Book excerpt: Royal heir Zadir Al Kilanjar is determined to woo renowned architect Veronica Baxter to his homeland of Ubar to design his palace—and become his wife. Ronnie first met Zadir when their plane crashed in the Empty Quarter (Desert Kings – Veronica – Stranded with the Sheikh) and she hasn’t been able to get the seductive sheikh out of her mind. With her career in high gear and her heart surrounded by more stone walls than her projects, she’s resolved to resist Zadir’s advances—but he’s just as determined to win her. EXCERPT: “I’ve always had a vivid imagination.” Right now her imagination was causing her all kinds of trouble. Zadir’s arms still hung by his sides, but she could visualize them wrapping around her as they had that scary night in the desert, when he’d held her close and offered her comfort—and so much more. And that mouth. Damn it, but she wanted to kiss him. It wasn’t fair of him to stand so close to her, those sensual lips just a few inches away, tantalizing her with the memory of them on her own. “Uh, I guess I should get some sleep.” “Yes.” He didn’t budge. His eyes had turned ocean blue and gazed right into hers. She couldn’t move. Or breathe. How did he have this effect on her? This was exactly why she didn’t return his phone calls. Why she knew she needed to stay far, far away from him. It happened so slowly that it didn’t quite seem real. There was certainly no conscious thought or intention involved. One moment she was thinking about how she should definitely not kiss Zadir Al Kilanjar, and the next moment she was doing it. Their lips came together like a force of nature that couldn’t be stopped—a flash flood or a bolt of lighting striking out of the clear blue sky. Suddenly his arms were around her, just as she’d imagined, and her palms pressed into his back. Desire raced through her with alarming force, deepening the kiss and drawing them closer. A tiny groan escaped her mouth, which should have shocked her into stopping, but she was too far gone in the all-enveloping kiss. Zadir’s heart beat against her chest as he held her close. His passion was evident in the way he caressed and kissed her like his life depended on it.