by Leslie North
“I want…” She tried to concentrate, she needed him so much, needed to feel that universe-rocking pleasure again. “I want you to make me come.”
Rehaj grinned down at her, a look of pure male satisfaction sparkling in his dark eyes. “I will make you come so hard you will forget every other man you have ever had, mahbubi. How’s that?”
“Yes!” She cried out as he reached between them to stroke her pulsing clit once more and then her world exploded again and she lost all thought as every fiber of her being focused on that bright, white-hot intense pleasure. “Oh, God. Yes!”
His movements grew less controlled now as he pounded into her, seeking and finding his own ecstasy a few moments later. Rehaj’s gorgeous body went still and rigid against her and she murmured endearments in his ear as he came hard inside her then collapsed atop her.
They lay together afterward, her fingers toying with his hair and his lashes fluttering against her skin as he rested his head in the valley between her breasts.
Ani wanted to tell him how much this night had meant, how incredible all the new sensations he’d created inside her were, but her eyelids felt so heavy and she was so, so tired, and there’d be time for that in the morning, right? They still had a week and a half together to talk about this stuff and…
She drifted off to sleep, Rehaj’s soft snores and strong arms surrounding her.
6
Rehaj awoke the next morning feeling happier than he had in years. Of course, that had everything to do with the wonderful woman still asleep on the pillow beside his. Part of him was still a bit shocked and wary about the fact that they’d slept together the night before. He’d known her less than a week after all. But it was more about the things he’d shared with her, that made him cautious.
Yawning, he rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He’d told her his true identity last night, even before the alcohol because for some crazy reason he’d come to trust her. Now he would have to live with the consequences and—glancing over at her, with her hair adorably mussed and the sheets slipping down to reveal the side of one creamy breast—he couldn’t bring himself to regret his actions.
The grin he’d been battling to suppress since he opened his eyes surfaced and he made a mental note to thank his sisters for sending him on this ridiculous trip. This probably wasn’t the outcome they’d been hoping for, but honestly, Rehaj felt better than he had in years and he had them to thank for it.
Ani sighed and slowly blinked her eyes open to look at him, all pretty pink skin and soft smiles. He couldn’t resist reaching over and tracing his fingers over her jaw, just to see if she felt as velvety as he remembered. Yep. She did.
He propped himself up on an elbow, facing her. “Good Morning, mahbubi.”
“’Morning,” she mumbled, her voice still husky from slumber. The low, rough sounds went straight to his groin. Ani rubbed her eyes then squinted over at the alarm clock on his nightstand. “What time is it?”
“Six-thirty.” Rehaj couldn’t seem to stop watching her, as if every move she made was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen. Which was crazy. He was a Rhodes Scholar for fuck’s sake. He’d been all over the world, studied at the best universities, dated the most beautiful women. Yet there was something about Ani that drew him like no other. “Plenty of time to relax and enjoy ourselves before the day’s activities start. It’s Sunday, so they won’t begin until noon today.”
“Right.” She stretched like a cat, her long, tanned limbs graceful and smooth. “You know what I’d like to do?”
“If it’s the same thing I’d like to do, I am ready.” Rehaj chuckled and waggled his brows at her.
She giggled. “Not that. Though that was lovely.” Her cheeks colored. “I really enjoyed last night.”
“Me too.” He took her hand, bringing her fingers to his lips to kiss each one. “More than I can say, mahbubi.”
Ani rolled over to face him, a childlike twinkle in her beautiful blue eyes. “We can do that again too, later.” She winked. “But first, I want to build a sandcastle.”
“A what?” Rehaj frowned.
“A sandcastle. You know, on the beach.”
“Yes, I know what a sandcastle is.” He laughed, tucking a curl of her hair behind her ear. “It just never occurred to me that that would be the activity you’d want to engage in after making love to me all night long.”
She slid the fingers of her free hand into his hair, stroking his scalp. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”
“I’m sure it will.” Rehaj kissed her hand one last time before twining their fingers together. “Any time spent with you would be fun.”
“And afterward, we can clean up.” Her small smile widened.
“Clean up?” He leaned a little closer to her. “What would this clean-up entail?”
“Oh, you know.” Ani rested her forehead against his. “Maybe some cuddling in the ocean, followed by a long hot shower here in your villa.”
“Hmm.” He gave in and pulled her into his arms, savoring the feel of her skin on his, the smell of her tropical shampoo, the sound of her soft moans of pleasure. “This clean-up is sounding most interesting indeed.”
“Indeed.” She kissed him deeply, then pushed away from him to climb out of bed to pull on her yellow dress from the night before. “Let me run next door to my place to change and I’ll be right back.”
He rolled over onto his back, folding his arms beneath his head. “Hey, Ani?”
“Yes?” she called from the threshold to his balcony, turning back to glance at him over her shoulder.
“No fuss, eh?” Her words from the night before, and the fact she’d stripped bare for him, both figuratively and literally, meant more to him than he could say. He wanted her to stay that way—unadorned, unaffected, unafraid—whenever and wherever she wanted with him. “If it pleases you, mahbubi. You take my breath away just as you are.”
Her easy smile slipped slightly before she forced it back into place and Rehaj felt a palpable shift in her mood. Not bad, just a bit jumpy. He wasn’t sure what had caused it, but he wanted the relaxed, happy, carefree Ani back.
“Right. No problem,” she said finally, stepping out onto the balcony. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, bikini-clad and ready for fun.”
Rehaj closed his eyes after she left, unable to get the image of his Ani dressed in a few wisps of material and nothing else out of his head. It was shaping up to be a fine day. He’d get to the bottom of her strange reaction to his request too, but first…he got up and padded naked to his bathroom. First, they had castles to build and all the possibilities afterward.
* * *
“Wow! You’re really good at this,” Ani said, sitting back on her heels to admire Rehaj’s work. So far he’d constructed a passable castle and two turrets, all with only the basic tools she’d been able to find in her villa. It touched her heart more than she could express that he’d take the time to do something so simple with her. Marcus had never had time for such silly things, no time for fun at all, really. He was always too busy chasing his business dreams and the next big promotion. Any guilt he’d felt over not spending time with Ani, he’d assuage by throwing money at the problem. It wasn’t like she wasn’t grateful for all the beautiful things he’d bought her—clothes, jewels, trips, cars—but she’d wanted more. She’d wanted him, truly invested in their relationship, invested in her.
It wasn’t until later that she’d learned the real reason he wasn’t interested in hanging out with her was because he’d started an affair with a younger woman on the side.
So much for her happily ever after.
Ani sighed and moved aside as a large wave crashed on shore then rushed toward their castle. It took down one wall, but thankfully the gorgeous turrets Rehaj had made were still standing. She sat back and smiled, not missing the way his gaze kept drifting to her teeny, weeny white and pink polka dot bikini.
The wind had picked up too since they’d come down here about
two hours prior. Her hair must have looked like a mess at that point, but she’d kept her promise and not done anything more to herself than twisting her hair up into a top knot and pulling on her swimsuit. The urge to fuss with her makeup had been strong, but she’d resisted. No one had ever said they liked her just for herself before. Certainly not her mother, who’d always been too busy with her career to take much notice of either of her daughters, or her father, who’d spent the last few years so devoted to keeping their mother protected and comfortable during her bouts with anxiety that he’d had no time for anyone else.
If Rehaj liked Ani just as she was—even if it was a lie—then she’d take it for now.
She brushed the sand from her hands and straightened. The sun was shining down full force now and her skin prickled from the heat. “I’m getting hungry. Want to head back to the villa for a shower so we can grab some breakfast?”
Rehaj grinned up at her, those mirrored aviator shades back in place over his dark eyes. “I thought you’d never ask.”
They picked up their tools and towels then walked back to his villa hand in hand.
Once on the balcony, Ani took her towel and started to rub herself down to remove as much sand as possible before going inside. She’d thought she’d gotten it all, but Rehaj stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Wait,” he said, standing so close his breath tickled the back of her neck. “There’s a spot on your back. Let me get it.”
His fingers traced over her shoulder blades, leaving a trail of goose flesh in their wake. She’d applied sunscreen before heading down to the beach, but her skin felt so sensitive. Then again, that could be Rehaj’s lips, now trailing over the same area he’d just touched. She bit her lip to keep from crying out.
“There,” he said against her back, his breath hot on her flesh. “All better now.”
He stepped around her with a grin and she narrowed her gaze on his torso, all that toned, tanned skin just begging for her lips. She reached out and placed her palm over his thudding heart. “My turn.”
In truth, there wasn’t a speck of sand she could see on him, but that didn’t stop her from rubbing her hands over his pecs, down his taut abs, over those delicious v-shaped muscles cutting into his hips and disappearing into his aqua blue swim shorts. She leaned forward and licked one of his nipples with her tongue and he groaned low and feral.
“Do that again,” he said, the word tight with tension.
“Anything you want, baby.” This time she sucked the sensitive little nub and grazed her teeth over it gently before pulling away to blow a stream of cool air over his wet skin. “Better?”
“Hardly.” Before she could say a word, he’d swept her up into his arms and carried her into his villa, across the living room in three long strides and into the bathroom. He kicked the door shut behind them then stepped into the shower, swimsuits and all, pressing her warm back against the cold white tiles. Rehaj jammed the water on and the cold spray made her gasp. He covered her mouth with his, capturing the tiny sound.
The water heated fast, along with her need for him. He quickly untied her bikini top and cupped her naked breasts in his hands, teasing their sensitive peaks until she cried out with want.
“Please, baby.” Ani could barely catch her breath, that’s how badly she wanted him. It had never, ever been like this with anyone else. “I need you inside me.”
With a growl, he kicked off his swim shorts and tore away her bikini bottoms. Then his hands were on her, his long talented fingers stroking her, delving inside her slick channel, making sure she was ready for him. “I need to be inside you, mahbubi.”
“Yes!” She wrapped her legs around his waist as he hoisted her higher against the wall. He reached over to grab a condom from the dispenser on the wall and put it on, then positioned himself at her entrance. Ani dug her nails into his broad shoulders as he thrust inside her, filling her, completing her, driving her insane with desire. “God, yes! Rehaj. Baby.”
He buried his face in her neck—kissing, licking, nipping—as he drove them both higher and higher towards ecstasy. It seemed an eternity and far too short all wrapped up into one. When Rehaj reached between them to stroke her swollen clit, she cried out and came hard around him. He soon followed, mumbling curses and endearments into her ear.
Breathless and shaking, they came down slowly from their incredible high, warm water sluicing over them from the shower. Ani felt boneless, weightless, yet her old insecurities nagged. If she’d looked messy before, she couldn’t imagine what Rehaj saw now. Probably a drowned rat. There went the old confidence, down the shower drain.
She lowered her legs from around him slowly, her knees threatening to buckle beneath her from the strength of her orgasm. Ani swiped the wet hair away from her forehead and stared at the center of his chest, unable to meet his eyes. If she did look as bad as she feared, she didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes. She’d gotten more than enough of that from Marcus to last her a lifetime. “I, uh. I should probably go back to my villa and fix my hair and face.”
Rehaj snorted, his arms tightening around her. “That is a joke, right? Believe me, my sweet, you have never looked more beautiful to me than you do right now.”
“Really?” She dared to blink up at him then and saw nothing but sincerity in his eyes. Her heart did a tiny flip and something inside her, tightly clenched, unfurled. She wasn’t ready to put a name to it yet, but it felt a lot like love.
“Really.” Rehaj kissed her sweetly then shut off the water before reaching outside the stall for a clean towel. “Now let’s get dried off and dressed. I fear I am famished after pleasing you all night and day.”
Ani laughed. It felt so good to be around him. He didn’t judge her. He didn’t think less of her because of her insecurities. He said all the right things at all the right times. A tiny warning bell went off in her head as she let Rehaj dry her off. Maybe he was too perfect. She’d fallen hard and fast once before with Marcus and that had led to disaster.
Still, as she followed Rehaj out into the bathroom and slid her arms into the thick terrycloth robe he held for her, she brushed those thoughts aside. They were here for two weeks. Beyond that, who knew? Real life didn’t exist here. This was fantasy. She should enjoy it while it lasted. There’d be time enough for worries later.
7
The five days passed by in a haze of warm sun, surf, getting to know each other better, and steamy nights filled with unbelievable passion. Ani was riding high on a wave of endorphins she’d never experienced before. Life with Marcus, in the beginning at least, had been an adventure. So many new places, new faces, new things to learn and do. But the longer they’d been together, the more bored he’d become. His boredom had then turned against Ani, in the form of constant nitpicking and general nasty remarks. Her insecurities about her looks and her past with her mother’s anxiety issues had surfaced anew and grown claws. She’d become obsessive about always looking perfect, always being perfect, in the hopes Marcus would one day suddenly fall in love with her again like he had at the start of it all, but he hadn’t. In the end, it was her failure to be perfect that had cost her everything.
With Rehaj, though, she felt freed. He never criticized her looks or her actions or really anything about her. He made her feel safe and protected and respected. He made her feel like she was good enough just as she was. And yes, after discovering his royal heritage, she’d had more than a few moments of doubt, but he never lorded his position over her, never made her feel as if he was any different than anyone else.
As she strolled along the beach after attending an afternoon meditation session, Ani hoped that she could provide him with the same comfort he’d given her on the island. She knew he enjoyed her body and the sex between them, but she wanted to soothe the man inside him too. She’d seen him, when he thought no one was looking. The way his easy smile faded into a darker frown. The way the faint lines around his eyes and mouth deepened with stress. Sure, he hid it wel
l, especially from her, but it was there. She wished he would feel comfortable enough with her to talk about his life back home. Ani didn’t know a thing about being a sheikh, but she could imagine it would be hard. Having a whole country watching you, depending on your decisions. Then there was his family. He’d not told her much about them either, other than the number of siblings he had. There’d definitely been affection in his voice when he’d mentioned them, but again, also a hint of stress. She longed to share his burdens, even if only for a few more days on the island.
A rustle sounded in the thick foliage and she glanced over, expecting to see a bird or some other creature. The wildlife on this island was incredible too, with birds and reptiles of all varieties. But when she peeked through the palm fronds and waxy green leaves, all she saw was a quick blur of black, then nothing. Odd. That shape had almost reminded her of some kind of camera, but then that wasn’t possible, right? No tech allowed during Recover Love.
She shook off the strange prickle on the back of her neck and climbed the steps to Rehaj’s villa. She’d all but moved in with him after that first night of lovemaking and they’d sunk into a relaxed routine of being around each other twenty-four seven. To say they were compatible was an understatement. Too bad neither of them was looking to get involved.
Stopping on the deck to brush the sand from her feet, Ani’s ears perked up at the sound of Rehaj’s voice. He was speaking to someone, his tone stiff and official, but who? Had he gotten reception on that old burner phone he’d showed her that first day? Or was it one of the staff?
Ani peeked her head inside the door and peered into the living room to find Rehaj alone, pacing the room as he read from papers in his hand. A speech. A very good speech at that.
She cleared her throat to alert him to her presence then swallowed hard as those dark eyes locked on her. Her heart skittered in her chest and familiar warmth spread outward from her core to her extremities. Would she ever not go weak at the knees from just his gaze? Ani hoped not.