Sarim's Scent

by Springs, Juliette

  “Have a seat,” he said, nodding toward the sofa. “I’m going to put your luggage in the guest room.” He vanished down the hallway.

  She sat on the black sectional, then placed her purse on the glass table and surveyed the room. Paintings of all kinds decorated the other three walls. Some were modern with splashes of colors. Others landscapes, and the ones on the wall closest to her were portraits. Her gaze rested on a rather formal drawing of a man who looked quite familiar. She rose to her feet and went to the painting to get a closer look.

  The man was so attractive, he looked unreal. He stood tall, with chiseled features showcasing high cheekbones, sculpted lips and smooth café au lait complexion. His long black hair was gathered in a ponytail pulled back from his face. Turning her gaze to the picture beside it, she couldn’t shake the feeling she’d met him before. Or at least caught a glimpse of him. But that was impossible, wasn’t it? She hadn’t seen Ivan in years. The other picture contained a black skyscraper standing against a full moon. A chill crept down her spine. She rubbed her arms and headed toward Ivan’s kitchen. It looked rarely used and contained a pub-style table with two high-backed chairs.

  Turning around, she took her seat and relaxed, waiting for Ivan to reappear. He had been gone for a while. Noticing the remote on the table, she picked it up and pressed the ‘on’ button, surprised to find it set on her favorite channel, The Food Network. Funny, Ivan didn’t strike her as the culinary type, more the take-out type.

  What would she and Ivan talk about? If their conversation grew serious, she was afraid she’d blurt out her suspicions about her father. Tell Ivan all about the tattoo. The possible implications it meant for her.

  But it was too early to claim fatigue and head to bed, which would have been the coward’s way out. But being scared was something she had given up after deciding to track her father down. No, fear was not an option for her any longer.

  “What are you over there thinking about?” Ivan entered and crossed to within a few feet of her.

  “How strange that you watch cooking shows. I never pictured you as someone who enjoyed working in the kitchen.” That earthy, woodsy scent played havoc with her mind. Realizing she was leaning toward him, she caught herself and straightened.

  “Oh, I know my way around the kitchen, as well as other things.” His voice deepened, and she felt a familiar tug in her lower body. The intensity of his gaze burned into her, so she averted her gaze and stared at the TV. She couldn’t afford to look into his eyes.

  Funny things happened when she looked into his eyes, and she needed all of her senses alert.

  Ivan clicked off the TV just as the host was preparing to plate the duck and faced her, giving her no other option except to pay attention to him. “You never did tell me why you were doing here.”

  Why did he keep asking that question? Glancing at him underneath her lashes, she once again found herself staring into liquid brown eyes.

  Licking her suddenly dry lips, she began to feel tingly all over her. Heat coiled in her stomach. He had to be the most gorgeous man she had ever laid eyes on. Unable to break the stare, a feeling of rightness filled her. Spending the evening with Ivan had been the right thing to do. She felt so safe in his presence. Maybe Ivan could even help her with her search. He was obviously doing well and possibly had access to resources she didn’t. In the past, he had always helped her and been supportive. Opening her mouth, she was once again about to unburden all of her problems to Ivan.

  A loud “No” reverberated in her head. Closing her eyes, she could almost hear a voice shouting in her mind. What in the hell just happened?

  Ignoring a stab of fear, she gathered her courage and opened her eyes. Funny, Ivan’s eyes didn’t look so warm and inviting now. Instead, they’d gone cold and dark.

  “I haven’t been up to much recently,” she said, lying smoothly as she shifted away from him. “I’ve always wanted to travel to the South, and I needed to get away after my mother died. I planned on taking the train tour of North Carolina and to be honest, I was running out of money. So I decided it was time to go home.”

  “Why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from me?” Ivan’s smooth tone belied the blaze of heat in his eyes.

  Clearing her throat, she swallowed. Lying always made her nervous. “Nope, I’m pretty boring. I’ve been up here for a few weeks, living off savings.” In an effort to look convincing, she shrugged her shoulders. “And that’s about it.”

  His only response was an hmm. “Would you like something to drink?” He got to his feet and went to the far corner of the kitchen where a wine rack had been built between the cabinets. “I have from super dry to semi-sweet.”

  She gave an audible yawn. “Thank you, but no. I think it’s time I turn in.” No way could she be in his presence any longer. Ten more minutes and she’d be blabbing about everything, including the strange voice in her head. He’d probably call Bellevue. Maybe that wasn’t a bad answer. Maybe she was cracking up. “Could you please show me where I’ll be sleeping?”

  “Follow me.” Ivan led her down a wide hallway and gestured. “You can use the first one on the right. Go ahead. I’m going to be up for awhile.”

  “Okay.”

  An awkward silence filled the air.

  “Well, then, goodnight.” She had her hand on the doorknob when he called her name.

  “Yes?”

  “I’ll wake you up around six, so you can catch your train on time.”

  Pausing mid stride, she turned around, surprised by his thoughtfulness. A stab of guilt pierced her conscience. This was Ivan. Her dear friend whom she hadn’t seen in forever and she was practically running away from him.

  She met his dark gaze and the strange sensation of something filtering through her mind began again. No. She couldn’t do it. She had too much at stake. She turned and headed back toward the guestroom. Slipping into the room, she closed the door and leaned against its back, feeling like she’d had a narrow escape.

  What in the world was she going to do?

  Chapter 10

  Victoria shifted on the bed, then stared at the ceiling. She sat up, fluffed her oversized pillow and placed it beneath her head as she leaned against the headboard and scanned the room. It was beautiful. It even smelled woodsy, just like Ivan. The cream-colored sheets on the queen-sized bed felt like silk against her skin. The comforter was cream-colored as well and felt wonderfully soft. It had to be down. The carpet was just as plush as the carpet in the living room. A room like this room would have usually wowed her. But not tonight. Her mind was buzzing, and she was unable to relax enough to sleep.

  Ivan dominated her thoughts. Since she had met him at the train station, her whole body felt alive, like white-hot electricity was flowing through her. Being around him for an evening had invigorated her, making her forget all of her problems and issues. At least at the time. She’d felt free, alive.

  She turned on her side to get comfortable. Closing her eyes, she visualized his face. Thick, curly lashes any woman would take a daily horse pill to have framed his dark brown eyes. His eyebrows were black and well groomed. His lips were thick and cupid bow shaped. His cheekbones were high, and he had deep dimples. His cinnamon complexion made him look like a mythical Egyptian God. He was everything she had ever wanted in a man-if she had ever had the time to seriously pursue one. He was tall, over six feet, in shape, intelligent, well mannered, and seemingly financially secure.

  He made her heart beat faster and looking in his eyes made her feel tingly, at peace, and safe. Victoria giggled, then covered her hand with her mouth, not wanting Ivan to hear her. He would really think she was crazy. She quieted herself and shook her head. She was acting like a teenager with her first crush. In a way, that was the case. She had never really looked at other boys or men. She always found them lacking, failing to measure up to her imaginary ideal man. She didn’t sense inadequacies in Ivan. He held her interest. He made her feel alive.

  Was all this
intensity just a result of seeing an old friend? Was she mistaking her happiness at seeing him again after so many years for feelings of attraction? Or was she so anxious about her missing father, she was eager to latch on to the only male she had bonded with in some time? She rubbed her temples. She was too tired to think. She should just go to sleep and think about everything tomorrow. A big yawn escaped her. She rolled onto her other side, closed her eyes, and slipped into sleep.

  Ivan raised his head off his pillow. Lying on the bed, in the master bedroom two doors from Victoria’s room he’d waited patiently. Remaining still. He’d been waiting for over an hour for Victoria to fall asleep. Patiently at first, then he began to get irritated with her constant sighing. After thirty minutes, he stopped pacing his room and decided to give her some extra help getting to sleep. Help in the form of a mental command which, thankfully, had worked.

  He sat and pondered what to do next. Usually seduction for him was easy. With a human woman, it was nothing to read her mind to find out what she liked in bed. A harder touch here, a gentler rub there. He had spent many nights pleasuring human females. They gave themselves over so completely once he’d proven he knew his way around the female body. Too bad they didn’t have the stamina of a female Taalib Duma or a vascany.

  However, seducing Victoria had to be done delicately. She was not a regular human female to be treated roughly and carelessly. He had already tried to bend Victoria’s mind and while he could plant thoughts and give her powerful suggestions, he could not plant the idea of sex with him or make her do anything against her will.

  She was the direct descendent of the Abu. She was a princess among his kind. He wanted to make it at least a pleasurable experience for her. If his assumptions were correct, she was an innocent, and, being so, she deserved her first time to be pleasurable.

  If the council found out about what he was doing and reported him to the Darvan Gods, he would spend eternity being tormented in Hell. It was imperative he make the seduction seem like a dream. But only one she truly wanted to participate in. In a dream state, Victoria would be more receptive. He still felt slightly disgusted by the actions he was about to take. However, duty bound him to finish the assignment he’d started. During childhood, he had befriended Sarim’s heir and now he had located her. Now he had to finish it by seducing and impregnating her. If he succeeded, his double life would be over.

  But Victoria would never forgive him when she found out how deep the deception ran. However, as father of her child, the Abu’s heir, she would be forced by Taalib Duma law to marry him. He would assume a leadership position on the council. His family would be in essence the leaders of Taalib Dumas. If everything went according to plan, there wasn’t a damn thing Victoria or Sarim could do about it.

  He assumed his trance position on the floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then let his mind reach out to hers. Let the games begin.

  Chapter 11

  Victoria felt warm all over. Not feverishly warmth, but a warm, tingly sensation running up her arms, over her breasts, and down her legs. It felt like a hand skimming over her body, leaving delicious trails of heat wherever it went.

  Soft, firm lips pressed tender kisses alongside her neck. One kiss touched her tattoo. An explosive bolt of pleasure shot through her body, from her hair to the tips of her toes. She moaned. The kisses continued down her neck and along her throat. Hands massaged her breasts, and her nipples tightened. Then magical lips replaced the hands and suckled her breasts. She grasped and jumped as the unfamiliar sensations wreaked havoc on her body. She moaned again as teeth grazed her nipples and sucked gently. A warm, rough tongue traced her areola. She went mindless with pleasure.

  When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into liquid brown intensity.

  “Ivan?” she whispered. She couldn’t believe her friend was responsible for the pleasure coursing through her veins, threatening to set her on fire.

  “Shh,” he whispered and kissed her lightly on the lips before placing a finger over them. “Don’t say a word, don’t think, just let your body feel.” He removed the finger and kissed her deeply, gently biting her lip.

  Okay, this one time she was going to listen and stop thinking and just feel. She instinctively wrapped her arms Ivan’s neck to bring him closer. She ran her arms up and down his strong, muscular back. She couldn’t get enough of touching him and feeling his strong body on top of hers.

  He ended their passionate kiss and lifted his head to stare in her eyes. His eyes seemed black like midnight, blazing with intensity. She shivered as she returned his intense stare with newfound boldness.

  “Your eyes, they’re black, but they seem to be glowing,” Victoria stated as she lovingly smoothed his eyebrows with a finger. His eyebrows were perfect. Ivan was perfect. This unreal moment was perfect.

  He shushed her again and bent his head to lavish attention on her breasts again. She had always been self-conscious about their size. However Ivan treated them like they were lush and plentiful. “You smell like peaches,” he whispered. He traced feather-light kisses on her flat stomach, then blew into her belly button before kissing it. He was about to move his head lower when Victoria grabbed his head to stop him.

  “What are you doing?” She had a slight inkling what he was planning, but she’d never gone further than third base. Never let anyone see her . . . down there. So intimately. Heat flushed her body. She couldn’t.

  He squeezed her hand and moved his head lower. “I’m about to make you feel really good.” As he talked, his breath grazed her sensitive flesh, and she shivered. “Relax and let go, sweetheart.” He kissed the soft curls that guarded her most precious treasure. “Allow yourself to feel good for a change.” She jumped as he grazed one of her nether lips with his teeth. “Let me do this for you, please?” He lifted his head to look at her, and she shyly nodded.

  At his first kiss, unbelievable pleasure rippled through her like waves. Heat pooled and liquefied between her legs as Ivan parted her delicately and gave her another deep kiss, suckling the ultra sensitive little button that seemed to pulse out of control. He lavished it with attention. He licked it roughly, than softly. He kissed it gently, and then sucked it hard. She felt her body grow moist, then pulse and release, pulse and release, a prelude to something more.

  “You taste like peaches, too,” he murmured, the low rumble of his voice against her making her even more hot.

  She couldn’t take anymore of this mind-blowing pleasure. It felt so good, it hurt.

  She felt one of his thick, long fingers penetrate her tight opening. She tensed. “Easy now,” he whispered as he gently worked it in easily as his fingers were guided by the juices she felt flowing from her body. She relaxed as she felt the fullness ease the demanding ache inside her. “More,” she whispered, lifting her hips up and pressing upward to take in more of his thick finger.

  He added another finger and started to move them in, then out of her. At first she moved with him, but a stab of pain made her still. She issued a low cry.

  “Sorry, baby, you’re so tight,” he whispered.

  She forgot how to breathe as he started to finger her and suckle her magic button at the same time. She took in deep, ragged breaths and moved her hips up and down, urging him to suck harder, move his fingers faster. She wanted more, needed more. She felt tense as her body moved to its own beat, seeking more, moving toward an unattainable goal.

  Her center was coiled tight. Why did she feel like she was on the edge of a wonderful, pleasurable cliff? Until the most amazing explosion happened. Every muscle in her body tightened, then released at once, pulsing pleasure throughout her body. She screamed his name over and over, but the words never left her mouth. Her whole body vibrated uncontrollably. It was the most wonderful, amazing, frightening thing she had ever experienced. She closed her eyes, feeling like a limp, cooked noodle, but absolutely relaxed and at peace. She couldn’t move.

  “Are you all right?” Ivan asked.


  She nodded, embarrassed to open her eyes and look at him.

  He laughed and kissed her on her forehead. “Don’t tell me you’re through. We’re just getting started.”

  She opened her eyes in shock as he leaned closer and gave her a kiss. He increased the pressure, then, sliding his tongue in her mouth, deepened the kiss, rolling his tongue around hers. Amazingly, she felt the bottom half of her body tingle. Again. How could she possible have anything left? He continued to kiss her gently and run his hands all over her body. Everywhere he touched, heat blazed and a slow fire started to burn inside of her. He slipped his fingers into her still damp core, and she went back up in flames.

  He spread her legs with his knee and settled between her thighs. She gasped and opened her eyes, meeting his intense gaze. Was she ready to take this step with Ivan? Things had already changed between them, but having actual intercourse would irrevocably change their friendship. They would become part of each other, connected in the most intimate way two people could be. Was she ready?

  She lowered her gaze and glimpsed his thick manhood. With a boldness she didn’t know she had, she reached down and placed her hand around it. The shaft was indeed thick, but soft with an inner core of what felt like steel. She measured it using her hand as a guide. It was quite long, extending from her wrist to the end of her middle finger. Fear shot through her.

  “What?” Ivan asked.

  “How are you going to fit all of that inside me?”

  He gave a sexy deep chuckle. “Like this.” Without giving her a chance to react, he entered her tightness with the broad tip of his penis.

  She tensed, then relaxed, surprised her feminine core opened easily. He slid his fullness into her completely, embedded so deep she felt his pubic hairs against hers. She closed her eyes and let out a delicious, “Ohhh.” For the first time in her life, she felt complete. Nothing else mattered, her search for her father, her anger toward him, her hatred of how he had abandoned her had all left her psyche.