The Sheikh's Kidnapped Bride (The Sharqi Sheikhs Series Book 3) by Leslie North Read Free Book Online Page A

quick.”
    Carolyn wanted to respond back, but he was gone and the door was once again closed. She set the pile of clothing down on the bed and growled. He’d had the traditional long dress worn by the women of his country brought to her. The leather sandals were acceptable, but after pulling on the dress, she felt like she was suffocating. It covered her from neck to ankle, and the heavy fabric was stiflingly hot.
    She figured he’d had such items brought to her because that was how women were expected to dress while in public in Al-Sarid, but Carolyn was feeling very volatile and not at all in the mood to placate his wishes.
    She headed to the bathroom and retrieved the hair scissors she’d spied earlier in the back of the vanity drawer. They weren’t really up to the task of cutting through the thick fabric, so she used them to snip the seams loose at the shoulders, turning the garment into a sleeveless one.
    Next, she slid the garment over her head and gathered a pinch of fabric just above her knees. She cut a small slit in the fabric and then proceeded to tear the bottom half of the dress off! It took her almost fifteen minutes to alter the dress, but the result when she was finished was much cooler, and in her opinion, infinitely more to her liking.
    She gave her hair a quick brush, refusing to pin it up as the other women she’d met did. She instead left it down, flowing over her shoulders in soft curls. She’d found a small supply of cosmetics in the bathroom drawers, but she eschewed using them as her complexion was flawless and her recent interactions with Mahil had left behind a healthy blush in her cheeks.
    She headed down the stairs, ignoring the maids gasps when they saw how she was attired. Get used to it! I didn’t ask to be here and I’m not going to cover up my body to protect some man’s misplaced sense of modesty.
    She opened the front door and stepped out, shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sun, and missing the look of anger that crossed Mahil’s face when he took in her appearance. “Was there a problem with the clothing I provided you?” he asked through clenched teeth.
    Carolyn met his gaze and shook her head, “Not at all. As you can see, I was able to make do.” She held his angry gaze, hoping he would lose his control so that she would have another reason to hate him. But he merely closed his eyes for a brief moment and then turned towards the driveway. “Shall we? “
    Carolyn looked at the camel waiting for them in a kneeling position and immediately wanted to return to her bedroom. The animal was huge, and seeing that there was only one in attendance, she figured Mahil expected to ride with her.
    There was a dual seat saddle on the animal, and a brightly garbed trainer held the reins of the massive beast as it continued to chew slowly on something.
    “We’re riding a camel?” she asked, her voice going up slightly in pitch.
    “What else? We are in the desert. Come, I will have you sit in front of me.”
    Carolyn walked slowly towards the animal, steering clear of its mouth and feeling almost relieved when she felt Mahil’s hand on the low of her back. With his assistance, she climbed into the saddle and seated herself, all the while expecting the animal to give some indication that it didn’t like her.
    Mahil climbed onto the back of the saddle and then spoke to the trainer briefly, before he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Hold on. Up we go.”
    The trainer tapped the camel with a stick and the massive beast slowly got to its feet. Carolyn was grateful for Mahil’s strong arm around her waist as the animal rocked back and forth, finally coming to a standstill and putting her six feet into the air.
    “I don’t know that this is such a good idea,” she murmured to him, as she was suddenly rocked back against his chest. She could feel the hairs on her arms rise as she brushed against him. Suddenly regretting her petulance, she wished that the dress had