Seduced by the Sheik (The Raminar Family #1)- Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,31

A few minutes later, Harper stood as well and walked casually out of the dining room, that warmth following her as she made her way through the maze of hallways.

Once she’d reached her room, she got ready for bed, wondering what crisis had called Amit away. He hadn’t even sighed when his assistant had stepped into the dining room, indicating that this was a normal occurrence. How often was Amit’s day interrupted by one crisis or another, she wondered? And what would it be like to be married to a man with so many responsibilities?

She laughed, shaking her head and letting her hair drift down over her shoulders. Now that the pins were out, she scrubbed her fingers along her scalp.

The knock on her door interrupted her fantasy and she swung around, frowning at the closed door. It was Amit, she thought immediately.

“I’m not here,” she whispered. But before she could finish that thought, the door opened and he stepped into the room.

“You didn’t answer,” he said, closing the door firmly behind him.

“I…um…” she looked around, flailing for a reason why she hadn’t answered.

“You’re nervous,” he observed. It wasn’t a question.

“I’m fine,” she lied.

Amit pushed away from the door, sauntering towards her, his intent clear in his eyes. “Should I apologize for this afternoon?” he asked, reaching out to pull her blond hair forward, over her shoulders. His eyes followed his hands, examining the blond locks.

“I…um…” she cleared her throat, trying to find that shield of professionalism. Unfortunately, his hands were warm and the man smelled incredibly good! “It was just a kiss,” she finally replied. “A kiss of gratitude.”

He shook his head. “Not gratitude,” he countered. “This is a kiss of gratitude.” Amit lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a polite kiss to her fingers before lowering her hand back to her side. “This,” he warned softly, his other hand coming up to curl around her neck, “is a different kind of kiss.”

Harper was stunned when his lips covered hers because, yes, this was a completely different kind of kiss. Again, her body curled into his. He didn’t have to pull her into his arms because she stepped forward, touching his shoulder as he deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened and she held her breath as he held her head in his hand, controlling the passion…barely!

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared into his hazel eyes, stunned all over again by his kiss.

“Yes,” she blurted.

“Perhaps you need another example,” he offered, stepping into her. But Harper pulled back, lifting a hand to stop him.

“I don’t think that is a good idea.”

“Why not?”

She laughed, feeling…odd. Out of control and…as if the world had suddenly changed course and she no longer knew where she was headed.

“Let’s just say that I think it would be safer if we didn’t do that again.” She stared up at him, wondering if he would accept that. When the tension in his features eased, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Will you come riding with me tomorrow?”

The question was so far from where her mind was, it took a long moment for her to process the request.

“Um…riding?” She looked up into those hazel eyes of his, completely confused.

“Yes. Tomorrow? You enjoy riding, correct?”

Riding? She gulped and looked at the floor, trying to hide her sudden panic. “On horses?” she squeaked.

He chuckled and her cheeks flamed red. “Yes. Horses. For now.”

Harper took several more steps backwards, nervously tucking her hair behind her ears. “No. I…um…I’m not a fan of horses. But thank you for the invitation.”

He frowned thoughtfully. “Why don’t you like horses?”

She laughed, shaking off the illusion of that crazy kiss. “Because they frighten me?”

He shook his head. “That can’t be allowed. Meet me at the stables tomorrow morning. I’ll introduce you to a very gentle mare and will teach you to ride.”

She was shaking her head even before he reached the end of the sentence. “No. Thank you for the offer, but I prefer to admire horses from a distance.”

He chuckled. “Harper, have you ever met a horse up close?”

“Nope. And it isn’t going to happen tomorrow either.” She crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

He moved closer and she knew that she was in trouble. “Horses are huge animals!” she gasped, holding up both hands to stop his forward momentum. “And they are stronger than I am!”

He nodded as if she’d said something profound. He took her hand and placed it against his chest. “Yes. They are. My stallion weighs just over thirteen hundred