The Sheikh’s Tempted Prisoner by Holly Rayner Page 0,37

what would clearly be a stunning, delicious meal.

He turned off the burner and faced her, taking a sip of wine.

“This feels so strange, doesn’t it? As though we’ve been doing it forever.”

Lily nodded, drinking from her own glass and watching him hungrily. While it did feel that way, the stress of the past day still weighed on her mind.

He moved around the counter and turned her chair. She wrapped her arms around his waist, gazing up at him.

“Our secrets are no longer hidden,” he said. “We are finally free. I promise never to keep anything from you again, Lily. I want you to know that.”

She stood, then, unable to keep herself from kissing him. He dipped his head, seeing where she was headed, and they kissed deeply, all thoughts of food instantly forgotten. Atnan pressed his body to hers, igniting a heat inside her that refused to burn out.

Lifting her once more, he carried her across the living room and into his bedroom, not bothering to close the door behind them. The Sheikh made passionate love to her then, their hearts and bodies entangling as they released their fear, leaving all their secrets far behind them.

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, Lily found herself waking up slowly. Flashes of hot desert and handcuffs had haunted her dreams, though when she’d woken up in the night, she had found herself wrapped in Atnan’s strong embrace and able to drift peacefully back to sleep.

The morning sun poured in through the windows, which stretched the length of the Sheikh’s massive bedroom. Lily turned in the circle of his arms, Atnan shifting to hold her closer as she nuzzled into his chest. As the sun continued to rise into the blue sky, Lily finally opened her eyes and found Atnan watching her.

“I love you,” he said.

She smiled up at him, winding her arm around his waist and gliding her fingers over his strong muscles.

“I love you, too, Atnan,” she replied.

“I’m sorry,” he said then, and she frowned.

“Why?”

“Because I’ll never forgive myself for not being honest with you, for driving you away. It eats me up inside.”

She caressed his face with her fingers, his black stubble more pronounced from his second day of going unshaven. They had been a bit busy, after all.

“For my sake, I hope you will. We were both foolish and reckless, and there are always things people can do better. That’s what makes us human. If we don’t forgive ourselves, then we’ll never truly live.”

He stroked her faced gently with his fingers, his eyes filled with adoration.

“You really are a skilled teacher. You have so many valuable lessons.”

Lily chuckled.

“Well, I suppose we’ll find out in time. Until then, how do you feel about fixing up some breakfast together just like old times?”

He pressed a gentle kiss along her temple, waking up her senses.

“I think that sounds outstanding,” he said against her skin.

Lily considered tackling him then, making love to him one more time, but Atnan was out of bed and dressing before she had a chance. Telling herself there would be plenty of time for that, she sat up, stretching before she put on the pajamas she had worn, ever so briefly, the night before.

Together, they made their way into the kitchen. Already, Lily’s body was healing up nicely, and her feet felt almost good as new, likely due to Atnan’s careful attention the day before. He removed the skillet from the burner, which had been completely ignored as they’d focused on more important things, and began whipping up a pair of veggie omelets while Lily squeezed the juice from a bag of fresh oranges.

Lily’s heart warmed as she took a moment to appreciate the homey scene. They had settled into domesticity so easily with one another, but their love was so much more than that. There was a passion lurking beneath the surface, always boiling, waiting to surface.

Taking a sip of orange juice, Lily stepped into the living room and stared out at the city. There were parks and busy roads filled with morning traffic. As she brought her glass to her lips again, her hand froze as reality invaded her bubble.

Marissa.

Lily gasped, and Atnan dropped his spatula, rushing into the living room.

“What is it? What happened?” he asked, searching her face.

She looked back up at him, her expression distraught.

“Marissa,” she sighed, but Atnan only stared at her in confusion.

“My friend, the one whose car I was borrowing. The one whose apartment I was staying in while I was here, where all