The Sheikh’s Tempted Prisoner by Holly Rayner Page 0,36

To her surprise, it felt perfectly natural. She would have pondered that thought a bit more if she hadn’t been completely blown away by Atnan’s penthouse apartment.

All around them were windows, providing an almost three-hundred-sixty-degree view of the city below. Gazing out at the horizon, Lily could even see where the forest ended and the desert began. A plush brown sofa sat before them, facing the windows, with a large television just off to the side. Atnan placed Lily gently on the couch before heading in the direction of what appeared to be a massive kitchen.

“Let’s take care of those feet. Then, if you’d like, you can take a shower and get cleaned up.”

Braving a look at the bottoms of her feet, Lily winced as she saw blisters and bruises all over them. She took an inventory of the rest of her body as well, trying to discern just what hurt the most. Her skin was pink from the sun but fortunately hadn’t been terribly burned during her time trudging through the shifting sands.

Atnan returned with a basin of hot water and lavender-scented soap. He pulled up a chair in front of her and, to her surprise, lifted one foot at a time and gently cleaned her wounds. His tender caress on her skin, even though it was wounded, had her heart racing. She longed to wrap her arms around him once again and kiss him until the stars turned cold.

He finished up, placing the basin aside.

“That should do it. Now, would you like a shower while I cook us up some dinner?”

Lily gazed out the windows. The sun was setting, a creamy orange glow painting the horizon. She looked back at Atnan.

“That would be heavenly,” she said, feeling entirely filthy.

She wanted to be clean, dressed, and cuddling on the couch, as though the past twenty-four hours had never happened, as though they had simply met on a night out and were dating like a normal couple. Of course, their story was much more interesting than all that.

Atnan nodded and helped her up. After his care, walking was much easier for her, and she held his hand as he led her to a large, brick-walled bathroom. There was even a small fireplace against the wall where the bathtub stood.

“Wow, that is awesome,” Lily said, and Atnan kissed the back of her neck, sending a shiver up her spine.

“Perhaps when you are feeling better, we can try it out.”

She turned to look up at him, her eyes warm.

“I would like that very much,” she replied.

He nodded.

“There are fresh towels under the sink, and you should be able to find any soaps you’d like. Take your time in here. I have to run to the market to get supplies, anyway.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Lily said, admiring the large, plate-shaped showerhead.

Atnan kissed her cheek before dashing out of the room. Lily almost ran after him to kiss him again, but she told herself there would be plenty of time for that. Besides, it would be much more polite to do so after cleaning the sand and sweat from her skin.

After stripping off her clothes, Lily turned on the shower faucet and allowed the water to heat up before stepping beneath the hot stream. She nearly groaned in pleasure at the feel of it. Reaching for a bottle of soap, she took her time lathering up her body, cleaning every inch of herself and removing any evidence of the ordeal she had just gone though.

When she was finished, she turned off the faucet and reached for a large, fluffy towel, making quick work of drying off. Atnan’s bedroom was attached to the bathroom, and she stepped inside and riffled through some drawers until she found a comfortable pair of pajama bottoms and a large white shirt. She pressed her nose against the shirt, breathing in Atnan’s clean scent.

As she walked out of the bedroom, braiding her wet hair, the mouthwatering scent of chicken and spices reached her nostrils. Atnan was at the stove, looking happier than he had since she’d met him. He turned and grinned when he heard her walk in.

“I’m glad you were able to find something comfortable to wear,” he said, flipping vegetables in the skillet he was using.

“I did, thank you,” she said.

There were two glasses of red wine on the granite counter and a stool for her to sit on. Just as she had at the palace, Lily took her seat there, watching as Atnan prepared