Free Sheik by Connie Mason Page B

would be if she but acted like a woman, taking her ease in the harem and sharing his couch at night.
    “You can’t stay here,” Jamal said, coming to a decision. The sultan be damned. Zara could not remain in the stables. She was his slave and she would obey him.
    Zara merely stared at him. What could she say? She didn’t want to stay in the stables either, but she didn’t like the alternative.
    “Come with me. You stink of dung and sweat.”
    “Where are you taking me?”
    Jamal noticed that the stable slaves were listening with avid interest. “Go back to your chores,” he told them.
    He waited until they were alone before answering Zara’s question. “You know where I want you. Beneath me, in my bed.”
    “You can’t force me.”
    Jamal gave her an amused grin. “I can. But I’d rather have you lie with me willingly.”
    Zara faced him squarely. “I’ll never agree to that.”
    His voice was low and evocative. “We’ll see, sweet vixen. Meanwhile, you can join my household staff. But first we have to rid you of the stink of the stables. I’ll take you to the
hammam
, where you can bathe.”
    Taking her hand, Jamal led her away. They had reached the courtyard before Zara realized where he was taking her.
    “You’re taking me to the harem!”
    “Aye, to the women’s quarters. Nafisa will take care of you. She’ll see that you’re given proper clothing and a bed. Hammet can inform you of your duties tomorrow. Come along, Zara. Even you must realize there is a limit to your obstinateness.”
    After three backbreaking days in the stables, Zara was ready to give Jamal that small point. She didn’t want to go back to the stables and she wanted a bath. Jamal had said she wouldn’t be a part of his harem of women. She’d be a house slave, not a concubine.
    “I will not fight you on this, my lord. Take me to the
hammam
so that I may rid myself of the stench of the stables. Allah forbid that I offend your delicate senses.” Her words were shrouded in sarcasm that was not lost on Jamal.
    “You do not offend me, Zara, I am quite taken with you. But I can wait to have you.”
    “So can I, my lord. Wait to be free, that is. Have you forgotten our wager?”
    “I have not forgotten. And I rarely lose a wager.”
    Jamal led her to a pair of richly carved and painted double doors at the far end of the courtyard. “The harem lies behind these doors,” Jamal pointed out. “You are standing in the courtyard of the concubines. My women come and go as they please, with certain restrictions. They visit the village, the
souk
, and even, upon occasion, go to Meknes accompanied by Hammet and several men-at-arms. But you, sweet vixen, are a slave. You are not allowed those privileges. You will beconfined to the house, the courtyard, and the gardens within the walls.”
    After that rather lengthy speech, he opened the doors and pulled Zara inside the harem.

Chapter Five
     
    Zara felt as if she’d stepped into another world. A world far removed from the black tents and sun-baked villages constructed of mud bricks where her people lived, loved and died. The room was not overly large but was memorable for its ornate furnishings, silk wall hangings and rich carpets upon the floor. Satin, velvet and brocade-covered couches, piled high with thick cushions, were scattered about the room. Polished ebony tables, inlaid with mother of pearl and holding baskets of fruit and sweetmeats, were placed before the couches. Three women occupied the room, taking their ease upon the couches.
    “Jamal!” squealed a plump brunette with cherry red lips and melting brown eyes. “You do us great honor by coming to us in the middle ofthe day.” She batted her long lashes at him. “How may we serve you, my lord?”
    A petite redhead with extraordinary breasts preened for Jamal’s benefit. “Aye, my lord, what can we do for you?”
    A second brunette, lovelier than the first, if that were possible, gave him a smile that was so