Page 31 of Her Irresistible Sheik (Al-Sintra Family #9)

Nahla was in love.

She hated to admit it—mostly because she was absolutely, ridiculously, completely in love.

And being in love with a man like Mikail felt like breaking every one of her own rules.

Every moment with him was unexpected, an exploration of contradictions.

They ate every meal together, talking and laughing about everything from world affairs to how she decided what to photograph.

If someone had told her when they first met that Mikail—the intense, brooding man with the perpetually furrowed brow—was capable of laughter, she would’ve assumed they’d hit their head on something hard.

But laugh he did.

And when he laughed, it was deep and rich, like chocolate laced with bourbon. He didn’t just chuckle—he roared , head thrown back, eyes crinkling, and it made her feel like she’d discovered a rare treasure every time she made him do it.

In bed? He was magic. Wicked, clever, infuriatingly talented magic. Every night was a new chapter in their personal erotic adventure novel—complete with cliffhangers, suspense, and plot twists that left her breathless and grinning.

Touching him was an addiction. Exploring him, a privilege. He did the same to her—teaching her that seduction wasn’t just about lust, but also laughter, teasing, and the art of anticipation.

And he was nothing like she’d expected. Mikail wasn’t a grouchy control freak—well, not entirely .

He was focused. A man juggling five political crises while helping plan a charity gala and still remembering how she liked her tea.

His brain was a wonderland of strategy, compassion, and dry wit.

He was sexy in that maddening, “I’ve already solved the problem, but I’ll let you figure it out on your own” kind of way.

Was this all love-colored lenses? Maybe. But Nahla didn’t care.

Because Mikail listened to her. Argued with her. Debated in full paragraphs and then— gasp! —sometimes changed his mind when she made a good point.

Some nights, they didn’t argue at all. They just curled up on the sofa with books, sipping after-dinner drinks like the world’s most sensual book club of two.

She discovered Mikail had a secret love for space exploration and devoured science fiction like it was air. He also endured economic theory, devoured historical epics, and loathed paranormal fiction with the intensity of a man who’d been personally wronged by a werewolf.

Meanwhile, Nahla would die on the vampire hill. Shifters, witches, banshees—she adored them all. She’d tried to convert him to the Church of Paranormal Romance, even argued that a vampire duke could absolutely be a metaphor for capitalist repression. Mikail was unimpressed.

Still, they read together. And sometimes, that turned into their own little battleground.

Like tonight.

She’d just finished her latest novel and reached for the next one in the stack, a thick tome with a silver cover that practically screamed intrigue.

Her fingers were millimeters from the spine when Mikail leaned over and snatched it .

“Mine,” he declared with a smug kiss to her neck.

“I was reaching for that one!” she cried, laughing as he plopped down on the sofa like a smug cat who’d just stolen her favorite sunspot.

“Possession is nine-tenths of the law,” he replied, flipping the book open with exaggerated flair.

“Brute strength won’t win you that book,” she muttered, stalking behind him.

“Oh?” he asked, not looking up.

With a devilish smile, she slid her hands down his chest, then leaned in and nipped his earlobe . His grip on the book loosened immediately.

“Unfair advantage!” he barked, but she was already gone—book in hand, running.

Startled guards outside the library stiffened as she bolted past, laughing wildly. But Mikail was right behind her, his longer stride and mock-growly determination closing the distance fast.

He didn’t even bother reclaiming the book. He scooped her up mid-run like a caveman in tailored slacks.

“Mikail!” she squealed, still giggling.

But did he return her to the library?

Not a chance.

He kicked open the bedroom door and tossed a writhing, laughing Nahla onto the bed.

“Okay! Okay! You can have the book!” she wheezed, breathless with laughter.

“Oh no, my little book thief ,” Mikail growled, stripping her leggings off with comically exaggerated determination. “You’ve started a war.”

Their laughter faded away as he kissed his way down her body, stopping only when he reached her toes. Nahla squealed when his kisses tickled the arch of her foot, but then he kissed his way back up, stopping at various points along the way.

Nahla was no longer laughing. In fact, she could barely breathe as he spread her legs wider, his tongue flicking out to tease her.

Nahla’s fingers dove into Mikail’s hair, holding his head exactly where she needed him to be.

Mikail proceeded to tease her, tormenting her with his mouth, fingers, and that magical tongue of his.

However, just before her body exploded from his machinations, Mikail stopped.

“Wha…?” she gasped, lifting her head to frown at him.

“Are you going to give me the book?” he asked, moving to lie beside her as his fingers continued stroking her, teasing that nub, but not with the previous pressure. It was driving her body wild and she couldn’t think straight.

“What book?” she asked, then tilted her head slightly. When she realized that this was still about the book, she laughed, pushing his hand away. But that wasn’t good enough for him. He pinned her down, still fully clothed.

“I want that book,” he said in an almost casual tone, kissing that spot on her neck that always made her moan before moving lower until he reached her breasts.

He pinned her wrists over her head with one hand, and sucked her nipple into his mouth.

He didn’t relent until she was screaming, that diabolical tongue flicking against the extra sensitive tip.

“Mikail!” she groaned, trying to wiggle away. “Not fair!”

“Give me the book and I’ll give you what you want.”

“ My book,” she gasped, still fighting his grip. It was useless. The man was stronger than her.

“Give me the book,” he said, then blew on her taut nipple, “and I’ll strip off my clothes and fill you up so deep that you’ll scream my name.”

She knew he was right. Every time he filled her, every time he thrust into her, she felt his name on her lips. Whenever he brought her to that magical peak, she screamed his name, clinging to him as they tumbled together to the most extraordinary climaxes.

Nahla bit her lip, trying to decide.

He pulled away and Nahla gasped with horror. “Fine!” she yelled, needing him close, her fingers reaching for him. “The book is all yours!”

Mikail’s expression turned triumphant, but he still pulled away. However, he didn’t go far. And Nahla got to watch him strip off his clothes before returning to her.

He draped one of her legs over his shoulder.

“Hold onto me, Nahla,” he groaned, sliding into her heat. Nahla grabbed his shoulders, arching her back to take him deeper into her body. As he filled her, Nahla was nearly there, so close to that beautiful climax, she could feel her body quaking.

“Wait for me, love,” he urged, thrusting in and out of her heat, moving faster, watching her breasts dance with every thrust. When he was close, Mikail pulled her hands up over her head, looking down at their connection.

She knew he liked watching as he thrust into her, seeing her body embrace his.

She tightened her inner muscles, wanting to give him as much pleasure as she could.

But the way he filled her, the perfect way he touched her, Nahla couldn’t help but explode.

Her body shuddered with her release, clasping him tighter as he moved faster.

Thankfully, he came only a moment later, his body tightening, his voice hoarse as he moved into her one more time, then everything exploded for him.

They remained like that for a long moment, then he collapsed against her. Knowing that he was too big for her smaller frame, Mikail immediately rolled over, pulling her with him, so she ended up draped over his chest, still intimately connected.

“Damn it, woman,” he sighed, stroking her hair and her back as they remembered how to breath.

Several minutes later, Nahla shifted thoughtfully, resting her chin on his chest as he pushed a pillow behind his head.

“Why do you want that particular book so badly?”

His eyes sparkled with amusement. “I have no idea what the book is, love.”

Nahla blinked at him for a long moment before understanding washed over her.

By then, he was already growing inside of her but she pulled away, laughing when he grabbed for her.

She was too fast this time and snuck around his hands.

But she only made it to the bathroom because, her laughter slowed her down.

Mikail merely brought her further into the bathroom and turned on the water.

There, he proceeded to start the whole process over again, with a few additional twists.