“Why do you hate me so much?” he asked.
“I don’t hate you,” she answered, smiling. “I love you. I’ve always loved you.”
Her words were like music to his ears, even though the conscious part of himself knew that it was just a lie. Their invisible DJ slowed the music down and they were reduced to just swaying to a simple two-step.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve danced,” Taariq whispered against her ear.
“Yes. It’s been way too long.” She pressed her head against the side of his face and started humming in tune to the romantic melody circling them.
“You know…if you want…we could dance like this for the rest of our lives.” He inhaled a deep breath when he realized what he was saying—that here was a woman that he could truly see spending the rest of his life with. Here was a woman who effortlessly intrigued him and challenged his entire belief system, and it didn’t scare the hell out of him. “How does that sound to you, sweetheart?”
He tilted his head back so that he could see and hear her response. To his delight, her face lit up with a glowing love that took his breath away.
“I would love to dance with you forever,” she whispered, drowning in his eyes.
Taariq leaned down and sealed the deal with a kiss. But it was no ordinary kiss. This one made him feel as if he were sailing through the sky or that he was the king of the world, King Kong or even perhaps the Lion King. Maybe love did that to a man, it made him feel strong and indestructible.
For a long while, he was content to just drink from her lips, but then he could feel her small fingers start to undo the buttons lining the front of his shirt. His response was to deepen their kiss while he went to work on the tiny zipper on the back of her dress…
On Anna’s side of the bed, she began to toss around in her sleep….
Taariq’s hands stopped their slow glide between her legs, but only so that his index finger could penetrate easily through her wetness. Her head eased back as her body erupted with tiny tremors and a slow wave of honey slid down between her legs.
“Ah. Look at you. All nice and wet for me,” he whispered and then stirred his fingers around.
Anna’s hammering heartbeat mirrored that of her pulsing clit that beat back against Taariq’s stirring finger. As a result, she neared her first orgasm in no time at all.
“That’s it. Let it go,” Taariq coaxed, sliding in his middle finger and hitting the right spots at the right time.
“Ahhh.” Anna’s legs trembled and their ability to hold her weight remained unstable. That is, until Taariq’s fingers split open into a V and exposed her honey-coated pearl.
Taariq watched as her pretty pink clit transformed into a dark cherry while she neared her second orgasm. When he was convinced that she was ripe enough, he leaned forward and glided his tongue along its pounding base…
In bed, Anna turned and smacked into a small wall of pillows. Yet no alarms went off inside her head. She was too lost in what was happening inside of her mind that she simply grabbed one of the pillows and tucked it in between her legs. Unfortunately it did little to help the ache that was growing in reality, so she grabbed the other pillow separating her and Taariq and clung to it as she turned over in bed.
Meanwhile, Taariq’s dream was just heating up….
After peeling off Anna’s red dress, Taariq was delightfully surprised and turned on to see her wearing a sexy black silk number with lace peekaboo sides. His steel-like erection stretched another inch, making him impatient to be inside of her. He took his time, stroking and caressing her soft skin.
Anna moaned.
Taariq smiled.
After enjoying his eye candy for a moment, Taariq wasted no time in stripping Anna out of her sexy lingerie. Next he wanted to concentrate on raining kisses from the top of her head all the way down to the soles of her feet….
Anna’s hands clutched Taariq’s head like her life depended on it while he continued to feast from her body’s nectar until her knees finally gave out. Only then he laughed at her flushed face.
“I take it that you liked that, baby?”
She hid her smile in the crook of his neck. “You know I did.”
Gently, Taariq raked his fingers through her hair. “What do you say that we continue this over on the bed?” He pulled her head back so that he could nibble on her lips and share her taste.
“I’d love that,” she whispered, licking her lips.
Together they stood and strolled over to the king-size bed. She leaned back and he climbed on top. He immediately zeroed in on his favorite spot: the soft curve at the base of her neck…
Sighing, Anna released the pillow she held in her arms and rolled over toward the real Taariq in her bed just as he turned toward her. Their bodies met in the center of the bed. Neither of them thought anything of the added sense of smell: her fragrant hair and his male-scented soap. If anything it only heightened their libidos and fed their unconscious desires.
When Taariq started peppering real kisses along Anna’s sensitive collarbone, she responded by curling toward him and moaning softly into the night. Loving the melodious sound, he sought her lips while his hands slid down her body. Damn, she tasted good and he was sure that he could truly taste her spearmint lips. This had to be the best damn dream that he’d ever had.
He absently pushed the pillow away that was tucked between her legs and replaced it with his hands. Even when he discovered her silky wet panties, he didn’t question it. He just tugged them off with one swift pull and then kneed her legs farther apart.
Anna thrashed her head away from Taariq’s hungry mouth for some much needed oxygen. But the ache between her legs was such an unbearable torture that she begged, “Please, Taariq. I need you now.”
Taariq knew exactly the kind of pain that she was in because he was experiencing it himself. He removed his briefs as if Houdini was his middle name. And when his cock pressed against her entry, her legs came up greedily and locked around his hips. With that, there was only one direction to go. Holding her hips, Taariq eased slowly in between her warm, slick and tight walls.
Ecstasy like he’d never known took hold of him and refused to let go—not that he ever wanted to. With that one thrust, he could feel everything. Her breath. Her heartbeat. And a long-neglected need that he was now determined to fill.
In sync, their bodies moved in a mating dance that was as old as time itself. Their joining was an instant connection like two long-lost pieces to a forgotten puzzle.
“Yes…yes…” Anna moaned as real tears started rolling from the corners of her eyes. Nothing in her life had ever felt this glorious. The way the man made her body hum and her mind spin was something that she knew she could absolutely get addicted to. As a bright light started to glow from behind her closed eyes, she effortlessly surrendered her body and soul to the power that was building up inside of her.
When it exploded, she cried while Taariq growled mightily against her ear. Afterward, Anna was sure that she’d splintered into a million pieces, but all that mattered was that she was content…and satisfied. She was vaguely aware of a few more kisses as Taariq gathered her close and tucked her against his chest.
When they finally slipped into a deeper stage of sleep, one thought was threaded between them: Why couldn’t this night have been real?
Chapter 18
Riiiing! Riiiing!
Anna moaned and snuggled deeper into the crook of Taariq’s arm. She inhaled his now-familiar scent and slid on a soft smile. Peace and contentment radiated through her body. Somehow she had found heaven in this one comfortable spot in the center of the bed. For a fleeting moment, she found herself wishing that she could spend the entire ski trip lying right there.
Riiiing! Riiiing!
“Oh, God. Make them go away,” she complained.
Taariq groaned. “Maybe if we just ignore them they will.”
Anna nodded and burrowed deeper into her warm alcove.
At long
last, as if picking up on the hint, the phone stopped ringing.
“See? What did I tell you?” Taariq slid an arm over the curve of her hip and then pulled her tighter.
A lazy smile drifted over Anna’s face, but slowly her brain started to churn. Was I just talking to someone? A few more spokes got in on the act and her curiosity grew. Maybe I’m still dreaming. She lay between the worlds of reality and dreamland while trying to figure out which way to go. However, now that her curiosity had been stirred, her other senses started to tune in. The first was her sense of smell. The seductive fragrance that she’d fallen in love with sometime during the night seemed a little too real. Next was her sense of taste. She swore that there was a lingering foreign taste on her tongue that she didn’t quite recognize. Then it was her hearing, besides the sound of crashing waterfalls streaming from the CD player, there was the slow, steady sound of someone breathing.
For a crazy moment, she held her breath—but the mysterious breathing continued and was in sync to the same rhythm as whatever she was leaning against. Her heart stopped.
Open your eyes. She was too scared. What if there really was someone in her bed?
That’s impossible. There can’t be anyone in here. The very idea that some mystery psychopath had broken into her cabin in the middle of the night terrified her so much that her heartbeat went from zero to sixty in a snap.
Open your eyes! Anna started praying as her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes one millimeter at a time. Her heartbeat slammed on the brakes again when a muscular, black chest came into focus. If there was any consolation at least her mystery psycho had a nice chest. Her eyes lowered to how the bed’s sheet was casually draped across his nicely cut hips. And what was that hardening against her thigh?
She slammed her eyes shut. I’m dreaming I’m dreaming I’m dreaming. Maybe if she said it enough times then it would be true. It had to be true. For a full minute, Anna clung to that slimmest of possibilities with everything she had. But it wasn’t working. There was just one more way for her to be sure. She reached down and grabbed the back of her hand and twisted. The instant pain brought reality in sharp focus.
This time her eyes flew open. When the same muscular chest greeted her, she jumped up and scrambled backward, screaming at the top of her lungs.
Taariq bolted straight up like a soldier responding to an air raid. “What? What’s going on? What happened?” His gaze flew across the bed and took in the wild-haired and green-faced screaming banshee. He yelled out in fright and then tipped over the side of the bed. His body hit the floor with a thud, but his head cracked against the nightstand, knocking him out cold.
At the sickening sound, Anna stopped screaming. Was that Taariq? She jumped out of bed, clutching the top sheet and then raced around to see if he was all right. He landed at an odd angle and she immediately feared the worst.
“Taariq!” She dropped to the floor and shook him by his shoulder. When he continued to lie there like a crash-test dummy, she lowered her head against his chest and then checked for a pulse on his wrist. She relaxed a bit when she found a strong pulse.
Anna sat back on her haunches and then started tapping him on the face. The taps became slaps and he finally started to stir. “Taariq, wake up, damn it, so I can cuss you out.”
He moaned and his long lashes fluttered.
Anna jabbed her hands onto her hips and waited until his dark eyes focused. “Are you finished trying to kill yourself?”
Taariq jumped and tried to scramble back again.
“What the hell is wrong with you now?”
“Anna?”
“Who in the hell did you think it was? And what the hell are you doing in my cabin?”
“I don’t know. What the hell is that on your face?”
Anna’s hands shot up to touch her face and at the feel of its rock-hard mask that she’d put on before going to bed, she screamed and then bolted toward the bathroom.
“Good. Now you know how I felt,” he mumbled just before she slammed the door shut.
Anna took one look at her reflection and just barely swallowed another scream. Her hair was all over her head. And the mask on her face was the color of day-old guacamole. No wonder Taariq had been scared out of his mind. She doubled over at the sink and turned the water on to full blast where she scrubbed, rubbed and rinsed her face for a good twenty minutes. When she finally patted her skin dry, it was as soft and smooth as a baby’s bottom.
After that, she took in the rest of her appearance, most importantly the wetness in between her thighs. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that she had had sex last night. She knew in a way that a woman could always tell. She met her gaze in the mirror and tried to figure out how she felt about this latest development. Being honest with herself, she wasn’t particularly angry as much as she was just confused.
“I know who, what and when…I just need to figure out how and why.” She glanced at the closed bathroom door, but wasn’t ready to march out, demand answers and hurl accusations. Maybe she wasn’t ready for them.
Drawing in another deep breath, Anna turned toward the shower. She turned the water on full blast and was stunned by the immediate boiling-hot temperature. Quickly, she adjusted the dials before her skin was peeled off and then reached for the liquid soap. She had doused her entire soap sponge and started scrubbing before she recognized the masculine cologne soap.
“Ugh!” She tossed the sponge aside and reached for the other bottle behind Taariq’s and then tried her best to scrub his scent from her body. She didn’t miss how tender her breast felt or how delectably sore she was between her legs. As she continued to wash and rinse, snatches of a dream flashed in her mind.
“But it was a dream,” she whispered and then shook her head. None of this was making any sense.
After using half a bottle of mango and apple soap and being damn near pickled, Anna finally shut off the water and climbed out of the shower. She took her time, patting and then wrapping the towel around her body. She even stalled for additional ten minutes by running the brush through her hair. You can’t stay in here forever.
Anna expelled a long breath, set the brush down and went back out to finally get some answers. When she pulled open the door, Taariq sat waiting on the edge of the bed in just a pair of black boxers and still rubbing the back of his head.
“Are you all right?” she asked, timidly.
Taariq looked up and flashed a flat smile. “I think I’ll live. How are you doing?”
She shifted her weight and leaned against the frame of the door with a casualness that she didn’t feel. “I’m good.”
He bobbed his head. Silence filled the space between them, each waited and wanted the other to speak first.
“All right,” Anna said, drawing in a deep breath. “I’ll go first. What are you doing in my room?”
“I didn’t know it was your room. I thought you were Charlie.”
Anna’s mouth fell open.
“Whoa! Wait! That didn’t come out right,” he said, standing and shaking his head. “I don’t mean that I thought that…you know that I did what I did because I thought…that you were…him. That’s not what I’m saying.”
Watching his face turn completely purple, Anna closed her mouth. “Then what are you saying?”
“Okay.” He lowered his hands. “When I arrived last night, I did think that Charlie and I were sharing a cabin. He said something about the guys having one cabin and the women another. So when I got here, I just assumed—”
“Okay. I got that part.” She rolled her hand.
“Well, then I came in, took a shower…started to lie on the sofa, but it was way too uncomfortable because I busted my butt outside when I got here so I got in the bed. But I remember putting pillows in the middle of the bed, thinking that would be a barrier between us, but I guess not…”
Anna allowed that explanation to hang in the air between them. Then she said flatly, “We had sex last night.”
Taa
riq nodded. “I, uh…figured that much out.”
“I’m not quite sure whether it was consensual.”
He jerked. “Wait, now. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t force myself onto you.”
“How do you know?”
“How do you know that you didn’t jump me?”
Anna rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. I would never make that mistake again.”
Taariq’s face twisted with confusion. “Again?”
Riiiing! Riiiing!
Anna rolled her eyes and then marched over and snatched up the phone.
“Oh, Anna! You’re finally up.”
“Yeah. I’m up.” She glanced over at Taariq who was still frowning. “I’m also not alone.”
“What do you mean?”
“Charlie’s boy Taariq showed up in the middle of the night.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. For some reason he was under the impression that he and Charlie would be sharing a cabin.” That explanation didn’t make much sense. Why would a married couple split up?
“Oh.”
Anna frowned at her sister’s noncommittal answer. Suddenly a thread of suspicion pricked at the back of her head. She turned and gave Taariq her back. “You didn’t know anything about this, did you?”
“Know anything about what?”
Anna thought that she was trying too hard to sound innocent. “Gisella, you shouldn’t have. You don’t know what you’ve done.”
“Done? Why, what happened?”
Anna sucked in a deep breath and shook her head. Gisella was playing matchmaker. The last thing Anna was about to confess was that she accidentally had sex with a man she couldn’t stand. “Nothing.” She shook it off. The thing to do now was to make sure Taariq got his own cabin. “Forget about it. I’m about to get dressed and I’ll just meet you and Charlie for breakfast.”
“That’s what I was calling you about. Have you looked outside?”
Anna made another turn toward the window, but the blinds were closed and the curtains were drawn. “No. Why?”
My Only Desire Page 15
