Page 34 of At the Sheikh's Pleasure
Rosana could hardly believe she’d told Zaire she wished to go to bed with him.She followed him into the garden, blushing as his security men stepped aside for her to pass, before they stepped back to block the way of any others who might attempt to follow.Despite her embarrassment, she had no regrets about saying it.She wanted him.All the time she’d been talking to Sheikh Saeed, she’d been desperately trying not to meet Zaire’s gaze which she knew had been fixed on her, knowing that if she did, she wouldn’t have been able to prevent her need for him showing.Not only to him, but to everyone else there.
But now she was free to be herself, and to be with who she wanted.And there was only one person.She walked alongside the water, passing the small fountain which was the only sound, other than her heels on the marble path.The trees which shaded the garden rustled, and a surprised owl hooted and swept across her path, making her halt and look around.Excitement and lust buzzed in her gut.She’d never felt so right about anything in her life before.
She carried on along the path and jumped as he reached out from the shadows and took her arm, pulled her to him and kissed her thoroughly.He held her tight, allowing her to feel exactly how much he wanted her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck.As their kiss deepened, their tongues tangled and desire electrified her body.When they at last parted, they pressed their foreheads together, their panting breaths hot against each other’s faces.
In that moment, her body pressed against his, and with only the sound of water and the wind in the trees for company, she felt blissfully happy.Real life was suspended and all the sights and sounds of her home were around her now, completed by this man who gave her everything she’d ever wanted, and everything she hadn’t known she’d wanted.
Without speaking, he gripped her hand, and they walked toward his suite of rooms.As soon as they were inside, he cradled her face as if she were something to treasure.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to her lips.
Unlike before, there was no hurrying him now.He touched her and savored her, stroked and gentled her as he slowly stripped her of her clothes.
Only when she was naked did he lift her in his arms and carry her to the bed.She was lulled into a strange torpor, luxuriating in all the sensations which she’d never experienced before.It was only when she was lying on her back on the bed, and he pushed her legs open wide and kneeled down before her, that panic replaced the torpor.
It felt so wrong to be so vulnerable before him, but then his tongue persuaded her it was completely right.And she relaxed once more, sinking down into a bliss of sensuous feeling, relishing the curling, escalating spirals of arousal which spun through her body.They reached every part of her, but centered strongly around her sex, as he stimulated her with his mouth, tongue, and fingers.When he thrust his fingers inside of her, she came in a blast of white light where everything was suspended.It took long seconds before she realized her fingers were pressing hard into his scalp, holding him there, so that she could glean every last little bit of sensation out of him.
She gave a small gasp and withdrew her hands.He looked up at her with dark, lustful eyes as he took a last lick of her most intimate parts and rose above her.She opened her legs wider to allow him entry, but still he didn’t hurry.He trailed his fingers up her legs, kissed first one breast and then another, until he was holding himself up over her, his erection connecting with her sex, but not entering her.
“You are so beautiful,” he said to her, his voice a low, sexy growl.“Your eyes,” he shook his head, “they take me to another place, connect with me like…” He trailed off.He obviously didn’t want to go there.His gaze raked her body.“And your body, your breasts—you were made for love.Correction,” he said, as he shifted, ready to enter her, “you were made formeto love you.”Before she could comment or respond to this, he thrust deeply inside of her.She was so wet there was no friction.She gripped his shoulders, her fingers shaping over his muscles, wanting him to stay there, deep inside of her, feeling the heat and pulsing within.
When he withdrew, it created more glorious sensations, and then he thrust deeply into her again with a small grunt.She could see from his eyes that he was trying to hold back, but she didn’t want him to.She wanted him to come and she wriggled until he had no choice but to quicken his pace until he was pumping hard into her and they both came in an explosion of sensation.
They lay side by side, holding hands, looking up at the ceiling, both lost in their own thoughts as their breathing returned to normal.Then he rolled over to her and traced his finger around her breast.Her nipple tightened in response and she felt the pull of need once more inside of her.She wondered if it would always be this way.
“This can’t go on, you know,” he said at last.
Fear clutched at her gut.“What do you mean?”
“You.Me.We must marry.”
“But how can we?You know what that will mean for my father.It will threaten his current pact with the Faud Federation, which has brought Harran wealth.It will only make things worse.By the way, what did Sheikh Saeed mean when he said that my presence here would be good for you?”
She’d almost forgotten Sheikh Saeed’s comment, but now she re-considered it, it seemed even more strange.“Zaire?”she prompted, noting he’d turned away.
“Hm?”he said, as if he hadn’t heard her.He pulled her into his arms and the thought disappeared as quickly as it had come.“Don’t worry about a thing,” he said, kissing the top of her head.“The only thing that matters is that we are together.”
She gave a deep sigh, her body sated, her spirit calmed as he held her close and she drifted into sleep.
Zaire didn’t knowhow many hours he’d lain awake looking at her.But during those hours, his thoughts shifted seamlessly between Galila, the intervening years of loneliness now forgotten, and Rosana.It seemed to him that his love for Rosana was an extension of his love for Galila.Different somehow, more adult and more powerful for that.But there was no competition now.No feelings of guilt.Everything felt so right.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her.She lay curled into his body, her cheek pressed against his chest.He wondered if she could hear the regular thud of his heartbeat, imprinting his existence deep inside of her.He hoped so because he didn’t think he’d ever be able to tell her enough how much he loved her.
Gently, so as not to disturb her, he slid his finger along the length of her luxuriant, shiny hair.It fell all around her shoulders and across his chest.He thought he wanted no other cover than that in the future.To be connected with her, close to her, was all he wanted now.
Then the sun’s rays slid between the curtains and shone on the far side of the room.Something glinted and his eyes strayed to the collection of photographs arranged on the shelf.It was Galila.Of course it was.He didn’t move, waiting for the guilt and remorse to hit him.But nothing happened.The sun simply rose and shed more light on them, and he felt more at peace, not less.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered to the photograph of Galila, her dark brown, trusting eyes permanently focused on him.“I’m so sorry, but life goes on.”
Suddenly he heard laughter out of the window.Galila had loved to laugh.He’d never forget anything about her, but he would especially never forget the sound of her laughter.He would take the memory forward with him into his new life, with her in his heart forever.It seemed the heart wasn’t a finite thing, it could hold so much love, more than just for one person.
He sighed deeply as his mind shifted to the wedding arrangements he’d make as soon as they got up.He didn’t want to waste any time.He couldn’t bear for her to leave him, ever.It would have all the pomp and ceremony which would be expected of him.No expense would be spared.Of course, there was the question of Rosana’s father.He felt uncomfortable that he’d ensured her father would be informed about Rosana’s visit by spreading a rumor about their relationship before it had even existed.He’d done it for political reasons, to provoke her father.But it turned out he’d been prophetic.It hadn’t been a lie.Even so, he hoped Rosana would never hear of it.She certainly wouldn’t from him.He had no wish for her to know quite how much he’d intended to use her.
He shifted, annoyed at the thought of Rosana’s father, and accidentally awoke her.She kissed his chest and then raised herself on her elbows and looked at him sleepily.He loved seeing the cloudy vestiges of dreams in her eyes.Loved it even more when she kissed him with a soft moan and curled her body around him and was astride him before he knew it.
The phone rang, but he ignored it.Rosana was his only focus.He was ready, more than ready after having cradled her in his arms for an hour.And when she slid onto him, the sunlight now bathing her, highlighting the glory of her body, he thought he’d died and gone to heaven.
