by Kristi Gold
“For a moment I was in doubt.” And in less than a moment, he would kiss her, damn the rules.
“I’m certain you have no doubts about one particular aspect of the experience.”
“What would that be?”
Her expression turned from amused to sultry. “Isn’t handing your control to a woman a complete rush?”
And now the time had come to reclaim that control.
He spun her around against the wall, framed her face in his palms and kissed her without hesitation, using his tongue to simulate the act of lovemaking that he planned to undertake tonight. He would need time to recover, but he knew exactly what to do with that time.
He broke the kiss but kept hold of her face. “You do not have the market cornered on your so-called trigger points. I know where they exist on you, and I intend to explore each and every one, perhaps more than once.”
“But—”
He pressed a finger to her lips. “This is my plan, and these are my rules. I expect you to touch me, and I will be kissing you often. Everywhere. Do you understand?”
She appeared as if she might respond but nodded instead.
“Good. Now before I carry you to bed, I have one last remark.”
“Please do, but hurry.” Her words came out in a raspy whisper.
“If you trust me enough to give up your control to me, I will give you an experience you will not soon forget.”
Seven
Maysa wouldn’t soon forget the expectation in Rafiq’s dark eyes as he awaited her answer. If she agreed to his request, she would acknowledge that she was finally ready for that next all-important step—letting go and letting him make love to her in every possible way, and the possibilities were endless. She wanted to experience each and every one with him. She needed to forget the horror her life had been with Boutros. Rafiq alone could erase those memories from her mind with only a kiss.
She took both his hands into hers. “I trust you, Rafiq. Do with me what you will, as long as you do it very, very soon.”
When he swept her up into his arms, Maysa laughed from surprise and a sheer sense of freedom. She continued to laugh as he strode into the bedroom and deposited her on the edge of the mattress. She stopped laughing when he stood before her, his golden skin and thick dark hair still damp from their water play, arms dangling at his sides, every astounding inch of him exposed to her eyes. One prime, naked, beautiful male. All hers to enjoy with touches and kisses. Definitely kisses, and she craved one now.
She turned her focus on his mouth and made a rather ridiculous observation in light of their current situation. “You shaved again.”
He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Yes, and with good reason. As you’ve said, women at times find facial hair irritating. I would not want that for you.”
“I like you better without the goatee.”
“I am pleased you are pleased.”
Maysa would be more pleased if he would make some move to touch or kiss her. Anything to put her out of her misery. After the shower escapade, she was so sexually keyed up she could jump out of her skin, or jump all over him.
Yet he continued to survey her as if intentionally prolonging her agony. “Rafiq, are you simply going to stand there all night and assess me?”
“No.” He leaned forward and planted his palms on either side of her hips. “I am trying to decide exactly what I wish to do with you.”
“I don’t care. Just do it.”
He barked out a laugh. “Patience has never been one of your virtues, but since I am now in control, you will have to find some.”
She sighed. “You’re frustrating me so much I want to scream.”
He gave her a wry grin. “I assure you, screaming could very well be involved. Or at the very least, moaning.”
His words blanketed her body with another round of heat. His sudden, deep kiss landed that heat right between her thighs. After he had kissed her quite thoroughly, he began a trek down her body with his lips, pausing at her breasts to pay each equal attention with the tip of his tongue and the steady pull of his mouth.
When she tried to take him back onto the bed, he rejected her efforts and straightened. “Patience,” he reminded her. “I want you to remain where I have placed you.”
He wanted her to continue to sit up? “What if I want to lie back?”
“I will inform you when that is permissible.”
He was beginning to take the power play to the extreme, but who was she to question him? She had stripped him of all control in the shower, and seeing him that helpless had been a complete and utter turn-on. “Your wish is my command, Sayyed.”
“And my command is that you take pleasure in the experience,” he said, tossing her words back at her.
“I’m sure I will, as soon as you give it to me.”
“I have every intention of giving it to you.” When he raked his gaze down her body and back up again, she literally squirmed. “Do you know what you deserve?” he asked.
A medal for remaining upright. “No, what do I deserve?”
He leaned forward again and kissed her lightly. “A man who is willing—” he lowered himself to the floor “—to fall to his knees before you.”
His tender words and actions shot straight to Maysa’s heart. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say nothing,” he said. “Only feel.”
When he parted her legs, Maysa trembled from anticipation. She became keenly aware that he was about to undertake what no man had ever dared. She had been with two men—and the one before her had never attempted this. The other had only been concerned with his own sadistic gratification, not hers.
Still, she wasn’t a child. She knew all there was to know about human sexuality and female anatomy. But she had no personal barometer with which to measure how this ultimate intimacy would feel. She would soon find out, she realized, as Rafiq slid his hands beneath her bottom and kissed his way up her inner thighs.
The minute he reached the intended target, she acknowledged he had a wonderfully wicked mouth, and he used it on her with the skill of a man experienced in the art of lovemaking. As she witnessed the act, she had trouble catching her breath, but couldn’t. With every pass of his tongue, she tried very hard to take in all the sensations, but she was beginning to enter the realm where thought was impossible. Her hips involuntarily tilted toward him, prompting Rafiq to be even more deliberate. And that in turn brought about a climax that jarred her like an unpredictable bolt of lightning.
The impact left her weak and winded and momentarily incoherent from the wonder of it all. But she wasn’t so mentally jumbled that she didn’t notice the typical male pride in Rafiq’s expression as he rested his chin on her shaky knees.
“That was quick,” she said when she’d recovered enough to speak. “And totally amazing.”
“I agree it was over too quickly for you to enjoy the full effect. It will not be that way the second time.”
Surely he didn’t mean… Oh, yes, he did. “Rafiq, I can’t…”
“Do not underestimate yourself,” he said. “Or me.”
Multiple orgasms had never been a part of her limited sexual repertoire. She knew they were possible, but could she truly hope they were possible for her? She sought confirmation as Rafiq went back to his ministrations, this time using his hand as well as his mouth. She remained more aware of what he was doing this time, but no less excited to have him do it. No less in need of a release. The climax began to gain momentum, more tempered this time, but still potent. And when Rafiq hit her “trigger spot,” the orgasm caused her to curl over his head to anchor herself.
Maysa fell back on the bed, closed her eyes and waited for the endless tremors to subside, willing her pulse to steady. Only a few moments passed before she felt the mattress bend beside her.
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“Are you all right?”
She opened her eyes and focused on that remarkable, endearing smile. “I have traveled to that state known as euphoria.”
His deep laugh gave her the chills all over again. “I believe I visited there in the shower.”
“I never knew,” she said, struggling to express what she was feeling.
“Never knew what?”
She rolled toward him and touched his face. “I never knew I could feel so much. I truly did believe Boutros had destroyed all that was good about lovemaking. I have you to thank for helping me to see it can be good. Better than good.”
He pushed her damp hair back and kissed her forehead. “You are not required to thank me, and the best is yet to come. If you are ready.”
How could she not be? “I am more than ready, and weary of waiting.”
“Good. Get dressed.”
She had not expected that perplexing order. “Is this some new technique you’ve learned, making love fully clothed?”
“No. I want to take you somewhere special to make love to you.”
He was certainly full of surprises tonight. “Where would that be?”
“Our past.”
* * *
If only they could actually return to those carefree days. If only they could change the course of their history and the confines of their culture. If only they had found some way to be together permanently.
Maysa dealt daily in reality, not impossibilities. Time could not be rewound, and even if it could, she wasn’t certain she would turn back the clock. Every heartbreak, every moment of torture, had driven her to succeed. Every disappointment had made her who she was today—a strong, independent woman. A physician. If she had been chosen to be Rafiq’s wife, she would have eventually been relegated to entertain dignitaries and churn out royal heirs. She had always wanted to be a doctor, and she probably would not have been allowed the opportunity had she married Rafiq. Resentment might have destroyed their love.
Nevertheless, the past was dead and buried, and the present was all that mattered right now. She would concentrate on that as they set off on their mystery journey.
Yet the mystery ended the moment Rafiq steered the Hummer off the main highway and Maysa realized exactly where they were going—their secret sanctuary.
Ancient olive trees lined the narrow lane, welcoming them back to the large parcel of Mehdi-owned land that bordered the palace grounds. The private grove where she and Rafiq had come of age in each other’s arms. Where they had first declared their love, all the while knowing that love would never be enough to sustain their relationship. Not when culture and customs had intruded.
As pavement turned to gravel, Maysa powered down the window, allowing the warm breeze to reintroduce her to the scents and sounds of nature in its purest form. Rafiq pulled between two acacia trees adjacent to the small clearing that had served as their special meeting place. He shut off the ignition and left on the parking lights that illuminated the tufts of grass and aloe plants in a golden glow.
After taking in the sight, she shifted slightly toward Rafiq. “It looks the same as it did before. I do hope the caretaker still keeps the wolves away.”
He draped an arm over the steering wheel and stared out the windshield. “No one has spotted a wolf in a number of years.”
That gave her only a small measure of comfort. “I suppose we could have brought along one of your guards, although having an audience would be rather awkward.”
“They are positioned on the main road in front of the entrance to the property.”
Wonderful. “They’re not going to be patrolling the area, are they?”
“They will remain in the car, as I have instructed. We will not be disturbed.”
“Good. I’d hate to be caught—”
“Naked?” He accentuated the comment with a sensual grin.
“Exactly.”
“I will protect you from prying eyes if necessary.”
She smiled at a sudden recollection. “If my memory serves me correctly, you insisted on coming to my bed that first time because you worried someone would catch us here without our clothes. Now you’re suggesting we take off all our clothes here and the threat is still real.”
He reached across the console and took her hand. “With age and experience comes the need for adventure.”
“As long as that adventure does not include ants and other creatures of the night.”
He brought her face around and kissed her. “I will protect you from all predators.”
Maysa fished two condoms from the side pocket of her casual dress and prepared for Rafiq’s reaction. “And I am in charge of protecting us from pregnancy.”
As she’d predicted, he scowled. “Although I understand the necessity, I am not pleased with having a barrier between us.”
“A thin barrier. You’ll barely know it’s there.”
“I will know, and why only two?”
She slapped playfully at his arm with the back of her hand. “I have a whole box at the resort if this is not enough.”
“That is good to know.” He reached behind the seat and brought out two of the hotel’s blankets. “Now it is time to put these barriers to good use.”
Maysa waited while Rafiq rounded the Hummer and opened her door. After he took her hand to help her out, they walked, arms around waists, toward the far side of the field that contained more sand than foliage.
Rafiq let Maysa go to spread out one of the blankets, then dropped the other on the ground beside the pallet. “In case we need to cover ourselves should we be visited by an intruder.”
She truly hoped that wouldn’t be necessary. “Well?” she asked when neither made a move to undress.
“Shoes first,” he said as he lowered onto the blanket and began removing his boots.
Maysa slipped off her sandals while Rafiq stripped out of his shirt. Although the light was limited to a three-quarter moon, she could still make out his body’s finer details—the webwork of masculine veins in his strong arms, the bulk of his biceps and the ridged plane of his belly. She had seen those details earlier, among others, yet she found she would gladly study them for hours. She also discovered a sense of daring that had been missing from her life for several years.
After she stepped onto the edge of the blanket, she pitched the condoms to Rafiq, who made a perfect one-handed catch. She reached behind her, slid the back zipper down and then lowered the straps. She let the dress fall in a pool of gauze at her feet, drawing Rafiq’s attention to her bare breasts. When she shimmied out of her panties and kicked them aside, he released an audible groan.
“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he asked, his voice noticeably strained as he lowered his fly.
She didn’t need to hear the compliment—she could see the appreciation in his eyes, and elsewhere when he had dispensed with the rest of his clothes. And she had no qualms about taking a long look elsewhere. “Thank you, Your Highness. I feel the same about you.” She felt so much for him that her emotions were heading into a tailspin.
Rafiq patted the space beside him. “If you are ready to proceed, join me.”
Deciding to take that daring for another spin, Maysa went to her knees, crawled toward him and reached over to retrieve one discarded packet. After withdrawing the condom, she nudged Rafiq onto his back and took the liberty of rolling it into place, with a few added unnecessary adjustments for good measure.
She then stretched out atop the length of him. “I believe I’ve proven I am more than ready.” She shimmied her hips against him. “So are you.”
With one smooth move, he flipped her onto her back. She expected to see amusement in his eyes, but instead, she saw worry. “Again, if you wish me to stop, say so. If you experience any pain, tell me.”
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nbsp; She loved him for his concern. She loved him for more reasons than she could count. “I’m positive that will not happen. After all, this is what we’ve been waiting for, and I trust you’ll make it worth the wait.”
He lifted her chin and kissed her briefly. “I will do everything in my power to make it right for you.”
“And you are a very powerful man, Rafiq Mehdi, oh, king of the female climax.”
Finally, his smile reappeared. “I will endeavor to continue to earn that title, beginning now.”
And he did, without a moment’s hesitation. After a few expert touches and one long, hot kiss, he quickly took her to the brink and she was on the verge of pleading and promising him anything if he would take her all the way. Then he removed his hand, raised slightly, moved over her.
Maysa braced for the inevitable, so certain she could handle the culmination of all their foreplay. Yet when he began to ease inside her, her body tensed even though her mind told her this was not an invasion. This was Rafiq, the man she trusted with her life.
Rafiq stilled and responded by uncurling her fisted hands and kissing her palms. He then began speaking to her in Arabic. Soft words. Sensuous words. Descriptive words that painted a picture of how she felt surrounding him. How he had waited a lifetime to be this close to her again. How his greatest desire was to give her the utmost pleasure.
Before Maysa realized it, they were completely joined; she was entirely free of any resistance and once more caught in the throes of an orgasm the moment he began to move. As the cadence of his thrusts increased, she smoothed her hands over his back, memorized every nuance, reveled in his power and remembered that one night when she had given herself to him the first time. When she had willingly handed over her heart, only to have it shattered by his duty. And it would invariably happen again if she allowed it.
She refused to consider that now. She only wanted to concentrate on these precious moments when nothing mattered but making love with him. Loving him.
After Rafiq collapsed against her with a low moan, Maysa’s unwanted tears again broke through despite her determination not to cry in front of him for the second time in as many days. The emotional fortress she had erected for self-protection had begun to crumble in his presence.
