And then he shocked her—and left her both pissed and pretty damn sure he was mocking her—by saying, "Christine Harper, will you marry me?"
Chapter Two
You're joking…right?"
Arif glanced around him. Four other couples had joined them on the dance floor, and this was not the place to make known his enchantment with this woman. The instant he had set eyes on her, he had realized she was meant for him. She was lovely. The red silk swirling around her hinted at lush curves. The low neckline of her dress promised them. The short hair, which had started to curl and held flashes of a deeper red, spoke of a practical woman. Long lashes framed deep, brown eyes that glittered with intelligence and perhaps just a touch of challenge. Which was good. He'd had enough of women willing to throw themselves at him simply because he was a sheikh of Zahkim.
She was still staring at him, her eyebrows flattening over those chocolate eyes of hers. Gripping her hand, he pulled her with him, out of the crowd and toward the nearest doorway. She hung back slightly, but he pulled her with him into the library. She gave a small gasp and became rooted to the carpet, so he glanced back to see what had halted her willingness to come with him.
Eyes huge in her oval face, her skin pale, she stared up at the books. Arif followed her gaze to the bookcases that lined the room, floor to ceiling. He had grown up in the palace, for his father had been an advisor to Tarek's father, the previous ruler. The library had been a favorite place to play, not just for the books, but also the vast number of hiding spots behind couches and leather chairs. Now, Christine's mouth fell open. It took all Arif's willpower not to pull her close and kiss those lush lips, but he had something else in mind. He tugged on her hand, and she followed, her steps still slow and her stare traveling over the bookcases.
"Is this part of the palace archives?" She said the words as if awed.
Arif huffed a small laugh. "This is the private library. The archives are much larger."
He could swear a tremor shook her down to her fingertips, but he stepped onto the terrace, which overlooked the desert. She came with him, her stare still locked on the books behind them. He had no trouble slipping an arm around her waist. He tugged her closer until her breasts flattened against his body and her hips nudged his growing erection.
"I have waited for you all my life, habibi."
She turned at last to look at him, her head tipped to one side and her breathing rapid. "Okay, didn't expect this." She gave a small laugh and rested her hands on her chest. "Is this the part where you sweep me away to your desert tent or something?"
"Something," he said. Bending over her, he
paused long enough for her to voice a protest, then fixed his mouth to hers.
Ah, she tasted of peaches and something else even sweeter. Her lips parted on a sigh and he took in her breath, his grip tightening on her waist. She resisted only an instant—and then fit herself to him as if she belonged in his arms. And she did. He wanted to deepen the kiss, to strip her bare in the twilight and take her where they stood—but, no, a woman such as her deserved to be courted. He allowed the kiss to linger a moment longer, swept his tongue across hers, invaded her mouth so she would know he would soon take even more of her to be his own.
Reluctantly, he pulled back. She stood with her eyes closed, swaying slightly. He could see the pulse beating in her neck, the rhythm matching his own. Her chest rose and fell with deep breaths. Then her eyes fluttered open.
He tightened his hold on her and told her, "I do not joke about such a thing. The heart knows what it wants—and my heart wants you."
She licked her lips. Arif bent and stole another kiss. This time she did push back against his chest with her palms, and he allowed her to put a small distance between them. Her words tumbled out with uneven breaths.
"This is not what I expected. If you've used this line before and had it work, you should know that I'm not the kind of woman who leaps into bed with any guy with a cute grin and a—"
"Ah, you think my grin is cute. That is a good start, for I find you to be adorable." She stiffened. Perhaps he had said the wrong thing, so he added, "Adorable and beautiful, and I cannot wait to see you spread naked on my bed. You were made to wear pearls whose luster would match your skin. Pearls and diamonds, and I shall see you draped in them and nothing else."
Light spilling from the library revealed her blush. She broke away from him and crossed her arms. "Okay, I know weddings are great places for pickups, but no. Just no. I came here because Tess asked me and because…well, I was hoping to get access to the palace archives, and if you really are this Hami Almaerifa, I thought that might be a good connection, but I draw the line at—"
"Of course I have access. Is that what you wish? But why? I could show you the wonders of Zahkim instead. The bright lights of Al Resab. The beauty of the desert." He reached for her. She took a step back and turned to lean against the wrought iron railing of the terrace. Stepping next to her, he leaned close. "We have the crescent moon and the stars with us tonight. I could take you to an oasis where we can swim under the date palms."
She wet her lips again, and he almost wished she would stop doing that. Every sweep of her tongue over that sensual lower lip of hers sent a jolt of heat through him.
Chin lifting, she said, "That sounds…well…nice, but I'm not really a believer in love at first sight."
He pulled back. "Then what do you believe? In what you can see and touch and feel?" He touched his fingers to the back of her hand. Heat spread up his arm. She must feel that connection between them—the flare of attraction which would soon deepen.
She shook her head. "I don't know what Tess has told you about me, if anything. I just finished my PhD, and facts tend to impress me a lot more than feelings, which can be somewhat misleading and are subject to change. Now, about the archives…would I be able to present my credentials to you—or to whoever is in charge—and gain access? I tried writing letters, but all that got me was the runaround."
He ran a finger along her cheek. "Let us talk instead about our future together. Do you prefer long engagements or short? Myself, I think we need time to learn about each other—and I wish to discover how to please you in bed."
She had blushed before. Now her face flamed, but she stammered out in a rush of words, "I am far more interested in Zahkim's past. I did my thesis on the development of early Saharan nomadic tribes and the development of trade routes between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. And I…well, I'm following up on my father’s theory about a group he named the 'Lion People,' whom he postulated to be the actual first settlers of Egypt and the true builders of the Sphinx. And I've come across sources referencing the history of Zahkim and early migration of tribes to this area that fits the timeline for the development of Egypt's early civilization."
Christine ran out of breath. There…she'd gotten it out. This was why she'd jumped at the chance to come to Zahkim. She wasn't here just for Tess's wedding. She was here for her dad, too. She was here to give him something to live for. She was here to find the proof to make his most daring theory something more than a joke in academia. And maybe this guy could help her. That is, if she could manage to keep him—and herself—under control.
He'd just about melted her into a pool of lust with that kiss of his. She had the feeling, too, that he wasn't half trying. What would he do to her if he put everything into another kiss? She'd wanted to moan. She wanted now to grab his robes, pull him to her, and kiss him again. But she wasn't sure where things would end if she did that.
And the raw truth was she wasn't that kind of girl. She thought of herself as a country girl from New Hampshire, a newly minted PhD who knew more about how to make parchment than she did about how to make out.