The Sheikh's Forbidden Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 1) by Cara Albany Read Free Book Online Page B

next to what she had seen since arriving at the palace.
    When she and Zayed had been together in America, Chloe had understood that he came from a wealthy oil rich family. But, now that she was actually present in the place where Zayed had been born and grown up, she realized just how naive she had been three years before.
    This was wealth beyond imagining. And with that wealth came power and influence. She could feel it in the way Zayed looked at her. His eyes were filled with a familiar possessive look that had burned its way into her soul. Once seen, Zayed's hungry, predatory gaze could never be forgotten.  
    And Chloe had never forgotten a single thing about Zayed. Not his ravenous looks; not the sizzling touch of his hands on her body; not the feel of his body as it crushed her in a fierce, unstoppable embrace.
    Chloe drew in a deep breath and made her way to the balcony, desperate for some air to calm her turbulent mind. She wrapped her arms around herself and felt her racing heart.  
    The soft, sibilant sound of the palm trees were a soothing whisper that temporarily calmed her soul. But it wasn't going to last. She knew that.  
    Chloe went back inside the room and put on a dressing gown and slipped on her favorite beige pumps.  
    She needed to move, needed to get out of the room and get a sense of just where she had agreed to come.
    Chloe opened the door and peered out into the corridor and stepped out.
    She closed the door to her room behind her. There was no-one in the corridor. Not that she'd expected to find anyone guarding the door. Although, knowing Zayed as she did, she wouldn't have been surprised if he had placed a guard at her door.  
    Her footsteps were soft on the marble floor of the long hallway. She recalled how she had been led up to this level by Zayed's sister. A vague flashing memory of the sound of a fountain from somewhere toward the center of the palace guided her steps. She made her way down the wide staircase and paused in the main hall. Chloe recalled how Zayed had turned his back on her as he'd made his way hurriedly away from her. In spite of herself, the knot of disappointment she'd felt at his leaving still lingered.
    Chloe turned and made her way past the staircase and toward what she guessed was the central part of the palace. Still she met no-one. Not surprising, since it was so late. Zayed had swept her away from the party and Chloe had lost all sense of time since that moment. Perhaps it was even later than she imagined.
    Chloe was staggered by the beauty of the palace. The architecture was stunning. The details of the designs captivated her, forcing her to briefly adopt a professional eye, judging whether the palace would be a suitable location for some of the important scenes in the movie. Of course it would be ideal, she admonished herself. It was perfect.  
    The only problem was that getting permission to film inside the palace wouldn't be easy to obtain. Chloe had already been told that Zayed's father had refused to grant such a permission. Maybe Chloe could persuade him.
    She was wondering just how she could do such a thing when she turned a corner in the corridor and was greeted with a beautiful scene.
    Chloe stopped in her tracks and gazed in wonder at the scene before her. She was in an open, square space with a high vaulted roof. Before her was a sumptuous mosaic marble fountain. The sound of the water that flowed from the fountain was gentle and soothing. Around the central fountain the water pooled inside an ornately carved center piece.
    Chloe went over to the fountain. She felt the coolness of the air around the tumbling water and immediately understood the necessity of such a thing in a hot climate. How welcome it must be for someone to come here and feel the cooling water.
    Chloe leaned against the marble fountain edge and reached a hand down into the water. She sighed when she felt the cool of the water against her skin. The sound of her own voice echoed slightly