by Cara Albany
Who was he?
Erin lifted her hand to her eyes, shading them from the late afternoon sun. The man was tall, with dark hair and dressed incongruously in a dark suit. It seemed somehow out of place here, on a desert island.
When the man realized that he'd been seen, he didn't even react; didn't even try to conceal his presence.
For a moment Erin and the stranger just looked at each other, as if waiting to see who would make the first move.
Erin took a step toward the man, still feeling the nerves clutching in her gut. But she was determined to find out who he was.
She was within a hundred meters of him when she called out to him. "Hello. Who are you?" she said in English.
The man's gaze was fixed on Erin. If she had to make a run for it, she knew she wouldn't stand a chance. She was too far from the villa, and there was no-one else in sight who could come to her assistance.
Erin continued to move toward the man. He just stood perfectly still watching her advance toward him, an impassive expression on his face. Now that she was closer, she could tell he was a burly, fit looking man. The body enclosed in the dark suit was clearly strong. The man stood erect, simply watching Erin make her way toward him.
She couldn't explain why, but the closer she got to him, the less threatened she felt by his presence.
Finally, she was a few feet away from him. "Can I help you?" she said to the man, realizing how foolish those words sounded out here.
Erin was taken aback when the man bowed slowly, extending his arm in the typical Qazhar courtesy greeting. When he spoke in English to her, his voice was low and heavily accented. "Ma'am. Apologies if I have startled you. It was not my intention to do so."
"Why are you here?" Erin asked.
"The Sheikh tasked me with your safety, ma'am," he replied. "I was instructed to find you and ensure that you came to no harm."
"The Sheikh sent you?"
The man nodded.
"Why didn't he come himself?" she asked.
The man didn't answer that question, merely gazing blankly at her.
Of course, he wouldn't answer such a question, she told herself. The man was some sort of security guard. Karim hadn't told her there was full-on security on the island. What else hadn't he revealed to her?
"I think you can see I am perfectly safe," she told the man, expecting him to respond by bowing and moving off. But it was clear from his reaction that he had no intention of leaving her now that he'd located her.
This was ridiculous! Did Karim expect her to put up with this? She refused to be followed around as if she was a vulnerable animal. Did he want to keep her on a leash? In any case, what kind of threats could she face out here on an apparently deserted island so far from the mainland?
She sighed heavily. "I'll go back to the villa now."
"Then it will be my pleasure to accompany you, ma'am," the man replied.
Really! This was outrageous. Of course, the man was only doing his job. She didn't hold any of this against him personally.
"Very well," she exclaimed. The man's face remained impassive as she turned away and started back toward the villa.
It took her less time to reach the villa than it had to make it to the place where the security man had found her. By the time she reached the villa her indignation had well and truly worked itself up.
She found Karim in the sitting room. He was seated on a sofa casually reading a book. He looked up as she strode into the room. The attempt at a smile froze on his face. "You're back," he declared.
"Very funny," she grunted planting herself right in front of him. She looked down at him and saw that he was still trying to smile at her.
"What?" he asked wide-eyed with mock innocence.
"Why did you send someone to find me?"
"I thought you might get lost."
"This isn't a big island."
"Size isn't everything," he joked, quirking a brow at her.
She scowled at him. "You didn't tell me you have real security men on the island."
"They keep a low profile."
"Why didn't you come get me yourself, if you were so concerned?"
"After the way you spoke to me earlier, I assumed I was the last person you wanted to talk to."
Erin pouted her mouth. "At least you got one thing right," she replied.
Karim shrugged. "I'm beginning to get to know you and your mysterious ways," he said smirking at her.
She suddenly wanted to wipe that grin off his face. Instead, she flopped down on the sofa opposite him. As she did so, her dress rode up, exposing her thighs. She saw his eyes widen and she quickly grabbed the hem of her dress and tugged it down over her knees.
"Spoilsport," he accused. "You look like you got some sun today," he added.
She tightened her jaw and glared at him. "Am I not to be allowed any freedom while I'm here?"
"You're free to come and go as you please, Erin. I just need to know you're safe, that's all. I don't think that's too much to ask, is it?"
"Why the concern for my safety? We're on an island in the middle of the ocean. Who's going to cause me any harm?"
Karim rested an arm along the back of the sofa and peered at her intently. "Just humor me, Erin."
"Why should I? It doesn't make sense."
"You and I got married yesterday under quite unusual circumstances. And you're worried my wanting you to be protected doesn't make sense?"
Erin groaned. "But protected from what? Or who? Has this to do with what's going on back in Qazhar?"
Karim simply shook his head, saying nothing. She could tell she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him.
He stood and came to her, sitting down next to her on the sofa. His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized her face. "You did get a lot of sun, didn't you."
"I'm not some pale-skinned Northerner," she objected. "I can take the sun."
He reached his hand up as if to stroke her forehead, but she backed her head away from him, glaring at him once again.
"Maybe you need some lotion on that." His gaze dropped down to her shoulders. She had to admit the sun had reddened the skin of her bare shoulders. But it wasn't only concern about sunburn which had darkened Karim's gaze as he took in the sight of her long neck and bare shoulders. There was that look again, she told herself. What was it with this man? Couldn't he control himself while he was around her?
Karim reached out a hand and ran a finger along the breadth of her left shoulder. Her body tingled at his touch, and she couldn't take her eyes off him as he seemed to drink in the sight of her flesh.
His gaze drifted down the length of her body, and she saw him lick his lips in feral, hungry gesture. His brows had narrowed, and she was sure she heard him draw in a deep, harsh breath.
Erin swallowed, sensing heat form a warm flame in her middle. They didn't say anything to each other. All she could do was gaze into his eyes and wonder what he was going to do now that he'd brought her back to the villa. Because, she realized that he had done exactly that; drawn her back into his domain, and now he was obviously intent on making the most of the situation. Did he think it would be that easy, especially after what they'd said to each other on the beach?
She forced her attention back to the moment, wrenching her gaze away from Karim. She stood up quickly and stared down at him, indignation regained, feeling somehow better now that she had dragged herself away from him; now that she'd denied him that easy pleasure he so desperately sought.
"I'm tired," she declared.
He made as if to stand but she held out a hand, and he remained seating. "Don't get up. I can see myself to my room. I'm sure I'll be safe up there." She arched her brows at him "Would you agree?"
His eyes narrowed. Did he realize she had gotten the best of him?
He laughed softly. "I suppose you're right. Will you join me for dinner at eight?"
"I'll see." She shrugged one shoulder petulantly. "I may not be hungry."
He sighed. "You'
re going to give me another night alone?" he asked. She could see a hint of annoyance there, now.
Erin twisted her foot and jammed a hand against her waist. "You wouldn't leave me alone. Maybe you should get a chance to find out what I was missing this afternoon when you sent your man to find me. The chance to be alone."
She saw incredulity spread across his features. Before he could utter a comeback she whirled around and strode out of the room.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Erin awoke to find that darkness had fallen. She'd kept true to her word and refused to go downstairs to have dinner with Karim. No-one had come to her suite to ask her to come downstairs. A part of her had been a little disappointed at that. Maybe it would have been fun to trade verbal blows with Karim again. She was sure she could have held her own quite comfortably.
She still enjoyed getting the better of him, no matter what the argument was about. That was what she wanted, wasn't it? To keep their relationship the way it had always been. Enemies and not lovers.
Anything except lovers, she told herself.
Even if they were married; even if Karim was evidently interested in getting to know Erin so much more than she told herself she wanted to know him.
She'd felt so exhausted after the events of the day that she had flopped down on her bed soon after coming back upstairs. Sleep had come easily in the coolness of her suite.
Erin glanced at the clock on the side table next to bed. It was ten o'clock. She wondered where Karim was. She went out onto the terrace of her suite and gazed out across the wondrous view of the sea. The moon was full, shining silvery light across the dark sea. She breathed in the cool night air and listened to the soft, rhythmic pulse of the waves washing up on the beach below. This was like a paradise, she told herself. She felt as if the real world was a million miles away. The truth was, the island was so far away from the Qazhar mainland it would have been as well being on another planet.
She recalled her earlier conversation with Karim. Had she been unnecessarily harsh with him? Had she been unfair? Maybe he'd really just been thinking of her well-being, after all. Before they'd married, arguing with Karim had been almost a kind of sport. But now they were man and wife, their disagreements felt somehow different. Personal. Intimate. Unwanted.
Erin left her suite intending to find Karim. She had to talk to him; clear the air. If they kept on disagreeing like they had since arriving on the island, the next few days were going to pass very slowly. She didn't relish the prospect of that at all.
Downstairs there was no sign of Karim, nor of the staff. Thankfully there were also no security men following her around. When she thought about what had happened this afternoon, she had to admit that she felt gratified that Karim seemed to care enough about her to put in place measures designed to keep her out of harm's way. Perhaps it was time to admit the truth about their relationship. Maybe things weren't so bad between them, after all.
She went into the dining room. The table had been cleared, and the room was empty. Karim must have eaten dinner unaccompanied. That thought triggered a moment of hurt, thinking that she'd forced that upon him.
She went to the sitting room. No Karim. She glanced at the sofa where Karim had sat next to her. The memory of his touch, the way he'd looked at her, the hunger she'd seen in his eyes made a warm, treacherous sensation flare inside her. Why had she rejected him like that? Wasn't there some rebellious part of her that urged her to submit to his attentions? Didn't she secretly wonder what it would be like to have Karim take possession of her body; to have his lips trace delicious, tantalizing lines all over her flesh? Just thinking about that made her throat tighten as she stood in the sitting room. She suddenly felt his absence keenly and wondered where he'd gone.
Erin walked out onto the long terrace that stretched the length of the side of the villa. The sound of the waves was louder here, and the cool night breeze flowed through the loose folds of her dress as she walked the length of the terrace. There was a large wooden table with chairs at the far end, near where the steps were that led down to the beach. The light from inside the villa illuminated the terrace.
Erin was about to take a seat at the table when she heard soft footsteps coming from the direction of the steps. Someone was coming up from the beach. For a moment, she felt a stab of anxiety, just as she'd experienced earlier that afternoon when she'd discovered the security guard. Was there someone else she didn't know about on the island?
Erin grasped the back of the wooden chair and stared at the steps. It must be dark down there, she told herself. What was someone doing down on the beach at this hour?
Then a figure emerged from the darkness.
Karim.
But not Karim as she might have expected. Not Karim fully clothed. He strode up the steps, emerging from the darkness below. He was almost completely naked, apart from a tight pair of wet shorts which clung to him, revealing the contours of everything about him that she'd wondered about in her quiet, private moments.
Karim was soaked. His body was dripping wet, moisture gleaming on his tightly muscled torso. His bare feet slapped wetly against the hard stone of the steps.
He froze on the top step as he realized Erin was watching him.
"Erin? I thought you were sleeping," Karim said hesitantly.
She was lost for words as she gazed upon his incredible physique. She'd imagined what he would look like naked, wondered if he'd be as sexy as she'd fantasized.
He was.
Instinctively her body reacted to the sight of the glorious looking man standing before her. The almost naked, glistening form of his body prompted uncontrollable sensations in her. She tugged at her hair and was almost shocked as she realized she was biting her lip, like some automatic reaction to the stunning, magnificent physique of the man she had married just the day before.
She'd had absolutely no idea he was so fit, so incredibly well-toned. So gorgeous.
Her gaze flickered treacherously downwards, and she felt her cheeks blush.
What she could see contained in those shorts, the sheer animal promise there, made her throat catch with a mixture of shock and anticipation.
Karim took one more step across the terrace and paused. He shook his body and water sprayed from his flesh and dark hair. He gazed at her, the initial surprise now being replaced by something else, something purposeful.
He drew in a deep breath, his chest expanding, and rested a hand on his hips. Was he posing for her? Had he decided to tease her? He seemed to be watching Erin, gauging her reaction, assessing his next move.
"I like to swim at night," he explained. "It calms me down."
"You needed to calm down?" she asked, eager to change the focus of her attention.
Karim tilted his head. "What do you think?' he asked.
"I'm sorry I missed dinner," she offered.
He shrugged. "It's okay. I'm used to eating on my own, anyway."
That last remark didn't make her feel any better. Not one bit.
He glanced down in the direction of the beach. "The water's lovely. You should try it sometime," he said.
"Maybe some other time," she managed to say, her voice cracking slightly. She tried to keep her gaze on his face, but it was almost too tempting to glance down again.
"Do you want me to get you a towel," she added, realizing at once how stupid the offer sounded. She knew it must reveal how put out she was by the sight of him standing there like that, confirming everything she'd ever imagined about him, about his body.
Karim moved slowly toward her. This time she didn't take a step back. Every rippling muscle captivated her attention. The contours of his body shone in the light, the wetness of his flesh making everything stand out in relief. His movement was suddenly like that of a stalking animal, one that had just used vigorous activity to shake itself back to vital life.
Confused thoughts tumbled into her mind, and she felt as if she should leave, make her excuses and get back into the safety of the villa. Because
it certainly wasn't safe out her, was it?
Why had he felt the need to swim in the dark? Had it been because of her? Surely it wasn't safe to do something like that.
"Isn't it dangerous to swim in the waters at night?" she asked hesitantly.
Karim eyes narrowed slightly and shook his head. "I needed to clear my head. I know these waters like the back of my hand."
Of course he did. This was his domain. He controlled everything here. Including her?
Erin took a step away from Karim and felt the edge of the table against the bottom of her back. An urgent voice in her head yelled at her, demanding immediate action. She had to leave. Right away.
Karim was a mere few steps away from her now. His gaze had darkened even more. He paused and ran a hand down the front of his chest, his fingers tracing a line through the moist tangle of dark chest hair. Her gaze followed the direction of his hand, as if hypnotized by the easy gesture.
His hand paused above the line of his shorts. He hooked his thumb inside the band of the shorts, and for a brief, shocking moment she was sure he was going to slide them downward. She dragged in a sharp breath and managed to force her gaze away from him. But only for a few seconds.
When she looked back at him, she saw that his lips had curled into a predatory smile. Then he rapidly covered the final distance between them, as if he had made his decision, as if he was making the choice for them both.
Erin leaned back hard against the table and knew there was nowhere to go. Nowhere she wanted to be except here with the determined, decisive sheikh moving toward her.
Erin gasped and clutched the edge of the table, watching him, now inches away from her.
He paused suddenly and reached out his hand, curling it around the line of her jaw. She felt the cool dampness if his fingers as they gently cupped her face. His gaze softened, and she couldn't resist the urge to look down at the length of his torso, now so close, now so incredibly tempting. Every nerve in her body was on fire, and there was a roaring in her ears. The need to feel his hard body crushed against her was unbearable. Erin leaned back and opened her legs. His gaze flickered down, and she saw an appreciative glimmer in his eyes.