Delaney's Desert Sheikh by Brenda Jackson Read Free Book Online Page B

thinking that a woman’s job was to stay barefoot and pregnant. He and her father, as well as her brother Storm, would get along perfectly.
    It was a long-standing joke within the family that her youngest brother wanted a wife who he could keep in the bedroom, 24/7. The only time he would let her out of bed was when she needed to go to the bathroom. He wanted her in the bed when he left for work and in the bed when he came back home. His wife’s primary job would be to have his children and to keep him happy in the bedroom, so it wouldn’t matter to him if she were a lousy cook in the kitchen. He would hire a housekeeper to take care of any less important stuff.
    Delaney shook her head. And all this time she’d thought that Storm was a rare breed. Evidently not. When they had made Storm, the mold hadn’t been broken after all.
    She glanced quickly at Jamal and wondered how she had gotten herself in this predicament. When she hadn’t been able to sleep, going to the store in the middle of the night for some things she needed had seemed like a good idea. But she hadn’t counted on Jamal accompanying her.
    She sighed as the car traveled farther and farther away from the city and back toward the cabin. She stole another glance at him and saw that he was watching her. She quickly returned her gaze to the road.
    When they finally arrived back at the cabin, Delaney felt wired. Too keyed-up to sleep. She decided to start cutting back on the hours of sleep she was putting in during the day. At night, while the cabin was quiet, her mind had started to wander and she didn’t like the direction it was taking.
    She quickly walked past Jamal when he opened the door, intending to make a path straight for her room. The last thing she could handle was another encounter like the one shared before. The man was definitely an experienced kisser.
    What he had predicted was true. She hated admitting it but her body was hungry for him. A slow ache was beginning to form between her legs, and heat was settling there as well.
    â€œWould you like to share a cup of coffee with me, Delaney?”
    The sound of his voice, husky and sexy, like always, did things to her insides. It also made that ache between her legs much more profound. Sharing a cup of coffee with him was the last thing she wanted to do. She would never make it through the first sip before jumping his bones. “No, thanks, I think I’ll go on to bed.”
    â€œIf you ever get tired of sleeping alone, just remember that my room is right across the hall.”
    Delaney tightened her lips. “Thanks for the offer, but I won’t keep that in mind.”
    He reached out and brought his hand to her face and caressed her cheek. The action was so quick she hadn’t had time to blink. His touch was soft, tender, gentle, and her breathing began a slow climb. He leaned toward her and whispered. “Won’t you?”
    Delaney closed her eyes, drinking in the masculine scent of him. Desire for him was about to clog her lungs. Fighting for control, she took a step back as she opened her eyes. “Sorry, Your Highness, but no, I won’t.” She then turned and walked quickly to her room, thinking she had lied to him and that she would.
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    â€œOh, my goodness.” Delaney shifted her body around in the hammock while keeping her eyes glued to the book, not believing what she was reading.
    She hadn’t read a romance novel in nearly eight years and then the ones she’d read had been those sweet romances. But nothing was sweet about the book she had purchased last night. The love scenes didn’t leave you guessing about anything.
    She had awakened that morning, and while Jamal had been outside doing his kickboxing routine, she’d sat at the wobbly table and had eaten a bagel and had drunk a cup of orange juice. Jamal was still outside by the time she had finished. She had passed him when she had left to find a good spot