She pre-empted them by placing a hand on his chest. ‘It was my choice not to explore that side of my life.’
He nodded, but the speculation remained. ‘And you choose to bestow such a gift on me now because...?’
It occurred to her that his power and position in life would have made him suspect such a gift. ‘Not because of who you are, if that’s what you’re wondering. If I was that calculating I would’ve waited until...until you saw the evidence for yourself, not risked you rejecting me because you thought I was being untruthful. But... I want you, more than I want to keep my innocence. I told you because... I didn’t want... I know my inexperience may be a turn-off for you—’ She stopped, flushing as he made a gruff sound of disbelief.
He stepped closer, bringing his body heat, the very temptation of him into her personal space. ‘You think what you’ve just told me makes you less desirable to me?’ he demanded. He followed the statement with another singeing full-body appraisal.
Standing there, naked, while he was fully clothed and she was dying with need was suddenly too much. Her head dipped beneath the weight of her want, her arms rising to block the most private parts of her body from him.
He lunged forward, grabbing her hands as his breaths emerged in harsh pants. ‘Don’t hide yourself from me, habiba. I want to see you, all of you. I wish to commit every magnificent inch of the body that is about to become mine and mine alone to memory.’
Her breath caught, her head jerking up to meet his gaze. Pure fire blazed in the topaz depths, robbing her of words, of the fear of rejection she’d dreaded.
‘I...’ She would never know what she planned to say because the words shrivelled and died in her throat when he reached behind him and tugged his tunic off in one decisive move. His massive chest was a hairless, contoured landscape of honed muscles and bronze-skinned perfection. Her mouth dried up and the need to touch him flared wildly through her as he hurriedly toed off his loafers, then removed his trousers.
Zaid was by far the most superior male specimen she’d ever clapped eyes on. She reeled as her voracious gaze took in lean hips, powerful thighs and a body so magnificent she didn’t think she could stand to look at him for much longer without screaming that he take her. But still she looked her fill, especially at the proud manhood, fully engorged and straining against his stomach. The thought of all that power directed at her, inside her, sent a wave of dizziness through her. But it was accompanied by an undeniable hunger.
As if he read her thoughts, he caught her hand, drew it to his body. ‘Give in to your desire, Esmeralda. Touch me,’ he ordered roughly.
She gladly gave in. And gasped in wonder and delight as her fingers met feverishly hot smooth skin layered over rock-hard muscle. A strong wish to circle his magnificent body, just as he’d done to her, assailed her. But she didn’t think she could move from where she was rooted to the spot, such was the awesome power surging through her.
So she contented herself with learning the grooves of his abs, of skimming her fingers over his breastplate, grazing her nails over his flat nipples. At his harsh hiss, her fingers froze.
The next moment, he cupped her nape in a jerky movement, bringing her flush against his body before slamming his mouth on hers. The kiss was hard, and quick, and spoke of an edge riding him he was hanging onto with great difficulty.
Just as abruptly he ended the kiss and swept her into his arms.
‘We need to move this to the bed, sweet one. Now. Before I reach the point of no return and take you here on the floor.’
CHAPTER TEN
THE TOUCH OF the cool sheets against her back sent a delicious shiver through Esme. That shiver turned into a warm shudder when Zaid’s hot, virile body settled over hers. He didn’t return to kissing her, but instead trailed his mouth over her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose before journeying down her throat to the pulse that raced wildly there. Through it all, he murmured deep, lyrical words in his own language. She didn’t care that she had no understanding of them, as they pulsed with meaning in her blood. Emotion that felt different from the physical magic happening to her tightened in her chest. She didn’t have time to explore it because his lips were destroying her very sanity.
They deposited kisses between the valley of her breasts for an interminable age, before cresting her left breast to tug one tingling nipple into his mouth.
Just like last time, the sensation was beyond exquisite. Her fingers convulsed where they’d been trailing though his hair. ‘Oh!’
Encouraged by her response, he repeated the caress, then graced her twin nipple with the same incredible attention. By the time he continued on his exploration, Esme was nearly incoherent with pleasure. So much so it took a moment to realise his next destination.
Her breath froze as he wrapped one hand around her slim thigh and parted her legs. Throughout her feverish imaginings of what making love with Zaid would feel like, she’d never factored in oral sex. The aggressive determination on his face, however, told her he’d very much factored it into his own process and was intent on fulfilling that wish.
Heat surged high and fiery beneath her skin as he bared her most intimate body part to his bold gaze. The hand that captured her thigh released her to caress a path of devastation up to her heated core. Sure fingers parted her, his gaze flickering up to meet hers for a charged second before dropping back down to her centre.
‘You’re beautiful, Esmeralda,’ he stated throatily. Simple words. But their effect on her was nothing short of earth-shattering.
The last of her resolve melted away, leaving her with a bone-deep belief that whatever happened when the sun rose tomorrow, she was doing the right thing right now. As if h
e’d read her thoughts, his eyes met hers, the darker depths staying fixed on her face for a long spell before he lowered his head and tasted her in the most elemental of ways.
Newly freed from her self-doubt, she succumbed to the pleasure racing through her bloodstream. The warm satin sheets slid gloriously underneath her as she gave in to the instinct to roll her hips against Zaid’s caress. He made a gravelly sound of approval in his throat. She moved again, meeting the expert flick of his tongue against the engorged nub that was the epicentre of her pleasure. Fireworks burst across her vision, and her breath emerged in harsh pants as an indescribable sensation began to take over. It gathered speed and power, catapulting her higher with each bold caress from Zaid. Her fingers clenched into the satin sheets as he spread her even wider, and deepened the intimate kiss.
The giant knot of pleasure burst wide open without warning, drawing a shocked scream from her lungs as she was flung high into a stratosphere of pure, incandescent bliss. The pleasure rolled in an endless loop, her body convulsing shamelessly as she drowned in it. When it finally released her from its vicious grip, her eyes fluttered open. To the sight of the man responsible for her incredible release.
His hands were clamped on her hip and in her hair, and the dark flush on his face spoke of his own savage need. The need to bestow on him a fraction of what he’d just given her urged her to raise a hand to his cheek, caress his taut skin, before raising her head to press her lips to his.
A pure animal sound ripped from his throat as he quickly donned a condom, levered his body over hers and resumed the kiss. His thighs parted hers and she felt the undeniable power of his arousal between her legs. She looked down at where they were about to join. Her heart caught, the reality of his impressive girth forcing an apprehensive swallow.
The fingers in her hair tightened a touch, directing her attention upward. ‘It’ll be all right, habiba. Don’t fret. The pain will be fleeting... I’ve been told. Then I guarantee you untold pleasure.’