He responded with an all-out grin. "Are you ready?"
"I'm ready."
Before she could draw another breath, Rayad took off, swimming toward the mouth of the cave they had explored earlier. She attempted to match him, stroke for stroke, but he was just too fast.
By the time she came upon the abyss, he was waiting for her, looking as fit as a fiddle and ready to take on the English Channel. She, however, was a bit out of shape. "That was exhilarating. How much farther?"
"Not very far at all."
"Apparently your ribs have sufficiently healed."
"Well enough. Now take hold of me and do not let go."
Ever the tough guy. She gave him a salute. "Aye, aye, captain."
Rather than hinder his movements by commandeering his leg, Sunny slid her hand in the back waistband of his trunks. She only caught a glimpse of the scars, but they couldn't detract from his appeal regardless of how bad they might be. Nothing could ever take away from the fact he was a compassionate, strong and extremely desirable man.
As Rayad guided them through the darkness, Sunny had a few moments of knee-jerk distress. But it didn't take long before she allowed herself to enjoy the freedom, the sounds and scents of the cavern and the man serving as her own personal escort through paradise. She soon became aware of the fact she didn't feel the least bit claustrophobic, despite the total blindness to her surroundings. Instead, she felt oddly elated, completely liberated and oh, so taken with Rayad's controlled strokes, bringing to mind some other strokes she would like to experience.
Down, Sunny-her thought as they continued on their trek. She needed to be a bit more wary, otherwise she would end up going down the wrong road with Rayad. Or maybe it could turn out to be the right road. Only time would tell.
The blackness began to fade as they rounded a bend, and a large opening revealed a gentle waterfall flowing down the stone, feeding the basin below that led to the underground aquifer.
Sunny let go of Rayad to swim forward, and when she felt sand beneath her feet, stood to admire the scene. "This is absolutely breathtaking."
"Yes, it is."
She looked back to find him staring at her. "I'm sure you've seen it so many times, you take it for granted."
He waded toward her and paused at her side. "I still appreciate its majesty, but I was not referring to the falls."
"Did you mean the sun bouncing off the water? The blue, blue skies?"
"My admiration is solely for you."
She faced him and faked a frown. "You are one charming sheikh."
"And you are one very stunning woman."
"Flattery could very well get you anywhere you want to go," she said as she draped her arms around his neck.
"Anywhere?"
Time to rephrase that. "Okay, anywhere we both mutually decide to go."
"Do you have a place in mind?"
She felt a little bit giddy and a whole lot bold. "Why don't you kiss me, and we'll find out?"
He did. A coaxing kiss, but very persuasive. He sent his palms down her sides slowly then back up again and paused precariously close to her breasts. She could tell him to stop, or she could encourage him to go. She wanted him to go, not stop.
More brazen than she'd ever been before, Sunny reached back and unfastened the clasp at her back, then loosened the tie at her neck, allowing the swimsuit top to drop and float away.
Apparently aware that she was now bare from the waist up, Rayad broke the kiss and favored her with a knowing smile. He cupped her breasts, circling his thumbs around her nipples while seemingly studying all the details. She wasn't overly endowed like her twin, but the gentle way he treated her, she couldn't care less.
Never had she let a man she'd known for such a short time go this far this fast. Did that make her more like her mother than she cared to admit? She didn't want to think about that now. She stopped thinking altogether when Rayad lowered his head and replaced one hand with his lips.
The sensations were remarkable, from the pull of his mouth to the flick of his tongue. Waves of heat washed over her and settled between her thighs. As if Rayad sensed that, he pulled her legs up around his waist, bringing her in close contact with his very impressive erection. Then he began to move her up and down against his groin, creating a friction that brought her close to the edge of climax. If he kept it up, she would start making a few primitive sounds, or beg him to put her out of her misery. Then he had the audacity to stop moving altogether.
After Rayad set her back on her feet, Sunny bit her tongue to keep from cursing. "Nothing quite like getting turned on then immediately turned off."
He swept a hand over the back of his neck. "That was not my intention. If I had my way, I would have taken you here without formality."
That sounded like a good plan to her. "Why didn't you?"
"I am not certain this is what you want."
She crossed her arms over her bare breasts and blew out an impatient sigh. "Believe me, I'm not that good at faking it."
He retrieved her top that was floating nearby and handed it to her. "When a person has a brush with death or suffers a loss, at times they search for any means to remind themselves they are still alive."
She redressed and refastened her suit, all the while battling frustration. "Is that truly what you think I'm doing?"
"I believe it is possible."
She viewed his concerns as an affront to her character. "For your information, I'm not the kind of woman who goes searching for just anyone to meet my needs, physical or emotional. If I didn't trust you, I would never even consider crossing the intimacy line. Believe it or not, I do trust you, Rayad, and I want you more than I've wanted any man in a long time, even Cameron. If that's crazy, then I'm certifiable. But I can't help how I feel."
Some unnamed emotion reflected from his eyes. "I truly appreciate your continued faith in me, yet trust should be earned."
"You earned it when you halted our little interlude because you're worried about me. However, something tells me there's more to your worries than whether or not I'm ready. Maybe you're the one who isn't ready."
He took her hands in his and gave her a meaningful look. "It has been some time since I have been with a woman, yet my concerns lie solely with your well-being. If you decide we should enjoy each other from a carnal standpoint, you may rest assured I will grant you an experience that you will not soon forget. Although I am not averse to lovemaking in various places, our first time should be in a proper bed."
She found his self-assurance and traditional ideals oddly appealing, and believable. "Then we're agreed that when the time comes, we let nature take its course with no more second-guessing?"
His expression brightened a bit. "Agreed. You only have to ask, and I will answer your every fantasy."
Even with the sun beating down on her head, she experienced a bout of chills when she imagined him stealing into her suite tonight once they returned to the palace. And on that note... "I suppose we should think about heading back before dark. I'd like to be there in time to have dinner with Piper."
"We will dine here before we return."
Spending a few more hours in his presence in this secluded place wasn't such an awful prospect. Not in the least. Maybe she wouldn't even have to wait to fulfill her fantasies. "We can stay." She pointed at him. "And you better really have a tray from the palace, not serving me something from one of those cans on the shelf."
His grin arrived full-throttle. "You will find the fare more than adequate."
She found him utterly irresistible. "Out of curiosity, exactly where are we having dinner? Next to your bed?"
"No." He lifted her hands and brushed a soft kiss on each of them, like some chivalrous Arabian knight. "Per my original plan, we shall dine beneath the stars."
Normally, she didn't require romantic gestures, but with Rayad, she wasn't quite herself. "That sounds wonderful."
"Rest assured, it will be," he said. "And afterward, I will safely escort you back to the palace."
As far as Sunny was concerned, she didn't care if they were detained for the evening, as long as he made good on his promise to fulfill all her fantasies. In doing so, she could experience one very hot desert night.
Seven
They would not be returning to the palace tonight.
Rayad dreaded telling Sunny the news for fear she would not believe him. Prolonging the inevitable would not change the situation, and that truth sent him from the radio station to seek her out in the sleeping quarters where she had retired two hours ago.