“You knew what I was thinking yesterday evening when I confronted you.”

Clara nodded.

“I figured it out.”

“You toyed with me the entire time.”

She winced, afraid that he would get upset.

“I’m sorry, I was just so upset with the way you addressed me.”

To her surprise, he grinned.

“You are as sneaky as my sister. Between the two of you, I am bound to go stark raving mad.”

She giggled.

“Amani was my childhood friend. She once lived in the United States and we went to school together. She moved back here before we graduated high school. She is the one who introduced me to your culture. I have always dreamed of coming to the Middle East and here I am.”

“I certainly am glad that you are here,” he said softly.

She gazed at him beneath her lashes. Sexual tension sizzled in the air. The smoldering look he gave her left her breathless. She took another gulp of wine. Tariq’s eyes followed her every movement. He forced back the smile that tugged at his lips. He was fully aware of the effect he had on her because it was the same effect she had on him.

“Let’s get out of here, Clara,” he suggested. He stood up and held out his hand. She held on to it and followed. An understanding had silently passed between them. Her body called to his and his to hers. They were ready to go back to the palace, to his private suite. He placed his hand possessively on the small of her back and led her to the waiting limousine. Not waiting for the chauffeur, Tariq opened the door and helped her into the back, sliding in right after her. He loosened his tie and sat back.

In a startling rush of courage, Clara took hold of the loose tie and pulled him to her. He went willingly, eagerly crushing her lips with his own. His hand inched its way beneath her dress. She gasped when his fingers brushed her inner thighs, dangerously close to her already moist passage.

“Tariq, what are you doing?” She asked, her eyes swerving to the front of the vehicle. Thankfully, the dark partition was already up. The thought of being seen by the driver had not crossed her mind until now.

“No worries, he will not see anything. All we have to do is be extra quiet.” His lips curved into a wolfish grin. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he asked,

“If I push your dress up, rip your underwear off and take you right here, do you promise not to scream?”

Clara whimpered as desire shot through her.

“I’ll try not to,” she whispered back. She wasn’t sure if she would be able to control her volume. Just the thought of him entering her made her want to scream.

He chuckled.

“That is good enough for me.” He reached up to lace his fingers in her hair and pulled her head back to him. A moment later he pulled her onto his lap. His free hand resumed its exploration beneath her dress. He slipped his fingers into her panty, brushing against her aching mound. Her breathing sped up when one finger slowly entered her.

“You are so wet,” he whispered. Clara leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. She had to concentrate on keeping quiet. She let out a hiss when he added another finger, pushing into her with slow strokes. He continued his skillful ministrations until she was ready to come undone. She moved her hips against his hand, silently begging for release.

“Come apart for me now, Clara,” he commanded softly. As if her body was tuned to obey his words pleasure erupted inside her core and she convulsed against him. Before she could come down from her high, she heard the sound of fabric being torn. He gave a tug and her underwear appeared, hanging on his finger. “Turn around, my sweet.”

She did as she was told, turning to face him with her legs thrown on either side of his. He maneuvered her so that he could tug down the zipper of his pants. He lifted her and slowly guided her onto his waiting erection. She engulfed his length inch by slow inch. He let out a content sigh when he was buried inside of her, to the hilt.

“I will never get enough of you, Clara.”

She groaned her agreement, knowing she would never get enough of him either. She threw her head back and began to move her hips in a back and forth motion. He reached up to pull her dress down, allowing her breasts to spring free. He palmed them greedily, lightly squeezing and tugging.

“You have the most amazing curves,” he mused, mesmerized by the bouncing of her breasts as he moved over him. His large hands then spanned her waist, urging her to move faster. Within a few minutes, she was unraveling again. Tariq pulled her to him, placing his lips over hers to muffle her high pitched shriek. He spilled inside of her after a few more thrusts.

Clara rested her forehead against his shoulder while her breathing and pulse rate steadied.

“We are almost home,” he said.

“Mhmm,” she murmured, not bothering to move.

Tariq smiled.

“We have to get ourselves together or everyone will know what we have been up to back here.”

Her head flew up.

“Oh shoot, you’re right.” She quickly pushed herself off of him and began to adjust her dress.

He chuckled softly.

“Relax we have a good five minutes before we arrive at the palace.”