‘That’s enough,’ she said, stepping back the instant her breathing became ragged. She had been wrong to think she could do this—that she could play with this man—toy with him—amuse herself at his expense. Emir was more than a match for her, and the strength she’d felt beneath her hands had only confirmed her thoughts that his body was hard, while hers was all too soft and yielding.
She didn’t need to see his face to know he was smiling again as she went back to the sauna hut. Her hands were trembling as she let herself in, and hot guilt rushed through her as she curled up on the bench with her knees tucked under her chin and her arms wrapped tightly round them. By the time Emir walked in, she had put safety back at the top of her agenda. ‘Let me know if you plan any more solo trips in the lake. Forget the sheikh—I don’t even have a contact number for your next of kin.’
‘Your concern overwhelms me,’ Emir said dryly as he poured another ladle of water onto the hot stones.
‘Where are you going now?’ she said as he turned for the door.
‘To choose which birch switch I would like to use,’ he said as if she should have known. ‘Would you care to join me?’
Talk about a conversation stopper.
CHAPTER SIX
SHE WAS TWISTED into a ferment of lust. Her heart was beating like a drum as she watched Emir selecting a birch twig switch. She loved that his process of elimination was so exacting. She loved that he examined each bunch before trying them out on his muscular calves. Each arc through the air…each short, sharp slap against his skin…made her breath catch. Her head was reeling with all sorts of erotic impressions, though she couldn’t help wondering if he ever felt the cold. She had grabbed a robe and fur boots before exiting the hut and was well wrapped up.
He started thrashing his shoulders. This was like an advanced lesson in how to watch, feel and suffer—from the most intense frustration she had ever known.
‘What do you think?’ His dark eyes were full of humour.
‘I think I’ll leave you to it,’ she said, shaking her head as if to indulge the tourist in him.
‘Why so prudish, suddenly?’ Emir challenged as she turned to go.
Yes. Why was she so strait-laced with Emir when thrashing the body with birch twigs was a normal part of the traditional sauna routine in Skavanga?
‘Don’t you want to try it?’ Emir called after her with amusement in his voice.
She stopped, realising that however high she raised the bar he jumped over it and raised it yet more for her.
Where would this end?
‘I can do it any time,’ she said casually. He didn’t need to know she was shivering with arousal rather than cold as she headed for the door. She swung it open and the enticing warmth with the mellow scent of hot wood washed over her.
‘It’s not like you to run away from a challenge, Britt.’
She hadn’t closed the door yet. ‘You don’t know anything about me.’
‘Are we going to debate this while our body temperatures drop like a stone?’
His maybe. ‘You could always join me in the sauna…’ she suggested.
‘Or you could join me with the birch twigs.’ As Emir laughed she made her decision.
‘In your dreams. And you might want to put some clothes on,’ she added, heading for the sauna hut.
Slamming the door behind her, she leaned back against it, exhaling shakily. Damn the man! Did nothing faze him? She had dreamed of meeting her match, but now she’d met him she wasn’t so sure it was such a good idea. They were too similar—too stubborn—too set on duty—too competitive—too everything.
It was too exhausting!
Flopping down on the bench, she closed her eyes, but that didn’t help to blank out the fact that a connection of some sort, that wasn’t sex, was growing between them. Crashing into the hut in a blast of energy and frigid air, Emir exclaimed, ‘Make room for me,’ before she could progress this thought.
‘Close the door!’
‘Wuss,’ he murmured in a way that made her picture his sexy mouth curved in that half-smile.
‘I don’t like the cold,’ she muttered, hugging her knees and burying her face so she didn’t have to look at him.
‘You could have fooled me! But I guess you’d love the desert,’ he said.
She went very still and then forced herself to reach for the ladle so she didn’t seem too impressed by this last comment.
‘You can’t still be cold?’ Emir commented as she ladled water onto the hot stones. ‘That’s enough!’
The small hut was full of steam. She had been ladling the water on autopilot, trying not to think about the possibility of travelling to the desert with Emir, and in doing so was threatening to steam them alive. ‘Sorry.’ She lifted her shoulders in a careless shrug. ‘I got carried away.’
‘You certainly did,’ Emir agreed as he towelled down.
‘It’s a long time since I’ve done the whole sauna ritual thing. I’d forgotten—’
‘What fun it was?’ Emir interrupted.
‘How cold you get,’ she argued, picking up the ladle again.
He laughed and took it from her. ‘That’s enough,’ he said as their hands brushed. ‘Sit down.’ He towered over her, blocking out the light. ‘If you want to raise the temperature, just ask me.’
‘Very funny.’ She glanced up.
Emir shrugged and smiled faintly, making her glad she was wearing a towel. He had no inhibitions, and, in fairness, most people went naked in the sauna, but that only worked if they had no sexual interest in each other.
‘How about I build a fire in the fire pit outside?’ Emir suggested. ‘You don’t want to be cooped up in here much longer.’
She had always enjoyed sitting round a blazing fire surrounded by snow and ice, and it would be one heck of a lot safer than this intimate space. ‘That’s a great idea.’
‘I’ll call you when I’m ready.’
You do that, she thought, banking Emir’s sexy smile.
Her heart thumped on cue when he rapped on the door. Sliding off the bench, she went outside to join him. Emir had built an amazing fire…roaring hot and set to last.
‘Nights in the desert can be freezing,’ he explained. ‘And in some parts a fire is essential to keep mountain lions away. We have amazing wildlife,’ he added as she sat down and stretched her feet out. ‘Kareshi is a country of great contrasts. We have big modern cities as well as a wilderness where tribal traditions haven’t changed in centuries.’
Why was he telling her this? Was he serious about her visiting Kareshi? They were staring at each other again, Britt realised, turning away to pretend interest in the fire. There was no point in getting any closer to Emir when their relationship, such as it was, wasn’t going anywhere. Lifting his chin, he stared at her as if he were expecting her to say something. Who knew that Britt Skavanga, lately hotshot businesswoman, as her sisters liked to teasingly call her, could feel so awkward, even shy?
Maybe you should get out of the office more often.
Maybe she should, Britt thought wryly, lacking the energy for once to argue with her contrary inner voice. Emir had gone quite still, she noticed.
‘Do you see them?’ he said, looking past her into the trees.
‘The deer? Yes,’ she murmured. A doe and a fawn were watching them from the safety of the undergrowth. ‘They’re so beautiful,’ she whispered, hardly daring to breathe. ‘I always feel close to nature here,’ she confided in another whisper.
‘As I do in the desert,’ Emir murmured back.
There was that connection thing again. It was there whether she liked it or not. And now she stiffened, remembering the warning her mother had given her when Britt was a child. Now she understood why her mother had said the things she had, but as a little girl she had thought her father loud rather than violent, and playful, rather than bullying. Now she knew he’d been a drunk who had prompted her mother to warn all her daughters that men kept you down. Her girls were goi
ng to be warriors who went out into the world and made their own way. Britt had grown up with the determination that no man would ever rule her engraved on her heart. And Emir was a forceful man…
His touch on her arm made her flinch, but then she realised he was pointing to the deer watching them. The animals were considering flight, and she wondered if it was Emir’s inner stillness holding them. Their brown eyes were wide in gentle faces, and though Emir had moved closer to her he kept space between them, which made her feel relaxed. He had that sort of calming aura—which didn’t mean she wasn’t intensely aware of him. It was a special moment as they watched the deer watching them. It was as if humans and animals had come together briefly.
‘What an amazing encounter,’ she breathed as the deer turned and picked their way unhurriedly back through the maze of trees into the depth of the forest.
‘Now I’m certain you’d love the desert,’ Emir said, turning to smile at her. ‘Many think it’s just a barren space—’
‘But we know better?’
He huffed a laugh, holding her gaze in a way that said he was glad she had understood.
‘Maybe one day I’ll make it to the desert,’ she said, trying not to care too much.
‘I’ll make sure of it,’ Emir said quietly. ‘If this deal goes through I’ll make sure you visit Kareshi.’
‘I’d love to,’ she exclaimed impulsively.
How much longer are you going to wear your heart on your sleeve? Britt wondered as Emir flashed her an amused glance and raised a brow. But she could see that a whole world of possibility was opening up, both for her and for Skavanga, and she couldn’t pretend that the thought of visiting an emerging country where the vigorous young ruler had already done so much for his people didn’t excited her.
‘I want you to see what the money from the diamonds can accomplish,’ Emir remarked.
Yes, there were benefits for both their countries. ‘I will,’ she said, more in hope than expectation. ‘I think you miss Kareshi,’ she added in an attempt to shift the spotlight onto him.
‘I love my country. I love my people. I love my life in Kareshi. I love my horses—they’re a real passion for me. I breed pure Arabs, though sometimes I strengthen the line of my breeding stock with Criolla ponies from the Argentine pampas.’
‘You play polo?’
‘Of course, and many polo players are my friends. You will have heard of the Acosta brothers, I’m sure.’
She had heard of the Acosta brothers. Who hadn’t? ‘I learned to ride at the local stable,’ she admitted. ‘Just old nags compared to the type of horses you’re talking about, but I loved it all the same. I love the sense of freedom, and still ride whenever I get the chance.’
‘Something we have in common,’ he said.
Something else, she thought, inhaling steadily. Friendships were founded on sharing a passion for life, and there was no doubt that they were opening up to each other. So much for her mother’s warning. And, yes, it was dangerous to reveal too much of yourself, but if you didn’t, how could you ever get close to anyone?
She had to face facts. Once he had collected the information he needed, Emir would go home—and inviting her to Kareshi was probably just talk. Making her excuses, she stood up to go. Emir stood too.
‘No birching?’ he asked wryly.
She gave him a crooked smile. ‘I’m warm enough, thanks to you.’
‘That’s right,’ he called after her as she walked away. ‘You probably deserve a good birching—probably even want it. But you’re not getting it from me—’
Britt shook her head in wry acceptance, but Emir didn’t turn around as she huffed a laugh. He didn’t need to. There was a new sort of ease between them—an understanding, almost.
He caught her at the door of the hut, and, lifting a switch from the rack, he shot her a teasing look. ‘Are you quite sure?’
‘Certain,’ she said, but there was laughter in both their eyes.
Laughter that died very quickly when Emir ran the switch of twigs very lightly down between her breasts and over her belly to the apex of her thighs. She was instantly aroused and couldn’t move, even had she wanted to. She remained motionless as he increased the pressure just enough, moving the bunched twigs with exactly the right degree of delicacy. Her breath came out in a noisy shudder, and all this time Emir was holding her gaze. His eyes told her that he knew exactly what she wanted him to do. Her breathing stalled when he used the switch to ease her legs apart.
‘Why deny yourself, Britt?’
‘Because I need to get inside where it’s warm,’ she said lightly, pulling herself together.
Physically, she yearned for everything Emir could give her, Britt realised as she quickly shed her underwear, while emotionally she was a wreck. She felt such a strong connection to him, and knew she would never be able to ignore those feelings—
Better she end this now.
He joined her in the hut. That was a foregone conclusion. The stag didn’t abandon the doe when it was cornered. The stag knew what the doe wanted and tracking it was part of the game. They sat opposite each other with the hot stones sizzling between them, and, leaning back, Emir gave her a look—just a slight curve at the corner of his sexy mouth.
‘What?’ she said, knowing he could hardly have avoided noticing that she was naked.
‘Now we get really hot,’ he said.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS EMIR’S FAMILIAR warmth and scent flared in her senses and his arms gathered her in, Britt felt a new energy flooding through her. She even spared a foolish moment to wish it could always be like this—that he was really hers, and that these strong arms and this strong body would sometimes take over so she could take time out occasionally. But that was so ridiculous she had no difficulty blanking it out. She took one last look at a world where desire for a man could grow into friendship, and where that friendship could grow into love. That was just childhood fantasy. She’d settle for lust.
Holding her face between his hands, Emir made her look at him. Gazing into the burning stare of a man who knew so much about her body made it easy to forget her doubts. Her face must have shown this transition, because he brushed her lips with his. And from there it was an easy slide into a passionate embrace that ended with Emir manoeuvring her into a comfortable position on the bench—which just happened to be under him.
‘Is there any part of this you don’t like?’ he said, smiling down at her.
She liked everything—too much—and at what risk to her heart? Right now she didn’t care as another part of Britt Skavanga, warrior woman, chipped off and floated away. At one time sex was little more than a normal function for her, like eating or sleeping, but now…
Now that wasn’t nearly enough.
But Emir’s hands were distracting her, and as he traced the line of her spine she embraced the feelings inside her. They were so strong she could hardly ignore them. She wanted this man. She wanted him so badly. She wanted to be one with him in every way. Unfortunately, Emir’s approach to sex was much like hers had used to be, and being on the receiving end of that was very different from doling it out. But then her mind filled with pleasure as his lips caressed her neck. He knew just how to work her hot spots until she softened against him and relaxed. She had always taken the lead in the past—she had been the one who knew what she was doing and where she was going, the one who was completely in control—but with Emir there was no control. She was his.
‘I love your body,’ he said as she writhed beneath him.
‘I love yours too.’ How could she not?
Emir was built on a heroic scale. She doubted she had ever met a bigger man. There wasn’t a spare inch of unnecessary flesh on his hard, toned body, and each muscle was clearly delineated after his strenuous physical exercise in the lake. He was every bit the soldier, the fighter, the leader, yet he had the most sensitive hands. She groaned as he massaged her scalp with his fingertips.
‘What do you want, Britt?’ h
e murmured.
‘Do you really need me to answer that?’
‘I like you to tell me,’ he said.
Emir’s voice had the power to arouse her almost as much as the man himself. Raising her chin, she took a deep breath and then told him what she wanted.
‘So open your legs wider,’ he said.
Her first thought was, No. I can’t do that—not while you’re looking down at me.
‘Wider,’ he said.
She wanted this. He excited her—
‘Wider still…’
‘I can’t—you’re merciless—’
‘Yes, I am,’ he agreed in the same soft tone.
‘Enough,’ she begged him, reaching out. She needed human contact. She needed closeness more than anything. She needed a kiss—a tender kiss. She still longed for the illusion that they were close in every way, Britt realised, feeling a pang of regret for what could never be.
He had never seen anything more beautiful than Britt at this moment, when every part of her was glowing and aroused. His desire to be joined to her was overwhelming, but something as special as this could not be rushed. It must be appreciated and savoured. One of the so-called erotic secrets of Kareshi was nothing more than this lingering over pleasure. Making time for pleasure was a so much a national pursuit he had been forced to persuade the Kareshi people to balance their country’s business needs against it, but he would never wish these old traditions to die out. In fact, he had every intention of fostering them, and as Britt reached for him he took her wrists in a firm grip. ‘Not yet,’ he whispered.
‘Don’t you want me?’ she said, arching her back as she displayed her breasts to best advantage.
She had no idea how much.
He held her locked in his stare as she sat up. He even allowed her to lace her fingers through his hair, binding him to her. Britt was easy to read. She was already on the edge. Intuition had always helped him in the past—in all sorts of situations, and now this. With Britt he mastered his own desires by channelling his thoughts into all the things that intrigued him about her.
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