The Sheikh’s Tempted Prisoner by Holly Rayner Page 0,35
just couldn’t bring myself to share my shame.”
She tilted her head up to look at him and wrapped her palm around his bristled chin.
“Let’s just put the past in the rearview mirror and move on, shall we? I—” She hissed as a sharp pain shot along her heels.
Atnan’s eyes narrowed.
“We need to get you treated. Come, I have an apartment not far from here. Would you like to see my actual life now that my exile has been lifted?”
Lily nodded, smiling through the pain. The Sheikh moved to open the door, but Lily pulled him back to her, his expression curious before she put her lips on his and kissed him deeply. Not one to question the embrace, Atnan held her close, returning the kiss in full force.
He pulled away, pressing his forehead against hers.
“We need to get you cleaned up and hydrated. You’ve been through too much today, my love.”
Her heart fluttered at those words. Could they have managed to find love so soon after meeting one another?
“Can you walk?” he asked, his eyes filled with concern.
“Not very easily,” she admitted.
He nodded, bent over, and scooped her into his arms, lifting her as though she weighed no more than a feather. Smiling, Lily wrapped her arms around his neck, delighting in the sensation of being safe and in Atnan’s arms once again.
They received a few curious stares as they left the police station, Atnan unapologetically carrying Lily in his arms. Considering the charges he had faced and the reputation he had garnered, they understood the looks. Lily looked forward to the day they would no longer have to face them. She had faith that Kaveh would set things right once again.
When Atnan stepped into the late afternoon sun, Lily saw his blue getaway car parked haphazardly in front of the building.
“In a rush, were you?” she asked, smiling.
He grinned down at her.
“I had someone very important to find. I wouldn’t call her a damsel in distress, but…”
He rolled his eyes, and she laughed again, relief coursing through her as he carefully opened the passenger side door while still holding her and helped her into the seat. It was cool against her hot skin, and she embraced the sensation.
“If ever I needed a knight in shining armor, I’m glad it was you,” she said as he sat in the driver’s seat.
He reached out and took her hand, pressing the back of it to his lips before turning on the engine and pulling away from the station. As the gray building disappeared in the rearview mirror, Lily felt herself begin to relax, the world sinking back into the steady peace they had found in the palace ruins. They drove in comfortable silence, Atnan still holding Lily’s hand and occasionally planting kisses on it as he drove.
They reached a tall building that was fashioned with red clay bricks. A metallic bay door opened when Atnan pressed a button, and they drove into a shiny underground garage.
“Ah, so the modern world simply hides beneath the surface of this place, does it?” Lily asked.
Atnan nodded.
“You’ll find Al Yibri is filled with secrets. I will show you in time.”
Lily liked the sound of that very much.
Atnan pulled into a parking spot and shut off the engine before opening his door, then walked over to her side before she had a chance to open hers. Atnan opened it for her, holding out his hand for her to take. She did, stepping tentatively out of the car before he dipped her once and then lifted her back into his arms.
“I’m not that crippled,” she told him with a grin.
She instantly regretted the light protest. There was no reason for her to avoid being in Atnan’s arms. Fortunately for her, he simply shrugged and continued walking toward an elevator while holding her.
“I take personal accountability for your current condition, and I plan on providing the full remedy. There’s no use in fighting me on this, Lily. You will be properly cared for, so you might as well enjoy it.”
She laughed.
“You are as stubborn as you are kind.”
“A sheikh knows no other way,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
They rode up the elevator together, enjoying being locked in an embrace. When they reached the top floor, the doors opened to a narrow hallway that led to a single door. Atnan pulled a key from his pocket, deftly unlocked it, and swung it open.
Lily had to admit that there was a matrimonial feel when they crossed the threshold.