by Leah Leonard
Shivers ran through Sarah's body. Never in her life before had she felt like this. "Ghazi, I—"
Pushing her inside, he closed the door behind them and swept her into his arms, tossing his jacket to the floor and carrying her over to the white leather sofa. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, placing her on her back and straddling her, exploring her body with his hands.
She wanted to tell him to stop, but somehow words failed her when his palms roamed up and caressed her arms, slowly fondling the sides of her breasts through her dress and gradually slid to her stomach. She sucked in her breath.
He chuckled. "You are so sensitive…so…" He brushed his lips on the tender skin under her ear, moving his mouth down toward the center of her chest while his free hand slid down her stomach to the curve of her hip.
Sarah gasped as he leisurely caressed his way down her legs to the hem of her dress.
Inching the emerald silk tenderly up her thighs, he ran his hands over her thighs, leaned in and kissed his way up her body to her neck and whispered, "I cannot wait to see what you have hidden under this dress…to caress your beautiful skin."
Sarah couldn't resist his touch, the feel of his body against hers. Her primal instincts were aroused, but not nearly as much as her heart. Despite the chemical attraction the two shared, if she wasn't careful, Sarah would fall head over heels for Ghazi again. She sank into the weight of his hands, allowing her body to experience a level of pleasure she forgot existed. A flash of heat rushed up from her center and back down to the space between her thighs. How she wanted him! How she wished she could simply throw caution to the wind and offer herself up to him now, except for one simple fact: she'd never given herself fully to anyone before, and she wasn't quite sure she should go there with Ghazi. She still had a fairy tale notion of sleeping with the man who would be her husband and the father of her yet-to-be-born children, and one thing was clear - Ghazi Deniz was not that man. He told her so tonight in fact. She would be lucky if she could enjoy his company for a week, let alone a lifetime. "Stop."
Caught up in the moment, Ghazi reached under the small of her back, pressing her body against his.
"Ghazi," she called out. "We can't."
Her second request pulled Ghazi from his reverie. He paused for a moment, lifting himself up on both hands. He arched his back and exhaled.
Pushing his chest, Sarah rolled to her side. Slithering out from under him was the most difficult thing she had ever done before. Not because he forced her beneath him, no, Ghazi proved powerful yet gentle, showing her tender kindness which made her want him even more. It was not his brute masculinity that made him impossible to resist, but rather the mere fact she wanted to be there more than anything else in the world.
Ghazi leapt to his feet, brushed himself off, offered his hand and helped her to her feet. "Why not, my darling?"
"I think," Sarah wiped her forehead, straightened her gown. "I think we should wait."
"Of course," he agreed, pulling himself away, he breathed deeply, straightening his slacks, he picked his jacket up off of the floor and put it on, cinching his tie around his muscular neck. "I am sorry if I rushed you, but you are …intoxicating."
Sarah gulped. If only he knew she was a virgin! What would he think? "Thanks."
Walking toward the door, Ghazi asked, "What time shall I be here tomorrow?"
"What?" Sarah could barely concentrate on what just almost happened let alone anything in the foreseeable future. "Tomorrow?"
"For our tour."
"Oh, right." She vaguely recalled them talking about touring Troy more extensively. Right now, her body was still tingling from his touch. "Um…I think I'm scheduled to go on a tour of the ruins with the group."
"Yes, I heard about that and made other arrangements."
"How?" Sarah's face heated up, her pulse quickened. "What are you talking about?"
"I thought you enjoyed my company and assumed you might also like a private tour with me as your guide tomorrow."
"What about the others?" Sarah demanded.
"So?" He shrugged. "What about them?"
As sexy as the man was, he could also be extremely exasperating. "Has it not once occurred to you that all this…" she waved her arms around the penthouse, "is causing me to become alienated from the group? How am I supposed to get what I came here for if I never bother to get to know the other people or attend any of the classes?"
"Who said anything about missing classes? You’ll make it to those. I’m talking about a daytrip. Besides, I thought you came here for me." He smirked in his irresistible way.
“These are all classes. Even the tour. We have archeological experts leading us around and all of it is part of our coursework, beginning with the tour tomorrow.”
“I see…and us? What about us?”
"I hate to disappoint you, but aside from the fact I hadn’t planned on us running into each other, I came to Turkey for me. I am here on a scholarship, remember? I have to actually learn something so I can get a good job once I get home."
"Ah," Ghazi purred, stepped closer and took her hands into his, kissing them one by one. "But what if you didn't have to worry about a job or money? What if you allowed someone like me to take care of you?"
"No," Sarah said.
"No? What do you mean no?"
"I could never do that."
"Why not?"
"I’m my own person. I can take care of myself. Maybe not to the level of all this," she gestured to the grand accommodation Ghazi provided for her. "I value my independence. I could never be a kept woman."
The grin Sarah recalled from high school crossed Ghazi's face, his mouth curled in a mischievous smile that she found both maddening and compelling. He folded his arms across his chest as if he’d just been offered a dare.
"What are you doing? Why are you looking at me like that?"
He dropped her hands and lifted his shoulders back with pride. "You, Sarah, are the most interesting woman I've ever met. I will pick you up at nine. Be ready. I will be waiting outside this door and I don't want you trying to escape." He backed up, blew her a kiss. "Until then."
Sarah closed the door, locked it and hung her gown back in the closet and got ready for bed. She expected to have been exhausted by the flight and all the events of the day. Instead, she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, and thought of nothing but Ghazi and the strange comments he made. Talk about a contradiction! He would have never mentioned taking care of her had he been in his right mind. Too much tea, perhaps? Or was it simply his overcharged libido talking?
Then again, what if?
Her mind filled with high school fantasies until she forced herself back into reality. No. Not Ghazi. He would bring nothing but pain and disappointment. She was living in a dreamland. He could have anyone he wanted, and that person wasn’t her, no matter what he said to try and bed her.
She could enjoy the situation for what it was, a summer fling. Nothing more. With this mindset, she would not face disappointment or rejection. Whatever enjoyment they had together, so be it. When the summer was over, she would go home and get back to her life. With that thought, she drifted off into a deep sleep.
****
Ghazi had to get himself under control. That sexy Sarah had him about as aroused as any woman ever had in his life.
Something about this woman drove him to distraction. Her constant dismissal of him combined with the way her body melted into his. And her comment about never ever accepting care from anyone made him realize for the first time that he actually believed he was starting to feel something for her. She had a tough exterior with a soft heart.
Her kind demeanor and pure deservedness of the scholarship or any other advantage she might receive, was accentuated by the fact that she never asked for help. And yet by all accounts, she needed someone in her life just the same. She was a true orphan. She had nobody but herself to depend on. At least Ghazi still had his grandfather.
In that moment, Ghazi Deniz
realized that he wanted more for her than he did for himself. He wanted her to have everything, and more than that, he wanted to be the man to give it to her.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Sarah woke early the next morning after a tedious night's sleep. She tossed and turned, dreaming of those powerful hands and the hard body that pressed her back against her sofa last night. Ghazi would surely drive her to distraction, if she let him.
She dressed in her shorts and sports bra and draped a towel over her neck so she could take a brisk jog around town before time to get ready for the tour and the man. She knew full well she would need to be completely physically exhausted so her heart wouldn’t race at the sight of him and her pulse would stop pounding in her chest. She swung her door open, and gasped.
“Good morning.” Ghazi sat in a gilded winged chair at a table for two filled with food and adorned with flickering candlelight. He smiled and lifted a silver carafe and a cup. "Coffee?"
"What are you doing here?"
“Or of course we have tea, if you prefer…” He smirked.
“Ghazi,” Sarah felt the all too familiar flush rise up within her. Apparently she didn’t need a jog to get her blood rushing today.
"I couldn’t wait another minute to see you."
"Listen, it’s not even seven thirty. You're not supposed to be here until nine."
Seemingly unfazed, Ghazi leaned back in his chair and helped himself to some fruit. "Fine. Take your time. I'll wait while you go exercise.”
Sarah didn’t want to leave him, but she wanted time to wake up, comb her hair, and prepare herself for him. The man looked like a god, and right now, with her messed hair, she hardly fit the bill to be seen with him. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Do what you wish.” He pulled his cell from his pocket and began sending a text.
She stood there for a moment, wondering if he was serious. After all, he could have called and warned her he was coming, right? She tried to work out regularly at home and didn’t want to let that habit die just because she was thousands of miles from Texasand had an overly demanding sexy hunk waiting for her. “Okay if you”
“However you cannot wear that." He lifted his gaze from the phone and cast a disapproving glance at her outfit.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Sarah suddenly felt self-conscious, not to mention a little peeved. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
He chuckled. "As much as I enjoy looking at your lovely curves, I do not want other men seeing the beautiful body that brought me so much pleasure last night."
"You’ve got a lot of nerve!"
"Can you blame me?"
Although his comments made her fume, she realized in his own arrogant way, he was giving her a compliment.
Ghazi put his phone away, took a bite out of a pastry. "Mmm. So good. Sit. Try some."
"I was about to go for a jog around town. That’s the last thing I need."
"It’s not safe,” he insisted.
“What do you mean? We’re in the middle of nowhere in a small town on a cliff. How could that be?”
“My point exactly. This is a port town. No telling who the authorities have allowed into the country.”
Aside from the fact Sarah was well used to taking care of herself, she tried to see things from his perspective, and faintly recalled Ghazi always had been a little overprotective. Probably a cultural thing. “I appreciate your concern, but I promise, I’ll be okay.”
“You should use the facilities within the hotel unless I escort you.” Ghazi frowned and his gaze wandered slowly over her body. “Besides, you do not need exercise. There will be plenty of walking later. Sit."
Unsure of whether she should smack him or feel complimented, Sarah sank into the seat.
Ghazi cut a slice of the pastry twice the size of anything she could ever eat. "Here you go. Enjoy."
"That's too much," she pushed the plate away.
"Oh come now," Ghazi ran his eyes appreciatively over her chest and stomach, chuckling. He even had the nerve to lift the tablecloth and peeked at her bare legs. "You could add a few pounds and still be stunning. You are a bit thin, you know."
"You don’t say?” Now he really was beginning to cross the line.
His gaze fixed on her cleavage. “Well, not in any places that matter. You have a lovely form, darling. Your breasts, your hips…Still, go ahead. Eat.”
“And what makes you think you can tell me what I can and cannot eat?"
Ignoring her, he poured her some coffee. "Cream and sugar?"
"Cream only please." Sarah cut into the pastry, and took a small bite. "This is delicious. It reminds me of baklava.”
“That’s because it is,” he smiled and took another bite.
“But I thought that was Greek,” Sarah said.
He shrugged. “It is, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have it here also.”
“I’m definitely enjoying it. This is the best I've ever had."
Ghazi stared at her lips, watching her lick the sugar from her fork. "I could say the same about you."
She giggled. "Thanks."
"So what shall we see today, darling?" He handed her the cup, and stared straight into her eyes and through her soul, as if she were the most interesting thing on the planet.
Sarah gazed into his black eyes. God he was gorgeous! The truth was, with Ghazi around, she didn’t care what they did. "Anything, everything. I want to see it all."
"What interests you about my country? What is your field of study?"
"Social anthropology."
"Hmm, sounds impressive. Tell me more." His quizzical expression and the way his eyes locked on hers made her feel he was interested in every word she said, which turned her on more than she wanted to admit.
"I am interested in social structures, gathering places where ancient peoples came together for meetings and common causes. Places like Ephesus, and of course Troy. In Troy, I am particularly interested in learning more about the two major public buildings on the edge of the agora which is the central market place - the odeion which archeologists have come to know as a concert hall. I’d also like to visit and the bouleuterion, which was the council house. I study social interactions of ancient people and how we might learn from them in the future.”
“Fascinating,” he said.
“I know the bus tour will stop at these places today. Does your private tour offer the same?” she teased.
Ghazi appeared in deep thought.
“What are you thinking?” Sarah asked.
Leaning in close, Ghazi grabbed her knee, sending shivers up her legs. “You are brilliant. No wonder you received our award.”
“No more so than anyone else here, Ghazi. You inspired me when you came to the States. What can I say?”
His nostrils flared. "I would like to spend all summer showing you around my country. For today, we can visit those you mentioned and a few more. It will take several hours."
"That sounds perfect." She stood. "And on that note, thanks, breakfast was a nice surprise."
Ghazi stood, smiled, "My pleasure."
She half wanted to push past him and go out for a jog, but decided against it. She would do that later if she still wanted to, once he was clearly out of sight. And if this was going to be how mornings were around here, Sarah would be sure to get up earlier next time. Even though they only had one more night here before moving on to the next stop on the summer tour, she wasn’t about to let him stop her from exploring the area. So far, the only thing he wanted to explore was her. "So I suppose you expect me to invite you inside while I get ready?"
"No. I will wait." He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started texting again.
What a relief! She wasn't sure she could keep her hands off of him if he came inside her room and she couldn’t let things progress too far too fast. "That's right. I almost forgot, you have a company to run."
“Indeed.” His eyes remained fixed on the screen. "I do."
"Then why
not take a rain check on today? I can always go with the group, you know?"
"Ah you forget the advantages of being the boss." He lifted his gaze, raised his eyebrows. His eyes glittered.
“Apparently leadership has its advantages,” she smiled.
“Indeed, and I intend to take full advantage, as should you, darling. Go on. I promise to be waiting when you return.”
****
Ghazi watched the irresistible Sarah turn and close her suite door behind her. The sound of the deadbolt jolted him a bit. The faint scent of her long brown hair still lingered in his nostrils. Her sweet skin sent passion ripping through his veins. He wanted her more now than ever. She had grown quite sexy in the years since they last met.
She seemed surprised by his visit this morning, he hoped in a good way. The poor girl had issues with trust. Probably because of what happened to her parents, and really, who could blame her?
The fact was, Ghazi had no intentions of letting her out of his sight at all this summer, if he could help it. He certainly couldn’t condone her wandering around the village dressed in that revealing sports bra and clingy spandex shorts unless they were alone together behind closed doors. His mouth watered just thinking about cupping his hands over her firm buttocks and pulling her luscious body next to his.
He had to stop. His erection made his pants more than uncomfortable. The fact of the matter was, Sarah Taylor was a beauty and he demanded to be the only beholder of her charms.
****
Sarah emerged from her room an hour later after arguing with herself over what to wear. She hadn’t brought much in the way of formal clothes other than the dress she had on last night and a sleeveless short sundress she thought would be perfect for shopping in Istanbul later on in the trip.
Other than that, all she packed were shorts and t-shirts. She’d planned to wear those most of the summer out on the digs, but that was before she ran into sexy Ghazi.