The Sheikh's Fiery Lover (The Tazeem Twins Series Book 2) (2 page)

Rene pulled up Skype and logged into her account. She clicked on Tanya's name and started calling her, hoping she was not at work. She really needed to talk to her.

“Hey girl,” Tanya said as she answered. Rene crossed her eyes as she stared at the background behind her. Tanya was on a low brown sofa, with a red brick wall filling the rest of the screen, and the low hum of conversation flowing from the speakers.

“You went to Starbucks without me?” Rene asked.

“That’s what happens when you leave me! I have the day off,” Tanya smiled and took a sip of her coffee from a huge white mug. “How are you? We haven't spoken for a few days,” she added.

“I know, I have been trying to settle in here, but it has not been easy. It’s a whole different lifestyle.”

“Trying to settle? Rene, babe, it’s not that hard to settle in a grand palace with a handsome prince!”

Rene sighed. “I know it sounds silly, but it is though. There is lack of privacy because of the lingering maids. And, get this, I’m not supposed to call Josh by his name.”

“Those are little things you can get over.”

“He works too much.”

“As expected, he is a prince.”

“I know but I wish I could spend more time with him.”

“I understand that. How does he treat you when he is with you?”

“He treats me really well,” Rene replied as she smiled to herself. It was great when they were together. She ran her hand through her hair.

“You are so into this man,” Tanya pointed out.

“Well yes, otherwise I would not have followed him to his country.”

“No, Rene, like you really love him. It's written all over your face. I guess you are not coming back to the States.”

Rene laughed. “I am still on leave at work and have yet to turn in my resignation. Oh Tanya, is this the right decision to make?” she asked her. She was not usually this impulsive and reckless.

“Before you even left, you had talked about quitting your job; this is the perfect opportunity, why do you sound so reluctant? I can look after our house - that is not an issue. Other than that, there is nothing else to consider. Stop worrying about whether you are making the right decision. You are happy, right?”

“I think so,” Rene replied. She was happy being there with Joshua, she simply wished that she saw him more. This was the time for him to be around her and reassure her that she had made the right decision.

“If you are happy, then that is all that matters.” Rene smiled. Tanya always knew the right thing to say to her and she was very grateful to have a friend like that. “So what are you going to be doing with the rest of your day?”

“I don’t know.”

“What? How can you not know? You are in the Middle East and in a palace, how can you not know what to do? There are plenty of options,” Tanya shouted. Rene started laughing as she saw people in Tanya’s background giving her looks.

“Like what?”

“Go explore the palace.”

“It is so big.”

“Exactly, there will be plenty to see.”

“What if I run into a member of his family? I do not think that I’m ready to meet any of them yet.”

“Good! It will add excitement and adventure to your day.”

“No, it will not. How do I explain my presence? I especially hope that I do not run into his mother.”

Tanya laughed, “Rene, you always worry about the little things. I am sure that they already know of your existence.” Rene pouted. She knew that they probably did; however, she was not ready to meet them yet.

“Well, I might as well go for a walk and explore the palace as I have nothing else to do,” Rene said, pushing out a breath.

“You do that and fill me in on what happens. I demand regular updates! Oh, and photos! Take pictures!”

“I will,” Rene waved at the camera and hung up. Sliding her shoes on, she stepped out of her bedroom and headed toward the door with her maids quick to follow.

“Where do you need us to take you?” Muna asked her.

“Nowhere in particular. I want to go for a walk,” Rene replied. She knew that her maids were going to be on her tail wherever she went.

Rene walked down the palace corridors, while Muna and Maria walked a few steps behind her, starting and stopping to match Rene’s pace.
This is too much
. She stopped and faced them, arms crossed. “Please walk next to me,” she said to them. It was really uncomfortable and strange for her to have them walk behind her.

“No, Miss Rene, we are fine back here!” Maria replied in a shrill voice.

Rene placed her hands on her hips. “It would really make me feel much more comfortable if you were to walk next to me, not behind me and stop bowing your heads to me, too.” While she realised that she sounded petulant, she did manage to avoid stomping her foot in frustration.

“Well, they are your servants and as such, they are treating you with respect,” a high, feminine voice sounded from behind her. Turning, Rene saw a tall woman dressed in traditional clothing walking toward her. Her jet-black hair was pinned up in a chignon. She had golden skin, dark eyebrows, a straight nose and full lips.

“Your highness,” Muna and Maria said at the same time and bowed to the woman. Rene raised her eyebrows, a sudden heavy feeling in her stomach, and quickly bowed her head.

“You are the woman my son brought to the palace,” the queen said. She placed a finger under Rene's chin as she scrutinised her face. “Pretty,” she said.

“You are Joshua's mother?”

The woman’s posture suddenly stiffened. “You call him, Joshua?”

Rene felt her heartbeat jump. This was not how she wanted to meet his mother. “When I first met his highness, he introduced himself to me as Joshua. I did not know who he was at the time.”

“You did not know him?” Joshua's mother asked. Rene could hear the disbelief in her voice, just like when she told James that she did not know about the Tazeem family.

“No, your highness.”

“I find that hard to believe. How can one not know about us?”

Rene did not know how to respond to that. She could not exactly tell her that she did not pay attention to such matters. It would make it seem as if she thought they were irrelevant. So she stood there feeling awkward and trying not to turn red.

“I have a meeting to attend, I will send for you another day. We must have tea together,” she said, turning on her heel.

“Yes, ma’am,” Rene said with a smile. She bowed to her as she left before sighing with relief. His mother wore a stern look just like he did and it definitely was not friendly. She did not know what to make of it. “She's scary,” Rene pointed out to her maids.

“The queen is quite strict,” Muna replied.

“It shows,” Rene said.

She no longer felt like walking around the palace anymore. “I think I would like to return to my quarters now,” Rene added. She did not want to risk running into more members of his family. The first time she met James, she thought that he was Joshua. She had no idea that Joshua had a twin. They looked so much alike, she was glad that they smelled and kissed differently or she would have really been in trouble.

She had met James in the palace corridor and now she had met his mother in a corridor. Perhaps she needed to stay out of the corridors until she met the other members of his family since she preferred the old-fashioned way, over dinner and Joshua formally introducing her to them. But even that seemed daunting.

Joshua loosened his tie and let out a deep sigh as he entered the palace. Another long day at the office. His company,
Tazeem Petroleum
, was in the middle of crucial business talks with a Russian company. Usually all he wanted to do was get home, eat and then sleep. But since Rene had arrived, it was different.

It was difficult to concentrate at work when he would rather spend time with her, but he had to set aside his desire for her until the contracts were signed. Yet he kept battling with his feelings about neglecting her. She had agreed to come here with no idea as to what she was getting into and he knew that it was not fair.

As he made his way to her quarters, he hoped that she was still awake. He had been at the office longer than he intended and he wanted to spend time with her before he went to bed.

“Good evening, your highness,” Maria greeted Joshua as he walked into Rene's quarters.

“Where is she?” Joshua asked, referring to Rene.

“Miss Rene has retired to her chambers, your highness.”

Joshua nodded. He took off his suit jacket and handed it to the maid before walking into Rene's bedroom. Pushing open the French doors, he saw her lying on the bed. She had fallen asleep while reading. Shutting the doors behind him, he walked over to her bed. She was so small and adorable. Lifting her head, she gave him a sleepy smile.

“Hi,” she greeted him, as she closed her book. Sitting on the side of the bed, he reached out to stroke her hair. He liked looking at her. She was so beautiful, as she looked up at him with her big grey eyes. He smiled down at her before pressing a small kiss on her lips.

“How was your day?” he asked her. He stroked her face with the back of his hand. He loved the softness of her skin.

“It was okay,” Rene replied.

“How is life in the palace treating you?”

“I ran into your mother.”

Joshua dropped his hand. He had been meaning to introduce Rene to his mother but with his workload, he hardly had any time at the moment. “And how did that meeting go? Did you kiss her too?” he asked her. She snorted before she replied.

“It was brief. Your mother is a little scary,” Rene said cautiously.

Joshua shook his head. “I cannot believe what I am hearing.”

“What?”

“I cannot believe that you would be intimidated by anyone.”

“I did not say that I was intimidated! She was just a little bit scary. She seems strict.”

“She is strict. Both my parents are. My brother and I did not have what you would call a normal childhood. The expectations that were placed on us as princes meant that we were not able to do things that most children did.”

“Like what?”

“Having friends over. Dating. Attending parties. Having fun, really.”

“I cannot imagine what that must have been like. My mother always encouraged me to spend time with my friends and to have fun.” Rene sat up in bed, “Your mother said that she would invite me for tea soon.”

“Ah, that is when the interrogation will take place,” Joshua said. He held in a laugh, teasing Rene was way too much fun.

“Interrogation?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“Yes. She is very thorough when it comes to the women around her sons. ”

Joshua covered his mouth with a feigned cough when he heard Rene’s squeak of protest. “Oh great,” she said as she hugged herself. Joshua could not resist chuckling. “It's not funny, Joshua!”

“At least you addressed me with my proper name this time.”

She narrowed her gaze at him. “That is another thing actually, I referred to you as Joshua and your mother pointed it out. Her face was like this.” Rene said and imitated the queen's scrunched up facial expression.

“Well, of course. Everyone here refers to me as, your highness or sheik,” Joshua replied. Rene sighed heavily. Joshua snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “Apart from you. Enough of that now,” he said and pressed a small kiss on her lips as Rene giggled.

Joshua ran his hand through her silky hair. What was it about her that all he could think about doing was touching her? Feeling the smooth texture of her skin, sliding his fingers through her hair, he simply did not think that he would ever get enough of her.

Tilting her head, he nipped at her earlobe before trailing kisses down her neck. He hugged her closer when she sighed in contentment. As tired as he was, he reached for the hem of her shirt and drew it over her head. He loved the noises that she made when she was turned on and he wanted to hear more. Smiling down at her, he kissed the tops of her breasts, as she lay back on the pillows. Her hair fanned out around her head as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

Cupping the side of her face, she turned to press a kiss into his palm before he slid his fingers down her body. Not expecting her to become aroused, he watched as her eyes darkened and her skin seemed to heat up where he blazed a path with his touch.

Circling his finger around her navel, she sucked in her breath as his hand came to rest on the waistband of her pants. Rubbing his thumb along the top of the band, he slid his fingers inside as she lifted her hips. Drawing her pants down, he was surprised to see that she was not wearing any panties. Unable to resist, he pressed a kiss to her mound, and she let out a moan.

Standing up, he quickly shed his clothes, his eyes practically smouldering as he watched her stretch. “You are so beautiful,” he told her as he joined her on the bed. Lying next to her, he closed his eyes as he felt her soft touch on his chest.

Delicate fingers drew intricate designs on his chest before making circles around his nipples. Opening his eyes, he groaned as he watched her tongue snake out to lick first one and then the other nipple.
She was positively intoxicating,
he thought as he felt her hand work its way down his body before wrapping around his member. Moaning, he grabbed her hand and held it as she stroked him. Kissing her gently on the lips, he wanted to capture this moment together and treasure it always.

Licking her lower lip, he smiled as she opened her mouth to him. Delving inside, their tongues began to dance together as they twisted and turned around each other. Forgetting what she was doing, Rene tangled her fingers in his hair as she pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. Her right leg slid up his thigh before wrapping around his waist, pinning him against her. Groaning, his hands roamed her body as she quivered beneath his touch.

Urging her over onto her back, he leaned on his arm while his free hand continued to stroke her body. As she began to squirm, he rubbed her slit, he moaned at how wet she was. He loved how eagerly she accepted him as he guided his erection inside her.

Slowly, inch by inch, he slid into her, they both moaned once he was completely buried inside her. Pushing up on his arms, he began to move, drawing his shaft in and out in a slow rhythm as her other leg came up to embrace his waist. Lifting her hips, she met him thrust for thrust as ripples of pleasure worked their way through her. Curling her toes, she called out his name as the bubbles burst and her first orgasm rolled through her.

Biting her lip, she rocked her hips faster, encouraging him to speed up as he could feel his own pleasure build. Wanting to give her more pleasure, he held out for as long as he could, but her thrusts were too much. Clutching tightly as he pulled out, she arched as he pushed back in, her muscles milking him with each plunge.

Unable to hold out any longer, he found her lips as she tightened her legs around him. Groaning into her mouth, he spent his pleasure as she spasmed around him. Holding her in his arms, he continued to kiss her as her legs slowly relaxed and dropped back down. Reaching for the covers, he pulled them up around them as she settled against his chest.

*****

The next morning, Joshua sent Maria to get him a suit from his quarters since he had spent the night in Rene's bed. He walked over to the bathroom to turn on the shower. He stood in the doorway of her bedroom and watched her sleeping. He smiled at her when she opened her big, grey eyes.

“Morning beautiful,” he said to her.

“Hey,” she replied, rubbing her sleepy eyes. He walked over to her and scooped her naked body out of bed. She yelped as he swung her around. “What are you doing?”

“I need a shower,” he said, carrying her effortlessly across the room, “but I do not want to be away from you.”

She blushed as she giggled and covered her face. Joshua walked into the steamy shower with Rene draped in his arms. She exhaled with pleasure as the hot water hit her body.

Pulling her close to him, he kissed her groaning as she responded instantly and wrapped her arms around his neck. Even though the shower was hot, Joshua still felt her nipples harden as they brushed against his chest. Lifting her up, he pressed her back against the wall.

“Because you are two feet tall, I have to pick you up in order to kiss your chest,” he teased as he swiped at her nipples with his tongue.

“I told you before, I am of average height!” Rene replied, as she began to pant.

“If you say so,” he mumbled, as he lathed her nipples. Moaning, she wrapped her legs tightly around him as she scooted farther up on his body. Squeezing his shoulders, she jutted her chest out as his ministrations sent fireworks of pleasure throughout her body. Grasping her waist, he arched her farther back as he continued to lick and suck.

Digging her nails into his back, he could feel her legs begin to shake. Adjusting her position, he sunk into her as her orgasm caused her body to bow and her muscles clenched tightly around his shaft. Groaning, he shifted so the spray from the showerheads crashed against them as he plunged in and out. Speeding up, he continued to glide in and out, as the swell of pleasure overtook him and he came, the spasms from her own orgasm milking him dry.

Dropping her legs, Rene sagged against the wall, as she looked up at him in wonder. Smiling down at her, he reached for the soap and began to wash her clean before seeing to his own needs.

*****

As they sat down to breakfast, Joshua's secretary rushed in speaking to him frantically in Arabic. Nodding his head, she bowed to him and left the room.

Turning to Rene who was sipping her coffee, “I have to get to the office,” he said to her.

“So soon?” she asked, dropping her chin and frowning.

“Yes.”

“But you have not even had your breakfast.”

“I will grab something. There is an important issue with the Russians that demands my attention immediately.”

“But you were at the office working late last night, now you have to go in early?”

Joshua felt a tightness in his chest. “Yes.” He could see the disappointment on Rene’s face but what could he do? The oil industry was incredibly demanding and as the only business with a license to drill for oil in Al-Qalta, making sure that everything was completed with precision and on time meant the difference between feast and famine for everyone who worked for the Tazeems. The constant pressure that existed to serve his family’s interests as well as his position as prince made it impossible for him to wait when the demands of the business called.

“Will you make it in time for dinner at least?” Rene asked, crossing her arms.

“I will try,” Joshua said, trying to keep the doubt out of his voice.