Page 35 of At the Sheikh's Bidding
She gave a small pout. “Anything else you need besides me and fast cars?”
He rolled away a little and traced a finger down her shoulder and around her breast. She gasped as he brushed her nipple lightly with his fingernail.
“Good suits, obviously.”
“Obviously.” She gasped again as he gave her other breast the same treatment.
She didn’t ask him any more questions for a few minutes as he shifted his attention lower. He licked his finger and focused on her clitoris, teasing and caressing it until, despite trying to hold back, she came suddenly in a loud cry. It coincided with a bolt of silent sheet lightning which filled the night sky.
“You see,” he said, glancing out the window. “You are so powerful, even your cries awake the gods.”
“Gods? What are you, a pagan?”
“I’m pragmatic. I worship whatever deserves worshipping. And, for now, that is you, my goddess.”
Sated, Janey sighed and rolled onto her back, her arm still around his shoulders. She lay there thinking for a few moments about what had happened. For all her best intentions, she couldn’t resist making love to Amare. But where would this take her? Somewhere like her mother had gone with her father? To a place where she would never again be her true, independent self?
He propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her. “You’re frowning.” He tapped her forehead gently. “And what is going on in that clever brain of yours to make your forehead lower, as if the weight is too much for it? Tell me, and I’ll make it go away.”
She looked at him sadly and kissed those lips, which were made for such devilish pleasure. “I’m afraid even you, with all your powers, won’t be able to do that.”
“You underestimate me, surely?”
She bit her lip and shook her head.
“Hm,” he said, sitting upright. “Hm,” he repeated, swiveling off the bed and standing up. She didn’t know about her being a goddess, but, looking at him standing there naked, he was every inch—and there were a lot of them—a god. “What we need to do is…”
“I’m ready,” she said, rolling onto her side and running her hand down her body.
“Talk.”
“Oh, talk.”
“Yes, I know that’s a dirty word in your book. I know you’d do anything you can to avoid it, but we need to talk.”
“About the harem? About the diamond?” It was worth a shot.
“No, definitely not about either of them. We’re going to talk about you and what the hell is stopping you from marrying me.”
She sat bolt upright. “Marrying you? Who said anything about marriage?”
“You must know I want to marry you.”
“I know nothing of the kind!”
“Ah, I may have forgotten to ask, but it’s a given. Of course I want us to marry. But you are avoiding commitment like it’s the plague, and I’m determined to figure out why.” He nodded, as if he’d decided. “You stay there. I’m going to get us some supper and then we’ll talk. Right?”
He looked around and picked up her abaya. “And I’ll take this as insurance that you won’t do a runner as soon as my back is turned. Like you did last time.”
“Amare! I—”
But he was gone before she could tell him that this time, there was no way in this world she was running away, even if she had somewhere to run to. Even if a storm raged in the world outside this pavilion. This time, she knew he was right. They had to talk. She had to explain why they had no future. Then, perhaps, he’d understand.
CHAPTER16
Amare returned with hot coffee and cakes. Yes, it was the early hours of the morning, but he knew that, after their intense love-making and the conversation they were about to have, they needed sustenance.
As he opened the door, he was half-expecting her to be gone, despite the fact her abaya was still in place, slung over his shoulder. But she was still there, curled up under the covers on her side, watching the storm continue to rage its way across the desert.
