Awakened by Her Desert Captor(6)

     



 

'I trust you had a pleasant flight?'

 The voice was deep, cool-and instantly, painfully, recognisable.  Sylvie turned her head and everything seemed to go into slow motion.

 Arkim Al-Sahid was sitting at the far side of the luxurious car, which  was now moving. A fact she was only vaguely aware of. She went hot and  cold all at once. Her belly dropped near her feet. Her breath was caught  in her chest. Shock was seizing at her ability to respond.

 He was dressed in his signature three-piece suit. As if they were in  Paris or London. En route to some civilised place. Not here, in the  middle of a harsh sun-beaten land. Here in the middle of nowhere. Here  where she'd just thought nothing could touch her.

 Arkim Al-Sahid looked so dark, and his face was etched in lines of cruelty.

 A small voice jeered at Sylvie, Did you really think he would do  nothing? And underneath the shock was the pounding of her heart that  told her that perhaps, in some very deep and hidden secret space, she  hadn't thought he would do nothing. But she'd never expected this...

 He reached forward and her sunglasses were plucked off her face and  tucked away into his pocket before she could react. She blinked, and he  came into sharp, clear focus. Dark hair brushed back from a high  forehead. Deep-set eyes over sharp cheekbones. His patrician nose giving  him a slightly hawk-like aspect.

 And that mouth... That cruel and taunting mouth. The mouth that even  now she could recall being on hers. Hard and demanding, sending her  senses into overdrive. It was curved up into the semblance of a smile,  but it was a smile unlike anything Sylvie had ever seen. It was a smile  that promised retribution.

 When she remained mute with shock, one dark brow arched up lazily. 'Well, Sylvie? I'll be exceedingly disappointed over the next two weeks  if you've lost the ability to do anything with your tongue.'

 * * *

 Arkim tried to ignore the frantic rate of his pulse, which had burst  to life as soon as he'd seen her distinctive shape appear in the doorway  of the plane. Slim, yet womanly. Even in casual clothes.

 Her glorious red hair glowed like the setting sun over the Arabian  sea. Her face was as pale as alabaster, her skin perfect and flawless.  Her eyes were huge and almond-shaped, giving her that feline quality,  her left eye with that distinctive discolouration. It did nothing to  diminish her appeal-it only enhanced it.

 Irritation rose at her effortless ability to control his libido.

 Arkim was about to say something else when she got out a little threadily,'Where are the other girls?'

 He felt a twinge of guilt, but pushed it down deep. He glanced briefly  at his watch.'They're most likely performing, as arranged, for the  birthday celebrations of one of the Sultan's chief advisors-Sheikh Abdel  Al-Hani. They'll be on a plane first thing tomorrow morning.'

 If possible, Sylvie paled even more. It sent a jolt of something  horribly like concern through him, reminding him of when her stepmother  had slapped her in the church and how his first instinctive reaction had  been to put himself between them. Not something he relished remembering  now.

 But now the shocked glaze was leaving her face, colour was surging  back into her cheeks and her eyes were sparking.'So why am I not there  too? What the hell is this, Arkim?'

 Nurturing the sense of satisfaction at having Sylvie where he wanted  her, rather than his other more tangled emotions, Arkim settled back  into his seat.'Believe it or not, people here call me Sheikh too-a  title conferred upon me by the Sultan himself...an old schoolfriend. But  I digress. This is about payback. It's about the fact that your jealous  little tantrum had far-reaching consequences and you aren't going to  get away with it.'

 Sylvie put out a hand and Arkim noticed it was trembling slightly. He  ruthlessly pushed down his concern. Again. This woman didn't deserve  anything but his scorn.

'So...what? You're kidnapping me?'

 Arkim picked a piece of lint off his jacket and then looked at her. 'I'd call it a...a holiday. You came here of your own free will and  you're free to go at any time... It's just not going to be that easy for  you to leave when there's no public transport and no mobile phone  coverage, so I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I'm leaving too. In  two weeks.'         

     



 

 Sylvie clenched her hands into fists on her lap, her jaw tight.'I'll damn well walk across the desert if I have to.'

 Arkim was calm.'Try it and you'll be lucky to last twenty-four hours.  It's certain death for anyone who doesn't know the lie of this land-not  to mention the fact that someone as fair as you would fry to a crisp.'

 Sylvie was reeling, and trying hard not to show it. She felt as if  she'd fallen through a wormhole and everything was upside down and  inside out. Panic tightened her gut.

'What about my job? I'm expected back-it was only supposed to be a one-night event.'

 Arkim's face was scarily expressionless. It made her want to reach across and slap him, to see some kind of reaction.

'Your job is unaffected. Your boss has been recompensed very  generously for the use of your time. So much so, in fact, that I believe  he can finally start the renovations he's been wanting to do for years.  As a result of my generous donation the revue is actually closing for a  month from next week, while they do the work.'

 She had to choke back a lurch of even greater panic; it was common  knowledge how much Pierre wanted to renovate-he'd been begging for loans  from banks for months. And this would be perfect timing...before the  high tourist season.

 She spluttered.'Pierre would never let one of his girls go off on an  assignment alone. He'll raise hell when I don't return, no matter how  much you've offered him!'

 Arkim smiled, and it was cold.'Pierre is like anyone else in this  world-mesmerised when large sums of money are mentioned. He's been  assured that your services are required as dance teacher to one of the  Sheikh's daughters and her friends, who want to learn the western way of  dancing. The fact that you're here with me instead is something he  doesn't need to be aware of.'

 Sylvie folded her arms, trying to not let on how scared she was. She  injected mockery into her voice.'I'm surprised. I would have thought  your morals wouldn't allow you to come within ten feet of me-much less  arrange a private performance.'

 Arkim was no longer smiling.'I'm prepared to risk a little moral corruption for what I want-and I want you.'

 She sucked in a breath at hearing him declare it so baldly.'I should  have known you'd have no scruples. So you've effectively bought me? Like  some kind of call girl?'

 Arkim's mouth curled up into that cruel smile again.'Come now...we  both know that that's not so far from the truth of what you are.'

 This time Sylvie couldn't hold back. She was across the seat and  launching herself at Arkim, hand outstretched, ready to strike, when he  caught her wrists in his hands. They were like steel manacles, and she  fell heavily against his body.

 Instantly awareness sparked to life, infusing her veins with heat and  electricity. Even now, when she was in the grip of panic and anger.

'Let me go.'

 Arkim's jaw was like granite, and this close she could see the depths  of anger banked deep in his eyes. He was livid. She felt a quiver of  real fear-even though, perversely, she knew he wouldn't hurt her  physically.

'No way. We have unfinished business and we're not leaving this place until it's done.'

 Sylvie was excruciatingly aware of her body, pressed to Arkim's much  harder and more powerful one. Of the way her breasts were crushed  against him, as they'd been crushed against him once before...when he'd  thrust her back from him and looked at her as if she'd given him a  contagious disease.

'What are you talking about?' she asked, hating the tremor in her voice.

 The expression in his eyes changed for the first time, flashing with a heat that Sylvie felt deep in her belly.

'What I'm talking about is the fact that I'm going to have you-over  and over again-for however long it takes until I can think straight  again.' A note of unmistakable bitterness entered his voice.'You've  done it, Sylvie-you've got me.'         

     



 

 She finally broke free from Arkim's grip and sat back, as far away as  she could.'I don't want you.' Liar, whispered an inner voice. She  ignored it. She hated Arkim Al-Sahid.'As soon as this car stops I'm out  of here, and you can't stop me.'

 Arkim merely looked amused.'Each time we've met you've demonstrated  how much you want me, so protesting otherwise won't work now. Where  we're going has no public transport, and it would take you about a week  to walk to B'harani-days in any other direction before you hit  civilisation.'

 Sylvie crossed her arms over her chest, a feeling of claustrophobia  threatening to strangle her.'This is ridiculous.' The thought of being  alone with this man in some remote desert for the next two weeks was  overwhelming.'You can't force me to do anything I don't want to do, you  know.'