Page 45 of The Sheikh's Willing Captive

No. It was much worse than that.

Paige had rejected him. Completely.

A sick feeling flared in his stomach. Was this the truth he had been trying to avoid? That Paige didn't, in fact, love him? He'd given her a chance to understand, a chance to come back to him, and she had refused it.

Not even his own declaration of true love had been enough.There was a truth hidden in her own heart. And she continued to deny it.

Paige did love him. He felt it in the center of his being. He'd sensed it in so many ways.

But, she had turned away from him.

Now what was he to do? He walked over to the fireplace and stood for a while, staring at the dying embers. He folded his arms, feeling a sudden chill in the air. He looked out toward the desert darkness. A new moon was beginning to rise above the horizon. The desert would remain treacherous during the night. It would be too dark to fly safely back to the palace.

That meant one thing. He had until sunrise. In spite of her rejection, he still felt a steely resolve to carry on trying. There was too much at stake for him to even consider giving up.

A sound from the direction of the tent caught his attention. He turned and saw Paige emerging from the tent. She was clutching her bag.

Striding up to Razim, she halted and glared at him.

"Take me back to the palace," she snapped.

"I can't," he replied.

Her brows furrowed and there was instant fury on her face. "Can't? Or won't?" she exclaimed.

Razim felt a feral need ignite within him as he looked at her. She was angry. And she had every right to be, he told himself. Did she even know how beautiful she looked when she was angry?

"I can't," he replied in a confident tone of voice.

She glared at him and threw her bag down onto the sand. It landed with a heavy thud. She closed the distance between them with a few determined strides. Now she was barely inches from him. Up close, like this, he could see the brightness of indignation in her eyes.

"I demand you take me back," she yelled. "Now!"

He shook his head slowly and held his gaze steadily on her. "No, Paige."

Suddenly she raised her hand and swept it in a wide arc toward his face. He grabbed her hand before it made contact and held it firm. Her jaw tightened and her eyes flared even more brightly, this time with frustration. She tried to free her hand, but he refused to let it go.

The contact with her skin triggered a visceral reaction in him. He drew in a deep breath, and felt his nostrils flaring. His heartbeat quickened into a riotous cacophony that filled his hearing with a roaring sound. He felt his pulse throb and his body reacted without thought.

Razim tugged at Paige's arm and she fell forward straight into his arms. He wasted not a second, crashing his lips down upon hers and wrapping his arms around her. He held her tightly, feeling her instinctive attempt to free herself kick in. But he was determined to taste her lips, to embrace her curves, to feel the exquisite sensation of her body against his.

She tried to lean her head back and moaned. He raised a hand to the back of her head, snaking his fingers through her loose hair. He felt her push back against his hand, but he refused to stop kissing her. He needed this too much and he was convinced that she wanted it too.

As if to confirm that, he felt her suddenly soften against him. Her lips opened, inviting his tongue. He probed her with it and heard her groan with obvious pleasure. He drew her body against his, pressing his firmness against her. Again, she reacted, encouraging him.

Hope began to rise in his heart as he continued to kiss her. He felt her breasts pressing hard against his chest. Her nipples pebbled beneath the thin fabric of her dress. That only made his need even more insistent.

Just when he thought he was winning, just when he believed victory had been won in the most inexplicable fashion, she leaned her head back and smiled at him. He smiled right back at her and was about to whisper sweet words to her when he felt a blow on his left cheek. The palm of her hand landed with a loud snap. Pain flared on his cheek and he stared disbelievingly at her.

Before he had a chance to say a word, Paige suddenly shifted herself from his grasp and planted her hands on her hips as she stood glaring at him. "You think you can do that? Kiss me and everything will be okay? Really, Razim? You're still as arrogant as ever."

"Paige. You belong to me. With me," he growled.

She shook her head emphatically and then peered in the direction of the helicopter. "Take me home," she said.

"Home?" he asked. "Where is that, Paige?"

She scoffed. "You know what I mean. Fly me back to the palace in that helicopter of yours. And then I'll get a flight back to the States."