by Kristi Gold
He gritted his teeth when she circled her fingertip around his navel. “Again, I am not certain that is wise.”
“Wise or not, I’m going to do it. Now let me have some of that oil.”
He hesitated a brief moment in recognition that if he gave into her whims, he could be in for heaven mixed with hell. But he would allow her the opportunity since he did not have the strength to fight her on the issue. He’d been in a steady state of arousal since their first encounter. He only hoped he could maintain some semblance of self-discipline.
Reaching behind him, he retrieved the bottle and squeezed a coin-sized dab into her open palm. “That’s not very much,” she said.
“A little goes a very long way.” How very true. Being so close to her went a long way toward stealing Dharr’s resolve to stay strong.
At first her touch was tentative, nothing more than a fingertip breezing down his length as she watched with fascination. She grew bolder with her discovery, yet somewhat hesitant at times, leading him to wonder if perhaps she had never touched a man this way before. He only wished that were true. Then she took him completely into her oil-slicked hands, her movements more deliberate—and deadly to Dharr.
Robbed of his will, he tossed the bottle of oil into the floor, not caring if he’d closed the lid. He only cared about Raina’s tempered stroking and enthusiastic exploration. Other women had touched him this way yet not exactly this way, with such thoroughness and curiosity.
Tipping his forehead against hers, he lowered his eyes to watch her ministrations, knowing that by doing so he would only create more havoc on his resolve to allow this only for a while. A long breath hissed out from between his clenched teeth when she swirled one thumb over the sensitive tip several times.
With the last of his waning strength, he said, “Stop.”
“No.” She defied him not only verbally but also by quickening her pace.
He pulled her closer, his hips surging in time with her cadence. It was too much, yet not enough. “Not this way.”
“There isn’t another way.”
Lost to her touch, he uttered the next thought that came to mind. “I want to be inside you.”
“You know you can’t,” she said in a breathless whisper.
Dharr realized that all too well. Realized that in a matter of moments, self-control would desert him and he would have no choice than to let go completely. He’d been a fool to think he could begin to stop it, or Raina.
All sound disappeared save the rasp of his breath, or perhaps it was hers. He soon arrived at the place where coherent thought collided with sensation. Where logic retreated and primal instinct took over. He had no claim on his body, no power to fight the rush. The climax came with striking potency, bringing with it rigorous release, then welcome relief. And finally, awareness.
For only the second time in Dharr Halim’s life, he was totally powerless—and completely enslaved—by a woman. And he realized she could hold the key to keeping him that way for the remainder of their journey, if not longer.
Raina left the shower and returned to the cabin, inhaling the pungent aroma of the exotic floral scents combined with sex lingering still, though she’d washed the remnants away from her skin. But she couldn’t rid herself of the memory of Dharr’s hands on her only a few hours before, or what she had done to him. Nor could she ignore that she only had an hour left before recollections of an incredible experience with a highly sensual man were all that remained.
She had no idea what he thought of her now. He had no idea that she’d never touched a man the way she’d touched him. True, she had seen her share of male anatomy in art classes when she’d painted nudes, and she’d dated several men who had attempted to persuade her into their beds or the back seat of their cars. Not one had ever tempted her enough to totally let go of all inhibitions—until Dharr Halim.
Tucking the towel securely between her breasts and tightening the ponytail high atop her head, Raina tiptoed past the bed where Dharr still slept. She had every intention of getting dressed before waking him, but she was drawn to the glorious scene laid out atop the rumpled sheets—one beautifully nude man lying on his stomach, one arm casually resting over his head, the other across the place she’d left minutes before.
His hair was sufficiently tousled—and sexy, but then so was the rest of his amazing body. From the hue of his cocoa-colored skin to the backs of his hair spattered thighs, he was undeniably gorgeous. And his butt—well, Raina couldn’t find the words to express the splendor of that.
When he stirred slightly and turned his face toward her, she took a seat on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on his back. “Dharr, are you awake?”
He didn’t respond or open his eyes so she stretched out beside him, lifting his arm and draping it over her middle. Raina assumed he was still asleep, allowing her the opportunity to look her fill a while longer. His dark lashes fanned out below his closed eyes and a shadow of whiskers surrounded his sensuous lips—lips that she wanted to kiss again and again and again. But as soon as they walked off this godforsaken plane, that wouldn’t be possible. Everything that had happened between them to this point would have to be kept secret, and it couldn’t happen again. Not if they wanted to keep up the pretense that they were only friends and not destined to marry, regardless of their fathers’ wishes. Only she found herself wishing…
No. That was totally absurd. She and Dharr might be united by cultural heritage, but they lived two very different lives. She wouldn’t be happy in Azzril, and he sure as heck wouldn’t be traveling to California to see her. Half a world separated them by distance; a whole universe divided them in terms of their goals. It simply wouldn’t work between them even if she inherently knew how well they worked in bed, albeit in a limited sense. She also knew that if protection from pregnancy had been readily available, she would have known everything—how it would have felt to have him inside her. Now she would probably never know.
Feeling somewhat melancholy, Raina resigned herself to what had to be and decided to dress. But she barely moved an inch before Dharr pulled her closer and buried his face in her exposed neck. He radiated heat like a potter’s kiln and he still smelled like the oil she’d personally applied to his body.
Raina shivered from the sudden sexual awareness, the onslaught of an unfathomable need for him. Only him. Without saying a word, he lavished her neck with light kisses, abrading her skin with his beard though she really didn’t feel it much. She did feel his hardness pressing against her pelvis, felt the damp heat between her thighs in response. In her logical mind, she recognized she should stop him before they went any further. In her heart of hearts, she didn’t have the desire to do that. And when he flicked open the knotted terry cloth with one finger, any and all objections went the way of the towel he pulled from beneath her and tossed onto the ground.
His warm mouth closed over her nipple while he fondled her other breast with slightly callused fingertips. So attuned to what Dharr was doing to her, she was only mildly aware that he’d nudged her legs apart. But soon she became very aware that he had slid his hand down to guide his erection between her legs, much too close to the point of no return.
She needed to stop him, had to stop him now. But before she could articulate her concerns, he rolled off her and onto his back, one arm covering his eyes.
“Get dressed, Raina.” His tone was harsh, authoritative.
“I will, but first we should—”
“Get dressed before I do something we both regret.”
Raina only regretted that they hadn’t been able to completely make love. As she snatched up the discarded towel, then her bag and returned to the bathroom, she couldn’t stop the sudden sour mood.
For the next few days, she would go to bed alone until the time came for her to return home. She would not be able to enjoy his kisses, lose herself in his touch or to touch him. Would never know how it would be to have him fill her completely. Worse, they would walk around pretending that nothi
ng had happened between them.
But something had happened to Raina, and it wasn’t only about lovemaking or the lack thereof. She not only admired Dharr Halim, appreciated his kindness and his concern for her, his comforting embrace. She was starting to feel so much more.
For someone who had no designs on settling down with a sinfully seductive sheikh, she was certainly doing a good impression of a woman falling in love.
Five
As the plane made its final descent, Dharr did not dare to do anything more than hold Raina close to his side. As badly as he wanted to kiss her, he recognized he had already done too much. She had weakened him to the point that he had almost thrown away all caution.
At least she seemed more relaxed now despite the upcoming landing. Her hands rested in her lap as she stared straight ahead, seemingly lost deep in thought. He missed having her head resting against his shoulder, missed distracting her with his kisses. And he knew that once they returned to Azzril, he would miss much more than that.
The plane landed smoothly and in a matter of moments, they were cleared to leave their seats. In silence, Raina gathered her bag from beneath the bed and slipped the strap over her slender shoulder. Dharr almost asked if he could help her but knew he would be met with a resounding “no.”
They walked to the door, still not speaking, until Raina faced him. “I guess this is it,” she said.
Dharr slipped his hands in his pockets to keep from touching her. “Yes, it seems it is.”
“We’ll just pretend none of this ever happened.”
“We will keep it our secret.”
“What about your staff?” She glanced at the bed now in total disarray. “They’re going to know something when they change the sheets.”
“I trust they will remain silent. They are very loyal to me.”
“That’s good to know.” She worked her bottom lip between her teeth several times before finally looking at him again. “Thanks, Dharr. I would never have made it through my return to flying without you.”
“It has been my pleasure.” The greatest of pleasures for Dharr.
She turned to the door. “I guess we should probably go now.”
Before she could release the latch, Dharr rested his hands on her shoulders. “Wait.”
After turning her around, he met her soft gold gaze, wariness in her eyes. “What is it?” she asked.
“One more kiss.”
“I’m not sure we should.”
He brought her hands to rest against his chest. “Only one, to seal our vow of secrecy.”
“Okay. Just a little one.”
“Of course.”
Yet when he bent his head and touched his mouth to hers, as always she opened to him. Her lips were soft, pliant, welcoming. She drew his tongue into the heat of her mouth with gentle persuasion. They wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace, feeding each other, feasting on each other.
In another place, at another time, Dharr would notify the crew they would not be leaving soon. He would take her back to the bed and make love to her. Truly make love to her. But in one coherent moment, he realized that would not be possible.
With effort he pulled away from her lips yet kept his arms around her. “That should be sufficient.”
Her ensuing smile was shaky. “And you have no concept of ‘little.’ But that’s okay. At least it was memorable.”
And so had been their time together, Dharr decided. He longed for more time with her, more touches, more talk. More of everything.
Aside from avoiding her completely while she was in his home, he was uncertain of how he could fight his attraction to her. But he knew he must, or risk certain emotional peril when she left him.
The city had changed, Raina thought as the armored sedan arrived at the highest point of the mountain road revealing, Tomar—the capital city—spread out in the valley below. Amber lights dotted the panorama, providing a breathtaking view. The ancient palace, situated at the gateway to the old village, remained the focal point. But a few high-rise buildings silhouetted against the night sky were scattered on the opposite end of town.
“Tomar’s grown quite a bit,” she told Dharr who had kept a fairly wide berth between them, physically and emotionally.
“Yes, it has. We have become much more modern.”
Raina couldn’t argue that point, nor could she argue she wasn’t attuned to Dharr’s every move, his scent and the taste of him still lingering on her lips.
Rolling down the window, she let the cool desert breeze blow across her face to try and erase all those little details, but to no avail. She could still feel his hands and his mouth on her skin, as if she were completely bared to him.
The vehicle bumped down the barely paved road, jolting Raina against Dharr’s shoulder. She should probably move away from him so as not to create any suspicion, but she found comfort in his touch, even if it was only minor. He didn’t reach for her hand as he had on the plane, didn’t tip her head against his shoulder, didn’t even look as if he wanted to touch her. He continued to stare out the opposite window, totally detached.
Raina decided she might as well get used to it now, the physical and emotional distance. Dharr obviously was more than willing to uphold his hands-off promise. And that made Raina surprisingly disappointed and a little bit peeved.
She’d been nothing more than a readily available diversion. An easy means to pass the time. She meant nothing more to him than that, and she might as well accept it. But isn’t that what she’d wanted, too? Yes, and she needed to remember that. She also needed to remember something else. “Could you remind me to call my mother in the morning?”
“That has already been done.”
Raina didn’t even try to hide her shock even though Dharr still refused to look at her. “You called her?”
“My assistant did, at my request, when we were grounded in London. I felt it best she not worry.”
“Don’t you think I should have been the one to tell her?”
Finally he glanced at her. “I thought it might be best coming from someone else.”
“What exactly did your assistant say to her?”
“That I was escorting you to Azzril to see your father, and nothing more. In fact, he did not speak to her personally but he did reach a woman named Mona who promised to pass along the information.”
Mona, the meddling maid. “I’m sure she was very thrilled to do that. I still think I should have called her personally.”
“You can call her tomorrow.”
Raina could but now that her mother knew exactly where she was, and with whom, it might be best to wait a day or two for her to calm down.
When they pulled up at the palace a few moments later, Raina couldn’t get out of the vehicle quick enough, waving off the driver’s offer of assistance with her lone bag. She didn’t need his help, and she didn’t need Dharr Halim.
The doors opened wide as they entered the ornate palace foyer—midnight blue tile with a white border, beige brick walls, black and white mosaic ceiling, two metal Egyptian sentries guarding the wide arched entry showcasing six white-marble stairs with a red-carpeted runner. And at the top of those stairs stood a lone woman dressed in dark clothing, small in stature with a big smile. Raina immediately recognized the endearing features, the salt-and-pepper low bun, the warm and welcoming expression of Badya, Raina’s one-time nanny and faithful family employee.
“Welcome home, little one.” Badya opened her arms to Raina who gladly accepted her embrace.
“It’s so good to see you, Badya,” she said after they parted. “What are you doing here?”
“Your father released most of his staff after you left.”
The first round of surprising news and, Raina suspected, not the last. “I can’t believe he would let you go.”
Badya nodded toward Dharr who now stood beside Raina. “The royal family was kind enough to offer me a position as the house manager. I have enjoyed my time here very much altho
ugh they do not work me very hard.”
“She is too modest,” Dharr said. “This household would fall down around our heads were it not for her.”
“What else am I to do since there are no babies to tend?”
Raina smiled. “You certainly tended to me well, although I did manage to cause you more than a little trouble at times.”
“No more than I could manage, yáahil.” Badya glanced at Dharr then lowered her eyes. “Forgive me. I should refer to you as Princess Kahlil now that you are no longer my charge.”
Raina’s mouth dropped open before she laughed. “I’m no princess, Badya. I’m just me, the bint who used to hang out with you in the kitchen, giving you lots of daily grief.”
“Badya is correct,” Dharr stated. “You are technically a princess while you are here.”
Raina ventured a quick look his way. “But my father was exiled from Fareesa years ago.”
“He is still a sultan, and you are still royalty.”
“Half royalty,” Raina corrected before she turned her attention back to Badya. “How is my father?”
“He is waiting for you,” Badya said. “He insisted he would not sleep until he knew you were safe in Azzril.”
Raina wanted to see him badly. But she wasn’t sure she had the strength to endure any questions about Dharr should he decide to pose them, and she knew he would. “It’s the middle of the night. Maybe I should wait until morning.”
“He will not stand for that,” Badya said firmly, then more quietly, “He has missed you very much and he will not retire until he has spoken with you.”
“I will go with you,” Dharr said. “Then we will retire to bed.”
That sounded like a plan to Raina though she realized he’d meant separate beds. “After you,” she said with a sweeping gesture toward the curving staircase leading to the upper floors.
Raina followed Dharr up the stairs, reminding her of two nights ago when she’d done the same in the plane. Only now she knew exactly what his butt looked like without the benefit of slacks.
