she explored him with increasing boldness, delighting in the contrast of textures and the swift contraction of muscles beneath her fingertips, the way his eyes promised the most carnal of retribution, the thinning of his beautiful mouth as he fought her effect on him.
A film of moisture across his forehead sent her pulses racing. She lowered her head and touched tiny butterfly kisses there, then licked across the path her lips had taken.
Hoarsely, he said, ‘You’re killing me.’ And when she hesitated his mouth twisted and he went on, ‘But stopping would kill me faster.’
‘I just want to please you.’ She dropped another kiss on each shoulder, bunched now, and iron-hard beneath her seeking mouth.
He gestured down his body. ‘You must see you’re succeeding.’
Indeed she could. Desire burned her cheeks, and she reached out a hand, cupping him, caressing the silken shaft that had given her such erotic pleasure.
He said unevenly, ‘Much more of that, and you’ll unman me.’ His arms were outstretched, the muscles corded and tight, his hands curled into fists.
‘I don’t think anyone could unman you,’ she said in a tone to match his, and opened her lips to his fierce demand, before a wild impulse pulled her away to climb over him and stretch herself the length of his taut body.
He didn’t move, not even when she slid herself down, shivering with pleasure as she took him into her. She caught the green glitter beneath his lashes, welcoming the colour along his high, autocratic cheekbones.
Concentrating hard, she began to clench and unclench inner muscles in a subtle massage. His lashes lifted; he pinioned her gaze with such single-minded intensity, she felt he was reading her soul.
Eyes locked, bodies still, the only sound was the mingled harshness of their breathing. Lexie continued the voluptuous torment, ratcheting up the sensual tension, until the only thing she could feel was the molten pleasure rising like the tide through every cell.
And then it broke over her, a wave of such passionate delight that she gave a muffled cry, and her body stiffened in a rictus of ecstatic release.
Rafiq’s hands whipped up to support her; he made a guttural sound that mingled with hers, and his powerful length arced beneath hers, hands on her hips forcing her down as he joined her in fulfilment.
When it was over he held her against him and they lay spent in silent communication. Dazed, Lexie understood that something significant had happened, but she didn’t know exactly what. It seemed to her that they had forged a link that might never be broken.
For her, anyway.
Much later, when she was almost asleep, she felt him move. Grief tore at her; without thinking, she whispered, ‘Stay with me.’
But he said gently, ‘My sweet one, I don’t want the staff to know I have been with you. Let me go now.’
Humiliation woke her properly. Keeping her eyes closed, she mumbled, ‘Oh, of course.’
Rafiq heard the note of chagrin in her voice and gritted his teeth as he dressed. All he wanted was go back to her, lose himself in her warmth and her passion, but he needed to check the castle security.
Something he should have done before he came to her room.
When Lexie woke the next morning it was to a lonely breakfast out on the terrace. Forcing fresh fruit salad and toast past her lips took effort and concentration.
She’d asked where Rafiq was, and had been told that he was working at the citadel. Well, of course; rulers had to rule, and no doubt that was what Rafiq did every day.
But once more she faced the bitterness of rejection. Was she being too sensitive? Probably. Last night had been the high point of her life so far, yet clearly to him it had meant so little he hadn’t even bothered to join her for breakfast.
‘Stop it,’ she muttered, startling a small bird that had settled on the edge of the balustrade. Her mouth quirked as it opened its bright orange wings and fluttered to a safer perch on a potted gardenia not too far away. ‘Sorry, birdie, it’s not your fault.’
This was all so new to her, but obviously it wasn’t to Rafiq. And she’d been the lucky recipient of his overdeveloped sense of responsibility, so she shouldn’t be surprised or disappointed at his absence.
She was finishing a cup of delicious local coffee when she heard the chatter of a helicopter coming fast from the capital.
A pang of embarrassment clutched her. What had seemed so natural and thrilling last night suddenly appeared in a different light. Would Rafiq think she’d been forward and needy when she’d writhed in desperate rapture in his arms? Or when she’d explored his body with greedy adoration? Or, most pathetic of all, when she’d pleaded with him to stay with her?
Was he secretly despising her? Or wondering how to get rid of her?
And did he realise—as she had when she’d woken that morning—that their mutual passion had been so great they’d forgotten to take any precautions against pregnancy? She’d counted the days of her cycle, relaxing when she found it was highly unlikely she’d been fertile, even though the thought of carrying Rafiq’s child under her heart melted her bones.
Heat stung her skin. She got up and walked nervously to the shade of an arbour, watching the black dot that was the chopper grow rapidly as it headed purposefully towards the castle.
Should she go down, or wait for Rafiq here?
She decided to wait.
The maid Cari appeared, obviously looking for her. And just as obviously flustered, holding her handbag. ‘Miss, it is the Emir—he has sent the helicopter to pick you up. From the upper terrace!’
Joy flooded through her. ‘Oh—I’d better go, then!’
Wondering why on earth Rafiq had chosen that particular landing ground, she accepted the bag and hurried with the maid up onto the upper terrace, where the water lilies held their satiny cups up to the sun.
Noise filled the air and she had to half close her eyes against the wind blasting from the rotors as the chopper landed. Someone inside pushed back the door, painted with the stallion of the royal house of Moraze in all its menace and grace, the crown on its head glittering with fire.
The same man beckoned. Without hesitation, Lexie ran across.
Strong hands hauled her inside and stuffed her into a seat. The chopper took off instantly, and the door closed before she had time to fix her seatbelt. Frowning, she did up the belt and turned towards the man next to her.
An odd apprehension kicked her beneath the ribs when Felipe Gastano lifted a thumb to her and mouthed words she couldn’t hear.
GASTANO’S smile broadened as Lexie shook her head and put her hands to her ears. When he tossed her a pair of earphones she clapped them on, only to realise they weren’t connected to the communications system.
Ice
