Desert Orchid: The Desert Princes: Book 1 Read Online Free PDF Page B

most beautiful young women Khalid had ever seen.
    And he’d seen more than his fair share.
    He thought she looked vaguely familiar.
    His mind flicked through a mental file of women, but he couldn't place her.
    A silver waterfall of hair fell to a narrow waist.
    She was dressed in pale blue designer jeans that fitted her in all the right places and a pale grey Rolling Stones short sleeved T-shirt. She was tall. Five feet eight inches and about one hundred and ten pounds. A bit on the skinny side. Her small breasts were high and firm. The long limbs and fine bones were all in proportion. Combined with a lightly tanned skin, she was simply stunning.
    But it was the large eyes that caught Khalid’s lungs.
    They were a sparkling blue, the colour of a Mediterranean sky in summer, and edged with thick dark lashes.
    He read a fierce intelligence, curiosity and a deep sadness in their beautiful depths.
    Those marvellous eyes blinked into his.
    "Would you like milk?"
    Her soft voice was well-educated with a hint of France, and that voice slid over his senses like warm honey.
    She smiled and Khalid’s mind went blank.
     
    "Ah, black... thank you."
    He accepted a bone china cup and saucer and frowned at her, almost certain that he’d seen her before. "Have we met?" he asked now.
    Those amazing eyes stared deep into his.
    And he was sincerely shocked to read something like contempt.
    "Oh, I know who you are, Prince El Haribe. My late husband followed your... exploits very carefully."
    Using small tongs, she placed a couple of tiny pastries on a plate and offered it to him. Another too polite smile had him narrow his eyes.
    He took the plate as she poured herself a coffee, popped a pastry in her sensual mouth and sat next to him.
    Then she leaned back to study him.
    "Your late husband?" Khalid murmured unable to tear his eyes away from hers.
    Cocking her blonde head in a way that made him decide she looked utterly adorable, her smile curled his toes as more mischief entered those fabulous eyes.
    She placed her cup and saucer on the table and held out her hand.
    Khalid placed his hand in hers.
    It wasn't electricity that jolted up his arm but a buzzing attraction that made his heart beat too fast and made him go as hard as a rock. He couldn't help but savour the moment, it had been a very long time since a woman had affected him like this.
    Her hand was delicately boned.
    The skin was soft, silky smooth to his touch as the scent of vanilla, honeysuckle and shampoo along with warm woman spun around his heightened senses.
    Her blue eyes glittered into his and her voice sounded so husky it tingled the base of his spine and shot liquid fire into his groin.
    "Charisse El Haribe. I believe I am to be your wife. How do you do?"
     
     
     

Chapter Four
    The unexpected hum of sexual attraction tingling up her arm shocked Charisse in its intensity.
    With infinite care she removed her hand from his strong grip and tried to tear her eyes from his, but she couldn’t look away.
    Good God, the glamorous pictures of him in the society pages didn’t do the man justice. She’d never seen him smile in a photograph. He certainly wasn’t smiling now. He looked like an austere rock star. His skin was smooth and the colour of spun gold. His ebony hair was tied back at the neck in a slippery tail. But his eyes were the palest grey and so vivid they seemed to burn right through her.
    He was long and lean. Too thin, was her first thought, quickly followed by, what an amazing bone structure. His face was all angles and plains with a long straight nose and a fabulously sculpted wide mouth that had a tendency to appear brooding, along with a purely masculine jaw, which already had a faint five o’clock shadow.
    It was the face of a man who meant business, tough and uncompromising.
    It was a face that could have been carved out of granite.
    He blinked as if waking up from a dream.
    Then he frowned at her in a way that caught her breath.
    It made him look like