The Sheikh's Crown (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 2) (3 page)

T
he fake cargo
shipment went off like a charm. The Louvre published a piece online about its arrival, and Samine, Adil, and Bruce managed to get everything catalogued in time for the real shipment. It was three days of long hours, and not once did Adil let up. Samine had never felt so wanted in her life, and the more she flirted back, the more she wondered if she was doing it for the crown or because she enjoyed the way the gorgeous man looked at her.

“I suppose you’ll want to go to Paris with the shipment,” Adil said after Bruce left.

They were rarely alone. Bruce hovered around them every minute to make sure that they stayed on track. Now that they were alone in the vaults, she felt the electric energy around them. Days of flirtation had done nothing but put her on edge, and she had a feeling that a single touch would set her off. She took a few steps back to keep some space between them.

She couldn’t lose her head just yet.

“Are you asking me to go to Paris with you?” she asked teasingly.

“Do you want to go to Paris with me?” he asked huskily. “Bruce is staying here to finish cataloguing the rest of the collection, so it will just be you and me.”

“Do you always answer a question with a question?” she fired back.

“It’s not like you’re giving me any straight answers.”

There was that look again. Dark. Intense. Adil knew exactly what he wanted, and he wasn’t afraid to go after it. Samine envied that kind of freedom. She blew out her breath and nodded. “All right. If you want a straight answer, then I’ll give you one. I do want to go to Paris so I can be with the collection and continue my research.”

“I see,” he said quietly.

She gave him a smile. “I wouldn’t mind it if you were there with me.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. She didn’t need Adil to tag along. In fact, her job would be that much harder if he were there, but the words were out before she could stop them.

“I’m glad you feel that way, because I’ve already arranged for you to fly with me. I’ll see you in the morning, Samine, unless you want to come out with me tonight to celebrate?”

God, did she ever want to go out with him and celebrate. Blowing off a little steam would be perfect, but she had work to do before then. If Adil were coming with her, she would have to rearrange her plan. “I have to pack,” she told him with a smile. “But I appreciate the offer.”

“Very well. Have a good night, Samine.” He gave her a hooded look before leaving her alone in the vault. She watched him go up the stairs with a sigh. Everything about the man was perfect. From his body to his swagger to that asinine grin he gave her all the time.

When he was out of sight, she lunged across the table and grabbed the clipboard. In all the time that they’d been cataloguing and itemizing, she’d kept her gaze away from what she really wanted. She’d been too scared that her face would show everything.

With trembling fingers, she flipped through the pages until she found it. “Bathsheba’s Crown. A necklace of pure gold with eight prongs. Seven blue sapphires and seven diamonds,” she read aloud. She put her hand over her mouth and slowly slid to the floor. This was it. She’d finally found it. Nicknamed the crown because of the way it was shaped, the necklace was rumored to have adorned Bathsheba’s head. She was so close.

The truth was that she’d never thought she’d get here. Part of her thought it was just a wild goose chase, and that it would never amount to anything. But she’d finally found it. It was right there in the crate. She could bust it open right now and take it.

“Ms. Isme? Are you still down there?”

The voice reminded her why she couldn’t take it now. It was still heavily guarded. “I’m coming up,” she called out, as she pulled herself up. The large man waited for her up the stairs, and she gave him a winning smile. “That’s precious cargo down there. You make sure nothing happens to it.”

He looked up in surprise at the heat in her voice. She wasn’t kidding around. If anything happened to that necklace before she could get her hands on it, there would be hell to pay.

“Yes, miss,” he said quietly. “I’ll get a driver to take you to your hotel.”

Samine nodded in gratitude. Come hell or high water, that necklace would go to Paris. And then, when Adil was distracted, she’d take it and run.

* * *

S
amine’s confidence
surged when she found Adil waiting for her by the plane. “Of course you have your own private jet,” she said with a shake of her head. “And here I thought we were flying commercial.”

“Oh no, my dear. We’re going to Paris in style.” He nodded to his men, and they swarmed her as they grabbed her bags. She inhaled sharply. Practically everything she owned was in those bags, but they didn’t give them a passing glance as they carried them on the plane. Of course, they wouldn’t.

She gave him what she hoped was a seductive smile. “Is there any other way to go to Paris?” She took his outstretched hand and let him lead her up the stairs. The private plane was beautiful inside. Tan leather seats, red carpet, an ice bucket with a champagne bottle.

A bubble of laughter filled her. “Champagne. Before breakfast. Classy.”

“Don’t worry. I have breakfast too if you’re hungry.” Turning, he pulled her close. She gasped when he lowered his face so that it was just inches from hers. “Or, I could entertain you in other ways,” he murmured.

“As interesting as that sounds, I did skip breakfast. So let’s start with that.” She pulled away from him and shook her head. “Oh, don’t look so disappointed. At least one woman has told you no, right?”

He shrugged as he pretended to think. “You know what? I don’t think they have. But I do agree that we should start with breakfast. I would hate to see what you look like angry from hunger.”

She pretended to gasp in indignation. “I’ll have you know that I don’t have an angry bone in my body.”

Adil gave her a look that clearly indicated that he didn’t believe her, and she laughed. Once the plane took off, the flight attendant brought out a tray laden with breakfast food.

She stared down at the poached eggs, sausage, and French toast. “Is this what you normally eat for breakfast?”

Shrugging his shoulders, he smiled. “I went to school in both the US and the UK, so my preferred palate tends to be more for Western food.”

The smells became intoxicating and she dug in and ate with gusto. When she finished, she felt a sense of peace. She was here, on the plane. Everything was going to plan.

She hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night. Exhausted, she closed her eyes, and she was soon fast asleep.

She startled awake when she felt the plane touch down with a thump. Opening sleepy eyes, she looked around as she got her bearings. They had landed in Paris. She was surprised to see Adil standing before her in nothing but boxers.

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Nope. Turning around, he saw that she was awake and smiled at her, as she swallowed uncomfortably. Did he have to be so damn comfortable in and out of his clothes? A light spattering of dark hair covered his chest, and she wondered if it was as soft as it looked.

Grinning broadly, he struck a pose. “Do you see something you like?” he asked, as she blushed and turned away.

“Do you always walk around without any clothes on when you’re flying?” she muttered as she reached to put her shoes back on.

“If it meant seeing the look on your face again, I would.”

“I wasn’t giving you any sort of look, I was flustered, that’s all.” She hoped her response didn’t sound as bad as she thought. His answering chuckle answered that question.

“If you must know, I didn’t realize that I had spilled some of my breakfast on me and I wanted to change. You were sleeping so soundly, I thought I could finish before you woke. But I must admit, I’m glad you got to see me like this.”

Adil’s grin spoke volumes. He was a man who was used to women falling at his feet.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her bags. Turning back to face him, she crossed her arms. “Whenever you’re ready, playboy.”

Grinning at her, he dressed quickly. Samine needed to get the image of him out of her head and fast. “When can we check on the shipment?” she blurted out, needing a change in topic.

Adil grabbed his phone and checked it. “I got a confirmation that it arrived to the warehouse an hour ago. We’ll check on it in the morning when the Louvre comes to pick it up.” He gave her a brilliant smile. “Until then, we can spend a wonderful evening in Paris.”

Despite herself, Samine’s heart fluttered. She tried to gain control of her senses. “Adil. You did make sure that we have separate bedrooms, right?”

“I got us a suite. It sits on the Seine River, and it’s supposed to have a breathtaking view,” he murmured as he reached over to tighten her belt. She shook her head, and he gave her a small smile.

“Adil, this is a business trip. You’re making it sound like we have the honeymoon suite.”

“Oh, it’s going to be much better. Come on. Let’s go get checked in.”

Samine laughed as he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door. She should have known Adil would make a spectacle of this trip. She knew all about his womanizing. Only he would try to work a romantic rendezvous into a business trip. A hotel suite with a breathtaking view? A romantic dinner in Paris? He was hoping to seduce her.

Based on her body’s response, she wanted him too. But if she got too close, she wouldn’t be able to follow through with her plan. So she’d keep flirting, but she’d also have to play hard to get. Make him think that she was hooked, but not quite let him reel her in.

It had occurred to her that someone would get hurt. How could they not? But she’d told herself that she wouldn’t care. The necklace was more important than any feelings that might get crushed along the way. But the more time she spent with Adil, the more she realized that she didn’t feel that way anymore.

Still, Adil didn’t care about the artifact. He’d probably only be hurt when he realized that he couldn’t seduce her. So maybe this was working out for the best.

He talked nonstop on the ride to the hotel. She gave him a few smiles and even chuckled a couple of times, but she wasn’t listening. Instead, she was figuring out the best way to slip away tonight and break into the warehouse. She’d brought a couple of sleeping pills with her, but she wasn’t sure she could actually drug him. If he was hell bent on seducing her, she might not be able to get away from him that easily.

She could fake an illness and leave early. A suite meant that they’d share a space, and his guards liked to keep a close eye on him, but that shouldn’t be an obstacle.

Adil reached over and took her hand. “Is this your first time in France?”

She nodded. “I’ve always wanted to come here. Thank you for letting me be part of this. I owe you one.”

Lifting her hand, he kissed the back of it as he looked her in the eye. “You don’t owe me anything. Just enjoy a beautiful night with me.” She raised her eyebrow, and he quickly frowned. “You’ve been avoiding me. Tonight, we will enjoy dinner together. Agreed?”

Samine laughed and ducked her head. “I would love to have dinner with you tonight. It’ll be nice to have some alone time with you.”

“Good.” He leaned over and put his arm around her. “I want to get to know you better, Samine. We haven’t really talked intimately since you’ve started working with me.”

Oh boy. She tried to keep the flush from creeping up to her cheeks, but her body betrayed her. As he put a hand on her knee, the air around them grew hot. “What makes you think I’m in a position to talk intimately?” she asked coyly.

“You have a boyfriend?” he asked as he pulled back.

“No. I was just pointing out that you never asked. But then, I hear you’re not particularly picky when it comes to your women.”

Adil chuckled and pulled away. “The past is the past. Maybe tonight you can change my mind, and teach me why I should be far more selective about my women. Beautiful. Elegant. Smart.”

Samine couldn’t help herself. She threw her head back and laughed. The car stopped. “Maybe I can teach you a thing or two,” she said as she winked. She reached over and opened the door handle. Glancing at the hotel, she couldn’t help but catch her breath.

Absolutely beautiful. Too bad, she wouldn’t be able to settle down enough to enjoy it. She didn’t plan on staying in Paris long. She just needed enough time to grab the necklace and leave before anyone was the wiser.

A
dil was actually nervous
, and he didn’t like this new feeling. He took women out all the time and never had any problems with the money he spent on them, but for some reason, it didn’t feel right with Samine. He felt like he could throw all the money in the world at her, and it wouldn’t make a difference. There was something off about everything. He wasn’t even sure if she liked him.

After he finished the final touches on his suit, he crossed the living room and knocked on her bedroom door. “Samine? Are you ready?”

The door opened, and his eyes widened. She wore a simple black dress, but it looked anything but simple on her. With spaghetti straps and a plunging neckline, it showed off her glowing sun-kissed skin. It stopped teasingly mid-thigh, and she wore a pair of high pumps that accentuated her calves. Her dark hair fell in waves down her shoulders, and he couldn’t help himself. Reaching out, he ran his hands over a single curl. “You look beautiful,” he whispered.

“You don’t look so bad yourself. I wasn’t sure what I should wear. Are you sure, it’s okay? I don’t exactly own any elegant gowns.”

Adil shook his head. “You look absolutely perfect. Hungry?”

“Starving,” she gushed. “You have no idea. Hang on. Let me get my purse.” She ducked back into the bedroom, and he peered inside.

“Samine. Did you even unpack?’ he asked as he looked around. Her luggage was in the corner, and there was nothing out on the counters. He’d already unpacked and hung all of his clothes.

She looked around and shrugged. “I’m just a neat person. Does that bother you?”

“Not at all. I, however, look like a slob compared to you.” He stared at the large bag she’d slung over her shoulder and chuckled.

“I expected a small clutch.”

“Trust me. I am not a small clutch kind of girl. Come on. If we wait any longer, I might eat you. And do not turn that into something sexual,” she warned with a wag of her finger.

With a laugh, he put his arms up in surrender. “I wouldn’t dare. At least, not right now.”

He couldn’t keep his hands off her on the ride to dinner. She didn’t snuggle up under his arm, but she didn’t pull away either. He brushed his finger along her hair, enjoying how silky it felt. She smelled absolutely amazing with hints of lavender and vanilla. He was growing increasingly intoxicated with everything about her. The only question was if she felt the same way about him.

He’d reserved them a table at Paradou out on the patio with a view that overlooked the river. The stars twinkled over the water, and the candles danced in the breeze. He wanted to impress her so he ordered for the both of them in fluent French, but she didn’t comment other than to raise an eyebrow and smirk at him.

After the food arrived, they made small talk as they ate, enjoying each other’s company. Well, Adil made small talk. Samine had limited her responses seeming to prefer to let him talk. Looking over at her plate, he was surprised to see that she had barely eaten anything, merely moved the food around on the plate. “Samine, is everything okay? You haven’t eaten much of your dinner, and you claimed to be starving.”

She reached across the table and took his hand. “Adil, I’m not going to lie. This isn’t easy for me. I don’t really socialize with men like you. And I definitely don’t have romantic dinners like this. If I seem uneasy, it’s because I don’t want to do anything to embarrass myself.”

“You don’t have to be anything but you,” he said as he squeezed her hand. “Tell me about yourself. Your family. Your job. Something that makes you more comfortable.”

He watched as she picked up her glass of wine and took a tentative sip before setting it back down.

“All right. I grew up in America, but my family is originally from Iran. I have an older brother. My father passed away a few years ago. I work as a reporter in New York, and my magazine is mostly a male-dominated field. I usually report on finances and international news.”

“Wow.” Adil frowned. “You managed to package up an entire life in five sentences. Usually people love to talk about themselves.”

The waiter stopped and asked if they needed anything. Adil was about to say that they were fine, but Samine gave him a smile and jumped right in. His mouth nearly dropped open when she continued to have a conversation with the waiter for several minutes.

“I didn’t realize that you spoke French,” he said slowly.

“You never asked. Besides, I thought you wanted to impress me.”

“I did. Apparently, I was not as impressive as I thought. Do you have any other surprises up your sleeve?”

“I also speak Persian and Italian,” she said as she took a bite out of her roll. “I have a love for languages. And culture.”

“You speak all those languages and yet the only places you’ve been are America and my country. I find that hard to believe,” he told her, as he picked up his wine and took a sip.

“I made up for it by studying the world. What about you? You’ve been all over. What’s your favorite city?”

Adil sat back and cocked his head as he thought. She wasn’t wrong. He had traveled the world, but he hadn’t really paid attention to anything. He focused on good food, good wine, and good women. Everything else was just window dressing. “I couldn’t even begin to pick one,” he said vaguely.

Samine rolled her eyes and pulled away. “Because you were too busy with a woman under your arm to notice?”

“That’s not fair,” he said sharply. “You’re basing your judgment of me on what you read on the gossip websites. I’m more than my reputation.”

She looked contrite. “You’re right. Sorry.”

Adil sighed. “Don’t be. The truth is that you’re not wrong. I didn’t really pay much attention to the culture. And I’m sorry that I snapped at you. I wanted tonight to be special.”

“Why? Adil, you barely know me. I get the feeling that you don’t usually have to put in this much effort to seduce women. So why me?”

“I like you,” he admitted softly. “You’re brilliant and passionate and beautiful. Why wouldn’t I want to put in the effort to get to know you more?”

She gazed at him over the candlelight. “Are we doing anything else after dinner?” she asked huskily.

“I was thinking a private tour on the river,” he replied, as he leaned forward. “Why do you ask?”

“Because I think we’re finished here.”

He tensed at her words. “Anxious to get the evening over with, Samine?”

“Anxious to be somewhere more private,” she said with a smile. “If that’s all right with you.”

A grin spread across his face. “It’s more than all right with me.” He hastily signaled to the waiter and paid for the meal. Placing a hand on the small of her back, he guided her out of the restaurant and down the street. “We could skip the river tour and return to the hotel.”

“I don’t think so. Now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be wooed, I want the whole package,” she said as she lifted her head to him. He couldn’t help himself. Bending down, he brushed his lips across hers.

Her lips parted, and she inhaled sharply. “What was that for?” she whispered.

“Just a taste. You look so sweet,” he murmured as he bent down for more. She ducked her head and giggled.

“What?”

“I’m sorry. I’m just afraid if we go down this road, you’ll sweet talk me back to the hotel, and I really want to see Paris from the river.”

Adil chuckled and nodded. “Fair enough.” Guiding her down the street, he enjoyed the closeness of her body. She no longer pulled away from him, but snuggled right next to him. Twenty minutes later, he led her to the banks of the river where several boats were waiting. After a quick exchange with the captain, he stepped onto the boat and held out his hand. “Are you ready?”

“This is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. I want you to know that,” she said softly as she took his hand and stepped on board.

He pulled her close and gazed down at her. “The night’s not over yet, Samine.”

Doubt flickered in her eyes, but it seemed to be gone as quickly as it appeared. Adil wasn’t even sure it was ever there to begin with, but he suspected it had something to do with trust. Maybe Samine had been burned by a man before and didn’t want to trust him.

But this wasn’t long term. This was just a night with a beautiful woman in his arms. She didn’t need to fear anything. They settled in the boat, and the captain turned his back and pushed them off. The wooden boat was small but designed for comfort. She leaned into him and smiled.

“The stars are beautiful,” she breathed.

“Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he murmured as he tilted her chin up. Once again, he bent down to brush his lips along hers, but before he could kiss her, she began to laugh.

“Do lines like that work on women?” she asked him as her eyes danced merrily with amusement.

“Usually, yes.” Frowning, he began to back away, but she grabbed the lapels on his coat and pulled him back toward her.

“Maybe don’t try so hard,” she whispered before she kissed him. Before he could pull away, she had her hands in his hair and her mouth opened beneath his. With a soft moan, he swept his tongue in to drink deeply from her.

She was sweet and tangy all at once, and he couldn’t get enough. As she pulled his head down, the kiss grew more heated and urgent, and he slid his hands around to glide through her hair. They stayed locked in this position until he had to come up for air.

“God,” he murmured, as he rubbed the side of his head.

She laughed softly and buried her face in his chest. “I’m sorry. I don’t really know what came over me.”

“Trust me, I am not complaining. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.” He brushed his fingers along her hair. “Are you okay?”

“A little embarrassed,” she said when she finally lifted her head to look at him. “I don’t usually react like this.”

“Stroke my male ego a little more,” he said with a smile. “I love it.”

She laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Look at the city,” she said suddenly. “Adil, it’s stunning.”

He wanted to look. He really did. But he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The pleasure in her face was absolutely genuine. It was so easy to make her happy, and suddenly, he wanted to make sure she was never unhappy again.

“Samine, I’m going to kiss you again. Is that okay?”

She looked up at him, and he was lost in her dark, chocolate-colored eyes. The whole world melted away, and all he could see was her. “More than okay.” He bent down again, and this time, he was sure he would suffocate before he would let her go again.

They settled into a comfortable pattern, and for most of the duration of the ride, they didn’t look at anyone but each other. They kissed and cuddled and kissed more. He wanted more, but everything he wanted from her, he wanted to do in the privacy of their hotel suite. While public affection did sometimes give him a thrill, he wanted his first time with her to be for his eyes only, which was new to him and something else for him to worry about, but that could come later. For now, he was enjoying the softer side of Samine.

As the guide announced that the tour was over, Adil reluctantly pulled away from her. “Is there anything else you wanted to do tonight before we head back?” he asked politely as he helped her out of the boat.

Her response was to pull him down for another kiss, and he ran his hands down her body. A soft moan escaped her lips, and she pulled away suddenly. “We need to go back,” she said with a smile. “Before I do something that’s really going to embarrass me.”

He laughed and waved down a taxi. On the ride back, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. “Your guards are getting an eyeful,” she said as she leaned back to look out the back window.

“They’re used to it.”

Just like that, the air around them grew cold. He cursed his stupidity as she pulled away. “I’m sure they are,” she said with a short laugh.

“Samine,” he started.

“You don’t need to apologize, Adil. I should apologize. I’ve let you flirt with me, and I’ve flirted back because it turned my head that a sheikh would show interest in me. But the truth is that I’m not the woman who has one-night stands with the rich and famous like some sort of groupie. I know that you’ve put all this effort into a romantic evening with the idea that it ends in your favor, but I don’t think I can do this.”

“I didn’t plan a romantic evening to guilt you into sex,” Adil growled as his body grew rigid. “And I’m offended by the implication.”

“I didn’t mean...” she sighed. “Actually, maybe I did mean it. I don’t really know you. I just know your reputation. We should just put tonight past us and focus on the work ahead.”

“What work?” Adil asked softly. He was angry, but it had nothing to do with her pulling away from him and everything to do with how she saw him.

“Seeing that the Louvre has everything they need for the show? My article? Have you forgotten already?” she asked angrily.

The taxi pulled up to the hotel, and he got out without even looking at her. “We’ll talk again in the morning. Good night, Samine.”

He didn’t bother to make sure she was following as he continued up to their suite. It wasn’t until after he shut the door to his bedroom and stripped off his suit that he realized that he’d never heard the door to the suite open. Samine had never returned to her room. She was obviously sulking somewhere in the city. He felt a pang of guilt until he remembered that she spoke French better than he did. She would be fine.

The shrill ring of a phone surprised him, as he looked at the time. He must have fallen asleep. Grabbing the phone from the nightstand, he glanced at it. Bruce. What did he want now? He sighed before answering. “Summers. This better be good,” he growled.

Bruce was panicked. “There’s something wrong with the shipment.”

The man was such a pessimist. Pressing his hand to his temples, he rubbed them. “There is nothing wrong with the shipment, Bruce.”

“The manifesto is wrong. I just looked it over, and the crate numbers on the manifesto don’t match the numbers on the shipment label. You have to check them right now, Adil. I’m telling you. Something is wrong.”

“Fine. I’ll go check them,” he muttered. “I’m sure it’s just a clerical error.”