Susan Mallery - The Sheikh & the Princess In Waiting

by The Sheikh

  “Oh. I, ah…” She cleared her throat. “You mean sex.”

  Her acceptance nearly made him smile. He wasn’t sure if she was trying to act casually or if she was truly unsurprised by his admission. What had she learned in their six years apart and who had been her teacher?

  “I prefer to think of it as making love, but, yes.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I guess it’s a guy thing,” she said. “I never understood all the fuss.”

  He did his best not to react to her words, not to hope too much. “Your lovers have not pleased you?”

  Her nose wrinkled. “I’ve sort of avoided the whole man-in-my-bed thing. It’s not my style.”

  Two warring thoughts invaded his brain and produced two very different reactions. First was pleasure and relief that she hadn’t been with anyone else.

  That she was still only his. The second was stung pride that he hadn’t satisfied her when they’d been together. He knew now that he’d been too intent on his own release, on claiming her over and over. He hadn’t taken the time to pleasure her.

  “Not that it’s your fault,” she said, interrupting his internal battle. “I was too young. We went from kissing, to, well, you know, too fast for me. You were right about what you said before, that I wanted a schoolgirl’s courtship with kisses and presents.”

  So hard that he thought he might explode, Reyhan forced himself to walk to the chair close to the bed and sit down.

  “You were a virgin,” he told her. “That fault lies with me. I was young and eager to take my bride. Too eager.”

  She ducked her head again. “Yes, well, it happens.”

  “It should not have happened that way. The women I had been with before had been older and more experienced. They had been the teacher and I the student. With you…” He clenched his teeth. “I should have been more patient, more understanding. I should have seduced you with slow kisses and soft touches. Only when you were begging for more should I have taken you.”

  A shudder rippled through her body. “That sounds nice,” she whispered.

  The slight quaver in her voice told him she was not unaffected by his words. The knowledge nearly propelled him to his feet and across the room to the bed. What would happen if he slid in beside her? Would she welcome him? Want him? Respond to him? Every cell in his body screamed for him to find out.

  No! He could not. He knew the price of being with her again. A single moment of exquisite pleasure followed by a lifetime of wanting what he could not have.

  Better to not have her at all.

  He forced himself to stand but not approach, and nearly shook with the intensity of his feelings. “Good night, Emma,” he said as he turned away. “Sleep well.”

  “Reyhan, wait.”

  A rustle of sheets told him she had slid out of the bed. Her footsteps made no noise on the thick carpet but he felt her approach.

  His blood boiled, his erection throbbed. It was more than he could bear and yet he did not turn around. He would not do this. No matter how much resisting cost him.

  “Before,” she whispered, her voice low and husky. “When you kissed me. It was different.”

  He thought of her passion, of how she’d clung to him, demanding as much as he.

  They’d fit together perfectly. Everything about her had called to him, yet he’d forced himself to pull back.

  “It was different,” he agreed.

  “I’m not that child anymore.”

  Five simple words—an invitation to paradise.

  He heard them and was nearly afraid to believe.

  It doesn’t matter, he told himself desperately. Taking her now, making love with her, would be a disaster. How would he let her go? How would he marry someone he didn’t care about and live with her for the rest of his life? What of his future, his plans? What of being strong?

  What of Emma?

  Without thought, he turned slowly and stared at her. She stood only a few feet away, naked except for the diaphanous silk nightgown skimming her curves. Her long auburn hair tumbled over her shoulders; the curling ends lightly teased the tops of her breasts. Her eyes were bright, her lips slightly parted, her breathing rapid.

  He told himself he could still resist her, and he nearly believed himself. Until she walked closer, raised herself on tiptoe and pressed her mouth to his.

  The soft, gentle, chaste pressure undid him. It was as if the savage beast inside had been set free to prey upon the world. He grabbed her and pulled her close, wanting to touch everywhere at once. As his mouth settled on hers, he rubbed her back, her hips, then her fanny. He could feel the smoothness of her skin under the thin gown, but it wasn’t enough. He needed more.

  Tilting his head, he swept his tongue across her lower lip. When she parted for him, he plunged inside, stroking, exploring, needing. At the same time he tugged on the fabric of her gown, pulling it higher and higher until it bunched in his left hand. With his right, he stroked the now-bare skin of her hips, then slid up her back. She shivered and wrapped her arms around him.

  He ground himself against her, rubbing his arousal against her belly. She flexed into him and moaned softly.

  He let the nightgown fall back to her ankles and raised his hands to her shoulders. The thin straps slid down easily. He moved from her mouth to her jaw, then her neck, tasting her skin, licking, sucking, nip-ping. He bathed her long, slender neck with sensual attentions that made her shudder and cling to him. He bit her shoulder, then licked the wound.

  The silk clung to her breasts, but one quick tug drew the fabric over her tight nipples so that it fluttered to the floor. Then she was naked.

  Torn between looking and touching, he bent down and took her nipple in his mouth. He circled his tongue around the hard peak and she groaned her pleasure.

  She wrapped one arm around his shoulders and the other around his neck. Her fingers tunneled through his hair.

  “Reyhan,” she breathed. “It’s too good. All of it.”

  Her words were like icy water thrown in his face. Reality crashed in on him as he realized what he was doing. Taking her hard and fast. They weren’t even in bed. He was still fully dressed. Had he learned nothing?

  Reyhan swore under his breath, which didn’t bother Emma nearly as much as when he stopped what he’d been doing. He straightened, leaving her nipples damp and achy. Everywhere he’d touched, she burned. Tension tightened her muscles and made her tremble. She didn’t even mind that she was naked—not as long as he kept touching her.

  “I’m sorry,” he breathed.

  She stared at him, at his dilated dark eyes and the firm set of his mouth. “For what? I liked it.”

  One corner of his mouth pulled up in a smile. “I’m glad you liked it but my plan was to seduce, not take.”

  “Taking works. Really.”

  “That is because you haven’t been seduced. Come. I will show you the difference.”

  He led her to the bed and urged her to lie down. While she made herself comfortable, he quickly stripped out of his clothes, leaving only the briefs covering his arousal. Her interest in the long, hard bulge dissipated when he slid in next to her and pulled her close.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered into her ear right before he took the lobe between his teeth and nibbled.

  Shivers rippled across her skin.

  “You’re soft,” he continued as he kissed below her ear, then down her throat.

  One of his hands lightly stroked her belly.

  “The scent of your skin drives me wild with passion. I ache to be inside of you.

  Filling you slowly, deeply, until your pleasure makes you scream your delight.”

  Scream? She didn’t consider herself the type. But under the circumstances, she was willing to give it a try. Just the feel of his hand on her belly made her want to squirm. Up or down, she thought as he kissed her jaw. He needed to move that hand either up or down. Having it right there in the middle was making her crazy.

  “T
he color of your nipples,” he whispered. “Like a fully ripe peach. Open your eyes.”

  The unexpected request took a second to sink in. Emma opened her eyes and saw Reyhan lean over her breasts. As she watched, he touched the tip of his tongue to the tip of her left nipple. The combination of seeing and feeling was the most erotic experience of her life. She cried out in delight.

  He circled her nipple, then drew it fully into his mouth. The gentle sucking had her arching against him. At the same time, his hand finally dipped south, slipping through her curls and between her legs.

  She parted for him, catching her breath as he rubbed against her slick center.

  This was nothing like before, she thought as tension filled her body. She ached with every fiber of her being. When he shifted his fingers slightly and found a single spot of pleasure, she nearly rose off the bed.

  “Reyhan,” she breathed. “Don’t stop.”

  Thankfully, he didn’t. He continued to touch her, stroking her, teasing, circling, as he worshiped her breasts. The combination made her mind go blank, her legs go limp and her breathing come in fast pants. She couldn’t bear herself enough to him. She wanted to be more naked, more exposed, more intimate.

  Her wish was granted when he shifted so that he knelt between her legs and kissed his way down her belly. Part of her suspected what he was going to do while the rest of her couldn’t believe it was really happening. She’d heard…she’d read…but before, he’d never…

  He kissed her between her legs—an openmouthed kiss that made her tremble.

  Tension exploded inside of her as muscles tensed and collected. He found that one spot and licked it over and over until all she could do was dig her heels into the mattress and clutch the sheets with her hands. She tossed her head from side to side, tried to catch her breath, then gave up air completely as her release claimed her.

  She hadn’t known, she thought hazily as her body released and muscles contracted, that this much pleasure existed in the world. That she could feel so good, so right, so everything.

  Her climax rippled through her and still he touched her, gentling the contact until the last drop had been wrung from her body. She opened her eyes and stared at him.

  “I can’t believe you did that.”

  He smiled. “Better than before.”

  “Miraculous. I’ve never…” She wiggled, feeling more than a little self-conscious. “You know.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  He sat up and removed his briefs. She barely had time to gaze at his arousal before he settled between her legs and kissed her breasts. She felt a shivery kind of ache all over. Suddenly there were more possibilities than she’d ever realized and she wanted him inside of her.

  “Yes,” she whispered, as he raised his head and stared at her. “Be in me.” She reached between them and guided him inside.

  He was large and stretched her in the best way possible. She felt filled, yet the need for more grew.

  He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close so they pressed together everywhere. She clung to him, urging him deeper.

  “More,” she breathed as he withdrew only to fill her again.

  The rhythmic thrusting made her pulse against him. She couldn’t get enough and she couldn’t seem to keep control. She strained toward him, reaching, needing, wanting. She dropped her hands to his hips to pull him closer.

  “Take me,” she begged. “Oh, Reyhan, yes.”

  In and out, in and out. Tension grew again. She couldn’t focus on anything but what they were doing. And then her body convulsed in release and she could only hang on as he took her to heaven and back. At the very end, when she was sure there couldn’t be anything else, he shuddered in her embrace and called out her name.

  Later, when the moon had set and they were both lying naked under the covers, Emma rested her head on Reyhan’s shoulder. He was warm and relaxed next to her.

  She had the thought that things could have been awkward between them, but he’d made everything so easy and right by simply pulling her close. As if he never planned on letting her go and this was exactly where she belonged.

  Emma awoke to a bright sunny day and the feeling that she could quite possibly fly. As she lay in the large bed and relived her night with Reyhan, she felt herself smiling, tingling and fighting the urge to break out in song.

  So that was what all the fuss was about, she thought happily as she rubbed her hand against the sheets where Reyhan had slept. Amazing how she’d missed the whole point before. Now she got it completely. Her only regret was that he hadn’t taken her again and again, as he had on their honeymoon. For the first time, making love several times a day made perfect sense.

  “We’ll have tonight,” she said as she tossed back the covers and stood. She was still naked, but there wasn’t anyone around to see. After grabbing her robe from the foot of the bed, she walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower.

  As she stepped into the steaming spray, she had the thought that night was really far off and maybe he wasn’t doing anything for lunch. Or there was that massive desk in his office. The surface might be a little hard, but the space had possibilities. She was still laughing when she began to shampoo her hair.

  Forty minutes later she made her way through the hallways of the palace. She found Reyhan’s office with only a single wrong turn and practically beamed at the man in the foyer.

  “Princess Emma,” he said, leaping to his feet. “I’ll tell your husband you’re here.”

  “Thank you.”

  Emma continued to smile at no one in particular and practically floated into Reyhan’s office. He hung up the phone as she entered.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked, sounding both distant and stern.

  “No. Of course not.” She paused expectantly and waited.

  He stared at her. A grandfather clock in the corner ticked. The silence grew.

  She felt some of her happiness bleed away, and with the sensation came the chilling thought that he had regrets about what had happened.

  After a few seconds, he rose and circled around his desk. “I’m very busy, Emma.

  Is there something you need?”

  He spoke almost coldly, as if she were an assistant who had lingered too long.

  Trepidation clutched at her chest and she took a step back.

  “I thought…” She swallowed. “I was just…” Mentioning her fantasy of a lunch break on his desk seemed impossible.

  Who was this distant stranger? she wondered frantically. Where was the hotly passionate man from the previous night? What had happened?

  He waited, watching her, giving nothing away. She remembered then that he’d tried to leave the bedroom and she’d been the one to stop him. Had she kept him against his will? Had he not wanted to make love with her? Had he done it out of obligation?

  Her eyes began to burn but she refused to give in to tears. She was all grown up now, and she’d known what she was doing when she’d invited him into her bed.

  She’d wanted to make love with him. If there were consequences, they were her responsibility.

  Pride squared her shoulders and raised her chin. She met his dark gaze. Maybe this was the moment to get answers to her questions.

  “Why did you ever marry me?” she asked. “And once you decided to return to Bahania, why did you stay married to me? I don’t believe it was because you were afraid to tell your father what you’d done. You fear no man.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Maybe not to you but I want to know what’s going on. You disappeared from my life for years, then you dragged me back here, played the charming host, then disappeared. Last night—”

  A knock on the closed door interrupted her.

  Reyhan frowned. “What is it?” he called.

  His assistant stepped into the room. “I’m sorry, sir. I wouldn’t have disturbed you except you and Princess Emma have been summoned by the king. He wishes to see both of you right away. It seems her pare
nts have arrived at the palace.”

  “They can’t be here,” Emma murmured as she and Reyhan walked through the maze of corridors. “They don’t like to fly. They never wanted me to. All our vacations were by car.”

  But here they were. As she followed Reyhan into a large reception room, she saw her parents standing with the king in an obviously awkward moment of silence.

  When she came to a stop, Reyhan paused beside her. So far, he hadn’t said anything, and she was grateful. This was going to be difficult enough without him taking on her family for withholding significant information from her for years.

  In the second before they looked up and saw her, she studied them. Her mother was small and a little bent, her thick hair more gray than red, her father much taller and spare. They looked old, frail and out of place. Funny how all her life they’d seemed so powerful. She’d been afraid to defy them, to question the rules. Her only act of rebellion had been to fall in love with Reyhan and then run off with him, and she’d paid for that several times over. Now she saw they were just people. Older, out of their element and afraid for her. They had acted out of love, however misplaced, taking control because she’d never told them they shouldn’t.

  “Emma!” her mother shouted as she saw her. Both her parents rushed over and hugged her fiercely. Reyhan moved away.

  “Are you all right?” her father asked. “Have they hurt you?”

  “What? I’m fine. Everyone has treated me exceptionally well.” She thought about last night. Well didn’t begin to describe it.

  “You shouldn’t have left Dallas,” her mother said as she brushed at Emma’s sleeve. “You know you’re not strong. Situations like this confuse you.”

  “I would think finding out you’re a princess would confuse anyone,” Emma said, trying to step back, but they held on tight.

  Flanking her, they turned to the king. “We’ve filed an official complaint with the State Department protesting our daughter’s kidnapping,” her father said.

  “Dad, no. I wasn’t kidnapped. I’m here as the king’s guest to deal with my marriage to Reyhan. You’re seriously overreacting.”