Chapter 11
“Hi!” Faye called out, stepping into the cool penthouse. But her eyes locked with Zantar’s and instantly, she was wary. His eyes were bright with anger, his hands fisted on his lean hips. But it was the tension in his shoulders that warned him that his mood was dangerous.
“Who accosted you earlier today?” Zantar demanded.
Faye instantly relaxed. She’d actually forgotten about Scott’s “visit” on the sidewalk outside of the museum earlier today.
“Oh, that was just my step-brother,” she sighed, letting her cotton bag drop to the marble floor near the doorway, careful since the bag contained her laptop. She brought it with her everywhere now, too concerned about someone stealing it if she left it at the small apartment. The locks weren’t great, and it felt as if her whole life was on that hard drive.
“He touched you!” Zantar snarled, lifting her arm, his teeth clenching.
Faye looked down at her arm, surprised to see the bruises there. “Oh,” she whispered, startled. “Yeah. He was…upset about something.”
“And he took money from you.”
How in the world had he discovered that information? “Yes.” She bit her lip, not sure how to dismiss that. “Well, I was going to give him some and…”
“And he took the rest,” Zantar finished for her. “You were robbed, Faye!”
Faye looked around, startled to find several of Zantar’s guards standing around, including one man who looked vaguely familiar! “You!” she gasped, stepping away from Zantar. “That’s the man who stopped Scott from….!” It was the man from the sidewalk! She suddenly realized what was going on and knew she needed to ease the tension. Not just in Zantar, but in all of the men. “You don’t need to worry about Scott,” she lied. Even she’d been concerned this morning. But they didn’t need to know that. “He wasn’t going to hurt me.”
“And yet, he did hurt you!” Zantar countered. She heard a few of his guards’ grunt their agreement and all of them looked ready to go out and find Scott so they could dismember him.
She waved the bruises on her arm away. She hadn’t even realized that they were there until he’d pointed them out to her a moment ago. “This is nothing,” she said again. “Why did you have me followed? Do you not trust me?”
Zantar’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Trust you? I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted any woman, Faye,” he replied, his voice softening. “Just the opposite. I think you are too trusting which is why I had my men looking out for you. It wasn’t because I don’t trust you, habib,” he said, cupping her face gently. “It’s because you…you are important to me.”
Faye was stunned by that revelation and, for a long moment, she simply stared up at him, her heart thudding against her ribs. Then that same heart melted with his words as the love she’d felt growing inside of her burst into a beautiful spiral of fireworks, heating her from the inside. It wasn’t a declaration of his love for her. But it was close enough. It wasn’t nearly the same way she felt about him, but…! Well, it would be enough for now, she told herself.
“I care for you too,” she whispered, then glanced around, not wanting to admit her feelings for Zantar with an audience. Thankfully, the guards were sensitive enough to have disappeared. How such large men moved so silently, Faye had no idea. But now that they were alone, she focused all of her attention on Zantar. “You’re a magnificent man, Zantar. And we only have,” her voice cracked as emotion overwhelmed her. “We only have one more day together. You head back to Citran and I…!” She closed her eyes, leaning her cheek against his chest as he pulled her closer.
“I wanted to talk to you about that,” he said, not waiting for her to finish. “I want you to come back to Citran with me.”
She laughed, but it was a shaky sound. “You know I can’t.”
“You can.”
“No, I have to finish my research,” she told him firmly. She pulled back, remaining in his arms because she couldn’t stand the thought of not touching him. “This is really important for me, Zantar. You know that. It’s my future. If I don’t get this research done, then I won’t be able to submit my dissertation.” She fisted his shirt in her hands, trying to get him to understand. “I’m so close! I think I have everything figured out. I just need a few more pieces to the puzzle and then I can write everything up and submit it to the panel for review.” She implored him with her eyes. “Please, Zantar! I need you to understand how important this is to me.”
He sighed and lowered his head to kiss her. “I understand,” he replied. “But I want you to stay here in the penthouse while you finish.”
Faye was so startled by his suggestion that she didn’t have time to stifle her laugh. “No. That’s not going to happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not mooching off of you, Zantar. That’s not what we’re about.”
His fingers tightened on her waist as he looked at her. “What are we about?”
Faye’s heart thudded in her chest as she stared up into his dark eyes. “I don’t know. This is all…it’s so new. So strange.” Her fingers unclenched his shirt and she slid her fingers over his chest. “I don’t understand what’s happening to me, Zantar. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. You’re on my mind all the time. And when I’m finished at the library or the museum, my first thought is that I want to tell you everything I’ve discovered.”
“I like that about you,” he replied, then bent down, lifting her into his arms.
Faye squeaked, then laughed as he carried her up the stairs. “What are you doing, you crazy man!” she laughed.
He grunted as he shouldered his way into the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them. “If you don’t know the answer to that by now, then I’ve been doing something wrong over the past few days,” he told her as he tossed her into the middle of the bed. A moment later, he was stripping off his clothes. “I’m going to make love to you until you agree to stay here, Faye.”
She came up onto her elbows, watching as his tanned skin appeared with each piece of clothing discarded. “Is that a challenge?” she asked softly, letting her eyes move over him.
“Ah ‘ajal!” he murmured, lowering himself down over her.
“Oh yes!” Faye translated as she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck and her legs to wrap around his hips.
And that was the end of coherent thought as he kissed and touched and drove her out of her mind until she tried to take control. For a brief period, Faye was allowed to hover over him, kissing and tasting and driving him wild until he took control away from her, flipping Faye onto her back once more. He then pinned her hands over her head as he slid into her heat, making her gasp as she wiggled to adjust to his invasion.
“More,” she whispered when he remained inside of her, not moving as he breathed in her arousal. “Akthar!” she repeated in Arabic, just in case he wasn’t thinking clearly.
With that encouragement, he slowly began thrusting, pushing into her heat, making her body throb with the need for fulfillment. Which he didn’t give her. Not until she was screaming and writhing underneath him, her fingernails clutching at his shoulders as she begged him. Only then did he give them what they both wanted, what they both needed!
When it was all over, Zantar held her gently in his arms, his hands stroking her back as he savored the sensation of her breath on his chest. She was leaving him, he thought. Tomorrow, he would fly back to Citran and she would stay here, continuing her research. And she’d start working as a housekeeper for the hotel. He didn’t want that for her. Lifting one of her hands, he stared at the blisters that had finally healed. The scars were still visible on her hands and around her fingertips. This should never have happened. He’d mentioned the abuse to Astir, who had immediately started an investigation. But that wasn’t enough. Yes, the current hotel employees would be compensated by the hotel for the chemical abuse. The employees’ medical bills would be paid and the hotel management would be fined, painfully, for the use of unauthorized chemicals.