by Susanna Carr
Zoe pulled her gaze away and stared at her hands. What was wrong with her? She was not interested in the Sheikh. He could become an obstacle to her dreams of returning home.
“It was a good ceremony,” the Sheikh said, his voice closer. “Short. My favorite kind.”
Zoe nodded again, although she thought the ceremony had been miserably long. However, she hadn’t shown up late. Not that she would point it out.
But this night was going to be endless. How was she going to prevent the fallout that was sure to come? Maybe she should fake modesty so he could never get close enough to finding out if she was a virgin or not. After all, what man would admit he’d failed to bed his wife on their wedding night?
Or she could pretend to faint dead away at the sight of him without a shirt. Zoe bit her bottom lip as she considered the merit of the idea. Or she could cry. A lot. For two solid days and nights. Men couldn’t stand being around a woman in tears.
Although the Sheikh might be different. He was probably used to women trembling and crying in his presence.
She heard his footsteps approaching the bed. Zoe took a gulp of air but it fizzled in her throat. She heard the faint chime of metal and discovered her bracelets clinking against each other as her arms and hands shook.
“Zoe?”
She stilled when she heard his voice. The chiming ceased. The Sheikh was right next to her. She felt vulnerable with her head down, but she was trying to be a good Jazaari bride. It was difficult pretending to be meek when she preferred to face trouble head-on.
She decided to follow her original plan. She wouldn’t run away but she wouldn’t sleep with the Sheikh. Fatimah was trying to play mind games again. She wouldn’t fall for it. All she needed to do tonight was keep her husband at a distance. Play the reluctant and timid bride until they left for their honeymoon. Once they were out of Jazaar she could make her escape.
“Are you giving me the silent treatment already?” He sounded amused. “We haven’t been married for more than a day.”
Silent treatment? She had never been accused of that before. Her problem had always been speaking her mind. “I’m nervous, Your Highness,” she replied, hating how her voice cracked.
“You may call me Nadir. And you don’t have to be nervous with me.”
Of course she did. He had the power to destroy her life or, unwittingly, help her to create a new one. She gave a tilt of her head to show that she understood him, and immediately tensed when he knelt on the mattress in front of her.
The bed suddenly felt smaller. She felt smaller as Nadir towered over her. Zoe kept her eyes firmly on her fists that rested on her lap. She watched cautiously as he reached for her hand. She jerked when she felt a hot spark between them as his skin touched hers.
Nadir’s hand was dark and large against hers. Zoe felt his latent strength as he gently uncurled her fingers. She watched as he quietly slid the stack of bangles from her wrists and over her hand. She noticed how much lighter her arms felt as the bracelets fell onto the floor.
Once he’d removed her bracelets Nadir lazily traced the henna pattern on her hand with a fingertip. Her skin tingled as the pulse skittered in her wrist. Zoe was tempted to pull away.
“Your veil looks heavy,” Nadir said softly.
He had no idea. “Yes.”
Nadir skimmed the top of her head with his hands. Zoe’s muscles tightened as she fought the urge to bolt. His gentle touch felt like a silent claim that she didn’t want to accept or obey. She wanted to retreat. Brush his hands aside. Get away from the bed. Her skin prickled, heat sizzling through her blood as she struggled to remain still.
She heard the beat of her heart mingled with her short, choppy breaths. She felt Nadir guide his hands along the jeweled edge of her veil. He located the hairpins anchoring the veil and slid them free. Tossing the pins onto the floor, he glided the veil off her head and let it fall behind her.
She immediately felt its loss. While Zoe was grateful to shed the weight, the veil had allowed her to hide. She no longer had that luxury.
She kept her head down as Nadir threaded his fingers through her long brown hair. She couldn’t tell if he was fascinated or disappointed by the unusual shade.
“Look at me, Zoe.”
Her pulse gave a hard skip. She wasn’t ready to look at him. With more courage than she’d thought she possessed, she slowly, jerkily, raised her head to meet Nadir’s gaze.
Heat bloomed inside her when she saw the desire in his eyes. He lowered his head and her eyelashes fluttered. Zoe knew she should turn away but she remained motionless. She didn’t know if she was relieved or disappointed when she felt his lips brush along her forehead.
Her lips stung with anticipation as Nadir skimmed his mouth along her cheek. His warm breath wafted over her skin before he placed a trail of soft kisses on her jawline. His hands were tangled in the mass of her hair, and she felt his fingers tighten when she gave a small sigh of pleasure.
Zoe leaned in closer and immediately stopped. She’d almost given herself away. She was supposed to be a bashful virginal bride. She needed to shy away, not participate!
Why was she responding so eagerly? She shouldn’t soften from a few tender caresses. Was her body greedy for a man’s touch because it had been so long? Or did Nadir know how to touch a woman and make her forget her best intentions?
She wasn’t going to fall for this. Obviously he wanted her to become used to his touch. He wanted her to welcome his advances and not see him as a threat.
It was too late. Nadir had been a threat from the moment he touched her. She didn’t think she had ever longed for a man’s touch, hungered for a kiss, as much as she did at this moment.
Her defenses couldn’t crumble. She would not let him get too close. Her future depended on it.
Nadir cradled her face with his hands and covered her mouth with his.
Wild desire exploded inside her. It rushed through her veins and she melted against him. She had never been kissed like this before. Nadir’s kiss claimed. Dominated.
She couldn’t surrender to him. She couldn’t let him find out the truth about her. Zoe knew she shouldn’t let this seduction continue, but somehow she parted her lips and allowed him to thrust his tongue deep into her mouth. She returned the kiss and was instantly swept away.
Sensations overwhelmed her and she clung to Nadir’s shoulders. Her hands crushed the luxurious fabric of his dishdasha and she drew him closer. She wanted more, so much more.
Zoe ignored her growing sense of alarm until she heard Nadir’s groan. She couldn’t tame the instant attraction that had flared between them. Nadir was too sensual, too dangerous. She broke the kiss and turned her head away swiftly.
She felt Nadir shudder as he tried to harness his emotions and knew she was pressing her luck. The last thing she wanted to do was frustrate him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered as she looked away.
Zoe pressed her fingertips against her swollen lips. Her breasts felt heavy and there was a delicious ache low in her belly. She had to get out of this bed. Now.
As she battled back the hunger Zoe realized she had not anticipated this fatal flaw in her plan. She’d never thought she would desire the Sheikh. That he would tempt her to throw caution to the wind.
She had to be careful. This was becoming a very dangerous game. She had to hide her shameful attraction and she could not act on it. Under no circumstances could she allow him to get any closer. No more kissing!
“It’s all right,” he murmured. He slowly kissed down the length of her throat. “I want you to kiss me back.”
That was the problem: she wanted to do more than kiss. Only she had to appear untutored and modest, Zoe reminded herself as Nadir removed her necklaces one by one. And when she kissed him she felt untamed. How did he have that much power over her responses?
She felt his hands travel down her spine and her top sagged open. Zoe’s heart lurched. He had found the fasteners hidden under the beading in the back. This wed
ding night had gone further than she wanted and she wasn’t sure how to stop it. Nadir pushed her top down her shoulders, revealing a thin white chemise.
She felt his heated gaze on her. She shivered as a dangerous excitement swept along her body, but she knew she should be feeling exposed and uncertain. What would a virgin do? Zoe belatedly crossed her arms to hide herself, but Nadir grasped her wrists.
“Don’t,” he ordered in a gruff voice. He lowered her arms. “Never hide yourself for me. You are beautiful.”
Zoe wanted to believe that the compliment fell automatically from Nadir’s lips, that he said it to all his lovers, but she felt beautiful. Desirable. Wanted. She hadn’t felt like that for a long time. She had to be very careful and not follow her instincts, but the blood was roaring in her veins.
Nadir dipped his head and captured her mouth with his. This time he wasn’t as gentle. She fed off his aggression. His kiss was hard and hungry. He couldn’t hide how much he wanted and needed her.
Heat swirled inside her. She was caught up in the kiss as he slowly lowered her. She speared her hands into his thick hair as he laid her on the bed. She’d accept one more kiss and then she’ll pull away. One more …
She didn’t protest when Nadir stripped her heavy skirt from her hips. He tore his mouth from hers and knelt back. She watched dazedly as he yanked off his dishdasha and tossed it on the floor.
Zoe gasped when she saw his golden brown skin and muscular physique. Okay, new rule, she decided frantically. No more taking off clothes. This was as far as they could go.
Without thinking she reached out and stroked his chest. She rubbed her fingertips in the sprinkle of coarse hair. She enjoyed the rasp of friction and imagined his chest, hot and sweaty, pressed against her soft breast.
She bucked her hips as the ache in her pelvis intensified. Uh-oh. She shouldn’t have done that. Had Nadir read anything from that shameless move?
Zoe hesitated, her chest rising and falling. She needed to hide her bold responses—a virgin would be shy and uncertain. She couldn’t let Nadir know how much she enjoyed exploring his body.
“Touch me again,” Nadir said in a hoarse whisper. “Touch me as much as you want.”
He shouldn’t give her that kind of encouragement. If she touched him as much as she wanted she would not stop touching him. She would touch this legendary playboy in ways that would shock him.
But she shouldn’t refuse him. Okay, revised new rule. She wouldn’t go past his chest. That was safe. Zoe splayed her fingers and caressed his arms and shoulders. She smoothed her hands along his back before trailing her fingers back to his chest.
Nadir’s muscles bunched as she scored his nipple with her fingernail. She hid her smile as a sense of power poured over her. She drew her hands down to his rock-hard abdomen before she reached the waistband of his white boxer shorts.
There must be something in her eyes. Something that gave away how she felt. She saw Nadir’s expression tighten and the fire glow in his eyes before he swooped down and claimed her mouth again. The long, wet kiss took her breath away.
She didn’t mean to part her thighs when he nestled his hips between her legs. Zoe knew he was trying to go slow and she didn’t think she could slow him down further. His muscles shook with restraint as he caressed the length of her leg.
Nadir deepened their kiss and cupped her breast. Zoe was surprised by his possessive touch. It felt good. It felt right. It was all she could do not to arch into his hand. Her nipple tightened under his attention, her breasts full and heavy.
She shouldn’t allow this, Zoe thought dazedly. But she was still partly clothed. She wasn’t too close to the point of no return, but she was far away from her original plan. She should stop this now, no matter how much she wanted it.
Zoe gasped, the sound ringing out into the room, as he pinched her nipple between his fingers. Intense pleasure spread under her skin like wildfire. She wiggled under his body and demanded more from his kiss.
Nadir didn’t follow her insistent silent command. He pulled away and she whimpered. His gaze focused on her shoulder as he pushed down the chemise strap. She felt the tremor in his hand as he peeled the fabric from her small breast. She thought she heard a purr of satisfaction before he lowered his head and took her breast into his mouth.
Zoe’s moan staggered from her throat. It didn’t sound virginal at all. She tilted her head back as hot pleasure poured through her. She closed her eyes, unwilling to reveal how weak and needy she felt. Nadir seemed to know exactly what she wanted. She felt the strong pull all the way to her core.
She instinctively wrapped her legs around his lean waist and drew him closer. When she felt his rock-hard erection against her flesh she realized she was in the danger zone. She wanted him inside her so much, but he would find out the truth about her.
She quickly dropped her legs as panic swelled in her chest. She grabbed his wide shoulders and tried to push him away, but he was too strong. “We’ve gone far enough,” she blurted out. “I am not sleeping with you!”
She clapped her hand over her mouth. Taut silence pulsated in the room. Nadir didn’t move, but she felt the ripple of tension in his body.
Now she’d done it. Zoe hunched her shoulders and waited for the explosion that was sure to follow. There was virginal reluctance and then there was outright refusal. The Sheikh was going to cast her back to her family before the night was over.
Nadir shuddered as he tried to hold back. He wanted Zoe badly. He was willing to change her mind. Lie. Cajole. Beg. He needed to taste her, sink into her wet heat and make her his in the most basic, primitive way.
He didn’t understand this white-hot instant attraction, but he wasn’t going to question it. It was an unexpected bonus to be attracted to his arranged bride, and he was willing to make the most of his good fortune for a few nights before he sent her away.
But Zoe didn’t see it that way. Was she frightened by the unfamiliar sexual feelings or was it something else? He wondered if she had heard the rumors about him. They would send any bride into a panic.
“Zoe.” He reached out for her but stopped when she flinched. Did she think he was going to hit her?
“I’m sorry,” she said behind her splayed hand. “I didn’t mean to say that.”
“Yes, you did.” He watched her expression closely. She was thinking fast, as if considering her best option.
“Okay, I did,” she admitted as she dropped her hand. “But … But … you have to understand. I don’t know you.”
He braced his arms on the mattress and met her gaze. He sensed that wasn’t her main concern. There was something false about her behavior. “I’m your husband. That’s all you need to know.”
Her mouth drew into a firm line and he knew she was choosing her next words carefully. “I don’t know anything about you,” she clarified.
That wasn’t what she really wanted to say. Her eyes were very expressive. She had already made up her mind about him and it wasn’t favorable. “I don’t know anything about you, either,” he said, “but I’m okay with that.”
Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “Women are different that way.”
Nadir exhaled sharply. It was true. Sex wasn’t just sex with women. It was a connection. It was about intimacy. And with a virgin it was supposed to be a magical experience. A sacred rite of passage.
Damn these virgins. They had to make a simple pleasure so complicated.
“In all honesty,” she continued softly as she looked away, “I don’t know anything about you other than your name.”
Which she hadn’t used yet, he noted. He’d had visions of her crying out his name over and over, but that wasn’t going to happen tonight. Nadir reluctantly slid the delicate strap of her chemise up her arm and settled it securely on her shoulder.
“I don’t know your favorite color or your favorite drink.”
The words rushed past her reddened lips as she tried desperately to explain herself. But he didn’t believe a word of i
t. Zoe was trying to build barriers.
“I don’t know your pet peeves or your goals. It’s kind of hard to sleep with a stranger even if you are married to him.”
“Women have been in arranged marriages for centuries,” he argued as lust continued to scorch through his veins. “It’s normal. It’s natural.”
“Not for me!”
Nadir gritted his teeth. An American virgin was probably the worst of the lot.
In fact his bride was very American. How long would it take for her to see the same Western sensibilities and spirit in him? If she suspected that he wasn’t as conservative as he pretended she could use that against him. He needed to stay on guard around Zoe.
“Now I’ve made you angry,” she said as her bottom lip wobbled.
Was she going to cry? Nadir rubbed his face with his hand. He hadn’t even raised his voice. How would she react when he wasn’t on his best behavior?
He knew she wasn’t just a virgin whose expectations were different. He understood this was an emotional day for her. She was obviously coming to terms with the fact that she was married and in bed with The Beast.
That wasn’t good. She was too nervous to be seduced into a sensual honeymoon, and despite what she thought he wasn’t going to force her.
The last thing he needed was a bride who was scared of him. That would encourage more questions and rumors. He needed to show the tribe that he could tame this American wildcat into a traditional Jazaari woman. Once they left the village he would send her away. But for now it meant he had to be more attentive. Patient.
But he was not a patient man. He had got where he was today by being merciless, intimidating and unyielding. That strategy wouldn’t work on his trembling wife. He needed to romance her. Show his tender side.
If only he had a tender side.
“Zoe, I’m not angry. Just stop cowering.”
She inhaled sharply. “I don’t cower,” she shot back.