Iliana’s spread included a vegetarian manakeesh flatbread topped with cheese and herbs, grilled halloumi cheese, and a super fresh tabbouleh. The four of them ate in alternating silence and exclamations of enjoyment. The food was excellent. Yonas savored each bite in a way he wasn’t accustomed to.
At the end of dinner, Maia clapped her hands together, smiling down at Julian.
“Time for a bath and bedtime stories,” she said in a singsong voice. Julian hopped around in reaction to the idea, flapping his wrists.
“Can Yonas come?”
Maia’s gaze moved to meet his. He answered automatically. “Of course, buddy.”
Yonas helped clear the dinner table before the three of them crammed into the small bathroom, where Maia had drawn a bath for Julian.
“He’s your best friend since the zoo,” she said in a low voice.
Julian slunk into the lukewarm, soapy water, organizing a whole bevy of toys in the tub. “This one’s for Yonas,” he declared, sending a small boat into the far end of the bathtub, followed by a series of alphabet letters. “These ones, too.”
Yonas grinned, collecting his new gifts. Maia took her time in bathing Julian, sitting back to watch as he and Yonas played and interacted throughout. At one point, the splashing got so bad that Yonas’s whole shirt got drenched.
“This is probably why we don’t often invite people into bath time,” Maia remarked dryly. She got Julian washed up, then helped him step out of the tub into a towel. Yonas waited for her in the living room while she got Julian into bed, taking his time to look at the decorations of the house. Maia came out a few moments later, smirking.
“My son won’t go to bed until you come tell him goodnight,” she said.
Yonas couldn’t fight the grin. “I can oblige.” He followed Maia into the dark bedroom, where Julian was tucked under a thin blue sheet. He popped up to sitting when Yonas came into the room.
“Yonas! Yonas!”
“Shhh, buddy.” Yonas tried to keep a quiet, calming voice as he sat on the edge of Julian’s bed. “It’s time for bed. You need to go to sleep, okay?”
“But I don’t want to,” Julian whined.
“If you go to sleep, I promise we’ll have another fun day tomorrow. Sound good?”
Julian nodded, folding his hands under the side of his head.
“Goodnight, buddy. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Yonas ruffled his hair, then stepped out of the bedroom. Maia shut the door softly behind her, her face creased with something he didn’t understand.
“You shouldn’t make promises to him like that,” she said in a low voice.
“What do you mean?”
She deflated a little, sending him a look that said, come on. “He’s three years old. He won’t forget you said that. And if you don’t show up tomorrow to make good on that promise, I’m gonna be the one that has to deal with it.”
“Maia.” Yonas took her hands in his, bringing them to his chest. “I fully intend to spend time with him tomorrow. And you, as a matter of fact. I’m still cooking up the details, but I promise it’ll be something wild and magnificent.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I have to work tomorrow.”
“Sure. Maybe a half day.”
She laughed a little. “You’re not big on work, are you?”
“I do my work in my own way.” He started a slow rock from side to side with her hands in his. “What do you say?”
“I took today off. I need to get some serious stuff done tomorrow if we’re going to take a half day. And that means you helping.”
Yonas grinned, nodding slowly. “Of course. I’m at your disposal.” He leaned closer to her, brushing his nose against hers. “Now where is your bedroom?”
10
Maia’s heart was stuttering when she shut the door behind her. Yonas already had those bedroom eyes, the type of smoke and sizzle that promised all the things she’d sworn to not want.
Yonas’s hands cupped her face, the warmth of his palms making her thighs clench. His face was inches from hers.
“Maia.”
She swallowed. “Yes?”
“I need to take my shirt off.” He stepped back slightly, showing the enormous wet spot he’d sustained during bath time with Julian. “Do you have someplace I can dry it?”
She smirked, running her fingers down the front of his lavender button-up. “You know, I never told you just how much I like this shirt on you.” She saw her hands unbutton his shirt as if it was somebody else’s. She couldn’t believe she was being this bold. Not when she knew, with every fiber of being, that Yonas was a bad idea. “You make the color work very well.”
Yonas’s gaze followed her hands as she popped open each button in turn. When his shirt hung open, a glimpse of the caramel terrain underneath made her breath hitch. He was pure abs and solid planes.
“So?” He wet his bottom lip.
She drew a fortifying breath, then slid his shirt over his back, down the length of each arm. She swallowed hard when the full scope of his torso was on display. He was hard-edged and dark, something grittier and more evocative than Adonis. Moisture surged in her panties as she tossed the shirt to the floor.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, suddenly remembering he wanted to dry the shirt, not leave it crumpled and ruined on her floor overnight. She bent to grab it, but Yonas grabbed her wrist. He shook his head.
“Leave it.” His fingers trailed up her arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
And then his lips were on hers, coaxing hungry, desperate kisses, so passionate that she was moaning without even meaning to. Yonas cupped the sides of her face, the small noises he made as he kissed her enough to make her beg. Beg for more. For every inch of this man. For every single thing he had to offer her.
Yonas’s hands were at her loose top, dancing at the hem, the warmth of his hands finally meeting the cool skin of her belly. She tightened beneath his touch, desperate for more. His fingers made trails along her waist, up the sides of her rib cage, dancing at the edge of her bra. She arched beneath him, inviting him closer.
He pressed his lips to hers again, a sloppy tongue kiss that sent her over the edge. She ripped back from him, tearing the shirt off over her head.
“I can’t take it,” she breathed.
He looked amused, maybe even surprised. “Too much?”
She shook her head. “Not enough.” She unhooked the front of her bra, and the thing sprang open, her heavy breasts spilling free. The dam had broken open; just a little from this man wouldn’t suffice. She needed all of him. Now.
Yonas’s eyes lit up, his hands immediately covering her breasts. He tweaked each nipple with his thumb in turn. Her head fell back against the door, making a loud thud.
“Is it okay with Iliana if I stay here tonight?” he murmured into her ear as he rolled her nipples between his fingers.
She whimpered, nodding. “I’m pretty sure you could move in and she wouldn’t say anything. She’s a big fan of the royal family.”
A sexy grin stretched across his face, and he hoisted her by the hips. She gasped, hooking her ankles behind him as he carried her to the bed. The small room was lit with just one amber sconce, casting a dreamy hue over the simple space. The bed creaked slightly once he lowered her. She grimaced.
“This will be like high school all over again,” she said. “Though maybe you never had a squeaky bed problem.”
Yonas laughed, sitting back as he unbuttoned his pants. He shoved them down, over the notable bulge. His dark boxers didn’t show nearly enough. She groped for him once he tossed his pants aside.
“Please,” she said, pulling him by the hips. He eased down between her legs, the hardness of his erection grazing the spot that was most eager. Her eyes fluttered shut.
“You’re so hungry,” he murmured, his lips appearing at her jawline. He left a damp trail, kissing his way to her lips, then down her neck.
She pinched her eyes shut. After over a year without a man, she was hungrier than she
could explain. But something about Yonas made her famished. His hands hooked the waistband of her leggings, tugging them down over her hips. Her breath hitched when his face found the front of her panties. He buried his nose there, nipping at her mound. Her eyes flew open, and she leaned up a little to watch.
His dark gaze held her captive, almost like asking permission before delving further. And then he took a big, soft bite of her pussy through her panties. She gasped; she hadn’t been expecting him to pay attention to that area. Somehow, the fact that he was both royalty and impossibly good-looking meant that his probable approach would be insert dick and done.
“I’m hungry too,” he said, tugging her leggings all the way down her legs. In the amber light, he looked like someone else—all those dark edges and hard lines playing with the shadows, bringing some other side of him out. Anticipation shivered through her as he tugged her panties down.
Yonas eased himself between her legs face-first, making it clear what he intended to do. Maia whimpered—she couldn’t believe it. Not only was he going to pay attention to her pussy, he was making it a priority. The first item on the to-do list. His palms slid up the tops of her thighs. She nearly melted into the bed.
“Feast away,” she gasped, digging her fingers into his shoulders. Her belly tensed as he rubbed his scruff against her inner thigh. It hurt a little, but in a good way.
Yonas dragged a finger up and down her lips, like testing the waters. Then he caught the tight bud of her clit between thumb and forefinger, pinching it just enough that she screamed. Maia clamped a hand over her mouth. Shit. Less than ten minutes in a room alone with this man and she was already waking up the whole house.
“That was easy,” Yonas mumbled from between her legs. She squeezed her thighs around his head like a rebuke but melted back into the bed when his lips met her pussy. He didn’t mess around. And thank God for it.
Yonas moaned softly as he pressed his tongue in a rhythmic pattern against her clit. A sigh escaped her, and her fingers found the top of his head, knotting into his thick hair. She could stay here forever. With his head buried between her legs.
“Mmmm,” he groaned. He took a soft bite of her pussy, which elicited a gasp. He looked up, his face shiny, grinning.
“You are delicious,” he said and then dove back in.
She laughed, but the sound faded quickly. He pushed a finger inside of her, then another, swirling them deep. Another moan, louder than she meant. She rolled her lips inward to stop the unintentional noises. But with Yonas between her legs, it might be impossible.
“God,” she breathed, the rest of her words dissipating as velvety lips took the bud of her clit. He licked and poked and prodded her, the massage with his mouth a dangerous combination with his thick fingers buried inside her and the heat of him consuming her, swallowing her whole.
“Ohhhh, Yonas,” she hissed, trying to keep her voice low. Warmth gathered low, sending fireworks down her legs. She was so close. She opened her mouth to warn him, but it was too late. Her orgasm ricocheted through her, through the room, turning her into a quivering, gooey mess.
She clamped her hand over her mouth, distantly aware of some feral-cat noises emanating from her as she came. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled through her. And Yonas didn’t let up, driving her higher and harder into bliss.
When she regained even an ounce of composure, Yonas was tugging her by the hips, flipping her onto her belly. He stood, shoving his briefs down. His cock sprang free, bobbing heavily in front of him, brown and straining and veiny. Her mouth parted as she looked over her shoulder at it.
“You’re huge,” she blurted.
A mischievous grin covered his face as he rummaged in the pocket of his jeans. “Mm-hmmm.”
A moment later he revealed a condom, tore it open with his teeth, and then rolled it over the monstrosity. She blinked a few times; he must have caught on to her hesitation because he said in a low voice, “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you.”
“I’m sure you’re practiced with the giant love wand,” she cracked, “but it’s been a while for me. So, you know…”
His jaw flexed, and he gave a short grunt of affirmation. “Oh yes. Understood.”
He wet his bottom lip as he lowered himself, nudging open her legs. He pressed his warm palms to the backs of her thighs and groaned softly.
“It’s been a while for me too,” he whispered, dragging the tip of his sheathed cock over the folds of her pussy. A shiver ran through her.
Just as she was about to joke about “a while” probably being akin to hours for him, he pressed the fat head of his cock inside her. All thoughts disappeared. His moan was gravelly, his eyes fluttering shut.
He muttered something in Arabic, then pressed himself deeper. She arched her back, legs sliding open further to give him better access. She fisted the comforter beneath her as he inched himself inside. His breath came out in labored puffs at the side of her head.
“Fuck,” he whispered. His chest was slick against her back. He rolled his hips, finding the last few inches of spaces. His breath came out shuddery, and then he pressed his lips to the top of her ear. “You feel amazing, Maia.”
There was sincerity in his voice, something that split her open. Whatever last vestige of concern or doubt she’d held onto dissolved in the wake of his words, and she turned herself over to him. Gave him every last inch of her.
She groaned into the comforter. “I need you to fuck me, Yonas.”
His hands gripped the tops of her hips. “That’s the plan.”
“Now.”
His cock sizzled inside her as he stilled. His chest heaved. “As you wish.”
He moved against her, sending a warm rush of anticipation through her. And then he drew back, slamming into her with conviction, with certainty, with every ounce of intensity that she was craving. She cried out, her voice muffled in the comforter. He drew back again and then slammed so deep, her entire body jolted forward.
Yonas gathered her into his arms, hoisting her by the hips so she was half-suspended in the air. She locked her ankles around his sides, bracing for another thrust. Her breasts jiggled as he drilled into her. The world was bright and white behind her eyelids, the entire landscape of her mind shrinking to silence.
It wasn’t long before the warning prickles of pleasure churned in her core. Yonas’s breath came out more and more ragged; just as she quivered on the brink of another orgasm, he pulled out of her and flipped her onto her back.
His sculpted body gleaned with sweat, the look on his face one of a man just a breath away from entirely unraveling. She gritted her teeth, grabbing for his slender hips.
“Yonas,” she gasped, his name a plea on her lips.
“I’m close,” he said, urgency in his voice. He slipped himself inside her again, his eyes fluttering shut. A long string of Arabic graced his lips. She didn’t need to know the language to know that it perfectly mirrored the emotion churning inside her. She clamped her legs around his torso, everything about this union hotter than hell. The laser focus of his gaze on her pussy as he fucked her. The slippery sheen coating his abs, the flat plane of his chest, the mounds of his biceps. The dark chest hair that tapered into a line that led straight to his glorious cock.
“Oh God,” she whispered, grasping for a hold on his muscled body but finding none. “I’m coming. I’m coming.”
The orgasm had been burbling in the background since the last one, but the change in position and the added friction against her clit sent her spiraling over the edge. She gritted her teeth, holding in the moan as he rocked into her, relentless and rhythmic. Warmth coated her, the sticky sweet waves of another climax, and a few moments later, Yonas’s belly was jerking and he doubled over, groaning into her hair.
After the pleasure subsided, he lay there for a bit, stroking the side of her head with his fingertips.
“Holy…” she began but couldn’t finish the thought. He laughed weakly, rolling onto his side.
“Exactly.”
Her eyes drifted shut, even though she wanted to stay awake and cuddle, to talk about what the hell they’d just shared, why on Earth that had felt so good. But tiredness swarmed her, and she fell fast asleep.
11
Maia slept hard until daybreak. When the sun had crept past the flimsy curtains of her bedroom, she roused…and then froze.
Yonas was wrapped around her, his heavy leg thrown over her hips. She blinked a few times, checking and then double checking.
Yep, this was real. She’d sexed herself into a coma, and now they had to face the music.
She tried to slip out from beneath his leg without waking him. Her heart thudded in her chest. Why had she slept with him? What if it got awkward? He was technically her employer, for god’s sake. What a stupid idea that had been.
Oh, but the orgasms…
She shivered once her feet touched the cool tile of the bedroom floor. It was hard to regret a single thing about last night. God, she’d needed that in a way she hadn’t entirely realized. Now, she was sated but still hungry. Hungry for lots more. Hungry for Yonas.
She looked back at him, his long, muscly frame sun-kissed in a shaft of morning light. His innocent face in the throes of sleep made something inside her melt. Of course he was a playboy. With looks like that; with a body like his; with moves like his. He could woo the pants off any woman and then screw her so good she never forgot about him.
But that won’t happen to you. She fumbled around in the small attached bathroom, splashing water on her face, combing her hair, trying her hardest to snap into some semblance of the put-together, professional woman she once believed herself to be. Not the sex-hungry orgasm slave she now suspected would inhabit her body from here on out.
Yonas groaned softly, the sheets rustling. She shut the door and peed, then washed up and grabbed for a towel. She wrapped it around her and headed out. Doubt swarmed her. God, this was going to be awkward. Why, why, why didn’t you put clothes on first?
Christmas with the Yared Sheikhs: The Complete Series Page 16
