The Sheikh’s Tempted Prisoner by Holly Rayner Page 0,20

a deep, resounding sadness at his words. The world of fiction provided so much more than an escape! There were lessons and morals and so many truths wrapped up in nonexistent worlds.

Seeing her expression, Atnan turned away, pulled at the double doors, and opened them both.

Inside was a cavernous library full of shelves loaded with old tomes and volumes. Lily gaped in wonder at the sight of it. Wooden ladders stretched up toward the ceiling, granting access to the thousands of works surrounding them. The scent of old books enveloped her like a good friend, and she took a reverent step forward.

“This is…” she whispered, unable to finish her sentence.

She felt like she was in church, someplace sacred that deserved whispers. When she met Atnan’s eyes, his expression was amused.

“What do you think?” he boomed, his voice echoing across the space.

Lily fought the urge to shush him, realizing it was his library they were standing in, after all. She grinned.

“This is amazing!” she exclaimed, calling out the last word as it resounded around them.

They both laughed, and Lily stared around again in wonder.

“Seriously though, this is unreal. Now you’re going to tell me that every single book in here is for ‘learning purposes’ only?”

Atnan grinned conspiratorially at her, his dimple showing as he did so. Surrounded by books, Lily nearly jumped up and kissed him. It was one of the most romantic places she had ever been. After all, she was an English major. Books were her thing, her one true love.

“The truth is, my mother didn’t buy into that teaching style at all. She loved fiction and everything about it, so my father built her this library. There are fiction books hidden here and there, usually closer to the top. Come this way.”

He stepped around a large writing desk, skimming his fingers along what appeared to be an encyclopedia set. When he reached the letter “S,” he tugged the top toward him, and the shelf popped open at the end.

“Whoa! A secret passageway!”

Lily watched with giddy excitement as Atnan pulled the bookshelf door toward them, opening a dark, wooden passage. He glanced at her, taking a step back and gesturing toward the entrance.

“After you,” he said.

Intrigued, Lily stepped past him, the scent of his cologne and the library filling her senses and making her heart flutter. As she stepped in, he reached past her and flicked a switch. A series of sconces lit up, lighting the way to another door at the end of the short passage. Lily walked up to it and turned the metal knob reverently.

When the door opened, Lily saw another room that was filled with even more books and a comfortable seating area in the middle. This room was markedly different, though. Along the bottom shelves were rows and rows of colorful picture books, many of which Lily recognized on sight. As the shelves grew higher, the books thickened. They were seemingly organized by age level.

She stood silently, taking it in for some time before Atnan cleared his throat.

“I had forgotten about this room until I came back here. I remembered my mother bringing me here and cuddling with our secret books for hours, my father always asking where we had dashed off to. He loved her so much, he hardly cared that she was such a rule breaker.”

He stepped farther into the room, allowing his fingers to caress a line of books.

“It’s not like fiction is forbidden or anything. It’s just not a big part of our culture. As royals, we have certain standards to uphold.”

Lily inhaled deeply, savoring the scent and magic of the space. Even though Atnan’s mother was long gone, this room held her essence in a way that welcomed everyone who walked in to join the secret and enjoy it themselves. She pulled a book off of the highest shelf she could reach and read the cover.

“Ooh, I had to read this my freshman year of college,” she said, opening the book and glancing through the pages.

Atnan leaned over her shoulder, and she fought back a tremble at his warm presence so close behind her.

“Funny you should pick it up; I read it last week. With so much free time on my hands, I find I spend an awful lot of it in this room, catching up on the worlds I never had the pleasure to experience when I was young.”

“What did you think of it?”

“I thought it was predictable and poorly executed.”

“What!? But the story is loaded with hidden