The Sheik's Dangerous Lover Page 0,9

hands pulled her hips against his. Hard. She whimpered with increased need and her arms slid up from his chest to his neck, pulling herself closer to him.

She felt his hands shift, reveled in the amazing sensations ripping through her body. But then his hand covered her breast through the fabric of her silk shirt and she gasped, ripping herself out of his embrace. She stared up at him, her body braced for a fight, not sure what had just happened. What had he done? What had she done?

She stared up at him and watched with growing confusion as the fire in his eyes increased and a slow, sexy smile grew on those lips that had just been kissing her.

“No man has ever touched your breasts. Am I right?” he asked, his chest swelling with pride that this beautiful woman was so responsive. To him.

She shook her head, trying to clear away the confusion but he knew that the only thing that would put that fire out and make sense was a culmination of what they’d just been doing. “Don’t fight it, Shanelle,” he said softly and stepped closer to her. He wanted to comfort her but she stepped back, pressing into the bannister behind her.

He stopped, but only because he didn’t want to frighten her any more. What they’d done together showed him without a doubt that the two of them would be sexually compatible. “Why are you so afraid of me?” he asked as he led her back towards the breakfast room.

Shanelle looked around and realized that there wasn’t anyone else on the balcony. “Where did everyone else go?” she asked, more focused on that issue than his question.

Malik looked around. “I think my guards cleared out the area and the windows so that I could kiss you without everyone witnessing.”

Shanelle groaned. “I can’t believe you did that!” she gasped. “Why on earth would you give that sort of command to your guards?”

“Because I don’t enjoy others watching me.” He thought that would be self-explanatory.

She shook her head, her palm slapping against her forehead. “Not that!” she replied, shuddering at the idea of someone taking a picture of them kissing. It would be on the Internet already if that had happened. “First of all, you shouldn’t have kissed me,” she told him sternly. “And secondly, having your guards shoo everyone away just about advertised what you were doing!”

“What we were doing,” he corrected, emphasizing that she was a more than willing participant.

Shanelle’s head bowed in shame. “Yes. I’m sorry, but I can’t do this,” she said. Looking up at him she asked, “Is there a less obtrusive way to get back inside?” She tried to come up with a logical reason why they would be out here together and then entering the breakfast area together but her mind came up blank. “If we just went in to breakfast from different directions, maybe no one will ask any questions or make assumptions.”

Malik considered her request. He knew that if he walked into that breakfast room, every pair of eyes would watch. It would almost be an announcement of his intentions. And they would all know exactly what the two of them had been doing out on the balcony since Shanelle’s lips were swollen from his kiss.

“If I show you a back way, will you promise me something?” he asked gently. He too wanted his privacy. If it had been any other woman, he probably wouldn’t care. But there was something about this delicate beauty that got to him. He wanted to make her happy. That was a feeling he hadn’t anticipated feeling towards his future spouse since this courtship had to be accomplished so quickly.

“Anything,” she assured him instantly. If it got her out of re-entering that ballroom on his arm, and possibly getting some space from him, she would promise to do just about anything.

He laughed softly at her eagerness and ran a finger down her cheek, enjoying the feel of her shivers as it trailed down her neck as well. “Promise that you’ll be open to this weekend. To me. I won’t deny that I have to marry and do so quickly. But I hadn’t anticipated meeting someone like you.”

Shanelle swallowed. She thought about what she could say, but getting to know a man like Malik was not a good career move. And then something occurred to her as she suddenly realized that she might really want this. At least to get to know him.

“I’ll be open