by Diana Fraser
“And you know this for a fact, do you? You assume all the women you’ve slept with have been in raptures of pleasure.”
“Yes. Because, Ela, I’m not like other men. For me, there’s no more pleasure to be gained than in giving pleasure to a woman. I listen, you see. I find out what women like, and I make sure I give it to them.”
She really wished she’d hadn’t pushed it because each word he uttered was said in a tone which caressed her nerves, because each word he uttered spoke a truth she knew to be true, because each word he uttered bypassed her defenses and stroked her, deep inside, sending flutters of anticipation to places she’d always refused to think about. It seemed being seduced by Xander required no thinking whatsoever.
She pressed her cool glass to her cheek, which flushed with anticipation. “So…” She sucked in a breath that did nothing to calm her thudding heart. “Do all women like the same thing?”
“No, you’d be surprised.”
She was sure of it. “So, when does this seduction begin?”
“It’s already begun.” He took a sip of his wine. “Don’t underestimate the seductive power of words.
She couldn’t help wondering that if his words had this effect on her body, what state she’d be in when he touched her. Her blush deepened.
“But,” he continued, “we must also eat.” He gestured to the silver plates heaped with colorful appetizers of stuffed vegetables and spiced salads, and platters topped with elaborate silver cloches beneath which she could smell chicken and rice. “In the spirit of the caravanserai, I thought you might enjoy a traditional dinner. Please, help yourself. You must keep up your strength.”
She look up at him through lowered lashes. It seemed her seductive instincts were kicking in, too. “And why’s that?”
“Because, Ela, I don’t intend to stop at words tonight. And, eating is also part of the seduction.” He heaped some food on a spoon and offered it to her.
“Are you infantilizing me? Is that what seduction is?”
“Not at all. I can assure you that that is not the case. I am merely giving you something, and you are receiving it. Seduction 101.”
“Seduction 101,” she repeated. “And you think I’m learning from this?”
“No,” he said to her surprise. “I am.”
She should have resisted, she really should. But she found his reply as irresistible as his gaze and so she opened her mouth, the glossy red lipstick she’d previously applied now slightly smudged by the kiss.
His eyes narrowed. “Wider,” he said and, with only a moment’s hesitation she opened her mouth wider. “Good.” He slid the spoon onto her tongue and she closed her lips over it. It was her turn to witness how turned on he was. His lips opened as he gave a slight gasp. And, for the first time, she realized that she possessed a power of which she’d been completely unaware. She swallowed and slowly and deliberately licked her lips, watching him all the while. He sat back as if pushed.
“More,” she said, not adding any words of courtesy. She needed him to know that she, too, could demand.
He scooped up another small mouthful and slid it onto her tongue. This time she closed her lips around the spoon as it slowly slid out. She noted with satisfaction that his hand shook a little.
With careful deliberation he dragged the empty spoon along her lips, and she let him. When he withdrew she licked her lips and he placed the empty spoon onto the plate with a clatter, and sat back.
She crossed her arms and rested them on the table, aware that the sheer satin clinging to her curves dipped to reveal the top of her breasts. She leaned towards him, her eyes narrowed. “I want more.”
This time, he swept some food onto his finger, and extended it to her. She closed her mouth around his finger, her eyes so close to his that she could see they were dark with desire.
He shook his head with surprise as he watched her swallow.
“And what have you learned, Xander?
“Things I should have known already.”
She leaned forward and licked his finger clean. “Like what?”
“That you are demanding, that you want control.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And you will give it to me?”
“Of course not. You will have to work for it.”
“And how do you propose I do that?”
“If you’ve finished eating, I suggest we adjourn to another, more suitable room.”
She rose first. Food was the last thing on her mind now. “Suitable? For what?”
He held out his hand and she took it. He leaned and whispered in her ear. “For me to give you pleasure like you’ve never experienced before.”
A bubble of desire burst inside her and she was shocked to find herself wet. She felt swollen and needy in the place which she’d vowed no man would ever know. But that was before she’d met Xander, before she’d put her trust so completely in him.
He squeezed her hand as if sensing her surprise. Then he pulled her to him, lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers. He slid his tongue between her lips and swept her tongue. She gasped and opened her mouth wider to allow his tongue to explore her. She heard a groan and realized to her surprise that it was her own. Before she knew it her hands were around the back of his neck, making sure he couldn’t retreat from the kiss, and she’d pressed her hips against his. The sensations further fanned the fire of need which nestled in the most secret parts of her body.
He pulled away too soon. He took hold of her hands and dragged them down between them. “Slowly, Ela.”
She shook her head. “Indeed, not! I want more, now!”
“Ela. You are not to command. It is I who will command.”
“You really expect me to surrender my will to you?”
“Yes, because you trust me, and because I will make sure the act of surrender will give you greater pleasure than it would do otherwise.”
“I don’t understand.”
“No, but you will.”
“Come.” He tugged her hand and, for all his imperative of slowness, he walked quickly out the door, and she had to half-run to keep up with him. At the foot of the stairs he pulled her to him and she fell hard against him. He responded with a stormy kiss which had her panting with need.
“What now?” she asked.
“I want you to take off that fine dress and allow me to explore your body.”
Her sex pulsed with a desire she didn’t know she possessed. He wanted her naked in the hall? She didn’t hesitate, but began to fumble with the straps of her gown.
He grinned and re-did the strap. “Not here, not now. Maybe some other time. But now I wish for privacy.”
She gathered the skirts of her gown and they raced up the stairs. At his door, he pulled her to him and they kissed once more. Then he lifted her in his arms, pushed open the door with his foot and strode into his suite of rooms.
He set her down at the foot of the bed.
“And now, I wish you to take off your dress for me.”
A flutter of something other than desire swamped her. He seemed to understand for he caressed her shoulders. “I will not touch you unless you want me to. I promise you that. You are safe. You must understand that. Unless you do, I will leave immediately because this is all about trust, and nothing about fear. Do you understand?”
And in that moment the fear left her. There was a silence in which things could have turned on a dime, could have gone either way. She knew that life would change for her forever, depending on her response. But, before she could think through the gravity of her decision, she’d nodded. “Yes.” And spoken. It seemed her thought processes had been overtaken by something much stronger, much more demanding, much more ancient and persuasive than mere logic. “Yes,” she repeated, louder, more sure.
He relaxed his grip and spun her around in his arms. “Good. In that case, it’s time you undressed.”
She must have betrayed her nerves because he squeezed her shoulders reassuringly. “It’s up to you. Al
l of it. You take control.” He grinned. “I’m sure you don’t mind doing that.” The grin dropped. “Beginning by taking off your clothes.”
Chapter 8
With trembling hands and a thumping heart Elaheh pushed the straps of her evening dress off her shoulders. She held his gaze, refusing to look away, despite the fact she knew her cheeks were as aflame as other parts of her.
She allowed the straps to slip lower, her dress barely held up by the swell of her breasts. She wondered if she should move, or whether he would. He didn’t move. It was up to her, just as he said it would be. She had control. At least for now. She could do this.
His dark eyes raked her shoulders and the top of her breasts, before returning to catch her gaze, breathing hot life back into her frozen body.
Yes, she could do this, but more than that—despite the sick feeling that lurked in the pit of her stomach, despite the fears which gripped her head in a tight band—she wanted to do this. The need was alive in every fiber of her being, co-existing with her anxiety. Her mind battled with her body, warning her to stop but her desire charged her body with an electric current which over-rode the thoughts which struggled to protect her from harm.
Without breaking that gaze, she pushed the straps off her arms and the satin dress slithered past her breasts and fell in a ruffle around her hips, revealing her bra and stomach. She sucked in a deep breath as the warm air caught her bare skin.
As his eyes descended once more she gritted her teeth as she remembered the plain state of her underwear. Why did she never pay much attention to it? She had small breasts and her bra was white, plain and sheer, and not in the least seductive. Or so she thought. But then she saw him swallow and she realized that she didn’t need a black lacy bra to seduce. The thought gave her confidence.
He flicked his gaze back up to hers. “May I touch you?”
She nodded. When the pad of his finger stroked her shoulder blade, slowly trailed across her collar bone to her throat and circled around the dip in her throat, she sucked in a sharp breath. His eyes immediately lifted to hers once more.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice huskier than she’d heard it before. It revealed a change in him which she hadn’t anticipated. It was like something of his external self was breaking down, something she had caused. Her confidence increased another notch.
“Yes,” she said. More than okay—much more—she could have added. But she was too intent on where his finger would move next to utter more than one word.
He continued to trace an invisible line down her chest before circling the soft swell of one breast and then another. She closed her eyes briefly as she tried to control her intense arousal which his touch ignited. The skin along which his finger moved had never been touched by a man and she felt impossibly naked, even though the dress still hung around her hips and her bra covered her breasts. She’d expected to be scared, instead she was thrilled.
“You, Ela,” he said, nudging the material of the bra a little to reveal the edge of her nipple, “are so beautiful, it hurts my eyes.” Desire tugged inside her.
“Close them, then,” she said, with a husky purr she didn’t recognize. It seemed that, despite her lack of experience, some things were instinctive.
His lips tweaked at the corners. “Okay, I’m in your hands.”
Despite the flutter of nerves, Elaheh felt triumphant. There was no doubt about it, she liked being in control. Even if she had no idea what to do with it. He must have sensed her doubts.
“Do whatever you feel like, Ela. There’s nothing you can do wrong, believe me.”
She stepped toward him, pressed her nose to his chest and inhaled.
“What are you doing?”
“Smelling you. I like how you smell.” That was the understatement of the year. He made her mouth water. Always had done, even if she’d refused to accept it. “You smell good.”
He dropped a kiss on her head and also took a deep breath. “And so do you. You know, I always knew when you were near because of that lemony smell. What is it?” His sexily narrowed gaze locked onto hers.
She swallowed and shrugged. “Lotion, I guess. Locally made.”
“Exotic, eclipsing all else around it—like you.”
“Close your eyes again.”
“Why?”
“I like it like that. I can behave more instinctively if you don’t look at me.”
He closed his eyes. “Your wish is my command.”
“Hm.” She’d smelled him, now she wanted to taste him. She raised herself onto tiptoes and licked his neck. She could see the effect as the muscles around his eyes contracted further, as he sought to control himself. “I like commanding a king.”
“I think you like commanding everyone.”
She smiled as she followed her impulse and trailed her tongue down from his neck onto his chest, burying her nose as low as she could get with his shirt buttoned, and inhaled deeply. She couldn’t have described the innate maleness of the smell but it hit her at such a fundamental, animal level, she knew she needed more. She unbuttoned his shirt down to his navel, and forced herself to focus on what he’d said. “Of course, who doesn’t like to command everyone.”
“Not everyone, Ela, not everyone. You’d be surprised to learn that—”
His words were cut short as he took a sharp intake of breath, as she swept her hands across his chest and down, spanning her fingers so she could feel every dip and contour of his body. It felt forbidden, it felt like she was breaking down more than just the barriers between them, but something inside of herself.
Suddenly she plunged her fingers beneath the waistband of his trousers and felt the tip of his erection. She paused for a moment, then circled her finger around the head. It seemed to visibly swell beneath her touch. Power. She had it.
She stepped away and did what he had done, eyed him from top to toe. She liked what she saw. She smiled at his intense expression. “You were saying?”
“Nothing. I was saying nothing. You continue, do as you wish, because, for once, I believe it is me who will be commanded and I’ll enjoy it all the more.”
“Then you will indulge me?”
“Yes.”
She turned around so she had her back to him, and flicked her hair over her breasts. “Undo my dress.”
His fingers brushed her bare skin as he fumbled briefly with the zip, which was the only thing keeping her dress resting on her hips, before sweeping it down. She stepped out of the dress, her nerves returning as she turned around, dressed now only in her heels and underwear, which were neither luxurious nor the height of fashion. If he was amused at her plain bra and panties he didn’t show it.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. She couldn’t believe she was standing half-naked before him. But, even more, she couldn’t believe how much it turned her on. She followed his gaze to her breasts where two needy nipples peaked with desire. It was just as well he couldn’t see between her legs where her arousal was also fully evident.
“Now, it’s your turn. I wish you to undress in front of me.”
A short grin was followed by a bemused shake of the head and then he did as she commanded. With one swift movement he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. For a moment he stood with his hands on his hips surveying her from under a lowered brow, as if challenging her. She nodded, grateful for those few moments of stillness in which she could admire his chest and strong arms. The flat muscles in his body and his chest hair tracked downward in a tantalizing line. She looked down at his fly and then up at him.
“You may take off your trousers now, if you please.”
“I do.” With his answering gaze equally as steady, he unbuttoned his trousers and then pulled down his zip. His erection was released and pushed out from his shorts. She blinked lightly, trying to subdue a sudden flutter of fear. It was larger than she’d imagined. But before she could imagine any further
he’d stepped out of both his trousers and shorts with one quick movement.
She couldn’t prevent her hand from flying to her mouth. “Oh!” she gasped.
“I’m hoping that’s a good ‘oh’, and not a disappointed one,” he said, with a confident smile which showed that he wasn’t accustomed to disappointing.
She shook her head. “No, not disappointed. More surprised. It’s quite… large.”
His smile faded as if suddenly understanding her concern. “Don’t worry. It’s not going anywhere you don’t want it to go. Remember that. You have the power and control here. For now, at least,” he added, with a glimmer of a smile in his eyes.
She nodded, but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out what she wanted to do next. Her vision seemed to be filled with only one, very erect, thing. It caught at her intention, and pressed unwelcome memories against her consciousness, nudging them, willing her to turn away and run.
He frowned, as if picking up on some of her anxiety. “I’ll put my shorts on again. Yes?”
She nodded. “Yes, please. It’s just…” She trailed off.
“You don’t have to explain anything.” He was as good as his word and was soon covered. “Now, do you want to proceed?”
“Yes, it’s just”—she shrugged—“I don’t know what to do.”
“Okay, would you like me to take the lead?”
“Yes please.”
“Good.”
She loved the way his lips formed the word good. She tried to kiss him, but he shook his head.
“Not yet. In a little while maybe. After I’ve given you some pleasure.”
She liked the sound of that.
“Now, remember, you can stop at any time.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop me from doing what I’m about to do to you.” He pressed his finger to her open lips. “And before you can ask what I’m about to do to you, remember, trust me.”
She bit her lip but nodded. She felt at war with herself but her body’s needs were winning once more.
He lifted skeins of her thick hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “You have beautiful hair. You should always wear it down when we are together, like this.”
