A rich dark laugh rippled down the line, and I had to clench my jaw hard against its sensual impact on my already trembling body. Un-fucking-believable. He only had to laugh, and my tits were already swelling against my bra like they were all ready and begging to be fondled.
“Come down, habibti.”
I nearly threw my phone out of the window when I heard the SOB’s voice purring into my ear. Gaaah. What was it with this man that he could turn me on with just the sound – wait a fucking minute. Did he just say…come down?
The thought instantly made me stiffen. “Where exactly are you?”
“Where you asked me to drop you off the last time.”
Shit.
“And if you are not here in ten minutes, then you leave me no choice—-”
I hung up.
It was the only thing I could do, the only way I could score a point against him – albeit pettily – even as I stalked out of my dorm room and slammed the door shut behind me. Damn that piece of sheikh. Damn him, damn him, damn him. I couldn’t stop myself from mentally yelling this with every step I took, and by the time I finally made it to the end of the block and saw him leaning against his fancy sportscar—-
I just couldn’t help it, my hand flying up the moment I reached him.
But of course his reflexes proved far more agile than mine, his fingers capturing my wrist mid-air, and in one swiftly twisting motion, our positions were reversed, and I found myself pinned back against the side of his car.
He leaned forward, and I nearly cried out in frustration when I felt my curves instantly molding against the hard, hot length of his body. Damn stupid hormones have no fucking pride, and the way my pulse leapt as our gazes met just drove the point home.
Gaaaah.
Why did this asshole have to be too beautiful for words? It literally broke my heart, it really did, when I thought of how every inch of his body seemed designed to seduce and enslave while at the same time every word that came out of his obnoxious mouth was just pure chauvinistic garbage.
“You must stop trying to raise your hand against me in public, habibti.”
The sheikh’s tone was softly chiding, but the way it was also accompanied by a gleam of amusement in his gaze had my teeth gnashing.
“I have already warned you of the consequences of doing so, but still you persist.”
“Because you’re an asshole,” I hissed under my breath.
“Is that truly the reason, my Story? Maybe it’s something else,” he suggested silkily. “Maybe you secretly wish to be punished all along—-”
Oh, the fucking nerve.
I was about to try kneeing him in the nuts when I noticed too late that the other students had come to a standstill and were now staring at us openly.
Shit.
The sheikh followed my gaze, and when he glanced back at me, he asked rather blandly, “You don’t care for the attention?”
I shook my head, saying shortly, “I hate it.” Color me traumatized, but just having strangers look at me never failed to make me wonder if they had unearthed my old high school scandal and recognized me as the girl to contact for free blowjobs.
I expected the sheikh to prolong my torment after my revelation, but instead he released me right away and opened the passenger door. “In you go, Ms. Teller.” The gentleness of his tone made me look at him warily, and seeing this, the sheikh’s lips curved in a dangerously wicked smile. “Come now. Don’t say you are afraid to be alone with me?”
My chin automatically went up. “Of course not.” But the moment I was inside his car, I wanted to bang my head against the wall, realizing too late how easily I had fallen for his trap. Damn piece of sheikh was too devious for his own good, and damn my pride for making me do stupid things.
I watched him walk around the car to get to the driver’s side and saw the way the other girls were openly ogling him. It pissed me off, seeing them stare at him, and as always, it pissed me off even more that such things bothered me.
And when he was finally sitting next to me?
My heart started pounding, and I had another reason to add to the thousands I already had for hating myself.
It was silent between us for a while, and I was privately grateful for the chance to regain my composure and sort out my thoughts. He had completely taken me by surprise earlier, but now that I was thinking more clearly, I couldn’t help remembering that crazy little idea I had this morning, after reading the transcript of Dahlia’s interview.
What if…just what if…
“I just thought you should know,” the sheikh drawled. “We’ll be having sex tonight.”