NOT quite dreamless, Kristi acknowledged from the depths of her subconscious as she ascended through the mists of sleep. She felt deliciously warm, and all her senses seemed to be finely tuned to the faint, musky smell of male skin beneath her lips. She could feel the soft brush of a hand as it trailed along her lower spine, while the other teased the softness of her breast.
Sensation unfurled as her body slowly wakened in response to his feather-light touch, and she murmured indistinctly as her breast burgeoned, its peak hardening in anticipation of the havoc his mouth could create.
She stirred, unable to remain still as the hand at the lower edge of her spine began to explore the contours of her hip, slipping down over her thigh to seek the core of her femininity. Her hastily indrawn breath was followed by a purr of pleasure, and her body arched against his as he began to tantalise her with leisurely expertise.
Every nerve-end began to pulsate until her whole body was consumed with a slow-burning fire that heated her veins and sent the blood pumping at an accelerated rate.
Slowly, with infinite care, he continued an evocative exploration of her body, heightening each sensual pleasure-spot to its ultimate pitch until she became suffused with an aching warmth. Not content with that, he repeated the exploration with the touch of his lips, creating such unbearable sensations that she clung to him unashamedly, silently begging for release from the tumultuous tide of emotion threatening to consume her.
Gently he eased himself between her legs, adjusting her hips as he coaxed her aroused flesh to accept his masculinity.
Kristi felt a sense of total enclosure as silken tissues expanded and stretched, and her faint gasp was caught as his mouth closed in possession over her own, the kiss so erotic that she didn’t notice the sting of pain.
He began a gentle pacing, so that she felt every movement, every inch of the journey as the music of passion built deep within her, its tempo increasing as she urged him further and faster in a crashing crescendo that culminated in shock waves shuddering through her body as she reached breathtaking ecstasy.
A total loss of control, she mused as she began the slow descent back to reality. Although reality would never be quite the same again.
Instinct relayed to her the fact that his response had been too controlled, almost as if he had kept a tight rein in order to ensure that she experienced the ultimate pleasure without threat of it being overshadowed by his own.
Awareness defined new dimensions, and she savoured the musky scent secreted by their skin, the warm heat generated by their bodies, their still rapidly beating hearts, his, her own, and felt them slow as languor replaced passion in the sweet aftermath of satisfactory sex.
Lovemaking, Kristi corrected silently. What they’d shared was more than just sex.
Slowly she turned her head, marvelling as the first light of the new day’s dawn slowly crept up over the horizon, shifting shadows and bathing all before it in a soft, hazy glow.
‘Do you want to ride out into the desert?’
The promise of a new day enthralled her, and she couldn’t suppress the delight in her voice as she answered him. ‘Yes.’
He buried his fingers deep in her hair, then bent his head and bestowed a brief, hard kiss on her mouth before moving to the side of the bed. ‘How quickly can you dress?’
Kristi slid out to stand beside him. ‘As quickly as you.’
Ten minutes later they were cantering out of the compound, the horses whickering slightly in anticipation of the exercise.
Her mount was a beautiful thoroughbred, with an arrogant head and a fine, pacing step that promised speed once she gave him the rein.
Shalef moved beside her, looking magnificent in traditional thobe and gutra.
The steed he’d chosen was large and powerful, and as soon as they cleared the compound he urged it into a steady canter.
It felt wonderful to ride again, to enjoy the exhilaration and the power. The terrain of the desert was stark, the sense of isolation intense, yet she could understand the fascination it held, for there was a sense of timelessness apparent, almost a feeling of awe for early civilisation. With a little imagination, one could almost picture the camel train of an ancient era traversing the distant sanddunes highlighted against the early-morning sky, a caravan of wandering Bedouin seeking food and a temporary camp. And the marauding plunder of tribal bands who sought to gain and mark territory in a land which had known violence since the beginning of time.
A faint shiver ran down Kristi’s spine, and in an attempt to dispel such introspection she leaned forward in the saddle and urged her mount to increase his speed. Faster, until every muscle in her body strained and the air rushed through her clothes, tearing at her headscarf and loosening her hair.
Shalef drew abreast and maintained an identical pace as they raced together across the wide plain without any sense of competition, until Kristi eased back slightly, allowing her mount to slow to a canter.
A hand reached out and caught hold of her reins, and she straightened in the saddle, her features alive as she turned towards the man whose thigh was almost brushing her own.
He wasn’t even breathing heavily, while she needed precious seconds to gain control of her voice.
‘That was incredible!’ Her eyes were deep brown velvet specked with glowing topaz, and her cheeks held a blush-pink glow from exertion. The scarf had come adrift, and her hair was in a state of tousled disarray.
‘So are you,’ Shalef offered softly, and her eyes widened as he leaned close and took her mouth in a long, hard kiss.
It was after seven when they entered the compound, and as they drew close to the stables two Filipino servants emerged to take care of the horses.
‘Would you prefer a cold drink or coffee?’ Shalef enquired as they entered the house.
‘Cold,’ Kristi responded without hesitation, following him through to the kitchen.
‘Water or orange juice?’
‘Juice.’ She ran a hand over the taut muscles of one arm. ‘Then I’m going to have a long, hot shower.’
The cook looked up as they entered, moving quickly to the refrigerator to extract a carafe of orange juice and chilled water before she tended to the coffee.
Kristi was supremely conscious of the man at her side, and all her fine body hairs seemed to extend like tiny antennae in recognition of his proximity. All her senses appeared to be in a state of heightened anticipation, for she was conscious of every breath she took, every beat of her heart, and it bothered her more than she cared to admit.
The hand that held her glass felt slightly unsteady, and she drank quickly in the need to escape his disturbing presence.
In the bedroom she gathered her spare set of clothes, which seemed to disappear and reappear freshly laundered in a short space of time each morning, and went through to the bathroom.
It took only seconds to discard her jeans and blouse, briefs and bra, and for a moment she looked wistfully at the spa-bath, then decided on the shower.
Kristi moved the dial to ‘WARM’, stepped beneath the flow of water and picked up the bar of soap. ‘Bliss,’ she breathed minutes later as she applied shampoo to her hair, only to freeze at the sound of the shower door sliding open.
Shalef stood framed in the aperture, and her eyes flew to his in consternation.
‘You can’t,’ she protested as he stepped in beside her and closed the door.
‘I can.’ Irrefutable, the words merely confirmed his action, and she gave a startled gasp when he removed the shampoo bottle from her hand and completed her task, massaging her scalp with tactile expertise as the water rinsed the suds from her hair.
The soap came next, and she swept his hand aside as it glided over one breast then moved towards the other. ‘Don’t.’
The remonstration brought forth a husky laugh. ‘You are embarrassed? After what we shared together in the early hours of this morning?’
His hand moved to her abdomen, then traced across to her hip and slid to the base of her spine, soothing in a manner which tugged alive a fierce ache in the pit of her stomach.
‘Shalef—’
Whatever else she might have uttered was lost as his mouth covered hers in a kiss that became flagrantly seductive as it gently coaxed, seeking a response that she was afraid to give. Her hands reached out, touching hard muscle and sinew as her fingers conducted a slow tracing of his ribcage, the indentation of his hard waist, and down over the flat musculature of his stomach.
A deep groan sounded low in his throat as he caught hold of her hands and held them, then his mouth eased away from hers and he rested his chin on the top of her head.
‘Enough,’ he said heavily. ‘Otherwise we’ll never get beyond the bedroom and there are guests who expect to sit down to breakfast with me in fifteen minutes.’ He moved fractionally, letting his hand slide to cover her breast. ‘Go.’
Kristi went, pausing only long enough to collect a towel, basic toiletries and her clothes.
By the time he entered the bedroom she was dressed and doing the best she could to persuade her damp hair into a semblance of order.
She was aware of his every move as he extracted briefs, trousers, shirt, and donned each of them before reaching for a clean thobe.
‘Ready?’
Physically, although her emotions were in a questionable state!
The meal seemed to last for ever, the men inclined to linger over several cups of coffee, and it was almost ten when Shalef accompanied them out to the waiting helicopter.
The sound of the rotor-blades intensified, then the craft lifted off, paused, then wheeled away to the east.
Kristi listened till the sound disappeared, and she turned as Shalef re-entered the house. Her eyes locked with his as she tried to disguise her uncertainty. ‘When do we leave for the palace?’
His expression was impossible to read. ‘There is no immediate need to return for a few days.’
Kristi couldn’t think of a thing to say.
‘Unless, of course, you object,’ Shalef added quietly.
She knew she should. Knew that to remain here with him was akin to divine madness. Yet the rational part of her brain was motivated by the dictates of her heart, urging her to embark on an emotional experience that would almost certainly end in heartbreak...although the journey itself would be unforgettable.
‘I’ll stay.’
Without a word he closed the distance between them and swept her into his arms.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ she asked in a faintly scandalised voice.
‘Taking you to bed.’ He carried her down the wide hallway to the room at its very end, then, once inside, he closed the door and allowed her to slide down to her feet.
Her eyes widened slightly at the vital vibrancy evident in those strong facial features, and she was unable to hide her own haunting vulnerability as his head began a slow descent.
The touch of his lips tantalised as they traced the outline of her mouth with evocative persuasion, then slid to the sensitive cord at the edge of her neck, grazing the sweet hollows before trailing up to take possession of her mouth.
Firm fingers dispensed with her clothes, then his own, and before she had time for coherent thought he urged her towards the bed and drew her onto its wide expanse.
Kristi lay still, mesmerised by her heightened senses and enraptured by the dark passion evident in his eyes. This close, she could sense the clean body smell emanating from his skin, and awareness coursed through her body like an igniting flame.
Her lips parted as he sought an erotic exploration of the sweet depths of her mouth, teasing the delicate ridges of her tongue with the tip of his own in an oral dance that matched the rhapsody created by his hands as they drifted with sensual sensitivity over her aroused skin.
She lost track of time, of place, as he submitted her to an erotic tasting of such exquisite proportion that her entire body began to ache with the need for fulfilment, and she began to move, silently enticing his possession.
His lips settled in the vulnerable hollow at the base of her throat, then trailed slowly down to the gentle swell of her breast, and she cried out as he took the engorged peak into his mouth and began a tender suckling that slowly intensified until it became a physical torment.
Kristi was unaware of the soft groan emerging from her throat as she reached for him, instinctively begging him in a voice she didn’t recognise as her own.
Wild, pagan need consumed her as he began an intimate exploration, his touch attacking the fragile tenure of her control until she began to sob in helpless despair.
Then with one slow movement he entered her, his hard length enclosed by a tight sweetness that took his breath away.
She clung to him, unashamedly caught in the deep, undulating rhythm as she instinctively matched him stroke for stroke, exulting in the sensation that radiated through her body with such exquisite exhilaration.
Pagan, she acknowledged seconds later as he tipped her over the edge, then joined her there in a shuddering climax of his own.
Kristi was supremely conscious of every nerve-end, every cell in her body as she became filled with a languorous warmth, and she cradled his large frame close, loving the feel of his weight, the heat of his skin, slick with the sweat of his passion.
His heart beat strong and fast close to her own, and she sought his mouth, initiating a kiss which soon became his as he deepened her soft foray, changing it to something that staked his possession and branded her his own.
Afterwards he rolled onto his back, carrying her with him, and she arched her body, laughing softly as she felt his immediate response.
His hands slid up her ribcage and cradled her breasts, testing their weight as he began to caress each peak with the pad of his thumb, delighting in her reaction as she threw back her head.
Erotic abandon, she admitted a long time later, unsure whether to be pleased or dismayed that she’d become a begging wanton in his arms as he’d led her down a path to sensual conflagration.
‘Should we get up, do you think?’ Kristi queried as she lay in his embrace.
‘I can’t think of one good reason why right at this moment,’ Shalef drawled, moving his head to brush his lips against her shoulder.
‘Lunch?’ she offered hopefully.
He bit her gently, then inched his way to the edge of her neck, muzzling in a manner that sent a renewed surge of sensation arrowing through her body. ‘We could have an early dinner.’
‘Alternatively, I could go into the kitchen and bring us back a snack.’
‘You’re hungry for food?’ he asked, and she responded teasingly,
‘I need to keep up my strength.’
He levered himself easily off the bed and reached for his clothes. ‘Stay here,’ he commanded gently.
A slow, witching smile curved her lips, and her eyes sparkled with amusement. ‘I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.’
Shalef returned with a tray of chicken, salad and fresh fruit. After they’d eaten they talked, discussing anything and everything from early childhood memories to world politics, books, movies, art. Then they made leisurely love, and she became an avid pupil beneath his tutorage, taking pleasure from the depth of passion that she was able to arouse.
When the sun began to descend in the sky they rose from the bed, shared the spa-bath, then dressed and went to the dining room for dinner. And later, when the stars shone bright in an inky night sky, they made passionate love until sleep overcame desire.
It became the pattern for the next three days. Days that were filled with lovemaking and laughter, and with the passing of each night Kristi became more aware that to walk away from this man would bring unimaginable heartache.
Seize each moment, a tiny voice bade her. Treasure it and hold it close.
Yet such time-honoured axioms did nothing to help her sense of approaching despair. They couldn’t stay here for ever. Sooner or later a phone call or a fax would summon Shalef back to the palace.
It happened on the morning of the fourth day. They arrived back from their early-morning ride to find a servant waiting for them with a cryptic fax which had come through in their absence. Shalef scanned it, then folded the sheet in three and thrust it into the side-pocket of his thobe.
‘We have to return to Riyadh. Negotiations for your brother’s release have been successful.’
Kristi couldn’t believe it. ‘Shane is to be freed?’ Her face mirrored the immense surge of joy that tore through her body. ‘How? When? Where?’
‘Later today. He’ll be transported out of the country and receive debriefing before being put on a plane to London.’
‘When will I be able to see him?’
‘The media circus will begin within hours of his arrival in England, I imagine,’ Shalef declared as they crossed the compound. He cast her a dark, probing look. ‘It would be advisable for you to be there before he arrives.’
Kristi felt her heart sink. Within a very short time the helicopter would deposit them at the palace. In less than twenty-four hours she would be on a plane to London.
Mission accomplished.
‘I agreed to pay any expenses.’
His eyes darkened with anger. ‘You insult me.’
‘Why?’ she demanded.
‘I requested a favour from a friend,’ he said silkily, ‘without any pressure that it be granted.’ He looked as if he wanted to shake her. ‘There was no cost that you have not repaid me.’
Kristi absorbed his words, and felt part of her slowly die. It took tremendous effort to summon a smile, but she managed a passable facsimile. ‘Thank you.’
Shalef inclined his head in silent acknowledgement, his eyes hooded, his features assuming a harsh mask.
It was over. The words echoed inside her brain like a death-knell. Without a word she turned and followed him indoors, showered, collected her spare set of clothes, and was ready to board the helicopter when it arrived less than an hour later.