But Mohab...he had bowled her over. For over a year, she’d relived every single second of being pressed against the body he’d fearlessly offered as her shield. She’d suffocated with remembered terror that a bullet could tear through his perfection. Then she’d relived every second as he’d sheltered her away from the scene of carnage. But before she could have even a word with him, the Bidalyan government had bundled all the hostages, sending them back to their countries to close that case as quickly as possible.
For months afterward, she’d gone crazy trying to find out who he was. Until Najeeb, her fellow hostage, had sought her out.
Najeeb had been magnificent during the crisis. Levelheaded, fearless, shrewd, he’d managed their captors like a veteran used to being under fire. It was certain more people would have died if not for his intervention. He’d recognized her as the only one he could depend on and they’d forged an instantaneous bond, as if they’d always worked together, minimizing damages for two agonizing days.
Then one of their captors had cracked, started shrieking he’d blow bits off Najeeb, as the highest-ranking royal, so his father would pressure the Bidalyans to meet their demands faster. But just as the situation had escalated, Mohab had exploded onto the scene.
It had surprised her to find out from Najeeb that their savior had been the head of Saraya’s special forces, not Bidalya’s. Turned out Bidalya had ceded control of the hostage retrieval to Mohab so he’d be responsible for his crown prince’s fate, and because he was the best at what he did.
But finding out he was also Najeeb’s older paternal cousin had dashed even her fantasies. Najeeb could be her friend in spite of their families’ enmity. But friendship wasn’t what she’d wanted from Mohab. Not that she’d thought she’d see him again.
Then, one day, he’d just appeared, instead of Najeeb, to escort her to her first award ceremony. She’d been so delirious with this windfall she hadn’t questioned how or why. Even when Najeeb had called, explaining the emergency that would keep him away for months and hadn’t mentioned sending Mohab, she hadn’t thought it odd. She’d taken everything Mohab had said as uncontestable truth.
That first evening had been magical, and he’d been the perfect companion. He’d suggested lunch the next day and she’d jumped at his invitation, had continued to grab every opportunity to be with him for the next two months, with Mohab showing her more facets of himself, each impossible to resist.
Not that resisting had been a consideration. Then, as if he’d known just when she’d become ready for more, he’d taken her to his penthouse, and then he’d taken her....
“Will you answer my question, or will you keep the ‘everything’ you know a mystery?”
His taunt pulled her out of the plunge into the past, which appeared to have been only a moment in real time.
She was loath to dredge up the sordid past, but she’d cornered herself into doing just that.
What the hell.
She leveled her best denigrating gaze on him. “How is it a mystery when we both know you only entered my life to eliminate me from Najeeb’s? That I was just another mission to Qatel an-Nesaa?”
Four
Jala watched his pupils expand until it looked as if his eyes were being engulfed by black holes.
He finally inhaled. “What’s the source of your info?”
“What do you think?”
“Najeeb.” It was a statement. “What did he tell you?”
“The truth.”
A long exhalation, then Mohab moved, brushing past her on his way to the couch. He sat down in one of those movements of pure power and grace. “I injured my knee in my last mission, so standing isn’t a favorite activity at the moment.” When she only stared down at him, he sighed. “I also pulled a muscle in my neck.”
His perfectly formed hand caressed the space beside him, enticing her to fill it, making her feel it over her back, below her panties, kneading and owning all over again.
She gritted her teeth against the resurgence of lust. “And I should care about your discomfort? The man who’s responsible for dragging me back to this godforsaken region and behind this farce that’s causing me nothing but discomfort?”
“Point taken. But this will take longer than I expected and it would alleviate at least your physical discomfort if you sit for the duration.”
“Actually, this won’t take any longer. I already told you to go to hell. I’m sure you chest-thumping males will find another way to settle your war once you give up on me as a convenient chess piece in your backward power games.”
She thought she was safely out of his range, but when she turned away it was her hand he snagged this time. Her balance was so compromised she needed only a coaxing tug to tumble over him.
Breath burst from her lungs as her body impacted his, even when it did so softly. His effortless power supported most of her weight in midplummet, arranging her to land across his body, one arm cushioning her back, the other gathering her thighs over his lap.
Before she could even recoil, he flattened her breasts to the expanse of his chest, swamping her in the intoxication of his scent and heat. “I’m a breath away from picking up where we left off, Jala. This time, neither of us will be able to stop. So if you don’t want me to make love to you right here on your brother’s couch, distract me.”
She hated him, but herself more, for knowing he’d only spoken the truth. All her pleasure centers were revving, her body readying itself for him. Craving had been seething beneath her skin all this time. She had to end this before he exploited that weakness. More than he already had.
“Would a poke in the eye be distracting enough for you? Or do you prefer something bitten off?”
“I’d take any voluntary touch from you, but—” he released her thighs and scooped her hands into his palms “—I’d prefer not to add to my injuries right now. There’s another thing that would dampen my arousal. Having this out at last. Talk to me.”
“I already said all I had to say, then and now.”
“All right. I’ll do the talking. So Najeeb told you ‘the truth.’” She nodded, hoping to lull him enough so she’d be able to squirm away with as little indignity as possible. He sighed, pressing his chest harder into her. “Truths are overrated, points of view and perspectives at best. So tell me his version, what you sanctioned as the only one there is.”