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Out of the corner of her eye she saw him shrug, but his expression called her a coward. And he was right. She was usually naked before she reached the door of the sauna—and she’d had sex with this man. Plus, she was hardly a vestal virgin in the first place. But somehow with Emir she felt exposed in all sorts of ways, and her underwear was one small, tiny, infinitesimal piece of armour—and she was hanging onto it. ‘I’m going outside,’ she announced.
‘Excellent. I’m ready for my ice rub, Ms Skavanga.’
‘Okay, tough guy, bring a towel. And don’t blame me if this is too hard core for you.’ Her grand flounce off was ruined by the sight of Emir’s grin.
She had used to swim through the snow when she was a little girl—or pretend to—and so she plunged straight in. It wasn’t something you stopped to think about. The shock was indescribable. But there was pleasure too as all her nerve endings shrieked at once. The soft bed of snow was cold but not life threatening. It was invigorating, and wiped her mind clean of any concerns she had—
But where was Emir?
She suddenly realised he wasn’t with her. Springing up, she looked around. Nothing—just silence and snow. She called his name. Still nothing.
Had he gone back to the hut?
She ran to the window and peered in. It was empty.
The lake—
Dread made her unsteady on her feet as she stumbled towards the water, but then she gusted with relief...and fury as his head appeared above the surface. ‘You’re mad,’ she yelled. ‘You never go swimming in the lake on your own. What if something had happened to you?’
‘You stole my line,’ he said, springing out. ‘I’m flattered you’d care.’
‘Of course I’d care,’ she yelled, leaning forward hands on hips. ‘What the hell would I tell your people if I lost you in a frozen lake? Don’t you dare laugh at me,’ she warned when Emir pressed his lips together. ‘Don’t you—’
‘What?’ he said sharply. Catching hold of her arms, he dragged her close, but she saw from his eyes that he was only teasing her. ‘Didn’t I tell you I wanted more?’ he growled.
His brows rose, his mouth curved. She could have stamped on his foot—much good it would do her in bare feet. They stared at each other for a long moment, until finally she wrestled herself free. ‘You’re impossible! You’re irresponsible and you’re a pig-headed pain in the neck.’
‘Anything else?’
‘You deserve to freeze to death!’
‘Harsh,’ he commented.
Wrapping both towels around her, she stormed off.
‘You’re a liability!’ she flashed over her shoulder, unable to stare at the gleaming lake water streaming off his naked body a moment longer.
‘Come back here. You haven’t fulfilled your part of the bargain.’
She stopped at the door to the sauna. Emir’s voice was pitched low and sent shivers down her spine. This was another of those ‘what am I doing here?’ moments...
And as soon as she turned she knew. There was nowhere else on earth she’d rather be. ‘My part of the bargain?’ she queried.
‘Ice,’ he said, holding her gaze in a way that shot arousal through her.
‘I can’t believe you haven’t had enough yet.’
‘I haven’t had nearly enough.’
Those black eyes—that stare—that wicked, sexy mouth—
‘You asked for this,’ she said, scooping up a couple of handfuls.
She was right about ice melting on Emir. Even now, fresh from the lake, he was red hot, and as the ice scraped across his smooth, bronzed skin it disappeared beneath the warmth of her hands, leaving her with no alternative but to explore the heat of his body.
‘That’s enough,’ she said, stepping back the instant her breathing became ragged. She had been wrong to think she could do this—that she could play with this man—toy with him—amuse herself at his expense. Emir was more than a match for her, and the strength she’d felt beneath her hands had only confirmed her thoughts that his body was hard, while hers was all too soft and yielding.
She didn’t need to see his face to know he was smiling again as she went back to the sauna hut. Her hands were trembling as she let herself in, and hot guilt rushed through her as she curled up on the bench with her knees tucked under her chin and her arms wrapped tightly round them. By the time Emir walked in, she had put safety back at the top of her agenda. ‘Let me know if you plan any more solo trips in the lake. Forget the sheikh—I don’t even have a contact number for your next of kin.’
