Read Sheikh's Command for Free Online Page B

desirable to him? Was she not enough?
    A sudden thought entered her mind, one that left her chilled with fear.
    Had he decided that she wasn't enough? Was he so disappointed in the deal he had made that he was regretting it? Even worse, would he decide to go back on it if he continued to be displeased?
    Olivia and her mother had never had much to say to each other, but one of the lessons that her mother had taught her was that a man who felt cheated was a dangerous man. So far, Makeen had acted honorably about David's release, but unless she was able to keep him happy, he might decide to do otherwise.
    I can't let David be hurt, I just can't, she thought.
    She had to find a way to get Makeen's favor again, and apparently, she wasn't going to do it with her violin or with polite conversation.
    As the night drew on, she began to plan.
    ***
    After Olivia stalked back to her room, Makeen went back to his own and resolutely walked underneath the cold shower in his bathroom. If he thought about her too hard, imagined the silky feel of her skin, thought of her pale eyes dilated dark with desire, he would lose control, and that was the last thing he wanted right now.
    Instead, he stood under the cold water until he was surprised he wasn't blue, and after that, went to lie down in bed.
    For the first time, Makeen was wondering if he had bitten off more than he could chew. When he had made the bargain with the little hellion in the next room, his thoughts had been dark things, full of the kind of pleasure he knew he could force from her tender body. Then, after he had spoken with her longer, learned about who she was and what she would do to keep her family safe, his respect for her had grown. He had begun to feel like a bastard for what he wanted to do with her, and he had come to a decision.
    He might tease, and he might have her play her violin, but beyond that, he wasn't going to tempt fate. There were hidden depths to the street violinist that he had found, and suddenly, the last thing he wanted was for things to get out of hand.
    He sighed, climbing into the large bed. Things had seemed far simpler when he was dealing with the investigative forces to free her brother. Tomorrow. He would deal with it all tomorrow. Hopefully by then, his thoughts would have cleared.
    Makeen dozed off, his thoughts troubled and strange. He dreamed of a woman whose face he could not see. She was laughing or crying, he could not tell which, but he could not reach her to comfort her.
    He moved from sleep to wakefulness in a single moment, unsure of what had woken him. He started to sit up in bed, but a soft hand pressed him back down.
    “Olivia, what …”
    Before he could voice his question, she leaned her weight over him, pressing him back to the bed even as she levered herself up for a kiss. He knew that he should stop to figure out what was going on, but instead he gave himself up to the sweetness of her lips, the weight of her body on his, the brush of her dark hair over his arm.
    “I want to please you,” she whispered huskily, and it was as if her words sent an electrical charge through his body. Suddenly it wasn't enough that he was kissing her. He wrapped his arms around her body, dragging her further on top of him. Her weight was nothing but perfect on him, and when he held her close, he realized with a start that she was naked. There was nothing between them but a sheet, and soon that would be gone too.
    “Why are you here?” he asked, breaking their kiss for a moment. Though his body raged at him to continue what he was doing, he couldn't allow himself to keep going, not while that question hung over everything.
    “Because we made a deal,” she said, reaching for him again. “Because I want to keep up my end of it.”
    Ever after, Makeen would regret the fact that he kept kissing her. He couldn't help himself. He heard her words, but despite the way they made him cringe, he couldn't help holding her close, feeling the way her lush