A Sheikh for Christmas (All I want for Christmas is... 1)

“Grandchildren. When her father threatened to cut her off, she countered with the fact that if they forced her into a loveless marriage they’d never see their grandchildren again. Pretty harsh words from their only child, right?”

A bit of the fog inside Daveed’s head cleared. Harsh didn’t accurately describe the fear Shayma’s family must’ve felt from that statement. It was cruel. It was effective. It was downright brilliant. For the first time since the early morning hours when he’d awoken with a sleeping Mel in his arms, Daveed smiled. “So, it is over? I am no longer engaged to be married?”

“Nope.” Mel winked. “You’re a free man, my friend.”

He wanted to shout for joy from the rooftop. He wanted to scream the news from the middle of Central Park. But mostly he wanted to hold Mel in his arms and never let her go. He started to reach for her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

“I’m not finished. I said I had two pieces of good news.”

“What’s the second one?”

“I got a job!” Her wide grin was positively incandescent in the dim light. “After I sat with Shayma while she made the call to her parents about breaking off your engagement, she wanted to do something for me to repay me for all my moral support.” Mel scooted in her seat so her legs were tucked underneath her, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “Anyway, she has a friend who manages the MAC store in Saks on Fifth. She pulled a few strings and got me hired. It’s kind of perfect, actually, since MAC is the only makeup I’ve used for years. The job is commission-only, so I’ll have to sell my butt off to make decent money, but Shayma already said she’d be my first customer and buy an enormous amount—several thousand-dollars-worth of products—to take back with her to Al Dar Nasrani since they don’t have a MAC store there yet. I start the day after tomorrow.”

Daveed stretched his arm along the back of the sofa, still trying to take it all in. “So, I’m a free man and you’re an employed, self-supporting woman now, all in the span of one afternoon. That’s pretty incredible. A miracle in the making.”

“Yep.” She reached over and took his hand. “Oh, and Shayma said that I could move in and stay with her in her suite at the Plaza until I can find a place of my own. So, you’ll have me out of your hair sooner than you expected to.”

A bit of fog drifted back over his newfound sunshine. Still, he forced a smile and tried to sound happy. “Wow. That’s very generous of her. She’s a good person for offering and you deserve to have some time to yourself after all you’ve been through.”

She blinked at him, as if waiting for him to say more, her expression hopeful. When he didn’t, couldn’t, she flashed a small, sad smile then pushed to her feet. “Well, then. Guess I better get packed so I can get back over to Shayma’s before it gets too late.”

Melody took off down the hallway, leaving Daveed to stare after her, torn and twisted. After spending days trying to get her out of his hair, he found that now he didn’t want her to go. Which was ridiculous. They barely knew each other. And yes, they’d had a night of spectacular sex, but that wasn’t a reason to go bonkers over a woman he hardly knew, right?

His chest squeezed and his heart ached at the thought of living alone in the condo again, though it had been fine until a few days ago—the day Mel had knocked on his door, dripping wet and scraggly. Perhaps some time apart would do them good, but he couldn’t let her leave without a proper goodbye.

Without realizing it, he was on his feet and heading toward her guest room. Inside, he found her desperately trying to fit all of her clothes inside her suitcase and failing miserably. Just like he was failing in denying the strength of his emotions toward her. It wasn’t love, not yet, but something strong and sweet and just as potent.

“Here,” he said, reaching around her to press his hand atop her luggage to help hold it closed so she could seal the latch. He didn’t miss her slight shiver when his arm brushed hers or the tiny catch in her breath at his closeness. So, he was not the only one deeply affected by their searing connection.

“Habibaty…” he whispered, his lips so close to her ear they tickled the sensitive skin there and ruffled the fine hairs near her temple. He wanted to have her look at him, see how much she affected him, taste her soft, warm lips. To hold her close and hear her cries of ecstasy just one more time before he let her go forever.

Sighing gently, Mel turned to face him and he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She reached up and traced his jaw with shaky fingers, her eyes filled with wonder and want. “Daveed, baby. I want you so bad.”

“And you shall have me. Now. Tonight.”

10

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nbsp; Mel wasn’t sure who moved first or how their clothes disappeared, but the next thing she knew, they were both sprawled atop her queen-sized bed in the guest room, naked and desperate for one another’s touch.

No matter how much of his skin she stroked and tasted and caressed, she wanted more. Needed more. He, too, couldn’t seem to be able to get enough of her. Their lovemaking seemed almost bittersweet this time, as if there was a sense of finality to it.

The lingering sense of goodbye.

She realized now that by setting him free from his contract with Shayma, she’d set him free from herself as well. But she would have done it all again, if given the chance. Daveed was a wonderful, kind, generous man with a heart of gold and brains to spare. He’d make some lucky woman a fine husband someday. Mel ignored the sharp stab of sadness that thought jabbed into her chest and held him closer, trailing her lips down the side of his neck as he pulled back to hover over her, his weight resting on his forearms beside her head. She wanted this precious time between them to last all night, but she wanted him too badly to wait any longer. “I need you, inside me. Now.”

He grinned, rocking his hips against her so the heavy tip of his hard cock brushed against the hot, slick folds between her legs. Mel gasped at the intimate contact, her clit throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

“I’ve thought of nothing but this all day long, habibaty. I will not be rushed now.”

There was a fierceness in his warm mocha eyes tonight, a possessiveness that she’d not seen the night before. It both thrilled and terrified her. Thrilled because it sparked a tiny flare of hope inside her that maybe this wasn’t the end for them, that maybe somehow in this crazy world they might end up together when all this was over. Terrified her for the same reasons. He was a prince, true Arabic royalty—even if he didn’t live the lifestyle to which he’d been born. She was nothing but a tabloid-trash heiress who was down on her luck and currently penniless. She didn’t deserve him, no matter how much she cared for him.

In fact, she cared so much for him that she was willing to let him go, if that’s what was best for him. But not tonight, not until she’d had him inside her one last time, felt him shudder to climax in her arms and cuddled by his side in the afterglow. She’d never been with a man like Daveed before, had never experienced the level of passion she felt in his arms, and her intuition told her she never would again. So tonight she would have him, savor him as he wanted to savor her, then hold the memories of this evening close in her heart during all the cold winter nights ahead.

He nuzzled her breasts and stroked the heat between her legs, his fingers gently preparing her for him, but tonight she didn’t want all the foreplay. She wanted him, so deep inside her she didn’t know where he ended and she began. Mel cupped Daveed’s cheeks and forced him to meet her gaze. “Please. I want you inside me. Now.”

The same desperation throbbing within her was reflected in his eyes and he rolled off of her to grab a condom from the nightstand. Once he’d put it on, he moved over her again and kissed her deeply. “I need you too, habibaty. So, so bad.”