Saving the Sheikh (The Legacy Collection) (5 page)

Tonight he wanted to lose himself in this woman and her fantasy.

One night.

She knew he couldn’t offer her more than that.

If she accepted his offer, he would savor every moment of it.

Rather than pretending to eat the meal that had been served shortly after they returned to their table, Rachid excused himself and stepped out of the tent. He needed a private area to prepare for the possibility that Zhang might say yes.

He took out his cell phone and called the main number of the castle at the Salnyra Oasis. The once-abandoned ancient building had been lovingly restored by his grandfather and was now a mixture of history and modern luxury. Generators provided electricity for rooms that had once been occupied by Roman soldiers. Faded frescos that had been drawn for nomadic Bedouin sheikhs of the past covered the walls of a castle that was now more a vacation home than a defensive structure. When one of the manservants answered, Rachid said, “I will be flying in late tonight. Please have the airfield lights on.” He realized too late that he’d issued the order in English.

The man responded in Arabic, even though he spoke English. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

It was difficult to imagine being able to rule his country when he hadn’t yet successfully won over the house staff. Another problem that could wait one more day.

“Also, I need you to prepare the old harem quarters for me.”

“It will be done.”

Rachid hesitated, then charged on. “I’d like most of the furniture removed from the rooms and replaced with as many silk pillows as will cover the floor.”

“Your Highness?”

He took a moment to consider what Zhang might have imagined, then instructed, “Hang tapestries from the ceiling to mimic the inside of a Bedouin tent. Tie them back with silk scarves.”

“Anything else?”

A thought came to him and he snapped his fingers in the air. “Yes, I need a harem outfit. Something expensive, but similar to what a belly dancer might wear. And a dress that would be appropriate for daywear.”

“For you, Your Highness?”

“No,” Rachid said impatiently. “For a woman. A small woman.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

“And no one is to disturb me until noon tomorrow.”

“It will be as you ask.”

Yes, it will be.

For one night, at least
.

Inside of every man there’s a hunter who hides beneath layers of learned civilized behavior. Returning to the dining tent and discovering that Zhang hadn’t waited at the table for him, something primal woke within Rachid. He scanned the room and adrenaline coursed through him when he realized that she wasn’t there.

She wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

He hardened instantly.

I like the way this woman thinks
.

She wasn’t in any of the other tents, nor was she in the area between them. The more he looked for her, the less he could deny his growing excitement.

I will find you, Zhang, and then I will have you.

When he finally spotted her on the isolated balcony of Dominic’s main house, he had to restrain himself from sprinting to her. Never before had he engaged in such behavior. He met women, dated them, bedded them and moved on.

He didn’t play games.

He couldn’t deny, though, that this particular scenario was extremely pleasurable. He moved through the shadows around the balcony and kept his steps silent as he approached her. Waiting until he was less than a foot behind her, he said softly, “Hiding only delays the inevitable.”

She turned quickly toward him and snarled, “My father had no right to give me to you! I will not go with you!”

His head pulled back in surprise as he realized that she was playing a role. Then he smiled – an “oh, yes, this is going to be fun” smile. He reached for her waist and pulled her toward him.

She slapped him clear across the face. The sting was surprisingly real and gave an edge to her fantasy. His hands clenched on her sides.

Instantly, her expression filled with concern and she touched the red mark she’d left on his face. “Oh, my God, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard. I just thought that if you really were here to kidnap me, I wouldn’t fall willingly into your arms.”

Rachid threw his head back and laughed, the tension of his daily life falling away temporarily. He covered her hand on his cheek with his and said, “How about we make a deal to keep actual pain to a minimum.”

She laughed up into his eyes. “You must think I’m insane.”

He pulled her closer and spoke from his heart. “No, I think you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. Tonight is exactly what I need – I just don’t want either one of us to take it too far. Exactly what are you looking for?”

Zhang looked down at his shirt, then met his eyes again and said, “My experience is limited, but I’ve had a lifetime to dream about what I like. I know this is only for one night. Tomorrow will come and I’ll be alone again. I’m okay with that. But for just one night, I want to pretend something entirely different.”

Touching her hair softly, he said, “If we had met in another time or another life, I would have more than one night to offer. I don’t want to hurt you, Zhang. You deserve more than this.”

Those beautiful, intelligent eyes pierced his soul. “Are you backing out?”

God help him, he couldn’t.

“No,” he said hoarsely. He pulled her roughly against him and said, “Your father gave you to me and you will submit.”

He swooped down to claim her mouth, and the line between reality and fantasy blurred. She pushed lightly against his chest with both of her hands and struggled just enough to stir his excitement to a level he’d never experienced before.

Before he lost all control and took her right there on Dominic’s patio, Rachid broke off the kiss and closed a hand around one of her wrists. “Come,” he said and dragged her behind him down the stairs toward the airfield.

“Where are you taking me?” she asked, her voice rising with distress. A quick look back confirmed that her eyes were dancing with an excitement that belied her words.

He stopped walking and pulled her into his arms again, growling into one of her ears, “Somewhere private where I can enjoy you.”

She pulled away from him, attempting to free the wrist he still held firmly in one hand. “You’ll never get away with this!” she said, her small chest heaving.

Effortlessly, he picked her up and swung her over one of his shoulders. She kicked her legs and hit his back – although there was no sting to either of those flails. “You will learn to obey me, woman.”

“Never,” she hissed.

Head high, he carried her that way to his private plane. Per his earlier instructions, it had been readied and the pilot was near the open hatch. The expression on the pilot’s face was priceless. “Your Highness?” he asked in a worried tone.

Rachid issued his order harshly. “Tell no one of our extra guest. Do you understand?”

When the pilot hesitated, Rachid put Zhang down beside him and loomed over the man, repeating himself between gritted teeth. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Of course.”

Before looking away, Rachid added, “And I will require absolute privacy in the main cabin. Don’t open that door, no matter what you hear.”

“Of course,” the man said nervously.

Once inside the plane, Rachid led Zhang to an area where two seats faced each other. He deposited her in one of them and sat in the other, positioned directly across from her. They both waited until the pilot had closed the hatch to speak.

Zhang laughed into her hand. “I think he really believes that you’re kidnapping me.”

The corners of Rachid’s eyes crinkled with humor, but instead of breaking role with her he said, “Remove your underclothing before you secure your seatbelt.”

Her head tipped to the side in question.

He secured himself in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “Do as I say. We have a six-hour flight, plenty of time to start your education.”

“My education?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“Don’t make me hunt down a way to tape your mouth shut. Do not question me, woman. Now, take it off.”

Zhang held his eyes for a long moment, then stood and raised the hem of her already short dress. She slid her fingers beneath the sides of her silk panties and slid the tiny material down her legs and over her high heels, dropping them on the floor between them.

His mouth dried in anticipation.

“Sit,” he croaked.

She did, her eyes never leaving his. The click of her seatbelt echoed in the quiet plane cabin, quickly followed by the roar of the engine starting up.

“Adjust your dress so that I can see you.”

Flushing, she did.

“Touch yourself,” he instructed.

She didn’t move.

“You don’t have a choice,” he added and waited. Her inexperience in this area was clear. “Have you ever pleasured yourself?”

 The pink on her cheeks deepened and she looked away. Sexy and adorable. Adventurous and vulnerable. His attraction to her intensified. “There are no secrets between master and slave. Tell me.”

In the safety of the game, she admitted, “I have, but it’s not something I’ve ever shared with someone.”

The hint of yearning in her voice spoke to Rachid louder than her words. She was a woman who controlled every aspect of her life and the lives of many around her. She wanted to step outside of that for a night and be free, and he knew that feeling all too well. Perhaps he couldn’t give her forever, but he could give her the fantasy she craved. Keeping his voice harsh he said, “Your comfort is of no importance to me. I wish to see you bring yourself pleasure. I will see your juices on your own hand and an orgasm in your eyes.”

She shook her head slightly. “I don’t think I can. Not with you watching.”

He studied her for a moment, then said, “You must because tonight you belong to me.”

As the plane left the ground, Zhang lifted her dress with one hand and reached downward with her other. Her eyes held his as she slipped a finger inside her folds. Her movements were awkward at first, almost tentative, until she found a rhythm and closed her eyes.

“That’s it, Zhang,” he said huskily. “Let go and enjoy.”

Faster and faster, her delicate hand rubbed her most sensitive spot, as she scooted forward in the seat to reach herself better. Rachid shifted as he swelled uncomfortably in his pants, but this was not about him, it was about the amazing woman before him and he didn’t want to miss a second of it.

Her back arched and she flung her head back.

Nipples erect and reaching, yearning for a touch Rachid would deny for now, Zhang ran her other hand down one of her taunt thighs, rubbing at her own skin hungrily. Her lips parted as her breathing became more ragged.

“Slide your arms out of your straps and ease the top of your dress down.” She obeyed, exposing the sheer perfection of her small breasts. He imagined how perfectly they would fill his mouth, how soft they would feel against his skin.

“Now, lick your thumb,” he commanded softly. “Take it into your mouth as you would me. In and out, nice and slow. That’s it. Take it deep. Circle it with your tongue. Can you imagine my taste? Do you feel your own hot breath on your hand, a sweetness that I will soon feel? Wet that finger well.” Watching her suckle on herself was an exquisite torture. He was throbbing in his pants and eager to replace her thumb with his manhood, but patience intensified pleasure. And Zhang was a pleasure he was not going to rush.

When he could take no more, he ordered, “Now, circle the tip of your breast – imagine my tongue there, wet and worshipping. Cup yourself as I would. Enjoy the feel of your own skin, your own softness.”

She did as he commanded, and a rose-pink flush spread across her chest.

He said, “You are so wet and ready for me, Zhang. Slip one of your fingers inside yourself. Take it out slowly and then bury it within yourself as you imagine that I would bury myself in you. In and out. Deeper and faster. Feel your own want, your own need.” She did and moaned with pleasure. “Open your eyes.”

When she did, her hot gaze locked to his. Her mouth opened slightly and her tongue flicked across her lips as if seeking his kiss. His kept his arms folded across his chest, not attempting to disguise the desire in his own face.

Their journey together was only beginning.

“Come for me, Zhang,” he whispered.

Without looking away, she increased the tempo of her hand movement and gasped. Another moan escaped her, her stomach tightened and quivered, and she shook as waves of pleasure rocked her slight form.

She slumped into the seat with a shaky breath and withdrew her hand.

“Now,” he said with a wicked smile, “you pleasure me. Come here,” he demanded softly.

Dress still half on, still humming from the pleasure he’d led her to, Zhang surged out of the seat. Rachid was every bit as amazing as she had imagined and more, so much more. They didn’t know each other in the way that many couples did, but on another level she felt that he understood her as no man had before.

Understood and accepted.

He didn’t make any promises and she wouldn’t have believed him if he had. Nothing this excruciatingly perfect could survive the test of reality. Perhaps that was part of what made the entire experience that much more poignant, knowing that it would soon be nothing more than a memory.

But oh, what a memory.

Rachid stood and looked down at her like some conquering warrior. He shed his jacket but left the rest of his clothing on. “You will undress me.”

She stepped forward and reached for the buttons of his shirt, but he stilled her hands with his. “Start with my shoes,” he commanded.

A shiver of excitement sliced through Zhang as she bent before him and began to untie his shoes. There was something incredibly sexy about performing the humbling task. When both of his feet were bare, she once again stood proudly before him and awaited his instruction.

“Now my belt,” he said, his voice thick with passion.

Zhang fumbled at first when she tried to maintain eye contact while performing the deed, and she had to look down to complete the task. When she reached for the button at the top of his trousers, he said, “Did I tell you to do that?”