The Candle Princess

by Raine Hughes

  Only then did she realize the almost overwhelming heat exuding from the fireplace. They had a long way to go yet before the ultimate wish would be hers. She turned the flames into cold ones, their play and color just as erotic as the hot flames.

  * * *

  Noah paused once more to admire his wife’s nakedness. A small smile of satisfaction signaled her serenity. She watched him with dreamy eyes, totally at peace with what he was doing to her body, loving his touch and responding fully to him. She smiled provocatively, spurring him to tear at his clothes.

  “Not yet, Noah.”

  Noah’s hands stilled. “The last wish!” he groaned. “Do I have to produce it now, before we make love?” All he wanted was to submerse himself in Jasmine’s loving body, to make her his.

  She shook her head dreamily in answer. “I danced for you, Noah.”

  “You want me to dance? I’m no dancer, especially not that kind of dance!”

  The amusement in her eyes said she thought otherwise.

  “You look so beautiful lying there, Jasmine. Can’t we just—” She pressed a finger gently over his lips and he knew she wasn’t going to let him complete their lovemaking until he danced for her, though it couldn’t be one of her wishes because she’d voiced the request. As foreplay went though, it was unique. He rolled up onto his feet. The music in the room stepped up a notch, the beat at once overwhelmingly suggestive.

  Music to get naked to!

  Jasmine sat up, one long lithe leg locked over top of the other to expose a shapely thigh. She fixed him with a look of expectant pleasure as he began swaying and slowly releasing one button at a time on his shirt.

  “A little more hip,” Jasmine suggested with a saucy grin. He snorted and tried to oblige. “Glide. Turn. Mooove!”

  He finally uprooted his feet, gave a quarter turn, and managed to put a wiggle into his hips. She hooted and clapped as he whirled his shirt overhead before flinging it into a corner with wild abandon. She laughed, the sound musical and uninhibited. He loved all the ways she vocally expressed herself.

  He moved closer but not close enough for her to reach out and touch him. “I can make you crazy with wanting me, too,” he challenged as she tried. He half-believed he hadn’t known he could do that to her before. He knew for sure now and he was going to make the most of it. He’d have her pleading for him to make love to her.

  Noah yanked the richly colored sash, now sagging around his waist, off with a snap and brandished it overhead. Her naughty laugh fueled his movements and the sash followed his shirt to another part of the room. This kind of foreplay was novel. The experience lent a feeling of power he hadn’t experienced before. Not that he’d ever want anyone else to witness his dance.

  He dipped low, tilting his hips provocatively while he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his pants and shoved them down low enough that he could let them cascade down his swaying body. Once puddle around his feet, he nimbly stepped out of them. Triumphant, he flipped them into the air with one foot and caught them as if he did this all the time. Jasmine hooted as he flung them over his shoulder.

  Noah grinned again at the rapt attention Jasmine regarded him with, her eyes alight, the bow of her lips parted to show she was enthralled. He slowly gyrated before her with the most suggestive of moves.

  Jasmine was right—he had hidden talents. Jasmine brought out the best—or at least the naughtiness in him. “I’m really getting the hang of this, Princess,” he said in a low, throaty voice, at which Jasmine giggled delightfully.

  Noah dipped down on his knees and began walk-crawling towards her. He laughed when she eagerly swatted his hands away from his shorts and accomplished his freedom herself. Jasmine looked at him saucily, like a skilled seductress!

  Her wickedly delighted grin sent a flood of emotions through him. If someone commanded him to stop making love to Jasmine right now, he wouldn’t be able to, no matter what the penalty.

  He dropped onto all fours to complete the trek upwards. She reclined under him as he took her luscious lips once more. Her nails raked his back lightly, slow and deliberate this time. The nubs of her nipples felt good against the hardness of his bare chest as he pressed close.

  Noah forced himself to slow down, to give attention to preparing her. “Jasmine, have you done this before?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “Not to me, Jasmine, but it can be uncomfortable for you the first time, if you’ve never…”

  “Never,” she confirmed, “but I know you will not hurt me.”

  He had half expected that she wouldn’t be a virgin at over three hundred years old! Her faith in him not to inflict pain on her with his first loving gave him pause. “I’ll do my best to take it slowly, Jasmine, to let you adjust. I want our lovemaking to bring you pleasure and satisfaction.” He kissed her with a promise. “Since our marriage isn’t a sure thing—that we’ll be allowed to remain together, that is—it will only take me a moment to get a condom, to protect you from becoming pregnant. I still have some in the bathroom.”

  * * *

  For a moment Jasmine couldn’t think how to counter his concern. Or hers. “Protection is unnecessary,” she managed to say with no trace of the brief bit of panic that had assailed her.

  “Of course, you’d have special powers to take care of that,” Noah said with a chuckle.

  Before Jasmine could even contemplate correcting the misconception, he took her mouth with another passionate kiss. While his lips tantalized her, his hand trailed lower and soon she was at the edge of control. They had yet to unite!

  “Your incredible heat is consuming me like flames!” Noah gasped. “It’s beautiful, beautiful, my Shamaa Princess, this internal flame you light inside me.”

  “Then it is time to share,” Jasmine whispered, begging for him to love her completely.

  And he did.

  Chapter 20

  Noah eased his weight off Jasmine. He spooned her, reaching to cover them both as he nuzzled her neck, gently nipping here and there. He found the cover and pulled it up, only then realizing it was Jasmine’s protective blanket, the thing he once called a magic rug. The covering had not stopped their lovemaking this time. Apparently they’d had the blessing of the magical thing. He smiled against the sensitive area low behind her ear.

  Then with a sigh of satisfaction, he eased her onto her back. He pondered on her last wish as he relived their coupling, so wonderful, slow and sensual initially, urgent and powerful at the end. Incredibly, she had climaxed with him to an earth-shattering finale. Her lips were curved with satisfaction. He was totally sated for the first time in his life. Jasmine made him feel complete. This was where he belonged—in her arms.

  He could well imagine what their continued lovemaking would be like. Or, maybe he couldn’t. Out of this world were the words that came to mind. Now he knew he could handle loving a woman of fire, to match Jasmine’s enthusiasm, to give and to take love with her.

  If she remains mine.

  His heart constricted in his chest at the reminder but he looked down at his bride and favored her with a lopsided grin in an attempt to erase the concern that she might easily read. “I love you so much, my lovely princess.”

  Her fingers were light on his cheek. “I like it when you call me your princess. You do not mean it as a title.”

  Noah grinned. “It’s a term of endearment that some of us mortals use. You are my love, my cherished life mate. You are my princess, my queen, my wife, my everything!” He pressed a tender kiss onto her forehead and she gave a huge sigh of contentment.

  The clock began to chime.

  Noah jerked upright in alarm, automatically counting. Twelve strikes and you’re out! The voice inside his head shouted the edict. His heart stopped. It started with a wrench like it had been torn from his chest. “The last wish! I forgot. The time, the—”

  “You forgot?” a malicious voice cut into his own condemnation.

  Noah flung himself over so fast he almost didn’t
release Jasmine. He was aghast to discover that they were no longer alone. They were at a distinct disadvantage with their nakedness.

  Prince Rasoul’s look of distain dropped to the thing that had reduced Noah’s thoughts to just one, then the man’s lips thinned into a sneer. “Only a lowly, unworthy mortal would let himself get so overcome with physical desire that he would forget the importance of what he must do.”

  Noah sent a quick glance about in search of his clothes, discovering them all about the room, as were Jasmine’s.

  Jasmine… He cast a look at her, still by his side, only now she was wrapped up in her protective blanket, away from their unwelcome visitor’s leering gaze. Noah swung his focus back to Prince Rasoul and sat up, sheltering himself as best he could from the coldly condemning gaze. The full meaning of his failure became clear. He fought the bile rising in his throat.

  Before he could think further, he found himself once more clothed, covered neck to ankle in billowing white attire similar in design to the dark man’s before him. He shot a look in Jasmine’s direction as she brought about her own state of dress, a typical costume, only her middle wasn’t bare. Even her neck was sheltered by fabric. Did this new covering have to do with her married state? Of course that might not last long considering he’d failed.

  Noah leaped to his feet and fixed Prince Rasoul with determination. “Get out!” he gritted out through clenched teeth. “You have no right here. Your King would agree since it is he whom Jasmine has confided in.” He prayed he was right in that this man could not act without the Djinn King’s approval. Of course, he had no way of knowing if the prince was in his rights already or not. “Get out immediately!” he repeated aggressively.

  Prince Rasoul laughed as he strode to the fireplace mantel and snatched Jasmine’s magic urn up into his hand. “Where is the stopper?” he demanded of her.

  Jasmine glared at him through narrowed eyes. “The urn and the stopper were lost. As you can see, I now have the urn but not the brass stopper.”

  The sneering prince redirected his unblinking gaze to Noah. He flung up his arm, pointed and bellowed in an accusing voice, “She lies for you. You have corrupted her. Return it at once!”

  “Never!” Noah growled, his voice cold and steady.

  Noah turned to meet Jasmine’s wide-eyed look, but there was no accusation in her eyes. He spoke to the invader while his gaze held his wife’s. “Yes, I have it, I hid it from her so she would know nothing of it. Now is not the time to discuss the why’s involved. Trust me, Jasmine,” he pleaded, “my reasons were selfish to be sure but I only—”

  “Enough, mortal. Where is it? Give it to me at once!” the dark prince demanded.

  Noah returned his focus to Prince Rasoul and gave him a look cold enough to crack ice before answering with an equally chilly, “No.”

  The prince screamed in his own tongue and immediately Noah felt a deep compulsion to reveal his secret. The turmoil in his brain shouted for release. But, he would not reveal anything! Noah began chanting, “No, no, no, no,” his voice overriding the true answer shouting for release by his brain.

  With a roar of displeasure at being thwarted, Prince Rasoul snarled, “No matter. Get you in!” He held the mouth of the urn toward Jasmine and issued what sounded like a command.

  A sucking void shrieked and screamed around them with a deafening roar that tore at his hair, at his clothes, at his heart. With horror, he saw that Jasmine was being slowly drawn in the direction of the urn, even as she tried to resist with upraised arms.

  He stretched out to stop the process but an unseen force kept him from moving close enough to reach her extended hand.

  “Jaaas…mine,” he cried on a long-drawn-out note, the force of the void sucking his words into the urn along with his beloved. “Take… my… hand.”

  Jasmine held both hands out, desperately trying to reach him but she was hampered by the suction created by the prince’s power. She was steadily being drawn into the urn, her long hair fluttering at the mouth of the vessel, dragging her head towards the doom of entering what had once been a safe haven. It would become her prison unless he could somehow stop it.

  “Lord in Heaven! God, Allah! Help us!” Noah cried.

  Abruptly, something flew through the air and wrapped itself around Prince Rasoul’s upper body, obliterating his evil face. The man dropped Jasmine’s urn and clawed at the thing that suffocated him. It was Jasmine’s protective blanket. Noah stood transfixed, watching the scene before him.

  A soft cry of relief brought him out of his trance.

  Jerking his attention from the sight, Noah stepped forward and gained Jasmine’s hand, hauling her to him without restriction. There was no place for them to go, no place to hide, so he just enveloped her trembling body in his arms and watched the struggle he had precipitated going on in front of them.

  A thunderclap of sound caused them both to start. Before them appeared King Solomon, King of all Djinn. He took in the scene in a single sweeping glance, simultaneously calling upon his magical powers to divest Prince Rasoul of the attack by the blanket. “Enough of this!” he roared, aiming his assault at the hapless prince. “How dare thee interfere in this matter.”

  To his credit, Prince Rasoul was not easily deterred. “He failed,” he shrieked, pointing at Noah. “He did not grant the three wishes!”

  “What allows you to make this accusation?” the King demanded, folding his arms, obviously prepared to hear out the circumstances of the confrontation.

  “He forgot about the wishes. He was busy plea-sur-ing himself. I heard him say this!” The prince fixed Noah with a smug look of triumph.

  The King turned towards Noah and Jasmine, one eyebrow appearing to be upraised in question—at least it looked like an upraised eyebrow for that was the only thing Noah could see in the shadow of the hooded shroud. It was not a friendly query for that single eyebrow lent an ominous authority to the King’s countenance.

  Noah felt gut-punched once more, the air driven out of his lungs. His voice came out in a miserable whisper. “He is correct. I regret that I did not complete the granting of the wishes. God help me,” he cried, “I have failed.”

  A sigh of despair echoed in the room. Noah identified it as having come from the walls themselves. Even they were disappointed in him.

  “Quiet!” the King ordered and the moaning ceased immediately. “Princess Jasmine, speak!” His voice was less ferocious this time.

  * * *

  Jasmine leveled her chin and pulled out of Noah’s embrace, having gathered her strength so that she stood tall and righteous. “They would both be wrong, Your Majesty.”

  Twin gasps came from Noah and Prince Rasoul.

  She directed her words to Noah, in a firm, clear voice. “You gave me everything, Noah, all of my wishes.”

  He was still slack-jawed but quickly remedied that. “But how… what? I know you couldn’t tell me when, if—”

  “I wished to be really and truly wanted and loved for myself, not for the things I can do. That is enough—three times over and more, you have proved that.”

  Noah reached an arm around her torso, unable to do more than utter a single word. “Yes.” He cupped one side of her face and dropped a kiss on her upturned lips.

  The King cleared his throat loudly but Noah didn’t let the royal presence end his embrace before he was ready. When he lifted his lips he said, “Even before this all began, Jasmine, it was my wish to give you something exceptional, a wish only I, a mere mortal, could grant you, something wonderful, something you’d cherish. But I was running out of time.”

  “That is why you kept my brass stopper?”

  Noah nodded and brushed her cheek ever so gently, tenderly, with the backs of his fingers. “I just wanted to detain you a little longer. I planned to give it back, later, is all. This poor smitten mortal only wanted a little more time.”

  “I know, Noah.”

  He tilted his head in question of that statement, but his specula
tion was cut off by another voice.

  “Such irrelevant confession has no value,” the prince sneered, his claw-like hand reaching for Jasmine’s arm once more.

  “Silence!” the King roared, causing the dark prince to snatch it back.

  Into the ensuing quiet, Noah dared to direct another question, his gaze never leaving hers. “But what was it you wished for, that I unknowingly have given you?”

  “I want your baby, Noah. I want to have your child with me to remind me of you always.”

  Noah’s jaw dropped once more, but this time he rallied faster in his fight for her. “You can’t know that a child would result from tonight. Chances of you becoming pregnant after just once… Well, it doesn’t always happen, Jasmine.”

  Jasmine’s heart plummeted at his words. She had been so sure…

  Noah ran his hand up and down her arm, clearly in distress as he said, “I’m sorry but we can’t really prove that one right away and unless your King will wait…”

  “King Solomon,” Jasmine murmured, crossing her fingers, though such superstition was only a mortal one. She kept her head high, hoping the King would honor her confidence.

  “Noah has come up with a solution. We must wait—”

  The prince snorted. “How dare you dictate to our highest authority in such manner.” He turned to address the Djinni King. “I can assure you, your Highness, that the rest of my harem will subdue her in short order. No lowly princess—”

  “If he is truly your life mate, the Spell of Infertility will have been broken,” the King cut in with authority. “Children are few and must carry superior genes, especially where mortal interaction is involved.”