Beauty and the Sheikh

chapter 11



“Holly?”

Rafiq’s soft use of her name brought Holly out of her turbulent thoughts. “Yes?”

“Tell me again what happened that day.”

“Which day?” But she already had a clue.

“The day I walked in on you and your manager. You tried to tell me once before, but I failed to listen.”

Holly shifted in his arms, trying to push aside her unease. He wanted to hear her side of the story again? Would he believe her this time? “I never went to Raljahar with the intention to seduce you. I realized the chances of getting you to agree to our request were slim, but that didn’t matter to me.” She hesitated. “Especially after I met you.”

She swallowed hard and dropped her eyes from his searching gaze. It was easier to recount the event while staring at the black swirls of hair on his chest. Harder, though, not to reach out and toy with them.

“When my manager realized we’d…grown close, she approached me with the idea of trying to seduce you as a way to secure your approval of us being there. I was utterly horrified at her behavior, Rafiq, that she would assume I would ever consider such an idea, and the way she referred to you.”

She did reach out now, longing to touch his solid warmth and feel the beating of his heart beneath her fingertips. “I know how it must’ve looked. How terrible it sounded when you overheard us. I probably would’ve jumped to conclusions myself—”

“I should have trusted you more,” he rasped and caught her wrist, stilling her fingers in their exploration. He lifted her hand toward his lips and brushed a kiss against the pulse fluttering wildly in her wrist. “Especially after the time we spent together. It was wrong of me, Holly. Quite wrong. And I’m sorry. I don’t…” He hesitated and then shook his head. “I’m not one who trusts easily.”

It was an apology two years after the fact, but it was a balm against painful wounds that had never healed.

She knew the confession hadn’t been easy for him. A tiny cloud of bleakness that had lingered around Holly’s heart lifted. Never before had she allowed herself to admit how devastating his reaction to her had been, how much his judgment had hurt. “Why don’t you trust easily, Rafiq?”

He didn’t pull away physically, but she sensed the immediate mental withdrawal. His gaze became unreadable as he offered a dismissive shrug. “It doesn’t matter.”

And then he did pull away as he slid out of bed.

Why couldn’t he confide in her? The frustration that threatened faded as she watched him cross the room naked. Her breath caught as she drank in all the corded muscles and defined lines of his body.

Beneath his traditional robes one could see Rafiq was powerfully built, but to see him without clothes…he was beautiful.

Her heart stumbled over a beat and she forced herself to look away, swallowing hard.

“I must get ready for the day. Are you hungry, Holly?”

She sat up in bed, holding the sheet against her breasts. “I’m…I suppose I could eat something.”

“You should eat, habiba.” He shrugged into a hotel robe and cast a disapproving look her way. “You’ve grown thinner since when I first met you.”

She’d grown thinner? She bit back a soft laugh. That was ridiculous. She’d actually gained weight since she’d stopped modeling. Nearly ten pounds, last she’d checked. “I promise, I haven’t been starving myself in the least. Would it reassure you if I called down and ordered room service?”

“No, you are not to lift a finger for anything today.” He crossed the room and then reached for the phone on the desk. “I want you to relax and spend your morning recovering.”

“Recovering?” She laughed softly. “Rafiq, I’m not coming out of major surgery here. For goodness sake, we had sex.”

He stilled. “Sex.” The way he said the word made it sound like she’d insulted him, but then he shrugged. “Of course you are right, but I would feel better knowing you are having a peaceful morning.” He returned his attention to the phone call as he placed their order.

Would he come back to bed while they waited for the food? Her pulse quickened at the possibility he might want to make love to her again.

Even though she’d absently referred to it as sex, what had happened last night had been nothing but making love. Just…without the love part. At least, on Rafiq’s end. She needed to be so very careful, because each day she spent with Rafiq made her realize how easily her heart could become a casualty in this unplanned affair.

“I’ll be back in a moment.”

She hadn’t realized he’d ended the call, and she watched as he disappeared into the bathroom. The water turned on a moment later.

Several minutes passed before Rafiq appeared from the bathroom again. She gave a startled cry as he swept her out of bed and into his arms.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ve drawn a bath for you, habiba. I was quite serious in my instructions that you are to relax.”

Her protests died as they entered the bathroom. The sunken bath was full of iridescent bubbles and the comforting scent of lavender filled the room.

He hadn’t been preparing himself a bath, but one for her. The thoughtfulness of the gesture had her swallowing against the tightness in her throat. Rafiq could protest all he wanted that he wasn’t a nice guy, but she was beginning to suspect it was all a front. He’d been gentle and tender with her more often than not, especially now that the animosity was gone.

Rafiq lowered her to the ground, so slowly her body brushed every ridge on his. “Holly, I want you so much at this moment that I am tempted to cancel my meeting.”

Her mouth parted on a quiet noise of surprise. “But I thought—”

“I know what you thought, and you are wrong. Though you would not admit it, I know your body is sore this morning.” He gently brushed his fingers across her cheek. “It would be terribly selfish of me to take you so soon. No matter how badly I want to.”

She couldn’t doubt his words, not with the flicker of heat in his eyes. “And if I told you I feel fine?”

“Do not tempt me, Holly. With the way I want you, I’m not sure I could go slow or be gentle the way you would need me to be.”

Excitement raced through her in warm tingles. Just when she’d been ready to give in, he had to go and make such a stimulating comment?

He must’ve seen the frustration in her gaze, because he laughed quietly. “Take your bath, habiba. Relax and enjoy your breakfast when it arrives. There is a gala tonight at a nearby hotel I have promised us to be at.”

“Well, it sounds fun.” She reached for the lapel of his robe and pulled him close. Tilting her head, she brushed her lips across his. “Thank you for the bath. I promise to enjoy every minute of it.”

The clenching of his jaw and then way his eyes closed indicated he struggled with leaving her. It pleased her. Silly, really, but it did.

Finally he nodded and reached to turn off the faucets. “I have no doubt you will.” He straightened and his gaze seemed to catch on something behind her.

Holly turned to follow his stare and her gaze landed on a mirrored wall. She watched Rafiq flinch as he stared at himself, but he didn’t look away.

He didn’t like mirrors, didn’t like seeing his image. She’d suspected it back in his palace, but watching his initial reaction now confirmed it. A lump of pride gathered in her throat as she realized he still wasn’t looking away from their reflection. Instead his expression slowly began to relax into one of acceptance.

Good. He needed to understand what an amazing man he was. That mark on his face was nothing but that. A mark. It didn’t define him.

She leaned forward to press a kiss against his scarred cheek. “Are you sure you won’t join me in the bath, Rafiq?”

He blinked before glancing back down at her. A soft smile curved his mouth. “I only wish. I will grab a quick shower in the other room to avoid the temptation, but I will see you this afternoon.”

She watched Rafiq leave, thinking a morning apart seemed like an eternity.



Rafiq cradled his drink in his hand and cast another glance at the closed bedroom door.

The gala started in less than an hour. Would she take hours preparing, as some women seemed custom to do? The past few days since she’d agreed to stay in Raljahar had been interesting, especially learning Holly’s habits and mannerisms.

He strolled around the luxurious suite but barely acknowledged its comforts. Extravagance was a way of life for him and always had been. As a child he’d known nothing less. As a young man out of college, he’d used his status to impress and seduce women. Of course, the assassination attempt had changed all that.

He paused in front of the glass dining table and glanced down at the paper that was delivered with Holly’s breakfast this morning. He picked it up to flip to the financial section, but his attention caught on the picture in the entertainment section.

It was rare he stared at an image of himself. This morning in the mirror he’d almost not been bothered by his appearance. Staring at himself, with Holly beside him, hadn’t been as jarring as it usually was when he saw his reflection.

And just as this morning with the mirror, he couldn’t quite look away from the photo of him and Holly during their arrival yesterday. She looked absolutely stunning, clutching his arm and staring up at him with adoration in her eyes.

Unfortunately his image was not quite as flattering. The photographer had managed to capture his left side and the sunlight only emphasized the silver in his thick scar. It seemed more sinister. Uglier.

He reached up to trace the groove on his face and sighed.

The headline for the article couldn’t have summed it up more perfectly. Beauty and the Sheikh reunited again.

“Rafiq?”

He turned to where Holly stood outside the bedroom now. How had he not even heard the door open?

Her gaze slid to the paper and her mouth tightened. “It’s complete garbage. I should’ve tossed it. I meant to, but thought you might have requested the paper for a reason.”

“Yes, I did request it. I prefer to stay atop the news and stock market.” His words were murmured almost automatically as his attention faded from the paper. Pure, unfiltered lust seared through him as he allowed his gaze to slide over her.

He struggled with the urge to stride forward and pull the dress from her body.

Holly’s image screamed sensuality. He’d selected the scarlet dress, knowing it would hug her every curve and hide nothing. Cut low in the front and slit high, it would show the world exactly how perfect the woman on his arm was.

It was the sort of dress one would expect the mistress of the infamous Sheikh Rafiq Hakimi to wear. However it was not, he sensed, something Holly was comfortable in. When he’d purchased it, he hadn’t spared a thought to how she would feel in it. What had it mattered? He’d thought her a woman who lived to display herself.

But everything had changed and he knew Holly well enough now to realize she’d not be pleased to wear such a dress.

She must have grown uncomfortable under his scrutiny because she folded her arms across her middle, her gaze flickering with uncertainty. The action only moved to plump up her breasts.

He groaned at the image. His loins stirred against the black trousers of his tux.

“You don’t like the dress, Rafiq?”

“You look stunning, Holly. But I selected the dress—” He hesitated. When I was angry with you. When I wanted to show the world every inch of what was mine. “It is not a question of whether I like it, but whether you do.”

She gave a slight shrug. “It’s a stunning dress. I’m sure you selected it with consideration.”

“Yes, I did, but that was not my question, habiba.”

Holly stared at him for a long pause. Clearly she debated how honest to be. “All right. I admit perhaps it’s not my usual taste, but I don’t mind wearing the dress if it pleases you.”

It wasn’t the dress that pleased him, but the acquiescent words from Holly’s lips. And yet it momentarily threw him. He’d grown accustomed to fighting her over every little thing. Such agreeability didn’t quite fit with the Holly he knew.

“I do like it.” He just wasn’t certain he wanted everyone at the gala to see her in it and for every man to experience the same lust that raced through his blood at this moment.

“Then I’ll wear it. I don’t mind. Really.” She gave what was almost a self-conscious laugh and glanced up at him through her lashes. There was a sparkle in her eyes and a shy smile on her lips. “You look quite handsome yourself in that tuxedo, Rafiq. I should have said so right away.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, but he was distracted.

Something about her demeanor set off alarm bells in his head; it was a mannerism he recognized from other women he’d slept with. Not recently, but back before the attempt on his life. Before he looked like this.

The realization Holly might be at risk of developing feelings for him wasn’t as cloying as he would’ve expected. As a younger man the thought of a woman becoming attached made him run, and run fast.

With Holly, his reaction was notably different. Pleasure slid slow and warm through him, along with possessiveness. His fingers itched with the urge to pull her into his arms or sweep her up and carry her back to the bedroom.

And it wasn’t just her appearance he was drawn to. There was so much beyond her physical beauty, and he still reeled at the innocence that had been her foundation.

Another vision flickered in his mind, and for a moment the vibrant image of her wavered, replaced with another one. The image of Holly terrified, a knife pressed to her throat. It was eerily similar to one of the last images he had of his mother.

He blinked and it was gone, but what didn’t vanish was the cold sweat on the back of his neck, or the ramifications of what could happen to her if she stayed in his life.

Holly’s smile faded. “You look like you’ve suddenly taken ill, Rafiq. Are you all right?”

He shook his head, scattering the ominous thoughts. “I’m fine. The limo is waiting downstairs. Shall we go?”

For a moment it seemed she was going to say more, but then she gave a slight nod. “I just need to grab my clutch, but then, yes, I’ll be ready.”

She turned and walked back into their room.

So lovely. Rafiq visually traced the delicate curve of her bare spine before it disappeared beneath the clingy red fabric.

He forced himself to look away, curling his hands into fists. He had to be very careful with Holly indeed. Because falling in love was not, and never would be, an option for him.

Not with Holly. Not with any woman.