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His head dipped, and his lips took possession of hers. It was as if he wasn't willing to wait for her to say anything. As if he had to take matters into his own hand.
Eliana groaned, sensing pleasure sweep through her. She stretched up on her toes, feeling his arms embrace her. There seemed to be a new intensity to his embrace, she told herself. A fresh urgency.
Eliana coiled her arms around Kadeem's shoulders. It felt so good to be in his embrace. Felt so good to feel the tautness in his firm muscles.
Suddenly she wondered how this would look. They were kissing in public, in the palace garden. Everything about that triggered rebellious thoughts in her. But it went against everything she'd been taught growing up here. She'd never kissed anyone in this garden. At least not in broad daylight. Of course there had been brief liaisons with suitors. But those had been moments snatched on dark evenings while guests mingled inside the palace.
There had been nothing like this, she told herself. No-one like Kadeem. He'd barely arrived, and he was already tempting her to break every rule she'd ever learned growing up here.
Finally, he lifted his head and gazed down at her. "Does that answer your question?" he murmured.
"What question?" she asked.
The corner of his mouth creased with the hint of a smile. "The one you couldn't find the right words for."
"I didn't know you were a mindreader," she said trying to ignore the furious beating of her heart.
"There's a lot you still don't know about me," he stated.
"Really?"
He nodded. "But, I'm not going anywhere. So, you're going to get plenty of opportunity to dig deep into me," he murmured, warming to his words.
Kadeem pulled her against him. It felt as if he never wanted to let her go. She felt possessed by him. Just as she'd felt back in Qazhar when she'd lain beneath him as he'd claimed her. She knew that feeling wouldn't go away. She'd never forget that night. Not for as long as she lived.
"How deep do you want me to dig?" she asked, trying to make light of the sudden change in him.
He ignored her attempt at humor. A sudden seriousness flared in his dark eyes. His gaze was penetrating, unmoving.
"As deep as you want," he growled. "I came here to claim you once and for all. You understand that, Ellie. I'm not here to play games. The time for that is over. And I won't let anything, or anyone stand in my way."
For a moment, silence hung heavily between them. She gazed into his eyes, seeking any hint that he might have been teasing her. But there was none.
Any response she might have entertained simply froze in her mind. She felt utterly taken aback by the intensity of his words.
She saw a darkness in his eyes. Gone was the easy politeness. It had been replaced by something she'd seen before. A fierce, determined need for her that he seemed almost unable to control.
His arms tightened around her. There was a new ferocity in his embrace. The kiss seemed to have ignited his desire for her. Was it really that easy for him to change like this?
Because, just like a few moments ago, there were still troubling shadows which lingered in her whenever she was close to him like this. Those shadows only ever appeared when his desire lit up like that. When she saw how much he really wanted her. When he awakened her own need.
She felt her body stiffen in his embrace. His eyes narrowed imperceptibly and she knew he had noticed the change in her. His embrace softened and she took a step backward, fussing awkwardly with her hair.
She heard Kadeem sigh heavily. It had been as if a temporary madness had seized him. He ran his hand through his hair and seemed momentarily lost for words.
"We should head back to the palace." She smiled. "I can tell you those dark secrets later," she suggested, trying to brighten her voice.
But the joke fell flat. She saw him frown. She realized it had been a futile gesture. Something had opened up in him, a hidden intensity, and she had seen a hint of the feral, animal-like desire that was hiding inside him.
Suddenly she worried that they'd made a mistake coming to her country. Was he going to be able to contain that desire for the entire duration of his stay in the palace?
"Sure," he said sharply. His eyes flashed, distracted and almost confused looking.
Then, they started back toward the palace.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Later, in the early evening, Kadeem readied himself in his rooms. He could hear the sounds of guests arriving. He walked to the terrace and glanced toward the far end of the main palace building. In the dim evening light, he could see part of the road which curved through the gardens and out to the main entrance gate of the palace grounds. He saw a steady stream of headlights lining up, waiting to deposit their illustrious guests.
