She whined, digging her fingers into his shoulders to catch his attention. He lifted his gaze up to her, his mouth still on her nipple, hand under her skirt. Though she pleaded at him with her eyes to give her what she wanted, he only narrowed his gaze, as if to say, no, I’m in control now.
Infuriating man.
He switched his attention to her other nipple, and finally, his fingers reached up higher. The rough pads of his thumb brushed against her slick lips, and she nearly wept. His mouth suckled deeper as a finger pressed against her sex, slipping in easily.
“Karim.”
Her eyes nearly rolled back into their sockets as his thumb found her clit. Pleasure shot from her hardened nub, up her spine, and all the way to her brain. She couldn’t think of anything else except chasing that exquisite feeling. Her hips arched, wanting more. So much more.
Her body tightened, then exploded as her orgasm washed over her. Karim bit her nipple gently, sending her reeling again into another crest. It was too much, and she scratched her nails down his arms, marking him.
“My she-wolf does have claws,” he said as he popped her nipple out of his mouth.
The possessive words and his gaze made the fire burn in her. She wanted him so much. That greedy side of her wanted everything. “I’ll show you claws.” Hooking her leg around him, she used his weight to flip him over so that she was now on top.
“Now, this is interesting.” He stretched his arms over his head, then clasped his hands behind his head. A lazy smile curled up his lips. “Go on then.”
Oh yes, she would go on. She quickly unbuttoned his tunic, exposing his muscled chest and all that glorious golden skin. Leaning down, she let her hair fall over him, and she relished the stifled groan he bit out. They had only been lovers for a short time, but she had come to know his body and his likes and dislikes. Not that he had many dislikes. It seemed as long as it involved any part of her body and his coming together, it was definitely a like.
She pressed a kiss to his throat and then made her way down. His skin tasted so masculine and warm, the muscles underneath hard and coiled with power. She grazed her teeth down across one pec, her tongue peeking out to lick at a nipple. His torso tensed, and a strangled groan escaped his mouth.
Oh, definitely a like.
She continued her exploration—or perhaps torture, if she were to ask Karim—lower still, her hands and mouth roaming over those hard eight-pack abs. Her fingers made quick work of his pants, untying the belt that was only in her way. Pushing them down, she exposed the deep V-cuts of his hips—the Adonis belt—and sank her teeth into it.
He growled, but she wasn’t done yet. There was one more place to explore, after all.
She lowered his pants, exposing his erect cock. Despite her inexperience, she knew he was magnificent. The shaft was thick and heavy, and the bulbous head already had a pearl of moisture. She licked her lips as she looked up at him.
“Desiree …” he said in a warning tone.
Yes, they’d done so much … but she had yet to do this. Her fingers grasped the base of his shaft, and he tensed.
Slowly, she stroked him, just the way he liked it, with a strong grip and steady motion. He was biting his lip, staring down at her with those cerulean blue eyes glinting like sapphires, but didn’t make a sound, until she lowered her head and engulfed the head of his cock with her mouth. He let out a strangled cry, and his fingers dug into her hair, kneading into her scalp.
Oh, he tasted … interesting. Her tongue licked at the underside of his shaft, as her lips tightened around him. She looked up at him again, and seeing him practically losing his mind, knowing she had this much power over him, made her bolder. She moved lower still, taking more of him inside her mouth.
“Desiree.” The tug at her scalp was not so gentle. “Habibti, I cannot …”
She let go. As much as she wanted to continue, the ache between her thighs wasn’t going to go away until he was inside her. But she wasn’t done yet.
“I want you.” She stood up, and pushed the rest of the dress off, shucking it aside.
“Then take me.”
The words made her shiver, almost scaring her. But she found her courage and knelt down over him, her knees on either side of his. She wrapped her hand around his cock again, pointing the mushroomed tip at her entrance.
“Desiree … Desiree …” he repeated as she sank down on him. She was already so wet, it was easy enough to slide all the way down, seating him in her.
God, she never felt so full as when he was inside her. It still took her a while to stretch around him. When she finally did feel comfortable, she braced her hands on his abs and began to rock back and forth. She angled her hips so that his pelvis hit her just right, the friction making her tense and wanting more.
Her pace quickened, her hips pistoning against him in a mad rhythm. Oh, so close … almost. Karim was grunting through gritted teeth, and his hands reached up to grab at her breasts. When his fingers pinched her nipples, her orgasm ripped through her in a violent wave.
She was barely coming down when he sat up and flipped her over so she was on her back, never leaving her. He hauled her up against a cushion and began to pound mercilessly into her.
“Karim!”
Lights burst across her vision. Exploding into a dazzling, illuminating display. The fireworks had begun, and she cried out as her own body burst apart in orgasm. Tears pricked at her eyes, the sweetness and joy of the moment mixed with bitterness as she tried to capture that feeling, that moment and tuck it away deep in her memories. Yes, this moment would have to be enough.
Karim whispered things in her ear, words she couldn’t understand in that low, guttural tone of his native language. Then his words turned into a roar as his movements became jerky and irregular.
His hands gripped her ass so tight they would surely bruise. His mouth clamped down on her neck, his teeth biting into her soft flesh so hard they would leave his brand. His body shuddered, and he thrust into her one last time, his cock twitching in her as she felt his warm seed gush into her, marking her on the inside.
And that’s how she felt. Bruised. Branded. Marked.
She shut her eyes tight, trying to swallow down the burning sensation in her throat. When she could finally breathe again, she opened her eyes. It felt like time had stopped, but she knew that wasn’t true because the fireworks continued lighting up the sky, a brilliant, blinding show that did nothing to fill the darkness creeping inside her.
Karim rolled away from her, heaving as he lay on his back. He reached for her, as he always did, and gathered her to his side.
They lay in silence, watching the stunning display before them. It was beautiful, but each burst of light seemed to count down her limited time here. Soon, she would be putting this place behind her. Putting Karim behind her.
“Do you still have to fly tonight?”
“Yes, I do. Until the Easifat completely fades.” He kissed her temple. “But do not worry, we have time enough.”
And for just that moment, she chose to believe his words.
Chapter Fourteen
Time was running out.
Karim could feel the Easifat fading down to his bones. In the past, he didn’t feel it as keenly as he did now. Maybe it was because now he was the bearer of The Great One, he was much more connected to the magic in the sandstorms.
Or maybe it was because as the Easifat wound down, so did his time with Desiree. Slipping through his fingers like grains of sand.
“You should get some sleep.”
Her soft, warm body was curled up against his side, an arm thrown over his chest. They had just finished another vigorous lovemaking session. He thought he would surely get enough of her by now, but his desire only seemed to grow stronger. As soon as he came back from his flight this morning, he woke her up. He wanted to see her wrapped in jewels and gold, and so he took every piece of jewelry he had given her and placed it on her, then made love to her, the precious metals and jew
els on her bare skin only fueling his lust. As they lay together in the afterglow, he couldn’t bring himself to sleep, knowing that when he woke up, it would be another day closer to her departure.
“Karim?”
“I’ll be all right; I don’t really need much rest.”
She sighed against him. “I guess that means I won’t be getting any sleep either. I think we should do something more productive.” Her fingers drummed across his collarbone.
“Oh?”
It still surprised him, on many levels, how passionate she was. Her enthusiasm more than made up for inexperience, and if he were honest, he enjoyed teaching her and seeing her reactions knowing that no one else had made her feel that way.
“Yes,” she said. “Like breakfast.”
“I see. So, I guess that means you don’t have any other needs to be satisfied.”
“I wouldn’t say that …” Her fingernails raked down his chest, the motion sending blood all the way down to his cock. “Maybe after we eat …”
He reached for her, but she rolled away from him. Not that he minded much, because then he could admire her shapely form as she stood up. He had explored every inch of her body by now, but still, the sight of her naked skin and curves made his desire surge. The memory of last night had been burned in his mind, and he knew he would never forget it. Her full breasts bouncing as she rode him. Her sweet mouth around his cock. And the tightness of her as she clasped around him. For as long as he lived, he would never find anyone like her again.
Mine. Ours. Mate.
The voice of The Great One rang clear in his mind.
His father never told him that The Great One spoke to him. What did this mean? Was it the next evolution in his transformation as the bearer?
And theirs? What was theirs? And …
Mate. Keep.
No!
The Great One rumbled in displeasure.
No, he hissed again.
Keep Desiree? Was the damned thing mad? Didn’t it know what happened to his mother? How unhappy she was? No, he wasn’t going to let that happen to her. If only there was another way.
“Karim?”
Her soft voice cut into his argument with his animal. He saw that she was sitting at the dresser, taking off the jewelry he had adorned her with. He wasn’t sure why, but seeing her bedecked in gold, silver, and jewels pleased him and The Great One so much. It was like a way to mark her, and make her his. And now she was removing them from her body, one by one. He did not like that one bit.
“Why are you taking those off?”
“Hmmm?” she hummed absently as she unclipped the earrings and placed them on the table. “I can’t wear these all the time.”
“And why not?”
“Don’t be silly, Karim.” She combed her fingers through her hair, as if trying to put some semblance to her mussed locks. “They’re heavy, and I’m just sitting in here the whole day. Besides, Amaya or Zafirah might notice them. I don’t want any questions, and I don’t want your aunt thinking I’m stealing from the treasury or something.”
His fists curled around the sheet at his hips. “And why would she think that?”
She motioned to the pile of jewelry. “Because where else would you get these?”
“I bought them. For you. We do have stores in Zhobghadi.”
Her hands stilled, caught in the tangles of her hair. “You … bought them?”
“Of course.” He rose up from the bed and began to walk toward her. “You think I would give you something that others had worn? No, I would not do that.”
“But … but why?”
He stood behind her, meeting her gaze in the mirror. “Because I enjoy it. Because I like seeing you adorned in jewels. Because you deserve it. Because they belong to you.” And I gave them to you. His fingers brushed aside her hair and caressed the simple chain around her neck, the only piece she didn’t take off. In fact, he couldn’t recall if she ever did, as he loved to see it glint between her naked breasts when he was making love to her.
Her pulse jumped in her throat. “Karim, you can’t mean for me to keep all these once I … once I …”
Emotions swirled inside him at the way her voice trailed off. She couldn’t say it either. “Of course you will keep them all.” He leaned down to press a kiss to her shoulder.
“It’s too much, Karim. All of these … it must have cost you thousands of dollars!”
“The cost means nothing to me.” As he tried to kiss her further up, she brushed past him and grabbed the robe hanging from one of the bedposts.
“Still,” she said as she wrapped the robe around herself. “I can’t keep it. It’s not right.”
“Yes, it is.” The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them. But they felt right.
She let out a sigh, and her shoulders dropped. “Karim, we need to talk about this. The Easifat is over, and it’s time for me to leave.”
No! The Great One screeched in his head. Ours. They are ours.
There had to be a way. A way for her to stay, but not be corrupted and burdened with the heavy responsibilities of the throne. “What if you didn’t have to go?”
“Are you joking?” Her grip tightened on the sash of the robe. “You’re going to keep me here like a prisoner?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Live here with me. Stay in the palace.”
“As what?”
“Whatever you want. I can employ you as Amaya’s tutor. You can even start your own school. Dig holes in the desert, I don’t care. As long as you are with me. I promise, I will take care of you.”
Her face was still for a moment, before twisting into … anger? “Stay with you? And then what?”
“What do you mean?”
“And then what happens after? What if we decide that we aren’t compatible or that we’re not happy with this little ‘arrangement’ and want to part ways? I can’t just jump back into my career, you know.”
His first impulse was to tell her that he would never make her unhappy and want to leave him. As long as she didn’t have the burden his mother did, it would never happen. “I will not abandon you. I will provide for you no matter what.”
“Oh my God!” She threw her hands up. “Are you seriously saying this? You want me to stay here, make up some official position so I can be on the payroll, and then dismiss me with a pension when you’re done with me.?”
Anger burned through him. “I would never—”
“You want me to be your mistress, is that it?”
“That’s not what I meant—”
“Really? What did you mean, Your Highness? Because that’s exactly what it sounds like.” Her nostrils flared. “Besides, you’re going to be king. You know what that entails, right? You need to produce heirs.”
What in the name of An had happened in the last five minutes? He had been so elated once he realized there was a way she could stay and that she would be safe from his mother’s fate, but then she spurned him? What was the matter with her? Talking about dismissing her and being done with her and him producing heirs. Unless …
“Surely you don’t think you could be queen?”
Her face faltered. It was just for a moment, but Karim saw it. And if he had any sense, any pity in him, he would have stopped there. But he was so livid at her rejection that he continued.
“It must be so tempting for you,” he sneered. “You think it is all glamour? Do you even have any idea what this life is like?” He scrubbed his hand down his face. “To be forever owned by the people and never yourself? To have to keep up a perfect facade, keeping your emotions in check all the time, never showing anger or sorrow or weakness? To be burdened with responsibility, and to always have to put yourself and your family last? To be consumed by loneliness, devoured by it that you would do anything to escape?”
His mother’s dress whipping in the wind …
Her slender frame swaying as she stood on the bannister.
&
nbsp; Mum … Mum … please.
Begging her silently. Wishing that he could be enough of a reason to stay alive.
He tipped her chin up with a finger. “Tell me, is that what you want, Desiree?”
Desiree’s lips trembled, but she remained stiff, her spine straight, and her head held high.
“It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can have riches beyond your wildest dreams without any responsibilities. I can erase your debts, your worries.”
She winced and turned away. “You don’t know anything about me.”
But he could already guess what her life was like, seen her clothes when she got here. Like most Americans, she was probably drowning in student loans. That, and combined with the fact that educators were the worst-paid professionals in the world, she probably had to watch every penny she spent. “Do you want to be struggling your entire life, teaching ungrateful, spoiled students for a chance at tenure, when I can make you more than comfortable for your entire life? I can fund any expedition or dig you want; you’d never have to beg for grants again.” His thumb brushed her jaw. “I can give you anything.” But don’t ask me to make you my queen.
She slapped his hand away. “How dare you! Are you trying to buy me? You think … you think I would exchange m-myself for money? For security?”
Gods above and below, he was making a mess of things. “This is not what—”
“Let me tell you something, Your Highness!” She marched toward him, with all the flame and fury of Gerra. “I would rather struggle my entire life doing something that gave my existence meaning than to accept your offer of ‘security.’ Because being beholden to you would never bring me security.”
Her rejection stung deep, slicing into him like a dull sword. Maybe she was holding out. Playing the long game. Hoping she would get the bigger prize, push for more. So he upped the stakes. “I could give you the world on a silver platter.”
Daughter of the Dragon Page 14
