Seduced by a Stranger

by Brenda Jackson

  She did, however, know that his last name was Madaris, thanks to the man at the club. And on the cab ride home Cel did tell her the little bit of information she was able to get out of Roderick Long. Monty was a wealthy businessman with a strong connection to the Madaris family from Texas. And according to Cel, the Madaris family name was incredibly popular in Texas, especially Jacob Madaris, who was married to a movie star named Diamond Swain.

  Also, she and Cel had compared notes in regard to what Monty did for a living and Rod had verified the information about his occupation that Monty had shared with her. He owned a very successful company representing wealthy businessmen in the global market.

  Her thoughts then shifted to the kiss she and Monty had shared that night. At first, the intrusion of his tongue into her mouth had shocked her, but when he had basically locked their mouths, she got carried away by his sensuous skills, and had no choice but to become a willing participant. Sensations she had never experienced before took over her mind and parts of her body and she had no regrets of her involvement. Even now while reliving the memories, the nipples of her breasts, which were pressing against her nightgown, felt hard, sensitive. And although maybe she shouldn’t, she felt excited about meeting Monty for breakfast in the morning.

  She yawned, at once feeling sleepy, and hoped that when she returned to bed she would immediately drift off and not be tortured with dreams of her and Monty doing things they had no business doing.

  Covering her mouth when a second yawn escaped, she returned inside and then moved slowly toward her bed, hoping morning would arrive quickly so she could gaze into Monty’s eyes once again.

  * * *

  The next morning Rasheed sat in the plush café keeping a watchful eye on the door, wanting to make sure he saw Johari when she arrived. He had gotten a call from his man a few moments ago to say she had left the hotel and was en route to the café in a cab and would be arriving any second.

  He leaned back in his seat and smiled when he thought about the call he had placed earlier to Christy Madaris Maxwell. Since Christy was only a couple of years older than Johari, and since he figured his idea of fun would be vastly different than what Johari’s would be, he had asked Christy for suggestions on what activities Johari might find to her liking. Christy thought spending a day at Coney Island would be enjoyable.

  He could make no excuses that his definition of exciting activities leaned more toward the sexual side and could think of a number of spine-tingling things he would love doing with Johari. The thought of licking her from head to toe—especially savoring the area between her thighs—certainly sounded very delightful and pretty much topped the list. Performing such an act would definitely provide a form of entertainment for him he hadn’t had in a while.

  He was convinced his state of abstinence was the reason a deep pulse was throbbing in his middle section, behind the zipper of his pants. Kissing her was like a match being tossed into a barrel filled with dry leaves. And his dreams last night hadn’t been much better. He had actually dreamed of making love to her and in his dream he had enjoyed it a lot more than any of the times with his mistresses. To envision such a thing had him wondering how much wine he’d drunk last night before finally going to bed.

  Whatever other thoughts were filtering through his mind suddenly dissolved when Johari walked into the door. His mouth fell open and he could only sit there and stare. Last night he had thought she was beautiful. But now in the brightness of daylight, beneath the rays of the sun, she literally took his breath away.

  There was an early-morning glow to her features and for some reason he felt the smile on her lips was meant just for him. And gone was the minidress from last night. Today she was wearing a pair of jeans and a blouse, and she looked absolutely stunning.

  He stood when she moved toward his table. Ignoring the lust-filled looks from the other men who had stopped eating to gape at her luscious curves encased in formfitting jeans, she walked with the ease of someone who had an ingrained sense of grace and style. A sense of pride filled his chest knowing the woman that they were feasting their hungry eyes on belonged totally to him.

  When she reached his table she nervously licked her lips, and the body part behind his zipper that had been throbbing all morning in anticipation of seeing her again and inhaling her scent suddenly wanted to misbehave.

  “Good morning, Monty.”

  He thought, just like her looks, her voice had a breathtaking quality, as well. And there was a silkiness to it that flowed across his skin, had desire taking refuge in several of his body parts. “Jo. You look beautiful this morning,” he said, responding to her greeting while inwardly frowning at the thought that he was behaving like an anxious suitor. “And thanks for joining me.”

  “Thank you for your invitation.”

  When she took a seat he did likewise. The waitress who’d known he was waiting on someone brought over menus. “Thank you.” He then glanced over at Johari. “Has Celine left the city?”

  She smiled over the menu at him. “Yes. It was a straight flight and she’s called to let me know she made it to Miami.”

  He nodded. “That’s good to hear.” Then after glancing at his menu a few moments, he asked, “Do you see anything you would like?”

  She smiled up at him and closed her menu. “I’m not a big eater so a bagel and cocoa will be fine.”

  Deciding since he was a big eater and needed more than that, when the waitress returned he gave her their breakfast orders. He saw Johari looking at him with a smile on her face. Automatically his gaze was drawn to her lips and remembering how perfectly they had fit his last night sent all kinds of sensations radiating through him.

  He shifted his focus to her eyes, and with a slow smile he leaned over the table and asked in a low voice, “May I ask what you find so amusing?”

  “Your appetite,” she whispered, returning his smile. “You eat as much as my brother.”

  Rasheed arched a brow. “You have a brother?”

  She said nothing for a moment while staring at the silverware, and he studied her, thinking that once again she had said something she would have rather kept secret.

  He didn’t intend to let her off that easy. “Jo?”

  She lifted her head. “Yes, I have a brother, but I prefer not talking about him.”

  “All right.”

  She held his gaze for a moment. “Are you always this easy?”

  Rasheed almost muttered at the absurdity of that claim because he was not an easy person by any means. Although most of the people of Mowaiti considered him a fair man, one who would go to any lengths for their needs, they knew on certain issues he could be as difficult as crossing the Sahara Desert. He had matured a lot over the past few years and was no longer the hothead that he used to be. The two things about him that hadn’t changed were that he always put the people of Mowaiti first and he chose his friends wisely.

  “No, I’m not always this easy,” he finally said, laughing softly. “I’ve made you an exception.”

  “And I appreciate you for doing so.”

  Instead of responding Rasheed simply looked deeply in her eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. When his carefully laid-out plans came to light he doubted that she would appreciate anything about him. He couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, he had gone out of his way to pursue a woman. And the thought he was doing so now and the object of this mad obsession was the very woman he would marry added a degree of intrigue to the chase. And what made it even more tantalizing was that Johari had no idea she was game. What a pity.

  The waitress brought their breakfast and when she began eating so did he, taking every occasion he could to look at her. Every time he did so he couldn’t help but remember their kiss and couldn’t help imagining how it would be to kiss other parts of her body. Specifically, he would love for her to bare her breasts with the sole purpose of him tasting them and could just about envision the texture of her nipples on his tongue.

  And then ther
e was the area between her thighs, which was considered a woman’s hottest as well as her sweetest spot, and he would love for his tongue to enjoy her there, as well. He was having a challenging time keeping his hormones in check this morning and sooner or later he would have to do something about it. But then there was that promise he’d made to her that he would not forget she was promised to someone. Since that someone was him he doubted he would forget, so there was no chance of him breaking that particular promise.

  And, he thought further, if she assumed remembering she was promised to someone meant he wouldn’t be trying his hand at seduction, then she was sadly mistaken.

  * * *

  It took everything within Johari to sit and eat her breakfast without staring across the table at Monty, although she was very aware that he was staring at her. She could actually feel his eyes roaming over her.

  A few times she had glanced up and seen the heat that was sweltering in his gaze. Also in his gaze was another promise, one she hadn’t asked him to make. She had seen that look before in the eyes of guys around campus. Most of them knew she was a princess from another country and Saud’s presence only made her a challenge to some of them.

  When her bodyguard continuously foiled any of their zealous plans they had resorted to relaying their ardent desires through eye contact. She had dismissed the looks as a waste of their time and hers. But for some reason she couldn’t do the same with Monty. It was as if his look had substance, a lot more confidence. His eyes didn’t broadcast a look of what he wanted and could not have, but what he figured he would get eventually. In the meantime he would be content to patiently wait. All of that confused her since he had made her that promise and she believed he would keep it.

  Now if she herself could remember she was promised to someone. Monty was making it very hard for her to do so. If she thought he oozed sexuality last night then he was really overflowing with it this morning. During the cab ride to meet him, she couldn’t help wondering why he would want to spend time with her today. There was no doubt in her mind that with his worldly air and handsome features, he could have just about any woman he wanted. Even now, it didn’t take much to notice the number of women around the room who couldn’t eat their breakfast for looking at him, checking him out, as Cel would often say. And he was a man worth checking out.

  “I thought we could spend a day at Coney Island. Do you feel up to it?”

  She glanced up and met Monty’s eyes. They were beautiful and the kind you could lose yourself in. He was wearing a crisp white shirt along with a pair of khaki pants. When he had stood as she had approached the table she had gotten a good look at his attire with his sexy physique. She concluded that he would look good in any clothes he put on his body.

  “Yes, I’m up for it,” she said. “In fact it was on my list as one of my things to do. It sounds like a place I’ll enjoy.”

  He smiled over at her. “And we will make sure that it is.”

  * * *

  As they walked on the boardwalk of Coney Island, Rasheed would be the first to admit that even he had had a great time today. They had gotten on a number of rides, had eaten a number of hot dogs and had taken off their shoes to walk on the beach. He had discovered Johari had nerves of steel when she had agreed to ride the Cyclone, but his greatest joy had come in seeing her ride the carousel as she tried time and time again to get the brass ring located in the center of the ride.

  It was getting late and he wasn’t ready for his day with her to end. He glanced over at her and slowed his pace. She lifted a brow when he stopped walking and he reached out and took her hand in his. “Would you have dinner with me tonight?”

  She smiled wryly. “I would think you would have had enough of me today.”

  He fought back the temptation to say he hadn’t gotten as much of her as he’d intended to get. He pushed from his mind the mental image of taking her back to his condo with the sole purpose of seducing her senseless and then making love to her.

  “No, I haven’t had enough of you today. I’ve enjoyed your company and hope we can spend time together again tomorrow.”

  He thought that by now she felt somewhat comfortable with him. He hadn’t gotten out of line and they’d had a really good time. And he had kept his promise. “So will you join me for dinner?”

  She gazed at him for a moment, breathed in deeply and then said, “Yes, I will have dinner with you.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Johari stepped out of the shower and proceeded to dry off with the huge bath towel. She couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips when she thought back on the day with Monty. He was an amazing man and incredibly easy to talk to.

  She had enjoyed herself so much that for a little while she had forgotten she was a woman in hiding. But then she had been smart enough to put a smoke screen in place, thanks to one of her classmates and friends who lived in California. If everything worked out according to plan, anyone looking for her would assume she was somewhere in Los Angeles. Only a few close friends from school knew that Cel had rented a car and had driven them to New York.

  She dropped the towel and stood in front of the floor-length mirror to examine her body. While around Monty her breasts had begun feeling achy and her nipples seemed sensitive against her clothes and even now looked slightly swollen.

  Her gaze lowered past her navel to look at the feminine mound between her legs. It was the part of her body her mother had always referred to as a woman’s most precious jewel, her ruby. That particular part of her body was smooth as a result of a Brazilian wax, and after twenty-four years her ruby was still untouched by a man.

  She knew Sheikh Valdemon could not make the same claim in regard to his own private jewel when it came to other women. Lately she had begun feeling agitated regarding her country’s double-standards policy and that agitation had become more prevalent over the past couple of days, mainly because for the first time in her life she had met a man she could say she truly desired.

  She held her breath and waited for something to happen with that bold yet honest admission. She glanced up. The ceiling was still in place and did not appear ready to fall down on her head. Nor was the floor shaking beneath her feet.

  She released her breath as she pushed her fingers through her hair, tossed her head and then watched how the curly strands fell about her shoulders. She smiled, thinking at that moment she looked like a sexy naked temptress and wondered what Monty would think if he were to see her now. Would he find her desirable?

  She knew for certain she had aroused him the other night and had felt him when he pressed against her, hard and fully erected, while they danced. That had been the closest contact she’d ever had with an aroused man, and the feel of his shaft even through her clothing had sent heat escalating inside her.

  Her mind started thinking about another type of fun she could have by playing a game she had never played before, and that was of temptress. How would Monty handle it and would he still keep his promise and stay in control?

  She had seen Delaney tempt her brother and could recall Jamal’s reaction. She had seen the same thing with her mother and witnessed how she could use her feminine wiles on her father to push through any agenda for the women of Tahran that she wanted to approve. She noted the same thing with her sister and brother-in-law.

  Johari wondered if the man she married would allow himself to be so manipulated. Probably not, since he had more than enough mistresses to keep him happy. She could vividly recall a few years ago, overhearing her parents talking, where her mother was expressing her concerns to her father regarding Sheikh Valdemon’s numerous mistresses. Her father had tried to assure her mother that in time he felt certain that the sheikh would put all those other women aside and be faithful only to their daughter.

  Johari thought then the same thing she thought now, that the sheikh had no reason to send those other women away when he didn’t love her and when she didn’t know the first thing about pleasing a man. Once again the question flashed th
rough her mind as to which a man would prefer—an inexperienced virgin or a woman who knew something about pleasuring him?

  Deciding she didn’t want to think about her fiancé any longer, her mind shifted back to Monty. She had trusted him enough to tell him the name of her hotel when his driver had returned to pick them up from Coney Island. Sometime during the car ride she had fallen asleep, and when she had awakened she had found herself cuddled in his arms with no idea how she’d gotten there.

  She smiled as she moved away from the mirror and walked toward the bed where she had placed the outfit she would be wearing this evening. The dress wasn’t as bold and brassy as the one she had worn last night, but was just as sexy. She wondered what Monty would think when he saw her in it. Did it really matter?

  She smiled as she began to get dressed thinking that, yes, it did matter.

  * * *

  Rasheed leaned back against the seat in his limo while Ishaq drove through the New York traffic to pick Johari up for their dinner date tonight.

  Surprisingly, she had offered no protest when he had asked for the name of her hotel so he could take her home after their day at Coney Island. In fact she had been so excited about their time together at the iconic amusement park that she spent most of the ride to her hotel reliving every moment.

  She had laughed as she recounted her experience on the Cyclone and had hidden her face in embarrassment when he teased about how many games on the boardwalk she had nudged him to play. Due to a traffic jam on the bridge she had literally fallen asleep cuddled in a corner of the car. He had ended up pulling her into his arms and regretted the moment he had to awaken her when they had reached their destination.

  He checked his watch. Unbeknownst to her they would be dining in his condo. The reason he had decided on that as the best choice was due to the number of celebrities in town attending Sterling’s movie premier, and the media was sure to be out in full force. The last thing he wanted was for a photograph of him and Johari together attending a restaurant to be plastered in the New York papers in the morning. It didn’t make a difference to him but he would do anything in his power to protect Johari’s reputation.