Lucy and the Sheikh(44)

“Razeen, we made love in the desert, we’ve made love at the Lodge. You may kiss me.”

“It’s not the same now.”

She frowned and shook her head in confusion. “What do you mean?” He turned away and pushed his fingers through his hair. Her hand reached out and bunched the loose material of his scarf, trying to make him face her. He looked down at her then and tucked a stray strand of wet hair behind her ear, his gaze shifting from the hair to her cheeks, jaw and eyes. She saw something in his eyes she’d never seen before. “What are you saying?” she repeated softly but with an urgency she saw he registered.

“I knew I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

She frowned and pulled away. “You regret it?”

He didn’t speak for a few moments. “Only because it’s not fair on you.”

She frowned, puzzled. “We’ve made love before. What’s changed?”

“I saw how much it hurt you to see your sister there. You believe you’ve lost her. I don’t want to lead you to believe I can offer you anything other than now.”

“I know that, Razeen. I…” She knew that he was being fair, that he’d never promised her anything more than a few weeks together, but somehow things had changed. But while the thought of leaving Razeen had suddenly become more painful, the thought of not having him in this moment was worse. “I also need to leave at the end of the week when Alex returns. I’ve found my sister; it won’t take me long to write a report for you on the diving resort—if you still want it. There’s nothing to keep me here any longer.” She paused and bit her lip as she watched his face intently. “Is there?”

He shook his head. “No. I can’t offer you anything more.”

She frowned, wanting, more than anything to know why he couldn’t, but unable to ask. She drew in a long, dry breath. “Then let’s take what we have. Now. Forget everything else. There’s just us: a man and a woman.” Outside the wind howled and the wooden shutters rattled.

He nodded. “Just a man and a woman.”

She lifted her hand to his lips. “A woman who would like to be kissed again.”

No smile drifted across his face, no lightness lit his eyes, he just dipped his face to hers and pressed his lips to hers. She closed her eyes the better to feel the caress of his lips. Time slowed and every sensuous caress, every small movement of his lips against hers was felt more fully than anything that had gone before. Too soon, he pulled away.

He took her by the hand and led her to the bathroom where he turned on the taps of a huge bath. Then he slowly undid her abaya and slipped it off her body, shedding the fine sand that clung to ever fiber of every surface. Then he unbuttoned her shirt until it hung open loosely. He slid his finger down, tracing an unknown line over her cleavage and down to her stomach where his finger hooked into her skirt. His hand trailed around to the back fastening as he brought her to him and kissed her once more. This time there was a sense of rising passion in his kiss. He pulled away her skirt and it fell around her ankles—she hadn’t even noticed he’d undone it—and she stood only in her bra and panties. He moved his hands over her body appreciatively, in a smooth caress.

“My turn.”

With trembling fingers she undid the fastenings on his robe, shirt and trousers and pushed them away. He stepped out of his clothes and she slumped against him, weak with need, her forehead pressed against his chest as she inhaled him. She swept her hands over the muscled contours of his body before coming to rest on his stomach, her fingers smoothing the hairs that trailed down into his shorts. She kissed his skin, tasting the sandy-salty texture, and felt his body tremble with desire. He lifted her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around him and he stepped into the bath.

She gasped in relief as the water slid around her body and she lay back. It was as deep as a pool and she floated away, anchored by his hands around her ankles. Her hair snaked out behind her and she dipped her head back under water, feeling immense relief, not just at the shedding of sand and dust, but also at the return to what she felt to be her natural element.

But she only had a minute to enjoy the sensation before he pulled her to him and their sexes—both covered with underwear—bumped gently against each other. She wrapped her legs around him and brought her mouth to his in a kiss that was long and slow and made her forget everything else but the heat that pounded through her veins.

Too soon he pushed her away. Trembling, she stood before him as he pushed her panties down. He kissed her stomach before turning her around and unhooking her bra. Then he trailed his hands down her back, over her bottom and she closed her eyes as his hands slipped around to the front, caressing her sex, finding that place where she needed to be touched and further, down, to the place that was moist and waiting.