The Sheik's Son

by Nicola Italia

  “Good. I want you to be there at 10 p.m. Will that be a problem?”

  “No. I will tell my husband I am dining with my family.”

  “Do you have a mourning gown?”

  She frowned. “Yes, my uncle died a year ago. But—”

  “Wear that gown. We must not draw attention to ourselves.”

  “I understand.” She pulled away from him then. “Is there anything else?”

  “Once I find the papers I require, our agreement will come to an end. I will no longer follow you and you will be released.”

  “In return for betraying my father,” Sophie said tartly.

  “It is what I demand. And I have already told you I am not after your father.”

  Sophie had nothing left to say as she retreated back to the waiting carriage. She cursed herself for putting herself in the position she now suffered in.

  ***

  Sophie felt anxious as the week crept by. She could confide in no one and the thought of breaking into her father’s office made her ill. She didn’t trust Inspector Vennard to uphold his end of the bargain but she had no choice. She must do as he asked.

  She was not sleeping well and as she kept separate bedrooms with Sebastian he did not notice the disturbance. Many nights she pulled her shawl tightly around her body and walked to the window that overlooked the street.

  She knew the inspector had been watching her and she looked with anxious eyes for his black clad figure lingering on the thoroughfare. He was not there. Some nights she read late into the night until the last bit of candle wax had been snuffed out.

  When the appointed evening came, Sophie donned the black gown. Marie helped her with the dress, she seemed surprised at the choice but held her tongue. The black color was very stark against Sophie’s pale skin and auburn hair and made her seem small and young.

  As she departed, pulling on her black cape, she told Marie she would be dining with her family, and as Sebastian was not at home, she had no need to lie to him about her whereabouts.

  ***

  Etienne and Sebastian sat in the smoky atmosphere of the coffeehouse where men came to speak against the monarchy and drink. No women were allowed and the rough wooden benches and tables created a warm yet decidedly masculine atmosphere.

  Etienne was waxing on about his bride-to-be, but Sebastian was too concerned about his own problems to listen too closely. Short of drugging his delicious wife he was absolutely dumbfounded as to how to make Sophie truly his. He knew she felt the sexual attraction between them but she seemed fixated on widening the gap.

  Though he worked long hours with the duke, attending meetings and spending less time with her, she never complained. She viewed the marriage for what it was—one of convenience. Damn.

  Sebastian half listened as Etienne droned about his upcoming nuptials and watched as an elderly man passed by on the dark street. It was a cold night so when the solitary female in black passed the coffeehouse, she caught his attention. She was carrying a lantern and her auburn hair glistened in the night. The woman in black was joined by a man and he felt there was something strangely familiar about her. Could it be Sophie? Absurd! Why on earth would Sophie be out on the streets of Paris at this time of night? A lover? he wondered possessively.

  “I’m sorry, old friend. Something I must take care of,” he mumbled to Etienne, throwing two coins on the table.

  Etienne looked up, surprised, only to see Sebastian leaving the coffeehouse in a hurry.

  ***

  “Follow my lead,” Alain whispered into Sophie’s ear as a lover might do.

  Sophie almost jerked away from him but he held her tightly about the waist.

  Sophie knew the layout of the building very well, having visited her father since she was a little girl. The old guard, Pascal, had been with the building for over thirty years and took his job very seriously. However, when the weather turned cold he spent much of his time reading in his little booth near the entrance. Occasionally he would take a turn about the large building and check the doors with his ancient lantern. But once his round was complete, he would return to his booth to take a much-needed nap.

  Pascal knew Sophie by sight and she hoped the old guard would be at his post asleep as usual so there would be no complications.

  Sebastian watched the couple turn the corner into the government building and followed them at a safe distance.

  Several men were coming down the street in the opposite direction, laughing and making jokes with each other. He took the moment to move into the old building, following the footsteps of the black-cloaked couple.

  As Sophie and Alain moved down a corridor, there was a man ahead of them carrying a stack of documents under his arm and muttering to himself. He held a lantern in his right hand and turned down another corridor, leaving them alone. Only the heels of their shoes could be heard on the stones as they continued through the building.

  Alain produced a knife from his coat pocket and it flashed against the lantern she held. “I don’t want to use this, Sophie. But I will,” he threatened.

  Sophie paled. “There’s no need for that. I am complying.”

  Alain glanced at the knife but kept it in his hand. He knew very well she could scream and bring someone to her defense. She could say anything and he would be arrested. He knew the game of classes, and hers would win.

  “Take me to his office,” he said coldly.

  They moved together and he kept his arm around her waist while the knife remained clenched in his other hand. Sophie carried the inspector’s lantern, which he had given her when he had first arrived. His great overcoat engulfed them both as they moved along the corridors. Sebastian continued to follow them at a quiet distance.

  They turned down another corridor and Sophie whispered. “Here.”

  The door was locked but the inspector had come prepared. “Be on the lookout as I work the lock,” he told her as he sank onto his knees before the door.

  Sophie turned back to the corridor, swinging the lantern to light the dark hallway just as Sebastian ducked behind the last turn. She turned back to light the door for Alain.

  Sebastian’s mind whirled. When he had first seen the woman in the street, he had been curious and no more. Her auburn hair had been unusual and he had followed her. He was happy for his sister and friend, but he didn’t need to spend another evening hearing about the upcoming nuptials. But now that he was certain this woman was Sophie, it only raised more questions. What was she doing here and who was the man?

  “Got it,” Alain said as the lock clicked open.

  He pulled Sophie, inside shutting the door behind them. Sophie placed the lantern on the desk as Alain began rummaging through the office.

  Sophie moved to the window and looked out into the cold night. Her father’ office overlooked a small green park and the entire world seemed asleep. She rubbed her cold hands together and blew on them.

  She glanced at the inspector as he pulled a paper here and there and dragged it to the lantern for a better look. Sophie closed her eyes. She had come so far and this was not what she wanted. Now she was in her father’s office with a stranger stealing secrets because she herself had written revolutionary pamphlets.

  He had warned her. She looked into the park again and touched the cold glass. Sebastian had warned her and then married her to keep her safe. And all she had done was ignore him and use him.

  She heard an exclamation from behind her. She watched as the inspector placed a piece of paper inside his coat pocket.

  She felt her stays cutting into her and wished she could burn all her corsets. She thought of Sebastian and all that was expected of him. She had not been surprised when she discovered his father was a sheik. Sebastian always had a way about him that set him apart from other men.

  His dress and manners spoke of a man sure of himself who was destined for something grand. He would be a sheik in his own right once his father died. A sheik. It sounded so foreign and exotic.

  Sh
e had read the exciting novel One Thousand and One nights, Arab stories which had been translated into French. Sebastian would be the sheik he was destined to be and she would be his Queen Scheherazade, except she would not be the expert storyteller weaving fantastic stories to avoid execution. No. She would be his wife in all forms. She would be beside him to help him rule. She would love him. She would give him heirs and they would live happily ever after.

  Sophie snapped out of her reverie as Alain made another discovery, placing it in his coat pocket.

  Love him? Sophie focused on the green park below and thought of her words. Yes. She did love him. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to rule with him and make him a great, respected leader. She wanted to be with him always. Suddenly she wanted to cry. She should not have done this.

  She should not have let the inspector manipulate her this way. She should have gone to Sebastian and asked for his help. She should have let him take care of this and trusted him to do the right thing. Breaking into her father’s office, even to stop a criminal, was the wrong thing to do. Sophie felt frustrated at her helplessness.

  “Let’s go. We’re done,” Alain hissed at her in the dark office.

  Sophie picked up the lantern and moved to the door. Opening it slowly, she looked out and, seeing no one, she exited the office. Alain followed her, relocking the door with his tools.

  “Come.” They moved through the hallways the same way they had entered, with a silent shadow following them.

  Alain took the lantern from her when they parted in the street. “This was a good night’s work.”

  Sophie nodded and turned to part from him.

  “If and when I need you again, it will be the same as before. I will send you a note.” He spoke quietly.

  “What? I thought you said once you find the papers, this is at an end!” she argued.

  “Indeed. But this is just the beginning. Think of all the offices and information we have access to. No one will question you and I can bring Paris to heel.” He seemed to gloat.

  “There is no we, inspector. I helped you this once. I won’t do it again.” She was irritated. He had lied to her.

  Alain smiled in the dark street. The lantern threw shadows on his face and he seemed demonic. “You will. You have no choice, madame.”

  Sophie wanted to rake her nails over his demon face but he made a mocking bow and turned away from her.

  Sebastian watched the couple part on the street and he took a carriage home.

  ***

  Sophie wearily entered the darkened house. She had given in to tears on the carriage ride home and cursed the feeling of powerlessness. She made her way slowly up the stairs.

  It was almost midnight so she knew she would have to undress herself as she would not wake Marie. She closed the door to her room and almost sagged against it.

  She was foolish and naïve. She should have stopped it all before it began. She had only herself to blame. The fire was burning low in the fireplace and she didn’t even stoke it. She moved to her dressing table, standing before it.

  She knew once the inspector achieved his desired commissioner status, he would become nothing more than a power-hungry monster who she’d helped create. She pulled the combs from her hair and threw them onto her dressing table.

  “Bonsoir,” came the quiet, masculine voice.

  Sophie whirled around to find Sebastian in the corner of her room on the small couch that overlooked the garden.

  “Sebastian.”

  “Wife,” he returned.

  “What are you doing here? It’s so late,” she asked.

  “Yes it is. Very late. I could ask you the same question.”

  “I was dining with my father and grandmother. I left word with Marie. Didn’t she tell you?”

  “No. I haven’t seen Marie.”

  “And you? Where have you been?” she questioned him.

  Sebastian smiled. Two could play this little farce. “With Etienne.”

  Sophie felt the table under her fingers and watched as his eyes moved over her.

  “Is that a mourning gown?” he asked, wondering what she would say in return.

  “Yes. It is. I-I was thinking of having it dyed another color. I wanted to see if it still fit.”

  “Does it?”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Still fit?”

  “Yes.” She breathed out.

  Sophie moved to the mirror to check the back of her dress. The mourning gown was a particularly cumbersome gown with dozens of buttons down the back instead of laces. Marie had helped her into it, but it would take some maneuvering to undo the buttons alone.

  Sebastian watched her unbutton one, then two buttons of the dress, but it was difficult alone. He rose and moved to her as Sophie watched him in the mirror. His dark hair was uncombed and he wore only his breeches and white shirt, untied at the neck.

  He spoke in her ear. “Let me.”

  She watched him in the mirror as his hands went to her back. She felt the first one pop open as he unbuttoned it.

  He had beat her home intentionally. He had wanted to wait inside her room and see her face as she entered from the evening. He doubted the man was her lover. After following her, he had waited outside the door of the office and only heard the rustling of papers once they had entered together. There had been no conversation and the entire evening had him baffled. What on earth was she doing?

  Their eyes met in the mirror as he unbuttoned another two and each pop could be heard. He moved directly behind her and his hands moved her hips so that she was directly in front of him. She placed her hands on the small vanity table to steady herself. Suddenly his mouth touched her neck as he undid another button.

  She trembled. “Bash.”

  “Yes?”

  “I can do them,” she said softly.

  “I suppose you could. But it wouldn’t be this fun.”

  Another button and then another, and each time he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck and then to the side of her neck, causing goose bumps to break out along her arms. She bit her bottom lip to stop the moan that almost escaped her lips.

  When there were only a few more buttons left at the bottom of the gown, he ripped the dress off her, causing the buttons to fly off, and the gown pooled at her feet. He spun her around to face him.

  “Bash!” she cried.

  “It can be mended,” he said harshly as he pushed her bottom onto the table and moved between her legs.

  His cupped the back of her head and pulled her to him. His warm lips were on hers as his tongue pressed into her soft mouth. His fingers threaded into her hair as Sophie moved her hands onto Sebastian’s shoulders and wrapped her legs around him.

  “I don’t care about the dress.” Sophie took a shallow breath; the corset constricted her breathing and he watched her breasts rise and fall above the corset line.

  He pressed kiss after hot kiss onto the tops of her breasts and pulled her tightly into him as she bounced against the tabletop and pressed a hand into the mirror behind her to steady herself.

  Several items from the dressing table fell to the floor and a floral smell filled the room as her perfume bottle toppled over.

  “I’ll replace it,” he told her as he bit her ear.

  She shuddered in his arms. He could still see her walking with the unknown man in the hallway of the building and the thought of her giving herself to another man drove him over the edge. He was done playing the gentleman.

  He pulled the laces from the back of the corset and pulled it up and over her head. She was only wearing her thin cotton shift and he pressed it up along her calves and thighs.

  “Sebastian,” she breathed against him.

  “No other man will have you, Sophie. No one. I won’t allow it.” Their eyes met.

  “I don’t want anyone else, Bash.”

  He closed his eyes. Deceiver.

  She wrapped her legs around him as he backed her up against the mirror, placing one hand on it
to steady himself. He stared at his reflection for a brief second. He looked savage and almost barbaric in the darkness. What was he doing? Taking what he wanted. He was taking what he wanted. He pulled Sophie into his arms and carried her to the bed. As he placed her on the bed, he stood before her, shrugging out of his clothes.

  Sebastian watched as Sophie lifted the shift above her head and lay back against the bed, pale and naked. She was slender but with feminine curves and hair like a dark flame.

  He moved towards her and was on top of her, kissing her lips and smoothing her hair back from her face. He moved between her legs, telling himself to go slow. He did not want to ruin anything for her as he knew with certainty he would be her first man. He vowed that he would be the last as well.

  “Sophie,” he murmured.

  He was still angry with her but there would be time for questions and answers later. She arched into him and wrapped her legs around his waist. She could feel the weight of him and remembered the chateau when he had covered her.

  She moved her hands to touch his back and buttocks as he was kissing her neck and mouth, trying to slow everything down. He wanted nothing more than to pound into her but he willed himself to be gentle.

  “Bash,” she said breathlessly.

  The incredible sensations were all new to her and the feelings were intense. She could feel him moving between her legs and there was a thickness pressing into her. She felt him inside her, stuffing her fully and filling the emptiness, and then a sharp pain.

  She pressed against his shoulder in a cry and he soothed her.

  “It’s all right, shhh,” he told her softly before pulling back and sliding in and out of her.

  It was a delicious feeling and Sebastian felt her tightness surround him. She was slick, wet and warm, and felt like heaven.

  He took a stiff nipple into his mouth and she groaned at the pleasure. She felt the waves of pleasure wash over her and she gave herself to it.

  “Bash,” she sighed.

  He set the rhythm faster and faster, but not wanting to hurt her as she would be sore from her first time. She gasped and cried out once, turning her head away. It was not an intense orgasm but once he felt her shudder, he emptied his seed deep within her. After his orgasm she felt him pull out of her and rest beside her.