by Kristi Gold
His grin expanded. “And you are surprised by this?”
Not in the least, but she was surprised by her reaction. She felt winded and flushed and…needy. “I apologize for touching you without your permission.”
“Never apologize for something so pleasurable. I am yours to do with what you will.”
She so badly wanted to return to the time when she had been secure in her sensuality. When she hadn’t been afraid to explore, or be explored. She had the perfect guide next to her, a man she could trust. A man she had desired for as long as she could recall. Perhaps he couldn’t promise a future, but he could bring her back to that land known as the living. First, she had to ask.
“I have a request for you,” she said.
“Your wish is my command.”
Before she reconsidered, Maysa sat up, drew in a deep breath, pulled her undershirt over her head and tossed it aside. “I want you to touch me the way you did when we were young, Rafiq.”
Obvious desire, as well as a cast of concern, called out from his coal-colored eyes. “Are you certain?”
She stretched out on her back, closed her eyes and fisted her hands at her sides. “As long as we go slowly. I need—”
“I understand what you need,” he said. “And you may rest assured I will treat you with the greatest of care. You only need tell me to stop, and I will.”
She knew he would, otherwise she would never allow this to happen.
After Maysa nodded, Rafiq took her arm, unclenched her hand, and kissed her palm. He then leaned over and kissed her forehead, then each cheek before brushing his lips over hers. “Open your eyes for me.” When she complied, he added, “I want you to see me touching you. I want you to know it is me.”
He did understand, she realized, and she loved him for it.
Loved him…
She would take that out and examine it later. At the moment, her attention was drawn to Rafiq as he brushed his knuckles down her throat. He circled a fingertip around one breast, then the other, all the while keeping his gaze trained on hers. He seemed to be gauging her reaction, and she reacted with an increase in her respiration. He placed a kiss between her breasts, then sought her eyes again before he dipped his head and closed his mouth over her nipple. The circular movement of his tongue, the gentle pull, caused her to shift restlessly from the sensations. She was so lost in the heat, the yearning, she hadn’t realized he was caressing her abdomen. She wanted him to keep going, yet when he slipped the button on her fly, illogical fear enveloped her.
“Stop.” Her command came out in a raspy whisper.
But she’d been forceful enough to cause Rafiq to raise his head, taking the welcome warmth of his mouth away from her breast. “Do you wish me to stop completely?”
“Yes… No…” She streaked both hands over her face. “I’m not certain. A part of me is still fearful, and I despise feeling this way.”
“I do not want you to be afraid. I want you to feel only pleasure.”
She lowered her eyes. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Do not apologize, Maysa. I promised I would stop when you asked, and I am a man of my word.”
She finally looked at him. “You’re a good man, Rafiq, and always patient with me.”
“I will continue to be patient,” he said. “You will determine if you wish to continue. Now we should sleep. We have a long drive ahead of us in the morning.”
She didn’t want to think about morning. She wasn’t certain she could sleep. “I suppose you’re right.”
“First, may I kiss you?”
How odd that he’d asked, yet she appreciated that he had. “Yes, you may.”
“You are not concerned with the no-kissing rule?”
She couldn’t help but smile. “I believe it’s too late to enforce that now.”
“I want to make certain you have not changed your mind.”
“I will if you do not hurry up and kiss me.”
He rolled her toward him, framed her face with his palms and pressed his lips against hers softly. Yet it didn’t last long before Rafiq pulled back and smiled. “Now if you would please put your shirt back on, I might possibly be able to sleep.”
Feeling strangely wicked, Maysa leaned over him to retrieve her top, intentionally rubbing her bare breasts against his chest. She rose up and replaced the shirt slower than necessary. “Is that better?”
He swallowed hard. “Somewhat. Should I put on my pants?”
“I’m a doctor, Rafiq. I’ve seen quite a few naked men in the course of my medical career.” In afterthought she added, “But I would prefer you keep the dragon covered.”
Rafiq laughed then. A grainy, sensual laugh that almost had her reconsidering sleep. But she wasn’t ready to move forward in their intimacy. At least not yet.
When she settled back onto the blanket, Rafiq again folded her in his arms, providing the security she needed at the moment.
Concerned over the future, Maysa listened to the cadence of Rafiq’s breathing and determined he wasn’t sleeping. “Are you awake?”
“Yes.”
“After all the years, I still feel a connection between us. Do you?”
“Of course,” he said. “Time does have a way of standing still when it involves friendship.”
Friendship… That said it all. “Where do we go from here?”
He brushed a kiss across her forehead. “Wherever we choose to go. And wherever that might be, I promise we will both find pleasure in the journey.”
Did she dare continue with this dangerous emotional game? Did she risk losing herself to him again? Yes. She was no longer that starstruck young girl with unattainable dreams. She could never play a role in his future, but she could be a part of his present. They needed each other. He needed comfort, and she needed confidence.
Wise or not, she would make love with him again, provided she wasn’t too broken.
Five
He was surprised she had allowed him to drive. He was more surprised by her current demeanor.
As Rafiq navigated the barren terrain, he afforded Maysa an occasional glance. At the moment, her face was turned toward the morning sky shining in through the moon roof, her unbound hair blowing back in the breeze from the open window. He could not see her eyes, now covered with sunglasses, but he could definitely see her smile and the twin dimples framing her mouth. She had also left her blouse unbuttoned, providing a view of the undershirt drawn tight over her breasts. That had almost proved enough distraction to cause him to veer onto the shoulder, coming dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.
Freedom…
That word immediately came to Rafiq’s mind. Both yearned for it, yet Maysa captured the essence of it. He wished to see more of that absence of inhibition in the near future. He wanted more of what they had shared last night. Most important, he wanted revenge on the man who had stolen her security and left her scarred for life. Death was not good enough for Boutros Kassab.
“We should keep driving past the city,” Maysa said, turning her vibrant smile on him. “We should escape and not tell anyone where we’re going.”
Her enthusiasm was contagious, and familiar. Many times in their shared pasts they had spoken about this very thing. “And where do you suggest we go?”
She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I don’t know. South to the sea, maybe. Or perhaps we could travel north into Saudi. Dine at the finest restaurants and stay at the best resort.”
He only wished they could be that carefree. “You have responsibilities, as do I.”
She frowned. “What happened to your sense of adventure?”
“Replaced by the crown.” Determined by duty.
“That, Rafiq, is a travesty.” She pointed to his left. “Pull over up there.”
She’d indicated a thirty-meter expanse of dirt breaking into the pavement and a sheer drop-off beyond. “Why?”
“Please, just do it. And back into the spot.”
Far be it for him to question Maysa once she had her mind set on something. He slowed the Hummer, pulled off to the side of the road and then put the vehicle in Reverse. He made certain to leave sufficient room between the SUV and the drop-off, though he was tempted to inch close enough to earn a scolding.
Once they had stopped, Rafiq shut off the ignition and draped one hand over the wheel. “Do you wish to watch the traffic the go by?”
She unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door. “No. We’re going to sit for a while and look at the mountains.”
When Maysa exited, Rafiq did the same and followed her to the back of the vehicle. She opened the tailgate, boosted herself up onto it, and patted the space beside her.
They sat quietly for a time, staring off into the distance. He had seen the panorama countless times, yet he had often taken the majestic mountains for granted. They served as a fortress surrounding the city, nature’s protection against those who envied Bajul’s peaceful existence and autonomy, as well as its resources.
“You can see the palace from here,” Maysa said, breaking into silence. “And of course, who could miss Mabrứuk. We should take a day to explore there before your respite is over.”
He did not care to consider the ending of his time with her, though it was inevitable. “When Zain and Madison visited the mountain, they returned with not one but two souvenirs. Zain knew the possible consequences, and he chose to take that risk regardless.”
“You don’t truly believe that fertility mythology, do you?” she asked.
Perhaps not, but he did not wish to take any undue chances. “I only know the villagers still believe it.”
“Well, I can’t say that I do. It takes more than a mountain to make a baby.”
He sent her a teasing smile. “I was not aware of that.”
She playfully swiped at his arm. “I’m certain you don’t need me to explain the procreation process.”
He rubbed his chin and pretended to think. “I would not object to hearing it in terms I would understand.”
She laid a hand above her breast. “Why, Your Majesty, are you asking me to talk dirty to you?”
Precisely. “It would not be the first time if you did.”
A blush colored her cheeks. “I was incredibly young back then.”
“And extremely bold.” He still recalled that night when she had verbalized what she had wanted him to do to her, causing him to shift against the uncomfortable effects of that memory. “I appreciated your candor, and I would hope you still feel that you may say anything to me.”
“I do, and I have.” She leaned back and supported herself on straight arms. “Do you remember that night when we spent several hours not far from here, looking at the same view?”
He remembered it well. “The night you stole your father’s car and whisked me away from the palace?”
“I borrowed his car,” she corrected.
“Without his knowledge or permission.”
She looked extremely proud of her subterfuge. “I returned it later, and he was never the wiser.”
“True. Do you remember the code we used when you would summon me?”
Her smile gave the rising sun competition. “How’s the weather. And you would always answer—”
“Hot.” And that would start the scramble to find a way to be together.
The silence returned, this time rife with tension as they centered their gazes on each other. She finally favored him with a smile. “How is the weather?”
“Hotter than a desert blaze.”
She leaned to his ear and whispered, “So am I.”
He answered the obvious invitation with a kiss. Maysa responded with the passion Rafiq had learned to appreciate years before, and had greatly missed. He had never received the same reaction from his wife, but then their kisses had been obligatory. Absent of passion or undeniable need.
He experienced all those emotions with Maysa, and the intense desire to have her again overwhelmed him. He slid his hand beneath the back of her blouse to feel her bare skin against his palms. She surprised him by guiding that hand around to her breast. The desperate sound she made when he feathered his thumb across her nipple was almost his undoing.
Momentarily releasing her, he shoved the medical kits aside to make a place for them. No words were spoken as they crawled inside the vehicle and immediately moved back into each other’s arms. He kissed her again, harder, deeper, as he divided her legs with his knee until they were completely twined together as tightly as braided rope.
“I want to touch you,” he said. “Everywhere.”
“I want you to touch me.” Her voice was winded, her eyes hazy. “I need you to touch me.”
The reality sudden dawned. How easy it would be to grant her wish. And unwise. Should anyone come upon them on the verge of making love, the scandal would rock the country. A scandal neither could afford.
He placed a kiss on her forehead. “Not here. Not now. You deserve better than this.” That all-important next step would be best taken in a feather bed, not in the bed of an SUV. “We are less than twenty minutes away from your home.”
“I’m not sure I can wait another twenty minutes.”
Neither was Rafiq. “Then perhaps we should leave immediately.”
“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay here?”
He kissed her again, this time with more restraint to prevent rousing the dragon again. “I am sure. We will have the entire evening to spend together and a bed at our disposal. Provided you are ready to take that next step.”
Her smile expanded, showing her dimples to full advantage. “Then what are we waiting for?”
* * *
Fortunately, they had waited long enough not to have their burgeoning affair confirmed by another member of the royal family. Had they arrived ten minutes earlier, Zain and Madison Mehdi might have caught them in a thoroughly compromising position.
Maysa wasn’t altogether unhappy to see the couple, though their timing wasn’t exactly the best. But when they’d come upon Zain and Madison in the living area, both looking extremely serious, she worried this might not be only a casual visit.
Rafiq crossed the room and targeted his brother with a glare. “Why are you here?”
Zain rose from the sofa, his gaze honed in on Maysa. “We have simply stopped by to see how the two of you are getting along.”
“That’s not true,” Madison said as she stood. “We’re here because all hell is breaking loose back at the palace.”
Maysa exchanged a wary look with Rafiq before she brought her attention back to Madison. “What exactly do you mean?”
“Although arranging for the helicopter was noble, Rafiq,” Zain began, “you might have been a bit more discreet. It seems the media has learned you were in Diya with Maysa. You might have made us privy to your plans so that we would have been prepared for the fallout.”
“Rafiq had nothing to do with it,” Maysa said. “This was all my idea. Had I known it would create a scandal, I would never have considered it.”
With his eyes flashing anger, and his hands fisted at his sides, Rafiq looked as if he might fly into a rage. “I was in Diya observing one of Bajul’s finest doctors treating the sick and downtrodden. What scandal is there in that?”
Madison lowered herself onto the sofa and folded her hands together. “Because rumor has it you spent the night with the country’s finest doctor.”
Searing heat began to work its way from Maysa’s throat to her forehead. “We slept together in a tent.” Could that have sounded more questionable? “In a large tent, and all we did was sleep.” Excluding s
ome minor foreplay and major kissing. Hopefully they wouldn’t ask about the ride back from Diya.
“Did anyone see you together on your return from Diya?” Zain asked.
Clearly that had been too much for Maysa to hope for. “No one saw us.”
“There was nothing to see,” Rafiq interjected, sounding a bit too defensive in Maysa’s opinion.
“Everyone, please sit,” Madison said. “We need to implement a plan.”
Rafiq slid his hands into his pants’ pockets and remained frozen on the spot. “I prefer to stand.”
Maysa preferred to leave for the closest exit, but she claimed the chair adjacent to the sofa before she answered that urge. “What do you suggest we do about this misunderstanding?”
Zain draped an arm over his wife’s shoulder. “Madison held a press conference this morning to—”
“Without my permission?” Rafiq interjected.
Maysa affected the calm Rafiq failed to show. “What did this press conference entail?”
“Attempting to answer the usual questions,” Madison said. “What business did the king have in Diya? What is the true relationship between the king and doctor? In other words, are they having a sordid affair? Nothing I haven’t faced before in my career.”
“I really feel badly you’re having to work on your holiday, Madison,” Maysa said.
Zain kissed Madison’s cheek. “Even after blessing me with two babies, my wife is still the best at what she does.”
Madison smiled. “Sweetheart, I can lactate and change a thousand diapers a day and still handle my job. That’s part of why you love me.”
This time Zain kissed her on the mouth. “And you love me for my overt charm, as well as my royal staff.”
While Maysa couldn’t hold back her laughter, Rafiq grumbled an Arabic curse. “Could the two of you stop mooning over each other and bring your minds back to the issues at hand?” he said. “Specifically, I demand to know every detail of this press conference.”
Maysa could only guess at that, but she was certain karma had arrived, telling her to steer clear of any intimacy with the king. Steer clear of him altogether. “I would assume Madison denied the conjecture, Rafiq.”
