Nadim’s hands moved down her back to cup her bottom, pulling her up and into him, where she could feel the hard evidence of his arousal through the voluminous robe. Iseult’s hips moved in a silent and eloquently feminine plea against him, her hands smoothing across his shoulders, revelling in their broad strength.
Nadim tore his head away and looked down at Iseult’s face, at her flushed cheeks and her mouth that looked bee-stung with arousal. She hadn’t looked like this after Stevie had kissed her just now, and Nadim felt an intense surge of masculine satisfaction run through him. Quick on its heels came anger, swift and bright, at the acknowledgement that blind rage had nearly had him ripping Stevie Bourne limb from limb.
She’d done it again. Reeled him in like a fish on a line. He put his hands on her shoulders and put her back from him. She opened her eyes with an effort. She looked stunned.
Once again Nadim’s lack of control seared him inwardly. He watched as Iseult tried to compose herself, and even now, though he knew it was sheer madness, he just wanted to shut the door and throw her down onto the hay, where he could sate himself properly.
He followed an instinct too strong to ignore, not even thinking of the ramifications of his decision. His voice was grim. ‘I want you to go back to your rooms right now and pack your things.’
CHAPTER SIX
ISEULT felt as if she’d just been punched in the gut. Ice trickled through her veins. ‘You’re sending me home?’
Nadim was grim, his features stark. ‘The next best thing.’
Iseult struggled to comprehend. She still felt spaced out—dizzy. ‘What do you mean…? Where are you sending me?’
‘You’re moving up to the castle. You’ve proved that I can’t trust you to stay out of trouble. Perhaps you’ll stay out of trouble if you’ve got less time to tempt the staff down here.’
Nadim turned as if to go, and Iseult reached out on a reflex to grab Nadim’s robe. ‘Now, wait just a minute.’
Slowly Nadim turned around to face Iseult again, but she refused to let him intimidate her. She kept a tight hold on the sleeve of his robe. ‘Why should I be the one to be punished when Stevie came after me?’
Nadim arched a brow. ‘And within mere minutes of kissing him you were throwing yourself at me?’ His mouth twisted faintly. ‘You’ve proved that your taste is not only indiscriminate but insatiable.’ The words But you kissed me back died on Iseult’s lips. She blanched to recall how she had stepped up to Nadim and pulled his head down, how she had pretty much begged him to kiss her. She let go of his robe. Self-doubt assailed her. Had he really kissed her back, as she’d believed he had? With the same level of passion? Or had it all been a figment of her twisted imagination? Had that awful yearning to be desired fabricated his response? The knowledge shamed her now.
She looked at Nadim steadily. He would not see what he was doing to her. ‘If I move up to the castle what will people think?’
Nadim’s jaw clenched. ‘That is not for you to worry about.’
‘But I will be working here. I have to face these people every day.’
Nadim came close to Iseult again, and as predictably as the sun rising in the morning she could feel her resolve dissolving again.
‘No one questions what I do, or the decisions I make. I am the Sheik
h, and that is something you would do well to remember. Leaving you here to your own devices is not something I’m prepared to do any more. Every day you will report for work as usual, and every evening you will return to the castle and your rooms there.’
‘So I’m to be a virtual prisoner?’
Nadim quirked a mocking smile. ‘Oh, I don’t think you’ll feel like a prisoner when you see your new rooms, Iseult. And you’re free to leave at any moment. No one is stopping you.’
Iseult ignored the dart of alarm at the thought of that, and retorted caustically, ‘No—only the fact that if I do leave I risk jeopardising my entire family’s future…’
He moved to the door and said coolly, ‘I’ll let Jamilah know, and she can bring you up once you’ve packed your things.’
Iseult stood in the imposing main courtyard of the castle, completely intimidated. The very stones beneath her feet oozed history. Holding onto her one suitcase, she felt as if she’d just travelled a thousand miles into some Arabian fantasy—not just up the long drive from the stables with Jamilah in a Jeep.
The walls were so high she couldn’t see anything beyond them, and carved into the huge slabs of stones were Arabic letters, swirling and graceful. The place was reverent, hushed.
Jamilah came around the front of the Jeep. Taking Iseult by the arm, she led her into the castle.
As soon as they walked through the giant looming archway light exploded around Iseult and she realised they were in another courtyard, but smaller, with a warren of pathways snaking off in every direction. Huge tall columns extended down these paths as far as the eye could see. As opposed to the almost austere main courtyard this one was full of small trees and plants. A pond with a small burbling waterfall graced the centre and even as Iseult watched a small iridescent fish leapt high and then fell back into the water.
Jamilah drew her attention to a small figure hurrying towards them, covered from head to toe in the traditional abeyya and burka, with just the most beautiful and enormous dark eyes visible.
Her belly was twisted in knots as Jamilah introduced the girl to Iseult. ‘This is Lina. She’ll be your personal maid while you’re here, and show you to your rooms.’ Iseult turned and gaped at Jamilah, who just smiled wryly. ‘You’re in another world now, Iseult.’
Iseult couldn’t speak, and just watched helplessly as Jamilah looked at her watch and grimaced. ‘I’d love to stay and help you settle in, but we’ve got a horse arriving any minute now. I’d better get back…’ She gave Iseult a quick hug and said, ‘You’ll be fine. I’ll see you tomorrow…’ And then she was gone, her slim figure walking away quickly.