What was she going to do? How could she smooth this over? Was he furious? He should be. As Sheik of Silaria, he had the power to lock her away and do anything he wanted to her. He might only be her fiancé at the moment, but in their culture, that was almost the same as her husband. He had rights no man other than her brother ever had and he could hurt her, kill her even, if he wanted. And no one would ever know.
They were walking down a set of stairs and through hallways that were pock marked with bullet holes, some even had giant holes in them and she suspected that was damage from a bomb or a grenade during the recent, brutal civil war Silaria had endured.
By the time he stopped walking, she was shaking so hard she thought she might fall on her face because her knees wouldn’t hold her up any longer. They walked into a room, everyone following and Hussan took it all in stride, his efficiency at answering all of their questions and giving guidance lost on Isla because she was just too nervous about what he might do to her in the very near future.
“Enough!” Hussan called out and with one look, everyone cleared out of the room.
Isla looked around, realized they were in a large office that definitely had seen better days. The enormous desk was filled with files, neatly stacked along the perimeter and another rough table behind the desk was also filled with files and rolls of papers which looked like architectural plans.
The chairs in the office had once been gorgeous leather seats but someone had taken a knife to each of them and they were now taped with rough duct tape so one could sit on them without the springs or stuffing coming out. Amazingly, they looked more comfortable than the hard, wooden chair that was behind the desk. Even the lights overhead were broken with bare bulbs showing in some of them and an old, metal desk lamp as the main source of light. The curtains were gone, the book shelves on one end of the room filled with yet more files and rolls. She wasn’t sure what room this was, but it was barren and harsh.
“You’re El Hamin,” she said as soon as they were alone, her voice cracking with her nervousness.
“How did you figure that out?” he asked as he leaned against the desk and crossed his arms over that massive chest, the muscles in his arms actually showing through the fabric of his suit.
“I’m not an idiot,” she snapped, and knew she should use a more deferential tone but something about this man just irritated her.
“I never thought that you were.”
“So why did you try and fool me?”
He laughed softly and stood up, moving casually towards her while his eyes watched her features carefully. Hussan was trying to gauge her mood, but since he didn’t know her well enough, he wasn’t sure what her reaction to everything was at the moment. “How did I try and fool you? And when?”
Isla gritted her teeth. “That night in the village. You pretended to be just a guard or police officer.”
“I didn’t pretend to be anything. I was on a night raid. We were trying to capture the weapons dealers. The same group of felons that your team was trying to work around. It was a successful night, mostly because of your group, by the way. Thank you for your tender ministrations as well.” He was standing over her now, not giving her any room to breathe.
“If I’d known who you were, I wouldn’t have helped.”
He watched her for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t think that’s true.”
She bristled at his confident tone and tried to step back, but a piece of solid furniture was blocking her, keeping her in place. “Why not? You don’t think I’m capable of the same kind of cruelty that you use on your subjects?”
He raised an eyebrow at her comment, but shook his head. “I think you’re a very soft hearted woman who would help anyone that needed your assistance, regardless of their political or criminal affiliation.”
She squirmed at his response, wishing that she could claim that she chose sides just to contradict him. But the truth was, her whole team was selected because of their lack of political associations. She had created a team that helped anyone in need as best they could. There was too much violence in the world and she wanted to make a difference.
Her chin jutted out in defiance of his assumptions. “I’m not soft hearted.”
He smiled slightly. “Just soft, right?”
She didn’t like that description either. “I’m definitely not soft!”
He reached out and touched her cheek, his finger running down the unblemished skin gently. “You feel very soft to me.”
She tried to pull away, but for some reason, her body wasn’t obeying her mind’s commands to retreat. She stood there, transfixed by this touch and by his eyes that were looking down at her, telling her something she didn’t fully understand.
“I’m tough,” she contradicted.
He smiled slightly. “Let’s find out how tough you really are,” he said and his head bent, slowly coming towards her with a strange look in his eyes.
She gasped and reached up, putting a hand to the middle of his chest to stop his forward momentum. “What are you going to do?”
He leaned down even more, her hand not stopping him in any way, but he was amused by her attempt. “I’m going to kiss you, Isla.”
“I’d rather you not do that,” she said and pulled back.
Hussan shook his head and put his hands on her waist, pulling her forward but keeping some distance from her body. “It’s going to happen. Enjoy it.”
She shook her head frantically, her fear of this man increasing exponentially. He didn’t obey the rules, he was too large, and there was something about his closeness that was making her stomach do that quivery thing that she didn’t like. “I won’t! I won’t enjoy it at all.”
He smiled again and shrugged one shoulder. “I guess I’ll just have to risk your wrath again, won’t I?”
Isla was going to say something else, but he covered her mouth with his, stopping her next protest. He was gentle at first, teasing and tempting her to participate. Her gasp of surprise gave him exactly the entrance he needed and he took full advantage. His tongue slipped inside her mouth, taunting her to participate with the kiss, to imitate him when he touched her.
Isla stood in this man’s arms, her whole body shaking from her reaction to his kiss, the way he was kissing her. It made her feel….decadent! She didn’t like that feeling but there was nothing she could do. When his tongue touched hers, she tried to pull back but his hand came up to the back of her head to hold her still. The next time he invaded, she tried to push his tongue out with hers and the electricity that shot through her body when he did it again and again, their mouths battling, was the most electrifying, terrifying and exhilarating moment of her whole life.