Free The Sheik's Beautiful Intruder (The Friendship Series) by Elizabeth Lennox

hitch-hiking to get into the city, the dangerous, terrifying trip through the gates of the palace and her elation when she’d finally found her way into what she’d thought was an unguarded courtyard.  And everything that happened after that. 
    She buried her face in the silk covered pillow beside her, wondering what he must be thinking of her after last night’s kiss. 
    “Good morning,” his deep voice said from the doorway, startling her off of the pillow.
    “What are you doing here?” she demanded, pulling the silk sheet up higher over her body.  “And where are my clothes?”
    He chuckled as he walked into the bedroom, picking up the satiny material and bringing it closer.  “I’ve been very busy while you slept, my beauty,” he explained conversationally while he sat down next to her on the bed. 
    She tried to scoot out of his reach, but he simply leaned over her, placing his hand on the other side of her hip, trapping her.  “I need to go home,” she asserted.  “I have to work.”
    He chuckled as he ran a finger down her bare arm.  “Yet another lie,” he commented.  “You are a high school English teacher.  A very good one, from what I’ve discovered.”  He waited and wasn’t disappointed when her eyes widened in surprise.  “And you are on vacation for the whole week, according to your supervisor.  Since you have no family other than your friend Brianna and another woman named Rachel, you are perfectly free to spend the next several weeks in my company,” he said smoothly. 
    Nikki had a hard time breathing, not sure what to say when he’d discovered so much information about her.  “What do you want?”
    One dark eyebrow went up and a slight smile formed on those hard lips.  “You mean besides you in my bed, writhing underneath me as I fill you up with…” he couldn’t finish since her hand was covering his mouth.  He chuckled and pulled her hand away.  “Since you don’t want to hear about that, how about a challenge?”
    She pushed back, scooting higher up onto the bed so her back was leaning against the headboard, and she wasn’t so close to him.  “What did you have in mind?” she asked warily. 
    His eyes moved slowly down her figure underneath the silk sheet, then back to hers with an intense heat as he looked down at her.  “I will take you to your friend.  And I guarantee that she is safe and sound.”
    Her eyes lit up but she could instantly tell that there was a catch.  Her body curled back as if bracing for a hit of some kind.  “But?” she prompted.
    He smiled slightly, his hand reaching down to smooth along her calf.  “But you have to do something for me.”  The fabric should have protected her from the intensity of his touch, but actually, the reverse happened.  The light touch against the silk and her skin only caused more shivers to race through her body. 
    And then his words hit her, anger tamping down the desire she’d been feeling.  “I’m not sleeping with you.”
    He chuckled again.  “That is actually a foregone conclusion.  It will happen, it is just a matter of when now.  But that’s not what I was offering as a challenge.”
    “What?” she asked, not answering his assertion about her sleeping with him, deciding the issue of sex should be avoided at all costs with this man. 
    “You said you were afraid of horses,” he started off.
    Uh oh.  She definitely didn’t like this topic.  “Yes.  What of it?” she asked, her chin going up defiantly.  “It isn’t a crime to be afraid of horses.  And it isn’t like they are important to my job.”
    He stood up and crossed his arms over his massive chest.  He wasn’t really smiling, but there was a look of satisfaction that made her cringe.  “I will take you to your friend as soon as you show me you can ride a horse.”
    She gasped, horrified by the mere idea.  “Why?”
    His hand moved up to caress her cheek.  “Because I think you will find that horses