by Susanna Carr
Nadir suddenly rolled on top of her. Her heart beat hard against her ribs as she felt his erection against her skin. Should she be afraid of her husband?
“I will never allow my emotions get the better of me again,” he promised hoarsely.
He wrapped his hands around her wrists and held her arms above her head. He lowered his head and claimed her mouth with his. Her pulse skipped wildly as she responded to his determined touch.
When he broke the kiss, she stared into his dark eyes. She didn’t speak but she wanted to shatter this moment. She saw the desire in Nadir’s eyes, but she saw something else. Something dark and unreachable.
Whatever had happened on his wedding night with Yusra, he wouldn’t tell her. He saw no need to explain his past actions or his cryptic words.
What was wrong with her? She should fight him off and escape. She should be afraid of him. Instead she lay underneath him, naked and vulnerable. Wildly excited and drawn to his darkness.
He kissed, licked and nibbled down the length of her body. The sound of her gasps and his murmurs of appreciation echoed in the room. She dug her fingers into his shoulders when he worshipped her breasts with his hands and mouth. She twisted the bedsheets in her fists as he darted his tongue into her navel.
Zoe bucked her hips as Nadir dipped his head between her legs. A shower of sparks tingled under her skin as he pleasured her with his mouth. Ribbons of desire danced through her blood. She tangled her fingers in his hair as need flashed hot. A moan was torn from her throat as she climaxed.
Pleasure still rippled through her as Nadir hooked her trembling legs around his lean hips. He surged into her, groaning as her body eagerly welcomed him. His powerful thrusts quickly became uneven and wild. Zoe clung to him, her legs wrapped tightly around him, as another climax tore through her.
She heard his harsh cry as he found his release. He slumped against her, his body slick with sweat. Her arms and legs felt weak, but she held him close, unwilling to let this moment go.
He rolled onto his back and she watched his chest rise and fall with each breath. Their arms were touching, his hand covering hers, but it wasn’t enough for her. She must trust him on some level if she needed to be in his arms.
But if she asked it would show too much of how she felt. Zoe nervously curled against him and shivered. “It’s freezing.”
Nadir’s chuckle sounded drowsy and he gathered her against his solid chest. “Hardly. September in London is glorious. You are simply used to the desert.”
“You’re probably right.” She didn’t like the idea that she was more comfortable in the desert than in a cosmopolitan city.
“Admit it,” he said sleepily as his arms wrapped around her, “you miss Jazaar.”
Zoe wanted to scoff at the suggestion when a memory assailed her. She remembered the quiet hush and the tantalizing spices. She had enjoyed looking out into the desert and watching the sun dip below the sand dunes. She had learned to appreciate the natural and harsh beauty of the arid region. “I miss some things.” But not deeply enough to go back. “Like the heat.”
Nadir’s eyes gradually closed. “Then you will be happy to know that we will be somewhere warm this time tomorrow.”
She went on the alert and her heart skipped a beat. Was he already planning to return to Jazaar? “Where are we going?” she asked cautiously.
“Mexico City.”
Zoe’s eyes widened. “Mexico …?” she said in a whispery breath. Mexico shared a border with Texas. She would be incredibly close to home.
“But until then I’m prepared to keep you warm.” His words were slurred with sleep.
“That sounds like a good plan,” she said. She cupped her hand against his cheek and stroked the dark stubble.
Zoe noticed that her henna had almost disappeared. Only a few stubborn swirls remained. It still counted, she decided, as she tilted her head to kiss Nadir. Her honeymoon would officially end in Mexico.
The decision should have filled her with hope and determination. Instead it made her want to make the most of the honeymoon before she walked away from her husband forever.
CHAPTER TWELVE
NADIR gratefully stepped into the hotel lobby and found the hushed surroundings were a peaceful oasis from the dynamic city. The soft cream sofas and the warm brown walls reminded him of the desert. Even the peasant art framed in gold made him think of Jazaar. He was working hard and traveling now so that afterward he could return home for good and take care of his country.
The meetings with his Mexico City office were becoming more difficult. As he walked past the elegant front desk Nadir admitted that it didn’t help that he had been distracted. He had left Zoe, warm and willing, in their bed. The sex they had shared that morning had been nothing short of mind-blowing.
It had not been his best idea to mix his honeymoon with business trips. He’d thought he could get his fill of Zoe before he ensconced her in his mountain palace. Instead he had become insatiable for his wife. He couldn’t imagine being away from her for more than a day.
Worse, he was starting to rely on her. On more than one occasion he had sought her opinion or her point of view. She was very knowledgeable, and provided him with a look into tribal life he could not get from any of his advisors.
Anticipation twanged in his blood as he headed for the elevators. When he saw the hotel manager hurrying to greet him he wanted to growl with frustration. He didn’t want any more delays in returning to Zoe.
Nadir frowned. When had his every waking moment started to revolve around her? He didn’t just want to bed her. He wanted to be with her. Spend every waking minute together. Shock reverberated through him. This was more than desire and lust. Was he falling for his arranged bride?
As he wrestled with that inconvenient thought, the hotel manager intercepted his path to the elevators. “Your Highness, I hope your stay has been pleasant,” the man said with a slight bow. “I understand you are leaving us tomorrow?”
“Yes, we enjoyed our stay here, Señor Lopez.”
“We are very fortunate that you have chosen our hotel.” His smile suddenly brightened. “And may I say that your wife is an amazing woman?”
“Yes, she is.” Zoe was a fighter, with survival instincts. She had the heart of warrior, the mind of a scientist, and the beauty of a goddess. He was proud to have her as his wife.
“So beautiful,” Señor Lopez waved his hand to emphasize his point. “So brilliant, so curious.”
Nadir went still. “Curious?”
The hotel manager bobbed his head. “Yes, she has taken great interest in the public health conference here at the hotel. The Sheikha has attended a few panels after meeting with the guest of honor. She fits right in.”
Dark frustration spun inside him. Nadir struggled to keep a mildly interested expression. “Is that right?”
“She has quite a few ideas about maternal health. The debates can get … intense.”
“I can imagine.” He had forbidden her from medicine. He had trusted her. “The Sheikha never backs down.”
Señor Lopez gave another small bow. “I hope the Sheikha enjoyed her stay?”
“I’m sure she did.” He bade the hotel manager goodbye and walked into the elevator on numb legs. Anger whipped through him as he gave a vicious swipe of his key card to activate the elevator.
It was time to go home. He had placed too much trust in Zoe. Given her too many liberties. Nadir knew he was beginning to sound like his father, but he didn’t care. He had made those rules to help her assimilate into royal life and she had ignored them.
He’d managed to get his temper under control by the time he stepped into the penthouse suite. This time the soothing décor was invisible to him. All he noticed was that Zoe was not there to greet him. For some reason that made him angrier.
As the butler approached him with a wary smile, Nadir tersely asked for Zoe. He was informed that she was sunbathing. Nadir stalked to the private pool that was just off their bedroo
m.
His steps faltered when he saw her. She was lounging by the pool and reading an e-book. Her sunglasses were perched on her head and the modest blue swimsuit she wore skimmed her curves.
His stomach clenched as he silently watched her. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head. He didn’t have to sink his fingers into it to know it would feel like warm silk. Her sun-kissed skin would be soft and fragrant. And her lips … Nadir’s body hardened and his skin began to tingle. Zoe knew how to drive him wild with just her mouth.
She wasn’t what he had expected in a wife. She was no Jazaari bride. She was sexy, opinionated and exciting. And disobedient. Nadir clenched his teeth. Extraordinarily disobedient.
When Nadir slid the door open, Zoe glanced up from her e-reader. The joy in her eyes and the wide, inviting smile surprised him. She was genuinely happy to see him.
Her smile dimmed when she caught his expression. “Bad day at the office?” she asked as she sat up.
“I understand you attended the public health conference?” he replied with icy calm.
As if a heavy curtain had fallen, Zoe’s expression went blank. She looked down and turned off the e-book reader before setting it on the small table at her side. “I’m not sure who gave you that idea.”
Nadir knew he was in for a battle. Zoe wasn’t going to share any details. It was one more secret to hide from him.
“Should I call the assistant assigned to you and ask for details about your day?” He loosened his necktie with a vicious tug.
Zoe’s mouth tightened. “No, there’s no need for that. I attended a few events at the conference.”
The vein in his forehead began to throb. He thrust his hands in his pockets. “After I told you to stay away from anything related to medicine?” he asked with lethal softness.
“The guest of honor invited me. He’s a respected authority on newborn health!” Zoe insisted, jumping up from her lounge chair. “It would have been rude to decline.”
“I’m sure you could have come up with an excuse.”
Her jaw shifted to one side. “Why should I have made an excuse? I wanted to go. Those people understand me. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere.”
“Don’t disobey me again,” he said in a fierce whisper.
Zoe went rigid, her body slightly shaking with tension.
“It’s not like I planned it!”
Her outburst surprised him. No one talked back when he gave a command. “I mean it, Zoe.”
She didn’t back down. She thrust her jaw out and her dark eyes glittered with defiance. “You are unreasonable. There is nothing wrong with having opinions about medicine or having basic first aid skills.”
“You won’t need to use them.”
“You don’t know that. What if you collapse this very minute?” she asked, planting her hands on her hips. “Do you want me to stand back and hope someone else can help you?”
“Yes.”
Zoe blinked. “Are you serious? You really wouldn’t want my help?”
Nadir saw the hurt in her eyes. He wanted to erase the pain and tell her his decision had nothing to do with her abilities. But he needed to stay firm. Zoe needed to understand that she couldn’t resurrect her old dreams. Those dreams had died the moment she married him. He hated the fact as much as she did, but it was time to move forward and not look back.
“My security detail is trained for any type of emergency,” he explained. “If I found out you’d interfered with their jobs I would be furious.”
“Well, I don’t have a security detail.”
“Yes, you do.” Nadir frowned. How could she not know? Did she honestly think he wouldn’t keep her safe?
She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she stared at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“You have had a full security team following you since our wedding day. How else would I have found you when you wandered off into the bookstore in Omaira?”
She had a security detail. Her heart stopped as shock rippled through her body. There was a team of professionals who tracked her every move. She had had no idea.
She looked down and clasped her hands together in front of her. She couldn’t let Nadir see the horror in her face. All this time she had been angry at herself for not taking any opportunity to escape. She had hesitated in Athens, procrastinated in Europe, and held back in Mexico. Yet had she tried to leave she would have failed spectacularly.
“Who? How many?” Zoe asked. She had no idea who was following her. She didn’t recognize anyone as they traveled from one place to the next.
“That doesn’t matter.” Nadir dismissed the questions with a wave of his hand. “You are not playing doctor. I don’t want to hear that you gave so much as a vitamin to someone.”
She remained silent. How could she possibly make a promise like that? Didn’t he know her at all?
“Zoe,” he warned, “you need to learn how to obey.”
She looked up at him from beneath her lashes. “Or what?”
Nadir’s eyes darkened. “Don’t push me.”
“I know how you feel about the idea of me studying medicine. But do you know how I feel about it?” she asked bitterly. She lifted her head and met his gaze. “Do you know that I’ve always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps? That medicine fascinates me? Do you know? Do you care?”
Nadir slowly folded his arms. “I know that you have been fascinated by medicine since you were a candy striper when you were thirteen years old. You found the hospital atmosphere exciting, but what you really wanted to do was continue the work of your parents.”
His answer astonished her. She hadn’t thought he understood, but he knew exactly what drove her. And he would still keep her from her dream rather than support it.
She shouldn’t be surprised, but she felt as if Nadir had betrayed her. She should have known better than to reveal what was important to her.
“I also suspect you’re hiding a few medical thrillers on that e-reader.”
She cast a guilty glance at her e-reader. “Oh.” He was fine with her having a passing interest in medicine as long as she didn’t use it.
“I’m protecting you from a battle you can’t win.”
“But you are keeping me away from something that I love.”
“I know.” Nadir thrust his fingers into his hair and exhaled sharply. “I will create a role for you in the medical community,” he said slowly. “You can take a small part in our health ministry.”
She drew her head back as her heart began to pump hard. Was Nadir truly bestowing an honor? She was almost afraid to believe there were no strings attached, no bait and switch. She hated being cynical, but it was her only armor. “There are no women in that ministry.”
“There will be resistance,” he said, and she could tell it was major understatement. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle. I know that the women’s health system in our country is lacking, but I didn’t understand how bad it was until I listened to your experiences.”
“I’m not qualified,” she was quick to point out. It was a prestigious position, but she was young, uneducated and female. “I don’t think I would be very effective.”
“You’re the Sheikha. My wife. They will listen,” he answered confidently.
“Thank you for the offer, Nadir. It’s very generous.” It wasn’t her dream, but it was something. There was no guarantee that she could become a doctor, but with Nadir’s proposition, she could change the way they practiced medicine in Jazaar. “I’ll think about it.”
Nadir reached out and cupped her face with his hands. He tilted her face up and looked intently into her eyes. “That’s the best offer you’re going to get.”
“I know.” She was beginning to understand that. But she wanted to live her life on her own terms, and she didn’t think she could do that if she was with him. She couldn’t have everything and she needed to make a decision fast.
Nadir studied her expression for a moment. He sigh
ed and dropped his hands. “You should get ready for dinner.”
Zoe gave a nod and stepped away. The sun had dipped and it was getting cooler. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“On the jet.”
She froze. They were leaving Mexico City earlier than planned. Zoe’s gaze zoomed to her hands. The henna had disappeared days ago, but she hadn’t made an attempt to leave. She took small, choppy breaths as regret almost suffocated her. Now she was trapped and she didn’t know when she would get another chance to leave.
“Are we returning to Jazaar?” she asked huskily, her throat tight as panic pounded through her.
“Not yet,” he said as he watched her carefully. “We’re going to America.”
Zoe gasped and she raised her hands to her mouth. America. Unshed tears burned her eyes and her heart swelled in her chest. After all these years she was returning home.
“Are you all right?” He grasped her elbow.
“Yes.” She lowered her hands and noticed they were shaky. “I … I thought we weren’t going to America because you didn’t have any business there at the moment.”
“I have to attend a few meetings,” he said as he slowly released her arm. “I thought you’d be pleased. You keep suggesting a quick trip to the United States.”
Alarm shot through her. Had she been that obvious? She cast a quick glance at Nadir. He was alert. Watchful. Suspicion lurked in his dark eyes.
“Thank you,” she said with a gracious smile as her heart thumped wildly. She stood on her tiptoes and grazed her lips against his cheek. “It’s a wonderful surprise.”
“Apparently.”
She blushed at his dry tone. She wished she had controlled her response. She needed to be more careful. No way would she mess up right before she reached her goal. “What part of America?”
“New York City,” he replied, his eyes never leaving her face. “We’ll stay for a couple of days.”
“I can’t wait,” she said, and she tenaciously held on to her gracious smile while she thought her heart was going to burst with relief. “I’ll get dressed right away.”