The Sheik's Mysterious Mistress (Friends Forever) (6 page)

He softened his tone, but wouldn’t budge on her leaving the palace. That was an absolute not-going-to-happen idea. “I told you yesterday, I know a lot more than you think.” She wasn’t leaving here unless he could be assured of her safety, and her return on the following day. And if there was some way he could keep her here inside the palace walls, even with the assurance of her safety and return, he was going for that scenario, liking it a whole lot better. He hadn’t slept well last night, knowing that her soft body was curled up in the bedroom next door. Hell, he’d wanted her soft body curled up next to him. And he wanted to disrupt her sleep. Over and over again as he made love to her while she was curled up next to him.

“What do you know?”

“I know that four guys tried to attack you and you beat them down.”

“Four guys? But there were only two of them yesterday.”

“So you admit you were attacked? And that was why you were so upset that you were in my kitchen cooking?”

“I told you, I was in your kitchen because it was better equipped than mine.”

He sighed and glared down at her. “You were in my kitchen because it was inside the palace walls and you knew you were safer here than anywhere else. Which was brilliant of you, by the way. If I’d found out you’d done anything else, I might just paddle you.” She started to say something but he stopped her with a hand in front her. “And you were in the kitchen cooking because that activity makes you feel better. It makes you feel in control and it soothes you so don’t even try and tell me that yesterday’s attacks didn’t frighten you because I know you better now and I won’t permit you to deny it.”

She shook her head, her hands fisted at her sides as her mind worked frantically to come up with a reason he might accept for yesterday’s attacks. Something that wouldn’t make him angrier, or keep her inside the palace walls for her protection. “They were just trying to get my wallet.”

He was livid that she was trying to lie to him, but tempered that emotion by trying to figure out why she was lying. Dana was too kind and generous to be malicious in anything she did. “What were the other two men doing?”

She looked back up at him. “What other two men?”

“I told you there were four of them. Only two thugs reached you and tried to attack you by the fruit stands. The other two brutes that my security detail caught just as they were about to enter the fight were out of your line of sight, but no less dangerous if they hadn’t been stopped in time. Do you honestly think you could have fought off four armed men yesterday?”

The idea sent shivers down her back but she resisted the fear that started to invade her mind. “I sure could have tried.”

Her comment infuriated him because it was so ridiculous. She could have been hurt, captured, kidnapped or raped and she was still thinking she could take on a gang of men trying to take her down? “Think so, huh? Okay, come with me,” he said and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her office and down a long hallway.

She released her purse, quickly letting it fall back into her desk drawer. “Where are we going?” she asked, almost out of breath since his legs were much longer than hers and she could tell he was extremely angry. In fact, she didn’t think she had ever seen him this furious before. Hassan had always been the epitome of control and self-discipline.

“We’re going to my gym.” He pushed through a large door and dragged her into the middle of the padded floor. “Okay. Show me what you’ve got.”

“Excuse me?” She stood there, her heels sinking into the blue padding and the bright lights shining down onto his furious façade.

He shook his head. “Don’t be polite. I’m about to attack you. Show me what you did to those men yesterday.”

She backed up a step and clasped her hands in front of her. “Hassan, I’m not going to attack you.”

“You’re not leaving the palace tonight then. Or any night until you can prove to me that you can fight off four men. I’m only one man. If you can pin me down, we’ll talk.” He was so furious that she was going to put herself in danger that he had to do something, to show her that she wasn’t as invincible as she thought she was.

“I’m not going to fight you,” she whispered. Just the idea of putting her hands on him made her stomach flutter wildly.

“Then prepare to spend a lot of nights here,” he said, circling around her.

She’d had enough. She flipped off her shoes and picked them up, heading towards the door of the gym. “I’m going home.”

He quickly stepped in front of her and she stopped immediately. “Only if you can get around me.”

She shivered and backed up again. “Hassan, this is silly.”

He leaned down and shook his head, trying to emphasize to her what kind of danger she might be facing. He knew since he’d been in those situations before. And the thought of her beautiful skin being marred even slightly by someone out to hurt her made him just a bit crazy with worry and anger. “No, what’s silly is you trying to take on two burly men intent on killing you. And ridiculous is you not telling me about it as soon as you’d returned to the palace last night. I even asked you about it while we were in the kitchen and you still wouldn’t confide in me, which makes this whole thing worse and leads me to think that even you know how dangerous this situation is. What’s further insane is you not asking me for help so I can fix this for you.”

She shook her head. “Please, just let me go,” she whispered, unable to look him in the eye. She loved the fact that he was offering her help, that he cared enough to stop her from leaving. It was so sweet that he was being strong for her, but she couldn’t burden him with her problems. No matter how much she wanted to. He was so strong, so powerful and so incredibly handsome. All she wanted to do was lean her head against his muscular chest and cry out her fear and frustration. But she had to be strong and rely only on herself.

“Not a chance,” he said and came closer, his tone not softening even as he saw how upset she was becoming. He had to make her realize that she wasn’t safe outside the palace walls. “What’s wrong, Dana? Think you’re bullet proof?”

“Of course not.” Now he was just making her angry. The concern she could handle. The taunting, that just irritated her.

He pushed her shoulder slightly and she fell back. “Are you afraid of me?”

She got angry with that push and glared back at him. “Hassan, stop this. There’s nothing you can do.”

“I can stop you from leaving the palace.”

That pushed her anger into fury. No one was going to control her. No matter how handsome and sexy he was! “No you can’t.”

He leaned forward. “Want to bet? The only way you’re getting out of here is if you can beat me. And I definitely am not going to let you win.”

She stood up straighter, fighting down the insecurities that were pressing against her. “Please,” she gasped. “You’re making me nervous.”

“Good. So you’re going to admit that you can’t fight me and stay here?”

She stepped back again. “I won’t fight you.”

He pushed her again. “Would it help if I made you angry? Because I’m pretty angry myself right about now.”

“Stop pushing me,” she said and backed up another step.

“No,” he replied with outward calm and pushed her shoulder again.

Dana stumbled and tried to push down the rising anger. “Leave me alone, Hassan!” she said and tried to walk around him.

“Make me,” he countered and easily stepped in front of her.

She glared back. “This is ridiculous!” She tried to push past him but he stepped in front of her again.

He grabbed her arm and twisted her around. “What’s ridiculous is you thinking you can solve this problem on your own.”

“I’m not trying to solve it! I’m just….”

“You’re just trying to put yourself in danger and I’m not going to allow that.”

He pinned her back up against the wall and glared down at her. “Come on, Dana. Give it your best shot.”

She glared right back up at him, wanting desperately to show him what she could do. It was now a matter of pride. “I don’t want to hurt you, Hassan,” she said, giving him one last warning.

Hassan was so surprised that she honestly thought she could hurt him that he threw back his head and laughed. She was such an innocent and had no idea of what really happened in this world. She thought she understood only because she hadn’t had enough experience of how cruel the world could be.

A moment later, he was lying on is back, staring up at her worried face with her fingers tangled in his.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she hurriedly said and tried to feel his head to make sure he was okay.

With a quick flick of his wrist, he’d flipped her over so she was lying on top of him but they didn’t stay that way. She nudged him in the elbow and he let her scramble away. But he jumped up, coming at her with a determined look on his face.

“Hassan, I think I’ve proven that I can take care of myself. So just back away,” she claimed and he caught her glance towards the doorway.

“I wouldn’t advise that plan,” he said and instantly caught her attack, his arm catching her around her waist as she tried to zip past him.

Dana’s breath was knocked out of her, not because of anything he’d done but by the fact that he was much faster than she’d anticipated. “Okay, you asked for it,” she said and twisted around, trying to knock him back down.

Unfortunately, her plan backfired and she was twisted around so that her back was pressed against his chest and her arms were twisted around her stomach. She was trapped.

“Are you giving up?” he asked, his voice dangerously close to her ear.

“No!” she gasped and kicked her legs out. He’d anticipated that and with one quick move, he lifted her a few inches higher so that her feet kicked out to thin air.

“Give it up, Dana. The suite you slept in last night is at your disposal.”

“You’re not making me stay here. It isn’t….” she was about to say safe, but that would mean admitting that she was in danger and he’d never let her out of the palace. “You’re hurting me,” she said with a gasp and a softer tone.

As predicted, he instantly released her and she took advantage of his soft spot by grabbing his arm and twisting it around. She could have elbowed him or even kneed him at that point, but she honestly didn’t want to hurt him so she went for a weak third option she’d only tried twice with her instructor.

And failed miserably.

With a quick flip, she was laying on her back, her legs held captive by his and her arms up over her head where they couldn’t do any more damage. In fact, she could barely breathe with his body pressing her against the mat.

“Give up,” he said, his voice husky as he looked down at her. “Even that last move wasn’t performed well, Dana. And you knew of several other ways to hurt me but you’re too sweet and gentle to have done that. Admit that you’re in danger and let me help you.”

Dana wasn’t sure what to say. She could feel all of him, his whole body pressed against hers and her mind screamed out for more. She looked into his eyes and saw the desire flare in his eyes. She couldn’t hide her own response and he saw her give in at exactly the same moment that his body realized that he was being cushioned by her soft warmth.

Her breathing increased, but not from exertion. It was all because of the heat racing through her, the hot, almost painful desire that made her body arch slightly, causing his hardening body to press exactly in the right spot. Her legs, which were already slightly apart because of his pinning, now pressed against his thighs, holding instead of resisting.

Hassan saw all the signs and felt her body’s response and he couldn’t deny his own body’s need to have this woman. Just one kiss, he told himself. And if she resisted at all, he’d back off and apologize.

He tentatively touched her lips, feeling her softness, the tenderness of her full lips. And when they moved underneath his, he denied himself no longer. The kiss that had started out tentative, exploring, changed to something much more demanding. He couldn’t hold back, had been doing that for several weeks now and his body was demanding total submission of this woman underneath him.

With a groan, he shifted slightly, changing his position subtly from imprisoning, to capturing, shifting just so and he loved her gasp of pleasure and the way her body arched up into his, pressing her softness more firmly against him.

He deepened the kiss and moved against her mouth, demanding that she open to him, his tongue tasting, coaxing until her lips opened and he could fully taste her. When her tongue tentatively touched his own he went wild with desire and victory that she was feeling the same things he had been enduring.

Dana was no longer thinking. She was only feeling, amazed at how perfectly his body fit against hers. She wanted this man like she’d never wanted any other man before. She’d never felt like this and was going on instinct, moving against him, feeling him respond and reveling in the power she had to make this powerful man move. She shifted again and he pulled her hands down, dropping her wrists so he could pull his hands on her waist, pressing her body against him. His hands moved up and down her back, rolling her to her side so he could pull her leg up against his hip, pressing his erection against her heat more closely.