around him, pretty much like she was doing to their daughter right now, and Nadir had the strongest urge to get into bed behind them and do the same thing.
Only he didn’t.
They both looked too peaceful. His heart clenched and he took a step back. He wondered how life had brought him to this point. To this woman and child. Fate?
It certainly wasn’t planned. All his adult life he’d assumed he’d walk his path alone and he’d been okay with that. After the rigid childhood he’d had where his father’s word was law he had made sure that he had plenty of choices in life that had all been about taking care of himself. It was a selfish existence for sure but it was also safe because he didn’t need anyone and no one needed him in return.
But that had changed now. Now he had a child and a woman he was responsible for and he was determined that they would make a better family unit than his had been. Nothing would make him turn away from them.
Careful not to wake either female, he carefully lifted Nadeena into his arms and marvelled at how small and how fragile she was. He nuzzled her downy dark hair and breathed in her sweet baby smell.
A smile curved his lips as he recalled how Imogen had tried to put him off marrying her by telling him that babies were smelly. They were but in a good way.
They were also a lot cuter than he’d ever noticed before and he grinned when he placed Nadeena into the cot and she promptly sprawled onto her back with her arms flung out to the sides, her tiny mouth moving as she resettled into sleep.
Feeling comfortable that she wasn’t about to wake up, he turned towards Imogen. She had shifted more onto her stomach, her leg hitched high on the bed. If he’d been lying beside her that leg would have been draped over his hips and his groin hardened predictably. He wanted her and he didn’t mind admitting it. Sex was normal. Healthy. But deep down he knew what he felt for her went beyond sex. For once he didn’t try and stop his mind from drifting back to the way things had been between them in Paris. Carefree and passionate. Relaxed and somehow contented. Contented?
His mind processed the thought. Had he really been contented when he’d been with her in Paris? When they’d been strolling together arm in arm around the city just like any other couple in the world? He remembered ignoring those feelings at the time and putting them down to sex. Lust. Passion. But, looking back, he could see that he’d felt completely at ease in her company. Relaxed and, yes, contented. And then another startling thought gripped him. He didn’t want her to endure their marriage. He wanted her to want it. He wanted her to want to make it work as much as he did. He wanted her to want him.
He rubbed his eyes and for the first time he wondered if he was doing the right thing by forcing this marriage onto her. But what else could he do?
She made a sound, almost as if she was having a bad dream, and called out his name. Nadir stilled. In his mind’s eye he saw her rising from the bed, her short T-shirt riding high on those shapely legs before she reached him and wound her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers as she had done so many times in the past.
Naturally enough, she didn’t do that but she did call out again and Nadir found himself crossing the floor to her side.
‘Imogen?’ He reached down and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. ‘You’re dreaming, habibi.’
He thought he’d spoken softly enough not to really disturb her but her eyes flew open and she blinked and the little frown line appeared as she stared up at him.
‘Where am I?’
Despite the warning in his head telling him she was tired and needed sleep, he didn’t stop himself from reaching down and placing his finger against the frown line. ‘It’s okay. You’re in Bakaan.’
She made a small sound and pushed up into a sitting position. She wasn’t wearing a bra and he couldn’t keep his eyes off the gentle sway of her breasts. ‘Imogen.’ Her name was more like a groan on his lips when he caught her staring at his mouth.
By Allah, he wanted her. Wanted her more than he’d wanted any other woman in his life. More than he’d wanted anything at all for a long time and, as if in slow motion, he reached out and took hold of her hand and tugged her up onto her knees.
She rose to him, all sleepy and pliant, and his mouth swooped down to capture hers in a sweet, lingering kiss. He felt her hands flutter close to his jaw and snag on the stubble of his beard growth. He’d need a shave if he was going to stop himself from marring her pale skin but more than that he needed her and for the first time ever he didn’t feel concerned by that driving need.
Something had been slowly changing within him since he’d found her again. He didn’t know what it was but it was almost as if a piece of his life had slotted into place. Impossible really, given how out of synch his life was right now but still...the feeling persisted.
Not wanting to disturb Nadeena, he broke their kiss and tugged her towards him. When she clung to his shoulders he swept her into his arms and strode out of the bedroom.
‘Nadir?’ She wriggled and he let her slide down the length of his body until she found her feet. But he didn’t immediately let her go.
‘I want to make love to you, Imogen. I want to take you to my bed and show you how well this can work between us. How good it can be again.’
The words were raw, his voice almost hoarse with need. Her eyes widened and even in the low-lit hallway he could see colour rising high on her lovely cheekbones.
She swallowed and pushed the tumble of her hair back from her face and he just wanted to bury his hands in it. He just wanted to kiss her. So he did.
* * *
As soon as his mouth touched hers, Imogen felt her body catch fire and soften against him and all thoughts of the past and the future dissolved. How was it possible to feel so much for one person? To want so much from one person? And then she couldn’t think any more. Just feel—her heart ruling her actions.
Moaning, she gripped his hair in her hands, letting her body melt against his. This was what she had craved for so long. This aching pleasure only he could give her. And like this they were equals with no past and no future. Just the present.
Pressing closer, she felt Nadir fall against the wall, his laugh husky as his hungry mouth worked its way down her throat. Imogen arched and rose onto tiptoe, her lower body aching to join with his.
Driven by a deep yearning, she clawed at the yards of fabric that made up his robe and felt him turn them both and press her against the wall, his hands pushing up the hem of her T-shirt and hastily dragging her panties down her legs and then finally, blissfully she felt him cup her and she almost dissolved as he parted her slick flesh and delved between her legs, his fingers and thumb gliding over her and into her and stroking her in all the right places.
‘Nadir, you—’
‘Imogen, habibi, you drive me—’
She shifted and he grunted, wedging his knee between her thighs to hold her upright while he parted his robes singlehandedly.
Imogen tried to bring her hands down to help him but he effortlessly held her high against the wall, his upper body powerfully hard beneath her fingertips and then he brought her down over the top of him and she heard a loud keening sound as his smooth, thick
