In one smooth move, he had her muslin pants pushed down to her knees and his hand between her legs. He continued to kiss her, his tongue mimicking the movement of the stroke of his finger, stoking a fire that threatened to sear all her control.
He took his mouth away and whispered, "You are very wet," without missing a beat with his touch.
If she could find her voice, she'd probably respond with "You think?" but she was too far gone to speak. She couldn't do anything but give in to the sensations and brace for the impending orgasm. It came swift and hard in a series of strong spasms that caused her to tremble all over.
Sunny gradually returned to reality when Rayad rained kisses on her face, but her respiration still wasn't quite steady. "Wow," she managed to say after a time.
"Did you find that satisfactory?" he asked.
"Do politicians play favorites?"
His laugh rumbled low in his chest. "That was only a sample of what I will do for you. There will be more to come, if you so desire."
You betcha she did. "I'm not sure I can handle much more."
He ran a fingertip along her jawline. "You can handle more than you realize. You will eventually see that."
At the moment, all she could see was stars, and not just the ones glimmering above her. "I'm going to take your word for that." Feeling unexpectedly bold, she rolled to her side to face him. "Take down your pants."
The demand evidently shocked him momentarily into silence. "Do you wish me to leave on my boots?"
She rose up and nudged him onto his back. "I said take down your pants, not take them off. Then you don't have to worry about your shoes."
"But-"
"No buts," she said as she wagged a finger at him. "As women say in America, do as you're told, sit back and enjoy it."
That unearthed his sexy smile. "Far be it for me to question a determined American woman."
While Rayad undid his fly, Sunny kicked out of the underpants before turning back to him to see he'd pushed his pants to his knees.
Amazing. The man had been endowed with many physical gifts, and she just discovered another one. He was mighty proud to see her. Very proud. He had every right to be.
After laying her cheek on his chest, she drew a line from his sternum down to his abdomen then lightly raked her nails up his thighs. He remained very still and silent, until she set out to explore him from shaft to tip. His indrawn breath indicated she must be doing something right, so she kept right on doing it. And when she circled her hand around him, he released a groan. That chink in his armor drove her to continue to stroke him, knowing that it wouldn't take much to send him completely over the edge. But before she could, he clasped her wrists and wrested her hand away.
"Enough," he said, his voice bordering on a growl.
She raised her head to find his eyes were closed. "Did I do something wrong?"
"On the contrary, you did everything right. That is why I stopped you."
"I think it's only fair that I return the favor."
"I prefer you not."
She felt suddenly self-conscious, and a tad miffed. "Does it bother you when a woman takes control and causes you to lose control?"
"That is not my concern."
Here we go again. "Look, if you're going to start spewing that stuff about me not knowing my own mind-"
"I was going to say that I want to be inside you."
Well, that changed everything. "I'd like that a lot."
"As long as I know you are certain you wish to proceed."
The last of her patience floated away on the warm desert breeze. "I am completely naked and still riding the pleasure train after having one of the best orgasms of my life. That pretty much speaks to my certainty."
Finally, he looked at her. "It was that good for you?"
She couldn't contain her smile. "On a scale from one to ten, I'd give it a twenty. But that doesn't mean you should puff out your chest and tell the world what a master lover you are. Not until you give me everything."
"I will give you all you need, and more."
"Then do it."
"I prefer we retire to my bed."
"I prefer we not waste that much time."
"It is not about time or convenience," he said. "It is about protection."
Aha. The condom conversation. "I'm protected against pregnancy, and I have no communicable diseases."
"Nor do I. I receive a thorough physical every six months. Therefore, you do not have to concern yourself over that. If you trust me."
Darned if she didn't on this count, too. "I trust you."
"Good. You must know I would never do anything to put you in jeopardy."
But would he understand if she couldn't go through with it? Only one way to find out. "Then what are we waiting for?"
This time he took control, nudging her onto her back and centering his dark gaze on her. "Rest assured, I am weary of waiting. Are you certain you would not rather be lying on a proper mattress?"
"I'm only sure of one thing. If you don't make love to me now, I'm going to start pouting."
He kissed her softly before presenting her with one heck of a smoldering look. "I certainly do not wish to prolong your agony."
Then he kissed her again, touched her again, bringing her to the brink of another climax and a place where the past no longer existed. But when he parted her legs and moved atop her, that past came back to roost. She couldn't breathe, couldn't divorce herself from the memories of another cruel man, no matter how hard she tried. And regardless of the consequences, she jerked from beneath him and practically shouted, "Stop!"
Shaking and ashamed, Sunny sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. She waited for a few moments of silence to pass before explaining. "The same thing happened the one and only time Cameron tried to make love to me after the abduction. He left the next morning, and I never saw him again. I wouldn't blame you if you did the same thing."
"I am not your former lover, Sunny," he said. "I would not abandon you in your time of need, nor do I expect you to do something you are not able to do."
She shifted slightly to see his forearm draped over his eyes. "But I want to make love with you, Rayad. I've thought about nothing else since you said we'd be spending time outdoors. You were answering my greatest fantasy. I can't imagine going through the rest of my life not being a whole woman again. I just don't know how to get past this."
He rolled to his side and centered his gaze on her. "With my help, if you are willing. Yet you must be aware that if we never consummate our relationship, I will always respect you and fondly remember our time together."
Her heart executed a little leap in her chest. "I really want to try, but it could take time and a whole lot of patience."
"We have nothing better to do for the next few days."
"True."
He pushed off the blanket, came to his feet and offered his hand. "Now we will retire to bed where I will expect nothing more than to hold you while you sleep. Perhaps this one night I will chase away the nightmares."
He had a knack for saying all the right things. "That sounds like a good plan. I'd suggest we sleep here, but I don't want to wake up covered in sand with a sunburn."
When she tried to gather her clothes, he said, "Leave them here, and we will retrieve them tomorrow. I want you lying next to me naked."
She smiled at his demanding tone. "All right. As long as you're naked, too."
"I have no intention of wearing clothes this evening."
Sunny followed Rayad down the dimly lit stairs and into his private quarters. After they were securely settled into bed, he brought her into his arms, where she laid her cheek on his chest and listened to the beat of his strong heart. He rubbed her arm in a steady, soothing rhythm, bringing about a welcome sense of peace.
She felt the need to express her appreciation for his patience and understanding, yet the right words escaped her. She found that odd considering her occupation revolved around proper vocabulary. But that terminology dealt with facts, not emotions. Right then her emotions were running the gamut between gratitude and much deeper feelings.
Rather than tell him exactly what was in her heart, she chose something much less heavy. "You are a wonderful man, Rayad."
He softly kissed her forehead. "You are a remarkable woman, Sunny."
He made her feel remarkable. He made her trust she could finally conquer her fears and forget the terrible ordeal. Most important, he made her believe she could finally love a man the way she should. That she could truly love him.