The question, as well as the lack of an answer, told him that he needed to start the courting process because he was damn sick of cold showers. In the past, he would have gone to another woman to satisfy his sexual need. But now that Zuri was in his life, he wanted her. Only Zuri. She was the only woman who could make him feel this way. Ad she was the only woman who could ease the desire.
Bracing a hand on either side of her, he bent down, intent on kissing her awake gently. But when he drew closer, he noticed there were tearstains on her cheeks. What had caused her to cry?! Who had hurt her feelings?!
Determined to get to the answers and punish whoever had hurt her, he reigned in his lust and, once again, lowered his head. This time, he allowed his lips to brush against her soft skin.
“Tarin,” she whispered in her sleep, stretching slightly as her lashes fluttered, but she didn’t wake up.
His body tightened even more with his name on her lips, and some of the fury over her tears eased. He’d still find out who had caused her to cry, but when she whispered his name, his mind turned away from vengeance and focused on Zuri. On kissing her awake in the most gentle way possible.
He kissed her cheek, her chin, her forehead. Another sigh. Another stretch. But she didn’t wake up. With a chuckle, he acknowledged that Zuri was a deep sleeper. He’d learned to sleep lightly over the years, knowing that any disruption to his sleep was important.
Obviously, Zuri didn’t have the same pressures on her time.
Which was good. He wanted her to be happy and if he could somehow make her life easier, he wanted to do so. Of course, he knew that she’d tell him that releasing her from their betrothal would make her happier, but he sincerely doubted that was the truth. Not after the kisses they’d shared.
Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, reminding himself that he was taking things slowly with Zuri. He was going to romance her and show her that she was more to him that simply a possession.
Kissing her again and again, he watched with fascination as she slowly woke up. Her long, dark lashes blinked, then her chocolate brown eyes finally opened to look up at him.
“Why were you crying?” he asked, his hand reaching out to touch her cheek. But as soon as his finger touched her skin, she gasped and he watched as those revealing brown eyes of hers dilated. With desire.
Tarin told himself to pull back. To give her space and court her. But before he could follow through on that order from his brain, Zuri reached up, taking his head in her hands and…she kissed him! Not a gentle, soft kiss as he’d been doing to her in order to wake her up. No, this was a full on, mouth open, tongue-dancing kiss that made him groan with the need that was never far from him. Especially not when he was close to her.
“Zuri,” he groaned, needing to pull back. But her fingers tightened on his neck and she pressed closer as he pulled back.
Tarin couldn’t hold back after that. He needed her and she was kissing him without any provocation. No agreements or dares or negotiations this time.
When one of her hands slid down his chest, he was lost. His willpower evaporated and he pulled her into his arms as he moved onto the bed next to her. Ravenous now, he pressed a knee between her legs, grinding his erection against her heat while, at the same time, taking control of the kiss. His hands moved over her curves while his mouth absorbed the gasps from her lips. Tarin felt the tugging at his tee-shirt and pulled the material over his head, dumping it on the floor as he looked down at her.
She was obviously stunned and he waited for her to tell him to stop. If she uttered the words, or in any way pulled back, he would stop. But her fingers trembled as they reached up and touched his chest. Closing his eyes, he tried to hold off but when her hands slid down his arms then back up his chest, as if she couldn’t get enough of him, he allowed the passion to surge.
With deft hands, he tugged and pulled until she was completely naked, his mouth exploring every curve of her body, his lust fueled by her delighted gasps and her nails digging into his arms. When he moved lower, he felt her fingers in his hair, holding him in one place as he kissed and nibbled, tasting her skin, waiting until those fingers told him to move on again. Loving it…loving her…was the thrill of his life!
“More,” she begged when he kissed her stomach. “Tarin, please, more!” she begged.
“Open for me, Zuri. Trust me and open for me,” he encouraged even as he moved lower. He could smell her arousal and it inflamed him higher, made him want to give her everything! Show her how perfect it could be between them.
So when she spread her legs wider, giving him a beautiful view of her wet heat, he thought he’d just died and gone to heaven. Then he tasted her, his tongue moving over her folds and she tried to pull away. Gripping her hips gently, he showed her what was possible. Quickly, she understood and her hips moved, silently giving him direction where she wanted him to touch her. And still, those fingers in his hair gave him additional instructions so when she was close, he knew what to do to help her over the edge. Sliding one finger inside of her, he teased and twisted, nuzzled and nibbled until…!
She gasped as her body throbbed around his hands and on his tongue, one of his hands moving quickly to hold her in place so that he could give her the entire experience. And when the shivers slowed, Tarin pulled his mouth away, gentling his ministrations as her sighs subsided.
Quickly, he moved up her body, his own throbbing with the need to make love to her, to show her the next step. Part of him thought about stopping, waiting until their wedding night. But when he reached for a condom, her head turned and she lifted up onto her elbows, her beautiful breasts shifting, entrancing him once more. If he’d been paying attention more to her eyes and her hands, he might have done the right thing. Maybe. Probably not.
But because he wasn’t watching her hands, his eyes transfixed on those amazing breasts as they swayed in front of him, he wasn’t prepared for her fingers to wrap around his erection. When her delicate fingers explored him, moving up and down so lightly, he had to close his eyes in order to regain control. The thread was barely there, but he managed. Somehow.
“You’re so big everywhere, Tarin,” she whispered.
Tarin opened his eyes, watching her. Seeing her hand like that, holding him so intimately, he wanted to roar with the pleasure of it. But he didn’t want to frighten her. She was so small, so round and absolutely feminine! So many nights, he’d imagined her like this, holding him and…well, doing more than just holding him. But that’s when her thumb shifted, gliding over his shaft, around the top and just under the head and he grabbed her hand, pulling away before he lost it and this was all over.
“But I want to…” she began.
But he shook his head, pressing her back against the mattress. “Later,” he promised her. “Not now. Later,” and with that, he lifted her up and pushed her higher up on the bed so that he could once again move in between her legs.
He pressed slowly into her heat, groaning when her inner muscles closed around him. Pulling out, he heard her gasp and pressed into her again. Out and in, he moved as slowly and gently as he could, but moved deeper with each inward stroke. She lifted her hips in time to his rhythm, meeting his strokes. Again and again, he moved deeper until he felt that barrier. He wanted to be gentle, but she lifted up at just the wrong time, pressing him all the way through. He was watching her the whole time and saw the surprise in her eyes, but she didn’t appear to be hurt.
“Wow!” she whispered.
Then her fingers trailed down his back, caressing his firm butt.
“More?” she asked in an awed whispered. Her lips moved, shifted until she smiled up at him. Then she did something amazing. She lifted her hips and legs, pressing her body more completely against his. He felt her shiver and then she did it again. And again!
Tarin felt her nails digging into his butt and knew that she was asking him to move. Gently, he shifted in and out of her heat, showing her what to do, how to move. But Zuri didn’t need direction.
She was shifting and experimenting herself, finding a rhythm that she enjoyed. It was possibly the most erotic moment of his life!
Slowly, he felt the tension increase in her, and also in himself. But he held back, wanting that beautiful climax for her. He wanted her to know, to feel, and experience all of it! He wanted…!
“Tarin!” she gasped, her nails biting into his shoulders as she lifted her hips up, her body writhing as her orgasm took over. And that was all it took to bring him over the edge as well. Her body throbbed against his, her inner muscles clenching his shaft and he roared with the release that hit him hard and fast.
Zuri opened her eyes, thinking that she’d just experienced the most delightful, amazing and wondrous thing. Never in her wildest imagination could she have thought something like that could happen to her. Tarin had taken her out of her body, made her world sing!
Slowly, she forced her arms to relax and slide down his shoulders. As soon as she moved though, his body moved as well and, after that experience, her body was still on edge. Every shift, every small bit of friction made her want…more.
Had she really demanded that of him during that interlude? She remembered saying the word, the guttural command accompanied by the increasingly desperate sensation inside of her during those moments. For so long, she’d tried to avoid this man and everything he represented. And now she was so tangled up with him, she didn’t know where his body ended and hers began. Her arms and legs were…well, she was wrapped around him in the most indecent of manner!
“I’m sorry,” she gasped as soon as she realized that she was literally holding him to her, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist.
“For what?” he asked, lifting his head so that he could see her face.
“For…being…crazed.”
“I liked it, Zuri,” he told her, his voice gruff and sexy. In fact, she didn’t think he’d ever looked as handsome as he did right now! His hair was tousled, obviously messed up by her hands and fingers, there were a few red marks on his shoulders where Zuri’s nails had scratched him. And he had a look about him that meant he was well and truly satisfied! She’d done this to him, she thought dreamily, feeling like she was floating.
“I was…well, we should probably get up.”
He shifted, pulling out of her and Zuri gasped, shocked that they were still so intimately connected. But even as he pulled out of her, she wanted to beg him to stay, to remain exactly as they were.
That was impossible, obviously. They couldn’t…shouldn’t…be like that! It was wrong. They weren’t married…Good grief, was she really that old fashioned?
“Did I hurt you, Zuri?” he asked, sliding his hand down her back, resting heavily on her hip as he shifted so that he was lying beside her.
“I’m fine,” she told him, even though Zuri wasn’t sure if she was fine. Or if she’d ever be fine again. Nor was she confident that she wanted to be fine. Wasn’t he the enemy? No, that was ridiculous. Tarin wasn’t the enemy and he was just as trapped in his role as she was in hers. But…still.
“I need to shower,” she told him, sitting up and looking around. That was when she felt his hand against her back and shivered, peering over her shoulder. “Why did you do that?”
“Because I like touching you. Because you are a beautiful woman. And because we just made love.”
“Had sex,” she corrected automatically. Why did the word ‘love’ sound so terrifying?
Because it felt permanent.
But…she’d just been wishing that he might feel something for her! Something more than being an obligation!
She pulled her eyes away from his frown, looking for her clothes. When she spotted them, Zuri couldn’t figure out how they’d gotten so far away from the bed.
“Um…”
He sat up as well, his body so big that it seemed to wrap around her without him even touching her. “You’re pulling back again, Zuri. Why?”
She bit her lip and glanced at her clothes, crossing her arms over her body. “Could you…”
“No. I think I want you naked during this conversation,” he told her. His hands moved to her waist and, with admirable if irritating ease, he pulled her back onto the bed, with him looming over her. When he looked at her like this, it was easy to see the irritation in his dark eyes. “Zuri, we…” he paused when someone knocked on the door.
He glared down at her and she laughed despite herself. “Not my fault!” she protested, gently pushing at his shoulders. “Go answer the door. If we’re in here and they are knocking, then it must be important.”
Zuri held her breath, waiting to see what he might do. In the end, he huffed a bit, but left the bed. He grabbed his pants and put them on as he walked to the door. Zuri couldn’t pull her eyes away from his broad back or the tight muscles in his butt. Even as he pulled the slacks up and over all of that amazingness, her mouth watered with anticipation and her fingers tingled, remembering what it felt like to have that part of him in her hands. And what it might be like when he allowed her to taste…other parts of him!
Oh goodness, she thought.
That’s when he turned around, a dark eyebrow lifting. For a long moment, she didn’t understand, then his eyes moved lower and Zuri realized that she was completely naked and just staring at him!
“Right!” she gasped and jumped off the bed, grabbing his shirt. She pulled it on as she hurried into the bathroom. His soft chuckle followed her and she had to grit her teeth in frustration over that sound. Because even that turned her on! Was there nothing this man could do that didn’t excite and infuriate her today?
Okay, that was stupid because he’d always excited her. That was probably the biggest issue. No, her biggest issue was that she wanted him to…feel something for her. Something other than an obligation or lust. Her excitement whenever he came near her only reinforced how frustrating it was that she felt so much for the man when he…well, didn’t feel the same way towards her.
Standing in the bathroom, she didn’t notice the elegant fixtures or masculine colors. Closing her eyes, she leaned her forehead against the wall, wondering what she’d just done. She’d just made love…had sex…with the very man that she’d been trying to avoid! For so long, she’d stayed out of his way when he’d come to visit Jabril and now…today she’d made love with him!
Had sex! Darn it, just because the experience had been incredibly beautiful and life altering didn’t meant they’d made love! It was just…sex!
And that thought brought a tear to her eye.
“Darn it!” she whispered harshly. Still clutching the enormous shirt, she reached into the shower and flipped on the elaborate system. With just a flip of a switch, warm water gushed out of several faucets. Glancing over her shoulder, she prayed that Tarin would be occupied with whomever had knocked on the door and wouldn’t come in here. She needed…time. Time and a whole lot of common sense!
Letting Tarin’s shirt drop to the floor, she stepped under the warm spray, wanting to wash off the last…however long it had been. She’d been asleep and…well, no. She couldn’t use sleep as an excuse. She’d been fully awake and aware of what was happening when they’d started. Unfortunately, she’d fallen asleep worried about him, then dreamed about him coming into the room and making love to her. So when she’d opened her eyes, the relief she’d felt at seeing him again, combined with the images from her dream, had catapulted her into this scenario.
Grabbing the soap, she lathered herself thoroughly, washing away as much of the afternoon as she possibly could.
Unfortunately, the shower and soap couldn’t wash away the sense that she’d done something very wrong and sealed her fate. Stepping out, she grabbed one of the fluffy towels, smiling as she noted how large it was. “It would have to be,” she muttered to the silent room, thinking about how big Tarin was. A regular sized towel on him would be tiny and pointless.
Wrapping it around her, she gathered up the ends and padded out of the bathroom, then froze.
Tar
in was standing in the middle of the bedroom, showered and partially dressed and talking on the phone with his shirt unbuttoned. She didn’t know who was on the other end of the call, but it didn’t matter. All she wanted was to stare at his broad chest, the pectoral muscles that…they were scarred across the center. She hadn’t seen that earlier because…well, because he’d been looming over her and she’d been a bit preoccupied by…other things.
“If you keep staring at me like that, Zuri, we’re not leaving this room,” he warned, pulling her eyes upwards.
Zuri felt the heat hit her cheeks and turned away, ignoring his soft, deep chuckle as she searched for her clothes. He’d picked them up and draped them over a chair with her lacy bra and panties on top. When she realized that he’d been handling her intimate things, she looked over at him and…sure enough, he was watching her as he continued his phone conversation. Even winking at her, silently telling her that he knew what she was thinking. And letting her know that he was thinking it as well.
Turning away, she grabbed her clothes with a huff of irritation and stalked into the closet. It wasn’t a closet by normal standards. This was a room larger than many people’s apartments.
Ignoring the indignity of hiding so that she could get dressed, she finished drying off and pulled on her clothes. It occurred to her that she’d been sleeping in Tarin’s bed. Why had she done that? It was so revealing! But she’d been scared about her brother and, when Tarin had gone off to help Jabril, Zuri admitted to feeling a sense of panic that both of the important men in her life being in danger. She’d gotten a few text messages from him, but his head of security had explained that the country was more destabilized than they’d realized and messages probably weren’t secure.
That only made her more anxious about him being there. If anything had happened to Tarin, she would be the reason for it. She’d been the one who had panicked and gone to him, begging him for his help.
The Sheik's Arrangement Page 4