The Sheikh's Fiery Lover (The Tazeem Twins Series Book 2) Read online

  The Sheikh’s Fiery Lover

  By Leslie North

  The Tazeem Twins Series

  Book 2

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  Dedications

  I dedicate this book to you, my loyal readers. Thank you for all the lovely e-mails, reviews, and support. Without you, this wouldn't be possible.

  I’d also like to say a special thank you to Leslie’s Lovelies who have had a huge role in making this book – you’re the best! THANK YOU for all your support:

  MD Harrison

  Betty Pehlman

  Tamika Chinn

  Danielle Miller

  Voncile Catledge

  Melissa Herman

  Karen Pierce Rowe

  Michele H

  Melissa Lawhorn

  Sandrine GRANGER

  C. Nelson

  Robin OToole

  Jessica Hong

  T. Martin

  Regina Carpenter

  Raeann Whitney

  Patty Wells

  Marine-Ann Taylor-Christian

  Cherisse-Angel Charles

  Tonya Helveston

  Cindy Berland

  Stephanie Bryant

  Cheri M. Wyre

  Octavia Cooper

  C. Baker

  Monique Barnard

  Judy Voight-Wong

  Emma Long

  Ann Pike Ashley

  Tammie Terry

  Nancy Dormanski

  Lauren J B

  Amanda Drummond

  Melody Goeken

  Gayle

  Caroline Stowell

  JJ

  Melanie Dawn

  Debra Price

  Wanda Ross

  Janet Paul

  Beth Udall

  Loreli Jessee

  Robin Gentry

  Tonni Brown

  Chapter 1

  “Good morning, Miss Rene,” Prince Tazeem’s maids greeted Rene with a deep bow.

  Grimacing at the bow, Rene motioned to them to stand up. She did not think that she would ever be comfortable with people bowing to her. “Is Joshua in?”

  “Yes. Shall we announce your arrival to the prince?” One of the maids asked cautiously. They were always nervous whenever she walked into his room without permission or when she called him by his first name.

  “No, it’s fine. Joshua always likes surprises!” Rene replied as she winked before pushing open the grand mahogany doors.

  “Hi,” Rene said as she approached him. He turned from the mirror, in the middle of buttoning his shirt, and looked down at her. A slow smile appeared on his face.

  “How did you get past my lethal guards?” he asked as he wrapped his muscular arms around her waist. He kissed her on both cheeks as Rene breathed in his scent. She never saw any cologne or aftershave in his quarters, but he always smelled so woody and masculine.

  “Your lethal guards still panic when I attempt to walk into your quarters,” she said, as she chuckled. “Besides, I wouldn’t put them in such a tizzy if I was in here fulltime. Weren’t you the one who wanted me to move in here with you?”

  “So, then, you are doing this to them on purpose?”

  “Um, not exactly. Besides, by now they should know that you are okay with me coming in here without invitation and calling you by your first name,” Rene replied with a cheeky smile on her face.

  He raised his dark eyebrows as he looked at her. “You should call me your highness.” He looked so serious but Rene laughed anyway. He was crazy to think that she was going to call him that.

  “Good luck with that,” she replied as she fastened the last two buttons on his navy blue shirt, feeling his taut muscles underneath.

  “First, you refused to call me Joshua and insisted on calling me Josh. Now you refuse to call me your highness,” Joshua said and pressed her body against his. “You are so disobedient.” He held her tightly as she breathed in his scent.

  Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, “I like calling you Josh,” she replied as he grunted in response.

  “Prince Josh, at least,” he said and then planted a small kiss against her lips. He released her from his embrace and picked up his tie.

  “Let me do it,” she said and took the tie from him. He placed his hands on his hips and watched as Rene went up on tiptoes to place the tie around his neck before securing a Windsor knot. His intense gaze always made her feel shy. Butterflies filled her stomach as she returned his dark stare. She cleared her throat and tried not to be affected by him.

  “There we are,” she said and inspected it.

  Joshua stepped in front of the mirror and his eyes widened in surprise – she had tied it correctly.

  “Where did you learn how to do this?” he asked her.

  “My grandfather taught me. I also know how to tie a cross, four in hand, Prince Albert…oh, and a half Windsor,” Rene recited as she counted off on her fingers.

  “I am impressed. You are full of surprises.” Adjusting his tie, he checked his cuffs before sliding on his jacket. “Come, let’s have breakfast and we can discuss having you move into my quarters. Or at the very least, ways to keep my maids from panicking.”

  Chapter 2

  The maids had already set the table and they bowed to Joshua as they walked into the room. Nodding to them, he sat down as they placed a plate of food in front of each of them. As Rene picked up her fork and began to eat, she could feel Joshua’s eyes on her. Looking up, she blushed at his intense stare.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked him. She knew that look all too well. That was the look he gave her before he made love to her. Because of his current workload, he had been spending all his time in the office and they had not had sex in more than a week so she could imagine that he was dying to put his hands on her.

  “Looking at you like what?” he asked her and raised his eyebrow. She smiled at him. He was so gorgeous. She still could not believe how she had ended up with this man. She shoved a fork full of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

  “Like that,” she replied and took a sip of her orange juice. She was still trying to get used to having maids around. When they were at the hotel just weeks ago, it was the two of them. Life in the palace was completely different and she missed the lack of privacy. The palace maids were everywhere, which made it uncomfortable to flirt with him because they always had an audience. Having grown up here, he was used to it and it did not seem to bother him at all.

  “I always look at you like this,” he replied.

  Shaking her head, “No, you have different looks.”

  “Oh?”

  “Oh, yes. There’s the look you give me when I do or say something that you don’t like, Josh,” she replied cheekily. “Then there’s the look you give me when I surprise you. There’s the look you give me when you are happy to see me. Then, there is that look,” Rene finished as she waved her hand.

  “And what look is that?”

  Blushing, “The one that tells me that we should dismiss the maids,” Rene replied as she began shovelling eggs into her mouth.

  Barking out a laugh, Joshua shook his head as he continued to eat. They chatted for the remainder of their meal before he got reluctantly to his feet. “I have to go now,” he said. Nodding her head, she stepped into his embrace, as he hugged her to him. Tilting her chin up, he kissed her on the nose before he stepped back and left the room.

&
nbsp; Even though Rene was aware that he had to work, she wished that he could spend more time with her. She was not used to palace life and since she did not know anyone, she was bored with nothing to do.

  She sighed heavily as she watched the maids clear the table. “Do you need help?” she asked them.

  “No, Miss, please do not trouble yourself, we can do it,” one of the maids replied.

  “I would like to help,” she was not used to sitting around and having everything done for her. She needed something to do.

  “Thank you, Miss Rene, but if the Prince were to see you helping us, we would be in such trouble,” she replied. Rene smiled at her. She realised that she made them uncomfortable because she was the Prince's lover. It was going to take some time for them to get used to her.

  Rene stood up from the table and headed back to her quarters where her maids were waiting for her. They had tried to leave with her earlier, but she had refused. It was still strange for her to have maids follow her around everywhere she went. They bowed to her as soon as she walked into the room.

  Rene's maids; Marina and Muna asked her if she needed anything. She shook her head and then threw herself on the soft, cream-coloured sofa. As she looked around at the opulent surroundings, she had to shake her head at how different everything was compared to her much simpler life back in the US.

  She came to Saudi Arabia on a lark. After all, who takes a honeymoon by herself? Having cancelled the wedding after finding out that her fiancé was cheating on her, Rene knew that she needed to get away to get her head straight. But she had not anticipated meeting Joshua, falling in love or finding out that not only was he a sheik, but a prince.

  She sighed deeply, everything was so wonderful when they were together at the hotel without a care in the world, but now that she was in his country, she kept asking herself, did she even belong here? Standing up, she went into her bedroom, which was equally as grand since it was intended for the future princess.

  She picked her laptop up off the nightstand and sat on the bed. Flipping it open, she leaned back against the massive pillows. The only requests she had made for her quarters had to do with her bed. One, a big bed; two, many pillows; and three, soft sheets. Just like her bed at home.

  Chapter 3

  Rene pulled up Skype and logged into her account. She clicked on Tanya's name and started calling her, hoping she was not at work. She really needed to talk to her.

  “Hey girl,” Tanya said as she answered. Rene crossed her eyes as she stared at the background behind her. Tanya was on a low brown sofa, with a red brick wall filling the rest of the screen, and the low hum of conversation flowing from the speakers.

  “You went to Starbucks without me?” Rene asked.

  “That’s what happens when you leave me! I have the day off,” Tanya smiled and took a sip of her coffee from a huge white mug. “How are you? We haven't spoken for a few days,” she added.

  “I know, I have been trying to settle in here, but it has not been easy. It’s a whole different lifestyle.”

  “Trying to settle? Rene, babe, it’s not that hard to settle in a grand palace with a handsome prince!”

  Rene sighed. “I know it sounds silly, but it is though. There is lack of privacy because of the lingering maids. And, get this, I’m not supposed to call Josh by his name.”

  “Those are little things you can get over.”

  “He works too much.”

  “As expected, he is a prince.”

  “I know but I wish I could spend more time with him.”

  “I understand that. How does he treat you when he is with you?”

  “He treats me really well,” Rene replied as she smiled to herself. It was great when they were together. She ran her hand through her hair.

  “You are so into this man,” Tanya pointed out.

  “Well yes, otherwise I would not have followed him to his country.”

  “No, Rene, like you really love him. It's written all over your face. I guess you are not coming back to the States.”

  Rene laughed. “I am still on leave at work and have yet to turn in my resignation. Oh Tanya, is this the right decision to make?” she asked her. She was not usually this impulsive and reckless.

  “Before you even left, you had talked about quitting your job; this is the perfect opportunity, why do you sound so reluctant? I can look after our house - that is not an issue. Other than that, there is nothing else to consider. Stop worrying about whether you are making the right decision. You are happy, right?”

  “I think so,” Rene replied. She was happy being there with Joshua, she simply wished that she saw him more. This was the time for him to be around her and reassure her that she had made the right decision.

  “If you are happy, then that is all that matters.” Rene smiled. Tanya always knew the right thing to say to her and she was very grateful to have a friend like that. “So what are you going to be doing with the rest of your day?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What? How can you not know? You are in the Middle East and in a palace, how can you not know what to do? There are plenty of options,” Tanya shouted. Rene started laughing as she saw people in Tanya’s background giving her looks.

  “Like what?”

  “Go explore the palace.”

  “It is so big.”

  “Exactly, there will be plenty to see.”

  “What if I run into a member of his family? I do not think that I’m ready to meet any of them yet.”

  “Good! It will add excitement and adventure to your day.”

  “No, it will not. How do I explain my presence? I especially hope that I do not run into his mother.”

  Tanya laughed, “Rene, you always worry about the little things. I am sure that they already know of your existence.” Rene pouted. She knew that they probably did; however, she was not ready to meet them yet.

  “Well, I might as well go for a walk and explore the palace as I have nothing else to do,” Rene said, pushing out a breath.

  “You do that and fill me in on what happens. I demand regular updates! Oh, and photos! Take pictures!”

  “I will,” Rene waved at the camera and hung up. Sliding her shoes on, she stepped out of her bedroom and headed toward the door with her maids quick to follow.

  “Where do you need us to take you?” Muna asked her.

  “Nowhere in particular. I want to go for a walk,” Rene replied. She knew that her maids were going to be on her tail wherever she went.

  Rene walked down the palace corridors, while Muna and Maria walked a few steps behind her, starting and stopping to match Rene’s pace. This is too much. She stopped and faced them, arms crossed. “Please walk next to me,” she said to them. It was really uncomfortable and strange for her to have them walk behind her.

  “No, Miss Rene, we are fine back here!” Maria replied in a shrill voice.

  Rene placed her hands on her hips. “It would really make me feel much more comfortable if you were to walk next to me, not behind me and stop bowing your heads to me, too.” While she realised that she sounded petulant, she did manage to avoid stomping her foot in frustration.

  “Well, they are your servants and as such, they are treating you with respect,” a high, feminine voice sounded from behind her. Turning, Rene saw a tall woman dressed in traditional clothing walking toward her. Her jet-black hair was pinned up in a chignon. She had golden skin, dark eyebrows, a straight nose and full lips.

  “Your highness,” Muna and Maria said at the same time and bowed to the woman. Rene raised her eyebrows, a sudden heavy feeling in her stomach, and quickly bowed her head.

  “You are the woman my son brought to the palace,” the queen said. She placed a finger under Rene's chin as she scrutinised her face. “Pretty,” she said.

  “You are Joshua's mother?”

  The woman’s posture suddenly stiffened. “You call him, Joshua?”

  Rene felt her heartbeat jump. This was not how she wanted to meet
his mother. “When I first met his highness, he introduced himself to me as Joshua. I did not know who he was at the time.”

  “You did not know him?” Joshua's mother asked. Rene could hear the disbelief in her voice, just like when she told James that she did not know about the Tazeem family.

  “No, your highness.”

  “I find that hard to believe. How can one not know about us?”

  Rene did not know how to respond to that. She could not exactly tell her that she did not pay attention to such matters. It would make it seem as if she thought they were irrelevant. So she stood there feeling awkward and trying not to turn red.

  “I have a meeting to attend, I will send for you another day. We must have tea together,” she said, turning on her heel.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Rene said with a smile. She bowed to her as she left before sighing with relief. His mother wore a stern look just like he did and it definitely was not friendly. She did not know what to make of it. “She's scary,” Rene pointed out to her maids.