The Sheik's Furious Bride (Love By Accident) by Elizabeth Lennox Page A

this through in my mind.”  She was struggling, but her plea seemed to trigger something in him , slowing down his fingers as they trailed along her arm. 
    Hussan dropped his hand and took a deep breath.  “You really want a whole week to get used to the idea of marrying me?”
    Isla frowned at his resigned tone of voice.  It struck something deep inside of her, something she hadn’ t been aware of.  A tenderness for his emotions and she was concerned that she might have hurt his feelings by needing the week.
    “It isn’t that I don’t…” sh e stopped.  What was she to say?   She glanced up at him, worried about how to express herself.  “We just don’t….I can’t….”
    Hussan watched as she stammered out an explanation, amused and touched that she was trying to soothe what she considered his hurt pride when all he was thinking about was the bed behind him and getting her into it.  She really was a strikingly beautiful woman and he had new evidence that she was just as lovely inside. 
    He would have to protect her, he thought.  That kind of soft heart would get her hurt while living inside the palace.  She didn’t know the dangers lurking around every corner, all the political intrigue and the people who pretended loyalty towards him but actually had their own agendas.  She would have to toughen up, or she’d be torn up by the cruelty of the people who came and went through the palace. 
    His mind started working out a compromise and he thought about it carefully, sifting through the details in his mind.  He wanted her and she had the same reaction to him when he touched her, but she was scared.  He suspected that she’d never experienced anything like what they had between each other.  He had to accept that no other woman had made him feel this way either, but he was more experienced and knew what was to come.  He wasn’t afraid of it, in fact he wanted it very painfully. 
    “How about a compromise?” he suggested, wondering if he was actually insane for offering her something like what he was thinking.  Was he such a masochist? 
    Isla crossed her arms over her stomach, her hands covering her bare arms as much as possible as if to protect herself from that soft, gentle touch from his fingers.  “What did you have in mind?” she asked, not sure she actually wanted to know but not willing to live in fear either.
    He pried her hand away from her arm and tucked it onto his arm , leading her out of the corner and back to the main area where his servants had already set up their evening meal.  “How about if we sit down and eat, you ask me questions about whatever interests you, I’ll ask you questions and we’ll answer each other so that we get to know one another.”
    Isla looked up at him, uncertain about his proposition.  There had to be more to it than that.  He was in too good of a mood for it to be that simple.  “And?” she prompted nervously. 
    He smiled, glad that she’d picked up on the fact that he wasn’t telling her everything.  Smart and beautiful.   What a combination! 
    “And… you need to talk to me.  I get to kiss you and you need to stop hiding from me.”  He watched her carefully, looking for signs that she would rebel at his suggestion.
    She looked up at him carefully.  “Just kiss?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.  She waited tensely to hear if he would just kiss her, not sure if that’s really what she wanted. 
    He smiled and moved closer, putting his hands on her waist.  “I’ll stop whenever you tell me I’ve gone too far.”
    She took a deep breath and shook her head.  “I don’t believe you will do that.”
    He chuckled and looked down into her wary eyes.  “Why are you so skeptical?”
    She bit her lip before she proceeded to say, “Because I doubt you would have stopped earlier today if I’d said no.”
    He smiled at her blush and his hand moved a bit higher on her body.  “You didn’t want me to stop this