She wrapped her arms around herself. ‘That’s why I agreed to the job, Zafir, because I re
alised I could use the money for good. I wasn’t looking for an affair—or an easy payday.’
His mouth tipped up wryly. ‘I think you’ve made that clear.’
He came towards her again, as if determined not to give her any space, and for a moment Kat might have believed that they’d slipped through time to another age, where he was a medieval warrior king and there was nothing beyond this place but untamed lands and fierce desires.
He put his hands on her arms.
Far too weakly, Kat said, ‘Zafir, no.’
His eyes were silver in the flickering candlelight. ‘Kat, yes. All that matters is this moment. Here and now.’
His words impacted on her like little bombs, blasting the last of her shaky defences.
He pulled her so close that she could feel his chest moving against hers, and the blunt thrust of his burgeoning arousal. Then he cupped her face with his hands, tipping it up to his, and as his mouth covered hers Kat stayed tense, even though she knew it was futile. She wanted this as much as he did.
She was fooling herself if she thought that denying herself this would make things easier in the end... Or at least that’s how she justified it to herself as she found herself softening, tipping over the edge of resistance, responding to Zafir’s expert touch and kisses, letting his strength hold her up because hers was gone...
CHAPTER NINE
HOURS LATER, WHEN the oasis was bathed in silvery moonlight, and after they had gorged themselves on a succulent feast and then made love again, Kat was curled into Zafir’s side, one arm across his chest, her hand idly tracing patterns on his skin. He felt sated, languid, and at peace.
Peace?
When that registered, a prickle of panic skated over his skin. He wasn’t looking for peace. He had peace—didn’t he? He was just looking for an end to this insatiable hunger he felt.
So why did you bring her here to this place? asked a snide voice.
To seduce her ruthlessly and get her to admit she still wanted him. That was why. And Zafir had felt ruthless as he’d noted Kat’s attempts to ward him off. The fact that she’d done it by trying to remind him of the accusations he’d thrown at her before had impacted on him in a place he didn’t like to acknowledge.
He’d wanted to stop her saying those things, stop reminding him of how wrong he’d been about her...
Kat moved beside him then, coming up on one elbow. He looked at her and his chest tightened. She was sexily dishevelled and still flushed. His hunger was like a sharp spike, clawing at his insides all over again.
She looked at him, and he saw how her eyes had turned more green than amber and she seemed concerned. A sense of desperation joined his panic. Everything in him resisted letting her see the pit of emotions he couldn’t analyse in his gut. And so, in a crude reflex to avoid hearing what she was thinking, he moved, gently disentangling himself from her to sit up and reach for a robe.
‘Where are you going?’
Her voice was husky, and even that had an effect on him. Zafir gritted his jaw.
He handed her another, smaller robe and watched as she sat up and pulled it on. ‘I want to show you something.’
She came to the edge of the bed and started to reach for her prosthesis, but Zafir lifted her into his arms, saying gruffly, ‘You don’t need it.’
‘Zafir, I do need it,’ she said, her breath warming his neck. ‘I don’t want to get too used to this—it’ll make me lazy.’
There was something in her voice—an edge that made Zafir’s jaw clench even tighter. Especially when he thought of any other faceless man lifting her into his arms. But he was already walking out through the tent opening and across the oasis.
Kat curled into him and hissed, ‘Someone will see us.’
‘No, they won’t. We’re totally private.’
He walked until they reached the edge of the large pool, its surface rippling and glistening under the moonlight. The waterfall fell nearby—a muted roar. Zafir put Kat down on her good leg and held her steady as he let his robe drop. Then he pulled hers off so they were both naked.
He lifted her again, and stepped into the pool. Kat clung on and squeaked as Zafir lowered them both into warm, silky water. He held her until they were deep enough to float, feeling her nipples pebble into hard points against his chest, which almost undid him.
And then he asked, ‘Okay?’