by Cara Albany
"What did you tell your sister about us?" Khalid asked.
He saw her eyes narrow slightly, a hint of uncertainty in them. She glanced away for a moment, looking suddenly thoughtful. Then she peered deep into his eyes, and he could see emotion in her gaze, an intensity of feeling he hadn't seen in her gaze for a very long time. Too long, he told himself.
"I told Erin you and I had been seeing each other," she declared.
He paused a moment, unsure at first how to respond to that. It hardly mattered any more, he told himself. Everyone had seen how he and Belle had entered the party, arm in arm. No-one could have missed the meaning of that, even if she had pulled away from him in what could only have been a moment of panic.
Then he realized her exact choice of words, what they had suggested. She'd spoken about them in the past tense. As if it was all over.
He knew he had to challenge that.
"Had been seeing each other?" he asked, emphasizing the first word. "Or still seeing each other," he added, lifting a brow.
Belle's gaze narrowed and she bit the corner of her lower lip. Heat flamed within him at the sight of that, but also at the closeness of their bodies, the fact that they were alone for the moment. Fate seemed determined to provide Khalid with moments of temptation.
He inhaled her scent and moved inches closer, curling his fingers around her arm, trying to draw her closer. He felt her resist slightly and her gaze dropped to his mouth.
Did she have any idea how she was making him feel, right now? Of course she did, he told himself. He could see that mischievous look in her eyes.
"Well?" he said softly, not wanting to be too insistent, even though the need to know was burning like a flame inside him.
She leaned her head closer to him, her eyes looking straight into his. Khalid shifted closer, his body almost touching her. Desire had firmed within him, the urge to hold her becoming ever more fierce with each passing moment.
But, still he resisted the impulse to take her in his arms. Not until she had answered his simple, one word request. All he wanted to hear from her was the admission he was sure they both knew was true.
Then she lifted her head up, her mouth becoming suddenly irresistible, her gaze giving him all the answer he needed.
Khalid wrapped his arms around Belle and dipped his head, his lips claiming his prize, her sweet mouth. Sensation flamed within him as he crushed her body against his. He heard her gasp, felt her breasts press against him. He probed her mouth with his tongue, and this time she groaned. Her body softened against his. Her mouth tasted sweet, her breath felt soft and warm.
Belle thrust fingers up into the thickness of his hair, and he felt those fingers snake their way to the back of his head. She pulled him closer, her need as urgent as his. He felt joy well up within him that she was so near, as close as he could ever have wished her tonight.
It was like a homecoming, a return to something he hadn't stopped thinking about for weeks. Relief and desire warred against each other throughout his body. He wanted to possess her like he'd always done. This was where she belonged. Nowhere else and with no-one else.
Belle responded to the growing firmness of his desire by pressing even closer to him. Once again, it felt as if the world had faded into oblivion; that the only people in the world were Belle and himself. Right now, he didn't care about the guests who were no doubt wondering where their host had gone. All he wanted was Belle.
Their lips parted and they looked at each other, breathing quickened, eyes wide with recognition that this was what they'd both been waiting for since Belle had arrived.
Belle ran her tongue slowly along her moist lower lip, and he felt a twist of need turn inside himself.
Khalid seized Belle's hand. "Come on," he ordered.
She froze and peered at him. "Where?"
Khalid tilted his head. "Just come with me," he replied.
Khalid guided Belle back into the palace and paused in the hallway. He could hear the sounds of the guests' voices, the soft music and knew that was where he should be right now. But he had other ideas. Desire flamed even hotter inside him at the dangerous thought which had flashed through his mind.
He turned to Belle and smiled. Her eyes were bright with expectation as well as a hint of confusion. Desire had flushed her cheeks.
Khalid gazed down the long corridor that stretched back into the center of the palace. The tall line of marble pillars promised the temporary privacy he needed, right now. There was no-one else around.
Khalid held onto Belle's hand and led her down the corridor. The sounds of the party faded as they hurriedly made their way down the length of the corridor. He felt like a rebellious teen intent on breaking all the rules. He only ever felt like this when he was with Belle. No-one else could make him feel so alive.
He heard Belle's soft laughter from behind him. Turning, he saw her smiling at him as she followed him down the corridor, the sound of her low heels echoing in the passageway.
"What?" he asked smiling.
Belle shook her head and grinned. "Nothing," she replied giggling slightly. Her mischievous look merely triggered a harsher need in him.
Finally, they reached the end of the corridor which joined another long passageway which stretched off into both directions. It was darker here. The room where the party was taking place seemed like a million miles away from here.
He swept Belle around and she leaned against the wall, in the shadow of one of the marble pillars. In the semi-darkness, Belle's eyes were bright with anticipation.
Khalid leaned his hands against the cool wall above Belle's shoulders and gazed down at her. She looked so eager, so ready. Khalid's heart thumped frantically as he tried to slow his breath. Belle looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with emotion. He felt like a predator and she was his prey. He knew he had to restrain the urges which were churning within him. But it wasn't proving to be easy. Not at all.
"Belle," he growled, feeling desire harden.
"What?" she asked, her voice soft and innocent. He knew that innocence was just a pretence. He remembered their time together, the nights they'd spent in bed. There was nothing innocent about this woman. It was just that she knew how to tease him, how to turn his desire into a roaring flame.
"I want you, Belle," he murmured. "I need you."
Her eyes widened. "You do?"
Khalid nodded. "You know that's true, don't you," he growled.
Belle tilted her head and paused. He could see a hint of playfulness on her face. "What you gonna do about it?" she whispered, lifting one brow. She knew what he wanted to do. He could see it in her eyes.
And that was enough to trigger action. His head dipped and he claimed her again, this time with an increased desire, a desperate ferocity. She gasped as he leaned against her, pressing her body firmly back onto the cold marble wall. Her lips were soft. Their tongues met in a delicate dance and sensation ripped through him. Her taste sent him into instant delirium.
Khalid ran his hand down her side and back up cupping his hand around one of her breasts. It felt firm and tempting, the nipple pebbling beneath the fabric at the touch of his fingertips.
Her breathing quickened and she pushed forward, seeking more of him. Her hands were on his shoulders, fingertips curling against him, digging into him, seeking possession of him.
His kiss became more insistent, driving desire even harder than before.
His other hand eased down her side and gently lifted the loose fabric of her dress. He felt her hips shift, her legs opening as he raised the dress up, clutching at the hem, bunching it in his fingers.
Khalid shifted his body slightly and eased his hand beneath the folds of the dress, seeking the place he wanted most of all. He felt her panties, silky smooth against the hard skin of his fingers. He slid his fingers along the edge of the soft fabric, and hesitated.
Belle reacted to his hesitation by pushing against him, giving him the clearest signal that she needed his touch, that she wanted wha
t he promised.
He continued to kiss her as his fingers eased into the warmth between her legs. He felt the heat, the moistness that told him everything he needed to know.
Belle grasped his shoulders with an increasing urgency, pulling him closer. He felt her breath quicken. His heart was pounding at a furious rate.
Khalid touched her folds, feeling the delicacy of her, savoring the softness. He'd been away from her too long, he realized. This was the way it was meant to be between them. There was no use denying it.
Khalid ran his fingers expertly along her folds and Belle gasped, her body tensing, obvious need igniting within her. Khalid's fingertips found her most delicate place and this time Belle groaned heavily, letting loose her relief and desire. Her voice echoed down the corridor and she pressed herself even harder against him.
Khalid stroked her nipple in slow circles, feeling the firmness of it beneath the fabric. At the same time he circled the place in her folds, and the combination of both actions triggered a deep, primal sound from within Belle.
His kiss continued, unrelenting. He wanted her to feel as much as possible. Needed her to remember what it felt like to be controlled by him. Her pleasure was his. He remembered what she liked, the kind of touch that made her feel the most intense pleasure. Every stroke was a memory and a need.
His fingers circled unforgivingly, and his lips sought every morsel of pleasure and satisfaction he could find. Belle curled her legs around his, opening herself up to him even more, as he pleasured her, grateful for every moment, for every moan she made, for every touch of her softness.
The sounds of the party were a distant, irrelevant babble. All that he cared about was touching her, driving her to pleasure, showing her just how much she meant to him.
He could tell she wasn't far from reaching the peak, and his fingers drove her insistently toward that summit.
Then he felt her need become desperate and she pressed harder against him, commanding him to lead her to that place, and he probed her mouth with his tongue, ran his fingertip across her pebbled nipple, circled one last time around her most delicate place.
Their lips parted and she lifted her head back. She groaned loudly and he felt her shake, felt her grasp desperately onto him, holding him firm. He watched her climax, savoring the sight of her ecstasy. Then she buried her face in his chest, pressing her cheeks against his white shirt.
He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her body as it softened against him. He stroked her hair, feeling the slight dampness of it.
Her breathing slowed eventually and then she looked up at him. "Khalid," she murmured. Her gaze was soft and warm.
He smiled at her, not wanting to say anything in this moment. He kissed her forehead and held her face close to him again. He never wanted to let her go.
They stayed like that, holding onto each other for a few minutes.
Then Khalid heard footsteps coming down the corridor from the direction of the party. He released Belle who quickly composed herself, straightening her dress and fussing with her hair. She smiled at Khalid as they both walked out from behind the pillar, trying to appear as casual as possible under the circumstances.
Khalid recognized the couple ahead of them, a young sheikh and his girlfriend, who must have been seeking a similar solitude away from the party.
As they passed the couple, Khalid acknowledged them politely but quickly moved on, glancing at Belle as followed alongside him.
Khalid smiled at Belle, who lifted a hand to her mouth, suppressing her laughter.
What they had just done had been truly wicked, Khalid told himself. But he wouldn't have had it any other way. Wickedness with Belle was what he wanted.
Now it was time to get back to the party and attend to his duties as a host. Back to reality, he told himself. The only reality he was interested in, right now, was the woman whose hand he held tight in his grasp.
As he entered the room and surveyed the guests, he couldn't help telling himself that, if he had anything to do with it, what they had just shared wouldn't be the last of the pleasure for the evening.
CHAPTER TEN
For the next few hours, as she mingled with the guests, as she accompanied Khalid around the room, chatting pleasantly to people, some of whom she was already familiar with from embassy gatherings, Belle tried to ignore the lingering sensations which rippled softly throughout her flesh.
The encounter in the corridor had been amazing. He had driven her to a height of pleasure she was all to familiar with. Racing along the corridor behind him, she'd had an inkling of what he wanted to do to her. He'd done things like that before, so she knew what he was capable of. He was impulsive and she liked that about him. Sometimes she didn't known what to expect from him. But, she knew one thing. He could make her feel things she'd never imagined possible.
But this time, the sensations had been even more intense than before. The way he'd touched her, the passion of that kiss, the gentle caress of his fingers had driven her crazy with need. The release, when it had come, had been shattering. Surely, other people could see the remnants of that experience on her face, she told herself. It must be impossible to hide. She glanced hesitantly at the faces in the room. Would they notice her guilty secret?
Now, she stood next to him, in a room full of the best and richest in Qazhar. The way some of the women looked at Belle confirmed her suspicions that there was more than a hint of jealousy in some of those penetrating stares when Khalid introduced Belle. Being the center of attention was something she'd been used to most of her life. It came with the territory, being the daughter of a diplomat.
However, the way Belle was being scrutinized was something totally new for her. This was what it really meant to be the woman chosen by a powerful sheikh, she realized. Before now, every one of their encounters had been in private, a secret they'd both worked hard to keep.
Now though, the secret was out. The truth was plain to see, especially in the way that Khalid looked at Belle every time he introduced her to some dignitary or high born member of a Qazhar royal family.
It was obvious Khalid was proud of Belle. She could tell that by the pride with which he talked about her, describing her position as the ambassadors daughter in glowing terms that made Belle blush with embarrassment.
At first, Belle felt slightly awkward joining in with the conversations. She tried to recall how her mother dealt with difficult people, how she would adopt a cool, polite attitude. It was important Belle make a good impression, on Khalid's behalf.
Even though the situation with Karim still needed some work before it could be resolved, Belle knew that, right now, Khalid needed her. And that was enough to focus her attention on the guests, enough for her to ignore the burning need she felt to be even closer to Khalid. To renew the connection they'd just shared out in the semi-darkness of the corridor.
Belle still felt every nerve in her body vibrate with the subtle remnants of pleasure. Those sensations were so hard to ignore. The single glass of champagne did nothing to blunt the sharpness of the desire which hovered at the back of her awareness.
As the evening wore on, Belle realized she was beginning to feel impatient, eager for the guests to be gone, desperate to be alone with Khalid. The hours passed excruciatingly slowly. The conversations began to feel interminable, and she started to feel an edge of irritation creep in, the longer the evening wore on.
Finally, the guests started to leave. One by one they left. Khalid took Belle out to the entrance and went through the formal process of wishing the guests farewell, shaking hands, uttering pleasant promises of future meetings.
She stood by his side, yet another indication to anyone who hadn't yet discovered it, that she belonged by his side. It was almost as if she already lived at the palace, as if it had become her home. Maybe that was true, she told herself as the last of the guests started to file out toward their waiting limos. Perhaps this was where she belonged, in this beautiful palace, alongside the most
amazing man she had ever met.
Because, tonight, he'd made one thing absolutely clear to Belle. He'd made her feel that this was where she should be, that she must remain with him.
Belle thought about the impending move to Europe, realizing that she had been doing everything she could to push that upcoming decision out of her mind. The evening had been so memorable, she hadn't had a chance to consider how everything that had happened tonight fitted in with the terrible choice she would be forced to make.
And, when Khalid closed the door on the last of the guests, she realized that he hadn't even asked her if she wanted to go home. It might have been the most natural thing for him to call for a limo and for her bid him a polite goodnight.
But, as she watched him close the door, as she saw him turn to her, she knew that wouldn't happen. Not after the way he'd made her feel earlier. It was impossible for her to abandon him tonight. She felt unbelievably close to him, closer to him than she had ever felt.
Belle turned away from the door and sighed. "At last!" she gasped. "I thought they'd never leave."
She turned back to him and saw that Khalid had lifted a querying brow. Was he hinting that it was her turn to go?
No. She watched him move toward her, panther-like and slow, his brows furrowed, eyes dark with desire. Butterflies fluttered in her belly as he gazed at her, want written clearly on his face. Hadn't he had enough of her for one evening?
Of course not, she told herself. She took a step back, instinctively reacting to the sudden change in him. But then she halted as her back bumped against the marble of the staircase banister. Her heels kicked against the bottom stair, and then he was inches from her.
She inhaled his scent, recalling how intense it had been when she'd been the sole focus of his attention earlier. She was glad there were no servants around to see this. Not that she didn't already know what he wanted. What she wanted, too.