Rylee had only a short time to tell Peggy to set another place for dinner before she’d rushed Amar up the stairs to her wing of the house to wash up for supper in one of the guest bedrooms. That’s where he was this very minute as she stood surveying herself in front of the gilded pedestal mirror in her bedroom. She’d dressed tonight in a peasant shirt and flowing skirt and cinched it all with a belt. She was trying to look dressed up, but not like she’d tried too hard. She was just spraying on some of her favorite perfume at her earlobes and wrists when a knock sounded on her door.
“Come in.”
Amar entered, and his six-foot-four frame filled her entire bedroom. He looked deliciously sexy and rugged in a pair of faded jeans and a grey pullover long-sleeve sweater that hugged his ripped arms.
When he walked toward her, she swallowed hard and had to remind herself to breathe. “Hey, beautiful.” He brushed his lips across her cheek.
“Hello.” Rylee looked at Amar through the mirror and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as if sensing her uneasiness.
“Nothing.”
“Rylee.” Amar turned her around and took her face in his hands. “What’s wrong?”
Rylee shook her head. “It’s silly really. It’s just so strange to have you here in my space. That’s all.”
“Strange in a good way or a bad way?” Amar asked in a husky tone. His eyes were dark with desire as they traveled over hers.
“A good way.” Rylee looked into those dark depths and to prove it, she stood on her tippy toes to kiss him. His lips parted, and he kissed her hungrily. His tongue dove inside her mouth, past her teeth and tangled with hers. She suppressed a moan, pushing Amar back. “You’d better stop that, or we’ll end up there.” She inclined her head toward the bed.
“That’s where I want you tonight,” Amar murmured huskily.
“First you have to make it past dinner with my family.” Rylee slipped out of his embrace and went back to her vanity to touch up her lipstick. She couldn’t go down to dinner looking flushed and like she’d been thoroughly kissed.
“I’m sure your family will love me.” Amar smiled.
Rylee could only hope.
Rylee and Amar entered the living room shortly thereafter and found her family had already gathered as if sensing fresh meat was near. Her parents were in their usual spot on the sofa. Her mother nursed a glass of wine while her father sipped whiskey. Noah and Chynna sat cuddled on the adjacent loveseat like the newlyweds they were. Caleb stood by the fireplace mantel, clutching a bottle of beer. He straightened as soon as Rylee and Amar walked in the room. She could see Caleb knew who Amar was — Caleb looked like he was ready to spring on Amar any minute.
Rylee ignored his glares. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to Amar Bishop. Amar,” she said, turning to him, “this is my family.” She walked toward her parents. “My parents: Isaac and Madelyn. My brother Noah and his wife, Chynna, and my brother Caleb, at the mantel.”
“Good evening.” Amar inclined his head toward each of them.
“No need to be so formal here,” Caleb sniffed. “We’re just a bunch of country folks.”
“Caleb!” Their mother rose from the sofa. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Amar.” She offered her hand, and Amar kissed it.
“The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Hart. Now I see where Rylee gets all her good looks.”
Her mother blushed. “Oh, my,” she said, and touched her chest before sitting back down.
“Bishop?” her father questioned. “Name sounds familiar. You don’t happen to be the Bishop in Bishop Enterprises, the multimedia corporation.”
“Yes, I am,” Amar said. “That’s my company.”
Her father’s brow rose. “I see. And where did you meet my baby girl?”
“At the Derby,” Amar answered.
“Rylee came back from the Derby out of sorts,” her father returned. “Did you have something to do with that?”
“Now, now,” her mother said, patting her father’s lap, “there’s no need to get into Rylee’s personal business. Mr. Bishop is our guest.”
“For how long?” Noah uttered from the loveseat.
Amar turned to Rylee with such warmth that she felt it radiate throughout her whole being. “For as long as necessary to see the smile back in Rylee’s eyes.”
“Might take a while, considering you were the reason it was snuffed out to begin with,” Caleb muttered.
“Caleb!” their mother warned. “Mr. Bishop, would you like anything to drink before supper?”
“No, thank you. I’ll just have wine with dinner, if that’s alright with you.”
“Sounds splendid,” she replied. “Why don’t we all retire to the dining room?”
Rylee glanced at her mother and thanked her with her eyes for stopping her father and brothers from ripping Amar to shreds … but the night was still young.
Dinner fared slightly better with Rylee, Chynna and her mother keeping the conversation afloat with anecdotes about the ranch, Chynna’s concert and the startup of Bishop Enterprises, all while the Hart men sized Amar up. Rylee’s parents were at the head of the table as always, while Amar and Rylee sat together, with Chynna, Noah and Caleb sitting across from them.
When dessert arrived, Rylee thought they’d made it through the tough part until her father began questioning Amar about the Derby.
“So, how did you meet my daughter again?” Isaac Hart asked, returning to his earlier question.
“Saw her in the stables.” Amar glanced sideways at Rylee and gave her a warm smile. “She was tending to a horse, and she stole my breath away.”
“Would that be Dreamer, Jeremy Wright’s horse?”
Rylee’s heart sunk. She knew where this line of questioning was going, and she didn’t like it one bit. Rylee tensed beside Amar, and he patted her knee under the table as if to reassure her that all would be fine. “Yes, sir. It was.”
“And Jeremy lost the horse to you in a poker game,” Isaac stated more than questioned.
“That’s correct.” Amar looked him directly in the eye. She liked that about Amar, that he wouldn’t back away from a fight with Jeremy or her father.
“So you admit that you took the boy’s horse? No doubt to impress my daughter.”
“No, sir. I won it fair and square. He shouldn’t have gambled with something so precious to him. But I do admit that I used it as leverage to gain Rylee’s attention, but that only angered your daughter and I almost lost my chance with her.”
“Didn’t seem like you learned your lesson,” Caleb finally spoke after remaining quiet for most of the evening, “because Rylee returned from the Derby brokenhearted. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Amar turned in Caleb’s direction. “As I’ve explained to Rylee, my father suffered a massive stroke in my homeland of Nasir.” Puzzled looks surrounded him at the table, and Amar clarified, “Near Dubai. I was unable to get word to Rylee, so she left Louisville thinking I’d abandoned her, but that was far from the case.” He turned to Rylee. “I couldn’t wait to get back to the States to see her.”
“Sounds very romantic,” Caleb said, “but Rylee lives here in Tucson and Bishop Enterprises is in …” He let his sentence dangle, “How do you suppose on making a relationship with my sister work?”
Amar chuckled softly. “Well, it’s a little early to say, but I’m sure Rylee and I,” he emphasized the words, “will figure it out.”
“Well then,” Rylee said, rising to her feet and pushing her chair back, “if the Spanish Inquisition is over, I’d like to take a walk. Amar, care to join me?” She looked down at Amar, still seated, daring him to disagree with her.
“Sounds like a great idea,” Amar said, rising to his feet. “Isaac, Madelyn.” He nodded to her parents before turning to her siblings. “You a
ll have a good evening.”
Amar grasped her hand, and they quickly walked out of the dining room. Once they were out, Rylee released the huge sigh of relief she’d been holding in. “Thank God that’s over.”
“That really wasn’t so bad,” Amar replied, glancing at her as they walked down the corridor toward the front entrance. He’d expected her family to grill him much worse than they had.
“You don’t say?”
Amar laughed as he opened the front door and allowed her to precede him out. “I would imagine if I’d had a sister, my brothers and I would be the same way.”
Rylee glanced up at the dark sky as Amar joined her side.
“Your family cares about you, Rylee. How could I be upset by that? I wish mine cared more about me.”
Rylee turned and looked up at him, but Amar was staring into the dark night. He seemed a million miles away.
“Was it hard being back in Dubai?”
He slowly walked to the porch steps and then took a seat. When she joined him, he took her hand and helped her down onto the steps until they were hip to hip. They sat in silence looking up at the stars before Amar said, “They didn’t want me there.”
“Your family?”
He nodded, and when he turned to her she could see an unspoken pain glowing in his eyes. “The only person happy to see me was my younger brother.”
“What about your father? He must have been happy that you traveled so far to see him in his condition.”
“I suppose,” Amar said, shrugging. “He and I … we’ve been at odds for so long, I don’t think we know how to be father and son.”
Rylee reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You going there meant a lot to him. I’m sure of it.”
“I dunno. Maybe.”
Rylee was sorry that she’d brought up such a painful subject. She could see that it was a sore spot for Amar, and she wanted to bring the light back into his eyes.
She turned his face to hers and lightly caressed his strong cheek. “Well, in case I didn’t say it before, I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered.
“Me too,” he murmured, and tenderly kissed her lips.
“How about we go upstairs?” she suggested.
Amar glanced toward the house. “Are you sure about that? I wouldn’t want your father and brothers to come after me with a shotgun for stealing your innocence.”
“Don’t you worry about them,” Rylee said, standing up. “Let’s make tonight about you and me.”
Instead of going to her wing of the house as Amar imagined they would, Rylee walked him out onto a pebbled path to the family’s guesthouse. She produced a key which she’d tucked in her bosom to unlock the door. There was very little light in the room other than the moonlight coming through the curtains, but Amar could still make out Rylee’s slender curves as she moved around the kitchen.
“Can I help?” he asked.
“I’ve got it,” she said, searching several drawers before pulling out a handful of votive candles and a lighter. She lit each, placing them strategically throughout the small house before stopping at the master bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed and held her hands out to Amar, and he eagerly came toward her.
He bent down, resting his nose against her hair. He could smell the lavender shampoo she’d used as he drunk her fragrance in. She used the time to lift each of his feet and rid him of his socks and the country boots he’d bought on his way to the ranch earlier that day. Amar wanted to lose himself in more than her hair, but when he went to push her backward, she swatted him away and rose to her feet.
She began unbuttoning his shirt. When each clasp was undone, she slid the shirt from his shoulders, leaving him bare-chested to her admiring gaze. The buckle on the belt that held up his jeans was next. She looked up at him as she slid the belt from each loop and tossed it aside.
He liked this “woman in charge” and tried to give her a kiss, but she sidestepped him by tugging on his jeans zipper. Before he knew it, she was sliding them down his legs. He had no choice but to rise so he could step out of them and let her take the lead. He’d never seen her this way before, and it turned him on as evidenced by the super hard erection sticking out of his boxer briefs. She stroked him over the fabric, and Amar felt himself swell in response.
“Rylee …”
She glanced up at him with deliberate purpose, and in one fell swoop rid him of his briefs until he was as naked as the day he was born. Then she dropped to her knees and took him deep into her mouth.
Amar gasped just as sheer joy encompassed him.
Rylee used her mouth to take him to great heights, pulling him in and out one moment and then sucking him long and hard the next. She teased the head of his penis with her tongue, making figure eights while her hands stroked his length, keeping him hard and yearning for a release. He didn’t want to let go until he was inside her, but she was relentless in her quest.
“Rylee,” he groaned, grabbing handfuls of her hair as he took her head and kept her bobbing up and down his shaft. It was such exquisite torture; he didn’t want it to end. How could she know what he needed when he didn’t know himself? But somehow, she did.
So when she glanced up at him and gave him a look that told him it was okay, he gave himself over to her. He trembled, clutching her shoulders, and came inside her mouth. She accepted all of him with no hesitation. When she was done, Rylee licked her lips, and he got hard all over again. He wanted to please her as she’d done him, show her that he could be as selfless as she’d just been with him.
He lifted her to her feet and without losing her gaze, he slid the long, flowing skirt she’d been wearing down her shapely hips. It fell in a pile at her feet, and she stepped out of it. The peasant shirt she wore soon accompanied it on the floor. Rylee looked up at him with such naked desire in her eyes; it took all of Amar’s willpower to take things slow.
He bent down and placed tiny love pecks on her shoulders and neck, all the while reaching behind her to unhook the satin bra she’d been wearing. He stopped kissing her long enough to slide the bra from her arms and toss it so he could admire her breasts.
He molded and shaped them with his hands. He watched her eyes flutter open and closed as he teased her nipples with his thumbs. When he lowered his head to have a taste of one dark chocolate nipple, her head flew backward, and she held his head as he loved each nipple with quick flicks of his tongue until they became hard pebbles. Finally, he lowered her nearly naked body onto the bed so he could worship her whole, how she was meant to be worshipped.
He teased one nipple between his teeth, taking love bites before opening his mouth and taking her full breasts inside.
“Oh,” she moaned as he suckled her breast, molding the other with his free hand. When he moved to the other breast, he could feel Rylee undulating against his lower half. He knew what she wanted, what she needed, but he wasn’t about to give it to her, at least not yet.
His hands trailed down her abdomen and stomach, coming to play at her belly button before going lower. When he reached the bikini briefs she wore, he slipped a finger inside and felt the soft hairs of her mound pulsating against him. His erection swelled, but he ignored it and surged further until his finger found her. He slowly inched in further and further, one beat at a time, as his mouth continued to pleasure her breasts.
“Oh, God!” Rylee moaned as his finger hit her clitoris. He teased it over and over, and she began to writhe and moan louder on the bed. “Amar …”
“Yes, baby.”
“I want you …,” she murmured. “Now!”
“Just a little while longer, baby,” he whispered, leaving her breasts and placing tender kisses on her stomach until he came to her thighs. “I want to love you like you loved me.”
He slid her panties from her trembling thighs and seconds later, darted his tongue inside her womanhood. Rylee jerked
upward off the bed. His head rose. “Easy love, I’ve got you.” His hands held her thighs in place as his mouth and wet tongue went back to work. He licked and teased her, firmer and faster until she was soaking wet with her juices, and when she could take no more, he removed himself long enough to put on a condom, place her legs over his shoulders and slide inside her.
“Amar!” Rylee yelled as a feeling of completeness and rightness went through her with his penis fully inside her. She bit his earlobe, and he groaned his pleasure, plunging deeper. She rocked her hips upward to meet his thrust, her entire lower body tightening around him.
Amar didn’t let up. He pumped hard, and Rylee let out appreciative groans. “Oh, yes, Amar. I’ve missed this.” There was nothing gentle about his lovemaking, and she didn’t want it that way. She wanted it a little rough and wicked.
“So, so have I,” Amar groaned as she dug her hands into his butt, urging him on. “But we have to slow down baby — I want to draw this out.” His hands gently stroked her back, but instead of slowing her down, it made her hot and lusty.
“We have all night,” Rylee said, looking up at him as her internal muscles contracted around him. “Take me!”
Amar shifted as he slid his hand lower, where they were joined, and found her aching clitoris. He stroked it. Rylee thought about how perfectly they fit together, how he knew just where to touch her to set her on fire. “Yes, Amar. Right there … just … just like that. Oh, God, yes!”
Amar’s thrusts became more aggressive, and Rylee moved her legs so she could wrap them around his waist and lock her ankles around him.
“Jesus, Rylee, you have no idea what you’re doing to me,” Amar groaned as he gave one final thrust.
“Oh, yes I do.” Rylee rose up to meet his plundering manhood as sensation after thrilling sensation took them both over the edge to bliss.
The next morning, Rylee and Amar were sneaking up the stairs of the main house when they ran into Caleb. He was bare-chested and wearing running shorts. He eyed the two of them in last night’s outfits.
Harts of Arizona Series Page 49