The Sheik's Virgin Lover (The Sisterhood) (9 page)

Emma stopped his progress with the expedient method of simply raising his head. It was successful only because he wasn’t expecting it but he smiled as he watched her looking down at him from this angle. “Yes, we can’t do this here,” he said and moved higher, his mouth about to close over her breast again since it was still bare, the taut peak still calling to him only inches from his mouth.

Her hands weren’t able to stop him this time so she wiggled away, some of the papers sliding to the floor in her efforts but they gave her a bit more movement. “We can’t do this,” she whispered frantically, her eyes moving from the open window to the door which was thankfully closed but not locked. “Dharran, please, don’t do this.”

“I agree,” he said and pulled her up. “Come with me. We’ll go to my hotel and finish this.”

Emma was already shaking her head, her fingers barely able to pull the straps to her bra back up because they were shaking so violently. “I can’t go to your hotel with you,” she replied, turning her back to him as she picked her still soaking shirt up off the floor.

There was a moment of silence before he said, “What do you mean?”

She pulled the blouse on, ignoring the camisole underneath and shivering as the wet fabric re-plastered itself against her body. It was cold and clammy, but it also gave her the clarity to understand what they’d been about to do.

Once she was dressed, she turned back t face him. “I’m sorry. I know I was leading you on but we can’t do this. I’ve already explained myself to you once but I really need to be firm about our relationship. This,” she said, waving her hands between them for lack of effective words, “just isn’t going to happen between us.”

In response, he raised an eyebrow and stepped closer to her, leaning over her and glaring into her eyes. “Emma, understand now, that we will be together, you and I. What we have does not happen often between two people. I understand that you’re in the middle of something right now, but believe me, there will come a time when we will finish what we started here today.”

Without another word, he spun on his heel and walked out of the tiny office, the old, wooden door slamming as he exited, fury emanating from his every movement.

Chapter 5

Emma’s hands shook as she picked up the phone. She didn’t know how, she just knew that the person at the other end of the phone was Dharran and she shouldn’t answer the phone. Her hand raised the receiver anyway, despite her brain’s insistence that it was a bad idea.

“Hello?”

“Emma,” Dharran’s deep voice said through the receiver. “You’re not answering on your cell phone. Are you trying to avoid me?”

With a shaking breath, she nodded her head. “Yes.”

“Why is that?” he asked gently.

“Because we shouldn’t see each other.”

“But we’re going to see each other. I leave tomorrow so I want to have dinner with you.”

She rested her forehead on her hand. “Dharran…” she started to tell him no, to list all the reasons why they shouldn’t see each other, but he stopped her with a simple “Emma.”

Her objections froze in her throat.

“Come meet me for dinner.”

The idea of being alone with him was unquestionably not a good one. “No.”

“I’ll pick you up at seven. Will you wear something pretty?”

“Don’t you mean that one of your body guards will pick me up?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Because I don’t believe you would deign to actually arrive at my door step and ring my doorbell.”

“And if I did?”

Emma fiddled with the zipper on her jacket. “I think I’d actually have a heart attack.”

He laughed softly. “You’re too young for a heart attack.”

She laughed back, “I’m too young for you.”

“You’re the perfect age for me. I’ll see you at seven. Remember to wear something pretty.”

He hung up the phone on whatever protest she might have come back with which didn’t really matter since he wasn’t listening to her anyway. Emma glared at the phone, wondering if she would ever be able to win a conversation with him. And why was it always an argument anyway?

No, they shouldn’t see each other because he had absolutely no respect for her opinions, there was no future between someone who ruled a massive, wealthy nation and someone who worked with inner city kids and there was a ten year age difference that would always get in the way. He’d always think he was right because…well because he was an arrogant pompous jerk who always thought he was right.

“Ugh!” she said out loud and dropped her hands onto her arms.

“Men problems?”

Father Mike was lounging in the doorway. “Yes,” she groaned.

“What’s the issue? Why don’t you just give in to what you really want and enjoy it?”

She stared across the office at the man with the collar. “I can’t believe you of all people are telling me to ignore everything we teach these kids, both boys and girls, and just jump a man’s bones because I’m attracted to him.”

Father Mike smiled and walked further into her office. “Actually, I really just wanted you to admit that you’re attracted to him. I’ve been watching you and it seems like you’ve been trying to avoid him.”

She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Is that so wrong?”

He shrugged and looked carefully at her. “I think it’s wrong that a beautiful, young, vibrant woman would cloister herself in this center and not date.”

She was shocked. “I date!”

“Who?” he challenged.

Emma concentrated hard, trying to remember the last guy she’d been out with. “There was that guy that took me out for a movie. That was only a few months ago.”

Father Mike rolled his eyes. “Emma, that was last October.”

She looked confused. “Was it really ten months ago?”

He didn’t answer, only nodded with raised eyebrows. “Besides, he doesn’t really count.”

“Why doesn’t he count.”

“Because you weren’t interested in him.”

“Sure I was.”

He shook his head. “No you weren’t. You went out with him because you felt sorry for him. He approached you in the post office parking lot, asked you out and, according to what you told me back then, he looked so scared to actually be asking you out, you said yes even though you wanted nothing to do with him.”

She leaned back again and shrugged. “I wanted to give him a chance.”

“And?”

She sighed and her shoulders drooped. “Okay, so it was a disaster.”

“From start to finish. So I ask again, why won’t you go out with this guy? You’re obviously attracted to him and he seems to fire you up. More than anyone else I’ve ever known.”

“Because it’s too dangerous.”

“What’s dangerous about it? You go out, you have fun, you talk and get to know each other.”

She pushed her hair back in frustration. “If that was really what would happen, it would be great. But Dharran doesn’t seem to be the type who talks during dinners. He seems to be more of an action kind of guy.”

“Meaning, there won’t be any conversation during dinner?”

“And probably no dinner.”

Father Mike laughed, understanding. “Okay, so why not just enjoy it until it goes too far and then simply stop and say no.”

She blushed painfully and shook her head, hoping Father Mike would just drop the subject.

But he wasn’t letting it drop. As he watched her neck, then her cheeks and then her whole face become suffused with pink, he chuckled. “I see. You wouldn’t be able to stop it, right?”

“Exactly.”

He pursed his lips and nodded. “That would be a problem. Now I see your dilemma. So what are you going to do about it?”

She thought about Dharran, his shoulders that she wanted to explore, his kiss and the way her toes tingled when he touched her. She wanted him unlike she’d ever wanted any other man before. He stimulated her mind, body and soul. But he was who he was, and she wasn’t in his league. Their worlds would collide and someone would get hurt.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing as in you’re going to ignore whatever you’ve got going with him?”

“Nothing, as in I’m not going to let anything start.”

He raised one eyebrow. “Emma, obviously something started with him. I saw him walking out of your office yesterday.”

“And?” she asked as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

“And….” He teased, “you’d just come out of the dunking tank and the entire front of his shirt and pants were wet when he left. Not to mention, he was about to rip off someone’s head and it didn’t look like he cared who it was. Something had obviously happened. Lie to me all you want even though I know the truth. But don’t lie to yourself. That’s unworthy of who you are.” He smiled as he added, “And who God made you into.”

She knew he’d go there and had to laugh as he stood up, having delivered his sermon for the day. “You’re right, you know.”

He took a deep breath and patted his chest as if he were some old man who had just imparted the wisdom of the world. “I know. My work here is done.”

Emma tossed a rubber band at him and, with loads of experience dealing with teenagers, he easily caught the band with one hand as it sprang in his direction, then flipped it around and sprung it right back at her.

She laughed and ducked, but by the time she was ready for round number two, he was out the door and heading down the hallway. “Coward!” she called out to him.

“Speak for yourself, my dear!” he said, moments before she heard the gym doors slam closed behind him.

Her phone rang once again and this time, she wasn’t afraid to pick it up. “Emma here,” she said immediately in a cheerful voice, feeling better after her conversation with Father Mike.

“Em, Darcy here. What are you doing for dinner?”

Emma bit her lower lip and considered her options. “Well, you wouldn’t happen to have a pretty dress I could borrow, would you?” she asked.

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “Emma, are you going out with that guy you were talking to at the mayor’s lunch earlier this week?”

Emma cringed. It was one thing to discuss it with Father Mike because he would let the subject drop when she was really uncomfortable. Darcy and Claire were a completely different breed. Once they smelled blood, they would sink their teeth into the subject until they knew what they were chewing on. “No. I just thought it would be nice to go out somewhere and not look like a mess, that’s all.”

Darcy laughed through the phone. “You have a date with him! That’s wonderful! You haven’t been out with a guy in so long it’s ridiculous!”

Emma grew impatient with everyone counting her love life. “It hasn’t been that long.”

She chuckled. “The guy last October doesn’t count.”

Emma sighed. “That’s what Father Mike said.”

“He’s right. This guy is different. You really like him.”

“No I don’t.”

“Well then why are you going out with him? And why are you trying to get all prettied up for your potentially fabulous night with him?”

“I’m not going out with him and I don’t want the dress for him, I want it for myself,” she countered, wanting to change the subject. “Why did you call?”

“Because I wanted to set you up on a blind date. But since you already have a date, there’s no need. Besides, your guys is loads more hunky than the guy I just met.”

“Why aren’t you going out with him? What’s wrong with him?”

“Oh, he’s nice enough. He’s just a really nice guy.”

“And nice is bad?”

“No,” she laughed. “Nice is good. He just doesn’t throw off any sparks for me.”

Emma groaned. “You’re turning into Claire!”

“I am not!” Darcy countered. “Claire has too many dates. Just because this guy isn’t date material for me, it doesn’t mean he isn’t just perfect for you.”

“What makes you think he’s perfect for me?”

“He’s nice. He’s about five feet, nine inches tall, brown hair, a computer geek…”

“He sounds perfectly boring. What made you think he and I would click?”

“Well, now that I know you’ve got this other guy, and we both know that this guy does more than click if the heat passing between the two of you the other day is any indication, then I’ll just call Dave and tell him I’ll find him another date.”

“Wait a minute,” Emma called out. “I might want to go out with this guy.”

“Nope,” Darcy argued. “Apparently you need a pretty dress for a hot date with your mucho gorgeous guy tonight. What time is he coming over to pick you up?”

“He’s not.”

“Of course he is. So I’ll be at your apartment by five o’clock with a stack of pretty summer dresses and you can choose one.”