Modern Romance July 2018 Books 5-8 Collection. Annie West

at her determination to keep her word.

      Which was how he found himself, as the sun set, guest of honour at festivities on the edge of the desert. City dwellers though they were, these families kept the Halarqi custom of marking major events outdoors.

      It had been a long time since Sayid attended such a celebration. That explained his interest in the dancers. Yet it was hard not to stare at the one wearing an indigo dress with crimson and silver ornamentation.

      Every dip and sway of Lina’s body reminded him of how she responded to the thrust of his own when he took her. The spiralling, delicate movements of her fluttering hands and slim arms recalled the feel of her fingers raking his scalp, as she hugged him tight. The supple, whirling movements, almost balletic in their precision, made him recall in heated detail her passionate physicality.

      Lina was no shrinking violet in bed. She was exuberant and responsive. She never denied him and was gratifyingly enthusiastic as he expanded her sexual experience.

       They were an excellent match.

      Heat speared his lower body as her eyes caught his. The silver collar around her throat shifted as she turned and Sayid caught a hint of redness at the base of her neck.

      Stubble rash. He’d forgotten to shave last night and this morning she’d borne evidence of his caresses across her neck, breasts and lower.

      Seeing the marks of his passion stirred guilt.

      And a disquieting possessiveness.

      As if he wanted to brand her publicly, announcing his ownership so no other man would dare look at her the way they did now—avid and enthusiastic.

      Sayid hated the unfamiliar sense of powerlessness he experienced, unable to claim her as his, to stop others salivating over her. He could proclaim her his mistress but for her sake he didn’t.

      ‘Your Highness?’ He turned to find his host bowing low. ‘Would it please you to see the archery?’

      Sayid wanted to stay here, watching Lina. Which was why he instantly got to his feet. He was not and never had been the sort of man to sigh over a woman.

      ‘I’d be delighted. And are those preparations for a riding display too?’

      He turned away from the dancing, ignoring an internal pang of protest. He refused to behave like a smitten teenager who had eyes for no one but his girl. Yet walking away was far harder than anything else he’d done all day.

      * * *

      ‘Isn’t he spectacular?’ The girl next to her sighed. ‘I wish my parents could find me a man like that to marry.’

      Lina’s chest tightened, squeezing her lungs, or was it her heart? It had to be from the exertion of the dance. It was nothing to do with the idea of Sayid as a bridegroom, about to marry some eager young woman.

      For it was Sayid they watched.

      They’d seen the end of the archery contest, drawn by the gasps and applause of the crowd. To Lina’s surprise Sayid had wielded a powerful bow as easily as she did a needle and thread. To the crowd’s delight, and hers, he’d only been beaten by a single shot in the last round. The winner turned out to be the state champion but it was their Emir who the crowd applauded.

      Now, rather than retiring to the seat provided for him, Sayid joined some of the other men in a display of horsemanship.

      Of course he rode. He had the heavily muscled thighs of a horseman and the strong, clever hands.

      Though to say he rode didn’t do him justice. Lina’s gaze was riveted as he completed a circuit of the field. Deftly he wove through obstacles as easily as if he and the horse were one, then used a traditional horseman’s lance to capture a flaming hoop two others had failed to snatch.

      Around them the crowd roared and the girl beside her sighed and clapped.

      ‘Oh, isn’t he wonderful? Wouldn’t you like a man just like that?’

      Lina’s instant agreement died in her throat, pain settling like a boulder, crushing her insides. For she wanted it too much. Not just any man, and not simply because he was athletic and impressive, but because he was Sayid.

      She wanted him. Badly.

      For five days she’d been his secret lover and the desire for him had grown, not lessened.

      But it wasn’t just desire, was it?

      Lina wanted more, so much more. The idea of him performing these feats one day at his wedding celebration to some sophisticated woman of his own class made her nauseous. She grimaced, tasting the ashes of stupid, impossible dreams on her tongue.

      Stoically she told herself that whatever the future held, she’d wish Sayid well—a happy marriage to a loving wife and the blessing of children.

      The thought stirred a savage jab of pain right through her ribs and she stiffened, breathing through the ache.

      ‘He’s certainly memorable,’ she murmured eventually.

      ‘And to think you see him all the time. How lucky you are.’

      Silently Lina nodded, her eyes still on Sayid. Lucky didn’t begin to describe it. What were the chances a man like Sayid would ever be interested in someone like her? Their week together was an amazing, glorious experience and she intended to hoard the memory of it close through the long, lonely time ahead.

      Now he drew the horse up amongst the other riders, a grin splitting his proud features as they chatted. This was another side to Sayid and he fascinated her. Not the passionate, generous lover who gave her delight beyond anything she’d imagined. Not the serious, guarded ruler with the weight of a nation on his shoulders, but a man of vibrant energy and good humour. A man other men respected as one of their own, not simply because he was their Emir.

      Lina swallowed hard. Sayid was charismatic in a way that had little to do with his royal position. It was no wonder she was...a little blinded by him. Her feelings were strong, of course, but when their week was over and she left, surely that dazzle would dim and she’d learn to refocus on other things.

      She had to believe it.

      * * *

      Hours later Lina paused in a fragrant palace courtyard on the way back to her room, her mind full of Sayid.

      Though they’d travelled back to the palace together, he’d left her in the grand foyer, heading towards his office. She shouldn’t have been surprised. He never accompanied her on the long walk to their adjoining suites, even if they left an official function at the same time. It was as if he didn’t want to remind anyone that they stayed alone together at one end of the palace complex.

      Was he protecting her reputation?

      She should be grateful yet tonight she felt...on edge.

      The need for Sayid swelled stronger than ever, drawing her skin tight and her nerves to a state of frantic anticipation.

      Surely he’d come to her tonight. They hadn’t spent a night apart since she’d taken up his proposition.

      Heat eddied, slow and thick, through her pelvis.

      That stare he’d sent her as she danced, so intense and brooding, had almost made her misstep. She’d wanted to go to him then, ignoring everyone. She’d wanted to make love with him, desperately. Wanted to feel his hands on her bare flesh, his hot breath against her lips, his powerful body moving in perfect harmony with hers.

      Lina shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, sagging against a slender column in the arched colonnade surrounding the perfumed rose garden. Ordinarily she loved this place, but tonight found no peace here.

      She wanted Sayid with every cell of her being. But she also craved the right to simply...be with him, not just when they had sex. She wanted a role in his life, and the thought petrified her.

      Lina shook her head and turned towards her room. She