A Secret Birthright - By Olivia Gates Page 0,39
trick in the book of unrepentant seduction to make her relinquish her intentions.
He had, but only until the next day had dawned. She’d pulled back every morning, forcing him to recapture her each night. Then today, he’d come home running when Emad had informed him she’d been trying to arrange her departure from Jizaan.
That had driven it home that something serious was behind her persistence. But chiding her for trying to depart behind his back hadn’t shed any light on that motivation, or obtained a promise that she wouldn’t repeat her efforts. He’d given up trying, taken her in his arms, and everything had been burned away in their mutual abandon.
He still knew passion-induced amnesia would lift and she’d wake up pinched and troubled, and it would be déjà vu all over again.
But he wasn’t worried anymore.
He’d finally figured out why she tried to limit their involvement to a passion with a daily-extended expiration date.
His lifelong experience had been with women who’d wanted him for his status and wealth. But for Gwen, the reverse was true. Even though she appreciated everything that he was, the man and the surgeon, the very things that attracted other women repelled her. She’d made it clear how vital to her equality in a relationship was. How deeply disturbed she must be at what she perceived as the imbalance of power between them.
But now that he knew the source of her agitation and aversion, he had the perfect solution in mind.
Feeling secure next morning would break the cycle of her daily withdrawal, he snuggled with her and closed his eyes, contentment blanketing him.
“You can’t mean that!”
Fareed watched Gwen bolt up in bed, sighed. “Here we go again.”
Gwen groaned. “Don’t you start again, you know what I mean. But you still can’t mean that!”
He stroked the gleaming tresses that rained over the peaked perfection of her breasts. “I can and I do.”
She moaned as she caught his hands. “Don’t, Fareed. This is out of the question.”
“No, it’s not. You’re ideal, to say the least.”
Exasperation rose in her eyes again. “You’re just saying that because…”
And he turned serious. “Because I’m lucky beyond measure that the woman who blinds me with lust also arouses my utmost professional respect and satisfies my most demanding scientific standards.”
She gaped at him, then groaned, “Don’t exaggerate, please.”
He sighed again. “Do credit me with some professional integrity, ya roh galbi.”
“Don’t tell me you can’t find anyone better to be the head of R & D in your new multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical department. A job that seems to have just become available now.”
He shrugged. “It’s been available for a while and no one satisfied all my criteria. You do. Your narrow field of expertise, your body of work and future research plans, all which made me attend your presentation those years ago, fit the closest with my own practice’s best interests, and the center’s overall focus.” He ran a finger down her neck, between her breasts and lower. “What would you have me do? Look for someone less well-suited because you happen to be my specific libido trigger, too?”
She fidgeted in response to his words and touch. “Many would consider that a conflict of interest.”
“I’d consider it a conflagration of interest. Beside this…” He caught her against his chest, groaned his delight as her lush breasts flattened against him, as her breath caught and her body heated again. “I’d get the most innovative and intrepid researcher in the field I’m interested in, while you fulfill your professional aspirations. Think what you can achieve, for your own career, for me and the center, for the world, with all the resources I’ll put at your fingertips.”
She still shook her head. “I—I can’t stay here, Fareed.”
He chalked one point up to his cause. She was no longer contesting the position itself, was down to the next worry.
“I know some aspects of the kingdom and culture are alien to you, maybe even disturbing. But many aspects delight you, too, and you’ve assimilated into much of your surroundings. And then I will never let anything negative affect you, or Ryan or Rose, in any way.”
She bit her lip. He restrained his desire to replace them with his—he had to let her air her doubts so he could pulverize them.
She finally exhaled. “Nothing is really negative as much as it’s different. But you and your family… I just can’t get my head around how much power you wield here.”
He’d been right. She was disturbed by the extent of his and his