Sinful Seduction

by Alice Raine

I gasped, and Khalil growled. ‘I can feel how much you want me.’ I did, oh God, I really did, and even though I’d never considered just giving myself over to a man on the first night he kissed me, Khalil was skewing all the beliefs I’d thought I held firm.

  ‘So warm. I bet you’re wet, too,’ he stated with certainty, before he traced a finger along the centre of my wet panties, rubbing over my swollen clit and through my slit, making me convulse in his arms and clutch at his shoulders.

  He let out a dark chuckle and pressed his finger against my opening, and even though a layer of fabric separated us, it was the most erotic feeling I’d ever experienced.

  ‘So perfect.’ He lowered his lips to capture mine again, and as they did, his hands moved upwards to slide inside the robe and rest on my bare shoulders. The heat of his hands made me gasp, but Khalil caught my noise with his mouth, plunging his tongue in and beginning to slide the robe from my body.

  The silk pooled around my waist, caught by the belt tie, but the cool breeze on my damp chest made me realise that my top half was now completely bare to him.

  Without breaking the kiss, he retraced the path his fingers had taken earlier, moving back across my shoulders, collarbones, and down towards my breasts where he once again set about teasing and arousing me. Skin on skin was so much more intense, and I let out a garbled groan as the pleasure in my breasts sent pangs of desire shooting to my core.

  I was inexperienced when it came to sex. I’d never quite managed to let my guard down enough to enjoy the things I’d done in the past, but Khalil's touch was incredible, making me relax in ways I’d never been able to before.

  Each caress of my nipples sent liquid heat pooling in my core, and I started to think that perhaps we should be taking this indoors before somebody caught us at it on a pool lounger.

  Releasing my lips so we could both suck in some air, Khalil slid one of his hands around my neck, cupping my nape, and tipping my head back so he could trail his lips down the column of my throat.

  It felt so good.

  Until suddenly it didn’t, and my head gave a violent thump and started to spin erratically.

  A distressed yelp tore up my throat, and I scrabbled to grab hold of his forearms, feeling like I was keeling over backwards. Khalil acted with the speed of a ninja, stooping down and catching me in a firm embrace before standing up slowly and scooping me into his arms.

  ‘Are you OK?’

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him as the roiling sickness passed. Almost as soon as I was upright again, I felt better, and I cursed myself for breaking the incredible moment between us.

  ‘Yes, sorry, I just got really dizzy when you tipped my head back.’

  Khalil watched me carefully, his eyes sweeping over my face. ‘I cannot apologise enough, Sara. I was so lost in you that I’d completely forgotten about your concussion.’

  So lost in me. Wow. Talk about romantic.

  ‘I’m OK now, you know … if you want to carry on losing yourself …’

  He let out a grunt of dry laughter, but shook his head regretfully. ‘Believe me, I would love to, but no, you are in recovery. We need to get you back in bed.’

  ‘I’m recovered!’ I protested, even though clearly a second ago I’d been about ready to collapse into a pile on the poolside. Damn this concussion!

  ‘At least let me walk,’ I mumbled, feeling feeble and pathetic, but Khalil just ignored me and lifted me higher in his arms. He carried me towards the house, walking slowly as if worried that each step might make me sick, so I tried to prove to him that I really was OK by resting my head on my shoulder and latching my lips onto his neck.

  I kissed the warm skin there, tasting the salt of his skin and the lingering scent of the pool water. Poking my tongue out, I licked at the spiky stubble, and couldn’t help but grin as Khalil growled, then speeded up his steps.

  ‘Tease.’

  As much as his hastened steps might have indicated that Khalil was ready to restart things once we got to the bedroom, he didn’t, much to my frustration. Instead, he placed me on the armchair as if I were made of glass, and set about getting me some headache tablets and a glass of water.

  Once I was dosed up, he sorted through a pile of clothes on the dresser and pulled out a larger white T-shirt. ‘Let's get you out of this damp robe.’

  My cheeks flamed, and I found myself shaking my head, then wincing. Bloody hell, I’d never realised just how much I moved my head until now. Steadying myself, I glanced up and tried to put on a brave smile. ‘I can do it myself.’ I held out a hand, hoping he’d give me the T-shirt, but Khalil frowned. It appeared that once again we were going to have a battle of wills.

  He wanted to undress me, and I was suddenly very aware of how bright it was in here. He might have had a glimpse of my breasts outside, but that had been in the dim moonlight while we were kissing. This was now functional, not sexual, making it altogether different and causing me to feel self-conscious.

  ‘I saw how beautiful your body was outside, little one,’ he murmured huskily, ‘but I promise to be on my best behaviour. I just want to get you dry and warm and tucked up for some rest. OK?’

  So not only had he kissed me to within an inch of my life, he now wanted to take care of me. I swear he was the perfect man.

  I might not have been able to completely get my way, but that didn’t mean I would give in entirely. Leaning forwards, I dimmed the lamp on the table besides us, which would at least minimise some of my embarrassment, and threw Khalil a challenging look, only to find him grinning at me in amusement.

  Ignoring his smug smile, I loosened the belt of the robe. After taking a deep breath, I slipped my arms out, baring myself to him, then held them up so Khalil could slide the T-shirt onto me. As promised, he behaved himself, pulling the T-shirt over me and not even pausing for a second to take a moment to run his eyes over me. I insisted on removing my own damp knickers. Then, with his assistance, I walked across the room and slid into the gigantic bed.

  Once I was tucked up below the covers, he paused by the side of the bed, looking down at me. ‘This may be pushing my luck, but how would you feel about me joining you?’

  My eyebrows rose at the same time as my heart began galloping in my chest. The idea of him sharing this bed excited me way more than it probably should in my current state, but I found myself giving a small nod anyway.

  Grinning, Khalil flashed me a wink and went to a dresser on the far side of the room. He pulled open the middle drawer, rooted around, then, with absolutely no warning, dropped his towel and flashed me his gorgeous arse for the second time within the hour as he began pulling on a pair of pyjama bottoms.

  ‘You have absolutely no shame, do you?’ I spluttered, my cheeks burning as the vision of his peachy arse filled my vision.

  ‘Nope.’ Turning to me, he grinned and shrugged, before casting a glance down his body. ‘Why do I have something to be embarrassed about?’

  I didn’t answer, but I’m fairly sure my pink cheeks and wide eyes were all the reply he needed. He was bloody gorgeous, and he knew it, but he was teasing me again, provoking me into looking at his body. Even knowing this, my traitorous gaze dropped to his torso anyway. His chest was just to die for; broad and muscular, but not bulky. He had defined muscles in his arms and stomach, too, which I itched to touch.

  Once again, he seemed to practically prowl across the room, but just as before, Khalil proved to be a complete gentleman when he climbed into the bed beside me. After placing a brief, chaste kiss on my forehead, he flicked off the lamp.

  ‘Try and get some rest. Hopefully you’ll feel better in the morning.’

  We lay in the dark silence for several minutes, not touching, but not sleeping, either. I might have been feeling a bit woozy, but I couldn’t escape from the attraction between us. The arousal from our kiss was still buzzing in my system, and I was so drawn to him that my body desperately wanted to move closer.

  Just when I thought that perhaps he
had drifted off, Khalil spoke in a low whisper. ‘Are you asleep, Sara?’

  ‘No. But lying down is helping my head settle.’

  ‘Good.’ I heard him draw in a breath and shift closer to me. ‘This has all thrown me slightly,’ he admitted in a whisper.

  He still wasn’t touching me, and I couldn’t see him in the dark, but I could feel his presence, and warmth, so I knew he was noticeably nearer. ‘What has?’

  ‘This thing between us. The connection. You feel it, too, don’t you?’

  The uncertainty in his voice was almost as shocking as his upfront declaration, and I had to clear my throat twice before I was able to speak. ‘I do.’

  ‘Hmm. Good.’ The satisfaction in his humming tone made it clear that I’d wiped away his earlier concerns. ‘On the first day at the beach I tried to ignore it because my prime concern was about your health, but it's been there from the start.’ My heart was galloping now, and I was so thrilled he was feeling the same way that I found myself grinning up into the darkness, glad that he’d chosen to have this conversation when I could hide my blushes in the night. ‘I have no idea where it's going, where it can go, but even now when you need rest and I should leave, I … I can’t. I can’t stay away from you.’

  Where it could go? Was he referring to his father's plans to set him up with a marriage? I suppose that effectively meant this thing between us would always have a time limit. We could never have a long-term future because eventually he would have to marry his father's choice of bride.

  It was quite a depressing thought, but I didn’t know what to say to his comments, so I remained quiet, dismissing his words about the future and hoping that here in the present he might move a tiny bit closer and wrap me in his arms.

  ‘I want to hold you as you sleep, Sara. Would you mind?’

  Mind? Would I mind? Was he crazy? Being held by him as I slept sounded perfect to me. Instead of answering verbally, I lifted the blankets up and shuffled closer to him, careful not to bounce my head too much in the process. As soon as he sensed me moving, Khalil slid an arm around my waist and helped me settle myself on his chest before letting out a contented sigh as we both relaxed towards sleep.

  Chapter Six

  ‘Good morning, sleeping beauty.’

  Warm lips skated across my mouth and dropped a kiss on my brow, and I groggily blinked as I awoke. My eyelids were heavy, but as my sight cleared I got a full-on view of bright green eyes taking up my entire field of vision.

  Wow, he was close.

  Leaning away slightly, Khalil smiled down on me, an expression that morphed into a childlike grin as I engaged my sleepy brain and returned the smile.

  ‘Hey.’

  ‘How's the head feeling?’

  I shifted experimentally, and even tested out a nod before grinning at him. ‘Much better, thank you.’

  ‘Good. I brought some breakfast up, are you hungry?’

  Inhaling, I realised I could smell the delicious scent of fresh coffee and glanced across at the small table to see a plate piled with pastries, two mugs, and a large pot of coffee.

  ‘Yum. Yes, please.’

  Instead of allowing me to move to the seating area, Khalil leaped up and brought the tray to the bed, placing it on the end where neither of us would knock it.

  Pushing my hair back behind my ears, I looked down at the food and blushed. ‘I’m … I’m sorry that my headache interrupted things last night.’

  Khalil chuckled, and set about pouring the coffee. ‘No need to apologise. If anything, it should be me saying sorry for forgetting myself and pushing you when you were ill.’

  I picked at a pastry and frowned. ‘You didn’t push me,’ I mumbled. ‘But actually, I’m kinda glad we didn’t get too carried away,’ I admitted, my cheeks heating with the constant blush that this man seemed to cause.

  Khalil sat back and stared at me, stretching out his long legs and crossing his feet at the ankles. ‘Is a stable boy not good enough for you?’ His voice was a mix of curiosity and teasing.

  He may have been asking a question, but his words made me roll my eyes. He might love horses, but I was fairly confident that he was not a stable boy; his clothes, accent, manners and posture screamed of class and money. Letting out a dry chuckle, I eased myself into a sitting position.

  ‘Not that it would matter to me, but you’re not a stable boy, Khalil.’

  Crossing his arms, he raised a challenging eyebrow at me, a playful twinkle still lighting his eyes. ‘I might be. How can you be so sure?’

  ‘You seem far too at home with all this opulence,’ I replied, waving a hand around at the room, which still made me gawk with wide eyes when I paused to look at how beautiful it was.

  ‘This isn’t my house,’ he reminded me, his expression still teasing.

  ‘Maybe not, but you’re comfortable here, familiar almost, as if either this house, or this level of wealth are normal for you.’

  There was a lengthy pause, then Khalil smiled. ‘You’ve caught me red-handed. This is my parents’ house. I grew up here on the estate.’

  Woah. I’d expected him to confess that this was a friend's place that he was looking after for the summer, not to admit that his family owned this sprawling property.

  ‘But you don’t live here?’

  ‘No, that part was true. My parents are on a tour of Europe for the summer. My house is up in the mountains, as I told you, but I decided to stay here while they’re gone so I can spend more time with the horses.’

  Khalil sipped his coffee and placed the mug down on a bedside table before giving me an intent look.

  ‘You’ve changed the topic, Sara,’ he reminded me in a low tone. ‘If it wasn’t me putting you off, why did you say you were glad we didn’t sleep together last night?’

  Suddenly losing my appetite, I put the remains of my pastry back on the plate and gave a self-conscious shrug. There was no way I was telling him the real reason, so a half-truth would have to suffice. ‘It's just that … well … I’m not that sort of girl.’

  Instead of teasing me, he smiled and gave a curious look. ‘What sort of girl?’

  ‘One who sleeps with a guy on the first night.’ Little did he know that I’d never slept with any man on any night and was still the big “V”. I wasn’t sure quite how it happened, and yet here I was; twenty-two and still a virgin.

  ‘I think that is a very admirable outlook,’ he murmured softly. I’d like to think it was, too. I certainly couldn’t be classed as ‘easy’, I suppose. I’d had boyfriends in the past, but there had never been enough of a spark for me to take things to that final level.

  Khalil interrupted my wandering thoughts. ‘Although, technically, last night was the third that you spent with me,’ he quipped lightly.

  His teasing was effortless, comfortable somehow, and I felt my shoulders relax again. Rolling my eyes, I immediately countered him. ‘Being unconscious doesn’t count. Not unless you’re into that sort of thing.’

  At this comment, Khalil threw his head back and laughed, long and hard, the sound so warming that I couldn’t help joining in. ‘No. I like the women in my bed very much awake, thank you very much.’

  A spark of jealousy ignited in my belly as I wondered how many women he’d shared a bed with over the years. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t as though he and I could have a future together; his parents expected him to have an arranged marriage, and there was no way on earth that they would pick a newcomer to the island like me to pair with him. If I did sleep with him, it would be a short fling and then over, and that was something I’d just have to accept.

  If I slept with him. Which I was still yet to decide. Although I had to admit that, with his easy charm and constant caring, he was making the decision easier and easier with each moment I spent with him.

  Chapter Seven

  Despite my assurances that I really did feel better, the rest of the week was spent with Khalil watching over me like a hawk.

  We passed the days in
a very similar vein; mornings were when we lounged in the pool in the early sun, lunches were eaten on a covered terrace upstairs while we chatted and got to know each other better, and the afternoons were spent walking on the beach, or wandering through the groves of fruit trees in the estate gardens enjoying the sweet smell of mangoes, papayas, and bananas that hung in the air.

  Khalil's flirtatious side was never far from the surface, but I could see that he was trying his hardest to supress it so I could recover. He didn’t kiss me again, much to my growing frustration, but he did hold my hand on several occasions, each time giving me an almost shy smile as he did so. As lovely as the contact was, I noticed that each time was when we were out of sight of the house, and I started to wonder why that was. Was he embarrassed to be seen being friendly with me? I knew the cultural rules on dating and marriage on Somora were vastly different from the relaxed attitude to it in the UK, so perhaps it just wasn’t the done thing to be seen touching someone you weren’t married to.

  By the time my fifth evening meal came around I’d had no further dizzy spells, and hadn’t needed any headache tablets for the past three days, either, so I was confident that I really was on the road to recovery.

  The thick, addictive chemistry had been hanging between us all week, and it was starting to become overwhelmingly difficult not to give in to it. I was fairly sure Khalil was feeling the same way, because on multiple occasions I had caught him staring at me with lust-drenched eyes, but even with his flirting and lusty looks, he was still being a perfect gentleman. I suspected he wasn’t making a move on me because of the dizzy spell I’d had on the night when he’d kissed me by the pool.

  Which meant that if I wanted something to happen between us I would have to be the one to initiate it. The thought both terrified and excited me in equal measures. After so long of waiting I’d sort of built sex up in my mind as some big barrier, but realistically, it was exciting to think that I had finally met someone who not only attracted me, but also made me feel completely relaxed.

  So what if it couldn’t last? Over this past week I had grown really close with Khalil, so at least I would lose it to someone I liked and cared about, and not in some drunken fumble like so many of my mates back home had.