A Sheik's Spell Read Online Free Page B

to tell me how to act?” Felicia retorted on a shrill note.
    “Well, you won’t have to worry about that tonight. We’ll be sharing the same pallet Shabazz seems to have accepted my explanation, but I’m sure he will be looking for signs to prove that I was not telling the truth. Ravaging a woman who he feels blatantly asked for it would not bother a man like him a bit’ ’
    “I'm not sharing anything with you,” Felicia managed to get out with obvious indignation. ‘ ‘What have I done to you, anyway? Why do you dislike me? I would think we could be friends under the circumstances. Maybe you’re one of those men who finds solace in solitude or something like that. But I must honestly say I’m not that kind of person, and at this particular point in my life, with all that has happened to me, I could use a friend.”
    ‘ ‘You surely were looking for more than friendship to come back here dressed like that!” Na’im’s golden eyes blazed down on her. “You forget I’ve already seen all that you have to offer and I am not having any part of this cat and mouse game you Western women tend to play. With
    women from my country, a man know where he stands. With you all, there is nothing but games and more games.’ ’
    Na’im didn’t know it, but he’d struck the right cord and that incensed Felicia even further.
    “How do you know so much about me? You haven’t shown the slightest interest in what I’m thinking or feeling. So I’ll thank you to keep your stereotyped opinions to yourself.”
    Felicia then turned to sit in the furthest comer of the tent that she could find. Refusing to look in Na’im’s direction, she concentrated on plaiting the ends of her hair.
    ‘ ‘You are not going to make a liar of me. If it were not for you, none of this would have happened in the first place. There will be one pallet in this tent tonight, if you choose to sleep on it or not. The earth becomes very cold and hard at night in the desert, and your journey tomorrow on the camel’s back will be even more painful if you decide to make the bare ground your bed.”
    With that, Na’im took out several woven blankets. He padded the ground with some and the others he said would be used as cover during the night. Then he left the tent.
    Felicia began to feel the chill of the desert night air shortly after Na’im had gone. Her hair was still damp and the galabia did not provide much protection from the elements.
    “I’m one of several wives, am I?” she mumbled out loud. ‘ ‘If he had to say anything of the kind, why couldn’t I just have been his wife?” It all sounded so demeaning. What if he did have several wives? Felicia hated to admit that was the thought that brought her the most frustration.
    She assessed the amount of blankets Na’im left on top of the pallet, and she concluded there were enough blankets for two pallets. So she took two of them, leaving one for Na’im.
    Just as Felicia was wrapping the blankets around her, Na’im reentered the tent. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, but when he saw what Felicia had done, he made no comment.
    Na’im began to slowly remove the galabia top he was wearing. After he’d taken it off, he flung it on top of a nearby bundle of gear. Felicia tried to act as if she wasn’t paying him any attention, but it was very hard to do. Na’im’s size took up so much space in the small tent. And Felicia was hard put to draw her eyes away from his wide, muscular shoulders and chest, which tapered to a flat torso and trim waistline. Na’im threw back his head, yawned and began to stretch, showing even more of his well-defined frame.
    Felicia lowered her eyes, closed them and inhaled deeply. As she released her breath she trembled. Upon opening her eyes she was startled to see Na’im standing right in front of her. Placing both hands on her upper arms, he raised her to her feet. She could barely see his eyes in the dark as he looked directly