Page 53 of Kismet

“If I take her back to Marrakech, what’s to prevent Nassar from kidnapping her again?” he protested bitterly. “I can protect her better than Shaftsbury.”

“She’s your weakness,” Khalid said quietly. “My brother knows that now, and he’ll exploit it if he can.”

“My weakness?” he growled. “Allegra isn’t a weakness.”

“If she’s not your weakness, then why insist she remain here?”

“Because she’s my responsibility until she’s able to return safely to England.”

He glared at the look of skepticism on his friend’s face. Did Khalid actually think he had feelings for the woman? He scoffed at the idea, while crushing an answer to the question. An answer he didn’t want to hear. Khalid’s eyes narrowed with astute perception.

“Then send for Shaftsbury. He can escort her to Safi where she can sail for England.”

The words hovered in the air between them, and he was certain he’d just been issued an indirect command. He didn’t like it. Particularly when he knew Khalid was right. But he couldn’t let her go just yet. Today he’d put her in harm’s way, but he’d learned a hard lesson. Protecting her meant making the right choices, and sending her back to Marrakech wasn’t the right choice. His gut told him that. Yes, he wanted her. Wanted her in the worst way. But he knew she was safer with him than Shaftsbury or anyone else, even Khalid. She was safe because she was his, and he wasn’t about to let anyone hurt her. The possessive nature of his thoughts sent tension crashing through him until he was rigid. He gave the Sheikh a hard look.

“We’ve been friends a long time, Khalid. So do not misunderstand me when I say that I’ll decide when and how to send Allegra back to England.” The hard, ruthless edge to Shaheen’s voice made Khalid look at him oddly.

“So be it, but God help you if you fail her the way I failed Yasmia.”

The forbidding look on Khalid’s face didn’t trouble him as much as the sympathetic note he heard in his friend’s voice. The silent look of warning in the Sheikh’s gaze didn’t comfort him either as Khalid turned and walked away. Shaheen uttered a noise of disgust. God, he was a fool. He’d been so obsessed with Allegra that he’d failed to use his head when it came to protecting her and his people. He should have realized Nassar would track his movements. Fear gripped his muscles, twisting them into painful knots. Adding to his discomfort, another emotion spiked through him. It was hunger. A hunger to see her, reassure himself that she was safe.

His stride swift, he walked quietly through the camp until he reached his tent. Lifting the wool flap, he slipped into the dark dwelling where he paused to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness. It wasn’t long before he could see Allegra’s voluptuous curves stretched out on her pallet supported by pillows. The blanket she used barely covered her lush curves. Desire barreled through him at the sensual picture she made. A long leg bent at the knee was exposed to the night air, while the thin wool covering had slipped downward to reveal the tops of her full breasts.

The thin stream of moonlight washing in from above accentuated the roundness of her hip beneath the blanket, while highlighting her exposed skin like pale silk on a dark canvas. He wanted to see her painted this way. But not asleep. He wanted an artist to capture that expression of raw sensuality her green eyes always had when she was awake. With as much stealth as possible, he crossed the carpet to sit at her side. Her breathing was soft and steady as she slept.

She looked so peaceful. He could only hope that this afternoon would not haunt her dreams. He frowned. Khalid was right. He needed to get her to safety, but not Marrakech. Nassar would be looking for her there, and he wasn’t about to let that bastard take her a second time. No, Safi was safer. English ships put into port there frequently. The idea sparked a rebellion in his head.

The internal protests didn’t surprise him as much as their intensity. Whenever he considered setting her free, a raw, primal possessiveness surged through him. It wasn’t a comfortable sensation. A small sigh passed her lips, and he watched as she shifted beneath the blanket. The wool covering slipped down to reveal the tip of one dusky-colored nipple.

Instantly, he was as hard as a rock as he stared at the stiff peak. Christ Jesus, what kind of power did this woman have over him? Even in the innocence of sleep she could make him ache with desire. Stifling a groan, he dropped his head to rest upon his knees. He sat there with his eyes closed, drawing in her scent, listening to the soft sigh of her breath, the quiet rustle of her body against the pillows as she moved in her sleep. The sheer essence of her floated up to encircle him and snare him in her net.

Hard and taut inside his sherwals, his cock throbbed for release. Every time he drew in a breath, his body cried out for her. It was a demand he knew would take a long time to assuage, but not tonight. Given the horrors of the day, he wasn’t about to disturb her peaceful slumber.

Raising his head, he sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of her. She’d moved again in her sleep. One arm was tucked behind her neck, while her other arm crossed one breast until her fingers brushed over the opposite nipple. Her mouth was slightly parted as if even in sleep something had aroused her sensual nature. She was everything he’d ever dreamed temptation would be. Unable to help himself, he stripped his clothes off his back, amazed that he didn’t wake her with his movements. Quietly, he stretched himself out beside her and encircled himself with his hand.

Watching her sleep, he pumped his erection with a firm hand. As he adjusted his grip to catch the sensitive ridge near the top of his hard cock, the action tugged a ragged breath from him. His gaze fell to her breast, and he imagined licking and sucking on the stiff nipple as he tightened his hand around his rod. She moved again in her sleep. This time her head turned toward him, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips as she pillowed her head into the curve of her shoulder.

The sight of her tongue damping her lips pulled a dark moan from him as his hand clenched himself a trifle too hard. He pumped faster as his eyes took in the soft smile curving her mouth. God almighty, she was awake. How long had she been awake? Caught up in the base needs of his flesh, he kept stroking himself as her eyes opened to stare into his. Lightly, she touched the nipple of one breast, her tongue lacing her upper lip as she twirled her fingers around the tip of her.

“Does it excite you when I touch myself like this?” Her voice was soft and mesmerizing as her fingers continued to play with her nipple.

“Christ Jesus, yes,” he growled, as he pumped his hand over his flesh until he was burning from the heat of his fast strokes.

“And this,” she murmured with a seductive smile as her hand slid down toward a dark triangle of curls. “Does this excite you?”

Still stroking himself with a quick and furious hand, he watched her fingers dip into her curls. His mouth went dry as he stared in fascination at the way she caressed herself. Erotic and sensual, her movements only intensified the need for release in his body. Unable to speak, he released a guttural sound as he closed his eyes and spilled his seed with one last hard stroke of his hand.