The Sheikh's Christmas Present

by Leslie North

  “I’m going to walk you to the hotel,” he said instantly. He didn’t want to tell her that he would also get a room near her. She’d probably balk, and while he didn’t relish staying at a place in the bad part of town, he couldn’t shake this feeling that he shouldn’t leave her alone.

  “I’ll be fine, Jarik. You don’t have to fake this knight on a white horse routine. It will literally take me five minutes to get there. Go to your ritzy hotel, take a hot shower, and get some sleep. I promise I won’t leave you here. I want your money too much.” She said the last part with a cocky smile, and before he could say anything, she’d whirled around and started walking away.

  “Damn,” he whispered. He didn’t mind giving her the money.

  But he wanted her to want him.

  Maria never drank. The two glasses of wine warmed her belly and made her head buzz. She reveled in the look on Jarik’s face when she’d walked away. He looked both tortured and impressed.

  The wine kept her warm on her short walk, and it wasn’t until she saw the run-down hotel that she even realized she was being followed. Slowing down her pace, she cocked her head and listened.

  Two men.

  Shit.

  Her wallet was on top. If she could slip it and her phone into her coat pocket, she could hand over the tote bag and not be too stranded.

  “Hey, pretty lady,” one man leered, as they got closer. “I see you left your man behind.”

  Rolling her eyes, Maria quickly judged the distance between her and the hotel. They were too close. Even if they didn’t have weapons, she probably couldn’t outrun them. Keeping her head down, she kept walking while she tried to move her wallet, keys, and phone.

  “Hey? You deaf? I’m talking to you!”

  They sped up until they cut her off. Stopping, she faced them with a grim expression. “I’m not deaf. You didn’t ask me a question, so I didn’t feel the need to stop and talk to you.”

  “Smart mouth, huh? Let’s see if we can’t put that mouth to good use.”

  “That’s original,” Maria muttered. “You want my purse?” She dug the teddy bear out and tucked it under her arm. “Here. Just take it and go.”

  Instead of taking the bag, the man reached forward and yanked the bear from under her arm. Panicked, Maria reached out to grab it, but the man was too quick. He danced just out of reach and laughed. “A teddy bear?” the man laughed. “Baby, I’ve got something much bigger for you to cuddle with tonight. Want to see?”

  Suddenly, the smile died from his face. Maria stiffened when she felt someone touch her arm.

  Jarik.

  “I suggest you give the lady back her things and be on your way,” he said in a low voice. “I promise you, she will not need your company tonight.”

  “You, pretty face?” the man jeered. “You gonna take the two of us on?”

  “Jarik, no,” Maria whispered. It was one thing to tease the Sheikh, but it was another thing entirely if he got into a fight in the middle of an alley in the bad part of town. She’d probably be blamed if he even got a scratch on that delicious body of his. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Yeah. Why don’t you walk away, pretty boy?”

  Jarik didn’t look at all anxious. “I’ll ask you once more to return the lady’s possession before I step in to get involved.”

  The man threw the bear up in the air and caught it easily as he laughed. “I don’t think so.”

  Maria gasped, and Jarik suddenly struck like a snake coiled in darkness. The two muggers never stood a chance. In less than ten seconds, the two men were cursing, holding their bleeding faces and hobbling away.

  Impressive. She slowly moved forward and grabbed the bear from the street where it was dropped. Trying to brush off the dirt and mud, she couldn’t even turn to face him.

  “Maria?” Jarik asked quietly. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Thank you,” she said stiffly. Rather than tucking the bear back in her tote bag, she clutched it to her chest and started toward the hotel. Before she could get far, he grabbed her elbow.

  “You’re not staying here. You’re coming back to my hotel with me, and you will not argue with me.”

  She was still a little stunned and didn’t say anything as he guided her back to the street. Waving down a taxi, he didn’t say anything as he opened the door.

  “I’ve never been mugged before,” she muttered. The warm fuzzy feelings from earlier were gone, and she felt cold, as she wrapped her jacket tightly around her. “I thought that they would just take my purse and go.”

  “I think that they had more than mugging in mind,” he said gruffly. “What’s with the bear?”

  “What?” Absently, she looked up at him and immediately regretted it. There was a storm brewing in his eyes, and he stared at her coldly. She shrank back into the seat, and he immediately softened his expression.

  “The bear, Maria. The teddy bear you didn’t want the men to take.”

  “Oh.” Swallowing hard, she tucked the bear back into her bag. “I saw it on the way to the bus, and I wanted to add it to the crates of toys. It looked like it needed a good home. I can’t really explain it. You’re very fast.”

  “Yes, I am,” he agreed.

  “Why?”

  The question was blunt, and she should have apologized, but she found that she really wanted to know the answer to the question. How did he learn to fight like that? Why?

  “I have two brothers,” he answered shortly. “We don’t always get along.” The taxi stopped, and he smiled tightly. “We’re here. Come on.”

  Maria immediately stepped out of his grasp and clutched her tote bag. Where her hotel had been some rundown building on the side of the street, Jarik’s hotel looked like a palace. There was a gorgeous sparkling fountain in the front, beautifully sculpted plants decorated in fairy lights, and a bellman standing at the door.

  She half expected someone to roll out the red carpet when they stepped up to the door.

  The doorman nodded and opened the door. He reached for Maria’s tote bag, but she clutched it and shook her head vehemently.

  Rather than stopping at the counter to get a key, Jarik guided her to the elevator. “What?” she muttered. “What are you doing? Don’t you have to check it?”

  They stepped in the elevator and he smiled as he pulled a card from his pocket. “I have a key.”

  Stupidly, she stared at him. “How? When?”

  “The doorman. This place is known for their discretion. All I had to do was call, and he was waiting with the key. No paper trail. They’ll send a bill to the palace, and it’ll get paid.”

  There was nothing that she could say, so she blew out her breath. She couldn’t decide if she was impressed or disgusted.

  At the top floor, the doors opened, and they stepped out. Jarik walked her to the door on the very end and opened it. As soon as she stepped in, she wanted to bolt.

  “Christ.” The living room was bigger than her whole apartment. The back wall was nothing but glass that overlooked the beautiful gardens in the back. Jarik grabbed a remote from the gorgeous mahogany coffee table and pressed a button. Immediately, the blinds swept from one side to the other, effectively blocking her view.

  “It’s only one bedroom. You take the bed,” he muttered as he opened the door. Maria watched in awe as he ducked in and pulled a duffle bag out.

  “Where did that come from?”

  “I can’t walk about Syria and Lebanon in a suit,” he said with a wry smile. “I asked the concierge to get a few things for me. They had it waiting.”

  Staring at the huge bed, she shook her head. “I can’t sleep there. I’m going to take the couch. You are too tall to sleep comfortably on the couch.”

  Jarik stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “Maria, did you see that couch? It’s huge. Two of me could fit on that thing.

  That was true, but she still backed out of the bedroom. “No, I insist. Besides, it’s probably treason to make a Sheikh sleep
on the couch, right?”

  “Maria, are you okay?”

  Blowing out her breath, she smiled shakily. “I’m fine. Really. That bed is just way too big, and I don’t think I’d be very comfortable on it. The couch will be fine. If I could take a shower that would be great.”

  “Sure. Go ahead. I can take one in the morning.”

  Thankful to escape the room, she slipped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Leaning against it, she exhaled slowly and felt the weight of everything settle on her.

  Things were already going wrong with the flight. She had royalty tagging along. She’d almost been mugged, and now she was trapped in a hotel room that probably cost more money in one night than she made in a month.

  Although Maria loved flying, life wasn’t easy for her. Even in this day and age, she still faced flack for being a female pilot. It was even worse in the Middle East. Between that and having to rub elbows with the rich and kiss ass to keep her charity afloat, there were times when she felt overwhelmed.

  Tonight was one of those nights.

  Stripping off her clothes, she stepped into the open stone shower and turned on the hot water. There was enough room to hold six people in the shower, but right now, all she cared about was the hot water.

  There was something cathartic about showers. She felt like all her troubles were washed down the drain, and when she stepped out, she’d be a whole new woman.

  Jarik.

  She’d never met a man that pulled her in three different directions. She hated that he could toss money around without a second thought. She was impressed and slightly terrified of the man who had defended her without breaking a sweat. And she was so turned on by the man who looked at her with raw and open lust.

  She could still remember the outline of his cock pressing against her.

  Reaching for the washcloth, she tried to banish the lustful thoughts from her mind. She couldn’t act on them. When it was over, Jarik probably wouldn’t even remember her name. She’d be that female pilot that he entertained himself with for an hour or two.

  Sex wasn’t necessarily a special experience for Maria. She traveled. She enjoyed men. She enjoyed sex. It didn’t make sense that she’d resist Jarik just because it couldn’t develop into anything, but yet that’s how she felt.

  “Stupid,” she growled as she scrubbed at her skin. She was giving him more power than he deserved. He was a man, and Maria had no problems handling men.

  Besides, she had no doubt that despite their agreement, Jarik would bail as soon as they got to Syria. He’d get to whatever secret thing he needed to do in Lebanon, and she’d never see him again.

  “It’s all down the drain,” she whispered. “Just let it go and get some sleep.”

  Turning off the water, she dried herself off and grabbed a robe. Throwing her wet hair up in a hairband, she wiped the steam from the mirror and stared at herself.

  Wet. Naked. Exposed. It was so much easier to hide from life when she was miles in the air. Here, in the bathroom, everything felt exposed.

  Slowly opening the door, she peered out. Jarik had closed himself off in the bedroom. Breathing a sigh of relief, she skipped over to the couch to grab her pajamas and hurriedly stepped into the sweat pants and sweatshirt. Hanging the robe back up, she lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. Despite everything that had happened, she still had adrenaline pumping through her veins.

  When the bedroom door opened, Maria was still wide-awake, but she kept her eyes screwed shut. Even in the dark, she could feel Jarik staring at her.

  “Goodnight, Maria,” he whispered. Something heavy fell across her body, and she heard him shuffle back into the bedroom and shut the door. Opening her eyes, she lifted her head to see the heavy blanket lying across her.

  Warm and comforted, Maria finally fell asleep with a smile on her face.

  5

  Before breakfast, Maria insisted on checking on her plane. Jarik wanted to remind her that the mechanic said it wouldn’t be ready until late this afternoon, but she looked a little lost in her oversized sweats, swallowed up by the large pillows on the couch.

  “Okay,” he said knowing there was an indulgent smile on his face. When she went into the bathroom to change, he pulled out his phone and made a few phone calls.

  Halil, his main bodyguard, answered gruffly. “Please tell me that you changed your mind,” he growled.

  “I have not.”

  Halil sighed. “Melka called. Apparently, there was a situation dealing with a death threat against Samir. Melka believes it might be a jealous husband, so rather than going to Europe, he has the man at a safe house. I’ll keep an eye on the situation. Kashif reported to say that he’s in Alaska. I’ve been avoiding your father but I won’t be able to do that for much longer. Are you in Lebanon?”

  “Not yet,” Jarik said vaguely. “I apparently have to make a pit stop in Syria.”

  “Your brothers are going to kill you when they find out. None of this is your fault, Jarik. It’s best if you drop it and distance yourself from the situation.”

  “You have been with me long enough to know that isn’t going to happen, Halil. So keep your mouth shut.”

  His guard said a few choice words under his breath. “You’re going to get me fired.”

  “You don’t answer to my father, Halil. You answer to me, and you’re going to be fine if you do as you’re told.”

  “You may be my boss, but he’s my crowned sheikh,” Halil growled. “And I’m more worried about your life than my job. You should have brought security with you.”

  “Having security with me would only call attention to my whereabouts, something I prefer remain unknown until I get to Lebanon. I want to see his face when the reason for my presence is made known,” Jarik said calmly. “I have no doubt that I’m going to be fine.” He deliberately left out the part of the plane’s fuel line. Halil was a loyal man, but Jarik knew that the man wouldn’t think twice about ratting out Jarik if he thought his life was in danger.

  When the bathroom door opened, Jarik casually slipped the phone back in his pocket. She’d left her hair down, and it was nothing but a mess of curls spilling over her shoulders. She wore a tight black long-sleeve shirt over a pair of green cargo pants that hugged her curves. When she reached up to pull her hair into a ponytail, her shirt slid up to reveal several inches of smooth, creamy skin.

  Every nerve of his woke up, and he cleared his throat. It was way too early in the morning to think about ravishing the fiery beauty.

  “Did you sleep okay?” He could feel the anxiety rolling off her in waves last night, and he’d spent all night long wondering if she was okay. It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest that they both share the bed, but it was dangerous. Not only was he sure he’d never keep his hands off her, he wasn’t entirely sure how she’d react.

  She wanted him. He knew that for sure, but he also suspected that she hated herself for wanting him.

  “I slept fine,” she muttered. “Thanks for the blanket.”

  The air shifted around them, and he watched her body stiffen. She clearly hadn’t wanted to add the last part.

  Did she know what he was thinking when he had draped the blanket over her? That he’d wanted to protect her, comfort her? He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. “Can we grab a cup of coffee on the way to the airport?”

  “You can grab coffee at the airport,” she said with a perky smile as she reached for her bag. “How much do I owe you for the hotel room?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her the truth. Instead, he stuck his tongue in his cheek and tried not to smile. “Given that you slept on the couch, I really don’t see the need for you to reimburse me but if it will make you happy, I’ll deduct it from the amount I owe you when you get me to Syria.”

  “Fine.”

  “Maria. Tell me what’s wrong.” His voice was soft as he tried to coax the truth from her. He knew that it had to be more than just his presence.

&nbs
p; She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes. “Something is wrong. I can’t get a hold of my brother. It’s not like Sebastian to be unreachable when we’re this close to Christmas. He’s got all the paperwork, and he’s supposed to be handling the press.”

  “Sounds like he has a lot to do this time of year. I’m sure he has everything under control.”

  “You don’t understand. If we can’t account for every cent of our donors’ money, we’ll be finished. There won’t be any more Christmases for the refugees.”

  Jarik saw the threat of tears in her eyes, dropped his bag, and crossed the room in two steps. Enveloping her in his arms, he held her tight. She didn’t even resist, and that alone worried him. Although he hadn’t known her very long, he had a feeling that embraces were not something she indulged in very often.

  She fit perfectly in his arms. Bowing his head, he softly inhaled her scent and had to restrain himself from pressing his lips to her soft hair. He was used to women pressing themselves against him, but it was more than desire that awoke within him.

  He wanted to comfort her and protect her.

  The thought made him stiffen, and she immediately stepped away from him. It was clear to both of them that something had shifted between them, but neither of them wanted to talk about it.

  “I’m sure everything will be fine,” he said gruffly. “For all you know, your brother is on a plane right now, and that’s why you can’t get a hold of him.”

  “You’re probably right.” Maria tucked her hair nervously behind her ear and swung her duffle bag over her shoulder. Flashing him a tight smile, she nodded her head. “How long will it take you to get ready?”

  “Give me ten minutes. An airport breakfast. What every Sheikh looks forward to,” he mumbled.

  She shot him a dark look, and he couldn’t help but smile, as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door. This woman heated his blood.

  Pulling a hat on, he zipped up his jacket and prayed that no one would recognize him as they made their way to the airport. She immediately abandoned him at a food kiosk as she went in search for news about her plane. He grabbed them two cups of coffee and a bowl of fruit with some yogurt. When he found her again, she looked angry.