Never Resist a Sheikh (International Bad Boys) Read Online Free PDF

that—”
    “What?” Zakir eyed him. “You are afraid for my life? You think I cannot defend myself from this small creature?”
    Jamal scowled. “She looks harmless enough, but you can never tell. The late sheikh—”
    “You forget yourself, Jamal,” Zakir interrupted coldly, a very real anger stirringinside him. “My brother’s name will not be mentioned in my hearing, this you know.”
    The other man lowered his eyes, flushing red. He knew he was being insubordinate. “I apologize, sire.”
    “I do not want your apology. I want you to never speak of him again. And as for Miss Cartwright, I know your opinion of my plans for her. You made it plain all the way back here. You need not mention it again.Understood?”
    Zakir liked for his advisors to give him their opinions and indeed, he valued them highly. But he was the one who made the final decision and he didn’t much care for protests after the fact. Jamal was a fiercely loyal and trusted man, but sometimes he forgot his place. Such as now.
    “Understood, sire,” Jamal muttered.
    “Then leave Miss Cartwright and myself alone. You may guard thedoor if you feel it necessary.”
    Jamal would, no doubt, feel it was necessary, and at least the task would appease him slightly.
    Zakir waited until his royal guard had exited the training room, studying Miss Cartwright as he did so. A thread of amusement wound through him to see that she too had folded her arms and was studying him in a similar manner.
    She really was very small, the top of herhead only coming up to his shoulders. Her copper-colored braid had frayed, the thick rope of it fuzzy with escaping curls. Her clothing too—jeans and a black T-shirt with some kind of logo on the front—looked rumpled. No wonder his men hadn’t thought much of the plan he’d formulated on the way back home. She really wasn’t the kind of queen they’d hoped to bring back from Al-Harah.
    But what shedid have in her favor was beautiful, milky pale skin, and a very determined jaw. And the way she was looking at him now, with her chin lifted and her shoulders back, was very imperious. There was potential there, certainly.
    “So? Are you going to kill me now?” She phrased the question almost like a dare.
    Zakir pulled the towel off from around his neck and tossed it negligently back on the bench.“No, I am not going to kill you, Miss Cartwright.”
    “How do you know my name?”
    “We found your wallet and your I.D.”
    “Then you must know that my government won’t very happy when they find that I’m missing.”
    “You will not be missing long.” He’d had Jamal thoroughly investigate her as they’d travelled back from Al-Harah, and there were quite a few things he’d found out about Miss Cartwright. Suchas her being some kind of tech magnate, the CEO of an up-and-coming software company. She was also the only child of a very wealthy American lawyer.
    She might not have been a princess with an ancient name, but she was surely the Western equivalent. Which made her perfect for his purposes.
    Jamal had planted a few things around the SUV in Al-Harah to indicate that Miss Cartwright had taken itinto her head to do a bit of desert sightseeing without telling anyone. By the time anyone found out that wasn’t the case, the issue would be decided.
    She would be his sheikha.
    “What do you mean I won’t be missing long?” Her arms were folded tight around her middle, as if she was cold. “Is that some kind of execution euphemism?”
    He frowned. “I have already told you I did not bring you hereto kill you.”
    “Yes, well, it would be nice if you actually did tell me what you’d brought me here for.” Her gray eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is it some kind of government thing? Your government against mine? Or do you want money? If it’s money, you’ve got the wrong girl. My father and I don’t get on, and all my cash goes straight into my company.”
    If he’d been the kind of man his brother hadbeen,