Page 3 of The Sheikh's Willing Captive

He was tall and broad shouldered. He lifted his slightly stubbled chin defiantly and the gaze of his jet black eyes was unflinching. The suit, handmade, clung to his body like a second skin. The white shirt, open at the collar, revealed dark chest hair and temptingly olive skin.

Razim smiled at her, as if waiting for her to say something. The evenness of his features still seemed miraculous to Paige. They were the kind of features you'd expect of a man who belonged in the desert, astride a stallion, with his tribesmen following. High cheekbones, ridged brows and the firm slash of a powerful nose ensured that no woman would be able to take their eyes off this particular sheikh. His full lips were twisted into a sardonic, confident smile.

His looks were captivating. Undeniably handsome.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well what? You know why I'm here."

He nodded. She wondered why he seemed suddenly confident. "To sign papers," he stated in a casual voice. For a moment, she felt a snap of irritation at his attitude. He wasn't taking any of this seriously. That just annoyed her. Didn't he appreciate what she'd done for him? That she'd given him his position of power?

She folded her arms and glared at him. "Do you have them?" she asked.

In response, he gestured toward the interior of the jet. "They're here," he said casually.

Paige shook her head. "I'm not coming in there with you," she said sharply.

"Why not?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Do I have to explain?"

He thought for a moment and then nodded. "Of course," he said. "You don't trust me. How could I forget?"

He didn't seem in the least bit offended by that, she observed. "Should I?" she asked.

"I'm your husband," he replied and tilted his head.

"You won't be by tomorrow," Paige reminded him.

He merely smiled and tilted his head casually. Paige's jaw tightened and she gritted her teeth. Why had she thought this was going to be easy?

"I thought we were going to go somewhere private and sign the divorce papers?" she asked.

He glanced inside the jet. "This is about as private as you'll get," he said.

Paige sighed impatiently. "I prefer to go somewhere neutral."

He frowned. "This isn't some kind of end of war signing," he observed.

She quirked a brow at him. "It felt like a war sometimes, Razim," she said. "You have to admit that."

He ignored her reply and stepped down onto the tarmac. He strode toward her, his body moving with a lithe and easy grace. How could she have forgotten how incredibly sexy hewas, especially now that he was up close? She caught a hint of his scent as the wind blew it in her direction. Memories flickered into her awareness.

Memories of nights in Qazhar. She forced them to the back of her mind. This was business. Pure and simple.

"Paige," he said and extended his arms. Paige felt her body freeze, every muscle tightening. "Aren't you pleased to see me?"

Paige lowered her head and peered at him. "Can't we just do what we agreed? And then we can both go our separate ways."

She saw his features flinch, as if he felt the harshness of her words. He glanced into the darkness as a small jet roared along the runway and lifted up into the dark sky.

"You look cold," he observed.

Was he talking about her appearance or her demeanor toward him?

"It's warmer in the jet," he said. "We can deal with things once you're in there."

Paige peered into Razim's eyes, searching for the truth. His dark gaze was steady. Blank and unreadable. She thought a moment. There was too much at stake to continue this charade out here on the tarmac. Razim was being his usual stubborn self. They could stand here all night.

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