Page 26 of Forbidden Passion

And that’s when this whole scene started to make sense.

“Are you cheating on Ciara with your assistant?” Falk demanded.

When Zayed ignored him, Falk gritted his teeth. He grabbed his friend’s shoulder and spun the man around. “Answer me, damn it! What’s going on? Are you cheating on Ciara?”

There was a double hiss at that question, and Falk was primed to unleash his fury on his former friend for this shocking betrayal. Ready to attack, he instinctively pulled back his arm, poised to pummel Zayed for daring to hurt Ciara. However, instead of glaring at Zayed and preparing for a brawl, Falk found himself staring up at the ceiling, the wind knocked out of him. It took several breaths for him to grasp what had happened. Still, his understanding of the event only happened when Zayed and the pretty assistant peered down at him, Zayed praising, "You flipped him like a pro, Tara!"

Those words didn’t make sense to Falk. He was having trouble breathing, but…had the timid little mouse just flipped him onto his back?

Hell, the woman barely weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet! She was a tiny little thing! How the hell had she flipped him onto his back? He was more than twice her size!

Rolling onto his side, it took him another moment to get his breath back. When he looked around, Falk had to stifle a laugh when he realized that Zayed was holding Falk’s bodyguards off, warning them away from the green-eyed she-devil.

“You flipped me over?” he asked, still too stunned to absorb what had just happened.

One of his guards stepped forward, reaching to help him up. But the man was also trying to smother his amusement so Falk brushed him aside, making a mental note to take on the guy during their next training session.

Standing up, he brushed non-existent dust off his slacks and hands, staring at the woman with…not anger. No, the anger was gone. He was incredibly curious now. Curious about how she’d flipped a man twice her size and curious as to why Zayed was so protective of the little woman, since she, apparently, could take care of herself.

“I couldn’t let you hurt him,” she replied, her tiny hands still curled into fists.

Falk glanced up at Zayed and noticed that his former friend looked ready to protect the little darling. And that’s when everything started to make sense.

Turning to Zayed, he said, “I think you and I need to talk.”

Zayed stepped in front of his assistant, completely blocking his view of her. “We’ll talk later. Once you’ve gotten rid of whatever bug got up your ass.”

And without waiting for a response, which was good because what the hell was Falk supposed to say to that…Zayed herded his petite assistant away.

Falk watched the duo for several long moments, trying to understand what the hell had just happened. As well as the emotions behind the woman’s attack.

Was the she-devil in love with her boss? Was that why she’d flipped Falk onto his back…to protect Zayed? The idea wasabsolutely ludicrous. Falk had sparred with Zayed many times over the years. The man could easily take care of himself. He didn’t need a one hundred pound dynamo fighting his battles for him.

“Your Highness?” one of his bodyguards prompted.

Falk realized that Zayed and the woman were completely out of sight now. And he was still staring down the hallway, trying to work through what had just happened.

Before he could say another word, Ciara sprinted into the room, literally coming to a skidding halt as she took in the group of men. “Are you okay?” she asked, moving towards him. Her soft fingers reached up, touching his cheek while her soft, caramel colored eyes scanned him for wounds. “I heard that someone flipped you. Why don’t we get you to the hospital? You should see a doctor.”

“I’m fine,” he told her, his hands resting on her hips. Usually, he would push a woman away if she showed too much concern. But with Ciara, he found he liked seeing the worry in her eyes.

“But I heard that someone flipped you onto your back! Your spine could be injured. You should really let someone examine you. Not the doctor that Ramit keeps on staff though. He’s an idiot.”

She started to look over her shoulder at the guards and Falk realized that she was about to tell them to call for an ambulance. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate humiliation? It was bad enough that a woman, a tiny one, had taken him by surprise. But the thought of the whole world getting news of the debacle because an ambulance brought him to the hospital for care was simply not going to happen.

To distract her from the idea, and to prove to her that he was okay, he lifted her into his arms and flipped her around so that her back was against the wall, with his body pressing against the front of her.

“I’m fine,” he promised, shifting his hips to prove the point more thoroughly. “I’m completely fine,” he assured her in a softer voice, then he leaned forward, nuzzling her neck. “But I love that you were worried enough to come rushing to my side.”

Chapter 22

Ciara could barely breathe, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Falk was touching her and he was okay. “Falk,” she whispered, running her hands over his neck and shoulders, needing to assure herself that he was healthy and whole. But the hardness pressing against her stomach warned her that he was more than “fine”. He was definitely hale and hearty.

“Are you sure?” she asked, leaning forward to kiss him, needing more reassurance. Or maybe not assurance, but…just his touch.

A noise off to her left caught her attention. She froze and looked. Several of her guards and Falk’s guards were standing in the hallway. They had all turned away, but they could definitely hear everything that was happening.

“Falk,” she hissed, then moaned when his teeth nibbled on her neck. Still, as wonderful as his ministrations felt, there were several large, armed men standing sentry less than three feet from where they were…! That’s when Ciara realized that she wasn’t standing. Falk had picked her up and had her pinned against the wall with her legs wrapped around his waist.