Stunned, Wynifred leaned back in her chair. "Why would Shifa keep that from me? Whatever happened to the boys happened long before they got here. I've been talking to the wrong people."

  "I don't know. That is strange." A slow smile spread across Qaura's face. "But then, there's something that you're not telling me."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I saw the way Rameez was looking at you when you two entered the restaurant. You're telling me that there's nothing between the two of you? You've never…" Her voice trailed off.

  Blowing out her breath, Wynifred shook her head. "I don't know what you think you saw, but Rameez only sees me as an irritant. There was a moment when I thought that maybe there was something there, but I'm a professional first and foremost, and he thinks that I'm working with Haris and against him. Trust me. I'm fairly certain the man hates me."

  "He drove you here," she pointed out.

  "There have been a string of robberies of taxi passengers in the area," Wynifred said easily. Qaura stared at her, and Wynifred frowned. "What?"

  The sound of the door opening caught their attention, and they looked up to see Rameez and Haris cross the patio together. They stopped hesitantly at the table, and Haris cleared his throat. "We wanted to apologize for our behavior. We'd like to join you ladies for dinner."

  "I don't know. Wynifred?" Qaura asked teasingly.

  Wynifred wanted to join in on the torment, but she had a job to do. "No more fighting tonight,” she said sternly. “Qaura and I are having a lovely time and you will not spoil it with your petty squabbling."

  They nodded and took their seats. "You're not talking about me, are you?" Rameez asked wearily.

  "Why would we talk about you?" Qaura said as she winked at Wynifred. "We're talking about our glory days in Phi Gamma Chi."

  Haris stared at them as if they'd grown a second head. "What?"

  "It's a sorority. It turns out that we're sorority sisters," Wynifred said with a chuckle. "I think we're going to be good friends."

  "Good friends," Haris spluttered. "You're kidding me!"

  "Does that surprise you?" Qaura asked, her voice suddenly cold.

  For the first time since they sat down, Wynifred had a sneaking suspicion that there was something going on between the three of them. Something that no one was telling her. She tried to push her annoyance down, but there was a bitter taste in her mouth. Everyone was keeping secrets, and it was only making things worse.

  9

  Rameez grunted as he took another swing at the punching bag. Jaymin held it still and grumbled with the impact. Next to him, Masoud and Adil were sparring. It was their weekly session at the gym, but Rameez wasn't only trying to get a workout in. He had some rage that he needed to release.

  "Easy," Jaymin snapped as Rameez hit the bag again. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

  Gasping for breath, Rameez pulled off his gloves and leaned against the wall. "Sorry, Jaymin. I got a little worked up."

  "A little? You've been simmering with rage from the moment you stepped into the gym."

  Adil and Masoud separated and walked over to them. Grabbing their water bottles, Masoud tossed one to Rameez. He drank greedily, both to hydrate and buy himself some time.

  "Want to tell us what's going on, or did you simply want to pummel me some more?" Jaymin asked darkly.

  "Haris invited Qaura to the city," Rameez growled. "He actually brought her out to dinner last night. I know damn well the only reason that he did it was to shake me up."

  "Is it working?" Adil asked curiously.

  "Of course not," Rameez snapped. "Qaura and I have been over for two years now. There's no love between us."

  "So you're beating on the next Crowned Sheikh because you're not pissed off?" Masoud said with a wry smile.

  "No. Yes. Go to hell," he snapped.

  "Well, if it doesn't have anything to do with Qaura, then it must have something do with Wynifred," Adil said. He stretched out Wynifred’s name and winked at his brothers. "Afraid Qaura is going to tell Wynifred how you really are in bed?"

  "I don't want to take Wynifred to bed!"

  "Please," Masoud snorted. "She's the only thing you've been able to talk about for a week. I've seen pictures of her, and I have to say, if you don't want to take her to bed, you're blind or stupid."

  "I'm sure your wife would love to hear you say that."

  Masoud shrugged. "I'm married, not blind or stupid."

  "If you want my advice," Adil started.

  "I don't."

  The youngest Khalidizack didn't miss a beat. "Sleep with her. Get it out of your system so you can actually focus on the problem at hand. You know Haris only hired her to distract you, or to use her against you, so take control of the situation. Bring her around to your side."

  "That would make me no better than my cousin," Rameez growled.

  "So you're not sleeping with her because you don't want to use her. That would mean that you like her, right?" Masoud asked innocently. His brothers immediately agreed. Scowling, Rameez headed for the lockers. If he had any idea, the three brothers would be so annoying, he would have worked out elsewhere He was supposed to be releasing tension, not making it worse.

  Unfortunately for him, they weren't about to let him go. "Samine thinks we should have her over for dinner," Adil said with a wink.

  "You told your wife about her?" Rameez demanded as he shook his head.

  "She's the love of my life. I tell her everything." There was a time when Adil would have never admitted anything so openly, but marriage had changed him. In fact, it had changed all three brothers. While Rameez was pleased that he'd won the island, he was starting to wish the Khalidizacks weren't so damn cheerful.

  "The last thing I need are your wives getting involved," he muttered. "Stay out of my love life."

  "Love life?" Masoud asked with a raised eyebrow.

  Groaning, Rameez left the three brothers to take a shower. Their laughter followed him all the way to the end of the locker room.

  Stripping off his clothes, he pulled the curtain closed and let the hot water stream over his body. Despite his anger with the Khalidizacks, they weren't wrong. Rameez knew that Haris had only invited his ex-girlfriend down to wedge her between him and Wynifred. The worst part was that Rameez hadn't actually thought there was something between him and Wynifred until he'd felt the first pang of fear when he saw Qaura. She knew Rameez more intimately than any other woman did, and he shuddered to think of the things that she might tell Wynifred.

  Suddenly, the idea of Wynifred and Haris together spiked his pulse and he balled his fists in rage and nearly punched the tiled walls. Wynifred belonged to him, and there was no way in hell he was going to share her with his cousin.

  His. All emotion drained from him when he thought of her. She belonged to him. When did that happen?

  Not that it mattered. After everything he'd done, he was surprised that she was even speaking to him. There wasn't a chance in hell that she'd actually agree to go out with him again.

  Her probable rejection wasn't the only reason that he couldn't ask her out. Things were too delicate right now to add romance into the mix. He didn't have time for her.

  Even though he told himself over and over again to leave her alone, by the time the water ran cold, Rameez was certain of absolutely one thing.

  His instincts told him that Wynifred would be worth the fight. And his instincts were never wrong.

  Haris had turned off his computer when the door opened with a loud bang. Rameez strode into the office, and Haris’ secretary followed behind him. "Do you want me to call security?" she asked anxiously.

  There was dark fury swirling in Rameez's eyes. Haris waved his secretary away. "No. Leave us," he muttered. The woman scurried out and closed the door softly behind her. Alone with his cousin, Haris leaned back and rested his hands behind his head. "Cousin. What can I do for you?"

  "That little stunt you pulled last night was interesting," Rameez said through gritted teeth. "What did you say to Qaura to get her to fly out here?" And more importantly, what did Qaura say in return?

  Smirking, Haris shrugged. "I told her that my dear cousin was making some bad decisions, and I really thought her influence might be helpful. She didn't even ask questions. Just hopped on a plane and flew out here. She must still be devoted to you," he said snidely.

  Rameez placed both hands on the desk and leaned forward. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but it ends right now. You tell me what the fuck you want in order to put this whole mess behind us, or you can forget it. We're done."

  "It would break your poor mother's heart if she could hear you now," Haris taunted.

  "You leave her out of this," he hissed. "You're lucky that she even thinks fondly of you at all. If she really knew you, she'd be thankful that I don't want to have anything to do with you."

  Haris put his hands down and tried to ignore the guilt that flowed through him. The truth was that Rameez was right. If his aunt Shifa had even an inkling of what he'd done lately, the woman would never forgive him. She was like a mother to him.

  "It is time to put this whole things behind us," he said stiffly as he stood. Walking over to the window, he gazed out at the people below. What he said next would completely sever whatever relationship he had left with his cousin. Although he loathed Rameez, he knew that his cousin was still family. After today, there would be no family. His aunt would probably never speak to him again. But one way or another, he was going to have to dig his own grave. It might as well be sooner rather than later.

  He'd planned on having Wynifred by his side to coax things out of Rameez, but things had spiraled out of control. There was something brewing between her and his cousin, and it cut him like a knife.

  "Murharraq Island," he said quietly.

  For a moment, Rameez didn't say anything. Without even turning around, Haris knew that the atmosphere in the office had changed. It went from piercing anger to a deadly silence.

  "What did you just say?" Rameez asked in a low voice.

  Taking a deep breath, he turned to face his cousin. "Sign over that island of yours, and I'll never bother you again. I'll attend family functions, I'll say the most wonderful things about you, and we can pretend that we're one happy family. You get what you want, and I get what I want."

  Haris could see the vein pulsing in Rameez's forehead. His cousin didn't say a word as he turned around and slowly walked out of the office.

  The blood drained from his face. He'd expected yelling and insults. Anger and threats. But silence? Rameez didn't do silence. He always made his opinions known.

  "What have I done?" he muttered as he stared at the closed door. "What have I done?"

  10

  It was almost midnight when someone knocked on her door. Wynifred looked up from the latest proof of her book and frowned. Who would be visiting her this late at night?

  All sorts of thoughts ran through her head. There were sinister people living in the city. Popping on her tiptoes, she glanced out the peephole. Relief and confusion swept over her as she threw it open. "Rameez. What are you doing here?"

  Moving past her, he ignored her question and started pacing around the room. Concerned, Wynifred closed the door. She was only dressed in a thin nightgown that fell mid-thigh. Grabbing a robe, she wrapped it around herself and stared at him.

  "Rameez, I can tell that you're angry, but I can't help you unless you tell me what's going on."

  He stopped pacing and turned to her. There was an intensity about him that took her breath away. As her lips parted and she took a step back, he relaxed his body and sat on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean to scare you.” There was something dark and lethal in his voice, but she sensed the strain. He was trying to keep from lashing out.

  Careful to keep her distance, she gave him a small smile. "That's okay. I'm here if you need to talk. Why don't you tell me why you came here?"

  "For you."

  His tone held the only message her body needed to hear. She felt warm desire spread in her body, but she still kept her back against the wall. "To talk?" she asked in a high-pitched voice.

  "I'm tired of talking, Wynifred. You always want to talk about how I'm feeling, but when I want to tell you how I feel, you push me aside. I know you want me. I knew it the moment you laid eyes on me. So why don't you come here, and we can act on what we've both been fantasizing?"

  "Rameez, I can't."

  "To hell with the damn job," he roared. "There's nothing to mediate, Wynifred. Haris never hired you to help us. He wanted to seduce you into taking his side. He needed a woman between us so I didn't kill him when he finally told what he wanted. And when you didn't fall all over him, he invited my ex-girlfriend into town to drive a wedge between us. He looks at you with lust in his eyes. Do you feel the same way?”

  Something had happened. She could see that, but his emotions were all over the place. In an effort to ground him, she moved quickly across the room and pressed her hands to the sides of his face. "Talk to me," she whispered. "Tell me what happened."

  Instead of calming him, it did the complete opposite. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. His erection was obvious, and she gasped. Not out of indignation or anger.

  Out of desire.

  He knew it too.

  “You didn’t answer the question,” he said darkly.

  “I shouldn’t have to. You’re not an idiot.”

  He chuckled and ran a finger down her cheek. "You're so sweet. So naïve. It's almost comedic that you're caught in this situation."

  Leaning toward her, he kissed her. Hard. As his tongue slipped into her mouth, butterflies exploded in her stomach, and she couldn't do anything to fight off the desire. Moaning, she could only wrap her hands around his neck and hold on for dear life. The first kiss had only wet her appetite, and tonight, she was dying for the main course. "Rameez," she whispered when he pulled away.

  "What, habibti? Tell me what you want." His hands moved to the tie of her robe, and with a single jerk of his hand, the knot came undone. She locked her knees to keep them from buckling as he lifted her hands from him so that the robe could slip off her shoulders and fall to the floor. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, as he looked at her in obvious admiration.

  She was still wearing the nightgown, but in his heated gaze, she felt completely exposed, naked. She was too shy to tell him what she was feeling. Instead, she told him what she feared most in her heart. "It's not going to make you feel any better."

  "You're all I think about," he growled. "You've completely taken me over. Now that I've tasted you, I can't let you go. Tell me that you don't want this."

  Her mouth dried, and she found that even if she wanted to, the words weren't there. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, maybe even more. With a whimper, she wrapped her arms around him again as he stood up and scooped her into his arms. Turning around, he laid her on the bed. Her hair cascaded around her head like rays of sunshine.

  “You are so sweet,” he whispered as he settled down on top of her. His hand cupped her breast, and his thumb rubbed over her nipple through the thin fabric. Wynifred felt dizzy with desire and arched into his touch. “You like that don’t you? Do you want more?”

  Unable to speak, she nodded her head, pleased that he was accepting her nonverbal cues. If she had to talk now, she was sure she would ruin the moment. He grinned wickedly and reached down to grab the hem of her nightgown. Lifting her hips, she rubbed against him as he lifted the gown up her body. Pulling her into a sitting position, he lifted the gown the rest of the way off her, before she collapsed back on the body still too tongue-tied that this gorgeous man was looking at her with such desire.

  Pressing against her, she could feel his erection through his jeans and she moaned as her legs wrapped around him seemingly of their own accord. It felt so good to give in to her desire. From the moment she’d laid eyes on him, she’d denied the lust inside her, but now it threatened to consume her.

  Naked and writhing under him, she tugged at his shirt, pulling it over his head so she could lay her palms flat against his skin. Rameez grunted at the contact and raked his teeth over her shoulder. “Touch me again, sweetheart,” he begged her.

  It was a request that she was more than happy to comply with. Running her hands across the sinewy muscles of his back, she delighted in discovering every inch of him.

  Moaning, he inched down her body until he could take a swollen nipple in his mouth. “Yes,” she gasped as pleasure spiked through her. His tongue danced around her nipple as it tightened in the heat of his mouth before he switched to the other one drawing it tighter than the first.

  Wynifred made noises of appreciation, as her moans turned to what sounded like a purr , body coming to life under his capable hands.

  Lifting his head, he kissed her again, resting his body on one arm, so as not to put all his weight on her. His free hand skimmed down her body lighting her on fire as he blazed a path over her hip and then abdomen, before settling in the heat between her legs. Her pussy ached for his touch, and when he slipped a finger inside her, he froze.

  “Wynifred,” he moaned. “You are so wet for me.”

  He slowly stroked her, and she closed her eyes and felt the pressure inside her build. It was slow and sweet, but he wasn’t moving fast enough for her. “Harder,” she demanded as she leaned up for a kiss. His tongue plundered inside her, and his fingers moved faster to keep up the pace. Impatient, she reached down to unsnap his jeans and push them down around his hips. Pulling his erection free from the confines of denim, she circled her hand around him, causing him to growl in response.

  “Is this what you want?” he demanded.

  She squeezed him in answer, and he pushed himself up and off the bed so he could finish undressing. Wynifred raised herself up on her elbows to watch him, but he was already leaning over her to run his tongue along her slit. Crying out, she lifted her hips up, but it was only a tease. Releasing her, he slithered up her body and slowly pulled one of her knees up.