His Irresistible Darling

by Sarah Randall

  Her look conveyed that she wasn’t impressed but secretly she loved this playful side of him. His smile was a revelation. He held his hand up in defeat and pushed away from the wall. “Okay, okay. I’m going,” he said, turning away to leave. “Sure you don’t want me to scrub your back?” he checked and managed to dodge the damp loofah she hurled at him. It hit the back of the door.

  “Hope you enjoyed the view, Jumal,” she shouted so he’d hear through the closed door. “It’s the last freebie you’re getting!”

  She could still hear the bastard chuckling as she lay back down in the water so abruptly that some sloshed over her shoulders to the marble floor. She steadied her wine glass and ducked her head under the water to hide the treacherous smile that threatened to creep to her lips. Living with Jumal certainly hadn’t been dull, despite her earlier fears.

  ***

  She raised her wine glass. “A toast,” she declared.

  “And to what shall we toast, Miss Darling?” he asked, reaching for his glass.

  She took a moment. “To us,” she replied, adding, “and the fact we haven’t killed each other yet. How very grown up are we.”

  He bowed his head slightly. “To us,” he agreed, tapping his crystal glass against hers.

  Tonight was the first time since his accident that he’d drunk alcohol. He wasn’t entirely sure that it was a good idea to mix the strong painkillers with alcohol but decided that it couldn’t do too much harm… He’d only have a glass with their dinner. Just to be social.

  He tracked her movements as she forked some of the paella into her mouth and closed her eyes, and he shifted in his chair as his body reacted in its usual but oh so reliable and inconvenient way. “Hmm, Jumal this is really delicious,” she complimented him and he tried not to be offended by the surprise in her voice.

  He took a long drink from his glass before replying to make sure his voice wouldn’t betray him. “Glad you like it, but it was a joint effort. So seriously, what’s with the glass of wine in the bath?” he asked randomly whilst peeling a large prawn and popping it into his mouth.

  “Well, it keeps the red wine nice and warm and it just bobs there in the water like a magic trick. You should try it sometime,” she suggested, biting into her own prawn; his eyes now darting to her lips to follow the path of a trickle of garlic butter until her tongue finally caught it before she licked the butter from her fingers—one by one, making a delicious popping sound each time. Jumal swallowed deeply to try and free his mind of the erotic sight and his yearning to reach out and finish the task for her. Instead he reached again for his goblet, downing the dregs in one gulp before reaching for the already half empty bottle and topping up both their glasses.

  ***

  A couple of hours later Jumal’s head was completely fuzzy from a mixture of the prescribed horse-sized painkillers, alcohol, sleep deprivation and the late hour. They were both in his bed, wow correction, on his bed. Big difference, he mused. Like the major difference between loving someone like a parent, sibling or faithful Labrador and being in love with someone…

  He was resting with his head against the bank of pillows and one supported his injured arm, his eyes half closed as Pippa lay on her tummy, facing away from him as they watched a late-night film. Correction, Pippa watched the film; he watched Pippa. Jumal had no idea what the film was. She’d told him but she’d bounced around to get comfortable on his bed, at which point he had zoned out completely.

  She rested her chin in her cupped hands, elbows propped up on the bed, knees bent and ankles crossed. She kept lowering and raising her crossed ankles—from the bed to her backside and repeat. Jumal’s head fuzz had started when he’d first spotted the crease, at the top of her thighs, right where her backside cheeks started, and every time she dropped her feet to the bed he got the most delicious sight on the planet. His eyes had almost bugged out of their sockets. She was sporting a tank top and a pair of the shortest shorts he had ever seen on a woman’s body. Her legs dropped again as she reached her hand into the large bowl of popcorn she had insisted on making before the movie started.

  He shook his head in a feeble attempt to clear it. Useless. His eyes traced her legs from that heavenly, sinful crease to her toes as he fought the urge to reach out and draw her perfectly painted toes towards his mouth so he could worship each flawlessly elegant digit with his tongue, kiss along her instep and maybe scrape his teeth teasingly. Would she let him? He pondered naughtily. Would she moan and drop her head forward into his thick bedding? Most likely, she’d kick him somewhere sensitive… He sniggered inadvertently and she turned her head to face him. He offered her a saintly smile in reply. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously before turning back to the film—a romcom by the sounds of her swooning at the male lead—and giggling. He decided that her giggle was his second favourite sound in the world—the first being her throaty moan in response to his kiss.

  Her legs went up in the air again and he resumed his gawking. His body reacted in the usual way and he was forced to quickly grab for one of his pillows and cover himself before Pippa turned again. God she made him feel like a randy teenager. Would she be ticklish when he ran his tongue along that divine crease in her body?

  Sometime later, Pippa yawned and stretched as the film had apparently finished. “Right, well, think that’s me done for the night,” she said, looking back at him over her shoulder before making a move to gather her stuff together and shuffle off his bed. “You got everything you need?” she checked.

  That and more, he thought. He had the hard-on from hell…but answered, “Yes thanks. Goodnight, Pippa.”

  As the door closed behind her, Jumal smothered his face with the pillow he’d had pressed against his heated groin for most of the night. He groaned and cursed crudely into it with frustration for several moments.

  “Jumal?”

  Shit. Shit. Shit. This couldn’t be happening. No. No. No. NO!! Instinct told him that she was standing over him to his right side but he didn’t want to move the pillow. Perhaps she hadn’t noticed, he tried to convince himself.

  He finally lowered the pillow and saw precisely where she was looking. Oh, goody, she’d noticed, he thought sardonically. He threw the pillow to his side in disgust with himself.

  “Pippa,” he said slowly, trying to get her to focus on his face, anything but where she was looking. The harder she looked at him, the harder he got!

  He took no pleasure from the fact that her face was as flushed as his own. Her chest was rising and falling quickly again…just like in the kitchen earlier. Could she possibly…? He refused to go there.

  He tried again. “Pippa?”

  She seemed enthralled and the favourite part of his body was more than happy to stand up and show off to his new fan. Well, guess he had his answer to that question he’d asked himself on the helicopter trip to Dubai… Something had definitely caught her attention and she seemed to like what she saw…

  He watched her closely as she swallowed deeply. She still hadn’t looked at his face and he winced as he tried to sit up.

  “I er, forgot my phone,” she told him, nodding to his side table but still not moving her eyes from his lower body. She bit her lip. “So er—do you need some help with that?” Her voice was now low and sultry as she nodded towards his groin. Oh and wouldn’t you know, his best friend twitched in eagerness. Perfect. What the hell had she said? Had he just imagined it? Crap, was he dreaming in a self-induced medicated stupor?

  He couldn’t help the rush of air that suddenly shot from his lungs. It could have been a laugh or a cry. What the hell? He was dumbstruck, completely and utterly lost for words. He raked a hand through his hair and cleared his throat…flabbergasted. That was a word he’d picked up from Matt in the past. It fit perfectly now; he was flabbergasted. Good word.

  He wanted to tell her to leave. To say, “Thanks for the kind offer, but no thanks,” and usher her quickly from his room, but actually all that managed to come out of his mouth was “eh
?” Cool, Jumal, very cool.

  He was now studying her face with the same intensity that she continued to stare at his erection, which was still proudly tenting his jogging bottoms like a tepee. What was she thinking? She took a step closer to the bed, her thighs now touching the bedspread.

  “Pippa—” He started to shake his head in a weak attempt to stop her.

  “Why?” she asked nervously, finally looking at his face. “Don’t you find me attractive?”

  “Of course I do,” he admitted aloud for the first time, and waited for the thunderbolt to strike him down. “But, you’re my employee and—”

  She held a hand up, and he shut up, under her complete control. “Temporarily—” she interrupted “—and actually, you aren’t paying me anything so—” She let her statement hang between them.

  “And you’re my friend’s sister,” he tried to reason without much force.

  She shrugged. “Hate to break it to you, but Matt’s really not that fond of you either,” she said light-heartedly. He grinned at her wicked teasing.

  “And you’re too young.”

  She pursed her lips and put her hand on her hips. “My mother was married by my age,” she told him. “So that it? Are you all out of excuses?”

  He took a moment before closing his eyes briefly, taking a deep breath and nodding.

  Suddenly she dropped to her knees at the side of his bed. She screwed up her face momentarily and quickly jumped up, leaned over him and grabbed the pillow he’d discarded. She popped it under her knees, which brought her torso higher. She licked her lips unknowingly, he thought, as she reached out to the tie at the top of his joggers. She met his stare again and offered a shy smile as she tugged. Jumal was still lost for words and could only raise his hips slightly to aid her endeavours. She cleared her throat. “Er, you should know that I’m no expert at this.” She let the statement hang in the air as she bit her lip. “I hope you don’t have high expectations.”

  “Pippa,” he sighed and closed his eyes for a moment at her honest admission, which pleased him beyond all sensible reason, and nodded his head towards his fervent shaft. “Just look what you do to me without even touching me.”

  Her responsive smile pleased him immensely and seemed to do the trick. “Bet you wish you were a leftie,” she observed cheekily before lowering her head painstakingly slowly towards his now pulsing erection. He could feel the blood pumping. Jumal was torn between throwing his head back, closing his eyes and revelling in the pleasure and watching so that he didn’t miss a moment of her generous gift. When her lips made contact, his body made the decision for him. “Pippa. So help me,” he groaned as his head collapsed against the pillows and he gripped the duvet with his left hand, trying to keep himself from thrusting himself further into her mouth.

  He bent his left leg and pushed gently, turning his lower body slightly towards her. He nearly came as he felt her taut nipples brushing against his right leg when she moved. Her left hand brushed over his lower abdominal muscles and they clenched in response; her other hand cupped him gently while her tongue continued to worship his shaft. She was killing him. But by God, he would die a happy, satisfied man.

  He finally lifted his head and forced his eyes open as she simultaneously increased the pressure and quickened her pace. The sight nearly blinded him as he gripped the bedding, trying to hold his body in check so as not to scare her with his passion. Sweat gathered on his brow as a result. Finally the vivid image of her deeds pushed him over the edge and he shouted her name with a warning, which she ignored. His head and leg collapsed back on the bed in blissful exhaustion. He felt like his body was floating about two feet over the bed.

  He jerked his eyes open when the side of the bed depressed slightly as she stood up.

  She had a sultry smile on her face again. “You know,” she started and tilted her head to the side, innocence and beauty personified. “I think that may be the very first time you’ve screamed my name without being pissed off at me.” She turned away from him and made for the door.

  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  Chapter Nine

  Pippa swallowed nervously as all her earlier confidence vanished like a bride’s nightie.

  Where the hell do you think you’re going?

  She shivered as her traitorous lower body reacted to his suggestive tone and commanding words. She ached for him but hadn’t planned for this eventuality. She’d spent the second half of the film thinking of Jumal’s body and their earlier exploits in the kitchen, but he hadn’t brought it up or made another move towards her so she was trying to gather her resolve to make a move herself. She’d discreetly checked out his bare feet, which were crossed at the ankles right next to her head. She had the bizarre thought that he had the sexiest feet she’d ever seen on a man…not that she had a foot fetish or anything. She didn’t think he knew that she’d seen his erection when she’d spun around but she had…oh yes she had. She was surprised her eyes hadn’t popped from her head; she remembered her face heating and daydreamed about the wicked things she wanted to do to his body but had never gotten beyond what would happen once she’d…finished him…

  She was still trying to get her head around the fact that she’d just had the nerve to do that to him. She hadn’t been able to tear her eyes away from his…package…whilst in her head she was shouting, Say it. Say it…SAY IT! And she had practically blurted it out. Do you need some help with that?

  She motioned over her shoulder with her hand, finally remembering to answer his question. “Er, my room,” she offered unconvincingly.

  He shook his head and used his index finger to provocatively beckon her back towards him. “My turn,” he practically purred, and her legs went to jelly. She put a steadying hand on the bed.

  “B-but your arm,” she reminded him needlessly.

  “I don’t need two arms for what I have planned, Pippa,” he clarified wickedly. “Now, come here.”

  She gulped again and staggered back around to the side of the bed she had just left. The pillow was still on the floor. She bent to pick it up. “Leave it,” he ordered and his lustful gaze made her squirm.

  “Take your shorts off,” he demanded, expecting nothing less than her compliance.

  She paused, unsure whether she could do this. Could she be this brave? She convinced herself that this was a one-off, never-to-be-repeated event. They were two single, consenting adults. In a matter of a few weeks she would be leaving Dubain, and Jumal, for ever… That thought alone galvanised her decision.

  She reached for the button on her yoga shorts and took delight witnessing Jumal’s eyes widen and his pupils dilate to swamp his eyes almost completely. The resulting “pop” of her button seemed to echo throughout the room. She leaned forward to drag her shorts down her legs; she paused as her eyes caught the unmistakeable rising length in his joggers. Again, she thought to herself, so soon?! WOW!

  “Don’t worry about that,” he said dismissively and nodded encouragingly towards her shorts.

  She took a deep breath and allowed them to drop to the floor and kicked them away. She was standing bared to him and fought the senseless need to cover herself.

  “And the top,” he added, his voice raw and strained.

  She heard his breath catch as she unveiled herself to him. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

  “You’re exquisite,” he said, simply staring at her for a moment. “Come here.”

  She pressed her knee to the bed before awkwardly straddling his body. She saw the pleasure hit his face as she nudged his erection against her sensitive core. She bit her lip to stop a moan leaving her throat, waiting eagerly for his direction, but he seemed perfectly happy to stare at her body. Her nipples hardened into tight peaks instinctively as she saw his eyes focus on them. She could almost feel his touch. She yearned for it and boldly leaned forward, pressing her right hand into the bedding to ensure she didn’t press her weight against his damaged arm and chest. His left arm traced up alon
g her side, over her hips, along her waist and finally to her breast. Her pulse was threatening to go into overdrive as his left hand finally reached her aching nipple. Her head dropped backwards and her core automatically dropped back into intimate contact with his groin. They moaned in unison and he rolled her nipple in his hand.

  “God,” he murmured breathing heavily, “I would give anything to have two working arms right now. We’re going to have to get inventive,” he promised suggestively as her heart jumped in her chest. Her blood heated further as his hand urged her higher against his body until his lips made contact with her nipples. He worshipped them for a moment before encouraging her higher still. She gasped, unsure of herself as he made his intentions clear. She looked down and met Jumal’s vivid eyes, hungry with desire. “Please, Pippa,” he begged now. “Let me do this.” She closed her eyes and nodded slowly and, after carefully guiding her left leg up and around his arm and shoulder, she positioned her knees either side of his head. She leaned forward and grasped the wooden headboard tightly as Jumal gently pulled her body lower…

  ***

  The sound of the shower finally woke Pippa from her sleep of the dead. She rolled over and glanced at the clock before stretching her arms over her head. Her mind drifted back to the events of last night and she blushed, grabbing Jumal’s pillow to muffle her loud complaints about her stupidity. God it smelt good.

  “Something the matter?” Jumal’s deep voice asked her.

  She lowered the pillow shyly. “Huh?”

  He had a towel wrapped about his lean hips and was using his good hand to rub his hair dry with a smaller towel. She tracked the progress of the trail of water droplets as they raced down over his pecs and paused before continuing along his abdominal muscles and down towards the towel. She may have even licked her lips. It was the first time she’d seen the bruising on his chest. God it looked painful. The worst of the bruising had come out and it was turning a more yellow, brownish/purple colour around the outer edges. She thought she could actually make out the hoof prints…ouch.