A discreet guarded gate prevented prying eyes or unwelcome visitors from exploring the enormous estate in one of the most exclusive enclaves in Palm Springs.
Linking her arm through Faith's, Tibi smiled as she led her around the back gardens, toward the patio that overlooked the sparkling pool where Omar and Ali were having a before-dinner drink.
"Thank you, Faith dear. Although our main home is in Kuwait, we wanted to have something here in the States so that we would have an excuse to visit our son." With a laugh, Tibi patted Faith's arm. "When you have children of your own you will understand that no matter how old they get, they are still your children and you worry about them."
"So did you enjoy your tour?" Omar asked, getting up to greet them.
Faith smiled. "Yes, very much. Your home is lovely."
Omar took her hand, and led her to one of the plush ivory garden chairs. "You are to consider it your home now as well, dear."
"Would you like something cold to drink, Faith?" Tibi took the chair next to her husband. "Or would you prefer to rest before our guests arrive?"
"Guests?" Faith shot a nervous glance at Ali, who had been surprisingly quiet since they'd arrived. He shrugged his shoulders, clearly clueless about this turn of events.
Tibi smiled. "Yes, I hope you don't mind. But we've invited a few old friends over for dinner. We are so very happy that Ali has finally found happiness, we wanted to have a chance to show you off, so to speak." Tibi reached for Faith's hand, a slight frown on her elegant face. "I hope you don't mind, dear. It's just friends, and nothing fancy. We're actually going to have a simple barbecue." She glanced at her watch. "In fact, the caterers should be arriving shortly to set everything up."
A few old friends? Simple barbecue? With caterers? Feeling a bit overwhelmed, but determined to hide it, Faith forced a smile she didn't feel, grateful once again that she'd spent the morning shopping.
"No, of course I don't mind." She smiled to hide her nervousness. "I'd be honored to meet your friends."
Tibi glanced at her husband. "We could not let the occasion of our son's engagement pass without having a bit of a celebration." She looked so joyous, Faith didn't have the heart to put a damper on her mood. But the thought of being the center of attention at a dinner was enough to make her feel faint.
"Well, as long as there will be guests for dinner, perhaps I should go upstairs and rest for a bit." Faith stood up, needing some time alone.
"Ali, show Faith to her room, sweetheart. I put her in the guest room in the west wing, in the room adjacent to yours."
Ali drained his glass of mineral water, then stood up. "I'll be happy to, Mom." Dutifully, he took Faith's hand, gently tugging her close. "I think I'll rest for a while, too. I'm tired from the drive, and I had a long night last night."
"You're working too hard," Tibi said, leaning back in her chair to beam at the happy couple. "Faith, once you are married, you should insist he come home at a decent hour and have dinner with you. Being a workaholic is fine when you're a single man, but now that you will have a family, Ali, your priorities need to change."
"Do not lecture, dear," Omar said with affection, reaching out to stroke his wife's cheek. "Let the children be. They will find their own way, as we once did."
"You are right, dear," Tibi said with a laugh. "Go now, go rest before dinner. I'll call you in plenty of time to freshen up and change."
* * *
"Good grief, this room is big enough to house a football team," Faith said as Ali led her into the beautiful two-room suite that would be her home for the weekend. Knowing his room was right next door—a quick glance told her there was a connecting door—only added to her nerves.
"I hope you will be comfortable here," Ali said as he went to the double French patio doors and opened them wide, letting in the fresh afternoon air.
"Comfortable?" Faith did a slow pirouette, trying to take everything in. "I could probably hide out in here and it would take months for anyone to find me."
The room, done in beautiful shades of pink and lime-green, was a vision of elegance. The huge canopy four-poster bed looked to be a genuine antique, as did all the other exquisite pieces of furniture.
The carpeting was a plush lime, while the walls were papered in a delicate pink-and-lime silk stripe. A pink-and-green overstuffed satin chaise longue sat at a comfortable angle to the patio doors, allowing one to sit and merely observe the beautiful gardens below.
A mahogany English writing desk was snuggled into one corner. It, too, had a matching pink-and-green striped chair.
Double doors leading to a sumptuous bath were open, allowing Faith to see the huge, sunken marble tub large enough for ten.
Around the room were various sized vases filled with beautiful pink roses, no doubt from Tibi's magnificent gardens.
"I need to unpack." Nervous tremors were shaking her knees and causing her stomach to flip-flop. She wished he'd leave so she could fall apart quietly. She didn't want him to know his mother's announcement had terrified her.
"It's been done for you," he said with a quiet nod toward the walk-in closet.
"Oh." She wasn't accustomed to having servants do things for her and she wasn't certain she was comfortable with it. But when in Rome, she thought, turning to Ali to find him watching her curiously, quietly.
"What?" she asked, trying not to fidget under his dark, intense gaze.
"You are upset, Faith."
"Upset? Me?' She tried to laugh, but her throat had gone dry and it came out a croak. "Why would I be upset?"
He merely watched her, gauging her mood. "You are nervous about tonight, and the guests." It wasn't a question, but a statement, and she cursed the fact that she was so transparent.
She twisted her damp hands together. "Ali…" She flushed. "I'm not very good with people," she admitted miserably. "I don't have much experience socializing."
To see strong, independent Faith struggling with nerves over a little party touched him beyond measure. She had bravely gone through so much at such a young age, that the thought that something like a small social gathering could fluster her tugged at his heart.
She had done so many things without anyone to help her, to protect her, but this, he silently vowed, she would not go through alone or unprotected.
He would not allow anything to fluster her or frighten her, not while he was around.
He'd gotten to know and judge her moods very well and could see the quiet desperation clawing through her. It made his heart ache because she was trying so hard to be strong, and brave.
For him, he realized. She'd done this for him. And his parents.
"Do not worry," he said softly, going to her to take her hands in his and giving them a reassuring squeeze. He wanted to draw her into his arms, to wrap them tightly around her, to hold her, shield her so that she never feared anything ever again.
"It will only be my parents' friends," he said gently, hoping to soothe some of her nerves.
"Yes, but—" She had to swallow. She was nervous enough without having him right in front of her, touching her. Her thoughts scattered like leaves in a fall wind. Why she bothered to think and talk when he was so close, when he was touching her, was a mystery. She forced herself to concentrate. "I really am not very good at small talk or chitchat." She shrugged, glancing past him so she wouldn't have to lose herself in those magnificent eyes of his. "People really do make me nervous. I've always been far more comfortable with machines."
"So you've told me." He wondered if she knew how utterly irresistible she looked at this moment?
"And what am I going to say to these people?" Flustered, her gaze searched his. "I mean they're going to want to know all about me, and there's not much to tell." She frowned. "I don't like talking about my personal life, what there is of it, and then of course, they're going to want to know all about us, about the engagement, the wedding. Good Lord—" She broke off, getting more unsettled by the minute. "Ali, I don't have any answers for them."
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And the thought terrified her. Just the thought of being put on the spot, having to deal with questions she had no answers for, made her nearly cringe.
This little deception of theirs was getting more complicated by the minute.
She tilted her head back to look at him, and then realized it was a mistake. His face, that glorious mouth, was barely inches from hers. Her memory replayed the impact that mouth had on her and her body reacted immediately, filling her with an intense type of longing she wasn't quite sure what to do about.
She swallowed, feeling her own mouth go dry.
"Faith, please, do not worry." Unable to watch her discomfort, he drew her into the comforting circle of his arms. "Do not worry. I will take care of everything." Gently, he rubbed his hands up and down her back. "I promise I will not leave your side." He rested his head atop her hair. She fit perfectly, he thought, allowing himself the pleasure of concentrating solely on the feel of her against him. The way she smelled, that wonderful, sweet, feminine scent that always seemed to linger in his senses. The soft curves of her breasts, her hips. The way those long legs of hers brushed against his.
He drew back to look at her. "I will be with you every moment, stuck to you like a sticky piece of gum to the bottom of a shoe."
"Well now, there's an image," she said with a smile, realizing he was deliberately trying to lighten the mood.
"We are in this together, Faith."
Together. The word reverberated around in her mind.
Together.
With Ali.
But just for this weekend, she reminded herself sternly. And only for pretend.
"I just don't want to do anything to embarrass your parents. I—" She frowned, then thought better of what she was going to say, instead, merely sliding her arms around his waist and ordering all the tension to leave her body.
With a sigh, Faith allowed herself to relax against him, to let his warmth and words comfort her. Wearily, she laid her head on his shoulder, realizing how good it felt, how comfortable it seemed, how right it was.
Stunned by her confession, he drew back, looked deep into her eyes, his heart aching with a burgeoning emotion he refused to name or identify.
"Is that what this is about?" he asked softly, searching her face. "You are concerned about perhaps embarrassing my parents?" How could she know that nothing could have touched his heart more?
Looking at him, she nodded miserably, unable to tell him how important this was to her. She knew she was not the type of woman he could love, knew it and was trying to accept it, but clearly, his parents didn't feel the same way.
And they had been so kind to her, so totally accepting and loving, she wouldn't hurt them for the world.
"Oh Faith, how you move me." With a sigh, he pressed a kiss to her hair, her brow, her cheek, letting his mouth linger, savoring the sweetness of her. "You are the most incredible woman I have ever known." He kept sliding his mouth over her skin, letting his lips soothe and arouse. "You are so genuine, so real, so totally unaffected, you make my heart sing in a way I'd forgotten it could."
"Ali." His words made her own wary, scarred heart soften, hope. "Oh, Ali." She forgot all the warnings she'd reiterated a hundred times to herself since she'd agreed to spend the weekend with him, forgot everything but the man in her arms. Tilting her head, she raised her mouth for his. "Kiss me."
He did. It was neither gentle nor soothing, but hot, demanding, passionate. His arms tightened around her as his body responded to her closeness, to her softness, to his need for her—only her.
The first touch of his tongue on her lips and in her mouth had her whimpering softly, clinging to the back of his shirt, arching against him, wanting him to close the distance between them and become part of her.
She opened her mouth to him, greedy now for the touch and feel of him, giving back all she got. Her body trembled when his hands slid to her waist, then to her buttocks, to cup and caress, bringing her closer against his growing, aching hardness.
It was his turn to groan, a soft whisper of need that only fueled her own desire.
Need, raw and ripe, spiraled through her, making her body ache and moisten. Nearly mindless with desire, she ground herself against him, wanting to cool the ache of fire his touch had aroused.
"I want you," he murmured softly, sliding his mouth from hers to her neck, nipping gently at the tender skin there, before sliding down to suckle her breast right through the jacket of her silk pantsuit.
"Yes," Faith gasped as she threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head and arching against him as he sucked her breast. Wanting to feel flesh to flesh, he slid his hand under the top, till finally he tugged it off and dropped it to the floor. She was bare beneath the jacket, her skin a beautiful shade of ivory, her breasts small, perfect, tipped with dark nipples.
"Faith." His breath withered out of him. "You are so beautiful." He lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the bed, bending his head to suckle her ripe, aching breasts as he lay her on the bed and followed her down.
With a moan, she tore at his shirt, lifting it out of his pants and tugging it open until the buttons went flying around the room like a hail of snow. She wanted to touch flesh, to feel his skin, warm and bare beneath her hands.
His mouth drove her higher and higher until her hips were arching and she was clinging to him, moaning softly, dying with need.
Half-mad with a desire to possess her, Ali tried to absorb every sensation. He wanted to see her, all of her, to feel that beautiful, pliant body respond to him, and only him.
"Faith." He dragged the silk pants that covered her from him down her legs, nearly ripping them in his madness.
It was as if a demon had possessed him. The need for her was so powerful, tugging him into a deep abyss of emotions he had never known existed. He wanted to brand her as his, so that no other man would ever know the joy of possessing her.
"You are so beautiful," he murmured, knowing in that moment, that no other woman could compare to her, not for him.
There was no fear of his frenzied, almost frantic desire, only a response that left him breathless, hot, hard and wanting only to satisfy this craving she had created in him.
A pulse thrummed hotly, incessantly between her legs, and she arched to help him skim her panties off her hips. She almost cried out when she felt his hand slide the scrap of silk down her legs, then merely whimpered at the fire he started, burning up his path until finally the fire settled into a white-hot pulse between her thighs.
Buffeted by myriad sensations, Faith let her hands frantically run over his bare back, wanting to absorb him into her. Mindless, she let her hands glide over his bare skin, savoring his touch, the feel of him.
Her nails dug in when he began to kiss his way down her body.
A moan of surprise, delight and desire ripped from her, and she clutched his hair when she felt the warmth of his lips glide over her thigh, moving slowly upward, causing her to arch.
At the first touch of his tongue between her legs, she cried out, closing her eyes and driving her hips against the intense pleasure he was giving her.
"Ali." She could barely say his name, she was so mindless to everything but the pleasure he was giving her, as he kissed her more intimately than anyone had ever done before.
Delirious and nearly desperate as he drove her higher, then higher still, her body quaked and she nearly screamed as his talented, clever mouth drove her over the edge in a haze of ecstasy so intense she was certain her heart would pound right out of her chest.
He didn't give her a chance to come down. He made his way up her body, up her belly, licking softly, nipping, then kissing where his teeth had gently nipped, moving upward to warm and excite her skin with his touch.
She reached for him, wanting him inside of her. He paused only long enough to shed his slacks, and then he was covering her with that magnificent male body, warm, strong, hard.
Gently, he kissed her eyes, then moved to her mout
h, teasing her lips with his until she wrapped her arms around him, holding him closer, tighter.
"Ali, please?" she whispered in a pliant, husky plea. She couldn't wait anymore. When he rose above her, then slowly, carefully entered her, his eyes never leaving hers, her own eyes closed as wave after wave of feeling assaulted her.
Her breathing was shallow, harsh, as she moved with him, arching against him, feeling him fill her. When he moved faster, she lifted her legs higher and wrapped them tighter around him, wanting to take him deeper. When she did, she heard his soft moan and saw his eyes darken.
The second peak of pleasure caught her by surprise, stealing her breath with the power and intensity of it. She cried out his name and clung to him, as he soared over the edge, taking her heart with him.
* * *
Something was brushing against her face. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Ali smile down at her, brushing a tangle of hair off her face.
"You dozed for a few moments," he said softly, bending to kiss her.
Her mouth curved in a soft, slow smile. "Apparently." She was naked, relaxed and pressed intimately against him. She laid a hand to his cheek, overwhelmed by her feelings for him, for the experience they'd just shared. "You wore me out."
He laughed, bending to kiss her again. "And I have only just started," he said softly, deepening the kiss until she was moaning and arching against him. She wrapped her arms around him, enjoying the warmth of him. He groaned in regret, then pulled away. "Unfortunately, we cannot continue or we shall no doubt be late for dinner."
"Dinner." She scowled. "I almost forgot." Nerves started again, and she wanted to cling to him, to just stay right where she was.
Sensing her distress, he kissed her forehead. "Do not worry, Faith dear." He picked up her hand to kiss that as well. "Remember, I will be stuck to you—"
"Like sticky gum to a shoe," she finished with a nod. "I remember."
He smiled. "I have a present for you," he said softly, laughing when her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You are suspicious again."
She sighed, feeling totally comfortable with him in spite of her nakedness. "Another present?" She shook her head. "I wish you'd stop buying me presents."
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