Yes,” she sighed, closing her eyes as she rode him. Over and over, she pressed herself down onto his shaft, her body tightening around his erection, then releasing as she eased up.
Arianna knew that he was close, but so was she. She just couldn’t seem to get both of them over the edge. “Now, Rhys,” she gasped.
He lifted her off him. She had no idea what he was about to do until he lifted her physically and she was poised over his mouth. Rhys didn’t hesitate as he licked her folds and she
screamed, her body arching into his mouth, silently begging him to work his magic. “So close! Please help me!”
And he did! Good grief, did he help her! She braced her hands on the headboard as his hands pulled her hips into his iron grasp, then his mouth closed over her nubbin and sucked! Hard! His tongue flicked against that bundle of nerves and she screamed, rocking against his mouth as her orgasm hit her hard and fast.
But it wasn’t over. Before her climax had slowed, she found herself on her back, Rhys towering over her as he pulled her legs so that they were draped over his arms. Then he thrust into her, causing another climax to rock her body. Over and over again, he pounded into her, she had no recourse but to endure the endless round of orgasms as he pleasured her. When he finally found his own release, she was almost in pain from the seemingly countless climaxes, although, in truth, she’d probably only climaxed three or four times. They’d been one on top of each other, so she’d been about out of her mind by the time he collapsed on top of her.
Ever mindful of his size, he rolled over and pulled her close as both of them struggled to catch their breath.
Chapter 10
“Tell me that you love me.”
She laughed, kissing him gently. “I love you.”
He chuckled, running his thumb over her chin. “I can’t believe you severely wounded a man who was threatening to hurt me a week ago.”
She pulled back, hiding her eyes behind her hair that had somehow fallen from the band holding it back from her face.
“You really love me?” she whispered, ashamed of the insecurity she heard in her voice, but after all they’d been through, it seemed outrageous that he could feel the same way about her.
One Night With the Sheik (Friends Forever Book 4) Page 18