“So you can see,” she said as she raised her hand, pointing to several of the women highlighted on the board as she concluded her presentation of her candidates. She’d gone ahead and introduced him to all ten of them instead of only the nine she’d earned from the game of pool. “There are about ten different women around the world, all with private jets so they could arrive here in mere hours. You could sit down and interview each one, see them for yourself and evaluate their personalities, find out if the two of you are compatible.” She looked over at him hopefully, wondering if she’d been convincing enough.
“Are you saying you would inform them that they are to be interviewed for the role as my wife?” he asked, leaning back on one of the comfortable couches. The white boards were in a semi-circle in front of him so he could view all of the pictures of the women as well as their assets and liabilities clearly, but all he could see, the only woman he could focus on, was the one standing in front of him. Her jeans were loose, but they hugged her in all the right places. Not tight enough for his preference, but enough so he was able to sit back and speculate on which of the colors of underwear she might be wearing.
It was definitely one of the thongs. He had been carefully watching to see if there was a panty line near the bottom of her derriere or the top of her legs. But as enticing as the view was, he still wanted to peel those jeans off of her and see for himself.
He actually preferred it when she was facing him because he knew she was wearing one of the new bras. Her breasts were barely encased in the thin material. He could easily tell that because she’d chosen to wear a tee-shirt which gave him only a thin layer to try and peer beneath. Every time she raised her hand to point to one item or picture, her full, bountiful breasts moved. He loved that movement but it was becoming a bit uncomfortable to watch now. He was having a hard time controlling his body’s reaction to her amazing figure.
Instead of listening to her go on about other women, he pictured her in something other than jeans. He made a mental list of all the negligees he wanted his assistant to order for her. Kylie droned on about one blond woman’s intelligence, her education and the various jobs she’d held in the business world as well as how those jobs could easily translate into a queen’s role here in the government. He had to admit that Kylie had done a damn good job of researching all of these women. And if he hadn’t seen her in the hallway earlier today, he might even be interested in one of them. If he hadn’t held her in his arms, if she hadn’t kissed him and set his mind on fire for her body, he might actually pay attention.
But she’d sealed her fate. Wearing that suit earlier today, the way the dark material had hugged her figure and those shoes! Damn, those heels had made her legs look as if they were at least a mile long.
He couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss either. The way she’d moved in his arms had sent his mind to burning all afternoon. So no, he wasn’t considering any of the women she’d researched this afternoon. He’d gone to his security office and found out more about Kylie. And what he discovered had impressed him. He wanted her. And only her as his queen. All the stuff from the past, well, she’d only been a child. It was gone, forgotten. Replaced by the elegance and vibrancy of the woman standing in front of him, smiling down at him.
“So what do you think? Should I have your assistant set up interviews with one or more of these women?” she offered.
Tarek looked up at her, fascinated by the stubborn sparkle in her eyes. “Are you just angry with me because I chose you without your consent?” he asked.
Kylie was startled by his question. She’d never considered that before, but she quickly shook her head. “No. I just…”
“Do you have a boyfriend at home that you’re waiting to run back to?”
“Of course not,” she replied emphatically. She opened her mouth to say something, then realized that a boyfriend might have been an excellent reason to get out of the engagement. She could have claimed a heartfelt love for another man. But then she wouldn’t have kissed him today. Twice. That sort of negated the possibility that she was longing for another man.
He smiled slightly, seeing something in her eyes that amused him. “Were you about to say you wouldn’t have kissed me if you had another guy waiting in the wings?”
Her lips compressed with that question but she shook her head. “No. That wasn’t what I was about to say but it’s true. I wouldn’t hurt another man like that. It’s disrespectful and unkind.”
“And it wouldn’t have mattered.”
“Excuse me?” she asked, not sure what he meant.
“I think there’s something between us, a chemistry for lack of a better word, that would negate the existence of another man. So even if you were seeing someone else, we still wouldn’t have been able to keep our hands off of each other earlier today.”
She glared at him, furious because he was talking about something she’d rather forget. “Let’s not bring up this afternoon. It was a fluke.”
His grin widened. “You’re just challenging me to prove you wrong. Again.”
“I’m not,” she asserted, straightening her shoulders and glaring back at him.
His eyes flashed at her refusal to accept the obvious. “Then explain what happened during our game of pool.”
She shook her head. “That’s not the point,” she exclaimed. “It is irrelevant to the issue here.” Kylie’s hand went back up, pointing to the boards. “Take a look at these women and tell me which ones interest you.”
His eyes skimmed along the boards, barely seeing the pictures. “None of them.” His eyes clashed right back with hers. “I want you.”
Kylie’s hands fisted at her sides as her fury and frustration welled up with his response. “Well, you can’t have me!”
He smiled slowly. “I can’t?” he asked as he stood up.
She backed up quickly, not sure what he meant by that, but the look in his eyes told her that he was dangerous on many levels. “Tarek, we’re not right for each other.”
“You felt very right earlier today. And I think it’s time to pay up on our bet.”
She shook her head. “You cheated!”
He laughed softly. “How did I cheat?” he asked. A moment later, his arm swooped around her waist, pulling her against him. “I daresay, you hustled me. When I walked in, you were shooting pool like an amateur.” He bent lower, kissing her neck, nibbling on her ear. He loved the way she shivered and he’d bet money that she didn’t realize that her hands were clinging to him already.
“I was trying more difficult shots,” she explained. “So really, I don’t hold you to the bet because…”
He didn’t wait for her reasons. His mouth covered hers and he didn’t let up until her body sagged against his. He could feel her giving in to the desire and a moment later, she was pressing against him once more. No longer passive but a very active, very assertive participant and he loved it.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he groaned and slid his hands down her body then higher, underneath her tee-shirt. When he found her breast, his hand cupped the warm, soft mound, feeling her trembling increase. But he also heard her sharp intake of breath when his thumb rubbed against her nipple. She arched into his hand for a moment, but a second later, she was grabbing his wrist, trying to pull his hand away. He wouldn’t let her do that, ignoring her weak grip and tweaking her nipple through the thin material of her bra, feeling her shudder, feeling her core press against his hard length. Damn but she was on fire for him. He suspected that she wanted him almost as much as he wanted to be inside of her.
She was a virgin, he told himself. He had to pull back and stop this insanity. Unfortunately, the same moment that his sense of right was coming back to him, her hand slid down his chest, her fingers accidentally rubbing against his flat, male nipple and he shuddered. Her eyes opened up and she looked at him, her fingers moving back to that spot. When she touched him again, he groaned and shook his head. “Kylie, we shouldn’t be…” again, she ran her fingers over his nipple and he couldn’t hold back. Kissing her was imperative.
She whimpered into his mouth, her body arching into his and pressing her heat even more intently against his erection, rubbing against him just as if she’d done earlier today in the dining room. Again and again, she pressed, shifted, rubbed against his hardness and Tarek gritted his teeth. His hands moved from her breasts, but she grabbed his wrist, bring his fingers right back to that place.
He looked down at her, fascinated as her fingers covered his hand, silently begging him to continue. Tarek didn’t need a second request. His good intentions were thrown out the window with her silent pleading and those rocking movements that were driving him nuts.
“Don’t…” he started to say but at that same moment, she gasped. Tarek knew exactly what was about to happen and he grabbed her hands, pulling his erection away from her heat. “Oh no, love. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do this right,” he told her.
A moment later, she was in his arms and they were heading down the corridor. Kylie watched through a haze of passion as the ceiling and hallways whizzed by them. When the door to a dimly lit room was closed behind them, she suspected that this was his private suite, but she wasn’t sure and, in her current stated of need, she didn’t really care.
Tarek let her legs drop, but only so much. He leaned against the wall but his hands moved down her body, lifting her legs back up so they were around his waist, his hands on her bottom as he lifted her against him. “Okay, now that we’re alone and assured of privacy,” he told her with a groan, “go at it.”
Kylie wasn’t sure what he meant by that because her body was back in a position that was driving her crazy. If he would just let her… “Don’t move,” she told him. Her hands were gripping his massive shoulders and her eyes were closed, but she had no idea what he might be doing. He could be dictating a memo for all she cared. If only he would just… “Please,” she whimpered against his chest, pressing her body against that rigid length, shifting and sliding. “Higher,” she begged and he lifted her higher into his arms. “Yes!” she screamed and rubbed again.
She heard a mumbled curse but wasn’t sure what he was saying. A second later, she was pressed against the wall and his body was pressing her closer. Her tee-shirt was ripped off and tossed over her head. She might have protested, but one of his hands was teasing her nipple again which only increased the sensations happening lower in her body. She sucked in air, pressing her body against his rhythmically, needing something and not sure what it was but only knew that he could give it to her. “More,” she begged, slapping her hand over his fingers that were kneading her breast. “Please,” she begged in a strangled voice, her fingers pressing his against her nipple.
Tarek knew what she wanted and a part of his mind didn’t want to give it to her. Not just yet. But the other part of his mind wanted this so badly and that side won out. He couldn’t hold back. His fingers pushed the material of her bra out of his way, releasing her full breast to his fingers. He pinched her nipple ever so slightly while, at the same time, pressed his erection against her core, taking her over the edge. He felt her body shudder, absorbed her scream of release into his mouth as he kissed her.
Not relenting until her screams slowly died down and he felt her body slump against his, he thought he might just explode himself. But he pulled in deep, gulping breaths, controlling his raging libido until he had it under control.
“Now we do it my way,” he growled out, lifting her into his arms and carrying her over to the bed.
He carefully stood her on her feet, steadying her when it looked as if she was going to fall over. “Are you okay?” he asked, then watched with pained amusement as she smiled, nodding ever so slightly.
“Of course you are,” he laughed, thinking she looked almost drunk even though she’d barely sipped the wine from dinner tonight. He’d done this, he told himself. He’d put this look of happy satisfaction into her eyes. And he damn well wasn’t finished. If she felt that good from just pressing against him, he couldn’t even imagine how amazing she would feel when they were naked and he could show her how things were truly done.
His hands moved quickly, removing her bra, pushing her hands away when she tried to cover herself up. “Don’t ever do that, Kylie.” He looked down at her, holding her hands at her sides while he looked down at her naked breasts. “I will look at you whenever I want and you will not hide yourself from me. Do you understand?” he demanded.
She started to say something but he kissed her. “A yes is the only appropriate answer here, my dear,” he told her, his hands moving to the snap on her jeans. Slowly, his fingers lowered the zipper, his knuckles skimming along her sensitized skin. “Tell me you understand this rule, Kylie.” His fingers moved to the elastic of her underwear. His long fingers moved to the back, cupping her bottom in his hands. “Nodding your head is good enough.”
When his fingers slid down her bottom, cupping her derriere, she was so shocked, so turned on, especially when the rough front of his shirt rubbed against her naked, sensitized nipples, all she could do was nod her head. All of these sensations were too new, too overwhelming.
“Do you want me to stop?” he demanded, asking her the question simply to absolve his conscience which was screaming at him that he shouldn’t be making love to her until after the wedding. But when she shook her head, begging him with her eyes to keep going, he pushed all his guilt aside. This woman wanted him and he wanted to continue.
Now there was nothing to stop him. She’d given him permission and he was wholeheartedly going to keep going. With swift fingers, he pulled her jeans down her legs, taking her delicate, lacy underwear along with the denim. When he looked down at her, she was completely naked, her eyes begging him shyly to do something besides look at her. He wasn’t immune to her pleas and he bent lower to kiss her. Slowly at first, but when she lifted her hands, gently touching his arms, the kiss intensified, blew his desire for her out of control. He was ravenous now, his mind barely able to acknowledge that she was right there with him. All he knew now was that he had to be inside her, wanted her heat surrounding his erection.
Kylie knew that she was in a hurricane. Her mind wasn’t able to process feelings, just react to his touch and the way he made her feel. She was aching, a feeling so intense, so overwhelming it was almost painful to endure. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this, but she instinctively understood that Tarek would get her there, he would take care of her.
She wanted to wrap her hands around that hard member and explore, but then he was pressing against her, no jeans in the way to slow him down this time. And she wasn’t sure she liked this. She tried to push him away from her because it was hurting her. But when her hands reached out to push, her fingers came into contact with fabric. Her mind tried to make sense of all of this, but his own fingers pushed hers out of the way. There was a zipping sound, then his hand was bringing hers back. But there wasn’t any fabric there anymore. Kylie pulled back from Tarek’s kiss and looked down, astonished and slightly horrified to find his erection in her hand. She was going to pull away, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Sitting up, she explored with her fingers, wanting to know more, wanting to feel all of him. It was definitely hard, but there was a softness to him, a velvet smoothness that she explored with her fingertips. Looking down at him, she couldn’t believe that she could put one hand around him, then the other and there was still more of that fascinating erection uncovered.
When she moved her hands up and down the shaft, he groaned and her eyes moved higher, seeing the rigid stillness of his body, the way his jaw was tight and his eyes closed. Even his head was thrown back as if he were enjoying her curious hands. So she continued, moving her fingers in other ways, exploring as if this part of him was the most fascinating thing her eyes and hands had ever explored.
Tarek thought he might just embarrass himself as her delicate, tentative hands explored his body. Her fumbling fingers found all of the sensitive spots on him and he clenched his teeth as he tried hard to give her some time to explore his body, to understand what was about to happen. But it felt too good, too incredible. After only a few moments, he had to pull her hands away or it would be all over too soon. “You have to stop that, Kylie. I can’t take much more of that.”
“But…”
“No Kylie, I promise you it will be better if you let me show you.” He grabbed both of her wrists and pulled her hands away when she tried to cover herself. “You look beautiful Kylie. But I want to see you, I want to see all of you, I want to know what you like, I want to know what you feel like. I want to see you fall apart in my arms.”
She started to shake her head, “Why won’t you let me…” she wasn’t sure of the words to use and her face heated as she considered what she wanted to do to him.
He had to close his eyes for a moment to get himself back under control. The thought of her touching him like that was just too….perfect. But he wanted all of her. He had to have this woman and make her his. “Because it will be better this way. Trust me?”
Instead of letting her respond he lifted her into his arms and laid her back onto the bed. When he stood up again, he look down at her beautiful body his eyes heated and his body hard and ready for.
“I can’t tell you how gorgeous you look right now like this in my bed, with your eyes looking up at me.”
“Tarek,” she started to say, sitting up and trying to pull the covers over herself.
He shook his head, his hands moving up to his shirt, “No, you’re not going to say anything unless you’re going to give me instructions on what you like or what you don’t like.”
She laughed at that, feeling slightly more confident with those words. “What if I don’t know?” But then the material of his shirt moved away and her mouth dropped open as he slowly revealed his magnificent chest to her hungry eyes. When the material fell to the floor she gasped at the muscles that were finally revealed. She started to sit up but he shook his head and she froze. “Why won’t you…”
“Because you’ve had your turn. Because this is my turn now.”
She smiled, but the effort was strained. Kylie didn’t understand. This was such a new experience, she felt overwhelmed and almost angry at his instructions.
He looked down at her and laughed softly. “Like I said, you’re going to have to trust me on this Kylie.” His hand moved to his pants, finishing the process of ripping them off of his body. The sounds that he made as he undressed caused her entire body to shiver. She tried desperately to look away from him, but she was so fascinated by the parts of him that were finally being revealed to her that she simply stared, she watched amazed, excited and terrified all at the same time.
“You shouldn’t be afraid of me Kylie. You should be excited by what you do to my body, by what you make me feel. You should be proud of how you make me react to your beautiful body.”
Kylie looked up at him, all of those muscles making her mouth water. She wanted to tell him something but she wasn’t exactly sure what she could say at this moment in time.
“I don’t think…”
“Don’t think Kylie. Just let me take care of you.”
She swallowed, slowly her head nodded. When he lowered his large body towards hers she leaned back against the mattress, completely aware of what was going on but still not sure what she should be doing at this moment in time.
“Put your hands on my shoulders Kylie,” he said with an urgent tone of voice. “I want to feel your soft hands on my skin. I’ve been imagining this all day long. You have no idea what a distraction you’ve been to me ever since I saw your gorgeous, sexy legs in those high heels earlier today.”
“I wasn’t wearing them for you.”
He lowered his head, his mouth starting to nibble on the side of her neck. “Weren’t you?”
She started to protest her innocence but then his teeth caught on the curve of her neck sending her mind spinning out of control once more. She tried to say more, she tried to turn her head and stop him but instead she arched her neck giving him more room.
“Please don’t stop,” she gasped as his mouth moved closer to her ear. Instinctively, her knee lifted, shifting his body so that she was cradling him more intimately. Her hips arched into his erection, causing him to groan as her body started responding to his once more. The fear was gone, replaced by the aching, crazy need that only this man had ever inspired within her body and her mind. She wanted to let go, she wanted to grab a hold of him. She wanted to scream out and demand that he ease this ache that was deep down inside of her. But something stopped her, something told her that the process was just as good as the ending. She slid her hands down his shoulders, reveling in the muscles that flexed underneath her tender touch.
“Do that again Kylie,” he groaned into her ear to ear just as he bit on the tender flesh. She arched into his body. “Do it again,” he commanded.
She wasn’t exactly sure what he was telling her to do, but her hands were moving along his arms, sliding down his chest, starting to understand this man if only just a little bit.
His mouth moved away from her neck nibbling his way down her chest. When his mouth teased the tender flesh of her breast, she stopped breathing, waiting, anticipating the almost crazy need.
Tarek’s mouth moved into a smile as his eyes watched the nipple pebble underneath his watchful gaze. He looked up at her, saw the yearning in her eyes, he saw the way she was begging him silently. “Tell me you want this.”
Kylie wasn’t exactly sure why he wanted that but her hands grabbed his head pulling him back down to her breast. “Please!”
Tarek chuckled, but he gave her what she wanted. His mouth enveloped the tender, aching nipple, his teeth teasing the sensitive flesh. “Do you like this?”
Kylie arched again, her body spinning out of her own control. “Yes!” Her hands pulled at his hair, dragging his head to her other nipple that was aching and ready for his mouth. “Please don’t stop!”
He gave the second nipple the same tender attention as the first one. “There is no stopping now Kylie.” He tortured her with his mouth and his teeth for several more minutes, enjoying the way her body writhed underneath him.
He wanted to enjoy this longer, he wanted to explore her body. But he’d have to save that adventure for another day because his body simply would not tolerate it, could not hold off any longer. His hands slid down her leg, enjoying the way her body shivered as his fingers explored her outer thigh. When his hands moved up the inside of her thigh, she started to shake her head. His mouth moved lower nibbling along her sexy stomach. “You’re not going to stop me, Kylie.”
Kylie shifted restlessly underneath him, her hands grabbing the hand that was exploring too intimately. But he was stronger than she was, and she was no match for the overwhelming passion that he was stirring within her. Besides, she knew that he could ease this ache that threatened to drive her insane.
When his long finger slid up her thigh, she gasped and tried to move higher up the bed, away from his exploring fingers. She was embarrassed by how wet she was down there, thought that it would reveal more of what she wanted to hide from him. But Kylie was slowly learning that there was no hiding from Tarek. When he wanted something, he took it. And right now he wanted her. Right now, she wanted him to take her.
So when his finger slid into her heat, she had no choice, she had no will to resist him. His hands and his extremely large body shifted, making more room for himself.
“You’re so hot for me, so wet.” Tarek looked down at the lovely woman in his arms and gritted his teeth to try and find what remained of his tenuous self-control. “I’m sorry, Kylie.”
Kylie looked up at him, her mind instinctively knowing what was about to happen. Her hands fluttered to his shoulders, her nails starting to dig into the strong muscles underneath his skin. But before she had a chance to become nervous, that part of him, that fascinating, scary part of him slid smoothly into her core. She waited for the pain, but instead he slid out of her and she started to panic. Her hands gripped his shoulders more tightly, her head shaking back and forth as if she could deny him from leaving her body.
“Trust me, Kylie,” and he slid smoothly back into her, then out again, going deeper and deeper each time he shifted his body. He watched her lovely face carefully, using the expressions in her beautiful eyes to try and determine what she was feeling. He couldn’t believe how hot, wet and amazing this tiny woman felt as her heat clenched at his erection.
He felt that barrier, that horrible barrier that he had been dreading for so long. A part of him was glad that she had been telling him the truth, that she had been with no other man but him. Although another part of him, the more noble part of him, wanted to spare her this pain. He gathered her close, his arms holding her close as he pressed through her barrier. If there had been any way he could have stopped this pain, he would have taken it on himself, he would have done anything, because he simply didn’t want to hurt his lovely Kylie.
He absorbed her cry of pain into his mouth as he kissed her. He didn’t relent on the kiss even when she started to pull away, his hands soothing her, his body still and unmoving until he felt her soft body unstiffen.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Kylie opened her eyes and looked up at the sweet man who was holding himself as still as possible. She saw the sweat forming on his forehead and knew that he was straining to keep himself still for her. “I think so,” she replied. She lifted her other leg, her knee bending so as to more carefully cradle his hips. The movement shot an explosion of feeling throughout her entire body. Her fingers gripped his shoulders again, her nails digging into his flesh as her mouth opened with an astonished O! “Is this…?”
He threw his head back and laughed, relieved that she was right back with him again. “No. There’s more. So much more.” He moved ever so slightly, his eyes watching her lovely features, trying to see if he hurt her in any way. When her eyes lit up, her mouth gasping for air even as her hips rose and fell with his subtle movements, he knew that she was going to be okay.
He moved carefully, back and forth, watching her to make sure he didn’t hurt her. When she shifted her hips, cradling his own more carefully within the heat of her, he almost lost control. He was so deep now, and he watched, hoping that she could take all of him. Her eyes closed, her mouth opened, and her body arched into his.
Her hand shifted downward, sliding against his back, her touch making him groan as her body clenched his tightly. He was determined to make this the best experience possible. But when she moved against him, he wanted to slam into her slender body. With the last ounce of restraint, his hand moved down her body, her sensitive skin feeling so smooth against his fingertips. But his goal was that small nubbin of flesh. His fingers found his goal with unerring accuracy. It took only a few more strokes before she splintered apart, her screams of ecstasy bringing him even closer, making his body fight for control. But it was pointless. She was too tight, she was too wet, and she was too amazing. Her climax brought him over into his own shocking orgasm.
As their bodies shuddered together, he tried to bring his breathing back under control. He felt her gasping for breath as well and pulled her closer. Pulling out of her warmth was the last thing that he wanted to do, but he also wanted to make sure that she was okay. He rolled onto his back bringing her with him, not wanting to break the contact with her soft skin or her sensuous body. “Did I hurt you?”
Kylie’s hand fluttered against his chest, finally resting on his flat abdomen. She laughed, but the sound wasn’t very intense. She was still gasping for breath after the most amazing experience of her entire life. “I don’t remember.”
Tarek kissed the top of her head, his arms hugging her closer. He felt her slide her leg upwards and smiled slightly, enjoying the intimacy. Even that was different with Kylie. Normally, he would find his satisfaction and then find his own bed. But with Kylie, he refused to send her away. He refused to even think about her sleeping anywhere other than right here next to his side. With that last thought, he drifted to sleep, but not before he felt her body relax against his.