Page 30 of The Sheikh's Desert Captive

CHAPTER NINE

Nicole awoke with the sun shining on her face. She stretched out beneath the thin bed covering. The bed was so big, her toes didn't even reach the end. She felt rested, but her thigh muscles ached with the exertion of clinging onto the horse the night before.

She swung out of bed and found that her clothes, freshly washed and ironed had been laid out on the table. She slipped on the panties and bra, and put on the white blouse and pale blue pants. She slid her feet into her low-heeled beige shoes. Her stomach rumbled. From that she guessed it must be later than she'd thought.

Nicole went out onto the balcony and gazed out across the garden. In the daylight, the garden didn't look as unkempt as it had looked in the darkness when she'd arrived. Gardeners must be difficult to get a hold of out here, she told herself.

For some reason that thought made her giggle. Of course it would be hard to find someone to take care of the garden. Nicole gazed out further, at the golden sands of the desert. Off to her left she saw the distant mountains, higher and closer than she'd thought.

This was a real wilderness. It was why Nicole had been tempted to come out here in the first place. She'd been searching for something authentic, something primitive.

Well, she'd certainly found something archaic.

She'd made it so easy for Hakim. She realized that now. Having had time to reflect on what she had enthused about on her dates with Hakim, she could see why it had been so easy for him to tempt Nicole into throwing caution to the wind and follow him out here.

This was a place that looked both beautiful and dangerous. She shook her head as she thought about how stupid she had been. How trusting she'd been. How could she not have seen through Hakim? It was clear the man was a clever charmer, someone skilled at deceiving women and men alike.

That thought made her feel even more embarrassed. She'd fallen for his charming words, his silky smooth ways. And all along, he had been nothing but a primitive boor, a man with bad intentions clearly on his mind. He'd made her feel so special. His every words; every look; every touch had made her feel as if she'd finally found someone she could find excitement with.

It had all been one big lie.

Nicole wondered if she should just lock her bedroom door and have her food sent up to the room for the next seven days.

That thought brought her up sharp, forced her to recall the conversation with Rashid.

Seven days.

Seven nights.

Rashid's reaction had puzzled Nicole. He seemed to be both pleased and hesitant about the prospect of Nicole staying with him. She'd definitely picked up some mixed signals from him during their chat in his bedroom.

His bedroom.

The memory of that made something shift in her middle. Had she really gone to the sheikh's bedroom in the middle of the night? Nicole had been so consumed with curiosity to know what Hakim had said that she hadn't really thought about what going to the sheikh's bedroom might suggest to Rashid. Had he gotten the wrong idea? Did he think she was trying to send him some kind of signal? That she was interested in him?

Because, standing here, looking out across this amazing view, and thinking about the events of the night before, Nicole knew that Sheikh Rashid had made a huge impression on her. More than that, in fact.

He was an undeniably handsome man. There was a hint of contained power in his every move. He was a man who seemed to battle continually with his own primal, inner strength.

He was the kind of sheikh Nicole had often heard about. Wealthy. Independent. A self possessed man, solitary, yet powerful. A man who would be quick to passion, given to displays of fierce desire.

In spite of all his efforts to be courteous and polite to Nicole, she could tell there was a furnace of frustrated desire burning beneath that calm exterior.

There was definitely danger contained in that tall, muscled frame. She'd seen the passion flicker to life in his dark eyes. He tried to hide it, but she could tell it was there.

Nicole had taken note of the way he'd looked at her on more than one occasion. The way he'd seemed to savor the way she flicked her long hair; the subtle hints of interest as he'd gazed into her eyes; the barely disguised glances at her body.

Sheikh Rashid had invited her to stay, and she wondered if it was going to be as much a torment for him as it would be for her to sit out this silly deadline.

But, of course there was nothing silly about the tradition as far as Rashid was concerned. If Nicole could help him bring Hakim to his knees, ruin Hakim's reputation, then she was more than happy to help Rashid do that. If it meant spending time with him in the confines of this glorious, if slightly run down, palace then so be it.

It was mid morning and Nicole thought that probably she'd slept through breakfast time. She headed downstairs and found Rashid in one of the huge sitting rooms. He was seated at a long table. There were empty places set on the table, and it looked like he'd been waiting for her to come down.

Rashid saw her and stood. He smiled at her. "Good morning," he said in a bright voice. His eyes seemed to drink in the sight of Nicole.

Nicole hesitated at the door, taken aback by the way Rashid was dressed. No longer did he wear the traditional white robes. This morning he was dressed in tight fitting white shirt which was open at the neck and a pair of elegant, dark blue pants. They were so tight that they confirmed every one of the casual thoughts Nicole had had about him. Every part of his physique was taut and well toned.

He came toward her. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.

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