The Sheikh's Pretend Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 2) (18 page)

Ella tried to free herself from his grasp, but it took the merest pressure from Raz to change her mind. She wanted to hear what he had to say, but her mind was also on what she had to do inside the hall.

"I think you heard something when you were outside the sitting room at the palace," Raz said. "But, it wasn't what you think."

Ella tried to pull away from him. She didn't have the time nor the energy for this right now. Maybe later. Perhaps another time.

Raz's arm swept her against his body and his head dipped until his lips were inches from hers. Ella felt his breath against her mouth. She felt a sudden urge to reach up and run a finger along those moist lips. Ella drew in a sharp breath, dragging herself back to the present.

"I know what I heard, Raz. You can't pretend you didn't say it," Ella declared.

"But, that's what it's all about, isn't it?" he said.

She frowned at him, feeling confusion. "What?"

"Pretending," he said sharply.

"What?"

"It's about you being a pretend girlfriend," he said. "Or, even more than that."

Ella tried again to loosen herself from his gentle grasp, but she knew she couldn't get away from him without causing a scene.

Ella sighed and she locked her gaze on Raz's eyes. "I heard what you said back there. How your mother thinks I'm just another one of your prospective brides. It seems you've had quite a few of them," she said with a defiant stab of her chin.

"I told you I'd had many lovers," he said slowly. "I didn't lie about that."

Ella glared at Raz "I admit you didn't pretend to be an innocent."

"Neither did you," he said with a wolfish grin. "Or have you already forgotten last night?"

Ella felt her cheeks flush. "That's uncalled for," she stated emphatically.

Raz sighed and his eyes flashed upwards as if seeking an elusive patience. "What do I have to do to convince you that you didn't hear what you thought you heard?"

"You can get out of my way, for a start. And, let me go do my job," she said.

With one hard shrug she freed herself from his grasp. She took a few steps and turned to Raz. "Aliyah told me one thing on the way here," she said.

She saw Raz's brows furrow. "What did she tell you?"he murmured. He looked suddenly worried.

Ella gazed into Raz's eyes and said nothing more. She shook her head and smiled at him. There was no sense in going to it here.

Ella strode back out to the lobby. The guard had disappeared and Ella's path into the hall was unobstructed. Raz appeared at her side.
 

"Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

Raz smiled. "Didn't you know? I'm attending the conference," he said. He pulled out a delegates badge from inside the pocket of his dark jacket.

"Really? Now, isn't that convenient," she said.

"You don't think I'd want to miss the one woman I adore cutting one of my competitors down to size, do you?" Raz said.

Ella paused. Had he said what she thought he had said? Did he adore her? And, after what Aliyah had told Ella in the car, could she even begin to believe that Raz felt more than adoration for Ella? Did he feel love?

Ella gazed into Raz's eyes. There was a sincerity there, a powerful darkness that was also a source of light. Would that be a light that shone on them both?

Ella sighed and started to head toward the doorway.
 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

A short while later, Raz sat in the back row of the conference hall and clapped his hands along with every one of the other one hundred delegates in the room. Raz tried to make sure the grin on his face didn't make him look as if he was gloating.

Up on the stage, the woman he knew he loved was standing with a black remote control in her hand. She was gazing up at the huge image on the screen above her head.

Standing behind the podium, gripping it so hard that his knuckles gleamed white, was Karim.
 

Raz continued to clap as he gazed around the auditorium. Delegates were eagerly talking to one another, discussing what Ella had just done.

And, what a thing she had done, Raz said to himself.

In the middle of a typically arrogant and self-congratulatory speech by Karim, Ella had risen from her seat on the far side of the auditorium, marched up the steps to the stage and started denouncing Karim. She had accused him of playing fast and loose with the international agreements on pollution control.
 

Karim had tried to dismiss and had even called for security. From his vantage point in the dark at the back, Raz had discreetly made sure that security had waited until he had given them the go-ahead. After all, Raz reminded himself, the conference was being held on Qazhar soil. He could do whatever he liked when it came to security.

Up on the stage the verbal sparring between Ella and Karim had continued. The delegates at first had started to slow handclap Ella, calling for her to desist from her tirade against the neighboring sheikh.

But then Ella had thrust the USB stick into the display unit and pressed the button on her remote control, filling up the screen with the vivid images Raz and Ella had taken the previous day.

Gasps of disbelief had grown even louder when Ella managed to get the video images running. That was when the derision stopped and Raz started to hear criticism being heaped on Karim.

The cacophony of demands for an explanation had risen to a deafening crescendo, so that now Raz stopped clapping and sat back enjoying Ella's moment of triumph.

She looked so beautiful up there on the stage, that broad smile on her face as she looked out upon the roomful of delegates. She knew she had won. Raz's heart filled with pride. This was the amazing woman he had chosen. He had known, deep down, that there was something extraordinary about her, and he had been right.

It felt so good to watch her, in her moment of victory, seeing her features glow with happiness. Raz knew she couldn't see him. The back of the hall was shrouded in darkness. But, he knew she must be thinking of him, wondering what he was thinking.

With one final, violent gesture Karim grabbed the microphone on the podium and yelled at the delegates, trying to make himself heard. But, they shouted him down. Karim's reputation would take a long time to heal, after this fiasco.

Karim stormed across the podium and for a moment Raz thought he was going to do something stupid to Ella. Karim had been brought low by a beautiful, young American activist.
 

And he hated it.

Ella saw Karim heading toward her, but she just stood her ground. Seeing that she wasn't going to be intimidated, Karim waved a dismissive hand at Ella and stormed off the stage, racing up the passageway between the jeering delegates.
 

Raz smiled. There was so much to savor, so much to be proud of as he gazed at Ella.
 

Raz stood up as Karim passed him. Karim paused a second and scowled at Raz. The two men exchanged looks and it was clear to both of them who had been the victor.

With one last scowl, Karim pushed open the main doors and fled out of the auditorium.

Raz turned to the stage and saw Ella racing up the passageway. She was heading toward Raz. Her face was covered with a broad smile. She looked so amazing coming like that toward him, Raz thought.
 

Raz opened his arms and smiled at Ella. She literally jumped into his arms, wrapping herself around him. Raz pulled her tight against himself and smiled at her. Ella's eyes glowed with satisfaction, almost as much as they had done when they had made love. He could see how much this had meant to her.

"Did you see it?" she screeched enthusiastically.

Raz nodded. "You are amazing."

Ella's eyes lit up. "He didn't have anything to say. He couldn't deny any of it. Did you see his face?"

"He didn't stand a chance," Raz replied.

Ella hugged Raz with a wonderful abandonment. Raz was so incredibly happy for her. He glanced across at the nearby delegates who were watching the scene of the sheikh and the American woman, and clearly realizing that this was a display of more than casual friendship. Raz could almost hear the gossip starting.

Raz looked at Ella. "Let's get out of here. I think you've done enough damage for one day," he joked.

Ella's brows furrowed. "Where do you want to go?"

Raz peered at Ella. "Somewhere we can be alone," he said softly.

Ella's mouth opened in surprise and she gazed into his eyes. "Alone? Why?"

Raz glanced across at some of the curious eyes that were gazing at him and Ella. He reached down and grasped her hand. "Come," he ordered, leading her out of the auditorium.

Raz glanced back at Ella and saw the puzzled look on her face, but she followed him in spite of her obvious reservations.

They left the building and Raz walked quickly toward the waiting limousine that was parked in front of the conference center. The engine was running just as he had instructed the driver who was standing by the open door.

Raz felt Ella slow behind him. Then she stopped and he turned. "Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"It's a surprise," he explained, hoping she wouldn't press him any further.

Ella's lips pursed and Raz wanted to take her in his arms and press his own lips hard against that sweet mouth. But, he restrained the urge, even though it took every ounce of his strength to do so.

"You can trust me," he said.

Ella's brows rose. "Really?" she said softly.

Raz nodded. "I promise you, it'll be memorable," he said.

Ella paused and then nodded. "Okay." She came to him and he wanted to lift her up in his arms and carry her to the car, but she was quicker than him. She ducked inside the car and he followed. The door was closed and the driver got behind the wheel and waited a moment, gazing into the rearview mirror. Raz nodded to the driver and the car headed off into the traffic.

This wasn't like the last time he'd had Ella in his limo, Raz thought. So much had happened, so much had changed. He could never have guessed that the feisty American sitting next to him could have taken hold of his soul the way she had done. Raz ran his eyes down her figure. Ella was irresistible and completely one of a kind.

The car moved swiftly through the traffic. Traffic policemen recognized the vehicles special flag mounted on the bonnet and stopped traffic to allow it through the crowded Qazhar City streets.

Ella wasn't saying anything. She was breathing fast, her breasts rising and falling with a seductive rhythm that caught Raz's gaze and held it fast.

Eventually they arrived at the destination.

"The airport?" Ella exclaimed.

Raz nodded.

"Are we going somewhere?"
 

"In a moment," he replied. "I just want to show you something."

Ella frowned. Raz knew he wasn't going to be able to resist kissing Ella for much longer. Every time she gave him one of her looks, he wanted to act on those primal impulses that threatened to overtake Raz.

The car slid through a gate and out onto the tarmac. Ahead of them Raz saw the helicopter, just where he had left it a short while before.

Ella glanced inquiringly at Raz, but he still didn't say a thing.
 

The car stopped and Raz stepped out extending a hand to Ella. She grasped his hand and emerged from the car. The late afternoon sunshine made Ella's skin glow. All around them Raz heard the sounds of the planes readying for take-off.

Raz held Ella's hand and walked toward the helicopter. Raz was pleased to see that Ella didn't resist him at all. He opened the door to the helicopter and gestured for Ella to get inside.

"A helicopter ride?" Ella asked.

Raz smiled at her, keeping his lips tight and his gaze as fervent as possible.

Ella shrugged and stepped inside the rear cabin of the helicopter. Raz got in beside her. The pilot went up front and then the blades were circling above them and they rose into the air.

The helicopter lurched slightly and Ella slid against Raz's body. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, holding her tight. Ella did nothing to resist and Raz drew in a deep breath.

Ella gazed down at the passing streets and out at the tall skyscrapers. The helicopter raced through the city, the noise of the rotors loud and urgent.

Raz watched Ella looking out the window. She seemed fascinated with the view of the city.
 

Raz grinned and leaned back, feeling the woman he knew he loved settled against him. The warmth of her body was a delightful sensation, one he knew he would never tire of feeling.

Ella was taking in the sight of the city passing below them.

That was good.

Because, soon, if Raz had his way, it would all belong to her as well as him.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Ella glanced down at the sand dunes slipping beneath the helicopter. The city had been left behind a short while before, and they had been heading out into the wildness of the desert.

Ella turned to Raz. He hadn't said much to her these last few minutes. In fact, he looked downright nervous, his face pale and he seemed to be having difficulty swallowing.

"Where exactly are we going?" she asked.

Raz looked at Ella and his mouth opened as if he was about to say something. But then he looked over the shoulder of the pilot and straight ahead. Ella's gaze followed Raz's and she gasped.

The Al Kharif family palace!

It looked like a jewel sitting in the desert wilderness. The white palace gleamed in the late afternoon sun. The extensive gardens stretched around the palace, encircling the breathtaking building like a wide green band.

"Why are we going to your family's palace?" Ella asked.

The corner of Raz's mouth creased into a mischievous smile. "I think we have some unfinished business," he said.

Ella frowned. What on earth did he mean?

"We're not going to be meeting with your family, are we?" Ella asked feeling suddenly underdressed. She glanced down at her dress.
 

Raz saw where her gaze had gone. "You look fine. More than that, actually. You look beautiful," he said.