by Leslie North
Laura’s eyes fluttered open, but she was still shivering all over and her cheeks had taken on a slight grayish pallor. Outside her doors, he asked one of the servants to contact the royal physician and ask him to stop by Laura’s suite to check her out and make sure there was no serious damage to her person.
Inside, he ordered the rest of the staff from her rooms, then closed and locked the doors behind them. He needed to see for himself that she was all right. He didn’t want to leave her in anyone’s hands but his own. Unseeing, Raheem took her into the now steam-filled bathroom and shut that door too. After shutting off the water, he striped Laura then placed her into the tub, hoping the warm water would help revive her. Thankfully, once she was submerged, she stirred, her lovely green eyes flickering open and locking on him, though her shivering continued. He knelt at the huge sunken tub’s edge, the shiny white tiles beneath him digging into his knees, but Raheem couldn’t care less about his own discomfort at that point. His Laura’s wellbeing was all that mattered.
“I-I’m s-so c-cold,” she said, her teeth chattering. “W-why a-am I s-so c-cold?”
He brushed the damp hair off her forehead, flashing her what he hoped was his most reassuring smile. “You fell into the lake, habibi. Don’t you remember?”
She frowned up at him, her auburn brows drawing together and he felt a rush of unbidden affection along with a nearly overwhelming urge to kiss those fine lines on her forehead away. “I remember standing on the dock and you l-leaning in t-to k-kiss me and then…” She blinked up at him, her cheeks coloring to a pretty pink at last. “Oh. You were going to kiss me again.”
Her eyes dropped to his mouth, and damn if he didn’t feel that heated look straight to his groin. Raheem couldn’t help himself as he bent over the rim of the tub to complete the kiss that should’ve happened on that moonlit dock. But before he could taste her honeyed lips again, a loud pounding sounded on the outer door to the suite. The doctor.
Cursing, he squeezed his eyes shut and laughed. Seemed he and Laura were forever doomed to never consummate this passion between them. He shook his head and pushed to his feet. “That would be the physician, here to make sure you didn’t injure yourself when you fell. Stay and enjoy your bath. I will let the doctor in and will see you when you are done, habibi.”
“What does that mean?” she asked softly as he walked out of the bathroom.
“Habibi?” Raheem asked, leaning back inside. “Darling.”
Laura blushed again and it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to strip bare himself and climb into the warm tub with her and show her exactly how much he cared. Instead, he cleared his throat and mumbled something about the doctor on his way from her rooms.
He took his waterlogged self to his own rooms and showered and shaved, washing off the smell of lake water and getting his sex-starved body back under control. He wanted Laura Bliss, that was a fact he could no longer deny. And after tonight, trying to kiss her twice, she couldn’t be in any doubt about his feelings toward her either. So, that left a decision. Would they follow through on their mutual desires and conduct an affair during her remaining time here in Djeva, or would they stop this before it even started? He was a modern man, a thoughtful man, a considerate man. Therefore, he would leave the decision entirely up to her.
If Laura wanted him in her bed, then Raheem would gladly comply.
If she did not, then he would go. They could conduct their business together for the rest of her stay and he would not trouble her anymore, no matter how hard it would be for him to walk away. She was so different from all the women he’d ever known before and he wanted her as he’d wanted no other woman.
Raheem slicked his hair back with his fingers then pulled on one of the palace’s thick white terrycloth robes before padding back to Laura’s room to speak to the house physician. Thank Allah, there were no injuries present, and other than a brief bout of hypothermia when she’d fallen into the lake, Laura was perfectly fine. The doctor recommended letting her finish a nice long soak in the bath then rest and relaxation. Raheem thanked the man then walked him out of the suite before ordering a tray of hot tea and scones from the servants. Then he took a seat in Laura’s sitting area while she finished in the bathroom.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Shortly after the servants brought the tea, Laura emerged, wrapped in a robe the same as his and looking pink and fresh from her bath. Raheem longed to take her in his arms and keep her safe and secure, but he didn’t dare touch her again until after they’d talked. For if he did, he wasn’t sure he could ever let her go.
Laura stopped short in the bathroom doorway, obviously startled at seeing him sitting there in his robe and he stood quickly, embarrassed that he hadn’t realized sooner how this might look to her. Eager to put her at ease, he gestured toward the tray of tea on the coffee table in front of him, then clasped his hands in front of him and stared at the floor. “I hope you are feeling better after your ordeal. My deepest apologies that you had to go through that, habibi.” He stopped short, not wanting to assume anything between them. She’d been tired and sick and freezing cold when he’d called her darling earlier. Hardly in the right frame of mind to object. He’d entertained plenty of women in his time, had more than his share of affairs. But he’d never taken a woman who wasn’t ready and willing to be with him and he wasn’t about to start now. “I mean, Laura. I take full responsibility for what happened.”
When she didn’t say anything, he hazarded a glance up at her and gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “I had the servants bring some refreshments, in case you wanted some hot tea or something to settle your stomach.”
She looked down at the tray then back to him, still clutching the neck of her robe tightly together.
His stomach nosedived to his toes. He’d blown it, big time, in coming here. He was such a colossal idiot that he wished he could kick his own ass, if that was physically possible. With a curt nod, he walked to the door. “I’ll just go now. I only wanted to check on you to make sure you were all right.”
Raheem placed his hand on the door knob, only to feel her touch on his arm.
“Wait.” Laura had moved in behind him, the heat of her and the fragrance of bubble bath and lavender from her shampoo wafted around him. He closed his eyes and took a deep steadying breath. “Please. Don’t go, Raheem.”
Slowly he turned to face her, not sure if the hint of desperation in her tone was real or only in his imagination. She stood before him, staring up at him with huge green eyes, her pink lips parted and her cheeks flushed. The neck of her robe had opened slightly to reveal the barest hint of the creamy rise of her breasts and he felt lost. Totally and completely lost, yet one-hundred percent found. Still, he needed to be sure, didn’t want to misread what he so fervently wanted to see shining in her eyes. “Laura, I—”
She reached up and silenced him by putting her fingers to his lips. Then she traced them down his chin, his neck, his chest, until her palm rested against his bare skin, right over his heart. A small smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “What happened to habibi?”
Doubts be damned, he leaned forward and kissed her—long and hard and deep—the way he’d wanted to since that first time in the scarf shop. She tasted of the fine rich wine from their dinner and a sweetness that was pure Laura. She returned his kisses match for match, twining her arms around his neck and holding tight. Needing more, he clasped her waist and picked her up. Laura wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her across the room to the bed, where he laid her down in the middle of the mattress, then stretched out beside her. She looked so beautiful, more beautiful than anyone or anything he’d ever seen before in his life.
“Laura, habibi, I want you so badly I ache, but I need to know that you want me to. That I’m not just making all of this up in my head.”
Cupping his cheeks, she smiled then kissed him again before parting her robe and shrugging it off completely, leaving all of her smooth fla
wless flesh revealed to his gaze. Raheem’s mouth dried and his pulse skyrocketed. Praise Allah, she was magnificent. His cock strained hard and heavy against his stomach, but still he waited for her answer. “Yes, Raheem. I want you. I want you so bad I think I’ll die if you don’t touch me soon.”
That was all the encouragement he needed. He discarded his own robe then pulled her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. She was his and he was hers, for as long as she’d have him, for as much time as they had left together. He propped himself up on his elbow and kissed a slow trek down her front to her breasts, where he lavished attention on each of her taut nipples before venturing further to the auburn curls between her legs. The spicy scent of her arousal nearly sent him over the edge, but he tamped down his desire as he knelt between her legs to pleasure her with his lips and tongue, savoring the salt of her skin and the tang of her slick folds. Every inch of her was exquisite and as he gently inserted first one, then two fingers inside her wet channel to prepare her for him, Raheem reveled in her soft moans and sighs of need. Soon, her body tensed and her walls tightened around his fingers as Laura climaxed hard.
Afterward, his own need at a breaking point, Raheem kissed his way back up her body to her lips. He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out the condom he always kept stashed there just in case, and put it on. One last time, he held himself above her and stared down into her eyes, now dreamy and drowsy with satisfaction. “Are you sure, habibi?”
“Yes, Raheem.” Laura ran her fingers through his hair, making him shudder against her. “More certain of this than I’ve ever been of anything else in my life. Please.”
She didn’t have to ask twice. He entered her in one long thrust then held there, allowing her body time to adjust to the size and length of him. They kissed and cuddled and he murmured Arabic endearments into her hair, until she shifted beneath him, moving her hips ever so slightly, encouraging him to move within her. Soon, he’d set up a steady rhythm, withdrawing nearly to his tip before thrusting back within her, each time angling to hit that spot inside her that made her groan and tighten around him. She locked her legs around his waist and dug her heels into his bottom, urging him onward. Before he knew it, Raheem felt a familiar tightening in his balls. He reached between them to stroke her swollen clit, wanting to see Laura lose herself in orgasm once more before he took his own pleasure.
She arched hard and cried out, her nails digging into his shoulders as she came hard around him. Raheem drove home once, twice, then stiffened as his own world shattered in orgasm. Wave after wave of intense pleasure rolled over him, taking him under, until at last he rested on the bed beside her, his head resting on her chest, in the valley between her breasts. Her heart beat strong and sure under his ear and her fingers played idly in his hair, and Raheem couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever felt happier.
Tomorrow would bring its own complications for them, he was sure.
But tonight. Tonight was just for them, here, alone, in each other’s arms.
13
Laura awoke the next morning to the sound of persistent knocking. She squinted one eye open and moved out of the protective embrace of Raheem’s arms. A peek at the clock on the nightstand showed it was just after six. Who in the world would be up this early?
Raheem cursed and rolled over in the bed and pulled a pillow over his head. “Unless the palace is burning down, tell them to go away.”
She got up and tugged on her robe, running a quick hand through her hair though she suspected it was beyond repair, then cracked open the door to find all four of Raheem’s sisters standing there looking none too happy, if their matching scowls were any indication. Laura cleared her throat, then said, “Can I help you?”
“We need to speak with our brother,” Jess said, giving Laura a disapproving glare. “And don’t even try to tell us he’s not sleeping in your bed. I know for a fact that he didn’t return to his rooms last night. We all saw him carrying you up here.”
Heat prickled her cheeks and she glanced back uncertainly at the bed, only to find it empty.
Raheem finished tying the belt of his robe before stalking over to yank the door open, his expression murderous. “What the hell are you all doing here? You have no right keeping tabs on me!”
“I could care less how you entertain yourself, brother,” Jess said, giving Laura another unflattering once-over. “But I thought you’d like to know that that production company of hers just filed paperwork to purchase the land you planned to use as your wildlife refuge over near the caves.”
“What?” Laura and Raheem said in unison.
“Yes. Feraz just got off the phone with them. He sent us up here to get you.” Jess crossed her arms and sneered. “I told you something wasn’t right with her, brother. Now we know. She was using herself as a distraction and feeding them information so that company of hers could buy the land out from under you.”
Cala and Najma muttered what sounded like an Arabic curse in Laura’s direction, while Razi just stood there, watching her with a narrowed, thoughtful gaze.
“That’s not right. That can’t be right,” Laura said, stunned by the information. She’d known her boss was a wily, sleazy, lazy mess, but she’d never suspected he’d stoop so low. And yes, maybe she had told him about the locations she’d visited while working with Raheem, but that was only to let him know that she’d done better for herself by choosing to work for Raheem instead of the production company while here. She’d never, ever meant for him to take that information and use it against her. God, she was such an idiot.
“Raheem, I—”
He held up a hand, forestalling her speech, his expression angry and shuttered.
“Where is Feraz now?” he asked his sisters.
“Downstairs, in the informal dining room,” Jess said. “He asked that you join him as soon as possible.”
“Fine. Let him know that I’ll be down momentarily.” With that, he closed the door in his sisters’ faces. He turned back to face Laura, any trace of the kind, caring, vulnerable man from the night before gone. “Get dressed. Meet me downstairs in the foyer in an hour. Don’t be late.”
“But Raheem, wait. Please. I didn’t know anything about this,” Laura begged, trying to take his arm as he walked out the door. “Please, you have to believe me.”
He shook her off, stopping in the hall, but not looking at her. “I don’t know what to believe at this point, Laura. Just do as I say.”
Raheem walked out and Laura closed the door behind him, then leaned back against it and slid down to the floor, tears welling in her eyes. How could such a beautiful night, such a rewarding job, such a romantic dream, turn into such a nightmare so quickly?
14
Raheem didn’t say much to Laura on the ride out to his beloved caves, the spot where he’d planned to set up a vista overlook so visitors could see the entire wildlife refuge below. What could he say, really? Part of him felt raw and betrayed after the incredible night he’d spent in her arms. He’d opened himself up to her, heart and soul, and it had gotten him nothing but a kick in the proverbial teeth.
His conversation with Feraz hadn’t gone much better than he’d expected. His oldest brother and ruler of Djeva had been too busy with running the country to pay much attention to Raheem’s passion project or the production company who was putting it all in jeopardy now. And Rehaj was no help either. All he’d been interested in was turning a profit for the land, not saving the native species. He’d told Raheem point blank—put up or shut up. Raheem had generous financial reserves at his immediate disposal, but nothing like the sum the production company was offering for the land. He’d expected to make up the difference, of course, through donations from his fundraiser, the campaign he’d hired Laura to run for him. But by offering Laura that outrageous sum, he’d tied his own hands. That was all gone by the wayside now though. No point in promoting something that was never going to come to fruition. He’d pay her, because it was the right thing to do, and
move on.
He felt hopeless and helpless and neither emotion sat well with him. He wanted to curse and punch something as hard as humanly possible, but it would do no good. And so they rode, out to his beloved cliffs where they’d meet with her production company and Feraz would sign off on the deal because Rehaj was convinced it was too good to pass up.
Laura, for her part, hadn’t so much as looked at him since their trip began over an hour prior. Her lovely eyes were red and puffy and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. She’d pulled on the same clothes she’d worn the night she’d wandered into his family’s camp and left all of the souvenirs and things he’d given her to wear behind. It was just as well. If she’d only been with him to seal some kind of deal for her company, then their break should be clean, with no nasty reminders for either of them of last night’s indiscretions.
Except, damn if the ache in his heart didn’t feel like an indiscretion at all. Nope. If felt like pure unadulterated agony, truth be told. He’d truly grown to care for Laura over the few weeks they’d spent together, perhaps even to love her, and the thought of losing her now, after he’d only just gotten her was almost too much to bear.
It was his own fault. He should have listened to his family, not fallen so hard, so fast.
They pulled up to a parking area on a flat promontory and their little caravan of Range Rovers stopped. His brothers and their assistants got out of the first vehicle, his sisters and mother exited the second, and Raheem and Laura departed the third. Two other vehicles were parked nearby, filled with the production company’s crew.
Raheem got out and came around to help Laura down, but she was already out and walking over to join the others. He slammed the door and followed behind, noticing two men he’d not seen before—one tall and blond, the other short and squat. The short one had been Laura’s boss, if her descriptions of the man were accurate.