He took her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm and sending sharp stabs of desire along her spine.
“I appreciate your honesty, Rayne. Most women would have prevaricated, or told me what they think I want to hear. You don’t do that.”
“I’ll never do that,” she replied fiercely.
“That’s why I want you,” he purred with a heated gaze that not even the dim lights of the bar could hide. “I want to make you mine in every way.”
She laughed nervously, pulling her hand away and hiding both under the table, folded on her lap. “Comments like that are terrifying.”
“You came here tonight with a plan in mind, didn’t you?” he asked, his eyes moving over her face slowly, as if evaluating something he saw in her eyes.
She opened her mouth to reply, but Rayne wasn’t sure she could admit the truth. “Yes. I came here with a plan.”
“And does that plan involve coming back to my suite with me?” he probed.
Rayne looked into his eyes. “You know that I don’t have any money, right?” she whispered, needing to be clear. “So if you are a con man, I’m the wrong mark.”
He laughed, shaking his head. “I promise that I’m not after your money. I can assure you of that.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but at least the question was out there. At least he knew that she was aware of his…difference compared to other men. “Good, because I’m actually in debt up to my eyeballs with student loans.”
His hand waved in the air dismissively. “Your student loans will be gone as of tomorrow,” he vowed.
It was Rayne’s turn to laugh. “Well, if you can do that kind of magic, then please, be my guest!” She chuckled again, thinking he was teasing her. Then she turned serious, looking up at him again. “Anyway, I came here tonight because,” she paused, looking into his eyes, “because I want to…have sex with you. Tonight,” she added, as if her statement needed clarification. “I want to know what it is like to be in your arms, Kular. But if you’re expecting more than that, I can’t give it to you.”
He stared at her for a long moment, his dark eyes boring into her blue ones. “Come,” he commanded, standing up. As she followed him, Rayne wasn’t aware of anything else. She didn’t notice the appreciative glances from the other men in the bar, or the jealous glares from the women who didn’t have her youth or sensuous beauty. Several women touched their hair, wishing that they had her fiery locks and others smoothed a hand down their overly thin hips, wishing that they could emulate her round curves.
But Rayne was entirely focused on Kular. When he stopped beside the set of elevators, her fingers nervously brushed against the pearls at her throat.
“This is it, isn’t it?” she whispered, looking up at him.
“This is it,” he confirmed. “I’m going to make love to you, Rayne. And then we will talk more. But after wanting you all day today, being distracted by the promise of tonight, I can’t wait any longer.”
She smiled at that, remembering his intense focus with the other men earlier when she’d seen him walking across the lobby earlier today after she’d arrived back at the hotel from touring this fabulous city. His lack of focus on her, on his anticipation, was a lie, she knew, but it sounded extremely nice. The lie was good though. It helped to remind Rayne that this was all a wonderful fantasy. Tomorrow, she’d fly back home. A few days after that, she’d get on a plane to San Diego and start the next phase of her life.
Fantasy, she thought and looked up at Kular. “In case I forget,” she whispered, moving closer to his tall, muscular body, “thank you for tonight.”
His hand moved to caress her cheek and she saw a muscle clench along his jawline. “You can’t say things like that in public, habi!”
Rayne’s smile curled up in an unconsciously sensual promise. “Why not?” she asked. Her free hand moved to his chest. There were three layers of fabric between her hand and his skin, but she could still feel the heat emanating from him. When he lifted his other hand and pressed hers more firmly against his chest, that smile brightened with secret, feminine knowledge.
He groaned, but at that moment, the elevator doors opened and the group surrounding him stepped inside.
Just like the last time, Rayne was painfully conscious of being surrounded by strangers when she really wanted to be alone with him, but she waited patiently until the ping indicated that they’d reached his floor.
With long strides, they walked down the hallway. The door to his suite opened automatically and Rayne was a bit startled to find a man standing in the foyer, looking imperiously important.
“Your…”
“Not now, Hashim,” Kular snapped. “We’ll talk later.”
And he led Rayne through the suite, not giving her a chance to look around and orient herself. When she didn’t walk fast enough, he simply scooped her up in his arms. Rayne squeaked, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Kular, put me down! I’m too heavy. You’re going to hurt your back.”
“Hush!” he growled and continued walking down a long hallway. He shouldered his way through a door and Rayne noticed a bed with a beautiful view of the harbor. But that was all she could take in before he released her.
“Now, tell me again that you want me,” he ordered, removing his jacket and tossing it over a chair, without taking his gaze from her the whole time.
Rayne stepped closer, reaching for him. “I want you,” she whispered, but the words almost caught in her throat. Immediately, he pulled her close. She pressed her hands against his chest to stop him. “Wait!” she gasped.
“What’s wrong?” he demanded, hands on her hips and one hard thigh pressed between her legs.
“Kular,” she gasped. “Please, I can’t think when you’re doing that!”
“Good,” he replied, nuzzling her neck. “I don’t want you thinking. I want you feeling and enjoying tonight.”
She sighed, tilting her head back to give him better access. Then she remembered and pulled away. Already, her breathing was labored and she rubbed a hand over her mouth. “Kular, I…I’m not on birth control. I’m sorry but…it’s not a good time of the month for me to get pregnant, but there’s still a risk and I don’t want that right now.”
His eyes cleared from the anger that had flashed when she’d pulled away. That anger was replaced by admiration and he nodded. “Thank you for telling me. I always ensure my woman’s protection.”
Her bright eyes narrowed and she frowned up at him. “Seriously, I’m all in for tonight, but if you mention that you’ve been with other women again, I’m out of here.”
He laughed softly, reaching out to touch her waist, bringing her close again. “I promise not to mention other women again,” he murmured. “Now, is there anything else we need to discuss?”
Rayne thought about telling him that she’d never done this before, but that sounded so…weird. She was twenty-four years old. How many twenty-four year old virgins were there in the world?
He reached behind her and started sliding the zipper down her back and she panicked. “I’ve never done this before, Kular. So please, you’re going to need to slow down.”
He froze, staring at her as if she’d just slapped him. “You’re truly a virgin?”
Rayne felt a cold drizzle of anger trickle down her spine. “You guessed that fact while we were having breakfast so you don’t need to look so horrified,” she huffed.
Shaking her head, she pushed a hand through her hair, and started looking around for her purse. “Look, this was a mistake,” she huffed, irritated and embarrassed. “I didn’t mean to kill the mood. And I know that I’m a freak of nature, but if you knew me better, understood about my teen years, then you’d understand and wouldn’t be so freaked out right now. And to be honest, it’s not really a big deal. It’s just that you were moving too fast and I’m…”
Kular watched as Rayne explained, her anger building as she grabbed her purse and opened it up, pulling her keycard out. The whole time,
he stood there stunned as he absorbed the information that no man had touched her before. This morning, he’d challenged her, asserting that she was a virgin, and she’d firmly told him that he wouldn’t be her first lover!
Obviously, he’d misunderstood and now…!
He’d never made love to a virgin before. He knew that he was possessive enough to be thrilled by the realization that she was his. All his! And since he truly intended to marry her, damn, he couldn’t believe what she was telling him!
Rayne made it all the way to the bedroom door before he realized that she was leaving. With two long strides, he grabbed her and swung her around, pressing her against his chest.
“Why are you leaving?” he growled, lifting her into his arms again and carrying her over to the sofa, far away from the bed.
She grabbed his shoulders for balance, but her body was still rigid with the hurt he’d caused.
“Because you seem freaked by the fact that I have a stupid, useless piece of tissue intact. That’s all it is, by the way. And it might not even still be there! Virginity is a ridiculous term in this day and age. A woman doesn’t need to be a virgin on her wedding night, Kular! And put me down! We’re not doing this anymore!”
He laughed. He couldn’t help it. He was thrilled that he was about to teach her all about the beauty of making love.
“Shut up, Rayne,” he ordered, and then kissed her because he knew that she wouldn’t stop talking until he distracted her. He sat down on the sofa, keeping her snuggled on his lap. Over and over he kissed, nibbled, and teased until the stiffness melted from her body. Leaning over, he tilted her back so that he was above her and still, he kissed her, teasing her lips and her tongue. He’d make love to her so slowly, she’d be screaming his name by the time he entered her for the first time.
Slowly, without taking any of her clothes off, he slid his hand down her body, lightly skimming her curves, trying not to scare her with the ferocity of his need. When his hand found the bottom of her black dress, he slid his hand underneath, almost groaning at the delicate softness of her skin. Everywhere he touched, she was soft, and every movement seemed to elicit a gasp or moan of pleasure. And still, he held back, wanting more for her first time.
Moving slowly, inch by inch, his hand moved higher along her thigh until he found the edge of her panties. Sliding his finger underneath the elastic band, he teased her soft, wet folds. He watched her face, needing to make sure that he wasn’t hurting her and wanting to discover what she liked, how she preferred to be touched.
Rayne might not believe he wanted to marry her, but deep down inside, he knew that she was the woman he wanted for the rest of his life, the woman he wanted by his side to help him rule his country and keep his people safe.
The fact that she was a virgin, that no other man had touched her, only solidified his determination to marry her.
Now, watching her mouth fall open as he slid one finger into her tight, wet sheath, he struggled to hold back, to ignore the need to rip her clothes off and bury himself deep inside of her. Because more than his own satisfaction, he wanted her to experience the bliss of his touch, to show her what her body could do when he touched her like this.
As soon as she felt his finger, her back arched, making him grit his teeth with the image of her so sensuously splayed out. And she wasn’t even naked! Yet.
Teasing her gently, sliding his finger in and out of her wet heat, he watched and learned, taking in every reaction. Slowly, he let his thumb tease that nub, circling and moving away, then repeating the process. He moved from the right and left, but she grabbed his wrist and he went back to circling and her lips softened again, silently telling him that she preferred that rhythm. Again and again, he pressed one finger, then two, into her heat while teasing her and circling that nub until…!
She cried out, her body shifting against his hand and watched as she enjoyed her first climax, her fingers tightening on his wrist as her back arched and she screamed her release. She was so beautiful, Kular thought.
When her body slowly relaxed, he eased his touch, then pulled away, watching as her eyes fluttered open.
“Thank you,” she sighed, her lips curling into a sweet, sexy smile.
“It’s not over,” he told her.
With that warning, he sat up, lifting her with him so that she straddled his hips.
“What about you?” she asked, her hands flying up to his shoulders to steady herself.
“Soon,” he replied, his hands moving behind her to tug the zipper of her dress down. He tugged it down so that it bunched around her waist, revealing her pretty, white lace bra. White, he thought, almost laughing.
“I want to touch you too, Kular,” she whispered, reaching for his shirt buttons.
He pushed her hands away, shaking his head. “Not yet, habi.” He leaned forward, taking her taut nipple into his mouth and teasing the bud. She gasped, arching her back as desire burned through her like a wild fire. While his mouth teased one breast, his hand teased the other, feeling the weight and shape, loving the way her body started writhing against his. Unconsciously, her hips pressed against his erection, making his mind go blank until he got himself back under control.
He heard something tear, but wasn’t aware that it was his shirt until he felt her fingers on his bare skin. With a roar, he stood up with her in his arms, carrying her over to the bed. Gently, he laid her down on the bed. “Touch me, habi!” he commanded, then took her hands and placed them on his chest. When she slid soft fingers along his chest, he went back to her breasts, reaching behind her to release the catch and tossing her bra off to the side. When his mouth closed over her nipple again, he felt the sharp stab of her fingernails against his skin and knew that she liked what he was doing, so he continued.
For several moments, he teased and nibbled, his teeth scraping along those taut peaks before moving down her body, tasting every inch of her along the way to his ultimate goal. When she spread her legs for him, he thought he’d just about died and gone to heaven. And that was before he tasted her soft, pink folds! She tasted like honey and woman and he teased her, tormented her nub until…
“Kular!” she gasped, pressing her core into his mouth and he clung to her hips, pulling her in closer as his mouth and fingers pulled every ounce of pleasure he could from her body.
Only after she collapsed on the bed did Kular stand up and strip off his clothes. For a brief moment, he almost forgot protection in his haste to be inside of her, but he pulled back, grabbing a condom out of the nightstand and rolling it down his length.
When she opened her eyes and saw him, there was a brief moment of hesitation.
“I don’t think…”
Kular chuckled and moved over her again. “I guarantee you will enjoy this, habi,” he vowed. As he slid into her heat, just slightly, he felt her hips lift, inviting him in deeper. Pulling out, he heard her moan and he pressed into her again and again, deeper with each thrust until he felt the resistance that proved she was indeed a virgin. He hadn’t doubted her, but the surge of satisfaction at feeling the proof was unlike anything he’d ever felt before.
For a long moment, he stilled, waiting for a signal that she was okay. With her eyes closed, he couldn’t see into those expressive blue eyes, but he waited, shifting ever so slightly to show her that the pain was over.
When she looked up at him, he just about lost it. Those blue eyes of hers looked up at him with surprise and amazement. Then she lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist and…he was lost. So damn lost he could barely hold on. Gently at first, but when her hands trailed over his body, it was like an electric current and he could barely concentrate, needing to explode into her so badly that it was slightly painful.
Reaching down, he touched that nub, smoothing over it with his thumb with every thrust. He saw the surprise in her eyes when her body started to tighten again and he shifted subtly, creating more friction against her body and…
That was all it took to send her over t
he edge. And with her body throbbing around his, he didn’t try to hold back. With one final thrust, he tumbled into his own climax, praying that he didn’t hurt her.
A long time later, he pulled away, looking down at her as he watched her lips curl into another dreamy smile. Kissing her, he muttered, “I’ll be right back,” and he headed into the bathroom to clean up before coming back to pull her into his arms.
“Go to sleep,” he said, caressing her back and hair, enjoying the feeling of her soft curves against his body. He’d close his eyes for just a moment until she was asleep, then he’d go out and talk to Hashim about whatever issue needed his attention.
Chapter 5
Rayne waited until she felt Kular’s soft breathing, indicating that he was asleep. She smiled, snuggled against him one more time and felt his arm tighten around her, even in his sleep.
But she had to go. Rayne wasn’t sure what time it was, but she knew that it was late. She had to be back in Josh’s suite before he and her sisters came back from their evening out. She couldn’t remember where they were going after dinner, but she didn’t want them to know what she’d done tonight. She wanted to savor this amazing feeling.
Slipping out of the bed, she found her clothes and pulled them on. Then with her shoes in hand, she tiptoed to the door and opened it, glancing behind her to ensure that the sound didn’t wake up Kular.
But he was out like a light and she didn’t blame him. What he’d done to her, for her, with her, had been amazing! She couldn’t imagine the amount of control he’d expended in helping her have such a magical night her first time.
With a dreamy smile, she quietly closed the door to his bedroom. Only then did she slip her shoes on and, with as much dignity as possible, walked down the hallway towards the light. There had been another man in the suite when they’d first arrived and, with luck, she’d avoid running into him.
Who was he, she wondered. A brother? A friend? A partner? She didn’t like the sound of that, so she banished the possibility. She couldn’t think of Kular as a con artist anymore. If he was, why would he bother with her? Why hadn’t he gone after one of the women who had been wearing fancy jewels and designer gowns? Kular would have found a much better target in them for his machinations.
Pregnant With the Sheik's Heir (The Abbot Sisters Book 2) Page 6