CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Eva watched, feeling almost hypnotized by the sight of Riaz standing there at the top of the ledge. What did he think he was doing? Even as she asked herself that question, she knew the answer.
She knew she should turn away, even that she should call out to him and stop him from doing what he was so obviously intent on doing.
Eva felt her heart pounding even faster as she continued to gaze up at him. It was absolutely clear what he was doing.
Riaz was taking off his robe. Getting ready to come to her.
She knew with total certainty that he intended coming into the pool with her. The thought that she should leave the pool seized her mind.
But, the sight of Riaz easing off his robe was so compelling, almost mesmerizing, she was barely aware of the impulse to get out of the water as fast as she could.
With a slow, casual flourish Riaz opened his robe, revealing his body. She gasped as Riaz slid the robe away from his body and tossed it to the ground at his feet.
He was completely naked.
Eva dragged in a sharp breath and felt her mouth drop open, sensed her eyes widening. For a moment she drank in the sight of Riaz standing there.
His body was powerful, sculpted muscles glistening in the sunshine. She saw him draw in a deep breath, his chest broadening. He looked as if he was determined to tease her, to tempt her with the sight of him.
If that was his intention, then he was succeeding, she told herself. Eva felt her body warm suddenly.
The she saw Riaz ready himself, preparing to plunge headfirst into the pool. It was at that point Eva turned away, desperate for a final moment of clarity. She needed to make a decision.
This had all happened so quickly. He must have known he would be taking her by surprise, she thought to herself. Had he planned this all along? How had he known she would be here in the pool?
Right now, none of that mattered, because from behind her she heard the sound of a huge splash as Riaz plunged into the water. Eva felt a wave of water press against her body, and she struggled to keep her head from sinking beneath that wave.
Eva looked around, feeling almost panicked, trying desperately to figure out what she should do.
Even as she did so, temptation seized hold of her. A powerful impulse wrapped itself around her, holding her in the pool, treading water.
Waiting.
For what?
Eva looked to her left and saw the figure of Riaz beneath the crystal clear water. She saw him twist toward her, the length of his torso, his long arms forcing himself closer to her.
Impulsively she twisted away from him. He would be on her in a moment. If she was going to try to make it to the edge of the pool, this was her only chance.
Her last chance.
But, even as she toyed with that thought, she knew she had no intention of getting out of the water. She knew that the promise of what was to come was far too tempting. Ever since he'd kissed her, she'd been wondering what it would feel like to have even more of him, to feel him close to her.
And now she was about to find out.
For one last moment she treaded water, her arms moving slowly. She tried to calm her beating heart, but it was no use.
The next moment, she felt a surge of pressure at her back and then she felt his arms sweeping around her. She gasped and threw her head back, gazing up at the blue sky. She felt the heat of his naked body against her back. Then she was fully in his grasp and he was pressing his nakedness against her.
Eva drew in a sharp breath as she felt the firmness of him press against her. Then his lips were at her neck, kissing her cool flesh.
Eva groaned and reached a hand around, placing it on the solid muscle at his hip. She curled her fingers against his skin and she heard him gasp.
The feel of his naked body against her pushed away every thought of resistance, banished every flickering notion that this wasn't what she really wanted.
Of course it was. She knew that, especially when she felt his hand caress one of her breasts, cupping gently around it. His thumb teased her nipple beneath the thin fabric of her bra. Pleasure ignited all the way to her core.
Eva felt his tongue trace a line up the side of her neck, all the way to the spot behind her ear. Sensation flamed in her. The cool water did nothing to lessen the sense of heat coursing through her body.
She felt enclosed in his embrace, leaning back against him, supported by him. She felt his legs snake around hers, drawing her even closer to him. She sank into him, giving herself over to pure pleasure.
Then she felt his grasp loosen slightly and he turned her around to face him, seizing control of her body. For a brief moment she felt irritation that the pleasure which had overtaken her would be interrupted.
But when she looked into his eyes and saw the expression there, the sheer desire, the burning need, every thought of annoyance was swept away. His dark hair was flat against his head and rivulets of water ran down his face.
Riaz's brows furrowed and there was a hint of a hungry smile at the corner of his full lips. She didn't say a word, only looked at him and wrapped her arms around his body. He moved forward and she felt the firmness of his desire, the length of it, press against her. The promise of that made her pulse quicken.
His lips crashed down on hers, claiming the kiss she'd been waiting for since the one from the previous night. Sensation swept through her, overtaking every part of her. He took her in a firm embrace, pulling her hard against him.
Eva felt his tongue tease its way into her mouth, searching for pleasure, making her shiver with ecstasy. His breath was as quick and harsh as hers. The heat of his body felt exquisite. She curled one of her legs around his wanting him closer, needing him.
She felt her breasts press against his wide, firm chest. The hair of his chest felt delightfully rough against her soft skin.
Eva felt his hand at her back, tracing a line down her spine, eventually cupping around her hip. She sensed the determination in the way he held her against him; felt the power of just how much he wanted her.
Had she underestimated his need for her? Within moments of plunging into the pool he had simply overwhelmed every one of her senses; had taken possession of her body in a completely primal, primitive way.
He continued to consume her with his kiss, and she was more than happy to submit to his hunger, to his desire for her.
Then his lips parted from hers and his head dipped, and she felt him lift her body up slightly, raising her shoulders out of the water. She felt him tug her bra, revealing the peaks of her nipples. Eva felt no sense of self-consciousness, only sharp anticipation as his lips descended upon one of her breasts. She gasped out loud. The sound of her voice echoed around the area around the pool.
Riaz began to circle his tongue around her nipple. Exquisite sensation flamed through her with every slow movement of his tongue around her nipple. She felt her peaks harden in response, seeking more, wanting more.
Eva snaked her fingers through Riaz's wet hair, clutching onto him as he pleasured her with his tongue. She closed her eyes, floating in the water, aware of the strength with which he held her, feeling utterly possessed. She abandoned herself to pleasure, feeling every nerve quiver with delight.
Riaz continued to lave her nipple and then shifted to the other, triggering another fresh wave of delight.
Eva felt Riaz shift his position. Since he was tall enough to have his feet planted on the hard stone at the base of the pool, she knew he was completely in control now. She felt the firmness of his desire press at her core.
Sensation became even stronger, impossible to ignore. For a moment she wondered what he was about to do. Then she felt his hand move toward her core. Her breath quickened, her heart hammering in her chest with the anticipation.
Then she felt his fingers tease her panties aside. Her throat tightened. A brief impulse to stop him drifted into her mind, but it was soon banished by the sensation of his touch. Her core ignited as she felt him caress her softly. She grasped onto him tightly.
Their eyes met. His were filled with a determined hunger. She had no idea what expression he saw in her own eyes. All she knew was that the anticipation for what he was about to do was making every nerve in her body taut.
He gazed at her, and she knew he was watching Eva for some kind of signal, some hint that would tell him to continue.
She couldn't smile, nor even nod her head. But she gave him a look that she hoped was filled with enough for him to know she wanted him to continue.
Then she felt his finger moving in a slow circle. She groaned and thrust her head against his shoulder. Ecstasy swept through her with every move of his hand.
Heat flamed at her core, ignited by his tender touch. It was all she could do to hold onto him, to maintain some semblance of her sanity.
But she knew that if he continued to do this to her, every one of her sense would explode with ecstasy. And, she could already sense a wave of pleasure approaching.
Somehow, being in this place, in this pool of water, unsure about whether there were others about who could appear any moment, didn't matter any more.
All she cared about was being with him, having his fingers caress her, being taken toward a peak of pleasure by him.
He held her firmly and gently. She clutched at him, her nails digging gently into his flesh. Eva sensed his body tighten. She was sure it was partly to do with the feel of her nails, but she guessed he was also enjoying giving her this pleasure.
She gasped as a wave of ecstasy seized hold of her and she could feel another wave building. This one she knew would be the one to take her over the edge.
His fingers circled relentlessly, quicker now and she knew he wouldn't stop until he'd drawn every last ounce of pleasure out of her.
Then she felt his pressure harden, his pace quicken, and she cried out loud as every sense awakened and she climaxed, holding onto him. Every one of her muscles shook as her entire being quivered.
The sensation overwhelmed her almost completely and she felt herself soften against him, wrapping herself around him. She felt her shoulders sink beneath the water's surface, the coolness enveloping her.
Riaz held her as she came down from her peak. Finally, she looked into his eyes. His gaze was soft and penetrating. She could see the satisfaction on his features. He'd enjoyed that almost as much as her, she thought.
Eva smiled at him and he kissed her. This time his kiss was tender, although she could still feel the firmness of his desire against her belly.
She wondered what was going to happen next. What they could possibly do here. Especially after what he'd done. Their lips parted and she could see the desire in his eyes, the signs of the tension he was containing so obviously visible in that hungry look.
Eva swallowed. "What now?" she murmured.
Riaz's brows furrowed. He glanced in the direction of the encampment. "We could go somewhere more comfortable."
"But the men," she breathed.
"The camp is completely empty for now. I sent the men away for a few hours."
The realization of what he'd done struck her. He'd intended for this to happen? He'd gone back to his men after leaving her and sent them away. That hinted at a determination she hadn't guessed at while she'd been speaking to him earlier.
"We'll be completely alone," he murmured.
The mere thought of that made desire reappear, warming her core with anticipation. Was that what she really wanted? Now that she knew how much he wanted her, who was she to deny herself that pleasure? Who was she to deny him the same pleasure?
Eva smiled at him and kissed him. When she leaned back from him, she saw the anticipation on his features. He couldn't disguise the desire she could see so clearly in his eyes.
There was a hunger in that look.
Hunger for her.
He'd given her a taste of what was to come, and she felt impatient for more.
A few moments later, they were moving toward the water's edge. As she swam slowly alongside him, Eva realized her senses were still almost intoxicated by him, by his sheer masculinity.
She stepped out of the water. She was still partially clothed in her bra and panties. But he was completely naked as he emerged, water dripping down his long, fully muscled torso.
Eva couldn't keep her eyes off him as she reached down to pick up her clothes from the warm surface of the rock on which she'd left them. She glanced at him and felt her heart beat faster, her throat tighten.
Eva tried to swallow, tried to think of something to say, but her mind was a delicious blank. All she could do was gaze at him. His muscles glistened in the sunshine. He stood looking at her, unashamed about his nakedness. He didn't seem to care that he was on full display, solely for her pleasure.
Her gaze drifted down the length of his body, and she saw that his firmness showed the evidence of his desire for her. Once again, he seemed not to care as he walked alongside her up the side of the waterfall.
Eventually he reached the place where he'd discarded his robe. She watched from behind him as he bent down to pick up the robe. The sight of the firm muscles of his long back and taut rear inflamed her desire even more.
She watched him wrap himself in the robe, and saw the ease with which his naked body moved. An easy grace, like a powerful animal.
She tried to mask any sign of how the sight of his glorious physique was affecting her.
She'd never felt like this before, she realized. This entire situation had an almost dream-like quality to it. But she was more than happy to be inside this dream.
Every nerve in her body was alive with the promise of what she knew was to come.
Riaz reached out a hand to her. She took his hand, feeling his strong fingers tighten around hers, and they started back toward the camp.