He sighed and stepped back. “Oh, indeed.” He frowned, turning away, and she felt bereft, as if the sun had just slipped behind a black cloud, leaving her in cold shadow. Instinctively she placed her hand where his had been only seconds before.
He shot her a brief smile. He gestured toward the table. “Please, take a seat. Dinner has already been served. I wished us to be alone, without servants hovering.”
She regained her senses and nodded, also brief. “Of course. We don’t want word to get out.”
He pulled out her chair, and she sat down, watching as he walked around the other side of the table, directly opposite. There would be no escaping his intense gaze.
He paused and then pulled in his chair, his hands steepling on the blackened oak table which was all the more beautiful for the marks of age it bore. “No word will get out, of that you can be assured. The staff have been hand-picked for this, and there is no possibility of them communicating without our knowledge. Every communication is being tracked. You are safe. No, the reason I wish us to be alone is an entirely personal one.”
She raised an eyebrow but didn’t dare speak in case it betrayed her nerves.
His eyes darkened as they met her gaze steadily. “Because I will be seducing you,” he continued. “And I thought you’d prefer privacy.”
She gave a brief nod of her head in agreement.
His lips quirked into a brief smile. “There’s nothing to be nervous about, the only thing to anticipate is…” He hesitated as his thoughts coalesced into one word. “Pleasure.”
She cleared her throat, reached out for her drink and took a sip. She placed it back on the table before replying. She, too, brought her steepled fingers together, her elbows resting on the table, her fingers tapping her lips. “You seem very sure.”
“About giving you pleasure? Of course.” He sat back in his seat, and looped one arm casually over the back of his chair.
“And you know this for a fact, do you? You assume all the women you’ve slept with have been in raptures of pleasure.”
“Yes. Because, Ela, I’m not like other men. For me, there’s no more pleasure to be gained than in giving pleasure to a woman. I listen, you see. I find out what women like, and I make sure I give it to them.”
She really wished she’d hadn’t pushed it because each word he uttered was said in a tone which caressed her nerves, because each word he uttered spoke a truth she knew to be true, because each word he uttered bypassed her defenses and stroked her, deep inside, sending flutters of anticipation to places she’d always refused to think about. It seemed being seduced by Xander required no thinking whatsoever.
She pressed her cool glass to her cheek, which flushed with anticipation. “So…” She sucked in a breath that did nothing to calm her thudding heart. “Do all women like the same thing?”
“No, you’d be surprised.”
She was sure of it. “So, when does this seduction begin?”
“It’s already begun.” He took a sip of his wine. “Don’t underestimate the seductive power of words.
She couldn’t help wondering that if his words had this effect on her body, what state she’d be in when he touched her. Her blush deepened.
“But,” he continued, “we must also eat.” He gestured to the silver plates heaped with colorful appetizers of stuffed vegetables and spiced salads, and platters topped with elaborate silver cloches beneath which she could smell chicken and rice. “In the spirit of the caravanserai, I thought you might enjoy a traditional dinner. Please, help yourself. You must keep up your strength.”
She look up at him through lowered lashes. It seemed her seductive instincts were kicking in, too. “And why’s that?”
“Because, Ela, I don’t intend to stop at words tonight. And, eating is also part of the seduction.” He heaped some food on a spoon and offered it to her.
“Are you infantilizing me? Is that what seduction is?”
“Not at all. I can assure you that that is not the case. I am merely giving you something, and you are receiving it. Seduction 101.”
“Seduction 101,” she repeated. “And you think I’m learning from this?”
“No,” he said to her surprise. “I am.”
She should have resisted, she really should. But she found his reply as irresistible as his gaze and so she opened her mouth, the glossy red lipstick she’d previously applied now slightly smudged by the kiss.
His eyes narrowed. “Wider,” he said and, with only a moment’s hesitation she opened her mouth wider. “Good.” He slid the spoon onto her tongue and she closed her lips over it. It was her turn to witness how turned on he was. His lips opened as he gave a slight gasp. And, for the first time, she realized that she possessed a power of which she’d been completely unaware. She swallowed and slowly and deliberately licked her lips, watching him all the while. He sat back as if pushed.
“More,” she said, not adding any words of courtesy. She needed him to know that she, too, could demand.
He scooped up another small mouthful and slid it onto her tongue. This time she closed her lips around the spoon as it slowly slid out. She noted with satisfaction that his hand shook a little.