She sensed his sudden bout of guilt. "No. I only wanted you."
He slid his hand to the inside of her thigh. "And I made you wait for months."
"Having you touch me was worth the wait."
As they lay there in silence, Sebastian plying her with gentle strokes, the lights of the city illuminated the darkened room, making the atmosphere seem highly sensual and romantic. Nasira closed her eyes, taking in the ambience and willing the climax to remain at bay. Yet her efforts proved futile, and she again gave in to nature's course and her husband's skill as she experienced blessed relief.
So deep was the blissful aftermath that Nasira wasn't aware Sebastian had left her until she heard the sound of him tearing a condom wrapper, a reminder that he still was not willing to conceive a child. She shifted to her back and wrenched the negative thoughts from her mind. And when he returned, she welcomed him into her arms and her body. Feeling the play of his muscles beneath her palms, she held on tightly as he moved inside her, deeper and deeper, faster and faster. She listened to the sound of his ragged breaths and knew the exact moment when his own orgasm took over. Then he whispered her name.
After a time, he rolled to his back and took her with him, their bodies fitting together like a perfect human puzzle. During the next span of silence, she expected to hear his steady breathing, indicating he had fallen asleep. Instead, he played with her hair and showered her face with gentle kisses.
She was beginning to give in to the lull of sleep herself when he sighed and rested his lips against her ear. "I love you, Sira."
Never in her wildest dreams had she ever believed she would hear those words, though she had secretly hoped that someday she would. Even now she believed she might be dreaming. She said the only thing she could manage to say. The words she had kept harbored in her heart for fear that if she voiced them, she would be lost to this enigmatic man forever.
"I love you, too."
While Sebastian continued to hold her close, Nasira felt as if all her wishes had come true. All but one. Yet now that she knew her husband truly loved her, would she be foolish to believe she might be granted the child she had always wanted? Perhaps that would be too much to ask, yet as she recalled both Violet's and Fiona's claim that Royal, Texas, was a place bestowed with magic, she desperately wanted to believe she could have some magic of her own.
* * *
Time had passed quickly since their return to the Shakirs' ranch. Sebastian and Nasira had shared three wonderful and blissful weeks full of meaningful conversation and memorable moments. She had never felt so cherished, or so loved, by her husband.
Sebastian had showered her with small gifts, had made love to her often and had barely tended to business. Following Violet and Rafe's wedding in two days, she planned to return to London with her husband and continue their marriage with an eye toward a bright future, even though he had given her no indication he wanted to work on having a baby. Yet she believed that with a bit more gentle persuasion, he would eventually come around, and hopefully she was not giving way to false optimism. If not, she would have to decide if she would be willing to adopt and give up the dream of feeling her own child growing inside her.
After finishing her morning tea in the kitchen, Nasira took the cup to the sink, and immediately felt two strong arms encircling her from behind. "How dare you leave me alone in bed?" Sebastian asked in a teasing tone.
She turned and kissed his unshaven chin. "If you recall, I am meeting Violet for breakfast."
He slid his hand beneath her blue tailored blouse and cupped her breast through her lace bra. "Do you need a ride?"
"I thought I would drive myself."
He rimmed the shell of her ear with his tongue. "That wasn't the ride I had in mind."
Of course not. "I do not want to keep Violet waiting. She is anxious enough with all the wedding chaos."
Sebastian slid his hands over Nasira's hips and pressed against her. "What time do you expect to return?"
She saw afternoon delight in her near future. "I assume in few hours. We have to go over the final details and that could take some time."
He scowled. "The blasted wedding is spoiling my fun."
She patted his pajama-covered bottom and stepped aside. "You have had more than your share of fun of late."
He leaned back against the counter, bringing his bare torso into full view and sparking Nasira's imagination. "If I can interest you in more fun, let me know. In the meantime, while you ladies are discussing catering and flowers, I shall be making a few calls to prospective American clients."
Before she forgot her duties and caved in to her own cravings, Nasira grabbed her bag from the counter and kissed her husband squarely on the mouth. "I should be back before lunch. Be naked and waiting in the bed."
He grinned and winked. "If you give me advance warning, I'll be waiting naked in the foyer. Or if you allow me to drive you, we could have a quick roll in the car."
"Definitely a cad," she said as she headed to the entry, plagued with visions of Sebastian taking her down on the plush rug or in the sedan. Or both.
Nasira fished the keys from the pocket of her dress and slid into the driver's seat, thankful Sebastian had encouraged her to learn to drive on the correct side of the road for when they returned for visits. She liked the thought of coming back to Texas to see her brother's baby and perhaps by then she would be carrying one of her own. Or perhaps it was much too soon to hope for that blessing.
Setting those nagging concerns aside, she navigated the country road with relative ease and arrived at the Royal Diner to find Violet's new Jaguar-a wedding gift from Rafe-parked in the lot near the street. Nasira selected the empty space beside the sedan, turned off the ignition and regarded her watch. The fact she was fifteen minutes late flew in the face of her usual punctual self.
After she entered the restaurant, Nasira caught sight of Violet and Mac's assistant, Andrea Beaumont, seated at a small table in the corner. She strode across the room at a fast clip, until a bout of dizziness caused her to slow her pace. Clearly she was in need of sustenance, yet the scents emanating from the kitchen served to make her a bit queasy.
"I am so sorry for my tardiness," she said as she settled into the chair across from Violet and set her purse at her feet. "I awoke a bit later than planned."
"I hope you had a good reason," Violet said with a teasing smile.
"I do too," Andrea chimed in. "Did your handsome husband detain you?"
Nasira felt heat rise to her face. "Actually no, but that is only because I climbed out of bed before he roused."
"In that case, you should have hung around a little longer," Violet said. "I take it you and Sebastian are mending fences and maybe making a baby in the process?"
If only the last part were true. "We are making very good progress. Now what have I missed in regard to the wedding plans?"
Violet studied the notepad before her. "Actually, I'm fairly sure everything is in place. The menu has been finalized and the flowers have arrived from Hawaii. The cake is going to be gorgeous and the tent should be set up by two. Andrea arranged for a quartet to play during the ceremony and she's confirmed Rafe and Mac's tuxedos are ready to go."
"Now we only have to make sure the groom arrives on time," Andrea added.
With the arrangements already taken care of, Nasira wondered why she had been invited to the lunch today. "What can I do?" she asked.
Violet grinned. "Make sure the groom arrives on time."
Nasira returned her smile. "I can certainly do that, although I believe my brother will be there early, anxiously waiting to claim his bride. What time would you like us to arrive?"
"I'll be getting dressed at the house around noon," Violet said. "I could definitely use your help zipping my dress, if I can get it zipped."
Andrea laid a hand on Violet's arm. "Stop it. You're barely showing."
Violet patted her slightly distended belly. "My baby bump is much bigger, and I'm sure the breakfast I'm planning to eat isn't going to help." She slid a menu in front of Nasira. "I highly recommend the buttermilk pancakes with a side of bacon."
Nasira's stomach lurched at the thought. "I believe I will have toast and tea."
Andrea pushed away from the table and stood. "You girls enjoy your meal. Unfortunately Mac has a full schedule today so I'm going to have to settle for coffee and a granola bar I have stashed in my desk."