The Sheikh's Mistaken Twin - Completed.

Chapter Thirteen

Shifting to ease the tension out of her body, Ellie stilled and waited. 

Nothing. 

Hopefully, he was sound asleep, twisting around, still no movement so relaxed, wide-awake, aware of outside noises. The wind had picked up, the tent's sides flapping, whistling through the palms, sands settling after the heat of the day, tugging the bedding up around her shoulder, easing the pillow down, honing into Kaden's warmth, reaching out and touching flesh.

Needing the contact. It was just them out here, all alone in the desert.

Her eyes widened. He was naked, well topless, and she wasn't finding out how far that went. Pulling her hand back from his back, fingers tingling from touching him, more aware of her own body, only wearing knickers under the nightie.

Everything he had provided her was of the finest quality, even the underwear.

Lace and satin felt good against her skin with feathery lightness, heat pooling between her legs. Not good, all alone together in one bed and what?

Nothing.

He was asleep that said it all. Not interested in her.

As promised, her virtue was safe. Why did she feel like crying?

Not once she had felt so comfortable alone with a man until she encountered Kaden. She had met no one like him before. Pity how they met. Not in the best of circumstances, yet they would've never crossed paths otherwise, and he believed she was having an affair with his brother.

His brother had the same features, just looking at them, could see they were related, so surely if Ronnie knew him, she would've picked up on that. Wouldn't Kaden also pick up on that?  Or was that wishful thinking on her behalf?

Of course, he didn't want secondhand goods used by his brother.

So far removed from the truth, her heart broke because there could never be them, wiping at her cheek, only to still as he shifted twisting onto his side, facing her, or the other way around. It could've been his chest, not his back she had touched, holding her breath with bated breath.

"What's wrong, princess?" his voice resonated through the night. The blackout interior made it pitch black. No lantern's shining light. A good thing, so wouldn't see her flaming cheeks, hoping he couldn't feel the radiant heat.

"Sorry."

"Will you stop apologising? You have nothing to be sorry about." She bit her tongue, not to mention his brother as he brushed thick hair from her face without poking her. What he could see in the dark? "Tell me what's wrong. Before you say nothing, I knew you were awake," he added.

Her body sagged. "So... I didn't want you to worry. It's so quiet and..."

"Can hear everything. Yes, it can be unnerving because you don't have noise and light pollution like you do where you live. The city lights drown out the natural night ones. Also, the skies look bigger and brighter out here. The moon can fill the entire night sky."

"Yes," she shifted in closer. "I thought I was imaging it."

"So basic noises of nature are overwhelming when not drowned out with man-made pollutions like traffic."

"The winds have picked up."

"They have. We are safe here, princess. You are safe," he promised. She edged closer, her fingers touching his side. Flesh, warmth, closing around her like a security blanket and that's how he made her feel.

"I know," she sighed, snuggling in closer, as his arm went around her, head now resting on his shoulder, eyes closing. "Thank you, today was wonderful, cooking, the sights and you," another sigh, drifting off to sleep as his other arm wrapped around her.