The Sheikh's Reunion Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs 4) Read Online Free

eyes had held her frozen like a startled animal. He seemed taller than she had remembered, but that could simply be down to the utterly primal, dominating aura he exuded. Even here, in the emptiness of the hotel restaurant, his untamed desert spirit seemed to fill the space around them. He exuded force and casual authority. His voice had an edge of decisiveness to it. His every movement and gesture seemed designed to draw out an effect from Mia. It was taking everything in her power to shield that effect from Rafiq.
    Mia was sure he hadn't noticed her reactions to him. She hoped he hadn't, especially when she'd had to take a step backward as he'd leaned forward, obviously intent on hugging her. Mia couldn't have trusted her reaction to being in his arms again. Not that, she had told herself. Anything but that.
    It had taken too long to get over their first encounter all those years ago.
    Rafiq had visited for a few weeks, a guest of her brother, Brad. It had been the last summer before Mia had gone off to University to study finances and investment. While staying with her family, Rafiq had become the center of Mia's world during that summer. Every time she had been near him, her body had declared war on her, overwhelming every intelligent thought that had fought to keep her a safe distance from Rafiq. Because, that was what she had needed above everything else whenever she had been around Rafiq. Safety from his irresistibly intense presence.
    They had duelled and clashed in every delicious way imaginable during those weeks, and all through that time Mia had fought to keep him at bay. Mia was convinced it was her innocence that had triggered his passionate pursuit. He was a few years older than her, and seemed to have descended from a different world. He'd seemed like a being from another more exotic, unbelievable world.
    She had known he could have swept her off her feet, putting paid to all her plans, turning her world upside down. If she had succumbed she knew her entire destiny would have been altered. Irrevocably.
    And that, she had not wanted. Or so she had told herself every night as she had lain in bed, trying to drive images of Rafiq out of her mind.
    It had been a interminable summer of delicious torment.
    But, she had kept him at arms length, in spite of every nerve and fibre in her body craving him, needing him.
    It had been the longest summer of her life. Rafiq had tried everything possible to conquer Mia. Being the focus of the Sheikh's attentions had been exquisite and tempting, even flattering, making Mia feel incredibly special.  
    But, in the end, Rafiq had been denied his pleasure with Mia. She had made sure of that.
    By the summer's end Rafiq had finally admitted defeat. In a private moment in the garden, he had brashly announced to Mia that he had been toying with her all summer; he'd declared with typical arrogance and pride that he had been teasing her, playing with her.  
    He told her that if she thought she had been victorious over him, she was deluding herself, because he hadn't really wanted her; hadn't truly craved her; that she had merely been suffering a teenage crush on the Sheikh who, after all, needed no woman to make him happy. That last statement had been made with a proud upward tilt of the chin, bravado filling his voice, a slight sneer at the corner of his mouth.
    Mia had been crushed at his apparent confession of disinterest in her; hadn't seen him since that crazy English summer; had been grateful for the years of hard work which had consumed her since then.
    And now, he was back in her life.  
    For now, at least.  
    She knew she would have to maintain a professional distance; understood how important it was to once again keep the undeniably handsome Sheikh out of her heart.  
    His admission that he had recently been rejected by another woman caused her to see him in a different light. How many lovers had he had since she had last seen him? She pushed the answer to that question