“Thank you.” Holly accepted the glasses of wine with a smile and then turned away. Her gaze scanned the room as she headed back to Rafiq. But her confident stride faltered as she spotted him. He hadn’t moved, but it seemed he wasn’t alone now. A woman, younger than her, stood next to him. Gazed up at him and smiled as she touched Rafiq’s arm.
Holly’s stomach took a nosedive as tension coiled through her muscles. It took everything within her not to succumb to the temptation to stride across the floor and pluck the girl off of him.
“It’s really quite amazing.”
She jumped at the amused voice near her ear and cast a sideways glance. The tall, willowy blonde with the British accent appeared to be in her early thirties.
“What’s amazing?”
“That just a week ago, half the world treated Rafiq as if he were rabid dog. And yet a few days with you, and men are vying to be his best friend and the women are clambering all over him.”
Holly blinked in dismay. “I’m sorry, have we met?”
“No, I don’t believe we have. Where are my manners? I’m Cassandra Montgomery.”
“Holly Winchester.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of you. I simply had to come say hello, as we have Rafiq in common. ”
The way her stomach clenched warned Holly it might be better if she didn’t hear the rest of the story. She bit her lip, torn between wanting the woman to elaborate and wanting to simply walk away.
“Rafiq and I went to school together at Oxford. We were—” Cassandra hesitated. “Close friends.”
Close friends, meaning lovers. God, she knew she should’ve just walked away. But another part of the woman’s words stuck out in her mind.
“I wasn’t aware Rafiq studied at Oxford.”
“Yes, he did. He’s gone to school in London since he was a child.”
That would explain why he spoke English flawlessly.
“He was quite popular at Oxford with the women.” Cassandra lifted her glass of champagne and took a sip. “Mmm, of course, that was before he was nearly murdered.”
Holly flinched at how the woman could say such a horrific statement so lightly.
“A shame, really, because Rafiq had such a beautiful face before.”
What a terrible thing to say. Did the woman have no filter on her offensive thoughts? “Rafiq is still a very handsome man,” Holly said sharply. “And I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your insults to yourself.”
“Do you think he will love you, Holly? Marry you?”
Holly narrowed her gaze. “I really don’t think that’s any of your business, Miss Montgomery.”
Cassandra’s smile turned pitying. “You know, I once thought the same. That Rafiq might fall in love with me. But it became clear Rafiq must take an Arabic woman to be his wife.”
It wasn’t anything Holly hadn’t suspected already. Still, to hear it said aloud pricked painfully at her heart.
“But thank goodness I dodged that bullet,” Cassandra continued. “Can you imagine? Waking up every morning next to a man who looks like that?” She gave a tinkling laugh. “Oh wait—you already do, don’t you, darling? I’d heard the rumors, but are you really so hard up for money?”
Holly reared back, the color draining from her face. And then the shock vanished as white-hot fury replaced it, pumping the blood furiously through her veins. “Miss Montgomery, this conversation should have ended three minutes ago,” Holly murmured coolly. “Forgive me if I don’t make the pretense of saying it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”
“Just remember what I’ve said, Holly. And do say hello to Rafiq for me.”
Not a chance. That horrible, malicious, and spiteful woman needed to go jump off a pier.
Holly plunged through the crowd, ready to be back by Rafiq’s side. Already the younger woman who’d been next to him moments ago had disappeared.
“I was beginning to worry about you, habiba.” He took one of the glasses of wine from her before sliding an arm around her waist and drawing her close again.
His touch banished the chill the conversation with the other woman had left.
“You missed me that much, did you?” she murmured a bit weakly, leaning into him and absorbing his strength.
He grimaced. “You have no idea. I practically had to peel the daughter of an associate off me while you were gone.”
So he admitted it, and that he’d been more stressed by the girl’s presence than enticed. Relief slid through her.
“But surely that’s a good thing, right? You wanted these women to be drawn to you.”
Why had she just asked him that? Was she a masochist? She didn’t want to be reminded of the answer. Holly bit back a groan.
Rafiq frowned and gave a slight shake of his head. “Not her,” he said almost distractedly.
But at some point, another lovely Arabic woman.
“Did I see you speaking with someone a moment ago?”
Holly’s breath caught. Should she tell him about Cassandra? She hadn’t planned on it, but what if he’d seen them together and was testing her? “Yes.” Here we go. “An old friend of yours, Cassandra Montgomery. She introduced herself to me.”
There was a moment’s pause and then he sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine any conversation with that hateful woman was pleasant.”
So he was well aware of her piranha-type personality. That was a relief. She gave a soft laugh and shook her head. “How could you ever date someone like her?”
“Hmmm. Why am I not surprised she would tell you about our past? I was young and not thinking with my head—or not the right one, in any case.”
A half-smile curved her mouth. “Ah, well, at least you’re honest.”
“And will continue to be.” His fingers traced low on her spine. “I don’t want there to be any more lies between us. Any more misunderstandings, do you agree?”
Holly’s pulse sprinted into double time. There were so many questions she could ask him after a statement like that. So many answers she was terrified to hear.
But she couldn’t ask them. Not yet. “I don’t want there to be either, Rafiq.”
He made a soft murmur and then lowered his head to brush a soft kiss across her mouth.
People watched. She knew it and could feel their eyes on her, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the heat that followed and her awareness of Rafiq.
He lifted his head to mutter, “You’re not drinking your wine, habiba.”
“No. It’s a bit hard to with you kissing me,” she teased breathlessly, and then her smile faded. “Though I suppose I’m not very thirsty, after all.”
He took the glass from her. “Then we should leave.”
Her gaze flitted up to his. “Don’t you need to stay? Wait for the auction?”
“I have made an appearance, which in itself is quite rare.” Rafiq gave an indifferent shrug and leaned his head closer to hers. “But there are other things I would prefer to be doing, none of which include lingering a moment longer at this event.”
His heated look left little doubt what he was thinking about, and that he wanted the exact same thing she did.
“Yes, I think we should most definitely head out.”
Chapter 13
By the time they reached the penthouse of the hotel, every nerve in her body was on high alert. The short drive back in the limo had been a lesson in patience and sensuality.
Holly reached for the zipper on her dress, but her fingers trembled.
“Let me.” Rafiq brushed her hand to the side and unzipped the dress. He was so gentle, the way he slid one strap from her shoulder and pressed a soft kiss against her flesh. A tremble rocked through her and she couldn’t help but close her eyes.
“Rafiq.”
“Yes, Holly?” Another strap eased down and she braced herself for his lips once more.
They came a second later, tracing her flesh as his fingers moved up and down her bare arm. But then he continued on, catching the dress and
tugging it down her body until it pooled at her feet on the floor. She wore no bra and the panties she had on were scarcely more than a scrap of red.
Heat filled her cheeks when she was nearly naked, standing with her back to him. She could almost feel his gaze burning a caress down her backside.
“You have no idea how much you tempt me, Holly.” Strong fingers curled around her hips as he pressed himself against her. Through his tuxedo pants, the length of his arousal pressed into her backside. “You were the most beautiful woman in that room tonight.”
His words floated over her in a sensual caress, cocooning her in this moment and her desire for him. Rafiq’s lips brushed against the curve of her neck and a gasp spilled from her lips.
“Please.” She turned in his arms. “I need you so much. I’ve thought about you all day—about what we did last night.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.” His heated gaze slid over her and then he groaned. “All day I wanted to touch you.”
His hands moved to cup her breasts and her breath caught. Pleasure seared through her as he stroked her nipples and made a murmur of approval.
“And how could I not, when you are so responsive to my touch, habiba?”
He led her over to the cream leather couch in the sitting room and then sat down and pulled her on his lap. He immediately cupped her breasts once more and pressed a hard kiss against her mouth.
“I love that I am the only man who has been with you like this.”
She liked it too. Somehow she knew making love to anyone else would’ve seemed like drinking watered-down wine. It had been worth the unintentional wait to see the blazing heat in his eyes as he spoke the husky, possessive words. For a moment she almost believed in happy endings. Let herself imagine that Rafiq would never let her go and would want to keep her with him forever.
As what, his wife? The words from the hideous woman at the party came back to haunt her. No, more likely a mistress when he grew bored with his wife. She squeezed her eyes shut and blocked out the awful thought.
She couldn’t think about that now; it was much easier to think of the present. It would be enough, right? It had to be enough.
Rafiq pressed a soft kiss against her lips and then lifted his head slightly. “You look troubled, habiba.”
“Do I?” Had her thoughts been written all over her face?
He made a soft murmur of acknowledgment. “Do you worry it will hurt again?”
Before she could answer, he teased a finger around the tip of her breast.
Oh, heaven help her, it was becoming hard to think. Heat spilled between her legs and she shifted restlessly on his lap. “It really didn’t hurt all that much the first time. Please, Rafiq.”
“What do you want?”
He wanted her to say it? Another flush burned her cheeks at just the idea of uttering what was going through her head right now.
“Would you like this?” He eased her back over his arm so that her breasts lifted closer to his face.
Holly whimpered. Already she could envision the feeling of his mouth on her. Suckling. Teasing. She nearly shook with the need to feel it and the now-familiar ache between her legs returned.
But she didn’t have to say the words, because they became a reality. His lips caught one puckered tip and sucked it deep.
The soft, keening sound of pleasure was so high and desperate, it couldn’t have come from her. She clung to him, digging her nails into his arm as her world careened out of control. She stared down at his mouth against her breast and for a moment the desire became the less dominate emotion as a wave of tenderness shot through her. Tears pricked the back of her eyes at how poignant and intense the emotion was.
Rafiq groaned and switched his mouth to the other breast, plumping the flesh in his hand and suckling the nipple deep.
It was too much, and yet she wanted so much more. The tingles spread over her body and it almost seemed a chore to breathe, even as every gasp of air was a reminder of how alive he made her feel.
“Please, Rafiq. Oh please, I need you.”
He lifted his head from her breast and his gaze turned hooded, his smile knowing. “Yes. There is so much you need, Holly. So much you have not begun to experience that I will thoroughly enjoy teaching you.”
The sensual promise sent her pulse pounding.
“But I will not take you here on a couch.” He gave a sardonic smile. “Not tonight, anyway.”
Waiting seemed like pure torture, but really it must’ve only been a minute before she climbed onto the luxurious bed. The silk duvet danced across her back in a sensation like a tiny million fingers.
Rafiq didn’t immediately climb into bed with her, but undressed swiftly. How was it he could call her beautiful and doubt himself? Did he not realize the beauty that was his physique? Her breath caught as she stared at him through her lashes.
She visually traced every ridge and muscle on his body. When he removed his briefs and his erection sprang free, she swallowed hard.
Hot and cold washed through her. Part of her anticipated the feel of him inside her again, but then she also knew he’d been right. A little part of her did worry how he could possibly fit—how he’d ever managed to last night.
He climbed back into bed, reclining next to her before cupping her jaw and claiming her mouth in another soul-searing kiss. And just like that, her worries faded as the vortex of sensation consumed her. She tangled her fingers into his hair and surrendered to the moment.
His mouth plundered hers, exploring and teasing all corners before his tongue sparred in a sensual battle with hers. When he lifted his head, her heart was racing, the area between her legs swollen and damp.
But he didn’t move to take her; instead he slid down her body with a trail of kisses. When he again closed his mouth over her breast, she clung to his shoulders. It was almost like falling, even if the mattress was right beneath her. Holly’s world spun as he continued to torment her.
“Yes,” she cried when he lifted his head once more. “Now, Rafiq.”
“Almost. There is pleasure in patience.”
And then he deliberately moved lower. Her breath caught and Holly shook her head, wanting to deny him but knowing she was helpless to.
He paused in his journey at her navel, taking a moment to trace the tiny crater with his tongue. The blood in her veins pounded harder, a loud rushing sounding in her head as she watched him slide lower.
Shock locked the air in her throat when his dark head settled between her thighs, and his lips descended to find the heart of her. When he teased her most intimate spot with his tongue, she gasped in the breath she’d been denying. Pleasure jolted through her, almost in an electric current. Her hips lifted against him and he continued his wicked assault with his mouth.
She gripped the bedspread, sobs of pleasure escaping when the room seemed to spin faster. She closed her eyes, but it only heightened the sensation of Rafiq’s tongue flicking against her sensitized flesh.
And then suddenly he pressed a finger inside her. Stretching her, all while his mouth continued to torment and tease. The intensity skyrocketed, and Holly knew she was so close. When he added a second finger, the darkness behind her lids exploded in a burst of color and stars. Ecstasy turned her body into a trembling puppet that only responded to Rafiq’s touch.
And then his solid, muscular legs nudged hers wide. Blinking away tears of pleasure, she opened her eyes and met his stare. The heat and possessiveness she saw there made her heart careen out of control. It was an expression that may as well have screamed you belong to me, but she didn’t need to see it on his face to realize the truth.
Rafiq drove into her in one smooth thrust. Holly cried out and clung to his shoulders. Her eyes fluttered closed again as he began to ride her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and immediately brought him deeper. He filled her so completely, was almost too big. It didn’t hurt the way it had the first time, and even the tiny bit of pain was drowned in the scorching molten
pleasure.
“Rafiq.” Her nails dragged down his back as she once again called his name.
And then the ability to speak at all faded as he moved harder inside her. Their moans of pleasure were as intertwined as their bodies.
Her pleasure crested again, sending her tumbling into ecstasy. Rafiq joined her a moment later with a hoarse cry, burying deepest in her yet.
Seconds passed before he collapsed onto her. With his heavy, muscled body pressing hers into the mattress, Holly traced her fingers over his spine and made no attempt to stop the tears of happiness.
Rafiq struggled to the surface of his pleasure, trying to find some semblance of normalcy. Their lovemaking had been equivalent to a bomb going off inside him, leaving his emotions and his body shaking with exhaustion.
He slowly lifted himself off of Holly and glanced down to see tears drying on her cheeks. “Are you all right, habiba?”
“I’m fine, I promise.” She reached up and pushed a damp strand of hair off his forehead.
The tears were an obvious indication their intimacy had been as powerful for her as him. A surprising wave of tenderness swept through him and he lowered his head to brush a kiss over one lone tear that hadn’t dried.
Her soft sigh feathered warm against his face and everything Rafiq fought against ceased to matter. For the moment, at least.
He moved completely off her and then settled Holly into his arms. She came willingly, snuggling against him and pressing a kiss against his chest.
“I’m glad you were my first, Rafiq.”
Her words should have thrilled him, but he couldn’t help but focus on one word. First.
The moment soured a bit. He didn’t want to be her first lover; he wanted to be her only one. Which was an enormous problem.
When he didn’t immediately reply, he felt the tension invade her body.
Say something.
“I am honored you let me be.” He winced, knowing the reply sounded strained. Trite, even.
But then, what response would have been suitable short of a declaration of love?
A wash of cold slid through him. No. Never love. Loving someone was far too dangerous, and he needed to remember that. Do whatever it took to remember.
Beauty and the Sheikh Page 12