“Mari, tell me. You know I will just ask the other waitress, Sara is it? It’s cake, how bad can it be when it tastes this good? Do you make it with strange ingredients?” He took another bite, savoring the taste. Mari mumbled, and he was only able to catch the last word. Ki was more confused than ever. “What did you say?”
Mari refused to meet his eyes, but determined to get it out as quickly as possible, she practically yelled, “Better than sex!” She slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes large with disbelief that she had screamed that for all to hear. With her face blazing red, she refused to meet his eyes and, with a much quieter voice, she tried again. “The name of the cake is Better. Than. Sex.”
Stunned for a moment, trying to process her words, Ki leaned back and laughed out loud at the cute, adorable, and clearly innocent woman before him. “Oh Mari, it certainly is not. And I am sure especially not with you.”
Ki would love to see his mothers and father’s reaction to this unique woman. King Mikal SuMartra had issued a demand for an heir, a demand that Ki was finding harder and harder to ignore. Women his father deemed worthy of producing his heir kept finding their way into his presence. Of course, his mother had a big part in his father’s demand. She thought it was past time for him to settle down and stop “playing the field.” Seeing his picture splashed across publications with a different blonde each week was certainly not helping. And that was all it had been, just pictures. None of the women he had been photographed with held any interest for him. While he had not been celibate, he had always been very selective in his partners. He never promised anything more than a night of pleasure.
This brought his thoughts and eyes back to one particular harem girl. He noticed his bodyguards pointing to their watches. Ki glanced at his and sighed. Four hours had passed since he entered Obie’s. Four hours to know that his life was getting ready to change dramatically.
“Come with me,” Ki couldn’t imagine leaving here without Mari, or waking up tomorrow morning and not seeing her smiling face.
“Excuse me?” Mari’s head jerked up just as she took a bite of cake. Frosting slid across her cheek and the tines of the fork jabbed her lip. “Ouch! Did you just ask me to come with you? Go with you where?”
“I know this is sudden, but come with me to Washington.” Ki reached over and thumbed the frosting from Mari’s cheek and placed it between his teeth, sucking his thumb clean. “You need to be careful. Those lips should be kissed not jabbed with a fork.”
Mari’s eyes never once left his thumb. Heat radiated from her core straight to her blazing face as she pictured Ki leaning in and kissing her lips, his tongue licking across her lips just as he licked the frosting from his thumb. Her nipples hardened and heat rushed through her. Shifting nervously in her seat, she tried to find relief. Never had she wanted to crawl into someone’s lap so badly and be wrapped in their arms. Tearing her gaze away from his thumb, Mari looked into his eyes. She was panicked by the force he obviously had over her body. Mari knew about sex…in theory but the new feelings she was experiencing in her body since meeting Ki frighten her. What frightened her even more was not finding out what it could lead to.
Chapter Four
“Why… I mean, why would you want me to come with you?” Confusion filled her eyes as she looked into his face. Never once had Mari felt any regret for the detour her life had taken. She had never allowed herself to play the “what if” game. What if she had a father instead of a sperm donor? What if her mom had found the cancer sooner? What if she had gone to college and had a career? What if she had time for a life other that working all the time to make ends meet? Those “what ifs” were not productive and, therefore, not part of what she was willing to spend any time dwelling on. Just once, Mari’s wished she had the option to find out where these feelings would lead with Ki.
“I find you fascinating Mari, and I want to get to know you better. We are going to be lovers.” Mari’s eyes blazed with interest before turning cautious. Perhaps he should not have moved so fast. It was obvious to him that Mari had little experience with men. Ki had never known a woman like Mari, pure and innocent, putting others before herself. Well, except for his mother.
If he was smart, he would get up, walk out the door, and never look back, knowing how his life would change this small perfect woman’s world. But his selfish body was telling another story. His body was demanding that he have her. Almost from the moment he saw her, he knew she would be his. After talking with her all evening, he had become certain of one thing, she would be his.
“Mari, I know you feel this attraction between us. You do feel it, right? Your breasts are peaked with desire wanting my hands and lips upon them. Your face is flushed with desire, and your breathing is fast. Your lips are parted and swollen needing my kisses to calm them. Do not deny us the chance to find fulfillment with each other. Come with me.”
Breaking the trance his words placed her in, Mari looked out the window to keep from looking into his eyes, eyes that saw entirely too much. “I don’t know what you expect from me. I will admit that I don’t know why I am feeling these things. Maybe I’m getting sick,” Mari wiped away a tear hoping he didn’t notice and took a deep breath, strengthening her resolve. She hated crying, but what he made her feel frightened her because she wanted it too.
“All I know is that my sister graduates tomorrow, and I will be sitting in the front row cheering her on. Next week I’m taking her to Western to begin the next chapter in her life, a life that I have been solely focused on giving her for the past six years.” Sitting up straight, she took a deep breath before continuing, “So my answer is no. I can’t go with you.” Seeing the regret in her eyes gave Ki hope.
“You said can’t. That means you want to,” Ki was determined not to give up. “I understand you wish to be there for your sister tomorrow. I will complete my business in two weeks. I will return here then, and I will ask you the same question.”
“This is crazy. I don’t know you!” Ki watched as emotions washed across her face, “I am not going to run away with a man I just met. This is crazy on a new level! I have to work. I never take off. Time off means no tips. I have never even been on a vacation. You have no right to come in here and make me want things that I never even knew I wanted and that I can never have!”
Running his hand through his hair in frustration, he tried to come up with a way to calm her and convince her to come with him. He was not giving up, “We have two weeks to learn about each other. Give me your cellphone number. I will change your mind. I always get what I want, and I want you Mari,” Ki reached into his pocket and removed his cellphone to enter Mari’s number.
“Sorry, no cellphone here, and I don’t have a computer at home either.” Mari really hated to admit to him that she didn’t have a cellphone, but when it came down to a phone or food and clothes, there was no choice. Why couldn’t he see that she was not from his world? He lived in a world of haves, and she lived in a world of have not’s where she was always crossing her fingers just to get by until her next paycheck.
“I will have one delivered to you in the morning.” Standing up, Ki nodded to his bodyguard who instantly placed money on the table. Taking her hand, he pulled her up from the seat, “Walk me to the car.”
“There you go again. Do you ever ask for anything?” Standing, Mari shook her head emphatically. “No, you will not have a phone delivered to me. I don’t know how many times I have to tell you this. I can’t afford a cellphone or the monthly payments. Before you say it, I will not let you pay for it.”
So, his little harem girl had a temper. He was charmed by the fire in her eyes and proud slant of her chin. “Please walk with me to the car, little warrior. I must be on my way.” Walking past his bodyguards, Ki spoke to them in a language Mari didn’t recognize. A phone appeared from the bodyguard closest to Mari, and he presented it to her. “Please take Ahlem’s phone. When I come back, you may return it to him. I believe it is called a loan.”
; “A loaner… it’s called a loaner.” As wrong as Mari knew it was, she did want to talk to him again. It was probably a business phone. She could borrow a business phone. Plus, that would mean she would have to see him again to return the phone.
“Ok, thanks Ahlem for the loan of your phone. I will take very good care of it.” Ahlem nodded at Mari and got into the limo. Looking up at Ki, Mari was lost once again in his smile. When he took her hand, it just felt right. But looking at their two hands, Mari was reminded once again of how different they were. Even his nails were trimmed and buffed. Mari’s hands were chapped and dry, and the few nails that weren’t bitten to the quick were chipped. Why would his hand want to hold a hand like hers? He was probably used to women that spent a fortune on themselves. Mari realized that she was probably a novelty to Ki. A working class woman was just a challenge to him. That’s all this could be. Right?
“Ki, I don’t think I’m a casual fling type of girl, if that’s what you are expecting. I don’t understand why I am feeling the things that I do. I don’t have experience with any of this. I need to understand what you expect from me.” Staring down at her feet, Mari made herself look anywhere but into his eyes, embarrassed that she admitted her insecurities to him.
What Ki was thinking was probably better left unsaid at the moment. As sure as he was about his next breath, Ki knew that this woman had secured a place in his heart and life. To honestly admit to him her innocence and fear only made him want to possess her all the more.
Finally, daring to look into his eyes, Mari was unsure of the emotion she saw. “Mari, what I think is that I stumbled upon a jewel in a most unexpected place, and I want the chance to get to know you. What we are feeling for each other is special and deserves to be explored. That feeling is your body is telling you that you want this also.”
Chapter Five
Stopping beside the limo, Ki wrapped Mari in a hug knowing he must slow things down. “Thank you for a most intriguing meal and lovely dining companion. Here is what we will do. We will take this slowly and talk on the phone as much as our schedules will allow, getting to know each other.”
Tucking her head under his chin, Mari inhaled the musky scent of him that she was getting to know so well, driving her senses to a fever pitch. “Mari, look at me.” Slowly she raised her head and looked into his intense eyes. “I will be back in 2 weeks and I will ask you the same question. Your sister will have graduated, and you will have delivered her to college. You said yourself you have not had a vacation. Give us a few weeks to discover each other. Don’t disappoint us both by not having the correct answer.”
He lowered his lips to within a breath of hers, “Say yes Mari, say yes.” His tongue glided smoothly over her lips before pressing his lips to her’s, sealing Mari’s fate. Mari knew without a doubt that this man was supposed to be in her life. All other thoughts disappeared from her brain as Ki deepened the kiss. Dazed by the force of his kiss, Mari had an overwhelming desire to press her body as closely as she could to his. Feeling his need hard against her stomach only deepened her desire. His scent surrounded her as she breathed him into her body.
Breaking the kiss, both were left shaken and breathless. Mari could see that he was just as stunned. Without another word, Ki slowly pulled away from her, entered the limo, and drove away, never breaking eye contact.
Mari stood there confused and alone as she watched him drive out of her life just as quickly as he drove into it. She thought that maybe he was taking a little piece of her heart with him. Turning, she slowly made her way back inside on wobbly legs. Ahlem’s phone vibrated in her hand. She looked down and read.
Kiliad – I didn’t want to leave you.
Mari ran inside quickly, “Sara, Sara…how do I answer this?” Sara came from the back room and showed Mari how to answer a text.
Mari – I didn’t want you to leave.
Kiliad – What time do you get off?
Mari – Soon.
Kiliad – Drive home safely.
Mari – I will. It is a good night for biking.
The phone rang and a screen popped up, slide to answer. Sliding the arrow Mari put the phone to her ear, “Hello?”
She heard Ki’s concerned voice, “Mari, are you telling me you ride a motorcycle? Because, if you do, that is just not going to work for me.”
Laughing, Mari couldn’t believe he had feelings one way or another about her choice of transportation, “No, not a motorcycle. It’s a bicycle.” Mari didn’t want to admit to him that she had to sell their car. It hadn’t been a new car, but she couldn’t make the payments on it, and they needed the money.
Ki didn’t like what he heard. She thought it made it better that she rode bicycle instead of a motorcycle? “Mari it is dark outside. It is not safe for you to be riding a bicycle on the road after dark.”
“Ki, it is sweet of you to be concerned, but I have been riding my bike for a long time now. I will admit that it isn’t safe to be riding after dark, but it is only a short ride. I don’t usually work this late, but the party was overtime.”
“What do you do in bad weather?” Mari wasn’t sure she liked his possessive tone.
“Ki, I’m hanging up now. Bye” The only problem was she had no idea how to hang up.
Ki heard her calling for help. “Sara, how do I hang this thing up?” Ki chuckled to himself when she finally disconnected. No, riding a bike would not do at all.
Mari dragged herself home from work that night. Ella had already gone to bed. Even as tired as she was, she kept reliving her time with Ki. After checking her borrowed cell to make sure she had not missed anything, she threw her dirty clothes in the hamper and jumped into the shower to wash away the food smells that always seemed to penetrate her skin. As the warm water cascaded over her body, she imagined Ki’s hands doing the same. Was that what his hands would feel like on her body? Shaking her head, she tried to stop herself from thinking about him. She finished her shower and got ready for bed. As she was sliding between the sheets, she heard a text come in. She grabbed the phone excited to see what Ki would say.
Ki – Are you home now?
Mari’s heart quickened when she read his text, she smiled and quickly sent a text back.
Mari – Safe and sound and all tucked in bed. U?
Why did she have to tell me she was in bed? Thinking about her all warm and cozy in bed, Ki knew a very cold shower was in his future.
Ki – Just getting in to DC. Checking into the hotel now.
Mari – That sounds very exciting.
Ki – I suppose it is, but I would rather be there with you.
“Oh, how sweet.” Mari couldn’t stop the flutters in her stomach. Was that what it felt like to be attracted to a man? Maybe she was not getting sick, but whatever this was, Mari didn’t think had a possible cure.
Ki – Can I call you when I get to my room?
Mari – Sure.
Mari lay in bed with the phone in her hand. Her exhaustion from before was forgotten, replaced with the excitement of talking again with Ki. Mari answered on the first ring.
“Hey,” Mari hoped that didn’t sound too anxious.
Ki closed his eyes and leaned back against the headboard. He was calmer now that he heard her voice. “I had to hear your voice to prove to myself I didn’t dream you.”
“I feel the same way. Ki, what is happening?”
Ki must go slowly and give Mari time to adjust, “Nothing more than getting to know each other, for now.”
Mari snuggled down in her covers with a dreamy smile on her face, “Tell me about your family.”
“Well I have three brothers. I’m the oldest. Zahir is next in line. He…is in the military. Taj is in government relations work, and Siran is still in college and getting into mischief as often as he can.” Ki was still not ready to tell Mari the truth about his family. To tell her now would only scare her more, and she would have one more thing to use as a barrier to their relationship.
Mari could only imag
ine what it would have been like to have a support system like that growing up. “Do you all live close together?”
“Yes, we do. I am afraid we were quite a handful to our parents growing up.” Ki picked up on the sadness in her voice.
Mari wiped a tear away, “That sounds amazing, to grow up in a house with parents and brothers.”
“Mari, are you crying? I didn’t mean to make you sad.” He didn’t want her to be sad.
“I’m not sad Ki. I was just thinking about how blessed you are to have so many in your family that love and support you. What about your parents, are they still living?”
“Oh yes. My father runs everything with my mom by his side. They are just as in love today as they were when they married.”
“That sounds like a fairytale.” Mari tried to hold a yawn in but just couldn’t.
“Mari, what are you wearing?” That question had been running through his head since he found out she was in bed. There was absolutely no way he couldn’t have asked her. Hearing her gasp, he chastised himself for pushing.
Mari looked down at the old T-shirt she had on with her white cotton panties. She closed her eyes, “Just a T-shirt and underwear. Sorry, I know that’s not very pretty. I got the T-shirt in high school. I really should throw it away. It doesn’t fit anymore.”
The vision of Mari in a too tight T-shirt was more that his imagination could handle. “You need your rest now. We will talk again tomorrow.”
“Yes, please. Goodnight.” Mari no sooner hung up before a text message rang in.
Ki – Dream of me.
Biting her lips trying to come up with something witty to say back, Mari decided to just be honest in her reply.
Mari – Constantly.
Pinching the bridge of his nose at her reply, he tossed his phone on the bed. Ki stripped on his way to the shower-a very cold, long shower.
Chapter Six
Mari tossed and turned until the early morning hours Ki’s words and the memory of his kiss kept her awake. Her body began to warm and tingle as she remembered the way his lips felt on hers, the way she wanted to press her body against his, feelings that she had no idea how to deal with. Finally, she gave up on getting any sleep, and started her baking for the day. At least she would be ahead of schedule and would be able to take extra time with Ella today. It had been just the two of them for so long now. How would she ever be able to adjust to being without her?
Sweet Surrender: Mari & Ki (A Royal Vow Novel Book 1) Page 3
