The Sheikh's Stubborn Lover (The Adjalane Sheikhs Series Book 2) by Leslie North
Authors: Leslie North
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temples—right then left, and slowly kissed her lips, finding them soft as rose petals. He wanted to gather her close, to shield her. He wanted things from her he had never thought to want. An image flashed in his mind of her with a babe in her arms. Ah…that would be heaven. And impossible. She was the daughter of his father’s enemy. She was the woman who stood between him and all he wanted. And still he cradled her.
“Rest now,” he said rolling to the side and pulling her with him. He kissed her ear and whispered, “ Habibiti .” But he wondered if he really meant the word this time.
Chapter 11
The wind had stopped when Michelle woke. She was surprised she had slept at all. The cushions were also bare. Pulling on her shirt, she headed outside. She found Adilan in the nearest spring. Letting her shirt drop away, she waded in. This spring was deeper than the other one she had been in. The water covered her, warm and scented with minerals. She swam over to Adilan.
“I never want to leave,” he said and wrapped his arms around her.
She gave a soft hum. “We’ll have to sometime. You can only hold the real world at bay for so long.”
“For you, I would hold it back forever. I would have camels bring us food and clothing and we would live here.”
She laughed and pulled away from him. “You’d be bored in a week, and so would I.”
Grinning, she swam closer, his green eyes darkening. “Never. With you, how could any man be bored?”
Michelle’s face heated. She’d never had such flattery. She tried to imagine Alan saying such things and failed utterly. Turning, she swam to the edge of the spring and climbed out. Grabbing her shirt, she turned back to Adilan. “Thank you. Thank you for this day, for showing me the springs, for…well for a memory I will never forget.”
He climbed from the water, skin glistening. Michelle’s mouth dried. He seemed to be all muscles and long limbs. The water beaded on his dark skin, caught on the curling hair on his chest. He slicked back the black hair on his head and came to her. “Must it end?”
She shook her head and pulled on her shirt. “There never was a beginning, Adilan. Just a moment we could grab.” She touched his face, ran her thumb over the edge of his jaw line. “My life is a long way from here, and your life—well, I don’t think you were looking for a long-term relationship, now were you?”
He put his hands on her hips, sneaking his touch up under the shirt that barely covered her ass. “What if I told you I was not looking, but what I have found with you—I have never felt like this.”
She smiled and shook her head again. Putting a hand flat on his chest, she held him back with the slightest of touches. “Adilan, let’s not ruin this with promises that neither of us can keep. Isn’t that how your dad and my mom got into hot water? Let’s not…well, let’s try and be better than that.”
Slipping away from him, she headed back to the tent to dress. But already her heart was aching. How could she be so stupid as to fall for a guy she barely knew. It had to be the romance of the desert and the oasis. This was a…a fantasy. A mirage. She would dress, she’d go back to her hotel, and then she’d have to figure out what to do. If worse came to worse, she’d have to call her mother for advice. She let out a sigh. Was she ever going to have her own life? Or was it always going to be her running around and doing her mother’s bidding?
***
Adilan cursed as he struggled to clear the sand from the engine. He had stalked back to the tent and dressed quickly, his mood turning sour. Why could he not smile and kiss Michelle and thank her for a lovely afternoon. He had done what he wanted—he had shown her the Zia oasis, he had seduced her and softened her mood. Of course she would make the trade for land, and then she would fly back to America.
That thought left him frowning at the Hummer’s engine. Why should he care if she was here
“Rest now,” he said rolling to the side and pulling her with him. He kissed her ear and whispered, “ Habibiti .” But he wondered if he really meant the word this time.
Chapter 11
The wind had stopped when Michelle woke. She was surprised she had slept at all. The cushions were also bare. Pulling on her shirt, she headed outside. She found Adilan in the nearest spring. Letting her shirt drop away, she waded in. This spring was deeper than the other one she had been in. The water covered her, warm and scented with minerals. She swam over to Adilan.
“I never want to leave,” he said and wrapped his arms around her.
She gave a soft hum. “We’ll have to sometime. You can only hold the real world at bay for so long.”
“For you, I would hold it back forever. I would have camels bring us food and clothing and we would live here.”
She laughed and pulled away from him. “You’d be bored in a week, and so would I.”
Grinning, she swam closer, his green eyes darkening. “Never. With you, how could any man be bored?”
Michelle’s face heated. She’d never had such flattery. She tried to imagine Alan saying such things and failed utterly. Turning, she swam to the edge of the spring and climbed out. Grabbing her shirt, she turned back to Adilan. “Thank you. Thank you for this day, for showing me the springs, for…well for a memory I will never forget.”
He climbed from the water, skin glistening. Michelle’s mouth dried. He seemed to be all muscles and long limbs. The water beaded on his dark skin, caught on the curling hair on his chest. He slicked back the black hair on his head and came to her. “Must it end?”
She shook her head and pulled on her shirt. “There never was a beginning, Adilan. Just a moment we could grab.” She touched his face, ran her thumb over the edge of his jaw line. “My life is a long way from here, and your life—well, I don’t think you were looking for a long-term relationship, now were you?”
He put his hands on her hips, sneaking his touch up under the shirt that barely covered her ass. “What if I told you I was not looking, but what I have found with you—I have never felt like this.”
She smiled and shook her head again. Putting a hand flat on his chest, she held him back with the slightest of touches. “Adilan, let’s not ruin this with promises that neither of us can keep. Isn’t that how your dad and my mom got into hot water? Let’s not…well, let’s try and be better than that.”
Slipping away from him, she headed back to the tent to dress. But already her heart was aching. How could she be so stupid as to fall for a guy she barely knew. It had to be the romance of the desert and the oasis. This was a…a fantasy. A mirage. She would dress, she’d go back to her hotel, and then she’d have to figure out what to do. If worse came to worse, she’d have to call her mother for advice. She let out a sigh. Was she ever going to have her own life? Or was it always going to be her running around and doing her mother’s bidding?
***
Adilan cursed as he struggled to clear the sand from the engine. He had stalked back to the tent and dressed quickly, his mood turning sour. Why could he not smile and kiss Michelle and thank her for a lovely afternoon. He had done what he wanted—he had shown her the Zia oasis, he had seduced her and softened her mood. Of course she would make the trade for land, and then she would fly back to America.
That thought left him frowning at the Hummer’s engine. Why should he care if she was here
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