Sheiks of Ahalamin - Book One.
He's an audacious Middle Eastern Prince. She's a prideful Wall Street Princess. These two warring hearts will burn a trail from the skyscrapers of New York City to the scorching sand of Ahalamin.
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S...
Victoria wondered why the Director would choose the East Wing Conference Room for a discussion about the Charity Ball. After all, situated on the opposite side of the Civic Center complex, it was as far away from the ball as one could get. Annoyed, she traversed the three hallways leading her to the conference room, each hall's length exceeding the previous one.
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Turning the final corner into the last corridor, she slowed her stride to accustom her eyes to the subdued lighting. She could just make out the shape of two men standing in front of the double doors at the end of the hall. The skin at the back of her neck prickled as she negotiated the dim passage. She pushed the tingling sensation from her mind; she wasn't going to give in to any more of her irrational premonitions. Lately, she'd become too much of a drama queen.
She drew closer to the two men in dark suits. "Good evening gentlemen. I'm Victoria Ballard. I believe the Director is expecting me."
The two men tipped their heads toward her in a deferential gesture that wasn't only unconventional but just plain weird. Then, without speaking, they turned and opened the massive set of double doors behind them.
An earlier sense of semblance congealed into a stark, terrifying reality. Her limbs stiffened as muscles solidified in panic. This can't be happening... She covered her mouth to stop the scream threatening to tear from her throat.
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No revealing light streamed through the open doorway, but through the darkness beyond, she could sense him coming nearer.
Long, powerful legs draped in billowing black fabric broke through the opening. An avenging version of an Arab prince bore down on her, his eyes promising retribution as he raised his cell phone to speak.
"Prepare for immediate departure." He spoke with cold authority, his tone hard and ruthless.
His intent, as clear as ice water, stunned Victoria. She had thought him formidable in western clothes but, in retrospect, that proved to be a mere shadow of the power he embodied in his traditional, Middle Eastern attire. The silky, blood-red fabric revealed through the opening of his robe conjured a dark, alien threat in her mind. When he locked her eyes with the savage heat of his stare, terror rose in her throat.
Throwing up both hands to hold him back, she shattered the corridor's silence with her scream as she turned to run. Her brain shouted the command to flee, but her feet wouldn't move.
"If you run, I'll catch you. And if you scream again, I'll gag you. Now turn around!" His furious male voice drifted down the dark corridor.
Victoria flinched from the sting of his words. She didn't want to provoke him further, but she didn't want to comply either. The opportunity to do otherwise was lost as unmerciful fingers gripped her arms, spinning her in his direction. Losing her balance, she fell against his chest. Unsparing hands pushed her away from his hard body.
His glare raked and scored her like talons. "Have you no shame to expose yourself for the eyes of any man who cares to see? I should...I should..."
"My Lord, perhaps the princess could use this," said Califar.
Victoria didn't know when Rashid's companion had entered the corridor or what his words meant. She could only watch as he held out a bundle of black cloth. Rashid ripped the garment from the man's hand and tossed it toward her. Failing to comprehend his gesture, she didn't reach for the cloth. It dropped to puddle around her feet.
"Cover yourself." He gestured toward her with a furious upward swipe of his arm.
He obviously mistook her confusion and lack of action for defiance and eliminated the last few inches separating them. A serial killer couldn't have been more dangerous. Now, she knew what it meant when people said someone had 'murder in their eyes.'
"Cover yourself!" He repeated with menacing contempt.
The thunderous voice dissolved her paralysis and catapulted her into action. Snatching the robe from the floor, she fumbled trying to find its opening.
Rashid jerked the garment from her hands and shoved the material over her head. The cloth caught on the diamond-studded combs in her hair. Another hard yank freed it to settle on her shoulders and sent her hair combs flying across the corridor. Any more of his assistance and she could end up bald.
"Run, Victoria. Run!" She pivoted toward the sound of the scream coming from the far end of the corridor. Wonder Woman sprinted toward her.
"What are you doing to my friend? Get your hands off her!" Jessica yelled her command as she ran toward her friend.
Before Victoria had time to react, arms like bands of steel wrapped around her body and scooped her up in one swift lift.
Rashid ignored her struggles and paused long enough to bark a command toward Califar. "Handle that woman."
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I hope you enjoyed the preview of Given to the Prince.
The CLICKABLE link to the completed book is on my profile page
