AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Grace's breath quickened and he felt her hands go to his shoulders. Her fingers curled, taking hold of his muscles.
Qazim inhaled her sweet scent, intoxicating and delicate. It made his senses spin.
He heard Grace moan quietly as he probed her with his tongue, testing, seeking. Qazim felt himself harden. Grace shifted as he traced a line with his hand down the length of her back. The fabric of her dress was silky soft. He settled his hand at the base of her spine, drawing her even more firmly against him.
They both wanted this, he told himself. They'd been fooling themselves trying to deny the truth of how they felt about each other. Grace had been hiding her true feelings from him. He could sense it in the way she'd responded to this kiss.
Everything around them seemed to fade away. There was only the two of them. He refused to end the kiss, needing it to last, wanting it to never stop. Now that she was in his arms, where she belonged, he never wanted to let her go.
Qazim felt her breasts pressing against his chest. They felt soft and incredibly enticing. He wanted to cup his hand around them, just as he had so many times before.
Grace stiffened suddenly and she lifted her head away from his. She was slightly breathless and her eyes were bright with inflamed desire.
She peered into Qazim's eyes. For a moment, he wondered what she was searching for. Did she need to see if he was being sincere, or was she looking for any hint he was merely taking advantage of this solitude?
He smiled at her. "Grace!" he breathed. He lifted a hand to her chin, savoring the softness of her skin.
He noticed, immediately, that she didn't return his smile. Her features were as impassive as before the kiss.
Qazim started to dip his head toward her, but she shocked him by leaning to one side, turning her face away.
Qazim froze. Frustration flared in him, an instant hot flame. He forced himself not to say anything, to control the impulse that threatened to completely spoil the moment.
Then Grace shifted, loosening herself from Qazim's embrace. It felt like much more than a simple act of separation. Qazim knew that gesture meant so much more than simply the desire to move away from him for the moment.
Grace took a few steps away from Qazim, turning her back to him. She folded her arms around herself.
He followed after her. Then she halted and turned, peering at him. "This isn't going to work, Qazim," she announced.
Qazim felt something heavy sink in the pit of his stomach. He took a step toward her, but she fixed him with a stern look that made him stop in his tracks.
Grace shook her head. "I knew it was going to be a mistake coming here, tonight."
"It hasn't been a mistake, Grace," he retorted. "You see how I've missed you." He gazed at her. "How much I want you in my life."
Grace sighed heavily. "Don't say that," she exclaimed. "This isn't going to work, Qazim."
"It can work, because we will make it work. For us." He glanced down at her belly. "For the baby."
He saw her cheeks flush with color. She knew what he was saying was true. This was about more than Qazim and Grace.
"Marry me, Grace," Qazim breathed, feeling the fierceness of his own emotion. Those words sounded so sweet to his ears.
Grace's features were impassive, at first. Then he saw uncertainty flicker in her eyes.
"I can't, Qazim," she replied in a soft voice. He saw a pleading expression in her eyes. "Don't keep asking me that."
"I won't stop until you're my wife, Grace. You know that, don't you?"
She turned her face away from him. He reached across, placing his fingertips beneath her chin. He gently guided her gaze back to him. "Habibti," he murmured.
Her eyes widened imperceptibly and then closed softly as if she was trying to gather her strength.
"I won't become your wife, Qazim," she announced in a steady voice. "I'm leaving tomorrow."
She moved away from him. He caught her arm, holding it gently. She glanced down at his hand and he quickly released her arm.
He had one last thing he could try. Even as he considered it, he couldn't quite believe it had come to this.
