by Leslie North
He raised an eyebrow, and she flushed. Cocking his jaw, he studied her. “I can’t decide whether I want to ask about your hatred of the rich.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I’d really like to know, but I feel like you don’t have very pleasant things to say.”
Shrugging, she trailed her hands on the smooth red couch. “I just don’t like how people like you throw your money around. You assume that you can make any situation go away if you throw enough money at it, whereas there are people struggling to survive on so little! Maybe you people should try throwing your money at them for once!”
The more she talked, the angrier she got. By the time she’d finished her tirade, she was practically spitting at him.
Jarik narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. “I’ll have you know that my country can boast a less than one percent homeless population rate, and we’re working on eradicating even that. I head a foundation that sends fifty impoverished students to college a year.”
Maria stiffened and turned her head. “And yet you throw two-hundred-thousand dollars at a stranger just for a plane ride. That money could go to something good.”
“While yes, I did offer money for a ride, if you recall, I specifically offered to make a donation and you added the stipulation of helping to offload the crates. Neither of which is throwing money around, as you so vehemently described,” Jarik said softly. “And since you have no idea where I’m going, or why I’m going there, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your judgmental opinions to yourself.”
His words hit her hard, and she winced. He wasn’t wrong. “Jarik,” she said softly. “I don’t really know…”
“Save it,” he said gruffly. “I know plenty of rich bastards who are scum.”
He stared at her while she fidgeted. She knew that she owed him an apology, but she couldn’t get the words out. Instead, she gave him something even more. “My mother wasn’t exactly faithful. She did her best to keep it from my father, but I walked in on her one day. I was young enough to be horrified and old enough to know exactly what was going on. He tried to pay me to keep quiet.” She paused, chewing her bottom lip. “The man opened his wallet and pulled out five one-hundred-dollar bills and suggested I go buy something pretty. My mother didn’t even try to stop him.”
“What did you do?”
Rubbing her eyes, she squared her shoulders before looking at him, “I dropped them on the floor and walked out.”
“That’s only one person,” Jarik said softly. “You shouldn’t base everyone on the actions of one person.”
“He was the first person. I deal with rich people all the time, and sometimes it seems like they’re all the same. I’ve actually turned down donations because the donors put conditions on who could receive the gifts or what types of toys to buy. I won’t do that to children. Especially refugees. They don’t deserve that type of treatment. I’d rather not take the money.” Maria’s voice had dropped to a whisper, and he stepped closer to her.
“Maybe you could give me a chance to prove that I’m not like them?” He reached up and softly tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
More than anything, she wanted to touch him. Instead, she took a step back. She may not know Jarik enough to judge him, but she could judge her reaction to him, and it spelled danger. The faster she could quit being in intimate situations with him, the better. “Dinner,” she blurted out again. “We were talking about dinner.”
A slow smile passed over his face. “You really are hungry, huh? Let’s order room service.”
“Room service?” That sounded like a very bad idea. “Or we could go. Some place public. Crowded. Maybe a dive bar with greasy food and awful lighting.”
“That sounds terrible. Why would we want to go there?”
Because it was unromantic and borderline gross. That seemed safe. That was also something that she couldn’t really explain. “Um…because I have a craving?”
“We’re going to have room service,” he said firmly. “Take a look at the menu and let me know what you want. I’m sure you’ll find something that’s even better than your craving.”
Maria felt her cheeks heat when he smiled smugly at her. It was almost as if he knew that what she craved was right there in the room.
It was going to be a very long night.
Jarik watched her in amusement as she concentrated on the menu. There weren’t too many options, but he knew that she felt a little out of place in the hotel room, and he wanted to give her a chance to get more comfortable with it before it was time to sleep.
Not to mention that he wanted more of a chance to have her all to himself. Although they’d been glued to the hip for the past couple of days, it seemed like it was always one thing after another. Here, in the room, they had privacy. For a few minutes, he wanted to forget about his father and brothers, forget about the trial. He wanted her to forget all about her problems.
He wanted to feel her against his body again. Feel the silkiness of her skin on his. Feel her silky strands of hair wrapped around his fists. Feel her soft lips on his.
His cock stirred just thinking about it.
“I don’t think I could eat anything too heavy this late at night,” she muttered as she put the menu down. “Just a chicken salad will be fine.”
“Wine?” He didn’t mean to, but his voice was husky, and her eyes immediately widened.
“Water,” she said immediately. “I’m dehydrated from the flight. Water will be fine.”
Chuckling, he nodded. “Water it is. Do you want to take a shower while you wait for the food, or would you rather take one in the morning?”
“I’ll go ahead and take one now.” She glanced at him uncertainly, as if she expected him to follow her into the bathroom with her.
He was almost tempted. Instead, he nodded and waited as she dug through her bag, grabbed some clothes, and scampered into the bathroom.
The many layers of Maria Walken. He’d reach the center soon. After placing the order, he picked up his phone and checked back in with his security.
“There seems to be a problem with Samir,” Halil said darkly. “Apparently Melka doesn’t trust the maid where they’re located. He doesn’t seem to have a very good reason except that Samir seems taken with her.”
“Samir taken with a woman?” Jarik chuckled. “That shouldn’t surprise Melka at all. And Kashif? How is he?”
“Still working on that.”
There was a beat of silence, and Jarik narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean you’re still working on it? Where is my brother?”
“He appears to have left the country, but that’s my concern. Not yours.”
Jarik felt the air leave his lungs. “Not my concern? How the hell is that not my concern?”
“Because there’s nothing that you can do. You know that your brother isn’t great at following protocol. Like you, more than likely, your brother saw an opportunity and decided to take off on his own.”
Halil was right. Kashif had a tendency to ignore his security. There was probably nothing for him to worry about. “We had to take a detour. We’re currently in Riyadh. We should be leaving for Syria tomorrow.”
“And then? Will you stay in Syria?”
“You know that I can’t.” Jarik clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. “I have an obligation.”
“Your obligation puts you out in the open, Jarik. It puts you in danger. At the very least, you should let me meet you there.”
“Maybe,” Jarik said vaguely. “I ordered a security detail for the plane while we’re here, so at the very least, it should be safe until tomorrow.”
“Fine. Get in touch with me before you leave tomorrow, and call me as soon as you touch down.”
“So, you are the one in charge now. Good to know,” Jarik said sarcastically. He knew he was hard on the man, but right now, he wanted to get away from his problems.
“You do know that you can call your brothers directly, right?” Halil said softly. “You
don’t need to get all your information through me.”
“Let it go,” Jarik said with a sigh. Hanging up on his bodyguard, he shook his head. He and Kashif had a neutral relationship. They saw each other occasionally, when they both happened to be at the royal palace together, but Jarik also spent a lot of time traveling, and neither made an effort to keep in touch.
He and Samir were a completely different story. They butted heads so often that it was actually easier when they weren’t speaking to each other.
So, Samir found himself another woman. Maybe Kashif had found himself one as well. God knows his older brother needed to have a little fun.
And here Jarik had a gorgeous woman naked in the next room. For a moment, he thought about joining her, but the knock on the door distracted him. Looking through the peephole, he opened the door. Signing the receipt, he thanked the waiter, and rolled the food cart in.
“Maria?” He opened the bathroom door just a little. The water had stopped, and he heard her gasp. “Relax, I can’t see anything. Unfortunately. Dinner is ready when you are.”
“Thank you.”
Smiling to himself, he shut the door to give her some privacy. A few minutes later, she emerged in a pair of sweatpants and a tight long-sleeve shirt.
It showed no skin, but he still found her unbelievable sexy. She’d wrapped her hair up on top of her head, and there was something different about her.
“Are you wearing glasses?” he asked as he stared at the black frames.
Nervously, she pushed them higher up the bridge of her nose. “I normally wear contacts,” she muttered. “My eyes were stinging.”
“Are you sure that you aren’t trying to look more unappealing,” he asked quietly as he handed her the salad and a fork.
“What?” She looked genuinely surprised as she stared at him. “I…”
“Because you don’t. You could be dressed in a potato sack and still look sexy.” Her mouth had dropped open, and she stared at him. “Eat your dinner, Maria.”
Blinking, she eased the plate in her lap and took a few bites in silence. Finally, she looked up and met his gaze. “I don’t know if you’re trying to make me feel uncomfortable, or if you’re simply making your intentions clear, but I don’t really want to play these games. What do you want, Jarik?”
“You.”
He answered her without hesitation, and she inhaled sharply. “Wow. I didn’t expect you to be so clear.”
“I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“It was. It is. I’m not sure what to do with that answer.”
“Why don’t you tell me what you want.” He leaned back in his chair and watched her intently. Jarik could practically see the wheels in her head turning.
She bent her head down and took a few more bites as if to buy herself more time. “I want to get in touch with Sebastian. I want this trip to Syria to go well. I want to see the smiles on the faces of these children. I want to escape the cold weather and relax somewhere in the sun and sand.”
“Maria,” he said softly.
“I want you, Jarik. I can’t lie and say that I don’t, but as much as I would love to enjoy you, I know that it’s not a good idea. I’m not a relationship kind of woman, and we’re so different. You’re rich and the current heir to wear a crown. I’m a pilot who can barely afford food most months.”
She was on a roll. Putting her plate down, she got up and started to pace. “I live in America, and you live not in America. I’m traveling all the time, and I’m sure that you have social responsibilities that don’t include someone like me.”
Grabbing her shoulders, he stopped her and bent down to kiss her hard. At first, it was to get her to shut-up, but as soon as lips touched hers, she opened under him and moaned. That was all the invitation that he needed. Pulling her close to him, he wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands under her shirt. The touch of warm skin heated his blood, and he walked them back until she hit the dresser. His erection pushed up against her, and he moaned.
“Jarik,” she gasped as she tore her mouth from his. “We were talking.”
“I thought that this was the best way to prove your point invalid. Maria, I’m not asking you to think into the future. I’m asking you to tell me what you want tonight.”
His thumbs hooked under the waistband of her sweatpants, and he teasingly slipped them downward just an inch. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his chest. “I can’t.”
“You can’t?”
“Not tonight. God. I can’t think straight.”
Sliding her pants down, he picked her up and placed her on the dresser. “I can help you with that.” He slid his lips over the sensitive skin of her ears and smiled as she shivered. “Just relax and enjoy.”
“What?” she muttered, but he was already kissing her again. Maria moaned in his mouth, and his whole body tightened, but this wasn’t about him. If he could give her even one moment of peace, he’d give it to her.
Lightly caressing the skin of her inner thigh, he smiled when her legs naturally parted. She wore a skimpy swatch of red lace beneath her sweat pants, and he chuckled when he curved a finger under the elastic.
“If I had known that this was what you wore under your clothes, we never would have made it past that bus ride,” he teased.
“What made you think I was wearing anything under my clothes that day?”
“Why you little tease.” Pulling the fabric aside, he slid one finger inside her. Her head dropped back, and her lips parted in pleasure. Unable to help himself, he leaned over and suckled on the curve of her neck.
“If you like this, imagine what it will feel like when I’m inside you,” he whispered.
“Jarik,” she whimpered.
“More?” When she nodded, he slid another finger inside her. She was soaking wet, and when her muscles clenched around him, he had to stop for a minute and try to control himself. He knew that he could free his cock and slide inside her, and she wouldn’t stop him.
He also knew that she would probably hate herself in the morning.
Instead, he gave her the release she seemed to need so desperately. Stroking her faster and deeper, he let her moans guide him. In a matter of minutes, he’d learned how to curve his fingers, where to apply pressure. Just before he pushed her over the edge, he pulled his fingers out.
“No,” she cried out, but he wasn’t finished. Gripping the hem of her shirt, he pulled it up and off her. She stared at him, breathing hard, and reached behind to undo her bra. Seeing her glorious breasts swing free was almost his undoing.
“You are so perfect,” he whispered. Skimming his fingers, still drenched in her juices, over the swell of her breasts, he leaned down and took a nipple in his mouth.
As she tangled her fingers in his hair, she pulled him harder against her. “Yes,” she muttered. “Please.”
He rolled her sensitive nipple around his tongue and bit her gently. Reaching down, he plunged his fingers inside her. She sounded almost strangled as she screamed and dug her nails into his back.
“Come on, habibti,” he murmured. “Let go for me. Fall apart. Just this once.”
“Yes,” she cried out. “This…I.”
Pressing his thumb against her clitoris, he curled his fingers over that sweet spot and grunted when her whole body shook with her orgasm. Despite how vocal she’d been earlier, she came almost silently.
“That’s it.” He held her up and kissed her gently. “God, that was beautiful.”
Opening her eyes, she shook her head. “That was unexpected.”
“Not for me. I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I laid eyes on you. Ready to go to bed?”
“Bed?” Her whole body stiffened in a panic, and he tried to sooth her.
“To sleep, Maria. Just to sleep.”
“What about you?”
“It’s a big bed. I think we’ll both fit,” he said with a smile.
She sighed. “That’s not what I meant.”
&nbs
p; “I promise that it’s only to sleep.” Jarik kissed the top of her head. “I won’t take you until you’re ready.”
“Until? Pretty cocky aren’t you.”
“Confident.” He gripped her hips and slid her off the dresser. He only meant to set her easily on the floor, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and pressed against his erection. “Woman. That is not helping.”
She laughed, and he carried her to the bed. When they both tumbled onto the mattress, he settled his weight on her. Quickly, her laughter fell silent, and she stared at him questioningly.
“As much as I want you, I need you to be sure.” He kissed her gently and rolled them to the side. “I’m going to clean up. I’ll be right back.”
“I can sleep on the couch again,” she said nervously. He couldn’t resist running his thumb over her nipple and watching it tighten again. He could spend all night touching her, teasing her.
Licking her.
It was tempting to bury his head between her legs and lap at her hot center until she fell apart again, but he needed a little space. It was already hard enough for him to maintain his control.
“You’re sleeping in my arms tonight, and that’s that.” Pulling the covers over her, he eased from the bed and hurried to put the dishes back on the cart and push it back out in the hallway. Stopping in the bathroom, he splashed some cold water on his face. By the time he’d returned to the bed, she was still awake, but she looked more comfortable.
Like she intended to stay.
Sliding under the covers, he reached out for her. When she curled around his body, he couldn’t help but feel triumphant.
He could keep telling her that it was just tonight. Moment by moment. That’s what would keep her from bolting, but he already knew the truth. She belonged to him, and he was playing for keeps.
8
Maria shrieked.
“What?” Jarik bolted up from the bed and stared. “What’s wrong?”
She couldn’t answer him. With one hand still on the curtains, she could only stare at the scene that greeted her outside. “This is not happening,” she breathed. “Please tell me that this isn’t happening.”