right in the path of the curious man she’d specifically been trying to avoid. She’d tried to ignore the man during meals but he only started arguments with her, seeming to know exactly how to push her buttons and get her to join in the argument. He was supposed to be flirting with the other women staying here at the palace, but he barely even glanced in their direction, despite their best attempts to lure his attention their way. Life was a bit out of control, she thought.
She snuggled more comfortably on the deep cushions, wondering why the man was so argumentative with her. And why didn’t he think that Besrani Tolame, the beautiful blond woman sitting to the right of him at dinner tonight, was a good candidate for his wife?
Not that she’d thought the woman was very nice, she thought with a yawn. The blond had irritated her to no end with her sappy stories about all the volunteer work she’d supposedly done. What a crock, Shanelle thought as she leaned her head back against the soft cushion behind her.
Malik looked down at the gorgeous woman who had fallen asleep on the chair out on her balcony. The white material of her nightgown seemed conservative enough, but because of the cut of the gown, her long, slender legs were exposed to his viewing pleasure. Not to mention the bodice was loose enough to droop open, giving him an enticing view of the luscious swells of her breasts.
He’d come here to make sure she was comfortable, intending only to knock on her door then move on down the hallway to his own suite of rooms. But when there wasn’t an answer after he’d knocked, and the body guards now assigned to protect her assured him that she hadn’t left through either the doorway or the balcony, he stepped inside the room. He just wanted to make sure she was okay. He could have sent a servant in, but for some reason, he wanted to see her himself.
The view he was now looking at, with her shimmering night gown draped around her and her long, black hair falling over her shoulder, he knew he’d made the right decision. He even liked the fact that she didn’t want to be his wife. He had to fight to win her, and he relished the challenge.
He bent down and lifted her into his arms, intending to take her to bed so she could sleep more comfortably. He was stunned by how little she weighed. He carried her to the bed and was just about to put her on the mattress when she woke up.
“It’s you,” she sighed.
“Were you expecting someone else?” he asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her nose against his skin. He almost growled with the need that surged through him with her sleepy touch. She didn’t know what she was doing, he reminded himself. She was more than half asleep. He needed to be a gentleman here.
But when her nose nuzzled his ear, his arms tightened around her. “I wasn’t expecting you at all. You’re too strong,” she sighed into his neck.
Malik stood there with her in his arms, looking down at her. “Is being too strong a bad thing?” he asked, not sure where her mind was going with this.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She smiled slightly, but her eyes were still closed. “Because I didn’t realize that I liked strong men until I met you.”
“You preferred weak men?”
She laughed slightly, still sleepy. “Definitely not. But I like you.”
Malik groaned again when he felt her fingers touched his hair. Her fingers weren’t still either, tangling in his hair and touching the sensitive skin on his neck. The feeling shot right through him and he had to grit his teeth or he would ravish the woman right here.
“Would you mind kissing me again?” she asked on a sigh.
Malik looked down at her and saw that her eyes were now open.
“I don’t think that would be a very good idea.”
She grimaced. “Probably not. I was just hoping that the way I felt when you kissed me yesterday was just my imagination.”
With those words, Malik couldn’t stop himself. He let her legs slide down his body but kept her warmth flush against his. He enjoyed the softness of her breasts against his chest, her lithe legs which she pressed against his more muscular ones. And the allure of those full, soft lips was more than he could resist. Bending low, he took