The Sheik’s Secret Heir (The Billionaire’s Club #14)
Chapter 1
He was back! Her tormentor!
The soft sunshine of the early morning went unnoticed as Ann's chest thudded with awareness. How dare he just…show up like this? How dare he appear out the blue!
Why was he here? Ann had hoped, prayed, that he would never come back. He’d disrupted her life enough! It wasn’t fair that this particular man was back, casually strolling into her life as if he’d never been gone, never suggested such horrible things and act as if he was ready to mess with her mind all over again!
Tazim moved confidently down the grassy hill, looking just as commanding and arrogant as she remembered from five years ago. The man clearly hadn’t changed. He was still the strong, powerful, heart-poundingly handsome man she remembered. And yet, he was also completely different. Tazim had always been confident. But now, he was more…? More something. As their eyes clashed, Ann couldn’t quite put her finger on what it was that had changed.
He was more than just intimidating; as he chatted with the other two men, Ann acknowledged that Tazim was still a breathtaking force, still radiating that alluring, magnetic energy that inevitably drew all eyes to him. The air seemed to pulsate with her confusion while Tazim's dark eyes narrowed, effortlessly commanding attention. He seemed to ooze confidence, and every deliberate step he took echoed with a primal rhythm that set her heart racing.
Beneath the facade of magnificence, there was an undeniable arrogance that made him all the more infuriating. Tazim wore his self-assured smile like a challenge, a silent dare to anyone who might cross his path. It was as if he knew the effect he had on others and reveled in the chaos he left in his wake.
Ann couldn't help but be both captivated and infuriated by his presence. His arrogance only fueled the fire of conflicting emotions within her. Tazim was the embodiment of a forbidden temptation, a tantalizing enigma that left a trail of heartache in his wake.
A tumble of questions rolled around in her brain as she watched him converse with his companions. Ann stood by the old stone wall, remaining on the other side as if the crumbling mortar and lichen scarred stones were enough to stop Tazim’s impact on her senses.
Why was he here? Where had he been for so long?
He said something to the men beside him and Ann forced her mind to function, albeit at a slower rate than normal. That’s when she recognized the other two men with him.
Why were Sheik al Mastrion and Sheik Abuzman speaking to Tazim as if he was a friend? Did Tazim remember her? If he did, what thoughts were racing through his head? Or had he not recognized her? Had the past been just a blur to him and not the vibrant, sensual memories that she lived with every day?
And most importantly, when was he leaving?
When the man in question turned his gaze in her direction, a shiver raced down Ann's spine, tightening her fingers around the mug of coffee she held. His eyes, like piercing daggers, seemed to cut through the other sounds, biting into her as if she were the one who had shattered their world five years ago!
The flood of memories, once restrained to the far recesses of her mind, surged forward like a tidal wave. Erotic images danced before her eyes, vivid recollections of moments shared with Tazim that had left an indelible mark on her soul. The coffee in her hands became a precarious anchor, threatening to slip from her grasp as her pulse quickened.
Ann's mind became a battleground of conflicting emotions. Five years had passed, but the raw intensity of those memories refused to be dulled by time. The sensations, the scent of him, the whispered promises – they were etched into her very soul, haunting her in even the most mundane moments.
The second glance from Tazim hinted at recognition, a flicker of acknowledgment that sent another chill down Ann's spine. How could he possibly remember her after all these years? The passage of time had transformed her, scarred her, and she wondered if the same had happened to him. Yet, the penetrating gaze suggested a connection that transcended time.
The unsettling realization that he might remember her ignited a new storm of questions in Ann's mind. Was he here by coincidence, or had he sought her out? The uncertainty only fueled the mounting tension, leaving Ann teetering on a precipice.
"No," she whispered to herself, a desperate mantra against the rising tide of memories and emotions. Ann had reshaped the narrative in her mind, convincing herself that she had moved on from the heartache he’d left in his wake. The first few months had been a blur of tears and sleepless nights, but she had crafted a facade of strength, determined not to let him wield such power over her emotions ever again.
Yet, as Tazim's gaze lingered, Ann couldn't deny the cracks forming in the walls she had built around her heart. The past, with all its passion and pain, threatened to unravel her carefully constructed defenses, leaving her vulnerable to the looming specter of a history she had tried so hard to bury.
Her life and her body had changed irrevocably. At first, it had been difficult, but Ann had evolved. She’d eventually grown to be happier than she’d ever been in her life. Yes, the past five years had been hard, sometimes humiliating. But…Ann always had Archer to come back to every evening.
Archer, her son, was the light of her life. Everything she did, every smile at the entitled group of old, amoral farts, every fake chuckle at their stupid jokes, and inhalation of their foul-smelling cigar smoke was for Archer.
He was four years old now and already in kindergarten. Her sweet, adorable, amazing son was the reason she put up with the obnoxious members of this elitist club. He was also the reason that she’d taught herself, and her friends, how to invest their tip money and half of their salary. Every time she listened to the old men brag about whatever illegal or unethical machinations they had concocted to increase their profit margins, Ann was able to use that knowledge to create a more stable future for her son.
Searing discomfort on her fingers diverted Ann's attention from the man who had abruptly entered her life, altered its course, and then stealthily retreated. Taken aback, she glanced down to discover that her hands trembled so violently that the coffee had sloshed over the rim of her cup. Swiftly, she placed the mug on the stone wall and vigorously shook her hands, attempting to both dry them and alleviate the pain.
“Why are you here?” she desperately whispered, her eyes lifting. But all she saw now was the green grass dotted by fallen autumn leaves as the man who had altered the path of her life waked away. Again.