The Sheikh's Tamed Bride (The Sharif Sheikhs 2)

He was right. It was perfect for her.

“I had planned to take you out later this week and romance you on the boat with that candlelight dinner you were talking about, but somehow, I think this is more fitting. Mila, I don’t want a marriage of convenience with you. I want a real marriage, and I know that my social status is forcing me to rush things, so I’d like to propose something a little different. Wear my ring, Mila. Give me a chance to prove that we can have the real thing. No contracts. No money. Instead, I’m offering you the world.”

There were no words of love, but she didn’t expect there to be. Mila knew that she was already falling for him, and she had every confidence that in time, he would fall for her, too.

All she had to do was say yes.

She opened her mouth, but the word stuck in her throat. She was overwhelmed by everything, terrified and excited at the same time, and all she could do was nod.

Rashid slipped the ring on her finger and leaned over to kiss her. As she curled her fingers in his hair and opened up to him, she knew that her life was never going to be the same.

8

They slept in separate rooms that night. Just the thought of Mila there, on the other side of the wall, drove Rashid mad, but he respected her wishes. Tossing and turning, he tried to ignore the way she’d felt against his body, the way her tongue had danced with his.

By the time the sun rose, he was exhausted and irritated, but he tried to hide it as he made coffee.

“Good morning,” she grumbled behind him.

Turning, his whole body stood at attention.

Her hair was still tousled from the pillow, and she wore only his t-shirt. It skimmed her bare thighs and showed off her gorgeous legs. “God, is that coffee? I would kill for coffee.”

“What else would you do for a cup?” he asked. Several erotic pictures popped up in his head at once, but she didn’t even catch the desire lacing his voice as she pulled the pot off the burner.

“Maim. Slaughter. Slice and dice.” She poured herself a cup and closed her eyes.

Rashid gripped the counter. He was so turned on that now, he was jealous of a damned cup of coffee.

“Those are all different ways to say kill,” he muttered.

“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that if you were hoping for a blow job, you’re out of luck.” She winked at him and headed back to the guest bedroom. “Do you think it’s too early to call Liyah and see if she made it back?”

“Perhaps. May I suggest an alternative? You take off that t-shirt, spend the morning enjoying a few mind-blowing orgasms, and then we can all have dinner tonight.”

His request was followed by a beat of silence, and he thought she might take him up on his offer. Instead, she popped her head around the door frame and grinned. “Tempting, but I have to work tonight.”

Rashid frowned. “Work? I thought you quit.”

She ducked back into the bedroom, and her voice was muffled—in his mind’s eye, he could see her changing clothes. “I put in my notice, but tonight is my last shift. I should be spending the day job-hunting.”

He had a feeling that telling her she no longer needed to work would just upset her. He tried to choose his words carefully. “If you’d let me, I could call your supervisor and ask if you could work your last shift another time. I spoke to Asad this morning, and he told me that he and Liyah weren’t going to be available until this evening.”

“Why?”

From the giggling he’d heard in the background, he had a feeling that Asad wanted to spend some quality alone time with his wife. “Personal time, I imagine.”

“Oh. Oh!” Mila came back around the corner, and Rashid was disappointed to see that she was fully dressed. “Right. I guess they’ve both been busy lately. I’ll have to talk to my boss and see if he can’t find someone to take my place. I definitely need to go home and take a sh

ower.”

“You can shower here.” With me.

“And change my clothes.”

“I’m sure Amira can find something for you to wear.”

When she looked at him, there was nothing but irritation on her face. “Rashid, I need to go home. I want to check on Sahaar, among other things.”