Taken

CHAPTER SIX


Olivia tore her mouth from his. Unfortunately, it didn’t deter him from moving down to trail kisses along her throat and collarbone. Olivia bit her bottom lip, stifling a moan. His mouth was deadly. If she didn’t stop him now, she would be lost. He shifted slightly to move lower, and Olivia caught his head? stopping him.

“After all this, you think I would still marry you?”

“The marriage proposal is off the table.” He plumped and kneaded her breasts. Olivia’s toes curled as an electric charge shot all the way down to the hot button between her legs.

“So…so I’m to be your mistress?”

He looked up at her and smiled charmingly. “Why do we have to put labels on what we are to each other as long as the desire is there?”

Olivia couldn’t deny what he did to her body. Still, she needed to clarify her place with him. “A mistress has a choice as to whom she takes as a lover. Your arrangement sounds more like slavery.”

“Mistress…slave…in this country, you are bound to me. The sooner you accept your fate, the easier this will be for you.”

Furious, Olivia shoved at his shoulders. “You bastard! Get off me…get off!” she yelled.

Khalid could’ve easily overpowered her, but he pushed back onto his heels. At some point, during his seduction, he’d shucked his pants. His rod, long and unbelievably thick, jutted from a thatch of thick black hair. Thankful she’d dodged a very large bullet, Olivia tucked her legs beneath her.

“It seems like we’ve had a bit of miscommunication. You belong to me now, Olivia. I will have you whenever, however and wherever I want.”

“You may take me, but neither of us will derive any pleasure from it.”

He smiled wickedly at her. “Is that a challenge?”

Olivia doubted she could withstand his seduction, and yet she knew she could be stubborn as an ox. “It is a cha—”

Before she could finish, he latched onto the collar of her tunic and in one swift movement he ripped the material in half. Gasping, Olivia stared down at the ruined garment.

“I’m going to love making you eat your words, tihoussay.” Khalid pounced, but Olivia was quicker. She shot to her feet, sidestepped him and jumped from the bed. She didn’t get very far. Khalid caught her tunic and tugged, causing her to fall on her knees. Another hard shove and she was sprawled on her back with him on top of her.

Olivia grunted in frustration. He couldn’t have bested her that quickly. All wasn’t lost, however. She could still beat him at this game. She just needed to temper her desire, exert control over her body’s attraction to him.

“I want to be inside you so bad, tihoussay.” He rolled his hips, grinding himself against her sex. Olivia bit down on her lip to keep from whimpering in abject misery. Her body was on fire for him. “Won’t you let me in?”


“No,” Olivia said with just enough conviction to mean it. “And stop calling me theoussah.”

Chuckling, Khalid rolled his hips again. Olivia clawed at the rugs beneath her. She was so close to letting him have his way she already imagined him inside her. “It’s tihoussay. It means beautiful one and I will call you whatever I want.”

Ignoring the giddy feelings his compliment provoked, Olivia pushed at his shoulders. He didn’t budge. “Enough with the flattery. It isn’t going to get you anywhere.”

He leaned down and licked a hot path around her areola, then captured the nipple. He sucked and pulled, stoking the fire burning between her legs.

Olivia squeezed her eyes shut. Concentrate… concentrate…concentrate.

Her resolve worked in her favor and her body eventually went limp like a rag doll.

With a disgusted curse, Khalid rolled away from her. “Dammit, woman. I want you, but I refuse to force you.”

Olivia flipped onto her side, a triumphant smile on her face. “I’ll never want you.”

His eyes narrowed and his complexion seemed to darken a shade or two. “A few days alone with me and I’ll have you begging for it.”

With a giggle, she rolled onto her back. “We will see about that,” she scoffed.

Growling, he shot to his feet, stalked over to a tall cabinet and opened it.

Olivia openly worshipped his beautiful body. If he only knew how much she wanted to touch him, especially his perfectly formed ass, he’d have a distinct advantage over her. But he remained oblivious to her open admiration as he pulled out a leather-covered flask and poured himself a glass of what looked like wine.

“You win tonight.” He tipped the glass back and swallowed. “But I have all the time in the world to make you eat your words.”

“And I have all the time in the world to keep rejecting you,” she said, rankled by his threat.

Khalid marched over to the bed, fist balled as if to strike her. Olivia lifted her chin, welcoming the assault. The more animosity between them, the less likely she’d give into lust.

“If I stay in this tent one moment longer,” He bent down and picked up his pants. “I’ll wring your neck for being so exasperating.”

“There’s the exit.” Olivia swept her arm toward the bedroom entrance, but there was no need because he’d already left the tent.

***

Khalid dressed quickly. If he stayed in her company one moment longer, he’d either wring her neck out of frustration or take her by force—consequences be damned. Either way, Khalid would be going against his principles. He’d never laid his hands on a woman in anger and he’d never taken one against her will.

Once outside, safe from losing his goddamn mind, Khalid tilted his head back and breathed deep, hoping the cool desert air would assuage his ardor. Give him some relief from the demon riding his back. No such luck. He would find no peace until Olivia finally surrendered to him.

Disgruntled, Khalid decided to join his clansmen. The nightly campfire had been lit, and a goat was roasting over the flames. Several of his tribesmen congregated around the fire, drinking and eating. His cousin Hassan, and the tribe’s amenoghar, glanced up in surprise when Khalid sat down next to him.

“Why are you not enjoying your prize?” Hassan passed Khalid a goatskin sac. “Malik and I were not expecting to see you for at least a week.”

Ignoring his cousin’s question, Khalid popped the cork and took a long swig.

Malik wasn’t going to give him a pass. “Abduction isn’t as easy as it seems,” he teased, but he kept his voice low enough so no one else could hear.

“It’s a piece of cake.” Khalid stared into the fire. “It’s dealing with the stolen goods that’s proving to be difficult.”

“Then send her back.” Malik chuckled. “We’re only a day’s ride from Saint Louis. We can leave in the morning.”

Khalid could no more let Olivia go than cut off his right hand. He’d jumped through hoops to get her here. He’d broken the law, possibly ruined his family’s company, and broke his friend’s heart.

His mind on the woman who’d caused him so much grief, his gaze drifted back to his tent. The thought of letting Olivia go triggered something primal deep inside him. He didn’t know himself when he was around her. Thinking back to when she ran from him and he found her being attacked, Khalid had wanted to kill the man for simply touching her. The scary thing is he would have if Olivia hadn’t interfered.

“She belongs to me,” he said, rejecting his cousin’s suggestion.

“Then your only recourse is to break her.”

Khalid snorted. “You’re talking as if she’s a horse or a camel. Would you allow me to borrow your whip?”

“There are other ways of taming a woman that don’t call for violence,” Hassan countered. “I believe your father’s people call it ‘woo woo’.”

Khalid scowled. “What the hell is ‘woo woo’?”

Hassan stroked his beard. “Woo woo is when you are especially nice to a woman. You give her gifts. You take walks together and you hang onto her every word like you’re actually interested.”

Khalid rolled his eyes. “Merde. It’s wooing, Hassan, and I don’t know the first thing how to go about doing it. All the women I’ve taken to my bed have come willingly.”

Hassan placed his hand on Khalid’s shoulder. “Then you better learn quickly. Winter is coming and I’d hate for you to be sitting out here in the cold, alone.”

With his cousins’ laughter echoing in his ears, Khalid retreated to his tent. He entered to find it dark and eerily silent. Had she escaped him again? Heart pounding in fear, Khalid walked into the sleeping area and found his captive fast asleep. She’d changed into a yellow caftan and lay curled up like a child. Her dark curls were spread across the pillows. He picked up a lock. Soft as raw cotton, the strand curled around his finger and he smiled. If only the rest of her was as pliable, his life would be perfect.

Sighing, Khalid undressed and slipped into bed. Not liking the distance between them, he pulled her into his arms. She protested and tried to wiggle away from him. “Assounf tihoussay…be still or I‘ll think you want to wrestle?in the nude.”

Her body immediately relaxed and he chuckled. She might not slake his lust, but she pleased him in other ways. Content for the first time in many days, if not weeks, Khalid closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

***

Two women carrying trays of food entered their tent. As they had done every day for the past week, they arranged several steaming bowls on the low table. Despite their furtive glances, they never directly acknowledged her, which was perfectly fine with Olivia. She wasn’t planning on staying in this camp for long, so there wasn’t any need to foster a friendship with anyone.

Vexed, Olivia nibbled her bottom lip. She’d spent every waking moment looking for a way to escape. So far she’d found no holes or weaknesses. Whenever Khalid wasn’t underfoot, he had the tent guarded. And he never allowed her to leave the tent except to bathe.

Remembering the first night Khalid escorted her to the oasis, her cheeks bloomed with heat. Just shy of twenty-two, she’d never kissed a man before Khalid much less completely undressed in front of one.

Thankfully, he never joined her. Instead, he chose to sit on the edge of the pool, keeping guard, watching out for intruders and her as well. His gaze was so intense Olivia was repeatedly reminded of their encounter in the greenhouse, where he’d brought her body to life with his lips and skillful hands.


A shiver galloped down Olivia’s spine. Good thing he was a man of his word. With each passing day she felt her resolve slipping, and she was no closer to freedom. Ever since their showdown a fortnight ago, she’d been deliberately unresponsive, feigning indifference when he showered her with gifts and meeting his attempts at conversation with stony silence.

Maybe she was doing this all wrong? Didn’t Meredith always tell her she could get more with honey than with vinegar?

“Just in time,” Khalid said, interrupting her thoughts. He stood at the entrance of the tent, unwinding the black turban from his head. He set the covering aside, then went to work removing his boots and outer tunic. Even with sunburned cheeks and sweat-dampened curls clinging to his head, he was devastatingly handsome.

Olivia tried to dredge up a ‘hello’ or ‘how was your day’ but she couldn’t get her tongue to work around a sudden swell of desire. How was he able to make the tent appear smaller and hotter by just being in it?

Needing an outlet, Olivia redirected her attention to something less tempting. She eyed the bowls filled with couscous, falafel, rice, marinated meat and her stomach gurgled. None of it was as appetizing as the man who held her fate in his hands. Half-heartedly, Olivia gathered a few pillows together to sit upon and took a seat at the table. She dipped her hands in a bowl of warm water and washed them.

Oblivious to her predicament, Khalid walked toward the table and like every other time they took their meals, he sat down next to her. So close his body, from knee to hip brushed hers.

Olivia bit down on her lip to suppress a gasp. Being this close to him always disconcerted her, which she was sure was his plan. Since that first night, he hadn’t tried to press her for anymore liberties, and yet he took advantage of every opportunity to touch her. To discombobulate her, so she would be amenable to his advances. And to her dismay, with every passing day, his scheme was working.

“I’ve definitely worked up an appetite,” he disclosed, while washing his hands in the same bowl she’d used.

“Why do the men of your tribe hide their faces and women don’t have to?” She blurted out, surprising herself and Khalid, who cut his eyes at her. In the ensuing silence, Olivia’s blood pounded in her ears.

Had she said something wrong? Would he consider her sudden chattiness a concession?

Filled with anxiety, Olivia’s stomach gurgled again. “I guess I’m hungry as well.” She laughed nervously and picked up the nearest spoon. She took her time filling her plate, which gave her time to regroup. Curious to see if her diversion worked, she glanced at Khalid. He was watching her, a sensual smile curling his lips. Olivia shook the stars from her head. The man had been gifted with a deadly arsenal.

“The alasho is a rite of passage for men in my tribe,” he replied, while she stuffed her mouth with an olive. “Not so for women. Once we reach manhood it’s customary for us to wear one. Tradition says the veil wards off evil spirits. I would like to believe it protects our beauty from women’s lusts.”

Olivia choked. She coughed even harder when he pretended to pat her back. More like a caress, his hand moved from her shoulder to lower back.

“Are you okay?”

No! Olivia nodded. She reached for her tea, downed it, and instantly regretted being too hasty as the liquid scorched a path down her throat.

“Here, try some of this.” Olivia happily accepted the skein of wine he handed her. The fermented drink drizzled over her tongue, soothing her throat and her frazzled nerves.

Mmm! The insulated bladder kept the contents surprisingly cool. “That’s delicious.” For good measure, she took another swig.

“It’s made from honey, dates and barley. You can have all of it, if you want. I have plenty more.”

“You’re Muslim,” she whispered, leaning toward him. “Isn’t alcohol forbidden?”

Grinning, he leaned forward as well, their brows almost touching. “Like other nomadic tribes, my mother’s people were forced to adopt Islamic law, but never completely abandoned their culture. Many are still followers of Animism.”

“What’s Animism?”Olivia leaned back with the skein tipped up. Another sip wouldn’t hurt.

“It’s the belief that there isn’t a division between the physical and metaphysical and that everything possesses a spirit.”

Olivia ruminated over his words, allowing their meaning to seep in with the wine. “I studied religion in college and this animism sounds a lot like what the Eskimos practice, or possibly Shinto.”

“Shinto?”

Olivia nodded. “It’s a Japanese religion that teaches everything contains kami or a spiritual essence, and in some cases gods. According to Shinto, kami resides in everything from mountains and rocks to water.”

“I see you learned quite a bit in college.”

Olivia snorted. “I didn’t go to Hampton to learn how to make dolls.” She handed him back the wine before she got herself in trouble. Already bombarding her system, the alcohol made the inside of the tent unbearably hot.

That wasn’t exactly true, Olivia admitted. The minute Khalid walked in the tent, the temperature always seemed to skyrocket. If only she were home, she could jump into a cold shower.

If she were home, she would be able to do a lot of things. Dejected, Olivia plopped her chin into her open palm.

Ignorant of her sudden mood swing, Khalid asked, “Did you enjoy your time at Hampton?”

“Every single minute. Unlike most people, I loved school, always had. Harry and I thought I’d become a teacher. Instead, I fell in love with medicine,” she murmured, feeling suddenly empty. Olivia tilted her head and eyed him. “Don’t take this personally, but you’re an awful kidnapper.”

He laughed, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Why do you say that?”

“You should never bring up the past. You’re only making me yearn for home.”

His smile melted into a hard line. “Are you yearning for your beau?”

Olivia frowned, the question broadsiding her. “My beau?”

“The young man you planned to visit in Washington, D.C. I believe his name was Nicholas.”

“Nicholas?” she whispered, trying to place the name. “You mean Nathaniel?”

Khalid nodded. “Nicholas…Nathaniel…Nincompoop…do you miss him?”

Olivia opened her mouth to deny the existence of such a silly notion. She paused over the first syllable. Khalid’s expression had soured before her eyes, his smile slipping into a hard line, nostrils flaring, and eyes boring into hers as if trying to dissect the truth.

Sobering quickly, her nimble mind worked overtime, putting the puzzle pieces together. “You kidnapped me because of Nathaniel.”

He eyed her silently as if debating whether or not to tell her the truth. The unbearable quiet almost made Olivia want to grab his shoulders and shake him.

“I wasn’t going to stand by,” he paused to swipe his hand over his mouth. A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I wasn’t going to stand by and watch you go from my arms to another man’s.”

Furious, Olivia stuttered, “Y-y-you weren’t going to stand by? Who gave you the right to decide who I give my affection to?”

“You gave me the right when you came all over my fingers.”

Olivia placed her thumb on her nose and wiggled her fingers. “Don’t flatter yourself. I’m a virgin. I’m sure any man could’ve done the same.”

The table flipped over so fast, Olivia didn’t have a chance to get out of the way.