Read excerpts from Slave Girl and Something to Hide:

Meet Kudar al Numan. Rich, Powerful, Masterful. Used to getting what he wants.

Kudar al Numan refuses be snared by love. But, when Kudar sees beautiful raven haired Laila and decides he wants the slave girl for himself, will he finds it divine to become a slave to love?

Meet Kudar between the pages of the new intriguing historical romance novel Slave Girl by Sheniqua Waters. Read more about Kudar in the following excerpts:

Omar led Laila out of the harem and up a flight of steps to a part of the palace she had not seen before. The chief eunuch stopped in front of a door, opened it, then nudged her inside the room.

Though her head was bowed, Laila managed to notice details of the bedroom. The chamber was spacious with several columns separating the large opulent space. There was an enormous bed in the middle of the marble floor which Laila could not ignore. Across the room, an open door led to a balcony. In the corner of the balcony, there was a table set with food. Plush red pillows lay around it.

“You may rise,” a deep male voice rumbled.

Laila straightened herself and saw Kudar standing at a table in a small alcove in the corner of the room. He seemed even more handsome than she remembered. He wore a white shirt which was open down the front exposing his muscular chest, and he had on a pair of loose fitting trousers.

“You look beautiful,” he commented. “Would you like something to drink?” Without waiting for an answer, he picked up a chalice and began to pour the drink into two goblets. “Come,” he instructed.

A lump caught in Laila’s throat when Kudar turned to look at her.

“You’re not afraid of me are you, Kalilah?” he asked.

Laila shook her head, walked to him, then took the goblet from his outstretched hand. She raised the cup and wine touched her lips.

“Are you hungry? I am famished. Let’s eat,” Kudar suggested.

Laila stepped forward and walked to the balcony. Kudar followed her. They sat on the lush pillows around the table and looked toward the city, which could be seen the in the distance. When Laila began eating, she found the food tasted as delicious as it smelled and the meat was so tender it practically fell off the bone. Kudar attempted small talk during the meal. However, Laila had a hard time focusing on any of his words. Her thoughts lingered on what the maidens in the harem told her about their nights with Kudar.

“Has everything here in the palace been to your liking, Kalilah?” Kudar asked her after the meal.

“Aye. Everything has been wonderful. I have never seen such beautiful clothes in my life. It took me forever to choose a garment to wear to dinner tonight.”

Kudar chuckled. “I’m glad you were impressed. I wanted to wait until I knew you were feeling better before I called you. How about your back? Has it healed?”

“Aye, I think so.”

“Let me see,” Kudar prodded.

Laila looked at him for a moment before she turned her back to him. She untied the tie of her vest then slowly unfastened her blouse. Careful to keep her chest covered, she let the vest and blouse fall down her back.

“Um…Everything looks alright,” Kudar said as his fingers lightly traced her back. After a short pause, he added, “You are as beautiful as the first day I saw you.”

Laila turned her head to look at him. “You remember seeing me at the auction house?”

“Of course. I remember seeing a lot of you that day,” Kudar replied as a mischievous grin spread over his inviting lips.

In response, Laila’s expression turned to a scowl and Kudar felt her stiffen then start to pull away from him. Impulsively, he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. She fell back into his arms. He bent his head and kissed her gently on the mouth.

When his mouth touched hers, an explosion of heat oozed through him and an uncontrollable moan escaped from his throat. He had been dreaming about this moment since the day she had been brought back to the palace. Now that his lips were on hers, his body reacted strongly to the touch of her soft, yielding lips.

“Don’t be afraid,” he chided when he felt a shudder go through her. “It will be nice for the both of us,” he whispered, then kissed her again expectantly.

In Kudar’s imagination, she had been very willing. In his imagination, she had responded with a moan and eagerly wrapped her arms around his neck. Now, however, she lay completely still in his embrace. Lifting his head, he asked, “Why won’t you kiss me back?”

Laila didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed away from him.

Quickly, tying her vest together, she rose and walked to the balcony wall. She turned her back to him and looked out toward the city at the pink and purple light that canvassed the sky in wake of the setting sun.

“Answer me,” Kudar demanded.

At the sound of his impertinent tone, Laila turned to face him and found her voice. “Why are you pretending this is about me?” she questioned.

“What?”

“Look. I’ve faced it. None of this is about me. It’s about you and what you want. I don’t have a say. You wanted to kiss me. So, I let you kiss me.”

“You let me kiss you?

“What more do you want from me?”

“I want you to kiss me back. I want you to enjoy it as much as I do.”
            “Enjoy it? I don’t know you. Why would I want to kiss you and make love to you? If you want someone who feels privileged to be in your bed, you want one of the other women in your harem. You don’t want me.”

For a moment, Kudar was taken aback by Laila’s frankness. But he decided he wanted to hear what she had to say, even if he may not like it. After all, she was now talking which was more than she had done during dinner.

“I’ve been told I’m a very giving lover,” Kudar admitted. “I’m sure you will like it.”

“But if I don’t have a choice, does it matter? How is being here in your palace any different than being a slave to Zora? I didn’t have a choice then, and I don’t have a choice now. You want me to be like one of your many love slaves who give you their bodies when you want it. That’s not what I want. When I make love, I want to be in love first.”

Kudar chuckled. “That’s nonsense. What does love have to do with anything? I see to it that you have a place to live and nice things to keep you comfortable. In return, we give each other pleasure. That makes the most sense.”

“If I wanted that kind of relationship, I would have married the boy my parents picked out for me back home,” Laila protested.

“You compare me to a boy?” Kudar scoffed as he stood to his feet. “You compare this to what you have back home!” He swept his arms about. “You had nothing this nice at home and no boy can treat you as good as I can!”

“I want to choose who I love! I want to choose who I kiss!”

In a few strides, Kudar was at her side. He turned her to face him. “You should want to kiss me,” he explained.

“Well, I don’t!” Laila retorted. Why did he think she would be so eager to jump in to his bed? His arrogance was beyond belief! “Why should I want to kiss a man who’s kissed a million girls before me?” she countered in a steely voice.

“This is why…” Kudar grumbled as he drew her hard against his chest and lowered his head to her.

This time, when his lips met hers, an unexpected bolt of heat seared Laila’s lips. Her legs suddenly felt weak. She couldn’t help but lean into Kudar for support as a wave of untamed attraction coursed through her being. As her body melted into his, she felt the evidence of his desire.

“You can’t tell me that kiss did not affect you. I know you felt what I did,” Kudar rasped when their lips parted.

Laila shook her head breathing deeply. “No…It didn’t affect me…” she managed to say.

“You’re lying,” Kudar countered, now that his prowess had been challenged.

“I’m not lying!”

“Oh? Just lusting for me?” he questioned.

Laila blushed and pulled away from him. She had to step away from Kudar. Being so close to him was clouding her thoughts. Not only was she having trouble thinking, she was having trouble taking her eyes off his enticing lips. She stepped sideways in an attempt to move past him. But Kudar stepped to block her path.

“I can see it in your eyes,” he noted. “The truth is, you want me just as much as I want you.”

Laila shook her head in repudiation. “Why should I want you? You don’t even know my real name,” she bristled.

“Well, what’s your real name?”

“Laila,” she replied.

“Lay-la, huh?”

She nodded.

When Kudar entered Laila’s chamber, he saw her sitting at the vanity table brushing her hair. Her towel was gone and she was dressed in a purple robe made of silk.

She continued to ignore him for several moments more.

When it was evident he was not going away, she spoke. “You still here? I thought you’d be gone on your trip by now.”

“I’ve been betroth. It’s my duty. I’m not going to let my family down,” Kudar responded.

“How nice for you,” Laila replied with words that dripped with honey yet held the sting of venom. “You won’t let your father down…but you will let me down?”

“Laila, it’s not that simple,” Kudar protested.

“Then what is it, Kudar? I know your father doesn’t like me because he doesn’t think I’m good enough for you…But I never thought you would go along with him.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then how is it, Kudar?” Laila asked. Placing her brush on the vanity, she turned to him. “I’m good enough to have fun with? But not good enough for you to share your life with? I thought your feelings for me were real. But you never cared for me! Not really!”

“Laila, that’s not true. I wanted to talk to you at dinner…I wanted to explain…That’s why I called you to my room. You didn’t come,” Kudar countered.

“And I won’t!” Laila assured him, her heart still heavy due to her earlier conversation with Amir.

“You won’t come when I call?”  

“You heard me! I don’t know why you bothered to bring me back from Karamania. You don’t love me. You’ve made that outstandingly clear. When it’s all said, you don’t think I am good enough for you! Not someone who is your equal. Well, for the record, I belong to no one. I am no one’s slave! And that includes you!” Laila spat back angrily.     

“I could punish you for speaking to me this way!”

“I would curse you with every breath!” she pledged.

“I wanted to explain everything to you…make you understand…you should have come to me when I called for you tonight! When I call for you, you come to me! Now come!”

Laila squared her shoulders but did not move.

“Come to me!” Kudar commanded again, this time with much more force. “You come to me whenever I want you!”

As her reply, Laila turned her back to him and started to walk away.

Kudar reached out and

*     *    *

Meet Brock Cunningham. A struggling rancher with a chip on his shoulder. Brock falls for Lily but can he live with the secrets she carries?

Something to Hide - Excerpt:

Prologue

Virginia, United States of America – May 1842 A.D.

Lily stepped into the alleyway behind the hotel. Yellow light from the open door illuminated her path. She closed the door behind her then paused briefly unnerved by the darkness that replaced the placid light. Unwilling to risk being late, she headed toward the flurry of noise that wafted to her ears.

At the end of the alleyway, Lily rounded the hotel and viewed the activity along the main street. She took a moment to look at the gray clouds that blanketed the night sky. Then, pulling the edges of her frock together, she lowered her head and began to walk along the boarded walkway. Maneuvering around two people, she set a brisk pace.

As she walked, an image of her husband’s blue eyes, thick blonde hair and chiseled chin flashed in her memory. The sound of his deep voice echoed in her mind even as her thoughts turned to the encounter she had with his mother earlier that day. By now, Brock knew her secret. In a few minutes, she would find out if he loved her enough to continue their marriage.

Lily prayed that he would.

A frown creased Lily’s lips when she realized the wooden boards beneath her shoes had dissipated and dry leaves now crunched under her feet. Lifting her head, Lily came to a hesitant stop and looked around. Warily, she noticed the collection of white washed buildings had given way to ill kept structures, the streets had emptied and all noise had ceased. Solicitously, she contemplated returning to the hotel, an eerie foreboding tempting her there.

“Lily!”

Pivoting sharply at the sound of her name, Lily looked at the person who called out to her then let out a relieved sigh. “Syrus! What are you doing here?” she questioned.

“You going to meet Brock?” Syrus asked.

Lily nodded her head as she quickly thought about the note that had been slipped under the door of her hotel room. “Brock sent me a note. He wants to meet at the warehouse down by the river. I’m not sure why he wants to meet there but—”

Without warning, Syrus pushed Lily into the darkened threshold of a nearby door cutting off her words. An instant later, he pulled her against his frame, leaned down and ran his lips possessively over her mouth.

“Sy…Syrus! What…What on earth are you doing?” Lily stammered.

“It’s not too late for you to change your mind,” he muttered.

“I will never change my mind!” Lily responded and pushed against his chest.

Syrus tightened his hold on her. “You think Brock is better than me, don’t you?” he asked irritably.

“I don’t have time for this!” Lily asserted and twisted from his grasp.

Hastily, Syrus reached out and seized her arm again. “You shouldn’t have married Brock yesterday. Now, you’ll live to regret what you’ve done.”

“Let me go!”

“It’s not too late to agree to my offer,” he insisted.

“Never! Now, for the last time, let me go!” Lily snapped testily.

Syrus’ eyes narrowed. He gritted his teeth. “As you wish,” he remarked sullenly then dropped his hands to his side.

Turning quickly, Lily sprinted from Syrus and darted across the dirt street. Upon reaching the other side, she glanced over her shoulder and looked back at the darkened doorway.

Syrus was gone.

She was alone.

Telling herself to remain calm, Lily put one foot in front of the other and continued toward the river. As one block turned into another, she willed herself to ignore the murky shadows that distorted into blurs and dissolved under her feet.

The James River came into view.

Lily strained to view the large warehouse by the water. When she spotted it, she broke into a sprint.

The sound of water lapping against the bank met her ears as she neared the warehouse.

She slackened her pace a bit.

Recalling the instructions in the note, Lily rounded the corner of the warehouse and headed down the alley toward the rear entrance.

Her heart exploded in her chest when the caterwaul of a cat pierced the darkness. The shrill screech was immediately followed by the blistering clank of a tin can crashing to the ground.

“Brock!” Lily called into the darkness.

There was no answer.

Eager to find safety in Brock’s strong arms, Lily focused on the back door several yards in front of her.

A few more steps.

She was almost there.

Suddenly, a shroud came out of the dark and clamped over her mouth. In a flash, she was yanked into the shadows and hauled against a wall.

Stunned by disbelief, Lily lost her ability to move.

Discerning a man’s hand over her mouth, she managed to gather her wits. With a savage grunt, she kneed the stranger in the groin.

The stranger released her with a calamitous yelp and crumpled forward.

Swiftly, Lily stretched out her legs and leapt forward. However, the stranger recovered quickly and grasped the hem of her frock. The material constricted around her mobilized legs pitching her forward. A panicked groan rived from her throat the moment she hit the ground with a painful thud.

Stripping a long rope from around his waist, the stranger fell to his knees next to her and grappled with her flailing arms. He seized her right arm then managed to grasp her left arm. Swiftly, he looped the rope around her wrists twice then tugged the dangling rope tight.

“Damn mongrel!” he snarled.

Lily jerked her head forward and struck the assailant in the nose.

Instantly, the man released her and reeled backward with a furious curse.

Though her arms were bound, Lily managed to scramble to her feet and began to race down the alley.

“Brock!”

The panicked yell died on her lips as she was tackled from behind and rammed back to the iron hard earth.

Lily wheezed in anguish and unleashed a deafening scream as she was flipped onto her back. Hurriedly, the assailant clasped his large dirty hand over her mouth muffling the sound. When he did, the poignant smell of sweat and musk filled her nose causing her stomach to turn violently. Suddenly, a beam of moonlight seeped from behind a gray cloud oozing dim light into the dark alley. Terror splintered in Lily stifling the scream in her throat the moment the assailant’s ghoulish face was revealed.

“Got her!” the loathsome man rasped triumphantly.

Lily gulped down anxiety that rose like bile in her throat when she saw a second man rise out of the dark. The second man, careful to keep his face shrouded in darkness, slowly advanced toward her. As the man neared, he stepped into a patch of moonlight and Lily glimpsed a splotch of crimson colored hair before he melded back into the shadows.

Spurred by the quest for self-preservation, Lily swung her shackled arms wildly and kicked her feet with all her might.

Pressing his oppressive girth on her, the assailant reached in his pocket and a moment later brandished a silver bladed knife. The sharp edge of the weapon caught the moon and glistened with its light. 

“This is where the road ends for you wench!” the man hissed and raised the knife above his head.

Lily blinked with trepidation unable to vanquish the fear that threatened to paralyze her. She lifted her head in horrified protest as the knife plunged downward. Tormented by overwhelming terror, Lily's limbs went limp and everything went black.

Purchase the ebook now!