Timak hesitated. “I did, sir.”
“It’s for the better. Although I don’t condone his rampant waste of money, this time it serves me well.” He paused, wondering if he should open up about Alex. It seemed silly to put words to what he was feeling. But at the same time, it was bursting out of him, begging to be spoken. “My father wants Alex gone because she’s a foreigner. But she and I have…connected. Extremely well.”
A tiny smile tugged at Timak’s lips. He nodded sagely. “Yes. I did notice that.”
“I’ll take as much time as I can get with her.”
“Women like her don’t come around very often, sir.”
Zatar nodded as he looked inside the enclosure, letting Timak’s words settle around him. “It’s true.” He ran his thumb up and down the bar, a question forming deep within. “Could you see me being with someone like her?”
Timak had been alongside Zatar for over ten years. He was practically a second father to him. And at times like this, a total replacement.
“I can. There’s something about her that fits with you.” Timak squeezed his shoulder. “You both love animals more than anything else. She wouldn’t be jealous, nor would you.”
Zatar laughed. “Yes. I suppose you’re right.” He fiddled with the gate lock. “Well, my father won’t always be king. And when he’s gone, I won’t have to follow his ridiculous rules. He’s challenged me to take control of the country while he’s gone, which I gladly accept. I just fear that when he returns he’ll undo everything.” He shook his head, feeling the conviction burble inside him. Pursuing what he felt with Alex was worth the backlash. It was the only bright spot to appear in his life since his mother’s death.
And following that light was more important than honoring his father’s hateful rules.
11
Alex awoke swathed in the sunlight streaming through slits in the curtains of the east-facing window. She groped on either side of her. No one. She opened one eye then the other, confirming what she suspected: Zatar was gone.
She groaned as she rolled onto one side, her entire body protesting the decision. Aches blossomed into more aches. That’s what she got for having sex for ten hours straight. She sucked in a breath as she pushed to sitting. Holy hell, she might need to go to the ER. She smirked as she stretched. Hospitalized due to extremely good sex.
Yawning, she tugged on her flowy shirt from the day before and wiggled into a pair of shorts. She needed to check on Sala. She and Zatar had abandoned all responsibilities the night before—hell, they’d only eaten a private supper because they needed the energy for more sex. Luckily Timak hadn’t interrupted their marathon sexing with bad news or an emergency.
Alex smiled up into the sun as she made her way through the gardens and back to the zoo. Too bad the king didn’t want her here. She’d enjoy whatever final moments she had. Until her nationality or an improved lioness or an emergency call elsewhere forced her to leave Kattahar.
As she passed through the iron gates of the zoo, she caught a glimpse of Timak, and beside him, Zatar. He was in just his linen pants and loose shirt. This was the first time she’d seen him without his keffiyah outdoors, as well. He kneeled beside Sala in the enclosure while Timak looked on.
She cleared her throat at the enclosure gate, wrapping her hands around the warm metal bars. Zatar looked up, a smile covering his face.
“Alex.” He hopped to his feet and strode toward her. She didn’t even have time to react before he pressed a kiss to her lips through the bars.
“Wow.” She looked over his shoulder, eyeing Timak. At the very least she thought they’d be keeping the tryst a secret, especially now that the king was on to them. Or maybe it was different in the zoo. Maybe he kept all the parts of his true self here. “Good morning.”
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” He pulled open the gate, ushering her inside. “As soon as I woke up, I came down here. I didn’t want to disturb you. Come, look at Sala!”
His eagerness was contagious. He tugged her by the hand, showing off Sala like any proud parent would. Sala sat on her haunches, looking much more alert and every part the pregnant lioness. Her tail flicked idly, her big eyes assessing Alex for a moment before returning to Zatar.
“Well, well! Look at you!” Alex knelt down, brushing Sala’s tail with her fingers. “She’s doing much better.”
Zatar nodded, kneeling beside her. Together they admired Sala until Timak excused himself to go feed the other animals.
“So.” Alex turned to him, nudging him with her elbow. “I could barely get out of bed this morning.”
Zatar erupted with a laugh. “Me too.” His eyes sparkled as he brushed his fingers over the back of her neck. A chill moved down her spine. “And the worst part is, I want to repeat the whole night over again.”
She grinned. “That’s the worst part?”
He nodded, wetting his bottom lip. Then he leaned in, capturing her in a soft, sweet kiss. She hummed against his lips once the kiss broke. “How much longer until your father returns?”
His shoulder dropped. “In an ideal world, never.”
Grabbing his hand, she brought it up to her lips. “I don’t want to come between you and your dad.” And it was true. Even if he was an asshole and sort of deserved to be punched in the face. “Trust me, I want to stay. But not if it’s going to cause this rift.”
Zatar scoffed, shaking his head. “You are not causing this rift. This rift began when my mother passed.” He paused, squinting into the distance. “Before her death, actually. I promise you, he and I have not been father and son for a while.”
“When did things start falling apart?”
“When he exiled my sister.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Wow. Talk about family drama. What happened?”
“There was a big misunderstanding and an even bigger scandal.” He sighed. “I have not seen her since she left almost ten years ago.”
She frowned. “I hate that he treats you like he does. And women. I wish he would stop.”
“I can’t change him. And if he won’t change, then I must cut him out of my heart. He’s forced me to.”
Alex rubbed her thumb over the tops of his knuckles. “I can’t imagine having to do that. I love my father. I don’t see him often enough, but he’s so good to me. He always supported my dreams.”
Zatar’s eyes were soft as he appraised her. After a moment he said, “I’d like to meet him someday.”
Alex pulled back. That was a surprise. She searched his face, trying to glean a deeper meaning. Maybe he was just interested in people. Or seeing what a good father looked like. She swallowed. Or maybe he was feeling the same crazy tendrils of attachment. Wanting to know more of her the same way she wanted to know more of him.
But how to ask him that? It was too soon. And maybe too crazy.
“I want to get away from all this madness here,” Zatar said, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. “Let’s escape today. There’s somewhere I’d like to take you.”
She smiled, nodding without even thinking. Of course she’d follow him. Anywhere he wanted to take her. “Where to?”
That heartbreaking boyish smile returned, hazel eyes full of mystery. “It’s a surprise.”
* * *
A half hour later, Zatar had prepared the surprise. Instead of breakfast, he’d asked the cooks to pack a lavish brunch to go. He grabbed the big bags of boxed food, slinging them over a shoulder before tugging at Alex’s hand. She trailed behind him, eyes wide as he led her through the palace to a new area: the royal garages.
“Whoa.” Her voice was hushed in the darkened garage. Lights flicked on as they progressed deeper inside, triggered by motion sensors. A military grade SUV, a Ferrari, a top-of-the-line black sedan for incognito city visits, and a bright-orange sports coupe tucked behind the rest of the cars. Zatar grabbed the keys for the SUV dangling from a ring near the door.
“I’m surprised you don’t have a driver,” she murmured.
The SUV’s headlights flashed as he unlocked it. He loaded the food and other essentials he’d packed in the back, and then both of them climbed into the front seats.
“I do have a driver,” he said, flashing her a grin. “But a man should drive on his first date with his new girlfriend.”
The giggle that escaped her was so cute he wished he could bottle it and keep it forever. Her cheeks were flushed when he glanced over at her.
“Oh, new girlfriend, huh?” She elbowed him lightly. “You just want to date me because daddy says you can’t.”
He leveled her with a playful look as he adjusted the mirrors and then started the engine. The SUV rumbled to life just as the garage door opened in front of them. “I want to date you for many more reasons than that.”
She went quiet. He pulled out of the garage and navigated down the curving cobblestone driveway that led to the front of the estate. As he drove, his own words circled in his mind. What was he saying? In a way, he wanted to test her. See what her reaction was to such a crazy idea—a Middle Eastern sheikh and an American vet as a couple. All the odds were against them—she lived in Paris, and his father might kill him if he didn’t marry soon—but still, part of him wanted to try it.
It was more than just amazing sex. Alex was a woman he was willing to make a sacrifice for.
He just had to figure out what the sacrifice was going to be.
When he pulled past the main gates of the palace property, he waved at the guards on duty. Alex smiled over at him as they drove away, down a single lane road heading for pure desert.
“What?” He asked. She’d been watching him with a curious smile.
“Do you like all the staff here?”
“Most of them,” he said. “The only exception is the guards who would bend over backward to do anything my father says. Even if he says, ‘cut off your own finger.’”
The rest of the ride passed in easy conversation as they wound down desert roads. Zatar knew them like the back of his hand, a fact Alex couldn’t seem to wrap her head around, since she claimed everything looked exactly the same out here.
When the camel outpost became visible down the road, her eyes narrowed to slits. “Okay. I think I know what we’re gonna do.”
He grinned, gripping the steering wheel with one hand while he scooped hers up to his chest. “Do you?”
“Camel ride.” She clucked her tongue and nodded as they pulled into the small parking lot boasting only one other car. A line of camels were hitched to a wooden stall.
“You’ve ridden one before, no?” He gathered their things from the back of the SUV before heading to the attendant. In Arabic, he told him they’d be needing two camels and slipped him the money for them.
“Actually, I haven’t.” She eyed one of the cud-chewing beasts with an uneasy look on her face. “I’ve only treated them.”
“After all this time working in the Middle East?” He laughed, passing off their gear to the attendant, who packed it into the camels’ saddlebags. “Impossible. It’s about time you learned.”
Zatar coached her through mounting the camel, which kneeled majestically before Alex slithered onto the saddle. Once she was safely onboard, Zatar mounted his own camel. With a nod to the attendant, Zatar led the way away from the outpost into the miles of sand stretching out around them. To the west, the city jutted up like little notches on the horizon. Except for that, it was just the sea of sand.
As the hot breeze caressed his cheek, he smiled back at Alex. “So here we are.”
The grin she gave him in return seared through him. He never wanted to forget being looked at like that.
“This is pretty crazy. Where are we going?”
“You’re going to have to wait and see.”
They rode for another thirty minutes. There was no path he followed, just the innate knowledge of cardinal directions and his bone-deep intimacy with the desert, instilled in him by his mother. He could be plopped almost anywhere in the Kattaharan desert and still make it home by nightfall.
After cresting a sand dune, their destination came into view: a glittering oasis, clear blue water nestled between yawning palms and bristling bushes. Alex gasped, turning to him with shock on her face.
“Are you serious?”
He laughed and nodded, guiding the camels down the sloping dune. Ridges lined the sand for as far as the eye could see. He smiled out over the landscape, taking a deep, cleansing breath. This was home.
“I can’t believe this.” Her voice sounded like she was far, far away.
“There are several oases in the area. But this one is my favorite.” He led them to the shade of a large palm tree, dismounting quickly so that he could help Alex down. Once her feet touched the ground, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.
“This is the coolest trip I’ve ever taken.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist, cinching her tight against him. “I find that hard to believe.”
She nodded emphatically. “Anyone can visit Paris or Dubai or wherever. But this place is special.”
His heart swelled as he gobbled up her joy, her unabashed excitement. “I’m just happy to share it with you.”
She pressed her lips to his in a soft, drawn-out kiss. When they parted, his cock was half hard and ready for more action…but now wasn’t the time. Not with their grumbling bellies.
“Time for brunch.” He unpacked the boxes the cooks had prepared, spreading the contents out on a thick brown blanket. Honey drenched dates, minced lamb with mint, fresh flatbread. They gobbled it all up, taking turns feeding each other dates, laughing when the breeze nearly carried off their napkins.
After the hearty brunch, the two of them rested, leaning back on the blanket to watch the gently moving trees. Alex fanned herself after a bit, sighing.
“I need to get in that damn magical water.” She sat up, tearing off her shirt, followed by her shorts. “It’s calling to me. It can probably cure cancer or something, right?”
He laughed, stepping out of his pants to follow her into the water. “If you say it, I’ll believe it.”
“Oooooh.” She breathed a low moan as she dipped her foot into the blue waters. “It’s perfect.”
Zatar followed her in, his feet sinking into the muddy sands, his gaze hopelessly riveted on her cute ass cheeks. He gritted his teeth, palm itching with the urge to smack one. Just as he brought his hand back, she dove forward into the water.
She surfaced a moment later, pushing her hair back over her head, blinking up at him with mischief in her eyes.
“Well, I see Little Zatar came with us.”
Zatar stroked his cock, which stood proudly at attention. He fisted himself once and then dove in after her. He grabbed at her underwater, coasting his hands up the sides of her body until he surfaced, sputtering.
“You know what I’ve never done in an oasis before?” She winked at him. “Had sex.”
“We should fix that.”
She shrugged. “If you can catch me.” Then she dove underwater, swimming away from him faster than he expected. He splashed after her, her laughter rising with each failed attempt to catch her. Finally, he lunged and was able to grab her ankle. She thrashed and giggled as he pulled her in, her body slippery and warm against his.
“Caught you,” he whispered into her ear. He ground his hips against her, his cock immediately settling into the folds of her pussy. A terrible thought stilled him. “I’ll have to redeem my prize later.”
She moaned low, crossing her ankles beneath his back. “What do you mean ‘later’?”
“I didn’t bring any condoms.” He pressed his forehead to hers, feeling his clarity disintegrate the longer he stayed centimeters away from buried inside her.
“Well…that’s okay with me.” She lifted a brow. “If it’s okay with you.”
It only took a second for the implication to register before he coaxed a sloppy kiss from her, their tongues meeting greedy in the middle. He gripped he
r by her ass cheeks as she angled her hips to meet him. A moment later he was sinking into her, her head thrown back as he buried himself.
Her cry pierced the desert. They were the only ones to hear it. He grinned as he steadied her against him, moving against her in an intense, sensual rhythm that already had desire prickling through his limbs.
“Fuuuuuck.” Her eyes were closed, expressions crossing her face like she was lost in a dream. “I’m close. I don’t know how, but I am.”
He felt it too. He grunted, rocking against her more forcefully, the waters of the oasis worked into a gentle chop around them. Her back straightened; she hung from his neck like a primate. And then she shrieked again, her pussy convulsing around him in waves.
Her release triggered his own. He groaned low, going rigid against her as his cock spasmed. He thought to pull out of her too late. Lazy trails of his cum drifted through the clear waters.
“Oh my God.” She looked at him like he’d just recited all the digits of pi from memory. “I think we know what powers the oasis holds.”
“Mmm?” He traced the curve of her thighs, eager to learn her body like a map.
“Super-fast orgasms.” She laughed, then launched herself off him back into the water and floated belly up. He couldn’t keep his gaze off the delicious V between her legs. Her swollen pussy shone, and he could practically taste those sweet juices that the oasis had claimed. “You must bring all your girlfriends here. Very time effective.”
The question buried in her comment amused him. “You’re the first, actually.” He swam closer to her, the lapping of the water against the shore a reassuring rhythm. “And where do you take all your boyfriends?”
She laughed. “Absolutely nowhere. I don’t have time for any. And even if I did, who wants more than one? That would just be a hassle.”
He swam so that the water just touched his lips. Contemplating the dark green fronds of a fern nearby, he said, “So do you just have a prince waiting for you in every country?”
She didn’t laugh this time. But the smile on her face was knowing. “No. Most princes are self-absorbed assholes. They don’t tend to treat women, or animals, very well.” She paused, drifting closer. “Except for you.”
The Sheikh’s Royal Seduction: Desert Sheikhs Book One Page 8