Page 13 of Seduced By the Sheikh

“His vizier arranged it. Goodness knows how. Father is still loathe to hand it all over to me. But he’ll have to in six months’ time. I can hardly believe that such a relatively small piece of land will change so much for us. For Sirun.”

He kissed her cheek. “Thank you.”

She frowned. “I’m just keeping our end of the bargain.”

“And I appreciate that. Because you’re right. It will mean we can rebuild Sirun’s fortunes.”

“I’m glad.” She was very conscious of how close he stood to her, and felt a flutter of nerves. It still felt strange to be so close to another person. She pulled away suddenly with a brief, uncertain smile. “Let’s go inside and have a look around. We’ve got about an hour, I think?”

He glanced at the sea, which was stirred up by the brisk sea breeze, and nodded. “Not much more.”

Inside the white-walled interior, with its earthy-toned furnishings and whirring ceiling fans, was the picture of casual chic. She went from one room to the other, exploring the layout of the house, noting its quiet, subtle luxury, but above all the sense of intimacy and quiet.

A quiet which was interrupted by Zak’s footfall as he followed her through the house to the bedroom at the far end. With windows and doors on three sides, it felt as if they were practically camping outside. There were no public roads on the land and the perimeters of the property were far away and secure.

She looked outside into the darkening night, listening to the rise and fall of the waves on the shore only meters away from them. The fronds of the palm trees swayed in the sea breeze, clattering on the roof.

“I’ve never been anywhere like this before,” she murmured as she heard Zak stop in the doorway. “It’s as if we’re the only people in the world,” she said, turning to him with a smile.

“It might feel like that, but there’s always someone close by. One downside of being royal,” he said. “However we are alone.” He looked around, frowned and walked around, turning off some lamps. “Hm, that’s better.”

There were no moon or stars and the darkness was soft and velvety, relieved only by the outside lights which filtered through the gauzy curtains. Seductive lighting, she thought, drawing in a sharp breath, as another wave of nerves hit her.

She cleared her throat, trying to think of something to say—anything—that would dispel the sexual tension that hung thickly in the air, threatening to destroy her control.

“I’d forgotten how much cooler it is by the coast,” she said, her voice a little high. “It’ll be nice to have this place to come to. Just as my grandparents used to. Just as?—”

“Come here,” he interrupted gruffly.

She could no more ignore his command than go running into the sea, completely naked. She had to feel her way over to him, avoiding the darker shadows of the chairs. He reached out and took her hand.

He kissed her hand first, and then brushed the back of his knuckles gently along her cheek. “Are you happy, Soraiya?”

She was startled at the question. She couldn’t remember anyone ever asking her before. She nodded. “Yes. Happier than I thought I’d be.”

He smiled. “That’s good.” He kissed her then, and she relinquished the last of her control with a sigh as his hands found their way beneath her clothes and caressed her bare skin.

“Hm,” he said, as he eventually pulled away. “I think we’ll have one more night of exploration. And this time you should tell me what you want. What you enjoy. What you desire.”

She liked the sound of that.

“Turn around,” he said.

She didn’t hesitate.

He pulled down the zip and pushed her dress from her shoulders, kissing each shoulder in turn. She shivered as he unclipped her bra. He reached around and caressed her breasts. She moaned and lay her head back against his chest as she focused on the sensations his tender touch created on her skin and deep inside of her. It was as if he’d tripped a switch, sending electrical charges through her body, readying her for him to enter her. She wondered if he would. But, for the moment, he seemed content to continue to caress her, as he’d promised.

She stepped out of her dress, and he carried her across to the bed. He lay her down and slid her panties down. He massaged her feet, trailed his fingers up her calves, behind her knees and then lightly raked his fingernails up her thighs. He climbed onto the bed and knelt before her.

She held her breath as she anticipated his caress of that part of her which ached to be touched, but it didn’t come. Instead, his hands swept up to her waist and skirted her breasts. Then he cupped her face and kissed her again. Her heart was pounding, and she moaned with desire as he deepened the kiss. Inside, she was throbbing with need.

“Please,” she said at last. “Touch me.”

He smiled. “I am touching you. Unless there’s somewhere else you’d like me to touch you. I told you I wanted you to guide me tonight. Tell me where you wish to be touched, Soraiya.”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“Take my hand and place it where you’d like it to be.”

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