Page 60 of Kismet

“You’re troubled, mon coeur.”

The endearment slipped past her lips before she could stop herself, and beneath her palm, the muscles in his chest grew hard and taut. Sweet heaven, what had possessed her to use such an intimate endearment? She swallowed hard and took a step back from him in shock. An odd expression swept over his face, and with a swift jerk he pulled her back into his arms.

“Say that again,” he growled.

Startled, she met his penetrating gaze and paled. She flinched with dismay as she averted her gaze from his. She’d revealed too much with her words. A strong hand caught her chin in a firm grip, and he forced her to look at him.

“Now, Allegra.” The demanding arrogance was back in his voice, and she shuddered with the realization that she had surrendered every last piece of her soul to him.

“My heart,” she whispered as another tremor rippled through her.

With a soft groan, he captured her mouth in a kiss that set her entire body on fire. His mouth singed her, marked her, demanded her response. She gave it willingly. With each fiery brush of her lips against his, she offered him her heart. She’d thought yielding to him had meant giving up complete control—giving up her sense of self, but it didn’t. Surrender only meant she would finally be complete. With him, she was the jahīm anasi. She was his, and nothing would ever change that. Loving him was what made her whole.

His mouth took everything she offered him, and she spiked her fingers through his hair as she pressed into him. A low growl rumbled in his chest as his erection brushed against the apex of her thighs. Sweet and fragrant, the scent of her tickled his nose and the faint taste of sugared dates swept across his tongue. How was it possible the woman could be as intoxicating now as she had been the first time he’d kissed? With a skilled move, she teased the inside of his mouth with a languorous stroke of her tongue.

Christ Jesus but he wanted her—needed her. He deepened their kiss, his tongue mating with hers in heated strokes until a mewl of need echoed out of her. The sound sent a rush of excitement through him. She wanted him. But the triumph he’d expected to feel was missing. Instead, it was gratitude he was feeling. Appreciation for this moment—this last night with her. He lifted his head to stare down at her. He’d always thought her a sensual creature, but tonight she was exquisite.

It astonished him that his hand shook as his fingers traced the smooth softness of her cheek downward to the small hollow of her throat. He wanted to draw out this moment as long as he could. He’d told her they would live in the present tonight, and that was exactly what he intended to do. Morning would come soon enough. With an eagerness that pleased him, she tugged his head down and kissed him. It was a caress designed to entice, and he groaned his willingness to be seduced by her. With a skillful move, she nestled her hips snug against his stiff cock. Sweet Jesus, but the woman knew exactly how to touch him so he had little choice but to simply show her what he couldn’t say.

Roughly, he tugged her gambaz up over her head. She didn’t protest, but reached for his shirt and pushed it up to his shoulders so she could press her mouth to his skin. He discarded the gambaz while her hot tongue darted out to swirl around his nipple. A second later, she gently bit down on the tip. He drew in a sharp breath at the pleasure surging through him. God almighty, the woman was going to make him spill his seed before he even finished undressing. It was time to bring her to her knees.

Tossing his shirt aside, he knelt in front of her and tore her sherwals downward. Dark auburn curls dusted the apex of her thighs, and the light fragrance of musk filled his nostrils. Fingers biting into her soft, plump thighs, he forced her legs apart then leaned forward to slide his tongue through her thick folds, licking his way to her sensitive spot. Above his head, he heard her release a deep moan, and with his thumb he applied pressure to the rim of her sex. Her fingernails bit into his shoulders as he swirled his tongue around the small fleshy nub.

A drop of cream flavored his mouth, the bite of her fresh and hot. Eager for more, he licked the rim of her before he delved deeper into her hot core. God, she tasted good. Hot and silky smooth. Her knees buckled and her hands pressed deeply into his shoulders. With one last stroke of his tongue, he pulled away from her and allowed her to sink to her knees.

An iron vise tightened its grip around his heart at the emotion darkening her green eyes. It was the unrestrained passion he’d asked her to give him. But there was something else flashing in that beautiful gaze of hers. An emotion he knew he wasn’t worthy of. Christ Jesus, he was a condemned man. Tonight he was living in paradise with the knowledge that he’d be in hell come morning. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was her. Desire made her skin glow as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her breaths soft pants of excitement. He’d pleased her. Of that, he was certain and it increased his ardor as they tumbled backward into the pillows on her pallet.

Their movements feverish, they tugged the remainder of their clothing off. She was free first, and in a quick move, she straddled him. Slowly, her hands glided across his shoulders and down over his chest. Hard and strong, his well-sculpted body was like the desert, hot and beautiful. Leaning forward, her tongue trailed a path from his breastbone up to the base of his throat. He was salty and all male. As she tasted him, a deep sound rumbled in his chest.

Her lips pressed against his hard muscles, she breathed in his spicy scent. Sitting up, she gently scraped her fingernail along the hard length of him. The rumble in his chest became a deep growl.

“You’re playing with fire, helwa jahannam meshsh.”

“As the jahīm anasi, isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?” she teased. “Perhaps I’ll just keep playing with fire until you tell me what helwa jahannam meshsh means.”

She’d barely finished speaking before she was on her back and the weight of him was pressing her into the pillows. Pinning her hands up over her head, he bent over her and flicked his tongue across one nipple, his touch as light as air, but agonizingly delicious. As the tip of him brushed against her sex, she whimpered and arched her back in a silent plea for more. He obliged her with a sharp thrust as he sheathed himself inside her. She uttered a small cry at his possession.

With deliberate finesse, he teased her body with slow, measured strokes. Each intimate caress was a mixture of hedonistic pleasure and overwhelming tenderness. Their mating grew more intense as he increased the pace of their lovemaking until there was nothing else in her world except him. Dear lord, she’d never dreamed it could be like this—so intense—so exquisite. She was on fire from the inside out.

The pleasure of it carried her into a white-hot abyss as a shudder gripped her. Her body tightened around his hard length, and she bucked her hips against his as he uttered a sharp cry and throbbed with his own release. Buried deep inside her, he gingerly lowered his weight down on top of her. She welcomed the warmth of him, and clung to him as the sound of his harsh breathing echoed in her ear. It mimicked her own frantic breaths. She kissed his shoulder, enjoying the hot, spicy taste of him that flooded her senses.

After several moments, he rolled off of her to stretch out on his back. His eyes closed, and she saw an expression of contentment settle on his features as he pulled her into his side. Slightly drowsy, she was happy to simply burrow into him and cherish the quiet aftermath of their lovemaking. The strong beat of his heart sounded in her ear, and the steady rhythm made her feel safe. He’d not yet spoken the words she wanted to hear, but she knew he would. Stubborn and proud, it would take time for him to admit his feelings for her, but she was certain he cared for her. What they’d shared just now had been a passion born of deep emotion, and she rejoiced in it. Content and happy, she pressed a kiss into his side and snuggled deeper into his warm flesh.

The soft streaks of dawn pushed their way through the folds of the tent as Shaheen stirred beneath the light blanket that covered him and Allegra. The warmth of her penetrated his skin, stroking his senses. Nestled into his side, her voluptuous curves were a perfect fit against his body. Her breathing was soft and warm against his skin, and he didn’t move for fear of waking her. No, that wasn’t why he remained still. He simply didn’t want to let her go. Pain forced his eyes closed as the full impact of the knowledge hit him. Despair sliced through him, and he did what he’d done since he was a boy. He buried the pain.

He reminded himself that the only thing that mattered was her safety. By the end of the day, she’d be in Safi and on a ship setting sail for home. She’d be safe. She’d be with Shaftsbury. The thought of his cousin sent a wild stroke of hostility through him. His gaze dropped down to study the way Allegra was holding him in her sleep. Had she ever slept in his cousin’s arms like this?

The uninvited image slipped through his head, followed by a wave of fierce jealousy. Had she been like this with all her lovers? Had she slept this quietly, this easily with them as well? Even if she had, it wouldn’t matter, because he was the one she’d willingly stripped her mask away for. She’d dropped her courtesan façade and given him the passion he knew no other man had seen. She’d surrendered her heart to him.

And yet she would come to hate him before the day was through. He swallowed hard. Did he really have the fortitude to execute the plan he’d formulated while Allegra had slept quietly beside him? He had no choice. He’d failed James, but he refused to fail Allegra. Life would not be worth living if he allowed anything to happen to her.

The guilt alone would be unbearable, knowing he’d selfishly kept her with him instead of sending her to safety. He’d made a critical error in underestimating Khalid’s brother. He’d not do it a second time. That Nassar had come so close this time to hurting Allegra chilled him to the bone. The bastard would try again, he was certain of it.

No, the only thing he could do was send her away. He’d have to if he wanted to keep her safe. He sure as hell didn’t have the courage to tell her the truth. Particularly when he didn’t even want to admit it to himself. He studied the softness of her face with a need to memorize the way she looked when sleeping.

After last night, he knew without a doubt that Allegra wouldn’t return to England willingly. She’d fight him tooth and nail to stay here. The only way she’d leave was if he could convince her there was nothing here for her. That she meant nothing to him. He closed his eyes against the painful thought. Fuck. He’d have to humiliate her again and the thought of doing so sickened him. Did he have the strength to be that cruel to her?

As she shifted against him in sleep, her hennaed hand covered his heart and she burrowed deeper into his side. He stared down at the fading tattoo the seer in the souq had applied to her hand. The jahīm anasi was meant to unite his past with his future. And his past was about to take his future from him. The irony of it was almost laughable.