Page 49 of Kismet

“I should never have brought you here. I should have taken you back to Marrakech the moment I found you.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” she whispered as she stared up at him.

“Why are you glad, ma belle?” He cupped her chin in the palm of his hand. The moment he touched her, the heat of him melted into her skin, spreading its way downward until her breath was ragged.

“If you hadn’t brought me here, I wouldn’t have been able to . . . I wouldn’t have been able to choose you.”

The brown eyes gazing intently into hers suddenly sparked with a blaze that terrified and thrilled her in one breath. Slowly he lowered his head and lightly brushed his mouth over hers. Fire streaked through her, forcing her to draw in a sharp breath of need. It gripped her as easily as he did, and the power of it was impossible to ignore. As his mouth slanted over hers, the kiss deepened and pulled her down into a whirlpool of need and desire. The currents of the emotions tugged at her, insisting she not refuse his demanding lips. The heat of his tongue warmed the inside of her mouth as he teased and cajoled a response from her. Lost in the sensation of his touch, she struggled to keep breathing, and the fresh aroma of cedar caressed her senses as if it were a feather. She’d not realized until now how much she’d missed the scent of him.

Hungry for his touch, she moved closer, her hands resting on his hips as she pressed her body into his. The moment she did so, his arousal pressed into her thigh. Her heart skipped a beat before it started to pump wildly with excitement. Dear God, she wanted to feel him inside her, filling her with his hard, thick length. She wanted to experience the tip of him pressing into her as he teased her with his body until she cried out and he plunged deep inside of her. Erotic images of his naked body entwined with hers pulled a whimper from her throat. She wanted him. Craved him. Eagerly, she slid her hand across his hip until she reached his erection. Hard and thick, he jumped at her touch as she rubbed her hand over him through his clothing. The caress pulled a heavy groan past his lips and his mouth left hers to nibble on the edge of her jaw.

“You have no idea how hard it’s been staying away from you, ma belle,” he whispered.

From off in the distance she heard someone call his name, and as if they’d been indulging in nothing more than a quiet conversation, he quickly released her. On the edge of the abyss, Allegra stumbled slightly as he released her from his embrace. Disoriented, she pressed her fingertips into her forehead fighting to clear the fog enveloping her brain. Outside the tent, she heard Jamal’s voice calling for him, and Shaheen quickly moved forward to sweep aside the wool flap guarding the shelter’s door. As she turned around, Jamal entered the tent.

There was nothing in Shaheen’s expression to denote he’d even been aroused mere seconds ago. The ease with which he shut down his desire stung her pride more than she cared to admit. She was a courtesan of the highest order, sought after by royalty, nobility, and powerful men. None of her lovers had ever exhibited the type of self-control this man did. The knowledge didn’t just irritate her—it slashed at her confidence.

“He’s arrived.” Jamal said in a wooden tone of voice.

His manner surprised her because she knew the men were close friends. Watching them together she was suddenly reminded of tin soldiers. A frown furrowed Shaheen’s head as he rubbed his chin.

“And Kasim?”

“He rode back with them.”

A contemplative expression on his face, Shaheen nodded his understanding. “Then something else has happened. He wouldn’t be here this early in the season otherwise.”

“Khalid has always done as he pleased. Not unlike another man I know.” The Bedouin shrugged, his voice filled with a veiled sarcasm.

Glaring at the Amazigh, Shaheen released a sound of irritation and turned his head to study her for a long moment. She met his gaze steadily and when she saw a sudden flash of emotion flare in his eyes, it startled her. Indecision? No, she had to be mistaken. Shaheen wasn’t the type of man to doubt himself. He never questioned his actions.

“Have Malik saddle Tarek, I’ll ride out to meet him.”

With a nod, Jamal left the tent. Alone once more, tension charged the space around them. The tactile sensation edged its way across her skin in a way she’d never experienced with any lover. But then nothing about Shaheen or her relationship with him was even remotely like her past. The moment his piercing gaze met hers, she was mesmerized. The man’s ability to hold her captive with just his eyes was a power no other had ever been able to exert over her before. Closing the gap between them, he stretched out his sun-darkened hand and gently slid his fingers through her short curls.

“You look like a girl barely out of the schoolroom.” His quiet statement made her laugh.

“I think the sun has blinded you,” she said with a smile.

“I’m far from blind, ma belle. I see a woman before me who’s capable of great passion.”

The soft words sent a shiver skimming down the back of her neck. They made her mouth go dry with a longing she didn’t even think possible for her to feel. Everything about this man terrified her. He’d already stolen her independence and self-control, what would he steal next? Her heart? The thought of it made her freeze, incapable of responding to him. His eyes narrowed as if he could see the effect he was having on her.

Somewhere outside the tent, a loud chorus of voices erupted with shouts of excitement. He glanced over his shoulder, an expression of frustration tugging at his dark brow. With a sharp move, he turned back to her and jerked her forward to kiss her hard. It was a brief moment of passion that lit every nerve ending in her body. Lifting his head, he smiled down at her. It was a smile of confidence that unsettled her in more ways than one.

“Until tonight, ma belle,” he murmured before he released her and left the tent.

As she watched him go, her heart skipped a beat. Tonight she would belong to a man who possessed the power to take her to the heights of heaven or the depths of hell.