The Legacy Collection Box Set

by Ruth Cardello

  Abby had taken great care to ensure the comfort of their guests. Each glass was adorned with handmade stem jewelry, and each place card held a personalized message on the back. Most likely Abby had chosen the words and Dominic had chosen the diamonds. Both were something the guests would treasure. Everyone else at her table was focused on the bride and groom performing their first dance as a married couple, but regardless of how she tried to distract herself, Zhang was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything but the man beside her.

  Rachid whispered in her ear, “I thought your dress was floor-length.”

  The tickle of his breath on her neck sent a naughty shiver down her spine. She defended the wardrobe change, even though she knew from the light in his eyes that he wasn’t complaining. “The bottom was detachable and meant to be removed after the ceremony.”

  He raised one eyebrow playfully.

  She shook her head with a slight smile. “That’s the only piece that comes off.”

  “Pity,” he said, and her heart beat double-time at the sexy purse of his lips.

  Zhang turned her attention to the newly married couple. This was normally the point where she would have made excuses and ended the night early. There was only so much happily ever after a person could stomach when her own life was an emotional desert. Tonight was different. For the first time, watching two people publicly and repeatedly proclaim their love for each other didn’t sadden Zhang.

  I determine my path. I can have love if I choose it. Tonight is not about sleeping with an Arab sheikh, it’s about opening my heart to possibilities. The past doesn’t determine my future.

  I’m finally free.

  The groom’s sister, Nicole, gracefully stood and took Stephan by the hand. “This is where we join them on the dance floor.”

  Maddy and Richard rose from their seats. Both couples turned to look at Zhang and Rachid.

  Zhang shook her head quickly and remained seated. “I don’t dance.”

  Maddy said, “Oh, but you have to! Abby will be so disappointed if we don’t all join her. Where is Lil?”

  Perfect excuse!

  Zhang stood and hastily offered, “I’ll go look for her.”

  Rachid also stood, held out a hand to her and said, “I’m sure she and Jake would rather have a moment alone.”

  An inner battle ensued. She wanted nothing more than to be in Rachid’s arms again, but not like this, not in public—and certainly not while displaying her complete lack of dance experience. “I don’t—”

  Bending to her ear so that his words would be heard only by her, Rachid said, “Tonight you do.”

  His eyes burned with a desire for more than a dance. It held a question she wasn’t prepared to answer yet.

  “One dance,” she answered huskily, heat from the pleasure she read in his expression spreading through her abdomen and lower. She took the hand he offered and followed him onto the dance floor, trying to ignore the knowing expressions on the faces of those in their group.

  Once on the dance floor, Zhang was careful to keep an acceptable distance between them as they swayed to the slow ballad. Rachid placed a hand on her waist, intending to pull her closer, but when she tensed he relaxed his hold and allowed the space between them to remain.

  He bent to once again whisper in her ear. “Where is the bold woman who takes what she wants?”

  She smiled sadly up at him, hating that she felt awkward before him. She was certainly that person when it came to business, but in private matters she had closed herself off for so long that she still felt unsure. “If I were that woman, I wouldn’t have needed the dare.”

  “You’re a dangerous combination of everything I like in a woman,” he said. In response to the skeptical expression on her face, he asked, “That surprises you?”

  “I would have thought your taste ran more toward submissive women.”

  “And what do you know of my preferences?”

  “You’re right. I guess I let your title shape my fantasies,” she admitted, instantly wanting to retract the words. I don’t know why I said that.

  If her goal had been to test the level of his interest, she wasn’t disappointed. His hand tightened on her waist. “Fantasies?” The sudden heat in his eyes was everything Zhang would have wished for—if she’d let herself make such wishes.

  Passion without love was wrong.

  But was it more wrong than spending a lifetime without intimacy? Never feeling the brush of a kiss on your shoulder? Never knowing the warm touch of a lover? A decade of celibacy was a hefty price to pay for success and duty.

  One evening. That’s all I ask. A few hours that have nothing to do with the life I must maintain or the one I left behind. Give me the words that will keep this man interested long enough to make a memory that I can savor when I return home alone tonight. She said, “You have to know that many women fantasize about Arab sheikhs.”

  Now he did pull her closer, and this time she didn’t resist. “I don’t care about women in general, but you have this fantasy?”

  She studied his chest for a moment, then boldly met his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Tell me.”

  She looked down again, suddenly feeling unsure. She should tell him now that she had no intention of sleeping with him that evening. Continuing the conversation would only lead him to believe that she wanted him.

  Not that I don’t want him, but wanting and acting are two completely different things. I must end this now before things get awkward.

  She hedged as she sought the strength to walk away. “It’s silly, really.”

  There was nothing silly about the need she saw in his eyes as he raised her chin with one finger. “Tell me.”

  The universe whispered, Prove that you want it, Zhang. Be brave.

  Zhang squared her delicate shoulders and said, “The slightly unwilling virgin being swept away to a desert castle by a hot-blooded sheikh and forced to pleasure him.”

  His head tipped to one side. “Forced?”

  She shrugged. “It’s a fantasy. No one gets hurt in a fantasy.”

  He massaged her lower back as he contemplated what she had shared. “That’s it?”

  In for a penny, in for a pound. She smiled wickedly and added, “Hardly. There is something about those harem outfits and silk pillows.” She shuddered in response to a wave of sexual excitement coursing through her. “I know it’s outdated and a Hollywood stereotype, but it doesn’t change how fun it is to imagine.”

  When Zhang glanced up at Rachid’s face she expected to see him laughing, but he wasn’t. His serious expression worried her.

  I hope I didn’t offend him.

  “Are you a virgin?” he asked softly.

  She gulped and met his eyes proudly. “No.”

  His smile was completely unexpected—and devastatingly sexy. He spun her around, catching her fully against him, and growled into her ear, “Good.”

  Well, that could be taken a thousand ways, and not many of them flattering. Never one to play coy, Zhang demanded, “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

  “I have no respect for men who take advantage of innocence, but I want to be with you tonight, Zhang.” Their dance came to a sudden halt and he simply stared down at her. A playful but oh-so-sexually-charged fire lit his eyes. “And I have a desert castle.”

  Zhang would have slid to the floor if Rachid hadn’t caught her.

  Holy crap.

  Nothing about being with Zhang was a good idea.

  And yet, she was all that mattered to Rachid when he held her in his arms.

  Many women had thrown themselves at him over the years—money and a title tended to do that for a man. Some had been subtle, some obvious, and a few had even played hard to get. He liked to think that their time together had been mutually satisfying, if not earth-shattering. History was stained with wars born from lust for a woman. He’d always scoffed at the feasibility of any woman having such power over a man.

  Until Zhang had shared he
r fantasy with him and lit a need in him that swelled and choked out all reason. Tonight he didn’t want to be a successful businessman or dutiful son. He didn’t want to carry the weight of his people or the expectations of his family.

  Tonight he wanted to lose himself in this woman and her fantasy.

  One night.

  She knew he couldn’t offer her more than that.

  If she accepted his offer, he would savor every moment of it.

  Rather than pretending to eat the meal that had been served shortly after they returned to their table, Rachid excused himself and stepped out of the tent. He needed a private area to prepare for the possibility that Zhang might say yes.

  He took out his cell phone and called the main number of the castle at the Salnyra Oasis. The once-abandoned ancient building had been lovingly restored by his grandfather and was now a mixture of history and modern luxury. Generators provided electricity for rooms that had once been occupied by Roman soldiers. Faded frescos that had been drawn for nomadic Bedouin sheikhs of the past covered the walls of a castle that was now more a vacation home than a defensive structure. When one of the manservants answered, Rachid said, “I will be flying in late tonight. Please have the airfield lights on.” He realized too late that he’d issued the order in English.

  The man responded in Arabic, even though he spoke English. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

  It was difficult to imagine being able to rule his country when he hadn’t yet successfully won over the house staff. Another problem that could wait one more day.

  “Also, I need you to prepare the old harem quarters for me.”

  “It will be done.”

  Rachid hesitated, then charged on. “I’d like most of the furniture removed from the rooms and replaced with as many silk pillows as will cover the floor.”

  “Your Highness?”

  He took a moment to consider what Zhang might have imagined, then instructed, “Hang tapestries from the ceiling to mimic the inside of a Bedouin tent. Tie them back with silk scarves.”

  “Anything else?”

  A thought came to him and he snapped his fingers in the air. “Yes, I need a harem outfit. Something expensive, but similar to what a belly dancer might wear. And a dress that would be appropriate for daywear.”

  “For you, Your Highness?”

  “No,” Rachid said impatiently. “For a woman. A small woman.”

  “Of course, Your Highness.”

  “And no one is to disturb me until noon tomorrow.”

  “It will be as you ask.”

  Yes, it will be.

  For one night, at least.

  Chapter Four

  Inside of every man there’s a hunter who hides beneath layers of learned civilized behavior. Returning to the dining tent and discovering that Zhang hadn’t waited at the table for him, something primal woke within Rachid. He scanned the room and adrenaline coursed through him when he realized that she wasn’t there.

  She wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

  He hardened instantly.

  I like the way this woman thinks.

  She wasn’t in any of the other tents, nor was she in the area between them. The more he looked for her, the less he could deny his growing excitement.

  I will find you, Zhang, and then I will have you.

  When he finally spotted her on the isolated balcony of Dominic’s main house, he had to restrain himself from sprinting to her. Never before had he engaged in such behavior. He met women, dated them, bedded them and moved on.

  He didn’t play games.

  He couldn’t deny, though, that this particular scenario was extremely pleasurable. He moved through the shadows around the balcony and kept his steps silent as he approached her. Waiting until he was less than a foot behind her, he said softly, “Hiding only delays the inevitable.”

  She turned quickly toward him and snarled, “My father had no right to give me to you! I will not go with you!”

  His head pulled back in surprise as he realized that she was playing a role. Then he smiled—an “oh, yes, this is going to be fun” smile. He reached for her waist and pulled her toward him.

  She slapped him clear across the face. The sting was surprisingly real and gave an edge to her fantasy. His hands clenched on her sides.

  Instantly, her expression filled with concern and she touched the red mark she’d left on his face. “Oh, my God, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. I just thought that if you really were here to kidnap me, I wouldn’t fall willingly into your arms.”

  Rachid threw his head back and laughed, the tension of his daily life falling away temporarily. He covered her hand on his cheek with his and said, “How about we make a deal to keep actual pain to a minimum.”

  She laughed up into his eyes. “You must think I’m insane.”

  He pulled her closer and spoke from his heart. “No, I think you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Tonight is exactly what I need—I just don’t want either one of us to take it too far. Exactly what are you looking for?”

  Zhang looked down at his shirt, then met his eyes again and said, “My experience is limited, but I’ve had a lifetime to dream about what I like. I know this is only for one night. Tomorrow will come and I’ll be alone again. I’m okay with that. But for just one night, I want to pretend something entirely different.”

  Touching her hair softly, he said, “If we had met in another time or another life, I would have more than one night to offer. I don’t want to hurt you, Zhang. You deserve more than this.”

  Those beautiful, intelligent eyes pierced his soul. “Are you backing out?”

  God help him, he couldn’t.

  “No,” he said hoarsely. He pulled her roughly against him and said, “Your father gave you to me and you will submit.”

  He swooped down to claim her mouth, and the line between reality and fantasy blurred. She pushed lightly against his chest with both of her hands and struggled just enough to stir his excitement to a level he’d never experienced before.

  Before he lost all control and took her right there on Dominic’s patio, Rachid broke off the kiss and closed a hand around one of her wrists. “Come,” he said and dragged her behind him down the stairs toward the airfield.

  “Where are you taking me?” she asked, her voice rising with distress. A quick look back confirmed that her eyes were dancing with an excitement that belied her words.

  He stopped walking and pulled her into his arms again, growling into one of her ears, “Somewhere private where I can enjoy you.”

  She pulled away from him, attempting to free the wrist he still held firmly in one hand. “You’ll never get away with this!” she said, her small chest heaving.

  Effortlessly, he picked her up and swung her over one of his shoulders. She kicked her legs and hit his back—although there was no sting to either of those flails. “You will learn to obey me, woman.”

  “Never,” she hissed.

  Head high, he carried her that way to his private plane. Per his earlier instructions, it had been readied and the pilot was near the open hatch. The expression on the pilot’s face was priceless. “Your Highness?” he asked in a worried tone.

  Rachid issued his order harshly. “Tell no one of our extra guest. Do you understand?”

  When the pilot hesitated, Rachid put Zhang down beside him and loomed over the man, repeating himself between gritted teeth, “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Your Highness. Of course.”

  Before looking away, Rachid added, “And I will require absolute privacy in the main cabin. Don’t open that door, no matter what you hear.”

  “Of course,” the man said nervously.

  Once inside the plane, Rachid led Zhang to an area where two seats faced each other. He deposited her in one of them and sat in the other, positioned directly across from her. They both waited until the pilot had closed the hatch to speak.

  Zhang laughed into her hand. “I think he really believes that you’re
kidnapping me.”

  The corners of Rachid’s eyes crinkled with humor, but instead of breaking role with her he said, “Remove your underclothing before you secure your seat belt.”

  Her head tipped to the side in question.

  He secured himself in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “Do as I say. We have a six-hour flight, plenty of time to start your education.”

  “My education?” she asked, her eyes widening.

  “Don’t make me hunt down a way to tape your mouth shut. Do not question me, woman. Now, take it off.”

  Zhang held his eyes for a long moment, then stood and raised the hem of her already short dress. She slid her fingers beneath the sides of her silk panties and slid the tiny material down her legs and over her high heels, dropping them on the floor between them.

  His mouth dried in anticipation.

  “Sit,” he croaked.

  She did, her eyes never leaving his. The click of her seat belt echoed in the quiet plane cabin, quickly followed by the roar of the engine starting up.

  “Adjust your dress so that I can see you.”

  Flushing, she did.

  “Touch yourself,” he instructed.

  She didn’t move.

  “You don’t have a choice,” he added and waited. Her inexperience in this area was clear. “Have you ever pleasured yourself?”

  The pink on her cheeks deepened and she looked away. Sexy and adorable. Adventurous and vulnerable. His attraction to her intensified. “There are no secrets between master and slave. Tell me.”

  In the safety of the game, she admitted, “I have, but it’s not something I’ve ever shared with someone.”

  The hint of yearning in her voice spoke to Rachid louder than her words. She was a woman who controlled every aspect of her life and the lives of many around her. She wanted to step outside of that for a night and be free, and he knew that feeling all too well. Perhaps he couldn’t give her forever, but he could give her the fantasy she craved. Keeping his voice harsh he said, “Your comfort is of no importance to me. I wish to see you bring yourself pleasure. I will see your juices on your own hand and an orgasm in your eyes.”