by Leslie North
What would she do then?
Icy fear bloomed in his chest as he wondered if she’d have the guts to leave him.
Of course she would. She was Mila. She’d do anything that she set her mind to.
He had to be careful. Last night, he’d seen the hurt in her eyes. He’d been overcome with the need to dominate her, and he’d almost lost her.
He needed this marriage to go through. Now, with the illegal betting ring looming over his head, he needed to prove that he wasn’t the irresponsible playboy the media portrayed him to be. The sports complex was his baby, and he’d do anything to keep it.
Heading back to his suite, he found Mila back in her dress and eyeing the breakfast cart in distaste.
“You don’t like fruit?” he asked with a grin.
She jumped and put a hand over her heart. “I thought you were gone,” she muttered. “I woke up alone.”
“My phone was blowing up. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I took the call across the hall.”
“Anything important?”
“No.”
She raised an eyebrow. “So you always take unimportant calls this early in the morning?”
“Ah, yes?” He frowned. “You seem a little on edge. I’m not sure what to say.”
Tying her hair back, she scanned the floor for her shoes. “The truth, Rashid. We’re going to be married. I’m not going to be some trophy wife on your arm. I want you to tell me about your life. About your day. I heard about the illegal gambling bets, but I didn’t hear them from you.”
“That.” He reached over and snagged a strawberry. “I didn’t think telling you about my problems was the right way to court you. The police are investigating, and I’m not under suspicion.”
“But you’re worried about it.”
Rashid bit into the strawberry and nodded his head. “I have some concerns. If this isn’t taken care of quickly and quietly, the government might step in. Illegal gambling is a serious offense. They could shut the sports complex down.”
Sliding into her heels, she grabbed her purse and faced him. “That sounds like more than just a few concerns. You love that place.”
“I do, and that is why I would do anything to keep it.” He cocked his head. “Do you not eat breakfast?”
Fishing her phone out of her bag, she glanced at it and grimaced. “I love breakfast, but I need to go home. I need to shower and get ready for my shift. Should I call a taxi?”
“No. I’ll take you.”
Startled, she stared at him. “You mean you’ll call Ori to take me? I don’t want to wake him up.”
“Um.”
Mila dropped her phone back into her purse and stared at him with narrowed eyes. “Do you even know how to drive? I don’t mean any offense, but I’ve never actually seen you drive.”
“Offense taken,” he muttered, but then he grinned. “I happen to love to drive. My father is the one who thinks we should be driven everywhere. Give me a minute to get dressed. I’ll have Ori pull the car around.”
“He loves to drive,” she muttered. “Learn something new every day.”
“Eat something,” he urged her over his shoulder as he walked into the bedroom. It bothered him that she would question his abilities, and he expected she might eat her words when she saw what he was going to drive her home in.
Indeed, as she stared at the gold-plated Bugatti, she looked a little green. “This seems a bit fancy just to take me home in,” she muttered. “What happened to those dark sedans?”
“Boring.” He pushed the button on the remote, and the passenger door rose into the air.
She stumbled back and glared at him. “You did that on purpose,” she accused.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he teased as he jogged down the steps in front of the palace and joined her. “Hop on in, sweetheart.”
“This is so embarrassing,” she moaned as she slipped into her seat.
“You’re the one going home in the same clothes you wore last night.” He winked and pushed the door down, muffling whatever insult she was throwing his way.
Despite the easy banter, the car ride was relatively silent. He drove too fast, took a few turns too quickly, but it was all for show.
Mila held so tight to the seat that her knuckles started to turn white.
Her neighbors were out, leaving for work, walking their dogs, and getting their morning paper. Most of them looked as if they might break their necks if they strained any harder to get a good look at the fancy car and its occupants. Unlike the last house that Sahaar owned, this line of adobe homes had small yards separating the houses from the street. Mila had mentioned that she’d thought that it would afford them more privacy from the neighbors, but it just gave everyone a reason to stand outside and stare. “Ridiculous,” he heard her mutter.
“What was that?” Rashid said as he pulled into her driveway and killed the engine.
Mila’s eyes widened in panic. “Oh, you can’t stay. You need to leave. Right now. As soon as I get out of the car.”
“Why?” He leaned over and kissed her.
“People are staring. Where’s the door handle on this thing?” She pushed him away and scrambled to get out of the car. Some of the neighbors snapped their heads away and pretended that they weren’t staring, but one couple were still too enthralled. This was even worse than a walk-of-shame. Rashid could almost hear the thoughts tumbling in his beautiful fiancée’s head. Next time, she wouldn’t give Rashid a chance to drive her home. She’d just call a taxi. Far less exciting.
“Call me after your shift?” he called out the window.
She gave him a half wave as she scurried inside, and he laughed. Next time, she wouldn’t question his driving abilities.
With her gone for the day, he’d be able to put in a few hours at the sports complex and see if his security had made any headway in revealing the gambling ringleaders. When he found them, he knew he’d be tempted to make sure that they never again saw the light of day.
No one messed with the things that he loved.
No one.
11
The lunch shift at the lounge was busy. Since Rashid had apparently introduced himself to her boss as her fiancé in order to get her out of work, news of her engagement had spread.
Unfortunately, Fatima was also working the lunch shift.
“I see the princess is joining us,” Fatima said snidely as Mila tied her apron around her waist. “I’m surprised to see you here, or did you want to rub your diamond ring in my face before you left?”
“Go away, Fatima,” Mila said tiredly. “After today, you’ll never have to see me again.”
She had started to twist the ring off her finger to put it on her necklace so she wouldn’t lose it when Fatima grabbed her hand. “I know that he can afford better than that,” she laughed. “Are you sure you two are engaged? He probably hands out those rings when he tosses his lovers aside.”
“Excuse me?” a low voice said. “I’m looking for Mila?”
Fatima’s nasty smile immediately softened and brightened, and she batted her eyes. Disgusted, Mila turned around and faced two handsome strangers. Something about them looked familiar, but she couldn’t place them. “I’m Mila.”
“Of course you are.” The one with the goatee took her hand and kissed it. “You are simply stunning. No wonder Rashid can’t stop talking about you.”
He winked at Fatima, and the smile instantly vanished from her face. Growling, she whirled around and stomped away.
Mila couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know who you are, but you’re already my favorite people.”
“We definitely want to be your favorite people. I’m Karam, and this is Arvio.” The speaker searched her face as if he expected her to recognize them.
She cringed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know who you are.”
“That’s all right,” Arvio said quickly. “We’re Rashid’s friends. We wanted to meet you in hopes that you’d help us out
with something.”
Mila frowned. How could she help them? Based on their expensive suits and charming smiles, they probably had just as much money as Rashid. “What can I do for you?”
“We want to throw Rashid a surprise engagement party. He’s been busy with the arena, and we’ve been giving him a hard time about trying to be responsible. I’m afraid we’ve been in a few fights over it, but we want to show our support. He’s our friend,” Karam explained. “We wanted your input while we planned, and we hoped that you might get him there for us.”
Her eyes lit up with delight. “A surprise party? That sounds like a great idea! He’s been under so much stress. I would love to!”
“Great. We were thinking of holding it at the arena. We already reserved one of the rooms under a false name so he wouldn’t suspect anything and spoil the surprise. If you could get him there Wednesday night at eight, that would be a huge help.”
Mila loved the idea. Taking out her notepad, she jotted her number down. “This is such a wonderful idea. I’m so glad that you guys reached out. Please call or text me with your party ideas.”
Arvio smiled as he took it. “You are going to make the best wife for Rashid.”
“Really? Sometimes I think that we clash too much, but underneath that gruff exterior is a sweet man.”
Karam snorted, and Arvio elbowed him. “Sorry. It’s hard for us to see Rashid as a sweet man. We’ll let you get back to work, and we’ll be in touch.”
Mila couldn’t help her excitement as they walked away. She wanted to do something to show Rashid that she could be involved in his life, and maybe this was a good first step.
Taysir, the head of security for the arena, stood in front of the desk in Rashid’s office. Rashid read over the report and took a deep breath.
“Are you sure?”
“We snapped these photos yesterday.” The stoic man spread a few large photographs in front of Rashid. There he could see Karam and Arvio, gathered with a group of men in the middle of a crowded room and exchanging money.
Rashid’s headache got worse. “That could be anything,” he muttered. Having a little fun with women they weren’t allowed to have was one thing, but illegal gambling? Surely the men he used to call friends wouldn’t go that far.
“How would you like to proceed? Should we call the police?”
“No.” Rashid closed his eyes and leaned back. “I want proof before we go to the police. They come from wealthy families who could face ruin if we get this wrong. Ask around. See what you can find out. Discreetly, of course.”
Taysir nodded. “Yes, sir. Will there be anything else?”
Rashid stood. “No. That will be all.”
It had been a long day. It was almost dark now, and he had expected to be home hours ago. He wanted to approach Mila about moving in, but more importantly, he wanted her in his arms again. After a few fun and flirty text messages, he’d managed to convince her to spend the night.
Unfortunately, he’d told her that he would be back in time for dinner. At least when he’d called her to explain, she hadn’t seemed mad.
Especially when he promised to make up for it in spades. After he whispered all the things that he wanted to do to her tonight, she practically melted into the phone.
Oh yeah, it was going to be a good night.
It was strange. He hadn’t expected to miss her so much today. The littlest things made him think of her. His receptionist had laughed at a joke that he’d made, and he wondered if he could retell it tonight and make Mila laugh. A woman had strolled by wearing a black dress similar to the one that Mila owned, and it made him remember the way it had slid off Mila’s body, revealing the most gorgeous sight he thought he’d ever seen.
The pastry that he’d had for lunch wasn’t nearly as sweet as the way she’d tasted, and he ached for her.
One night with her, and he was already addicted to the way she felt in his arms and the look on her face when she shattered.
God, he needed to experience it again and again.
Racing home, he reached the darkened suite to find the television flickering in the dark. Snoring gently, Mila was passed out on the couch. For a moment, Rashid considered letting her sleep. She’d had a long couple of days and probably needed the rest, but then she moaned a little in her sleep and lifted her chest, and Rashid was a goner.
Grinning wickedly, he approached the couch.
12
Something caressed her, tickled her, stroked her, and pulled her out of her sleep. Whatever it was, it didn’t scare her. It traveled up and down her calves, stopping at the knee and moving back down to her ankles. It caressed her bare stomach, dipping into her belly button and chasing in lazy patterns.
But then there was something else. Something warm and wet. It lapped over her nipples, dragging at the fabric of her t-shirt.
It felt good. God, did it feel good. When it disappeared, she moaned and wiggled, but it returned to lavish attention on her other breast.
The hand on her other leg traveled higher and higher until . . .
“No panties and no bra,” a warm voice whispered in her ear. “Naughty minx.”
Mila shot awake and gasped when Rashid slipped a finger inside her. “Oh, fuck,” she hissed when his knuckles scraped across her clit. After Rashid had told her that he wanted to stroke her until she screamed, she’d been completely wet, but that felt like hours ago, and exhaustion had claimed her.
But now she was wide awake.
“Miss me?” Rashid asked with a wicked grin. Her nipples puckered under the wet spots of her shirt, and she moved restlessly against him.
“Yes,” she whimpered. He stroked her higher and higher, but just before she could find her release, he moved his hand.
“You must not have missed me that much. You fell asleep,” he teased as he worked her shirt up and over her head. His eyes darkened with lust as he leaned over and kissed her neck. His fingers tugged at her nipples, toeing the line between pleasure and pain.
“I wanted to dream of you again,” she gasped.
“You dreamed of me?” He replaced his fingers with his mouth as he rolled his tongue around her. Pleasuring her, he pushed her shorts down. She lifted her hips easily and kicked them off.
Naked and splayed out on the couch, she felt so wanton.
“I took a nap after work,” she admitted as she pushed him away and sat up. Widening her legs, she scooted to the edge of the couch until she could reach the buttons of his shirt. He gripped her hips while she slipped the buttons out of their holes. Occasionally, his thumb would just barely graze her skin, and she shuddered.
“And you dreamt of me?”
Biting her lower lip, she nodded. “I did. We were in the shower.”
“And?”
She spread his shirt apart and traced a finger over his chest. He moaned softly, and she tugged at his shirt until he moved his arms to make things easier for her. Peeling the shirt down his body, she leaned over and kissed him. “And I wanted to make sure that every inch of you was clean.”
He stood, and she reached for the button on his pants. He strained against the zipper, and she worked it carefully down. “Even after the soap and water, I wasn’t sure that it did the trick,” she continued. “So I thought I might use my mouth, instead.”
Pushing his pants down his body, she leaned over and gave the tip of his magnificent cock a quick lick.
Rashid gasped and took a step back. “Did you finish the job?” he asked thickly as he sat down on the couch. She quickly straddled him and settled against him. His cock teased at her entrance, and she was content to slide up and down, letting him feel how wet she was.
“I did,” she whispered.
He wrapped his hand around her hair and brought her down for a kiss, slow and languid. His tongue stroked hers in the barest of movements, and it drove her wild.
“Is that the end of your dream?” he asked as he lifted her so that her breasts swung right at his face. He stroked the ins
ides of her thighs, playing in her wetness, and darted his tongue out to lick the tips of her nipples.
Mila sighed in pleasure and moved just a little against him. This was a slow burn, one that threatened to destroy her, but it felt far too good to stop. “No,” she moaned. “You said that I had to be cleaned, too. You used your tongue on every inch of me.”
“Every inch?” he repeated as he slid a finger inside her once more.
“You left no stone unturned. Ah, fuck. Rashid. Deeper.”
He obliged her and added a second finger. “Keep going.”
“You were very thorough,” she panted, squirming around as his fingers pleasured her. He continued to tease her nipples, and she tried to focus on the dream. “So good.”
“Did you come?”
“In the dream?”
That made him stop. He lifted his head and stared at her. “Did you come after the dream?” he demanded.
She flushed. “I was so turned on.”
“You touched yourself?”
Biting her lower lip, she nodded. “I thought of you. And I . . .”
She couldn’t get the words out, but she didn’t have to.
He kissed her hard and lowered her body until she took every inch of him. Slowly. Deliberately. Deliciously.
Completely sheathed, he groaned and rocked his hips just a little. “One of these days, I’m going to want to experience that.”
“Fun in the shower?” Mila flowed against him, moving her hips, squeezing her muscles around him.
“Fuck, yes.” He moaned. “The shower, but I would love to watch you touch yourself. I bet it’s beautiful.”
Kissing him deeply, she continued to rock slowly against him. Time passed slowly, but she barely even noticed. She was so wrapped up in him, so content to have him inside her, that she didn’t give a damn if they slept at all that night.