by Kristi Gold
Kira waited while Tarek handed their escort a roll of bills before they headed toward the entry, his palm resting lightly on her exposed back. Even that innocent gesture had her ready and willing to climb all over him like a sheet of human shrink wrap. Boy, was she in big trouble, and the night had barely begun.
“Where to now?” she asked as they walked into the lobby.
“The ballroom.”
No surprise there. “I hope you’re not suggesting we have a repeat of our first night together.” Actually, she hoped he was.
He sent her a half smile. “The thought had crossed my mind, but we will not be alone tonight.”
Evidently he’d arranged some social soiree without her knowledge or assistance. “Who’s on the guest list?”
“You will soon see.”
She actually saw nothing but a table for two near the far wall of the massive room covered in—of course—a white marble floor. Her heels sounded like tap shoes as they crossed to the table, where Tarek pulled out her chair. As soon as she was seated, a somewhat rotund man dressed in a white suit and black tie strode into the room. “Madam, Monsieur, I am François and I will be serving you tonight.”
Tarek claimed the chair across from Kira’s and tented his hands together on the table. “Has John Paul found the kitchen satisfactory?”
François let go a boisterous laugh as he unfolded one white cloth napkin and laid it in Kira’s lap. “He is very honored to be the first to use it.” After he unfolded Tarek’s napkin and offered it to him, he added, “I will return briefly with the opening course.”
“The kitchen was completed?” Kira asked, dumbfounded, after François left.
“Not completely,” Tarek said. “The preparation table you requested will not arrive until tomorrow and there are still a few finishing touches that need to be made. Otherwise, it is quite adequate for meal preparation at this time.”
She bent one elbow on the table’s edge and supported her cheek with her palm. “It sounds as if you’ve already hired your head chef.”
Tarek took a drink of water from a crystal goblet then set it aside. “He is actually auditioning tonight, and so is François. They are both employed at a five-star hotel in Paris that is owned by one of my competitors. If you find the meal and service satisfactory, I will entice them both away.”
Kira leaned back in the chair and sighed. “You are clearly the greatest competitor of all if you’re stealing employees.”
“There is no true theft involved. If the price is right, most anyone can be bought.”
That didn’t hold true for her. “If you say so.”
François interrupted the discourse by delivering two trays brimming with appetizers that included steamed mussels and cold-boiled shrimp, along with a variety of cheeses and fruit. Kira’s tummy began to rumble despite the fact she’d had two snacks since lunch. At this rate, she would require maternity clothes, or tents, by her second trimester.
Regardless, she ate with abandon the luscious fresh salad, the array of fresh vegetables and the petite filet mignon accompanied by a lobster tail. She did skip the wine, but not the sorbet designed to cleanse the palate between courses. In fact, she’d barely drawn a breath before the pêche Melba arrived for dessert. Spun sugar and ice cream probably wouldn’t help her expanding waistline, but at least the peaches were healthy. Sort of.
When she noticed Tarek staring at her as he had the last time she’d gorged herself, her face began to flame. “I’m sorry. I’m not accustomed to eating this late, so needless to say, I was starving.”
“No apology necessary,” he said. “I appreciate a woman with a healthy appetite, though I am surprised you are still quite thin.”
Just wait a few weeks, she started to say but thought better of it. “Honestly, I don’t normally eat so much. Something about this island atmosphere makes me very hungry.”
“It fuels my appetites as well.”
His usage of the plural form of “appetite,” led Kira to believe he wasn’t only referring to food. “Well, that definitely quenched one of mine.”
He sent her a knowing and somewhat smoldering look. “Then I suppose I do not need to ask if you enjoyed the fare.”
“I would think that’s obvious.”
They shared in a laugh, the first one she’d heard escape from Tarek’s mouth since they’d been there. If he knew the reason behind her ravenous behavior, he wouldn’t be laughing.
François suddenly reappeared and gathered the empty dessert cups. “John Paul has asked if you found the meal satisfactory.”
“You could say that,” Kira muttered. “Let him know that as the daughter of a chef, I know excellent culinary skill, and he earns high marks on all counts.”
The waiter executed a slight bow and regarded Tarek. “I shall let him know. Will there be anything else, Monsieur Azzmar? Perhaps the lady would like to sample a delicate chocolate liqueur?”
“No, thank you,” Kira said, perhaps a bit too abruptly.
Tarek reached into his inside pocket, withdrew two envelopes and handed them to Francois. “Tell John Paul I will be in touch soon with my offer for both of you. I am certain he will find it more than generous. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your stay in Cyprus.”
The man practically beamed. “I assure you he will be pleased to know that, as am I. Shall I send the others in now?”
“Please do.”
She hoped “others” didn’t involve more food. “You don’t have more chefs to audition, do you?”
“Musicians.”
As soon as he said it, a group of men arrived, carrying various instruments they began to set up on a slightly elevated stage at the front of the expansive ballroom. After they took their positions, they began to play a very familiar Billie Holiday tune.
She regarded Tarek with awe. “That happens to be my grandmother’s favorite song.”
He favored her with a soft smile. “Then it must be kismet they chose it. Would you like to dance?”
He apparently didn’t value his toes. “It’s been ages since I’ve done that, and I’m not very good.”
“I am,” he proclaimed as he stood, rounded the table and pulled out her chair. “A skill I had to hone due to the many social events I have attended during the course of my career.”
At least he’d qualified his sudden burst of ego. “Then I suppose I’ll have to rely on you to guide me.”
“That would be my pleasure.”
After she took his offered hand, he led her to the dance floor and pulled her gently into his arms. Although her heels gave her an extra three inches of height, making him only five inches taller than she was, she still felt petite and protected in his embrace.
She soon realized he’d been truthful when he led her through the steps with amazing expertise. She stumbled twice and muttered, “Sorry,” each time. He responded with reassuring words. Before long, they seemed as if they had danced together forever.
As the music continued, they held each other closer, and closer still when the band played a sultry jazz number that reminded Kira of hot summer nights. “Hot” was the operative word when Tarek began rubbing her back, then pressed his lips against her forehead. She felt as if she might actually go up in flames when he moved to her mouth and kissed her in earnest without regard for their audience. Frankly she didn’t care, either. She only cared about the soft glide of his tongue against hers and how much she had needed this. How much she needed more. But at what cost?
When Tarek ended the kiss, she practically groaned in protest. “We should leave now.”
She didn’t want the night to end and knew it wouldn’t if she gave him the lovemaking go-ahead when they got home. “It’s still fairly early.”
“Yes, and our journey is not over yet.”
“Are we going to wa
tch the staff clean up now?”
He released a low laugh. “No. We have somewhere else to go.”
“Where?”
He brushed another quick kiss across her lips. “That is a surprise.”
“You’re certainly full of those tonight.”
“This surprise happens to be the best one of all.”
* * *
A yacht. A white four-level yacht moored at the exclusive marina’s dock, the likes of which Kira had never seen up close and personal.
She glanced to her left to discover Tarek looked very proud of the monstrous boat. “Is this yours?”
“It is,” he said as he clasped her hand to guide her up the gangplank. “And as you mentioned earlier, we will be enjoying a moonlit cruise.”
Clearly she’d become clairvoyant. “That sounds like a marvelous idea.” And a chance to make a few more memorable moments before she lowered the baby boom.
When they reached the entry and Tarek opened the door, a gray-haired man dressed in navy-blue military-like garb greeted them with a smile. “Good evening, Mr. Azzmar,” he said, his voice hinting at an Australian accent. “You’ve picked a beaut of a night for a ride. Hope you brought your bathers.”
“We will not be swimming tonight, Max. We will enjoy the sea from the deck.”
“That you will.” He aimed his grin at Kira. “Who might this lovely lady be?”
She offered her hand to the presumed captain. “I’m Kira, Mr. Azzmar’s personal assistant.”
Max looked her up and down. “I’d be looking for another job if my boss made me dress that way for work. Not that I’m personally complaining.”
“I believe it is time to set out,” Tarek said. “Otherwise we will be taking a daylight cruise.”
The man’s pleasant expression indicated he wasn’t at all concerned with Tarek’s somewhat irritable tone. “Yes, sir. We’ll be off right away.”
After Max ascended a staircase across the way, Kira surveyed her surroundings. To her right, a series of white leather built-in sofas butted up to a bank of windows, accompanied by black tables and nautical-themed accessories. To her left, another staircase led upstairs and one led to a lower floor, both backlit in blue with glass guardrails. Beyond that, she spied what appeared to be another living area with black high-end furniture set out on the sleek white porcelain floor. She’d learned one important fact about Tarek. He liked black and white—and that seemed to suit his personality.
“How many bedrooms and baths does this house-sized boat have?” she asked.
“Three bedrooms on the lower deck,” he replied. “Six baths. One on the swim deck, one on the bridge deck, one here on the main deck, and three attached to the bedrooms.”
Kira couldn’t imagine having to clean six bathrooms. She couldn’t imagine how much the yacht cost, either, though she suspected probably in the millions. “I haven’t seen a maid yet.”
“I have a staff of stewards, but they have been dismissed for the night.”
“Then it’s just us and Max?”
“Correct.”
Essentially they were completely alone except for the captain. No one to disturb them. That both excited and worried her. The way she’d felt in his arms on the dance floor hadn’t dissipated in the least. “So what now?”
“I will pour us each a glass of champagne and we will enjoy it on the aft deck.”
“No champagne,” she said a little more forceful than necessary.
He gave her a quizzical look. “As I recall, we shared several glasses of wine in the past.”
She searched her brain for a logical excuse. “True, but I’m opting for a healthier lifestyle. Also, I put on a few pounds lately so I’ve decided to lay off the alcohol.” Of course, the way she’d eaten in his presence would most likely lead to the conclusion she needed to lay off food in general.
“I would not have guessed you had put on any weight,” he said. “But far be it for me to involve myself in a woman’s decisions when it comes to personal choices.”
Whew. She’d definitely dodged a bullet for now. “I would love a glass of sparkling water if you have some available.”
“I do. Follow me.”
As Tarek walked into the second living area, Kira trailed behind him until he paused and rounded an elaborate built-in bar with silver quartz countertops and shelves full of premier liquors. She waited nearby while he opened the stainless-steel refrigerator to retrieve a bottle of the finest champagne a large sum of money could buy. After he filled a flute with the wine, he reached beneath the bar and withdrew a green bottle of sparkling water, poured some in a high-ball glass and topped it off with two ice cubes.
He handed her the glass, along with a small napkin embossed with his initials. “I have two more bottles, should you require more.”
She sipped the water, then smiled. “Usually one is my limit, but I’m feeling somewhat daring tonight, so I might have two.”
He rubbed his chin and returned her smile. “Living life on the edge is my specialty.”
That attitude could affect their future as parents.
“Shall we go bask in the moonlight now?”
He rounded the bar, grabbed his drink and took her hand. “Yes, and perhaps be a bit daring.”
Kira wasn’t certain what he meant by that, yet she sincerely wanted to find out. Clearly her hormones had commandeered her common sense. But with the feel of his slightly callused palm in hers as he showed her to the veranda, the scent of his heady cologne, that gorgeous mouth framed by a slight blanket of whiskers, taking a sensual journey with him again wouldn’t be a bad thing. Or would it?
She could throw caution to the trade winds, or come back to the land of realism. He had no idea she was pregnant. And she still had no idea how to tell him. Yet when he guided her to the deck, stood behind her and wrapped one arm around her waist, she only considered here and now, wisdom be damned.
“The view is stunning,” she said as they watched the lights of the marina begin to fade in the distance.
He nuzzled the side of her neck below her ear and whispered, “You are stunning.”
She sipped another drink to soothe her parched mouth. “And you, as always, are quick with the compliments.”
Suddenly he dropped his arm from around her, prompting her to turn and meet his serious expression. “Never doubt my sincerity when it involves you, Kira. From the first time we met, you have invaded my fantasies on a daily and nightly basis.”
She could relate to that, yet some serious issues between them still existed. “This is all a fantasy, too, Tarek. The dress and the dinner and especially the dancing. Tomorrow we’ll be back to normal. You’re the consummate global businessman on the fast track to continuing success while amassing a fortune. I’m the daughter of domestics who doesn’t require all the finer things in life and yearns for a common life with a husband and kids. We are two very different people.”
After setting his flute on a nearby cocktail table, he took her glass from her clutches and placed it beside his. He then returned to her and slid his arms back around her, pulling her closer.
“Do you not wish to travel the world before you settle into a domestic routine?” He made the word settle sound blasphemous.
“I’ve seen quite a bit of it already. I’ve also seen sheer happiness in the faces of the Mehdi brothers and their wives. Call me a fool, but I want to experience that, too.”
His features went stony again, yet he didn’t let her go. “What do you expect from me, Kira?”
To be a father to our baby. To want what I want. To fall desperately in love with me.
The last thought took her mind by surprise and her heart by storm. She didn’t want his love. She wanted his respect and willingness to be involved in their child’s life. She certainly didn’t want to f
all in love with him even though at times she thought she could be precariously close to going down that ill-advised path. But not knowing everything about him, and falling into that trap, could be disastrous.
Kira chalked the threatening fuzzy feelings up to a romantic evening with a sexy rogue and pregnancy hormones that had her emotions running amok.
“I don’t want anything you’re not willing to give, Tarek.”
He feathered a kiss across her lips. “I am willing to give you all the pleasure possible. I wish us to be together again in every way. I want you not to concern yourself over the future beyond what we experience tonight. Life is too brief to discard what we have found together.”
She rode the waves of confusing emotions. “You’re referring to sex.”
“I am referring to our undeniable desire for each other. I have never before experienced what I feel with you in my arms. It is very powerful, yet it leaves me powerless. No woman before you has done that.”
He seemed bent on saying all the right things. “Not one?”
“No.”
“Not even Athena?”
His frown deepened. “Definitely not. And now that she is no longer employed by me, you will not have to endure her again.”
A total shock to Kira’s already shaky system. “Did you fire her?”
“She resigned, with my blessing.”
“Why?”
“She knew she could not compete with you.”
Flattery could get him everywhere. Flattery had already immersed her in hot water one other time. She truly, truly didn’t care about then, or tomorrow, only now.
On that note, she wrapped one hand around his neck, pulled him to her mouth and kissed him.
Kira soon found herself pressed against the railing, Tarek’s hands roving over her bare back as he kissed his way down her neck, pausing to slide his tongue down the valley between her breasts. When he worked his way back up to her lips, he also worked her dress up her thighs and clasped her bare bottom.