The Sheikha’s Unexpected Protector: Desert Sheikhs Book Two

by North, Leslie

  The ridge of his cock pressed against the tight nub of her clit, sending a shockwave of pleasure through her. Her forehead dropped to his shoulder as she focused on the feel of his big hands inching ever closer to the spot that needed his attention the most, the hardness of his chest against her breasts. Of all the men she’d tried to distract herself with, none had lit her up like this.

  She nibbled at his ear, something she remembered he’d always liked. He let out a shuddery breath.

  “Salari.” His voice was a warning. “We should go inside.”

  8

  They returned to her room almost as fast as they’d come. Kalif fought to keep his hands and lips off her while they walked. As they neared her room, he slowed.

  “I need to get something from my room,” he said in a low voice, sending her a meaningful look. He was hesitant to leave her in case the sizzle died out. Maybe she’d have second thoughts. Maybe the fog would clear and she’d remember she still hated him.

  “Okay. Just hurry.” She pushed her door open, smiling over her shoulder at him. “I’ll be waiting.”

  He couldn’t rip himself away until the door clicked shut behind her, ending their sultry gaze. He started down the hall, his entire body buzzing with anticipation. He didn’t make it more than several yards before a crash sounded. Distant, muted, almost. He slowed, turning to listen.

  Part of him worried that might have been Salari. She could have fallen, or…worse. He jogged back toward her room, knocking lightly before pushing the door open.

  Inside, a man dressed in black had a hand clamped over Salari’s mouth, struggling to pull her toward the balcony door. She kicked and fought back, her scream coming out a muted growl against his glove.

  Kalif didn’t waste a moment. He leapt forward and grabbed the intruder by the back of his jacket, ripping him off of Salari. The element of surprise worked in his favor. The intruder stumbled and fell backwards. Kalif pinned him to the ground with a knee to his chest.

  “Was it you who attacked her in the maze?” Kalif struggled to keep the guy down, but he lurched and vaulted beneath him. Each time Kalif pinned him, the intruder wriggled free.

  Salari whimpered from the bed, which only provoked him further. Made him more determined to see this man go down. Possibly take his life with his own hands. Adrenaline pumped through him as he tore at the black ski mask tugged down over the man’s head. He got it only halfway up before the intruder kicked him in the groin, sending Kalif reeling.

  “Kalif!” Salari scrambled to his side just as the intruder bolted for the balcony window. He was gone in a flash, before Kalif could even get to his feet.

  “I need to catch him,” Kalif wheezed. He tried to push himself to standing, but Salari’s warm embrace stilled him.

  “Don’t follow him out that window. You could hurt yourself.”

  “Better than him hurting you.” Kalif pushed himself up, bolting out the door. He ran so fast he felt like he could launch into the air. He tore around the hallway, heading for the side of the palace her bedroom overlooked.

  “High alert!” He shouted at the on-duty guards as he passed. “Intruder spotted!” The guards followed him as he ran. He nearly bowled over a kitchen attendant coming out of the pantry as he rounded the final corner. The palace hallway ended, giving way to a long stretch of lawn. Kalif slowed as he scanned the property, chest heaving from the run.

  “There he is!” One of his guardsmen pointed toward the brick wall lining the property. In the dim glow thrown off by the perimeter lighting, the intruder was scaling the wall.

  “Go after him,” Kalif commanded, and watched as the three guardsmen hurried away across the quiet lawn. They wouldn’t reach him, wouldn’t even come close. The intruder disappeared over the top of the wall before the guards had even gotten a third of the way there.

  Kalif swore and spun on his heel, stomping back into the palace. Two intrusions in forty-eight hours. How could he claim to be doing his job when it appeared practically anyone could waltz into the palace and attack Salari? He stormed toward Zatar’s quarters, an idea burbling to life. Protecting Salari was the only priority. And clearly, the palace was no longer safe.

  Kalif pounded on Zatar’s door, his heart racing as he worked over the idea. Salari came running down the hall a moment later, her shawl flowing behind her. Concern creased her face. He reached out for her, and she melted into his embrace just as Zatar opened the door.

  “Kalif. Salari. Is everything okay?” Zatar was knotting his robe, his gaze flicking between the two of them. Alex appeared behind him a moment later, rubbing her eyes.

  “There was another intruder,” Kalif said. “This time, waiting for Salari in her room.”

  “My God.” Zatar’s voice went soft. To Salari, he said, “Were you hurt?”

  “No. Kalif came in before he could do any damage.”

  Zatar’s gaze swung back to Kalif. “How are these men getting inside my palace?”

  The question was a punch in the gut. “I don’t know. And until we know, I think I should take Salari elsewhere.”

  The suggestion hung heavily in the air. Salari looked up at him, her eyes wide. “You do?”

  Before Kalif could explain further, Zatar was already nodding. “Yes. Yes, this is an excellent idea. Salari, the risk is too great if you stay here. I don’t know of any way to make this palace safer than it is without initiating a lockdown.”

  Salari stayed quiet, studying the ground. After a moment, she looked up at Kalif. “Where will we go?”

  “Someplace far enough away to keep you safe.” Kalif squeezed his arm around her tighter. “But we should figure it out soon and leave tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “I don’t want to take any chances.”

  Zatar nodded. “I agree. And while you’re gone, I’ll get some additional security to come monitor the palace. We’ll figure out who’s behind this in no time. I promise you, sister.”

  Salari nodded, her hazel eyes soldering on Kalif. There was uncertainty there, but also a glimmer of trust.

  And he wouldn’t lose that shred of opportunity. Not if his life depended on it.

  * * *

  Salari jolted awake as the Jeep hit a pothole. She blinked rapidly, squinting against the brilliant, early morning sunlight flooding the vehicle.

  All around them were desert mountains, jagged, brown, and sandy. When she’d fallen asleep, they’d been on a desolate road heading toward the mountains in the thick of night. Now, they were buried so far in the mountains she couldn’t tell if they were already halfway to Oman.

  “Oh my God. How long was I out?”

  Kalif smiled warmly at her, reaching over the center console to squeeze her knee. “Long enough to get us there.”

  “Oh shit. We’re there?” She straightened in the seat, peering through the dusty windshield. Up ahead, on the narrow, curving mountain road, was a clearing.

  “Your father built this hideout,” Kalif explained. Slowly, a building came into view, something halfway between a forest cabin and a military fortress. “No one knows where it is. Not even the other guards. He made the construction crews come here blindfolded, he told me. I brought him here only once before he died.”

  “So how did you remember how to get here?” She reached for the door handle after the Jeep came to a stop. This high up in the mountains, a few tall, skinny trees grew, but the place was mostly bushes and brush.

  “Lots of wrong turns,” he said with a soft laugh. And that’s when she noticed the tiredness in his face. The man had been running nonstop since the attack in the hedge maze. All in the name of protecting her. Keeping her alive.

  “You need to sleep,” she said, squeezing his arm. “That’s the first order of business.”

  He didn’t argue. They exited the car, and he locked it as they walked up to the hideout. The walls looked thick, cut from sandstone maybe, conveniently camouflaged in the same color as the ground. Thick stones carved a pathway up to the fron
t door, a solid, impossible piece of metal.

  “Welcome home,” Kalif said, separating an enormous key from his keyring. He jiggled the key for a moment until the door unlocked with a loud snap.

  The door swung open into a small foyer, where another door of equal solidity greeted them. Once the first door was shut, he fished a different key off the ring.

  “Double entry,” he explained, probably spotting her confusion. “Different locks, and the second one doesn’t open unless the first one has been shut. Plus, they’re impossible to pick.”

  “So there’s no chance of breaking in here, huh?”

  “Not without bombs that only a few countries in the world possess. And I don’t think whoever is after you is playing that game.”

  The second door whooshed open, giving way to a sprawling living area. Low couches dotted a wooden floor. Toward the back, a gleaming, industrial-chic kitchen. This hideout was everything the palace was not.

  “Wow.” Salari dragged a finger over the top of a black leather couch. A few windows allowed in sunlight, but even those had glass a foot thick. “This place feels safe. And a little bit like my father’s lost bachelor pad.”

  Kalif laughed, heading for the kitchen to drop off the food bags he carried in. She noticed the fridge humming. “Was all this stuff already on?”

  He nodded. “I activated it on our way in. We have it linked up from the palace. It runs on solar power. Really sophisticated stuff.”

  Salari tilted her head back, checking out the vaulted ceilings. Wood beams crisscrossed above. “Well, where’s the bedroom? You need to go sleep.”

  He sent her a flat look and started unpacking the groceries.

  “I’m serious.” She went over to him, stilling his hands. “You’re going to run yourself ragged. And then you won’t be of any use to anyone.”

  When he wouldn’t drop the groceries, she offered a small smile. “There’s no threat anymore. You said yourself this place is impenetrable. Now let’s go lie down.”

  He relaxed, allowing her to push him toward the back rooms. “‘Let’s’?”

  “Yes. I’m going to lie down with you. I need a nap, which means that you must be ten times more exhausted.” She pressed her palm into the strong plane of his upper back, tingles rushing through her. A nap by his side would be great. And what surely came after would be even better.

  Kalif led her toward a back bedroom. One wide, squat window lined the top wall, letting in sunlight. Below the window, an ornate tapestry hung, one of the only reminders of home she’d seen so far.

  “For the record, this isn’t the room your father used.” Kalif toed off his boots, then tore his T-shirt off. He must have caught her curious stare because he asked, “Is this okay? I don’t want to sleep in my clothes.”

  “It’s more than okay.” She sat on the bed as she unclipped her necklace and earrings. Desire pulsed through her, but it had to wait. The man needed to sleep. And then he needed to give her the one thing she’d been waiting ten years for. “Now get into bed and fall asleep.”

  He laughed softly. The bed dipped as he sat down, and once she’d shed her shoes and shawl, she found him tucked under the covers, massaging his face. She propped up a few pillows, staying above the covers. She didn’t need to tempt herself by being so close to his nearly naked body.

  “I hope I’ll be able to sleep,” he murmured.

  “Why wouldn’t you?”

  “I can’t stop thinking about who might be after you.”

  She gnawed at the inside of her lip. The same thought hovered at the back of her mind constantly, like a fire pit constantly being stoked. “I know. I feel like it could be anyone. Maybe even just one psychotic citizen who’s been holding a grudge.”

  Kalif’s eyes went distant. After a few moments, his focus snapped back to her. “Did anyone ever give you trouble in France?”

  She opened her mouth to say no but thought better of it. She’d become so used to suppressing the incident that sometimes it felt more like a nightmare. “Well, yes. Once.”

  Kalif looked at her sharply. “Who was it?”

  She picked at a nail. “Within the first year or so that I got to France, I started going to events. Big parties, balls, and the like, trying to establish a new social circle. At one of the parties, this prince cornered me. I can’t remember where he was from. One of those tiny countries like Liechtenstein or someplace.”

  Kalif’s eyes were slits as she talked. “Go on.”

  “Well, he cornered me in a secluded area at the party. Tried to get me to kiss him. I told him no, and he started to get violent. Said I should be happy a real prince was even interested in an exiled princess.” She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. “Luckily, someone showed up, and I was able to get away. I feel like he would have done far worse if not.”

  Kalif’s hand was fisted in the comforter. “So you think it could be him?”

  She shrugged. “He’s the only person who’s ever gotten angry. But it was a long time ago.”

  Kalif expelled a sigh and flopped onto his back. He brought his hand behind his head. His biceps bulged, snagging Salari’s attention. “He could have sent someone to capture you. But with how long ago you snubbed him? Seems unlikely.” Kalif paused, dragging his gaze to meet hers. “And I should add, I’m happy you snubbed him.”

  Salari’s cheeks went hot, and she looked away. Her face was a traitor. Every second spent in Kalif’s shirtless presence was a reminder of how badly she wanted to finish what they’d started the night before.

  But despite every inch of her wanting it, she needed time to cool off. To make up her mind. To decide if she would really be okay giving Kalif the one thing she’d saved.

  “You should rest.” Salari patted his arm. “If I stay in here, we’re only going to talk more.”

  His dark cocoa eyes sizzled over her as she pushed off the bed. “Are you sure you don’t want to rest with me?”

  Her heart pounded between her ears. She tried to laugh nonchalantly. It was the only thing she wanted. “I’m not sleepy right now. I’ll check on you later.”

  She hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her with a sigh.

  She’d dodged a bullet for now. But in such tight quarters, she didn’t know if she could trust herself to dodge it a second time.

  9

  Salari woke up in the confusing blue gray dusk of an unfamiliar place. She groped around, trying to locate her phone or Kalif’s arm—or anything that made sense. Her entire body was covered in goosebumps. Cold. She drew a sharp breath as the full impact of her chilly limbs hit her.

  She must have fallen asleep. She pulled her legs to her body, trying to orient in the darkness. She’d come out to the couch to rest, but apparently their exhaustion had hit both of them much harder than they’d expected.

  Yet tiredness still clawed at her. Without knowing what time it was or where the damn light switch was, she fumbled around trying to find the bedroom. She used the sound of Kalif’s breathing as her guide.

  And then finally, the edge of the bed. She grunted when her shin knocked into the bedframe. Clarity seized her. She swore quietly, feeling her way to the empty side of the bed. Kalif stirred in the bed, his breathing growing quieter.

  “Salari?”

  She winced as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Not trying to wake you up, I promise. Just got cold out there.”

  “Come to bed, Sali.”

  His sleep infused voice combined with the nickname he’d given her made her breath evaporate. She went rigid on the side of the bed. She hadn’t heard that name in ten years. This was it, right here—the precipice she’d been avoiding. And all she wanted to do was fall over it. Feel those strong arms around her again, hear him whisper that nickname in her ear over and over again.

  She tugged off her shirt and pants, wriggling into bed in just her panties and bra. His thick arms found her immediately. He was warm and waiting under the covers, a type of welcoming she hadn’t allowe
d herself to experience in too many years.

  He drew a deep inhale in the crook of her neck. Every inch of her body vibrated, expectant and alert. She burrowed into him, desperate for more of him, his scent, his embrace.

  Something in his breathing told her he was coming out of the sleep haze. His arms tightened around her, his fingertips digging into the sides of her waist. She rubbed her forehead against the hard planes of his chest.

  She tilted her head up, tempting something she wasn’t sure she should indulge. Kisses were one thing; she was after far more than that. And if she gave in to him the way she craved, there was no turning back.

  He drew another deep breath, his lips skating up along the side of her neck. When they found her jawline, she shivered. He moved against her, his thick thigh wedging between her legs. She clamped down around his leg, grateful for the feel of him so close to the area that needed it most. Her pussy was begging for it, for him.

  Kalif’s lips left a moist trail along her jaw until finally they found her mouth. A tentative kiss emerged, like both of them making sure the other was awake.

  And then they kissed again, but this time with certainty. A small noise escaped her as Kalif pressed his tongue past her lips, and pleasure rocketed through her. She hooked an elbow around his neck, knotting her fingers in his hair. Every inch of her was pressed against him, pulsing and desperate, knowing that the only outcome to this was that Kalif would finally make love to her in the way she’d imagined too many times for too many years.

  Their kisses were slow, thorough. Her pussy clenched each time he pressed his tongue inside her mouth. And when his kisses drifted lower, down her neck, she gave a low moan.

  “Tell me this isn’t a dream.” Kalif’s kisses paused over the valley of her breasts. She arched herself toward him.

  “It isn’t.” Her breaths came out ragged. “And if it is, let’s never wake up.”