“You’re thinking too much.”
Amir’s voice broke into her musings and she whirled to see him standing behind her, his chest gloriously exposed. Every wayward thought she had been harboring about him returned full force, and she sucked in a breath at his broad shoulders, lightly furred chest, with the darkest hair forming a trail down into his black swim trunks. The muscles on his upper body were well defined, and his six pack led past his navel in a gradual hard V down into his trunks, and she wondered what it would feel like to touch him there, to slide her hands over that expanse of wet chest, to slip inside his trunks and…
“If you keep looking at me like that, habibti, we might end up in a compromising position in front of my staff,” he said, moving closer.
Her eyes caught on the telltale bulge in his shorts and she stumbled back, tripped over her feet, and tumbled into the water. A hand reached in to pull her up and she grasped at it, but let go as soon as she surfaced and saw whose hand it was. She swam over to where Malik and Simone were still playing, and was promptly splashed. She laughed a little bit hysterically, and joined in the play, ignoring Amir and her growing desire for him. And when he struck out from the shore and began to swim, she made her way back to the little beach area and sat on the towel after she had dried herself a bit with it. She donned her sunglasses, ostensibly to shield her eyes from the brilliance of the setting sun, but really because she wanted to check him out without being obvious about it.
She was in so much trouble here, and mostly, she didn’t care. But that small voice of reason said she had to come clean with him before she let things go too far. If she had listened to that voice almost five years ago, she would not now be a single mother, and though she loved her daughter, she had not been a conscious choice on Alex’s part. She was done with happy accidents. She could only forgive herself the one she already had. If only she could think of a good time to tell him about Simon.
Chapter 11
Amir watched Alexandra as she fed her daughter, who was drowsing after their long swim. The little girl ate what was put to her lips, and Alexandra patiently waited until she had swallowed before offering her more. But soon, sleep overtook her, and Alexandra sat back and just held her. She was wearing a cool white summer dress, mid-calf length, with spaghetti straps and a light shawl, because the evening had grown chilly. Her pretty pink toenails gleamed in the moonlight and her skin glowed with good health.
He let himself recall the way she had run away from him at the lake earlier, after she had devoured him with her eyes. Just the way she had looked at him had raised his body temperature, and his cock had risen with her interest, until he was fully erect and unable to hide it from her. She was a succulent temptation in her halter-strapped one-piece, and he knew she thought it was less tempting than a bikini, but the miles of long legs and the warm skin tones, added to the alluring picture she had made as she had put sunscreen on herself, had all pushed him closer to the edge on which he now sat, willing himself not to snatch the child from her and ravage her.
He knew she was using Simone as a shield against the feelings he was stirring up for him, but he was a patient man. He would wait until she had put the little girl to sleep, and then he would take what he wanted, what he had been wanting from the first moment he had met her. And he would take it because she would give it to him willingly, because she wanted to give it to him, because what was growing between them was too powerful to hide from or ignore. She set the little girl aside and stood up, and he was there before she could pick her up again.
“Let me help you with her,” he said, and took Simone over to the section of the large tent that had been separated by curtains as a sleeping area for her and her mother.
Alexandra withdrew busy, cartoon-covered all-in-one sleep overalls with feet and he helped her to change the little girl and tuck her in. The coverall was thin cotton, so the child would not be hot. The sleeping bag was a bright green, and once she was tucked in, Alexandra stood up and walked over to the suitcase, making a production of putting the child’s clothes away. He walked over to her and turned her to face him.
“You are hiding from me again, Alexandra,” he began, “and I will not allow you to do so any longer.”
He swooped, and kissed her, not letting her speak, and only when she relaxed beneath his hands did he slow the kiss, and release her mouth.
“Come,” he said. “Malik will stay here till we get back.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“Somewhere where I can be alone with you,” he said.
He escorted her out of the tent, speaking a quiet word to Malik, who was reclining on the couch they had recently vacated, on his tablet. Then he walked with her to his tent, set off behind the others, and pushed aside the tent flap so she could enter. Inside, he pulled her down to the luxurious bedding, strewn with pillows and cushions, and onto his lap, where he proceeded to show her how much he wanted her. He tilted her head back so he could nip her throat, and suckle her almost hard enough to leave a mark. His mark. He wanted there to be no confusion in her mind. He angled her chin down so he could kiss her, but he held off for a moment. First, he just gazed at her mouth as though it mesmerized him, and then he said,
“Open for me, habibti. Show me that you want my kisses.”
His voice was hoarse with repressed lust, and when she sighed, the warm breath from her open mouth gusted over his lips, inciting him even further. He nipped her bottom lip, pulling it away from her teeth, and then he licked her, and suckled it before pushing his tongue into her mouth and taking hers. His body grew hard, and he could feel her nipples hardening as well beneath the thin cotton of her dress. He growled and turned her so that she straddled his lap, her dress hiked up ungracefully around her thighs. He smoothed his hands over her creamy thighs, loving the warmth that seeped into his palms from the contact, and when she squirmed against him, he felt the heat of her through his slacks.
“Tell me how you are feeling, Alexandra,” he demanded, nipping her lip again. “Tell me how I make you feel.”
She struggled to get the words out, but he waited, teasing her with feather kisses on her neck and shoulders, pushing aside the straps of her dress and nipping her on her shoulder blades and down her arms. When she still hesitated, he growled and said,
“If you don’t tell me, I will take you back to your tent, and we will neither of us be satisfied. And I can promise you I will be very grumpy if I leave here unsatisfied.”
She chuckled, the tension easing out of her shoulders, and he smiled, pleased with himself.
“I’ve never had someone want me the way you do,” she admitted. “And definitely not someone like you.”
“Someone like me?” he inquired. I am just a man in love, habibti,” he declared. “With you.”
“I think it’s too soon to call it love, don’t you?” she whispered, moaning when he pushed up against her core.
“Perhaps it is for you, my pretty, but not for me.” He studied her face, and then said, “Would it make you more comfortable if we waited longer to make love, until you are sure of your feelings for me?”
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I do know how you feel, Amir.” She spoke his name shyly, and it heated his blood. “Because I feel the same way. I think about you all the time. I dream of you. But I’m not used to being out of control. I’m not used to feeling like this.”
She cupped his cheek, caressing his high cheekbones with her thumbs. He nuzzled her hands, loving the softness of her palms against his face. That she was touching him voluntarily made him ache to his bones, as he wished she was touching him in other more needy places. But he had asked her to say how she felt, and he wanted to honor her request to take it slowly. He could still give her a happy ending before she went to sleep.
“Are you tired?” he asked, sliding his hands along her thighs where they rested on him.
“No,” she said, hissing when he slid them up under her dress to the edge
of her panties.
He teased her with his thumbs against the outside of her very damp panties, loving the way she moaned and squirmed as he did, tamping down his need to ravish her in favor of pleasuring her.
“Do you like that, habibti?” he whispered, pressing his thumbs against her clit, not moving them otherwise.
“Yes!” she hissed, and rolled her hips, wanting him to move his fingers. “Please touch me, Amir!”
Fire shot into his balls at her impassioned plea. “Whatever you want from me, my love,” he promised.
He slipped his fingers beneath the now wet material of her panties and teased her naked flesh, drawing soft cries from her as he grazed her swelling lips with his thumbs, and rubbed her clitoris fleetingly. Raising her off his lap, he lay her down, draping her over him so that he could kiss her deeply as he removed her panties and slid a finger inside her. She groaned, and Amir echoed it as he withdrew it, taking the moisture at her core and slicking it up and over the little bundle of nerves begging for his attention. And as he slid his finger back inside her, he thrust his tongue into her mouth, silencing her cries of pleasure, swallowing them, sucking the breath from her.
She widened her legs, and he thrust a second finger in to join the first, searching for the spot that would crank her even higher. He knew he had found it when she arched off his lap, crying out into his mouth. He withdrew, then plunged back in, stroking it again, alternating between tormenting her clit and caressing her g-spot. He knew she would break soon, and he wanted her orgasm as much as he was sure she did. He wanted her to know that her pleasure gave him pleasure.
“Oh god, Amir, it feels so good!” she whispered, and pulled his face down for another kiss.
“Open your eyes, Alexandra,” he said. “I want you to see me when you come for me.”
When she did, he slid three fingers into her, caressing her g-spot as he rubbed her clit. Her hips rose, her back arched, and she moaned as he worked her with his fingers until she went rigid, crying out his name as she came. Her eyes drifted closed, and he kissed her deeply, not relenting until she gasped and stayed his hand with her own. She was breathless and flushed and trembling, and Amir’s heart swelled with joy. His body hurt, but he would wait until she knew for certain that what she felt was real before he took her.
She struggled to sit up, still breathing hard, and turned puzzled eyes to his face. “What about you?” she whispered, color flooding her face. “I can…”
“This time was just for you, sweet one,” he said, pulling her close and kissing her. “I love how you came for me. And I can’t wait to take you all the way.”
He hugged her to his heart, and she hid her face in his chest. She was still trembling slightly, and he felt a surge of tenderness well up in his chest. This woman would be his as soon as he could persuade her to trust him and his feelings for her. But he supposed he understood her caution. It had barely been a month, and they had not had too much contact, though each instance had been more powerful than the one before, as far as he was concerned. She had no idea that she was well on the way to owning him heart and soul, but he would let her find out in the weeks ahead. His father’s birthday was coming up, and they had already been arguing, before he went to the States, about whether or not the king was physically up to a celebration. He would see what Alexandra had to say on the subject. He hoped that by then she would be more than ready to move ahead with him.
To ease the tension between them, he asked her about her family, without letting her go. He noted immediately how her expression darkened, and he readied himself to have his question side-stepped or played down. Her answer shocked him, and made him want to hold her.
“They were killed in a drunk driving accident,” she said, her voice suddenly shaky.
Amir noted that the tension had returned to her shoulders “Did they arrest the driver?” he asked, caressing her shoulders and back, gently trying to ease her.
“It was my mother’s fault,” she said again, her tone expressionless.
He frowned, not understanding, but he could feel how wound up she had become, and he decided to shelve the discussion until another time. Now he just wanted to soothe her, so she would sleep undisturbed.
“Let’s go back to your tent so you can sleep, habibti,” he said, rising with her. “We will leave after an early breakfast in the morning.”
Simone was still soundly asleep when they returned, and Malik excused himself as they entered, bidding Alexandra a quiet goodnight. She turned to him, her eyes drowsy, and Amir found himself wishing they were drowsy with passion for him. He had seen it once before, and he was determined that he would again.
“Sleep well, my pretty one,” he whispered, drawing her into his arms for a kiss. “I will see you in the morning.”
“Thank you, Amir,” she said, kissing him back. “Goodnight.”
He watched her step behind the curtain, and resisted the urge to watch her form silhouetted against it by the gas lamps. He turned and left, nodding curtly to the man who stood outside to guard her tent. He didn’t return to his own tent immediately, but walked down to the lake, standing on the shore and watching the moonlight dance on the ripples. He had wanted to spend the night with Alexandra, giving her pleasure and making her come over and over, but now, as he stood by the water, he realized that her making him wait would make their eventual lovemaking inexpressibly passionate. He would prepare himself for it, in the way a man prepares for the priesthood, and gather the things he needed to help him make his case, and win her over completely.
He already had begun to collect the things he wanted. He pushed his hand into the pocket of his slacks and removed the slender box that held the gift he had planned to give her tonight. He opened it and looked at the beautiful setting of emeralds in the bracelet. The gift could wait, as could everything else he had planned. He would keep making his feelings clear to her, and keep her wanting his touch, and when the time was right, she would give in to him, and he would have what he craved, what his heart told him was all he needed for the rest of his life…her love.
Chapter 12
Three more weeks went by after her unexpected oasis visit, and Alex fought with herself over when to tell Amir about Simon. He had come by to see her each night, inflaming her with his touches and his kisses and the promises of what he had in store for her when she trusted him completely. He had not come for the last two nights, however, because he was away on business. She did not expect him tonight, either, because he had told her that he would be away for four days. She went to bed after waiting an extra hour, as always, to ensure that her charge stayed asleep. In the morning, after she had settled Simone and he had had his bath, she sat with him and read to him, at his request, from the book of poetry he loved. He dozed, and did not ask to be taken out of bed. Alexandra let him rest, though she was somewhat concerned at his lack of energy.
Leaving him to sleep, but turning the monitor up to full blast, she went to get Simone ready for school. After a quick snack, she cleaned the child and dressed her before taking her down to the waiting limousine. Another car pulled up behind it, but she ignored it, leaning down to kiss her daughter’s cheek.
“Be a good girl today, baby, okay? Mommy loves you.”
She kissed her again and watched the car until it disappeared down the curving drive. She turned and walked back into the palace, but as she was about to turn down the hallway that led to the king’s suite, a very feminine voice called her name. Turning, she found herself face to face with Princess Amina. She had no idea what the princess could want with her, but she waited politely, tamping down a growing unease as the woman came closer. Today she was dressed in a jewel-toned blue caftan, decorated with silver thread and sequins. She was heavily made-up, though the artistry was flawless. Alex felt dowdy standing next to her in her pink scrubs and Keds, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.
“How may I help you, Princess Amina?” she asked quietly.
“How is the king today?” the woman ask
ed, eyeing her.
“He is resting, Your Highness,” she said, remembering to be respectful, though why the princess wanted to know about the king’s health was a mystery.
“You have been here almost two months, no?” she wanted to know next.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Alex saw no need to provide any information she was not specifically asked to give, and in fact she was annoyed at being interrogated by a stranger.
“Amir told me he was going to hire a caregiver for his father. I did not realize that that was you when we last met. He treats you well, I see.” She cast a careless eye in the direction in which the car taking Simone to school had gone.
Alex maintained a placid face, though she was now seething inside. How dare this total stranger try to belittle her by pointing out her position in the royal household? What was she…Amir’s mistress? The thought rocked her where she stood. Did he have a mistress? And was she being a fool to think he wanted her exclusively? The woman was still talking, and she forced herself to pay attention.
“I hope you are not mistaking Amir’s kindness to you for more than that,” she said, gazing innocently at Alex. “I have found him to be an infinitely thoughtful man. It is his nature to treat everyone well, including those who work for him, and it is just one of the qualities that makes us so compatible.”
SHEIKH'S SURPRISE BABY: A Sheikh Romance Page 101
