Her desert knight(15)

Her heart could handle it. It must be steel-plated by now after all  she'd been through in the last few years. As long as the affair was  secret and no one else knew about it, she could deal with her private  pain when it was over.

Quasar lay on the bed next to her, and she ran her hand over the hard  muscle of his thigh, letting desire rise inside her like flood water.  Already he was erect again, ready for her. She watched his taut belly  contract as she lowered her lips and licked him. He uttered a low groan  when she took him in her mouth, and again she loved the power she had  over him-power she intended to use only for pleasure, never to hurt him.  She enjoyed feeling him grow harder still as she pleasured him with her  tongue, then she eased herself up and trailed kisses over his flat  stomach with its sprinkling of rough, dark hair.

Her ex had a hard time maintaining an erection and coaxing it back from  the dead had become a tiresome chore she dreaded. This was clearly not  an issue with Quasar. After he'd rolled on the condom, she climbed over  him, and eased herself down on top of him slowly, reveling in each  delicious moment of sensation as he filled her.

Her ex hadn't liked her to go on top. He liked to be in command of  everything and probably didn't want her to think her pleasure was hers  for the taking. Quasar's broad smile and blissfully closed eyes showed  her that she was welcome to enjoy him however she liked. She smiled as  she moved her hips, and rich, intense waves of pleasure started to roll  inside her. "This feels so good," she murmured. It was wonderful to  choose the rhythm, and control the motion, with their mutual pleasure as  her only goal.                       
       
           



       

"It feels even better for me," he rasped. His fingers stroked her skin,  gently rubbing her nipples and driving her even wilder with excitement.

Already her breathing came in ragged gasps and it was hard to form  thoughts. Something inside her took over and she found herself  quickening the movements as powerful feelings washed through her. When  he climaxed with her, moving inside her as her muscles gripped him, the  intensity of the sensations made her cry out. She felt so close to him  at that moment, with nothing between them, no worries or anxieties or  hang-ups, just a shared burst of joy bringing them together.

How could this be wrong if it felt so good and didn't hurt anybody? She  collapsed gently on top of him and his strong arms closed around her  back, holding her close. His chest rose and fell beneath her and emotion  welled inside her. In his embrace she felt so supported and cared for  and cherished, just as he'd said she should. Which was silly, since they  really didn't even know each other that well. There was a connection  between them that neither of them could fully understand or articulate,  but it was there all the same.

She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. She  wished she could stay here forever, pampered by his affection and his  simple enjoyment of her company.

"That was something else, Dani." His gruff voice and the gentle way he  stroked her hair almost undid her. Their bodies seemed to fit so  perfectly together, still throbbing and pulsing with enjoyment even as  they lay quietly in each other's arms.

"You're something else." She wasn't telling him anything he didn't  already know, and that was okay. She didn't even mind being one in a  long stream of eager women. Why not? It was the most pleasure she'd ever  experienced during sex; she'd probably never know anything like it  again. "And I'm very glad you interrupted my reading that day."

"Me, too. It pains me to say this but it's almost time for you to leave."

"Already? I feel like we just got here." A glance at her watch revealed  that he was right. How had three hours flown by so fast? And how sweet  of him to keep an eye on the time for her when he could have ignored it  in the pursuit of his own pleasure. "I really wish I could stay, but we  both know I can't."

"Can you come back tomorrow?"

She smiled, her face still pressed to his neck. "I'd love to."

* * *

The next day they could hardly wait until the drive was over before  they peeled off each other's clothes and made steamy, passionate love  again. The attraction between them was so intense it threatened to singe  their flesh. Dani had never known such powerful desire. It undid her  inhibitions and let her revel in pure enjoyment for its own sake.  Afterward, they wrapped themselves in luxurious silk robes from the  bedroom closet, and unpacked a lunch Quasar had brought from the hotel.  They were in a room that had been remodeled into an open kitchen and  living-room area. The ancient pale stone walls contrasted with the  light-filled modern spaces, and stained-glass lanterns sprinkled  glittering jewels of color over the walls and ceiling.

"Goodness, look at this salad. It must have twenty different things in  it." There were lush slices of fruit, nuts, fresh greens-everything  looked as if it had been picked that morning.

"Salim scours the world for the most creative chefs and makes them an offer they can't refuse."

"It must take some convincing to get them to come to Salalah. I bet most of them have never heard of it."

"Money talks." Quasar grinned and spooned helpings of the salad he'd brought into beautifully painted earthenware bowls.

"Not to everyone."

"Sooner or later, most people will listen to it. That's my experience, anyway."

"That's a very mercenary view of the world." She poured them both a glass of fresh limeade with fragrant mint leaves.

"True. What do you think motivates people?" His gaze contained a challenge. She resolved to rise to it.

"I think most people want to be happy. I know I do."

"To a certain extent I agree." He stretched out on one of the sofas,  dish of salad balanced on his knee. "The problem is that no one really  knows what makes them happy. They rarely even know when they are happy.  They just notice when they're not."

"And they decide that a few more zeros on the end of their bank account balance will make them feel better?"

"Pretty much." He winked.

It was hard to counter, since she wasn't motivated by money at all.  She'd been lucky enough never to have to worry about where her next meal  was coming from. Family loyalty might come with obligations, but they  were amply paid back by the security her family offered when she needed  it most.                       
       
           



       

On the other hand, was she happy?

She looked at the gorgeous man seated on the sofa next to her,  contentedly munching on the exotic salad. Right now, the answer was  unequivocally yes. She was happy. She knew it wouldn't last forever, or  even for much longer, but right now she was in bliss.

"I'd like to meet your father."

"What?" She almost dropped her fork.

"It's not right for us to keep meeting in secret. We're in Oman and we should abide by Omani custom."

She swallowed hard. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

He won't like you. And with good reason, since you've tempted me into  an illicit affair. "You're only here for a short time. There's no  point."

"Of course there is. We don't have to tell him we're having sex, but at the very least he should know we're friends."

"But we're not friends." We're a lot more than that. Or much less. She  wasn't quite sure. Her stomach had shriveled into a tiny knot. Her  feelings of blissful happiness were evaporating into the air-conditioned  atmosphere as she faced the true nature of their relationship head-on.

Quasar still looked relaxed and at ease, sipping his limeade. "Don't worry, I'll charm him."

"He's not really susceptible to charm. He's an engineer. He's all about  structure and substance." He'll want to know when the wedding is. She  couldn't say that. She'd rather die. A pleasure-seeking international  playboy like Quasar would not be marrying her in this lifetime. Even in  the throes of passion she wasn't delusional enough to think that.

"Trust me."

She shook her head. "Trust me. It's not a good idea. Besides, I don't  like being told what to do. That's what my ex-husband specialized in,  remember?" She was proud of herself for speaking her thoughts. She  didn't need a man to run her life and tell her what was appropriate. Not  that she was pleased with herself for sneaking about, but under the  circumstances it seemed like the only approach that protected both her  feelings and her reputation. Quasar cared about her feelings because he  wanted to please her, and her father cared about her reputation as a  matter of family honor, but neither of them really had much reason to  worry about the big picture.