The Sheik’s Expecting Bride by Erin Snihur

4

What are you doing? Have you finally snapped and gone mad?Kamran repeats over and over again in the back of his mind. Standing on the outskirts of the crowd, he watches as a short distance away, the object of his growing desire, Hasna, talks secretly with her bodyguard, Mahdi.

Taking his eye off her for a split second to scan the ballroom, Kamran relaxes slightly at the sight of Nashat speaking with Kaleem and Seline. At least the real Nashat is behaving himself.

Suddenly, Hasna appears at his side and presses her hand to his forearm. Her sea green eyes seem to sparkle as she smiles hesitantly and murmurs softly, “Mahdi will follow from a distance.”

Kamran nods slowly and meets the bodyguard’s intense gaze over Hasna’s shoulder. He had always respected the older man, who had taken a protective stance over Hasna after her parents’ death. Instead of leaving the girl when his employer passed to seek employment elsewhere as most guards would have done, the man had stuck around.

Now, staring at the man while pretending to be someone else, Kamran tenses up when the man seems to gaze at him for a moment too long and begins to open his mouth. When Hasna pipes up again, silencing Mahdi’s unspoken words, Kamran relaxes.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asks curiously as she peers up at him, now in the better light of the palace, but still keeping to the shadows to maintain his identity. “You seem to have drifted off since…” Then she flushes as she continues, “You know.”

Kamran hadn’t been able to tell in the dark of the balcony, but her golden mask seems to shine as her face flushes beneath it. Nodding as he smiles slightly at her embarrassment at the memory of their kiss, he murmurs, “I just want to make sure you are one hundred percent certain this is what you want. I mean, what if your uncle…”

Hasna’s sea green eyes instantly squint at the mention of her guardian as she interrupts with a hand pressing against his chest, “Please do not mention him tonight. I’ve been dreaming about this since I can remember.”

So have I,a whisper drifts through his mind. A thought he had believed had been buried long ago. Instead, those feelings were emerging once again and this time, it could only end in tears and heartbreak if she discovered the truth.

“So… are you in?” Hasna hesitates as she whispers, scanning the empty area around them, obviously thankful for the privacy. When her eyes meet his once more, they are sparkling and full of humor. “Or would you rather listen to some stuffy talk about oil rigs and recent legislation?”

Chuckling, Kamran shakes his head. “I hear enough of that.”

Her perfect, kissable lips quirk upwards as she asks in surprise, “You do? From who?”

Shrugging, Kamran’s mind scrambles as he manages to stammer out an answer, “My brother likes to keep me apprised of Nilan’s situation.”

She scans the room once more before worry fills her expression. “Should you tell him you’re leaving?”

“He’ll figure it out.” And try to talk me out of it in the process and possibly ruin this newfound connection with Hasna forever.

* * *

Hasna barely recallsthe limo ride to Nashat’s hotel suite. In the half hour drive, they had explored each other with their hands and she hadn’t been able to get enough of Nashat’s kissing. It was like a drug, something she had never experienced before.

Stepping out of the elevator that takes them directly into Nashat’s hotel suite, Hasna gapes at the splendor of the room. Sighing when Nashat allows his lips to drop away from her cheek, she shivers.

“I didn’t know what a great kisser you are.”

Nashat growls, “I have always wanted to do this.”

“Really? With me? I never thought you noticed me like that.”

Nashat moans, “How couldn’t I? You light up every room just by your mere presence.”

Without asking, he drags her into the expansive master bedroom suit, completely bypassing the living room and beautiful kitchen area.

Hasna smothers her giggle of amusement. “I always thought you hated me for following you around when we were children, Nash.”

Suddenly, something shifts beyond Nashat’s gaze as she stares up at him. His whole demeanor seems to change and he shifts away from her to pull off his tie and suit jacket.

Wanting to change the subject, Hasna glances around the master bedroom and murmurs, “This is a beautiful place. I figured your brother would have requested the master bedroom.”

Nashat shrugs and throws his jacket and tie to a corner of the room. “Sometimes we compromise.”

Hasna laughs and inwardly thinks, I cannot imagine Sheik Kamran compromising on anything.

Nashat’s face is completely unreadable behind his mask as he suddenly marches over to her. Dragging her body against his, Nashat plants another kiss upon her lips, practically melting her already creaming panties.

“Let’s just focus on you tonight,” Kamran growls.

Hasna moans when she feels his rock-hard erection pressing against her belly and she whimpers, “I’d like that very much, but please be gentle.”

Kamran growls, “For you, anything.”