by Cara Albany
Now she was within touching distance, that was exactly what she did. She reached out a hand and settled the tips of her fingers against his chest. She felt the smooth material of his white robe as she moved her hand up his chest and settled the flat of her palm against him.
She pressed with her hand slightly, pushing against him. His gaze dropped to her hand, watching her every move with an obvious fascination.
His heart was thudding. She felt every one of its beats against her hand. She could feel how much this meant to him. How much he wanted her. The heat of his body warmed her hand.
His breathing was faster now. Apparently the mere act of touching him had ignited a fire in him. He knew she was challenging him, understood the game she was playing. She could tell it by the feral look on his face.
Then he tilted his head. "Well?" he asked, obvious eagerness cracking his voice slightly. She could only imagine the tension in his body, every muscle and sinew hard with expectation.
Abby peered at him steadily. Now was the moment. She had to get this right. Everything else depended on it.
She summoned up her strength, fighting against every one of her treacherous instincts, every one of her insistent impulses.
With one firm push, she pressed sharply against his body with her hand. She'd caught him by surprise, but that gave her no pleasure as she watched him take a hurried step back.
Then she said the only word she could say.
"No," she exclaimed.
As she turned way from him, she saw the shock and disbelief on his face, but she didn't hesitate. Instead she made for the door as fast as she could.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Abby made it to the hallway before she heard him call out from behind her. "Abby! Wait," she heard him exclaim, his voice loud and heavy with emotion.
But she was already making her way toward the door, her feet sinking into the thick carpet, her steps faltering slightly. Her heart was racing and she could hear a roaring in her ears.
She knew he must be coming after her, to try and reason her out of her rejection of him. Because that was what she had just done, wasn't it? She'd refused to submit to him, in spite of every betrayal of her body, despite every tempting impulse.
She had come so close to giving in, but now she was almost at the door and once out in the corridor she would be able to make it back to her suite.
Abby wrapped her fingers around the golden handle of the door and pulled. Suddenly, he was next to her.
Abby whirled and glared at him. She saw his eyes were wide, his nostrils flared, and he was regarding her with a look that burned with determination. And then a crazy, perplexing thought came into her awareness.
In spite of the ferocity of his reaction, despite the unseemly haste of his pursuit, she thought she'd never seen him look so astonishingly tempting.
Her body reacted as it had done in the room only moments before. Betraying her will. Undermining every attempt she'd just made to keep him at bay. To tame her own growing need for him.
All through the day, she'd seen the way he'd looked at her. Seen the need in his fervent gaze. His passionate regard of her every move, her every gesture. She'd thought it had all been part of his act.
His performance.
But, she'd been wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. His feelings for her were more powerful than she could possibly have imagined.
He gazed at her a few moments, his breathing fast. His eyes had a deep, irresistible hypnotic power. The power to melt every piece of her resistance.
"Do you really want to leave?" he breathed. She still kept hold of the handle, knowing that if she wished she could continue out into the corridor.
And then what? Where could they go from that?
Her breathing tightened as her gaze moved down to his mouth, his full lips. Then she looked back up into his eyes. He moved quickly, shifting forward, raising his hands and gently cupping her chin. She reacted as if a galvanic shock had entered her body. Sensation swept through her, igniting the need around which she'd built what she'd been convinced had been an impregnable wall.
But the wall disintegrated with his touch. Fell completely apart. Just like her resistance.
She felt the heat of his fingers against her skin. The pressure of his hands was soft, but firm. His gaze was intense. He hesitated. She felt as if he was drinking in the sight of her, simply enjoying looking at her.
Then, suddenly and decisively, his head dipped and his lips crashed down on hers. She gasped as sensation took hold of her, every nerve ignited instantly. His lips were hungry, his tongue probing her mouth.
Taliq's breath was hot. Every nerve in her body lit up as he took possession of her. His hands slid down the length of her neck, across her shoulders and around her back. He drew her hard against him, pressing his body to hers. She felt the raw, elemental strength of him, the firmness of his being. The sheer, unstoppable need.
His lips explored her, tasted her and began to devour her. It wasn't only the barrier inside herself which had been torn down. Any resistance he'd been mounting had been swept aside. He clearly wasn't prepared to deny himself any longer.
Taliq shifted and pressed her up against the wall. Abby gasped as she felt her back against the hardness, felt his own firmness advance, sensed him taking complete hold of her. Momentary objection surged inside her, but it faded as quickly as it had appeared, conquered by the sheer force of their mutual passion. The passion they'd both been trying to pretend didn't exist.
But she knew the truth now. And so did he, it seemed.
She submitted to the pleasure, to the overwhelming strength of his desire. She snaked her fingers into his dark hair, savoring the sensation of its thickness.
It was as if all of their resolve had vanished in an instant, she told herself. It wasn't right, was it?
She drove that question out of her mind.
Right now she didn't care about whether it was right or wrong. All that mattered was that she back in Taliq's arms and that it felt so good.
She gave herself over to need, letting pleasure sweep through her body. It was clear he felt exactly as she did, judging by the urgency of his every move. The pressing need that he seemed unable to contain any longer.
Once more, objection loomed. This shouldn't happen, she told herself. Even as he lowered his head and traced his tongue down the length of her neck, she tried to tell herself that it still wasn't too late. That they could put a stop to this madness.
But, once again, sensation ignited, this time at her core as she felt his tongue taste the soft skin at her neck, exploring her. Marking her.
He kissed behind her ear, and she felt nerves flame into being. Then he pressed his firmness against her, making it absolutely clear what he wanted. She felt the strength of his need there, the thickness she'd once known so intimately.
Tightness seized her throat and she drew in a deep breath, trying to calm the raging emotion that threatened to complete consume her.
But that was what she wanted, she told herself. What she'd wanted for longer than she was prepared to admit. To be claimed by Taliq was to enjoy ecstasy, to experience pleasure beyond belief.
He paused and lifted his head, gazing into her eyes. "Abby!" he gasped.
All she could do was gaze into his eyes, because words couldn't express what she was feeling, what she wanted from him.
But she saw that he understood her desire. He'd needed to be sure, she told herself.
One last moment of certainty. Needed to know from her that she felt what he was feeling.
Seeing the agreement in her gaze, his head dipped, and once again her kissed her with a renewed need.
Once again she gave herself over to his expert attention, let him take her to a place she'd almost forgotten existed. A place of ecstasy and pleasure and certainty.
Finally, he shifted and lifted her up off the carpeted floor. She squealed as he did so, feeling herself light as a feather. He held her close to him, effortlessly enclosing her
in his embrace.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and peered into his eyes. She knew where he was going to take her.
To ecstasy.
He kissed her again and then strode with a feverish pace down the hallway. He kicked open a door and entered a sumptuous bedroom with just about the biggest bed she'd ever seen.
She paid no attention to the flowers that were arranged in vases around the room; she paid no attention to the delightful scent that filled the room; paid no attention to the beauty of the furnishings.
All she could think of was the welcoming bed and how desperately she wanted to be there.
With him.
Sharing pleasure. Satisfying each other. Making each other feel a joy which was almost too intense to bear. Just as they'd done so many times in the past.
Taliq strode across to the bed and laid Abby down gently upon it. The care with which he did it made her feel like the most treasured woman in the world. And that feeling was only confirmed by the expression in his eyes as he gazed down at her.
Abby lay on her back and looked up at him. He looked incredible, standing there in his traditional white robe. Like a gorgeous apparition out of a desert dream.
They were both still dressed in wedding clothes. It was time to put that right, she told herself.
As if reading her thoughts, Taliq started to unwind the robe from his body. He did it slowly, tantalizing her with his deliberate movements. She saw him tug away the fabric and felt her heartbeat quicken.
She knew what lurked beneath that robe. She'd never forgotten.
But, when he finally opened out the robe, she had to contain a gasp of delight. He was completely naked beneath the robe, something which had barely occurred to her during the day they had shared together.
He loosened the robe one final time, opening it out, and dropped it casually onto the floor.
Naked.
She drank in the sight of his muscled torso; his broad chest covered in dark hair; his tightly packed stomach muscles; his long sturdy legs.
His fullness, which was aroused to magnificent proportions.
She let her gaze linger on his firmness for a while, feeling the promise it offered, remembering how he'd felt inside her. The closeness. The intimacy.
Right now, she wanted that sensation more than ever. Her need had taken full possession of her. Her mind was a delicious blank as she simply enjoyed the sight of him.
He moved toward her, his gaze feral now, his mouth set in a wolfish expression. He looked ravenous now, his gaze darkening visibly. Not just for his own pleasure, but to see her revealed, just like him.
Her breath quickened as he kneeled one knee on the side of the bed. Closer now, his desire was even more tempting, even more enticing.
Abby sat up, moving so close to him that she could almost feel the heat of his naked body. He leaned down and kissed her. This time, because of his nakedness, his proximity fired a fresh desire, even more intense than before.
She felt his hand cup the line of her jaw, holding her tenderly. But, in spite of his obvious effort to control himself, to reign in his need, she could sense the tension which had built up inside him.
Then their lips parted and she stood. He moved back and watched as she removed her dress, dropping it to the floor. His brows furrowed into ridges of deep concentration as he watched her. There was appreciation in that gaze, she told herself as she finally stood facing him, dressed only in her bra and panties.
Then he came to her and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his nakedness against her. She felt the heat of his body, inhaled his manly scent, and tasted his desire when his lips claimed her again, his tongue probing unstoppably.
She felt his hard desire pressing against her belly as she leaned into him, seeking more, wanting all of the pleasure she could get. Heat flared at her core and she felt her nipples peak beneath the thin fabric of her bra.
Then their lips parted and he guided her down onto the bed, her legs dropping down by its side, her bare feet on the floor.
Taliq kneeled at the foot of the bed and stretched up his arms, hooking his thumbs around her panties. He tugged them slowly down her hips and legs. He cast them away impatiently and eased her legs apart. She twisted, and loosened her bra, casting it aside.
For a moment she saw him savoring the sight of her. Her nakedness.
She felt herself eager for him. And when he moved his head down toward her core, the need became almost impossible to contain. Impatience and anticipation took hold of her.
She was utterly open to him now. She felt his hands against the skin on the inside of her thighs, easing her legs apart.
Then his mouth was on her, easing her fold apart, teasing her with a gentle, but determined touch. He would not be denied now, she knew.
And she needed his touch, wanted a return of the pleasure he'd once given her so expertly, so passionately.
His mouth moved slowly around her core. She drew in a deep breath and stretched out a hand, grasping the comforter of the bed in her fingers.
She arched her back, trying to move herself closer to him, eager for him to touch her warmth. But he held himself back, restraining himself. She felt his lips kissing her mound in slow circles.
But still he hadn't opened her, hadn't touched her most sensitive place. Already she ached for his touch, needed him to end the unbearable wait.
It was if he knew the torment she was going through as he continued to circle teasingly around her folds. The warmth of his breath on her only made the agony even more difficult to endure.
Then she gasped, as she felt his fingers open her folds, gently and with a slow, careful movement. She closed her eyes and gave herself over to him.
She reached down and snaked her fingers into his hair, in a vain attempt at controlling him. But she knew nothing would control Taliq. Nothing would stop him from driving her to a peak of ecstasy. Because she knew that was exactly what he intended to do for her.
Her core tightened with anticipation one more time, and then his tongue was tasting her. She groaned and arched her back. She felt his hands grasp hold of her thighs, holding her in place, restraining her so that he could give her complete pleasure.
She felt his tongue trace a line up and down her open folds. The moist firmness of his tongue circled her sensitive nub, bringing her entire body to life, with an intensity that was almost impossible to bear. She gasped as pleasure flooded her entire nervous system, causing her to lose control.
His tongue circled relentlessly, expertly. Ecstasy swept through her with every slow movement of his tongue. She'd forgotten how good this felt. Forgotten the sheer pleasure he could give her by this simple act. But it was something at which he was an expert.
And then the pleasure became even more impossible to endure as he place his full lips upon her and sucked gently. Her entire being flamed into life, and she clutched at his hair, tempted to pull his head away from her. The pleasure was just too much, she thought she might pass out.
Sensing her reaction, Taliq moved his lips away slightly, and continued circling her mound with his mouth. It was as if he was giving her a brief respite from the ecstasy.
But, then, determined not to be denied, his mouth took hold of her core again, his tongue tracing a line to her most sensitive area, and once again she felt the spasms of ecstasy take over her, take possession of her, lifting her up toward a peak.
The pleasure seemed to go on forever. Wave after wave came upon her, driving her upwards to a peak.
Then he did something which almost drove her crazy in an instant. She felt his finger slip inside her, curling slowly. Just feeling a part of him inside her made her call out his name. And when he gently placed a second finger inside her, she felt a fullness in her core that she'd missed for too long.
He'd never forgotten how to make her feel pleasure, she told herself as he moved his fingers. All the while his tongue was gently tasting her, moving in slow circles.
When, one last ti
me, his lips settled on her nub, sucking softly, and his fingers quickened their pace, she knew that the peak was almost in sight.
She gave herself over completely to ecstasy. There was no sense in holding back any more. Not when Taliq was doing this to her. Not when all she wanted was to feel the pleasure, to feel as if she had been swept over the edge.
And when the wave finally hit her, she gasped, arching her back and the climax seized her, making every nerve come alive. She shuddered and felt herself swept over the precipice of pleasure.
The climax seemed to last an eternity. Taliq moved up and lay alongside her, holding her in his arms, while the ecstasy subsided.
She felt the heat of his embrace, his skin moist with warmth, welcoming it, realizing just how much she had missed this feeling.
Holding him was good, she told herself, as she felt her heartbeat slow, sensed the calming of her breathing. She felt the strength of his body, the tightness of his muscles as he rested against her side, his arm across her middle.
Her core was still alive with remnants of pleasure, just like the rest of her body. He seemed to sense that she needed time to come down from her peak, and he gave her that time.
His breathing was steady and patient for a while, and she wondered how he managed to contain his desire. She felt him pressing against her, and knew that he wanted her, needed her.
After a short while, he started to kiss her again, his lips tracing a path down to her breasts. She drew in a calming breath, preparing herself for pleasure again.
Then his lips settled on one of her pebbled nipples. She gasped as she felt his lips suck on her nipple, his tongue moving languidly around the peak. Sensation seized her.
She felt his hand across her belly, the skin of his fingers rough against the softness of her skin.
Every time his tongue circled, every time he suckled on her nipple, she cried out with pleasure. But he was relentless and unstoppable. He was determined to drive her crazy with pleasure. Did he think she could just keep on taking all of this ecstasy?
She wanted him inside her with a feverish urgency. The prospect of him filling her was agonizing. She twisted restlessly against his body. He seemed to understand immediately, because he lifted his head and gazed at her questioningly. From the expression in his eyes, he seemed to understand her need. They exchanged an unspoken communication.