The Sheik's Baby Surprise (8 page)

He chuckled softly.  “Oh, Jina-love.  We’re going to be touching,” he said softly while his fingers moved down the palm of her hand, up her bare forearm, “And so much more before tonight is over.”

Her eyes had been watching his fingers, mesmerized by the way his long, tanned fingers looked against her pale skin.  She’d never thought that she was particularly pale, but compared to his skin, she was almost luminescent. 

“Stop,” she whispered. 

He shook his head.  “I’m not going to stop,” he countered. 

Thankfully, the limousine came to a halt at that moment and she breathed a sigh of relief.  Malik smiled triumphantly at her expression.  “You think that this is a reprieve?” he teased.

Stepping out of the vehicle, he reached down and took her hand, helping her out.  “It is not.”  His lips were close to her neck, brushing erotically against the shell of her ear and creating an intimacy with his body that was even more intense than what she’d endured in the limousine. 

Jina looked up at the impressive French Embassy, her mind trying to focus on work but all she could think about was this man’s touch on her overly sensitive skin.  She wanted to pull her hand away, but he wouldn’t let her. 

As he led her through the doors, she was fully prepared to undergo a thorough security search.  But they were greeted by the French Prime Minister himself as soon as the guards opened the door.

From that moment forward, the dinner was nothing like she had expected.  First of all, Malik spoke French fluently.  His accent was perfect, his understanding of even the most delicate innuendos swift.  She quickly realized that there was no need for her to be here in an official capacity.  She tried hard to stay angry with Malik about the trick, but her mind couldn’t really work up the emotion.  Unfortunately, she was still overwhelmed with his presence, with the amazing scent of the man and overawed by how handsome he looked in the tuxedo, not to mention, his brilliance at dealing with the prime minister who was subtly asking for several price cuts on oil deliveries. 

The evening wasn’t long, thankfully.  But it was hard to concentrate when she was constantly sitting next to Malik or being touched by his hand, his arm.  Even during dinner, he was there, sitting across the table from her and looking into her eyes.  She could see the silent messages and couldn’t stop the blushes from forming on her cheeks. 

By the time they were saying their goodbyes to the prime minister and his wife, she wanted to just run home and protect herself.  But there was still the drive back to her apartment.  In a dark, intimate limousine. 

From the moment the door closed on the embassy, she knew that she was in trouble.  She could feel the air start to tingle with anticipation.  When he held her hand, helping her into the limousine, she paused, looking up into his eyes.  “You’re taking me home, right?” she asked.

Malik hesitated for a moment.  “If that’s what you want,” he told her. 

Jina’s mouth opened to affirm that she wanted to go home.  But the words wouldn’t come.  All evening, she’d been tempted by him, by the subtle touches and loved the way he smelled.  She wanted to move closer, let her nose inhale his scent right at the edge of his starched, white collar.  But that would be too forward.  Too brazen. 

Her hesitation caused Malik’s eyes to flare and she shook her head.  “No Malik.  I don’t…” she started to say something but he bent down and kissed her, right there in front of the French Embassy! 

And she reacted the way she always did when he touched her in any way.  Her mind froze and her body trembled.  But even worse, this time, she moved closer to him, wanting to feel his hard chest against her soft breasts.  Wanting to know what it would be like to be embraced by this man. 

He lifted his lips after only a few moments, the fire in his eyes heating her from the inside out.  Instead of saying anything, knowing she should tell him no but unable to make her lips form the words, she ducked into the limousine. 

He followed quickly and the vehicle moved off smoothly even as the tension inside the back increased. 

“You’re quite beautiful,” he told her. 

Jina looked down at her hands that were clenching her small evening purse on her lap. 

“Malik, this isn’t…I’m not really…”

“You’re not comfortable with where this is going,” he stated calmly.  “Where do you think this is going?” he asked. 

She looked straight ahead and debated how to answer his question.  “I think we’re…going to your bed.”

Malik looked at the gentle beauty that appeared both terrified and excited.  And that aroused him even more.  “Is that a bad thing?” he asked, taking one of her hands and spreading the fingers out. 

She looked up into his eyes, blue against black, soft against hard.  “I don’t want it to happen, Malik,” she whispered through lips that were numb with the confusion running through her. 

“You know that it is inevitable, right?” he asked. 

She thought about denying it but she couldn’t.  Ever since the moment their eyes had clashed…goodness, had it only been three days ago?  Yes, she’d known from that moment that this would happen.  Perhaps not consciously.  She’d been irritated with him then.  But from the moment he’d kissed her in her apartment, she’d known that their paths would come to this point.  “I don’t want it to happen,” she reiterated.  “This isn’t who I am.  I don’t…” she sighed.  “I don’t sleep around.”

“I never thought you did.”

She looked down at their hands, once again intertwined.  “I know that…” she forced her mind to work.  “I know that you are the type of man who…can coax me into your bed.  And I’m sure…”

He waited, wondering where this was going.  “What are you sure about?” he asked gently.  The more he watched her, watched the emotions run through her eyes, the more he wanted her.  She was like a beautiful, refreshing stream with those blue eyes telling him everything she was feeling.  And her long, dark lashes fluttered around her eyes, making her skin look extra pale by comparison.  He longed to run his fingers through her lush, dark hair and feel the silken texture.  But he wanted her to be with him the whole way. 

He sighed and lifted her hand to his mouth, his teeth and lips nibbling along her wrist and he almost smiled when she gasped at the desire he knew she was feeling. 

“Here is what is going to happen,” he started out and he could sense her holding her breath.  “I will take you back to your apartment tonight.”  Malik felt her fingers relax slightly and he smiled even as he wished she were a bit less…innocent.  No, he corrected himself.  It excited him that this particular woman had never been with another man before.  She was his.  Every delectable inch of her would be his woman.  It would just take a bit more time before he could finalize their union. 

“Thank you.”

Malik shook his head.  “Oh, you are not getting away from me so easily,” he replied, then almost laughed out loud with relief when he saw the eagerness in those lovely, blue eyes.   “Here is what we can do.  I can see that you are not opposed to being with me.”  He ran a finger over the shell of her ear, suppressing a smile when he felt her shiver.  “May I venture a guess that you are opposed to our union on such short acquaintance?”

Jina considered his comment.  “I don’t know what it is about you, Malik, but yes.  I am not comfortable sleeping with someone that I’ve known for only a few hours.”

He smiled slightly.  “Ah, my beauty, there will be very little sleeping when we come together.  And I can assure you, that I don’t want you feeling comfortable around me.  That’s the very last thing I want when you are with me.”

She shifted against him on the leather seat, her leg accidentally brushing against his hard thigh but the movement caused things inside of her to tighten in a strange way.  “I don’t think we’re…”

He stopped her by kissing her lips, his mouth demanding more from her than she’d thought possible to give but the way he was kissing her made her want to give it to him.  There was just something about this man that compelled her, drove her harder, needing him in an elemental way. 

When he lifted his head, he was looking directly into her startled blue eyes.  “Don’t even consider that we won’t be together, Jina.  We will.  The timing of our relationship is all we need to negotiate.” 

She shook her head, not liking his words but he interrupted her.  “I have to go back to Sarkit tomorrow,” he explained.  “I will need your services when I return.  You will help me?” he asked. 

Jina considered his words.  It would be better for her if she turned down the assignment.  It would be safer.  For her at least.  But instead of telling him no, which she knew in her head she should do, she agreed.  “Yes.  I’ll help you,” she replied.  “But you speak perfect French, Malik.  You don’t need my translation services.  Call my agency and cancel the order.  I won’t take money from you.”

He laughed softly.  “I won’t do it.  I want you by my side.”

She shifted again, having forgotten the surge of lust that sprang through her body when she did that and she gripped his shoulders as her body slowly settled back down.  “I need to have this conversation while not seated on your lap, Malik.”

His hands continued to hold her hips, his fingers lightly moving against the curve of her bottom.  “I think this conversation is going extremely well with you right here.”

She would have laughed at his arrogance, but his hand shifted and she was painfully aware of his hands on her hips, the heat coming to her skin from his fingers and the crazy sensations those fingers created inside of her.  She wanted to…No! She couldn’t do that!  It was wrong and very, very dangerous! 

“Malik, I don’t think…”

And he kissed her again, his lips coercing her into kissing him back once again.  Only when she was clinging to him did he finally lift his head and look down at her once again. 

“You were saying?”

She blinked, not sure what she was saying any longer.  She wasn’t even sure what she was thinking.  “Um…”

He smiled slightly.  “You were saying that you will accompany me as a translator next Friday night.” 

She opened her mouth to argue with him, but he shook his head, his eyes warning her that he would only repeat the kiss if she decided to argue with him.  “You’re not playing fair,” she laughed, leaning back but he wouldn’t let her escape his lap. 

“No.  I never play fair.  I play to win.”

Her laughter disappeared and she stared at his chin.  “Malik, I’m not really in your league.  Why me?”

He considered her words, not sure what she was asking.  “You have to know that you are beautiful, Jina.”

She shook her head.  “Malik, I’m just like any other woman.  There isn’t anything special about me.”

He couldn’t believe she was saying such things.  And, from the look in her eyes, she truly believed that she was simply an ordinary woman with ordinary looks.  “Then you will have to trust me that you are special,” he told her and kissed her, gently this time. 

“Come,” he told her when the vehicle came to a stop.  “I will walk you to your door and you will tell me what you wear to sleep at night.”

Jina was so shocked by his command, she couldn’t stop the burst of laughter.  “I certainly am not!” she told him with finality but she allowed him to lead her to her apartment door.  When she pulled the keys out of her small bag, he took them from her and opened the door, putting a hand to the small of her back to guide her into the dimly lit interior of her apartment. 

“What are you doing?” she asked, pressing herself against the wall as he passed by her. 

Closing the door firmly, he looked down into her eyes.  “Are you going to tell me what you sleep in at night?” he asked, his lips hovering above hers. 

“Absolutely not,” she told him, holding her breath as she waited for him to kiss her again. 

He smiled again.  “Then I’m going to find out, my pretty one.  If you won’t give me the information, I must discover the answer on my own.”  He paused for a moment as he bent lower.  “And I’m very good at investigating,” he promised.

Jina blinked when he simply walked away from her.  His large form walked away, stepping through the only other door in the apartment.  Her bedroom!

She quickly gathered her wits about herself and pushed away from the wall.  “You can’t go in there!” she gasped.

Malik ignored her and simply started opening her drawers.  The first one contained her underwear and Malik looked inside.  Jina had no idea what might be going through his mind but he shook his head.  “No.  This simply won’t do,” he told her as one tanned finger lifted a pair of white, cotton underwear into the air.  “I need to think of you wearing lace,” he said, his eyes moving to her breasts as if he could see through the material of her gown.  “Red lace.”  He tilted his head slightly.  “No.  Black lace.”  With that, he nodded his head and shut the drawer.  “I’ll fix that for you.”

Jina had no idea what he meant by that, but she grabbed her underwear from his fingers, pushed it back into her drawer and closed it with a snap.  “My underwear is fine,” she told him firmly. 

“No.  It isn’t,” he countered with a chuckle.  But instead of arguing with her further, he opened another drawer and found her pajamas.  “Ah!  This is what I’ve been looking for,” he told her and, before she could stop him, he’d pulled out a long, flannel nightgown that had definitely seen better days.  “What is this?” he demanded.