The Sheikh's Pretend Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 2) (14 page)

Ella sat on a long sun lounger, feeling the cool air against her face as the boat made steady progress westwards. She watched Raz on the seat adjacent to her own. He looked tense, and had been quiet during their shared meal. Now, he gazed out to sea, apparently preoccupied. Ella was sure no-one could see them. The crew were under strict instructions to respect the sheikh's privacy.

Back at the border, Raz had worked with one of the crewmen to gather the filthy sample from the sea. They'd put it inside a glass container, and it was now stowed safely below decks. Ella had concentrated on taking lots of video and still images. She'd felt a sense of completion after packing away the cameras. She had what she had come for. But, the thought tugged at her mind that she had also fallen into something completely unexpected with Raz. Throughout the meal in the yacht's luxurious dining room, Ella had wondered what was the next step in her friendship with Raz.
 

But, surely it was much more than that, she told herself. She had seen a new side to Raz back there at the border. His anger had been genuine as well as his determination to make things right for the tribe so badly affected by Karim's illegal actions. Ella had misjudged Raz. That much was certain.

Ella took a sip of the champagne that she had agreed to try down in the dining room. As long as it was a small amount, she figured a modest celebration was called for. It looked like she would be leaving soon, and that thought caused a troubling sensation in the pit of her stomach.
 

She glanced across at Raz. He was resting his chin on the back of his hand and gazing longingly out across the darkening sea. His brows were deeply furrowed. There was such emotion in that man, she thought. He was an enigma, one that had tormented her since she had arrived. But, she felt they had been forced together to resolve something truly important. Maybe he would learn from this. Perhaps, once she had left him for good, he could use this experience to become an even wiser sheikh.

But, that simple thought caused a tightness to clutch at Ella's throat.

Did she want to leave him? Could she deny her feelings? Only a short while before she had only thought of defiance, only considered how she could escape Raz's determination to control Ella, to possess her.

Raz turned to Ella and smiled wanly. She desperately wanted to know what he was thinking; what was worrying him.

"Penny for your thoughts," she said to him.

Raz looked puzzled. "What?"

"It's an English expression," Ella explained. "What are you thinking about?"

Raz's mouth opened, and he nodded, comprehending her meaning. "I was thinking that you got what you came for. Your time here is over."

Ella's heart skipped a beat. Did he really mean that? "I suppose you're right."
 

She wanted him to disagree with her; demand that she stay. But, he didn't. Instead, he gazed at her. "It's funny, you know," he started to say. "All along I thought you were wrong. That you couldn't possibly know more about my kingdom than I do. But, you were right. And, I was wrong. That hasn't happened too often in the past," he concluded with a note of resignation.

Ella scooted across on her seat until she was only inches away from him. She saw his eyes widen slightly, and he turned toward Ella, interest suddenly filling his gaze.

"I'm sure it hasn't," Ella said. "But, you weren't to know what Karim was up to. People like me can sometimes see things because we're not too close."

Ella suddenly realized that she was probably too close to Raz right now. He looked so deliciously handsome. His dark shirt was open down to the middle of his chest, and his dark pants hugged his hips. Ella's eyes drifted down to the bulge that was clearly obvious. She swallowed and reached across for her glass of champagne. Perhaps drinking hadn't been such a good idea, after all. But, she took an urgent sip, nevertheless.

Raz leaned forward, his gaze intent, his chocolate brown eyes locked on Ella. He reached an arm across and touched her arm. Ella felt a wondrous tingle spread throughout her torso and down her back. How could it be that a simple touch could affect her like that?

There was a momentary breeze, and she caught his scent. His nostrils had flared, and his lower lip was full and moist.

"How close are we, Ella?" Raz asked softly. His finger traced a line up her arm to her elbow and halted there. He curled his fingers around her arm, gently and tenderly. Holding her like that, his gaze burrowed into her, seeking some kind of answer, some sign that would encourage him to take them both to a place of desire and abandon.

Ella felt her breath quicken, and Raz's gaze dropped appreciatively to her breasts. He seemed to savor the pace of her breathing, the rise and fall of her breasts capturing his gaze. Then he looked up at Ella and leaned within inches of her face. She could feel his breath against her chin.
 

His other hand came up and rested upon her shoulder. She now felt as if he controlled her, and he could do with her what he wanted.

Ella's gaze dropped to his thick, moist lower lip. She suddenly wanted his lips on her, devouring her and she was immediately shocked at such a thought.

Then Raz smiled, a wolfish grin that seemed momentarily triumphant. His head dipped, and his lips were on hers, claiming her as she had wanted them to. She gasped at their first true kiss.
 

His hand went behind her head and she felt his fingers snake through her loose hair. Raz pulled her gently toward him, all the while, his lips caressing her mouth, seeking and exploring. Then his tongue probed and found a place which sent every nerve in her body quivering with desire.

Ella forced herself forward, pressing her breasts hard against his chest. He responded with an urgency that briefly shocked her. He drew her against him, sliding his hips, and she felt his heat against her side.

His lips continued to torment her, a hard punishing kiss that felt as if a dam had been opened and she was about to be swept overboard.

Raz held her tight, as if he would never let her go. His hands went to her back, and he seemed to envelope her, clutching her against him, overpowering her with a fierce and urgent need.

Ella's nipples hardened, which Raz seemed to feel as his breathing became harsh and needy, his tongue driving into her, pushing Ella to vertiginous heights of desire.
 

How could she not have known that he would drive her to such passion? The small voice at the back of her mind was drowned out by the insistent, driving need that threatened to send her into complete submission.

Suddenly Raz 's lips were wrenched from Ella's mouth. He peered into her eyes, and she saw a strange combination of emotion in his gaze. There was delight, and there was confusion. A battle had broken out behind Raz's eyes. Ella felt herself jolted back to the moment. She felt the boat rock from side to side as it traversed some waves. But, still Raz held Ella's body close to him, his gaze searching and questioning.

"What's wrong?" Ella asked, although she didn't want to know the answer. Not when he was looking at her with such consternation. This was what he had wanted, wasn't it? He had been tempting Ella ever since they had met. And now that he had her, he seemed unsure, as if some unspoken boundary had been encountered that neither of them had expected.

Raz's eyes flashed from side to side and the he released her. It happened suddenly, and she felt the loss of his touch as keenly as anything she had ever felt.

Raz turned from Ella and ran a hand through his dark, slightly damp, hair. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore," he murmured.

Ella reached out toward Raz, but he stood quickly, taking a few steps toward the railing. He gazed out to sea, lost in thought.

Ella sighed, the sensations Raz had driven her to feel starting to subside.

The moment had passed, the passion dissipated by doubt and uncertainty.

Ella gazed at Raz. Standing there, he looked tense. His shoulders were high, and she could see the muscle at the corner of his jaw twitching. His chest rose and fell with the rapidity of his breathing. Had it been the fact that they were on his boat and that there were servants close by that had caused this tormenting change of heart?

Ella leaned back in the seat and rolled her eyes. She'd never felt such a burning frustration. No man had ever been able to drive her to such staggering heights so quickly. None of her previous boyfriends had ever reached down so deep and caressed her soul they way Raz had just done.

Ella realized she was shaking slightly, and it was nothing to do with the cool evening air.

She suddenly wanted to be back at the palace, racing up the stairs, away from all this disappointment.
 

Tomorrow she would leave. It was as simple as that. Her time with Raz was over.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

What was he doing? What had he done?

Later that night, in the soft darkness of his bedroom, Raz lay on his bed and threw an arm across his forehead. He writhed on the bed like a man possessed.

How could he have been so stupid as to believe that there was anything between him and Ella?

He'd behaved like a fool on the boat. It was as simple as that.

It was as if the successful completion of her mission had reminded Raz that his delusions of an attraction between them had been just that.

Delusions of a man driven mad by a momentary infatuation.

The minute the boat had moored at the jetty, Ella had raced away from him. He'd watched her climbing the stone stairs, knowing that he'd been deceiving himself that there could ever be anything between them.

But, there had been one thing. The way she had responded to his touch had taken him by surprise. Raz had expected her to resist him, to freeze beneath his caresses. But, she had not. In fact, quite the opposite.
 

Ella had encouraged him, demanded as much from him as he had demanded from her. And it had shocked him. So much so, that he had withdrawn, pulling away from her as quickly as his lips had descended upon her sweet mouth.

It hadn't been the champagne that had caused that response from Ella.

No.

Something had changed back there.

And, it had sent a chill through Raz.
 

Ella wanted him as much as he wanted her.

So, why was he hesitating? Why was he holding back the torrent of desire that he wanted to pour over the beautiful woman who was now sleeping in the room next to him?

Raz groaned. No woman had ever affected him like this. He had been so accustomed to having his way, easily and usually without too much effort on his part. But, always without the emotions that were tumbling through his body tonight. Those emotions had been driving him to distraction these past two days, and he had never experienced anything like it before.
 

Ella Brant had transformed Raz into a barely contained ball of fiery desire that threatened to consume them both. With disastrous consequences.

Now, what was he going to do about it?

****

Ella lay on her bed, trying desperately to understand what had happened on the boat. The events of the day had drawn them both closer to each other. That was clear. She'd seen Raz in a different light, and it had changed the way she thought about him.

She'd been wrong about him. And, her body was confirming that in no uncertain terms. Raz was driving her crazy. She'd never felt a desire like this before. What kind of a man could utterly transform a woman the way Raz had done to Ella?

Sleep was going to be impossible. The doors to the balcony were wide open. There was a steady cool night breeze, but even that didn't take the heat from her body. Maybe if she had a cold drink, she could settle.

Ella got out of bed. There was no need to change out of the loosely tied nightgown she was wearing. There was no-one up this late.

She padded across the floor on her bare feet and opened the door.

Ella jumped, stifling a yell.

Raz was standing there!

She gazed at him. He was bare-chested and wore only loose silk pyjama pants. Ella gasped. "Raz!"

His eyes widened, and his gaze ran down the length of her body. "Ella," he groaned, and his voice sounded tormented as if the mere sight of her had loosened a tidal wave of emotions. She could tell he hadn't been sleeping. He looked haggard, but still incredibly sexy standing there in his bare feet.

Raz reached across and touched Ella on her bare arm. She reached across with her other arm, trying to close the front of her gown. Maybe she didn't want to prevent him from seeing her like this, she told herself. Now where had that scandalous thought come from?

Raz paused as if considering what to say, but then he stepped forward quickly and slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her hard against him.
 

Then, in an instant, his lips were upon hers, tempting her with a kiss that was forceful and yet still tender. She felt his hand leave her arm and cup the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her loose hair. His body felt taut, like a tight wire. She felt his breath hot, heard the passion that had reared up so suddenly.

It was as if the passion that had been locked away since their earlier closeness on the boat had forced itself free. The bliss that filled her was all-consuming.

Ella's lips parted, allowing Raz's probing tongue to take possession, seek the gratification he so obviously desired. Ella wrapped her arms around Raz's body, feeling his hard, bare chest crushed against the soft material of her gown. Her nipples hardened as she felt his waist press against her middle. His firmness was blatantly obvious.

Raz's pressure forced Ella to take a few steps back into her bedroom. They both staggered. Raz's head pulled back, stopping her from falling. She felt the separation from his lips as sharply as anything she could imagine.

Raz's eyes burned into Ella, seeking something vital, something only she could permit. He still held her tight, his mouth inches from her, his breath quickened by desire.

"Do you want this?" Raz asked breathlessly. It must have been hard for him to ask that while in such a fevered state.