Awoken by the Sheikh (2 page)

If she didn’t know any better she would have thought
that welcome drink Anna handed her was spiked, she was so woozy.
Oh stop being
paranoid, girl. You’re just tired.

She was dimly aware of being shown into a cozy looking
beach hut, situated on flawless white sands, before the sight of the hugest bed
she had ever seen made her forget all her other worries, and she simply gave
herself up to sleep.

Chapter Two

Sunlight streamed into the bedroom and carried with it
the sounds of the sea and the delicious smell of coffee. Astrid stretched like
a cat and moaned her pleasure at the decadence of satin sheets on her bare
skin. This was the life. Judging by the sun streaming in through the open
windows and the warm breeze that ruffled the gauze curtains around her bed, she
had slept late. When was the last time she had actually done that? Maybe this
holiday would be good for her after all. She just had to make sure to keep away
from any overconfident males, easy
peasy
lemon
squeezy
. Oh and not dream of course.

Sheesh, what a dream that
had been…

Heat rose
in her cheeks, and her toes curled in sensual awareness as she remembered the
most erotic dream she’d ever had. A man’s voice had whispered sweet nothings
into her ear in a language she didn't understand. Wetness pooled between her
thighs as she recalled the man’s large hands, their skin so much darker than
her own. Her dream lover had stroked and kneaded her breasts until they ached
with longing. His oh so clever fingers had plundered her pussy, pushed her over
that sweet cliff, and pulled one heart stopping orgasm after the other from
her. His hot lips had kissed a trail down the sensitive skin of her tummy,
lower and lower still, until they’d latched onto her clit and brought her to
euphoria once more. The man's strong arms had held her firmly and lifted her
up, as though she weighed no more than a feather. Wetness seeped past her labial
lips, as she recalled the incredible fullness of his cock pushing into her core
until she’d been so filled with him she thought she could take no more, and the
whole world tilted on its axis. The sensation of coarse chest hair on her
sensitive nipples that had made her cry out for more, more, until release came
in the form of a hot male mouth, and his teeth nipped and his tongue stroked,
and arousal had surged through her veins.

Astrid
stretched again and rubbed her thighs together in a vain effort to release the
hot ache in her sex. Her dream had been so vivid. Shame she had to wake up.
Real life was definitely not like this. She smiled ruefully as she sat up in
her ridiculously large bed. What did they put in the drinks around here?
Whatever it was she had to take some home with her.

The sound
of running water, interspersed with soft female laughter and the giggle of
small children brought her out of her sensual day dream.
Children?
Surely not! Not on this supposed island of sexual abandon. And what had happened
to her hut? The cozy beach hut seemed to have transformed into, well she wasn’t
exactly sure what. Some sort of Arabian fantasy, it seemed. The bed was as huge
as she remembered, but the voile curtains hadn’t been there last night, she was
sure. Assortments of vibrant scarves were artfully arranged around the room.
They drifted from ceiling to floor in enticing waves and ripples—the breeze
fluttering through them heavy with fragrances Astrid could not decipher. Huge
mirrors lined one side of the room, whose walls were papered in rich brocade
tones under-laid with gold. Cushions of all shapes and sizes were everywhere,
and the thick pile rug on the marble floor just invited her to curl her toes
into it.

Okay, I’m
clearly still dreaming. This cannot be real. It just can’t. Could it? Next my
dream lover will walk through that open door.

Oh shoot!
Her heart beat a little faster as she recalled Anna’s
question about her favorite childhood book—
Aladdin
. And this room was
just like the ones she had pictured so many times as a child. Innocent
imaginings at first, and later on with rampaging teenage hormones and a huge
crush on
Arabian Nights
and the whole
forbidden world of harems…

No, no,
good God, no.

Astrid
watched in helpless fascination as several Arabian beauties glided through the
large double doors at the other side of the room. Their loose clothing flowed
in the breeze that came with them carrying scents of jasmine and orange
blossom. They bowed their heads to Astrid and placed various trays of fruit, bread,
cold meats, cheeses, jugs of fruit juice, and coffee on the low table in front
of her enormous bed.

The
stunningly regal woman that followed them assessed Astrid from under the long
lashes of her kohl-accented eyes. “I guess you will do.”

She
clapped her hands at the servant girls and issued a string of demands in what
Astrid presumed to be Arabic, before she turned her attention back to Astrid,
who finally found her voice. “Who the hell are you?”

“
I am in charge here, and you would do well to remember
that. Get out of that bed so I can see what I have to work with,” the woman
said.

“
Excuse me, who do you think you are to order me around
like this? Get the hell out of my room or—"

“
Or what?”

Those
dark eyes narrowed as the woman took a step toward her, and Astrid didn’t know
where to look. The clothes the woman was wearing were see-through and left
nothing to the imagination. Clearly underwear was optional in this place. Come
to think of it, where were
her own
clothes? She was
naked under this sheet, too.

“
You have been chosen to pleasure Prince Rashid, and
it’s my duty to prepare you for your task. We do not have much time, and the
prince is an impatient man. He has waited long enough whilst you rested.”

Another
clap of the woman’s heavily jeweled hands brought forth two eunuchs, or at
least that’s who Astrid assumed they must be. The two men positioned themselves
either side of the doors, arms crossed, faces impassive as the older woman once
again extended her hand.

“
Come, there is no need to be nervous. Prince Rashid
extends you a great honor by choosing you over all the others.”

“
Others?”
Astrid’s
voice was a hoarse imitation of its usual self, and she could hardly hear
herself over the roaring in her ears. This could not be happening.
This
was her fantasy? Clearly there was something wrong with her if she had managed
to conjure this up, and how the hell was she going to get out of this?
Lynn,
I really am going to kill you when I get back.
No wonder she had been so
vague about the specifics of this trip. “I have absolutely no interest in
pleasuring this Rashid, whoever he may be, so you can call your hounds off and
just leave.”

The deep
male voice that drifted in on the summer breeze made the fine hair on her neck
stand on end and her clit clench in anticipation. She knew that voice, but
surely not…

“
Leave us, Layla. I will deal with this myself.”

Chapter Three

“
As you wish, Prince Rashid.”
Seeing
Layla’s immediate submission as she bowed deeply sent a shiver of foreboding
down Astrid’s spine. Who on earth was about to come through the door?

The small
army of servants glided out of the room as quietly as they had entered. They
bowed to the impossibly tall man dressed in western clothing. Layla’s whispered
words in Arabic brought a fleeting smile to his harsh features, and Astrid
swallowed nervously when the full force of his hazel eyes settled on her. The
man was sex-on-legs gorgeous, if you liked that sort of thing.
Not that you
do, remember.
Long, straight black hair framed a strong face, with perfect
cheekbones, and a prominent nose. Dark stubble lined his jaw and full lips that
promised sinful delights. The faint scar over one eye simply accentuated the
air of quiet power and strength in his gaze, which settled entirely on her, and
made her breathing speed up against her will. Apparently she was not as immune
to the whole bad boy look as she thought she was. Astrid bit her lip to stop
the groan that threatened to rise from deep within her when he moved toward the
low table in front of her bed. He picked up one ripe strawberry and popped it
into his sensual mouth. His knowing gaze never once left her face.

The
simple movement drew her attention toward the subtle play of muscles visible
through the tight fit of the plain t-shirt. His biceps strained the fabric
surrounding them. Light trousers left little to the imagination, as his thighs
flexed under the thin cotton when he straightened up again with the lithe grace
of a predator. Astrid had to remind herself to keep breathing. There was no
mistaking the bulge in his crotch. She glimpsed it briefly before she forced
her eyes back up to his face hastily, lest he had noticed her staring.

I’m still
dreaming. I have to be or hallucinating or something. What was in that drink
Anna gave me?

Men like
this were never interested in her. There was no mistaking the sexual awareness
in those ever darkening eyes, however, as his gaze roamed freely over her body.
It settled on her embarrassingly erect nipples, which strained against the thin
silk sheet she clutched in trembling fingers.

This
cannot be happening!
She never reacted like this to any man, least of all
a perfect stranger.

“
You must be hungry, after last night.” His deep,
slightly accented voice washed over her. It made her nerve endings tingle and
brought a fresh wave of moisture between her thighs, leaving her in no doubt
what her body wanted.

“
Last night? Nothing happened last night.” She croaked
the words, utterly unable to project her voice with any conviction.

He
chuckled softly. Coupled with his large hand tucking a strand of her blonde
curls behind her ear, it did little to help calm the excited rabbit that seemed
to have taken up residence in her chest. He slid his hand under her curls
behind her neck and brought her so close that she could almost taste him. His
breath fanned her face, and an all too familiar scent caused her breathing to
hitch even more.

This was
Rashid?
My dream lover?

“
A man could take offence.” The smile accompanying
those whispered words lit up the harsh
features,
and
Astrid leant in closer to all that warmth, drawn by the magnetic pull of those
dark brown eyes that crinkled up at the corners in obvious amusement.

“
Oh no, my pretty, not until
you’ve seen Layla, and you need to eat first.” Rashid drew back slowly. One
slightly calloused finger left a trail of heat along her jaw, and this time
Astrid could not stop the needy moan escaping. Mesmerized by his fluid
movements and held in place by her growing ache of need deep down in her core,
she watched as he took another strawberry. The heat in his gaze stoked the slow
fire in her belly to a raging inferno as he slowly pried her lips apart with
the ripe fruit, and sat down on the bed.

“
Open for me, my pretty.”

The whispered command skittered across her fevered skin. Her fingers
closed over his as she took a bite out of the lush fruit, and its juices
spilled down her chin. Rashid’s eyes darkened further, and his pupils dilated
as his gaze followed the trail of juice trickling down between her breasts. It
gave her the courage to take another bite, until her mouth closed over his
hand. He visibly jerked in response, as she sucked his fingers into her mouth,
and his low growl rumbled through her. Astrid released his fingers with a
start, and within the space of one wild heartbeat, he pulled her onto his lap.
One of his large hands cupped the back of her head. The other found its way
under the sheet she was still clutching to herself with one hand, and settled
just under her left breast.

Rashid licked along her jaw, and heat coursed through her as he followed
the trail of juice over the sensitive skin of her neck, down over her
collarbone. He skimmed across the top of her breasts and dipped into the hollow
between. Sheet forgotten, Astrid clung helplessly to his shoulders and dug her
fingernails into his biceps. All conscious thought left her body with the
shuddering breath she exhaled. Sensation assaulted her. Her skin tingled where
his tongue trailed across her flesh. When his firm mouth finally suckled one
erect nipple, and he bit down, she was lost. Oblivious to her surroundings and
any misgivings, she didn’t recognize her own needy voice begging for more, as
her body strained to get closer to the rock hard erection that nudged her
swollen pussy through the restraints of his trousers.

“
My lord, the baths are ready.”

Rashid
froze at the sound of Layla’s voice. His breathing as harsh as Astrid’s, he
pulled the sheet back up over her breasts with a rueful smile. Rashid’s
knuckles skimmed across the achy nubs with firm deliberation, which made her
gasp sharply.