Shahin stepped out of the tent, and Noori’s attention flew from all the torches. “I apologize, Shahin. I was sent to retrieve a bag of oranges in order to further Karam’s prospects with his lady.” His head tilted as he tried to understand why Shahin would be here at this time of night. “I was not aware that you would not be in Meda’in Saleh tonight.”
Shahin’s lips curved up, and he slowly stalked his prey, unfolding his arms to allow the dying sun to glint off his bare chest. “You will not be in Meda’in Saleh tonight either,” he murmured as he stopped a few feet away, eyes dark and focused.
Noori’s breath quickened, and his eyes widened as he focused unintentionally on the lines of Shahin’s body. His hands clenched into fists even as his fingers itched to touch the skin that gleamed in the low light of the clearing. “I will not?” he stammered, meeting Shahin’s dark eyes.
Slowly shaking his head, Shahin stepped closer until their chests almost touched and raised a hand to tilt Noori’s eyes up to him. “No, you will not,” he rasped, leaning to capture the full, tantalizing lips.
Noori’s heart beat so hard he could not even hear the waterfall. “So where am I to go?”
Stopping a breath away from Noori’s lips, Shahin sighed and pulled Noori against him bodily. He rumbled, “You will stay here, with me,” only realizing what he had said afterward. He stiffened, concerned Noori could misinterpret his words.
Bracing himself by placing his hands on the sheikh’s hips, Noori looked up into the other man’s eyes. “With you.” The words from Shahin were all he had ever dreamed they would be. A small smile flitted across his lips before he asked, “And do you command it, my lord?”
Relaxing as Noori smiled, Shahin’s gaze turned soft and liquid as he looked over his love’s face. “No, I ask it, with all my heart,” he replied softly.
Lifting a hand, Noori cupped Shahin’s cheek. “It shall be granted, Shahin,” he whispered, thumb brushing over the soft hair of his beard.
Eyes closing in what looked like relief, Shahin turned his chin to press his lips against Noori’s thumb. “Noori,” he murmured, dark eyes seeking sparkling blue, “will you stay with me, as a freed man, as my consort, as long as the heavens may permit?” His words sounded almost formal, though his tone was nearly imploring.
Watching Shahin’s face for any signs of reconsideration, Noori nodded. Opening his mouth, he tried to speak, but his feelings overwhelmed him, only allowing a choked sob.
Blinking in surprise, Shahin cupped Noori’s face. “Noori?” he asked, brow furrowing. “What is it?”
“I… I have wished for this for so long,” Noori whispered, “and now that it has come to pass, I dare not believe it.”
Shahin’s face transformed into a pure, joyful smile, and he did not hesitate to lean and kiss Noori passionately, wrapping his arms around him as if he never wanted to let go.
Noori’s mouth opened beneath Shahin’s, tasting as he was tasted in turn. He tasted so good, of spice and citrus and…. Noori panicked. “Karam needs those oranges tonight!”
Catching Noori around the waist as he tried to move, Shahin dragged him back against him. “Karam needs no such thing,” he said in good humor.
Turning in Shahin’s arms, Noori stilled against the firm body. “He does not? But….” His cheeks flushed as Shahin nodded. “And Rami knew too?”
Shahin’s eyes danced as he smiled again, leaning to kiss the corner of Noori’s mouth. Noori turned toward the kiss, not wanting it to end. His lips searched Shahin’s, and he initiated a kiss for the first time with the man who’d held his heart for nearly a year. “You did this for me.” It was a soft statement, born of disbelief that he would be valued enough to merit such action.
Shahin nodded, tilting his head, waiting. Noori opened his mouth to speak several times, each time stopping with a sigh. After several long moments, he turned back to face Shahin. “Shall I dance for you tonight, master of my heart?”
Tongue darting out to moisten his lower lip, Shahin managed a jerky nod. “Without the robes,” he said hoarsely, pulling at the long sleeves that covered Noori’s skin.
Noori nodded, stepping toward the tent. “Will you follow me, Shahin?” The name rolled off of his tongue, filling his heart with anticipation and igniting the slow build of heat in his groin. Intent, Shahin nodded, desire flaring in his eyes. As he walked, the thin trousers did nothing to hide his arousal.
Taking a large hand, Noori pulled Shahin into the tent. He glanced around, approving of the dark, russet reds of the carpets, of the warm glow of flames. Leading Shahin to the pallet, Noori placed his hands on his shoulders, urging him to sit. His hands ran soothingly over gleaming flesh, daring to dip over a pectoral muscle to tease at the dark bud of a nipple.
Shahin sat as he was directed and inhaled sharply as the teasing touches fluttered across his skin. He reached to pull on Noori’s robe again, wordlessly demanding its removal. Noori’s exploring hand slid along Shahin’s arm and captured the tugging hand, holding it against his heart for several long moments before stepping just out of reach. He untied his sash, letting it slip through his fingers before folding the lapels of his robe back, letting it slip off of first one shoulder and then the next. It pooled on the carpeted floor at his feet with a dull thwump. The sleeveless vest beneath the robe went next, until he was dressed in only his trousers.
Shahin watched raptly, his attention unwavering as Noori slowly undressed. And then turning his back to him, Noori lifted his arms, arranging his body into the starting pose for the most seductive dance he would ever perform. His voice was low and shook at times as he started to hum, movement starting in his fingertips and traveling in waves through his body. Swaying his hips, he turned back toward Shahin. His movements were compact but powerful, hips rolling in the light trousers he wore.
Shahin’s fingers dug into the pallet as he watched the seductive movements, and Noori could see him swallow hard. A slow smile quirked the corner of Noori’s mouth as he glanced up from under his lashes, watching the effect his movements had on his love. His dance brought him closer and closer to the pallet, trousers dropped and left nimbly behind as he reached Shahin. The notes of his song faded as Noori leaned toward him, placing his hands on strong thighs. He shimmied lower, keeping Shahin’s gaze captive as the last notes faded, leaving him on his knees.
Shahin’s rigid control was obvious. He reached out to touch Noori’s cheek lightly. “I want you,” Shahin rasped.
Rising from the floor, Noori slid over Shahin’s thighs, settling onto his lap as he cradled his face. “And you will have me,” he whispered, bringing his lips close to Shahin’s, his tongue darting to tease the dimple above Shahin’s upper lip. “My body is yours to command. My soul is yours to savor. I am yours to love if you would but allow me to love you in return,” he murmured, voice low with a newfound shyness at being loved, for once and for all.
His eyes shuttering as he curled his arms around Noori’s waist, Shahin stretched to drag his lips across his lover’s. “You love me in every action, every choice,” he said raggedly. “How I did not see for so long, I do not know.”
“I do love you,” Noori confirmed with a soft kiss to Shahin’s chin, “and now I want you to love me in every sense of the word.” He rose from Shahin’s lap, sitting beside him on the pallet. His fingers ran soothingly over the silky fabric of Shahin’s trousers, moving the soft fabric against the wiry hair beneath.
Shivering, Shahin laid back on the bed as Noori’s hands slid over him, and he moaned aloud. “You are a blue-eyed demon,” he whispered, skin flushed.
Moving once more to his knees between Shahin’s thighs, Noori tugged at the ties of Shahin’s trousers, forearms brushing against the heated arousal beneath the fabric. When the ties were undone, he worked his long fingers beneath the loosened waistband to ease the soft cloth down. Shahin lifted his hips to accommodate the sliding cloth, and Noori let the fabric drag along the length of the sheikh’s arousal, not trying to hide
his interest in the way the other man’s body clenched and stretched. Finally, the cloth slid free of the long shaft, allowing it to rise proudly, evidence of Shahin’s desire. Noori swallowed, overwhelmed that someone he desired actually wanted him this much.
Exhaling noisily as the cloth was finally pulled free of his legs, Shahin sat up and reached for Noori, pulling him bodily onto his lap and claiming his mouth, pouring his passion and wanting into the kiss. Noori sighed into Shahin’s mouth, very nearly climbing over him as he was dragged into Shahin’s lap. Soft whimpers and gasps escaped him as he settled, his arousal resting near the heat of Shahin’s.
Frantic need taking him over, Shahin clutched at his lover, kissing him as if to devour him, to memorize him, to absorb him into his skin. He rolled them easily, settling between Noori’s thighs, leaning on his elbows as he kissed him again and again. Hands grasping at the sheikh’s shoulders, Noori tried to get as close as possible to the man above him. His legs spread easily to surround his soon-to-be-lover.
“I want you,” Shahin murmured as he endeavored to taste every inch of Noori’s skin. “No one else. No one else,” he chanted lowly as he rocked against his lover, the pressure against his arousal edging him toward climax.
“Always yours,” Noori murmured, breath catching at the feel of their bodies rubbing together. He wasn’t sure if he was talking about the past, the present, or the future, or a combination of all three, and he no longer cared. There was only Shahin.
Grasping Noori’s chin, Shahin plundered his mouth, staking his claim, just as Noori hoped he would leave his mark upon his consort inside and out. “Mine,” Shahin growled before lowering his mouth to Noori’s neck and sucking at a patch of skin.
Noori’s hoarse cry stuttered in the silence of the tent, the sharp pleasure of being marked burning into his soul. “Yes,” he gasped, fingers threading into Shahin’s long hair.
“I will mark you as mine, again and again,” Shahin muttered as he rocked harder against Noori, one hand stealing between their bodies to stroke them together. His eyes sparked as he commanded his lover’s attention, pausing in all movement. “Speak now, while I still have a slim hope of stopping, if this is not your desire.”
In response to Shahin’s demand, Noori’s hand threaded between their bodies, grasping Shahin’s wrist. He held it still for a split second, meeting Shahin’s eyes. Slowly but surely, he urged the hand back into movement.
Eyes closing in rapture, Shahin stroked them together several times before pulling himself free and pushing against Noori’s thigh. He lifted his palm and licked it, taking his lover’s arousal back in hand, spreading the thin fluid from it to facilitate the hard strokes. “Give me your seed that I might sink into you by its ease,” Shahin rasped.
The words Shahin chose sent ripples of pleasure through Noori’s body, and his eyes closed as his hips began to respond to the firm strokes. Leaning to trace Noori’s lips with his tongue, Shahin whispered, “I have planned this day for weeks, luring you here that I might secure your heart and mind and then plunder your body, making you mine and mine alone.” His strokes continued, firm and quick, squeezing as Noori’s hips jumped.
Heat spiraled through Noori’s body, centering in his groin. Shahin’s fervent voice warmed his heart, making him feel as if he would burst into flames at climax. But he could not deny the rush of pleasure that sped through his body, making him cry out. Even if he died in the moment, he would have had his heart’s desire. Perhaps feeling the jolt of Noori’s pulse, Shahin leaned to gently kiss him, and then he whispered against his ear.
“I love you.”
At the softly spoken words, Noori’s body released its pleasure, wetting the hand that stroked him. In the moment of climax, he cried out as well. “I love you! Shahin, my love!”
#
Nearly overcome with emotion, Shahin dropped his forehead to Noori’s chest as he held his exulting lover, the heat of Noori’s seed on his hands, his heart filled to bursting. He just tried to breathe, listening to the thumping of his love’s heart. Fingers still locked in Shahin’s hair, Noori panted heavily before his breathing started to slow once more. Lifting a lazy leg, he ran his knee against Shahin’s hip and thigh. “I desire you, master of my heart. I wish to feel you.”
Groaning, Shahin slid his hand between Noori’s legs, seeking the path to his completion. Using the slick fluid on his fingers, he pressed inside his lover as carefully as he could manage. The pressure of Shahin’s fingers making their way inside caused Noori to arch.
“You are the first I’ve ever loved—the first I’ve ever wanted,” Noori admitted in a soft voice.
Shahin’s free hand clenched on Noori’s hip, echoing the dangerous cramps of his loins. “You test me sorely,” he said harshly, pressing deeper. “I want you badly.”
Growing serious, Noori met Shahin’s passion-blackened eyes. “I am yours to have.”
Breaths shuddering out, Shahin moved his hand to himself, spreading Noori’s slick seed over his aching erection, and he moved to position himself between Noori’s legs, prodding the furled entrance before declaring, “You are mine!” and thrusting home.
Noori’s shout rang out as Shahin sank deep into him, the very act itself bringing such pleasure, even without Shahin’s immediate completion. Pulling back and thrusting again, Shahin felt the wounded parts of himself heal over as Noori’s love and acceptance flooded him, delivering him to untold pleasure and contentment. He felt his climax upon him and forced himself to open his eyes and look upon Noori. “With this… you are mine,” he gasped out. “And I… am yours!” His body went rigid as he found paradise in the heaven of his lover’s body.
Noori held tightly Shahin’s body as he rocked ecstatically, until with a quiet groan Shahin collapsed into Noori’s arms, still buried deep within, his lips seeking Noori’s warm, sweat-slicked neck and nuzzling.
Noori’s hands glided over Shahin’s sweat-slicked back. “I love you,” he whispered once more, affirming the declaration.
Shifting to a more comfortable position but remaining close, Shahin kissed Noori’s chin. “You are my heart,” he murmured, voice drowsy.
“And you are my soul,” Noori murmured. After several quiet moments, he added, “You still own me, though you granted my freedom. I am bound to you for life.” Running lazy fingers along Shahin’s spine, he continued, “I would have it no other way.”
Breathing in Noori’s scent, Shahin grunted in assent. “There is no other way for me but with you,” he said quietly.
A slow smile spread over Noori’s lips. “’Tis good that we are in agreement. I have not the energy to make you see my point of view.”
Shahin’s response was a quiet chuckle as he pulled Noori an inch closer, back in the comfortable curl in which they usually slept. Noori settled into his customary position, breathing deeply as he entwined their fingers. As close to perfect as the ritual had been before, it was now complete. Shahin closed his eyes with a smile. He was now complete.
Sonja Spencer has always enjoyed writing as an escape from her professional life. She spends what spare time she has with her family and friends; and she loves long walks on the beach, jumping in puddles and cuddling puppies. She aspires to be an entertaining writer and a gourmet chef.
Don’t miss these other titles from Sonja…
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©Copyright Sonja Spencer, 2009
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Released in the United States of America
July, 2009
eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-040-6
The Sheikh and the Servant Page 12