Royals Untamed!. Annie West

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ through the throng of people, all smiling her way and eager to catch her attention. She smiled back with graceful dignity and followed, but inside quaked at the thought of seeing her father-in-law again. Kazim’s revelations about his childhood only reinforced her first impression of the man: hard, mean and relentless.

      ‘I see my son has succeeded.’ Sheikh Amir Al Amed fixed her with a piercing glare and Amber met it head-on, taking in the implication of his words.

      ‘Did you doubt him?’ She couldn’t help herself. She wasn’t going to stand meekly before him and allow him to intimidate her. Kazim’s arm loosened on hers. She’d spoken out of turn.

      Kazim’s father looked first at his son with narrowed eyes then back to her and she felt the full force of his scrutiny.

      ‘I’m pleased to see you are feeling stronger today, Father,’ Kazim interjected into the conversation. ‘It does us both a great honour that you are present this evening.’

      Kazim’s gallant words salved his father’s prickly demeanour, but she knew he was doing what came naturally. He was stepping in, protecting her. Just as he’d done for his mother and because of that he’d got hurt. The scar on his chest bore testament to that. Her heart softened and instinctively she moved closer to Kazim.

      Sheikh Amir nodded in satisfaction, keeping his eyes firmly on Amber. ‘I made a wise choice with your marriage.’

      ‘You did,’ Amber boldly answered and felt Kazim turn to look at her, but she kept her eyes locked with his father.

      She blinked in shock when Sheikh Amir laughed a deep, throaty laugh and for a brief moment she saw the handsome man he must have once been. ‘A wise choice indeed. Now go. Do your duty.’

      Dismissed, she allowed Kazim to guide her across the room full of people, her knees suddenly weak from the encounter with his father.

      ‘You’ve won him over,’ Kazim whispered in her ear as the music became louder and the dancing more lively. He gestured to her to sit as they took their places for the festivities. ‘I should have known you would. You won me over just as easily.’

      Amber was saved from replying by a dancing display before them. Women in bright colours, adorned with gold jewellery, swayed and danced as the music soared to the domed roof of the palace. It was spectacular and took on a dreamlike quality. To think, just a few days ago she was waitressing in Paris, saving for the art course she had enrolled in...

      Soon the most delicious food she’d ever tasted began to be served and she made polite conversation with those around her. Every move she made, she could feel Kazim’s eyes on her, hot and passionate, openly devouring her. Even when he was apparently deep in conversation with others she felt his gaze slide to her, slip down her body as if he was removing every piece of silk from her.

      The torment continued for several hours and, just when she thought she couldn’t take it any more, Kazim came and stood next to her, took her hand and led her away from the festivities, just as he had done on their wedding night.

      Panic sluiced over her as she wondered what would happen when they were alone. Would he retreat to his sumptuous room within their suite? Cold fear trickled down her spine, as if she were beneath an icy shower. She hadn’t mentioned the money, hadn’t told him what her mother had come to tell her about how her father was using Kazim’s money.

      All those thoughts left her mind as he turned to look at her, the black depths of his eyes swirling with unashamed passion.

      ‘This is what should have happened on our wedding night,’ he said as he closed the doors of their suite and gathered her up into his arms, marching into his room and placing her on the bed.

      ‘I thought we’d already had our wedding night, in England,’ she teased, swept away with the moment. She totally forgot her earlier decision of adopting cool aloofness as he pulled off his headdress, revealing tousled dark hair that her fingers itched to slide into.

      ‘I am making amends for the past and tonight, here in my palace, in Barazbin we shall have our wedding night.’

      He moved towards the bed and a rush of heated desire swept over her, but his next words doused the flame of passion almost instantly.

      ‘Tomorrow I am going into the desert.’

      He was leaving her? She couldn’t face being alone in the palace now. Despite the fact that until tonight he’d only tolerated her presence out of duty, she wanted to be with him. ‘I’d like to come.’

      ‘It is not a place for a princess.’ He looked at her, shock evident on his face.

      His words didn’t deter her, not once the idea had taken shape in her mind, but as he pulled off his robes, revealing his glorious body she had to focus on what he’d said.

      She should tell him about the money her father had taken from him on false pretences, but as he strode, almost naked, towards the bed, all thoughts of that left her mind.

      ‘I need to be seen with you—is that not what you said in England?’ She pushed her argument forward, trying not to give into the fire which raged inside her body as he lay on the bed next to her, propping himself up with one hand and sliding the other over her silk-covered body. ‘Take me with you.’

      ‘The desert is not a place for a princess and, besides, I live like a nomad whilst out there.’ His hand trailed seductively over her breasts and her nipples hardened in immediate response. He smiled. A knowing and sexy smile.

      ‘Would it not help your cause if I came with you?’ She purred the question at him as her body moved in answer to his caress. ‘I could keep you warm at night.’

      Instantly his mouth claimed hers in a hard and passionate kiss, which left her reeling from its intensity. His hands pulled at the sumptuous gold silk impatiently and she pressed herself against his nakedness, feeling more powerful, more attractive than she ever had before.

      This was the man she loved with all her heart and she wanted to be with him wherever he went, despite all she’d said and promised herself.

      ‘Temptress,’ he growled as finally the silk gave way and his hands found her skin. His touch burnt as his fingers caressed her breast.

      ‘Please, Kazim, I want to go with you.’ He kissed her again and she wound her arms about his neck, surrendering to the moment. When the kiss ended she whispered seductively, ‘Take me with you.’

      ‘What man could refuse such an offer?’

       CHAPTER EIGHT

      THE HEAT OF the desert was far more intense than Amber remembered. Or was it the man who was now steering the four-wheel drive across the blistering expanse of sand which stretched for miles ahead of them that was causing the intensity? Memories of yet another night in Kazim’s arms made her pulse race and she stole a glance at his profile; lines of concentration were furrowing his brow.

      All her planned indifference to him was forgotten, lost in the passion he’d brought to life within her with just one glance, one touch. She loved him and as she had to be here in Barazbin at the moment she was going to make the most of it. Certain he didn’t love her, she needed to make each and every one of those moments last her a СКАЧАТЬ