The Sheikh's Kidnapped Bride (The Sharqi Sheikhs Series Book 3) (7 page)

Carolyn exited the luxurious shower in her bedroom suite, wrapping a towel around herself and wondering what she was going to do about clothing. She’d still to find Mahil, but surely he was very aware that she only had what he provided for her.

She needn’t have spent so much time worrying about the issue. As she exited the bathroom, Jessenia was just finishing laying out another American dress and the sandals she’d worn earlier.

“Thank you,” she told the maid with a smile.

Jessenia smiled back and then bowed her way out of the room. Carolyn quickly dressed, brushing her hair until it shone and decided to leave it down. She had no idea where Mahil was taking her, but since she’d yet to see anything outside of his palace and the sanctuary, she was excited for the adventure.

She skipped down the stairway, exiting the front doors to see Mahil waiting for her on the front steps. He was dressed casually again in dark jeans and a button shirt that matched the color of his eyes. She smiled as she thought about what he looked like under those clothes. Felt like as his muscles rippled under her light touch.

“There you are. Ready to go?” he asked, holding out a hand to her.

Carolyn took his hand and stepped down to the ground level, “I am. Where are we going?”

“I thought that I would show you some of my country from the air before dinner.”

“The air? I don’t…”

“You’re not afraid of flying, are you?” Mahil asked, hoping that was not the case.

“No…at least I don’t think so. If you’ll remember I wasn’t awake during our flight over here.”

“You’ve never been on a plane prior to this trip?” Mahil asked, amazed that at the age of twenty-six she had seen so little of the world.

“No need. And no opportunity.”

“Come with me and let me show you how beautiful the desert can be.”

                                                                                    *****

Ahmed was an excellent pilot and Carolyn found herself thoroughly enjoying their flight. For the last ten minutes however, all she’d seen below them was sand. Miles and miles of sand  in every direction.

“I can’t imagine getting lost out here,” she told Mahil.

“It is very unwise to venture into the desert unless one has an excellent grasp of direction and a good GPS. The desert can be very unforgiving.” He glanced out the window and then pointed, “Look there. That is where we are headed.”

Carolyn leaned forward and saw a stand of trees and a pool of water in the distance. “What is that?”

“That is one of the many oases located throughout the desert. We shall have a picnic dinner under the stars this night.”

A few minutes later Ahmed landed the helicopter and Mahil helped her from the aircraft. He took a large basket from Ahmed and then escorted her a short distance away so that the helicopter could take off again.

“Where’s he going?” Carolyn asked, trying not to panic at being left in the middle of the desert.

“Do not fret. Ahmed will bring the helicopter back in a few hours. For now though, we should find a good place to have our meal.”

Carolyn looked towards the helicopter once more and then followed Mahil across the sand, entering the shade of the palm trees and smiling at the beautiful array of flowering plants that miraculously grew in this barren wasteland.

“It’s amazing!”

“I’m glad you like it.” Mahil set the basket down, pulled a blanket from the basket and spread it out on the sand. “Please have a seat.”

Carolyn did as requested, taking the containers he pulled from the basket and setting them out on the blanket. She stared at the array of colors as he opened the different containers.

“This all looks so good,” she told him, unsure what any of it was.

Pointing to the different dishes. “I thought we would keep it simple. That’s lamb kabob, which you will want to try with the yogurt dressing with cucumber and dill. This is beet root couscous, which I think you will like with the na’an,” he told her as he pointed to the bread. “This is pilaf.” As he talked, he continued to point out the different items, “Marinated vegetables, chicken kabob, stuffed grape leaves, and for dessert, we have grilled figs, watermelon, and my personal favorite, Bsemah, which is a type of coconut cake.”

The foods were simple, and yet the flavors were not. They both ate their fill, and for the first time since arriving in his country, Carolyn was able to enjoy the local cuisine.

After the food had been put away and they finished the wine, Mahil sat back and patted the spot in front of him. “Lean back against me and take a rest.”

Carolyn found herself easily following his lead, leaning back against his chest as she looked up at the sky. “It’s amazing out here. I’ve never seen so many stars in my life,” she told him as she looked up.

“The city lights can mask the true intensity of the night sky,” he told her as he began to massage her shoulders and her neck.

“You smell divine,” he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her back. His hands continued their descent down her arms, before skimming back up her front. When he reached the peaks of her breasts, he used his thumb and fingers to pluck at them through the thin cotton of the dress.

When Carolyn couldn’t stand any more torment, she moaned and pushed herself away from him, spinning around to sit between his bent knees. She looked him in the eye and began a sensual exploration of his body. She started at his shoulders, using her palms to press against the muscles hidden beneath his button down shirt.

She let her fingers find the buttons, slowly unbuttoning them one by one, and then pushing the fabric aside to reveal his tanned chest underneath. She smoothed her hands lower, urging him to lean back so that she could undo his belt and the button of his jeans.

She leaned forward and put her lips to his chest, and when he would have taken the reins back from her, she shook her head and murmured, “I want to explore your body.”

Mahil inhaled and then nodded once, “Explore away.”

Carolyn grinned before returning to his chest. When she found his nipples, she circled them with her tongue, understanding that if it felt good to her, it must feel good to him. She sucked lightly on the hard tips, and when he moaned, she smiled against his chest and continued downward.

Her hands had been busy, unzipping him and pushing at the fabric of his jeans to no avail. When she made a frustrated sound, Mahil lifted his hips and then shoved his jeans and his briefs down in one sharp move before pulling them off entirely.

Carolyn let her hands learn his feel, moving past his hipbones, and wrapping around the hard length of him. She lifted her head and looked down, watching her hand pump him up and down, loving the moans of pleasure coming from his throat.

When a bead of pre-cum appeared, she leaned forward and used her tongue to taste him. He was salty and she found herself taking more of him into her mouth. She remembered how big he felt when they had made love at the pleasure pool, and as she tried to take more of him into her mouth, she realized there was no way she could ever take him all.

Her experience with blowjobs was minimal at best, and in the past, she’d always felt inept. When Mahil tangled a hand in the hair along the back of her neck, she was prepared for him to take control but instead, he only murmured, “Wrap your hands around the base and don’t let go.”

Carolyn did as he suggested and suddenly she was able to surround all of him, and still breathe comfortably. She moved down on him, loving the feel of him against her tongue and the comforting hand at her neck. She pulled back and repeated the process, feeling more of his pre-cum leak into her mouth, as she greedily swiped her tongue around it.

She squeezed him and was just getting into a nice rhythm when he tugged at her hair stopping her. “Cara, I want to be inside you when I come.”

He reached for the hem of her dress, as she lifted her knees off it. Pulling it quickly over her head, he tossed it impatiently aside and then stared at her.

“You’re…you’re naked,” he finally managed to say as she smiled at him.

Before she could reply, he groaned loudly and grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her astride him and fitting their bodies together. He kept her poised just above his now throbbing length as he kissed her. When he felt her lose herself in their kiss, he lifted her legs and brought her down on his length, swallowing her moan of pleasure.

“God…”

“No, just Mahil,” he teased her. He pulled her knees up higher on his sides and thrust up into her. “You are so beautiful when your body is flushed with passion, Cara.”

With another moan, Carolyn tilted her head as he kissed his way down her neck to her collarbone. He had wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him, as he thrust into her. Pressing her heels into the blanket, she would bring herself down more forcefully as they both groaned with lust.

Turning her head, she reached blindly for Mahil kissing him as her body began to shake uncontrollably. Sensing what she needed and reaching between them to slide his long fingers between her legs. He found the hard pearl at the juncture of her thighs and pressed down lightly even as he thrust up into her. With a cry, pleasure overtook her as she dug her fingers into his shoulders clutching wildly at him as her body shook with the intensity of her orgasm.

He held her against him while she came, suddenly growling as his own orgasm seized him and he thrust rapidly against her. Leaning his forehead against hers, he took in long, slow breaths and waited for them both to calm down before he withdrew from her and reached for one of the towels in the basket. They had been intended for their fingers, but he quickly used one of them to clean them both up.

“How about a swim?” he asked, kissing her on the side of the neck.

“That sounds good,” Carolyn told him, still reeling from the feelings he’d evoked in her body.

They entered the small pool and Carolyn was pleasantly surprised to find that she could lean on the edge and just let herself float in the water. Her body was sexually satisfied, and regardless of what she’d told Kerri, she was afraid her heart was becoming attached to the gorgeous man next to her.

She hated to disturb their easy peace, but in light of how their relationship was developing, she needed him to understand and respect what she needed. “Mahil, I need to go home.”

Carolyn swallowed hard before she continued. “My family is…difficult. My dad has never been a strong individual. After my mom got sick, he seemed to lose even more control. Drinking every night. But at the time, I didn’t know that he was also gambling. Heavily at times.”

She glanced at Mahil, expecting to see judgment, but instead she just saw him watching her and listening without any emotion on his face. “Anyway, I found out after my mom died that my dad owed more than a hundred thousand dollars to a man named Salvatore Gomez. He’s a loan shark and a criminal of the worst kind.”

She sighed and then looked at him, “I went to see him and told him that I would repay my father’s debt, but I needed some time. I explained how weak my father was to him, and got him to agree to stop charging interest on the debt provided I made regular payments. The last twenty-thousand dollars is due at the end of this month and I’m so close to finally getting rid of him once and for all.”

“Cara, let me pay this man for you. You should never have to deal with men like him.”

Carolyn shook her head, “No! I need to do this for myself. It’s my problem, not yours.”

“Why won’t you let me help you?” he exclaimed.

“I appreciate that you want to support me, but I need to do this on my own. I need to prove to myself that I can finish what I started.”

“What about your father?”

“He hasn’t been gambling as much and I’ve already told him I won’t help him out again.”

“How do you know this criminal will go away once he has his money?” Mahil wanted to know.

Carolyn looked at him and then shrugged, “I don’t. I’m hoping that his word will be good.”

“I still think you should let me deal with this individual…”

“Promise me you won’t. Please, Mahil. This is important to me. I only have to make my payment at the end of the month and I’ll be free of him.”
And my dad. One more payment and I can finally get my dad out of my life for good!

After lunch the next day, Carolyn found herself alone in the palace with nothing to do with her time. When she had confronted Mahil about having her cell phone, she had been prepared to argue with him over it, but he had simply walked into his room, retrieved it and handed it to her. While he didn’t apologize for not giving it to her sooner, his actions had let the wind out of her sail and she didn’t know what to say to him, other than thank you. Unfortunately, the battery had completely died and Mahil was unable to find a charger that fit her old phone so he had promised that he would send someone into town to find one that fit, but not until later that afternoon.

The maids were all busy with their normal duties, and even Ahmed seemed to be missing in action. After they had returned to the palace the night before, Mahil had mentioned taking her home in the next few days, after he completed his current business contracts. It seemed that there was a problem with the delivery of the oil from the Al-Sarid oil fields, and it had fallen to Mahil to negotiate the new contracts.

“Why can’t I take a commercial flight home?” Carolyn had asked.

“Because you, my dear, do not have the appropriate paperwork to do so.”

“A passport? Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that!”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll be taking my private jet home and it shouldn’t be any problem.”

“Maybe…how would I go about getting one here? I mean, I don’t have one.”

Mahil smiled at her, “There is an American Embassy in the capital city. If it should become necessary for you to have a passport, we will leave the matter in their very capable hands.”

She said nothing, and as she wandered through the palace, just knowing that there were other Americans close by was comforting. She made herself a snack and then strolled through the downstairs rooms. When she wandered into Mahil’s private office, she smiled at the walls of books that were neatly stacked against every wall.

She surveyed the titles, wondering if he merely collected them, or if he had read all of them. She ended up at his desk, an ornate structure with intricately carved corners and a leather high back chair.

She climbed into the chair, loving the way the soft leather molded around her body and then she perused the items on his desk. She was about to go searching for another room to explore, when an email caught her attention. The phone number was most assuredly from the United States, and before she could think twice about it, she used a finger to slide the folder it was in open.

A picture of Salvatore Gomez stared back at her along with an email message from Ahmed –

             
Find target and arrange to drop off final payment. Make sure target knows that any

              further contact between himself and Miss Michaels will bring the full power and

              wrath of Sheik Sharqi down upon his shoulders.

Carolyn was stunned, but that quickly turned to blinding fury. She had specifically asked him not to interfere not even twenty-four hours ago.
How dare he! This is not his fight!

She grabbed the file folder and raced up to her bedroom. She quickly grabbed her cell phone and her sandals, she took the papers from the folder and folded them up, shoving them into the pocket of the dress she was wearing and then she ran for the front door.

Mahil wasn’t expected back for several more hours, and she knew for a fact that every afternoon about this time the household servants got together for their lunch and a few games of cards. Ahmed wasn’t around, and probably wouldn’t return until Mahil did. Any other guards had been relegated to the outside of the palace.

With no one around to guard her or report on her activities, this was her chance to escape Mahil’s control and seek asylum at the embassy. She reached the front door and took a moment to make sure the guards were off patrolling elsewhere. When she didn’t see anyone, she opened the door and took off running down the driveway as fast as she could.

A shout behind her had her turning to see two of the guards giving chase.
Damn it! They weren’t on the other side of the house, just too far away for me to see!

She increased her speed, cursing the sandals as the leather straps cut into her feet.
What I wouldn’t give for my tennis shoes about now!
She had almost reached the edge of the driveway when she heard the guards closing in on her.

She didn’t bother to check for traffic on the roadway, she just darted across it, nearly making it, but a few feet from reaching the other side, she heard the unmistakable sound of an angry car horn and turned to see a large truck barreling down on her.

She jumped for the side of the road, landing on her hands and knees, feeling rocks and bits of debris cut painfully into the soft tissue.

She collapsed to the ground for a moment, struggling to catch her breath, but it was a moment too long. Before she could get her feet under her again, she was being pulled roughly to her feet by one of the guards. She fought him with everything she had, but soon she felt herself being picked up and hauled back across the road.

She continued to fight the guard carrying her until she heard Mahil’s voice demanding to know what was going on. The guard stopped and put her down on her feet. She promptly shrugged him off and turned back towards the roadway.

She’d only taken a few steps when Mahil caught up with her and pulled her to a stop, “What is the meaning of this?”

Carolyn was furious with him and rounded on him with all of her anger unleashed. “You don’t get to ask the questions. I trusted you and you betrayed me!”

                                                                                    *****

Mahil looked at Carolyn, wincing at the sight of her bloody knees and palms, “Cara, I don’t know what has happened to upset you so, but come inside and we will talk about it while the doctor tends to your injuries.”

He reached for her, but she shrugged him off and turned to go back to the street. He pulled her to a stop and when it appeared she wasn’t going to follow him peacefully, he bent and placed her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. She beat her bloody hands upon his back, but he didn’t feel the blows. She was injured and he needed to take care of her.

He entered the palace and headed for the front sitting room. He deposited her on the couch and then turned to see Ahmed waiting on his orders. “Get the doctor. Now!”

“I don’t need a doctor. Just let me go wash up…”

Mahil turned on her and shoved a finger in her chest, pushing her back down on the couch. “You are going to sit there and wait for the doctor to attend your injuries. While we wait, explain what has you so upset.”

Carolyn looked at him and then pulled a bunch of papers from the pocket of her dress. She threw them at him and he caught them just before they fell to the floor. “What are these?”

“You should know. I found them on your desk. I told you I was handling Salvatore on my own. I don’t need or want your help.”

“Cara, you don’t understand. Men like him, he will never quit coming after you. You think you’ll be free of him after you pay him, but you won’t. He’ll keep coming back until someone bigger and scarier than he steps in.”

“No! You’re wrong! I will be free from him!”

Mahil shook his head sadly, “Why do you have to be so stubborn? Why can’t you accept my help?”

“I don’t need it!”

“But you do! I knew a girl like you once. She too was stubborn. I left her to take care of herself and she ended up dead! I will not do that again.”

Carolyn looked at him and then seemed to understand something that had been previously confusing to her. “That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? It’s not about protecting me. It’s about you making things right for something that happened in the past.”

“No! This isn’t about Lyla. This is about you.”

Carolyn shook her head, “No. It’s not. The animal sanctuary. You bringing me here and insisting on helping me. This is all about you. You can’t forgive yourself and you think that by doing all of this it will make things right once again.”

“No!”

Carolyn shoved herself up from the couch and shook her head at him, “You know what, Mahil? I feel sorry for you. I don’t need or want your pity. I thought we might have had something special, but now…I’m just a charity case to you.”

Mahil couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You are not…I never treated you as a charity case!”

“Yes! You did! You are! You don’t care for me, you only care about finding a way to make things right for that girl who died. She’s the one in the picture, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do. The shoebox in the bottom of your armoire. The teddy bear was hers and she was what…your sister. Her name was Lyla you said? She was your sister and she died on your watch and you can’t forgive yourself.”

Carolyn’s voice had dropped to a mere whisper as she finished speaking. A sound from the doorway drew her attention and she turned to see Ahmed standing there with a pained expression on his face. Mahil turned to see Ahmed as well.

Mahil balled up his fists, “I suppose you are happy! Both of you, you think it is so easy to forgive and forget. Well, I will never forget Lyla. She was my sister and it was my job to get help for her. She was so sick and I promised her I would come back with help. But by the time I found help and we returned for her, she was… dead.”

Ahmed took a step towards him, “Mahil—“

“No. I will never forget her. And forgive myself? How do I do that when each day I wake up and see my reflection in the mirror and know that while I’m alive, she is not. She never got to grow up, she never got to have her own babies or get married. She will never do those things and it’s my fault. If I had found help sooner, she would still be alive.”

“Mahil, you don’t know…”

Mahil rounded on Carolyn, rage and grief controlling him, “No! Do not tell me what I know. You talk of doing things for yourself. You look at me and assume, what? That I don’t know what it is to be hungry? To have to work for things? My parents died while my sister was still a toddler and we were left to fend for ourselves. We lived on the streets. Eating out of trashcans. No one lifted a finger for us. We were simply two of many dirty street children. When the influenza swept through, rather than helping us, people treated it as a blessing. To be rid of us once and for all. But I survived while my sister did not. If it wasn’t for the Sharqis…” Mahil paused as he drew gasping breaths. It had been years since he spoke of his sister and now, all of his rage and his helplessness came pouring out.

“I knocked on door after door, begging for help. No one would help. Until the Sharqis. I had collapsed on the road and Taleb and Karim found me. They called their father for help but by the time we got there, Lyla had died. Alone. I was beside myself with grief and they took me in. Gave me a home, a family, a life. I owe them everything I am today. But it is all meaningless because I could not save my sister. It should have been me who died! I will never forgive myself. Never.” He turned to Ahmed, “Make sure the doctor attends her when he arrives.”

He turned back to Carolyn and told her, “I want you gone within the hour. Ahmed will fly you home.”

Without another word to either of them, he stalked from the room, leaving Ahmed looking after him with pity in his eyes, and Carolyn watching him as a part of her heart broke for the man who would never know love because he didn’t love himself.