Bella and the Merciless Sheikh Read Online Free PDF Page B

realisation, she put the cup down carefully, trying not to spill any of the precious liquid. ‘Thank you for rescuing me.’
    â€˜I had no choice. You collapsed in my path.’
    He stood watching her from the end of the bed and it was impossible to miss the air of command that clung to him. ‘So who are you?’
    Bella’s eyes widened again, but this time in amazement. No one had ever had to ask who she was before. Everyone knew who she was. Everywhere she went she was followed,photographed and criticised. People who had never even met her thought they knew her. Everyone had an opinion of her—almost always bad.
    But out here in the wild sands of the desert, her face meant nothing.
    It occurred to Bella that, at this precise moment, no one knew where she was. No one was watching her. No one was waiting for the scandalous Balfour twin to slip up. The headline writers of the newspapers were probably sitting bored at their desks, wondering who to write about.
    An unusual sense of freedom settled over her.
    Feeling liberated, she gave a wide smile. ‘I’m Kate,’ she said impulsively. ‘And you are…?’
    â€˜And who is Olivia? And what is it you don’t want her to do?’
    Reminded of the situation that had brought her to the desert, Bella’s euphoria dimmed. ‘How do you know about Olivia?’
    â€˜While you were delirious with the heat, you talked. You kept saying, “No, Olivia, don’t do it. Don’t do it.” Who is Olivia?’
    â€˜Just someone I know,’ Bella whispered, her body trembling. Suddenly she wondered just how much she’d revealed. ‘What else did I say?’ Had she talked about her other sister Zoe? Had she said anything else about that terrible night?
    â€˜Nothing much. Did no one know you were leaving the Retreat?’
    â€˜No.’ Bella thought back to the conversation she’d had with Atif. ‘But I think they’ll guess.’
    â€˜And they will send out a search party,’ her rescuer snapped, ‘which is the last thing we want.’
    â€˜I agree! If they find me they’ll just drag me back for more torture—’ Her eyes narrowed speculatively as she thought about what he’d just said. ‘Wait a minute. Why wouldn’t you want a search party to find me? It shouldn’t bother you,unless…you don’t want anyone to know where you are…’ Her mind working, she rubbed her fingers along her forehead, trying to ease the pain in her head. ‘And if you don’t want anyone to know where you are, it means that normally people do know where you are, which in turn means that you’re either a dangerous murderer on the run from justice, or you’re someone important—’
    â€˜I haven’t yet been driven to murder anyone,’ he gritted, ‘but that moment could be fast approaching. You clearly do have a very agile imagination and you talk a great deal for someone who was almost unconscious a few moments ago.’
    â€˜I have remarkable powers of recovery. So if you’re not a criminal, then you must be famous.’ Bella drew her legs up and rested her chin on her arms, determined not to reveal just how ill she was feeling. ‘You’re the Sheikh, aren’t you? That’s why you don’t want anyone to know where you are.’ Watching closely, she saw his immediate withdrawal. His shoulders straightened and his eyes were suddenly blank.
    â€˜What do you know about the Sheikh?’
    â€˜Very little. But Atif told me you spend a week every year in the desert.’ She gave a soft gasp of understanding. ‘That’s why you don’t want a search party, isn’t it? This is your week in the desert and you don’t want anyone to know where you are.’
    â€˜You are making a great number of assumptions.’
    â€˜All of which are right. There’s no need to get defensive. I know all