The Sheikh's Second Chance Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 5) (15 page)

Lana gasped, and the sound of her voice merely seemed to drive him on further, his kiss becoming deeper, more insistent. His tongue was a probing lance of desire that twisted her into even greater torment.

Lana wrapped her arms around his broad, naked shoulders. She felt the power in those muscles, sensed the tension vibrating in them. Malik drew her hard against him, and it was as if they had already become one person, but she knew that was still to come. Because, she had already made that choice. They would become one. She had been fighting it ever since she'd arrived in Qazhar, but now was the time.

Malik shifted, and the muscled bulk of his long body settled upon her. It was as if she had been transported to another world. The feel of his primal power upon her was shocking and utterly welcome all at the same time.

Lana felt his delicious hardness pressing against her belly. His lips were still driving her to a state of intense ecstasy, the taste of him a sensual mixture of desire and raw masculinity.

He shifted his torso down and she felt him press against her core, setting off a fresh wave of torment that made her body vibrate. She groaned and called out his name which merely served to goad him on to further expert torment.

Malik lifted his head, wrenching his lips from hers. He gazed down at her. She ran her hands deep into the thickness of his damp hair, savoring the coarseness of it.
 

Then, Malik's head dipped and his lips descended upon her already pebbled nipples. She felt a galvanic shock race through her as his tongue laved her nipples, tracing expert circles. His hands went to her ribs, grasping her torso tight, holding her in a delightful imprisonment.

His tongue raced across her breasts seeking the other nipple, and she could barely keep from crying out. He was in complete control of her pleasure, in total command of the sensation sweeping through her body.

Lana pulled his head against her breasts, feeling him suckle on her nipples. The closeness was more intense than she could ever have predicted.
 

And then she felt one of his hands move slowly down to her hip and across toward her core. She tried to steady herself, attempted some kind of hesitant preparation, but there was nothing she could do to contain the effect of his soft touch at her core.

Lana felt the strength of his hand, the skill of his fingers, as he touched the part of her that harbored the most intense promise. Circular movements of his fingers triggered another tsunami of delight, and this time, she didn't hold back her cries of delight. This was unlike anything she had ever felt before. The world shifted beneath her, and her soul seemed to quiver.
 

She grasped at Malik, desperate for him to do something, anything to ensure that the wave never ended. And he complied, with continuing expert touch. She didn't care where he'd learned how to such things, only that he was driving her to a crest, and she knew that if she went over that peak, there would be a moment of nothing and everything.
 

She cried out as his fingers entered her. She felt him move inside her, a gentle curl of a finger beckoning her up one final part of the impossible peak, and then she crashed over the edge, crying out, wrapping herself around him like a creature possessed.

After a few moments, she managed to open her eyes and gaze down at him. She saw that he was already prepared. He had risen to his knees, settling between her open legs. He was gazing in wonder at her nakedness. His own desire was a towering, thick promise that made Lana shift, preparing to welcome him.

Lana saw Malik grasp himself and lean forward, suddenly hungry looking, ravenous beyond any description. Then she felt him settle at her core. His head eased upwards until they were face to face, eyes locked upon one another, each knowing what the next moment promised.
 

Lana felt him at the entrance to her core. Then, with a soft, emphatic movement he slid into her, completing her with his masculine fullness. She groaned a welcome that made him close his eyes and clench his jaw. Lana felt herself tighten around him, enclosing him.

She felt the tension in his body, heard the barely contained animal groan that vibrated deep inside him. With his elbows tucked in by her side, he started to move gently. Each gentle thrust sent a spasm of delight coursing through her body. She felt his muscles quiver, felt the shuddering caused by their union. She took his face in her hands, gazing in wonder at the sheer strength on his features, the combination of ecstasy and control.

Every movement of his powerful hips made her pleasure more intense. There was an exquisite softness and a hard pleasure in the place where their bodies had met.

They moved in perfect harmony, united and as one. Their warm bodies danced together in a sensual rhythm that knew no end.
 

Then Malik cried out. "Lana!" She felt another wave emerge, another tide of desire to take her back to that place she so badly wanted.

Malik's breathing quickened in tune with his ever more insistent movements. The control was about to slip. She knew that. And her own restraint was about collapse.

Malik's hips slid effortlessly across her core. Pulsing pleasure started where their bodies joined. A surge of delight awoke deep within her, and she felt Malik's pace quicken, his muscles a sudden, hardness that made her feel his raw, primal power.

Malik moved faster, opening his eyes, gazing deep into her, searching for something. Then, in an instant he seemed to find what he was looking for, and there was a look of triumph on his face, an expression of complete ecstasy.
 

Lana felt the world shift, the wave rising up, a tsunami of all-consuming pleasure, and then she heard Malik roar. He stiffened, and she grasped him tight, consuming him as he had possessed her, and together they tumbled over the edge into a welcoming abyss of forgetting and knowing.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

She slept in Malik's arms, and she dreamed of the desert. All throughout her sleep, the vivid images flowed like sweet water. Her past mingled with this wonderful present. Everyone she'd ever known floated into her consciousness, but in the end, there was only one person who filled her awareness, even in the deepest slumber.

Malik.

They'd continued to make love throughout the night. Malik had proven to be insatiable and unstoppable, his strength a potent, irresistible force. And she had happily given herself over to him.
 

Completely.

Finally, they'd fallen asleep, exhausted and spent. Lana had never felt such wholeness, such bliss. She had felt utterly complete as she had fallen into the sleep of contentment.

The dreams claimed her, and they were both wonderful and, at various moments, vaguely unsettling. But, all through the blissful sleep, she felt the presence of Malik, lying by her side. His warm presence was reassuring. Perfect.

And then, finally, there came a dream of being carried by Malik across the desert. She felt herself hovering in his arms, floating above the soft desert sand. Lana leaned her head against Malik's shoulders, breathing deeply of his scent, savoring the sheer strength of his arms wrapped around her.

And then, as is so often the case with dreams, Lana began to sense that it wasn't a dream. That she was actually being carried by Malik. A part of her wondered how that could be.

Then she was opening her eyes, realizing that it wasn't a dream, after all. She was really in Malik's arms, and he was carrying her out of the tent.
 

Lana blinked her eyes in shock, wondering what he was doing. She gazed up at him. She saw his proud jawline, saw the way his attention was fully focused on the way ahead. She wondered what he was doing. Her arm had been draped around his shoulder.

Lana realized she was wearing the nightdress again and that he had put his shorts back on. Other than that, they were almost naked as they had been what seemed like an eternity ago.

The new day was beginning. The sky was still filled with stars, but the rising sun would soon make those glittering diamonds disappear.

She was suddenly reminded of their time at the beach, and how a previous attempt at enjoying a glorious view had turned sour. This time was different, though, she realized. Very different.

Malik noticed she was awake and looked down at her while continuing to stride toward the dune near to the oasis.

Lana laughed and smiled at him. "What are you doing?" she giggled.

She felt him draw her body closer to him, and he grinned. "I thought we'd watch the sun come up. I didn't want to wake you, so I thought I'd carry you until you woke to see the sun."

She crinkled her nose at him. "Aren't I too heavy?"

Malik shook his head. "Of course not," he said. He looked completely comfortable carrying her. He took a few more long strides up the steep side of the dune and then they were at the sandy peak.

Malik leaned forward and placed Lana down onto her feet. The care with which he did that made her suddenly feel like the most precious person in the world. She guessed that was exactly the impression he'd intended to create.

Lana's bare feet sank into the cool sand. She felt him quickly wrap an arm around her waist, drawing her firmly against him. Then his head dipped, and he kissed her, yet again, with a tenderness that lay in stark contrast to the urgent need of a few hours before.
 

The kiss made her feel as if this was the most perfect place on the planet, a place that would have seemed dangerous without the protection and tenderness of this amazing sheikh.
 

Her amazing sheikh.
 

Because, that was what he was. He belonged to her, right here, on the crest of this dune, with the stars fading above and the sun about to rise on the distant horizon. Nothing could be more perfect than this, she told herself.

Nothing.

Their lips parted, and she leaned her head against his bare shoulder. His scent mingled with the aroma of the desert. The morning air cooled her skin, and she could feel his heat against her body. This was where she belonged.

They stood there, saying nothing to each other. The horizon began to glow, a thin line of orange stretching across the sharp line of the desert.
 

Lana sighed. She felt a sudden contentment, a sense that they belonged to each other. The realization of that startled her slightly, but she drove the vague unease that accompanied the thought into the darkest corner of her mind.
 

She heard his breathing, steady and even; felt the rise and fall of his chest. She reached up and rested her hand against his bare chest, feeling the dark hair entwining in her fingers. Malik looked down at her and smiled. The silence of the desert was so profound that all she could hear, when she leaned her head against him, was the even pounding of his heart.

The sunrise grew until it was a fiery, beautiful spectacle the likes of which she'd never seen before. Maybe for him, it was commonplace. But, for her, it was one of the most astonishing things she'd ever seen.

They said nothing to each other, content to take in the glorious scene unfolding in the distance. Lana felt as if they were sharing something profound, something she would never forget for the rest of her life.
 

The sunrise revealed the true beauty and awesome glory of the desert around them. Lana thought they must have both looked like an odd sight, here in this sacred wilderness. The sheikh with the American woman by his side.
 

She was momentarily glad she had come, pleased beyond imagining with the way things had turned out.

But, she knew it couldn't last. It wouldn't last.

Malik looked down at her and smiled. He kissed her on the forehead. She'd never seen him look so happy, never seen that expression before, one that spoke of contentment and pride. What was he thinking? What was the next thing he planned to do?

"Are you happy?" he asked suddenly.

Lana smiled up at him. "Of course," she replied. "And you?"

She saw his brows furrow imperceptibly. "Of course, I am. How could I not be? Especially after last night?"

Lana felt her cheeks color slightly. Images filled her mind. Welcome sensual images. She cleared her throat and moved slightly away from Malik. He released her, a puzzled expression on his face.
 

Lana wrapped her arms around herself.

"Are you cold?" Malik asked.
 

Lana shook her head. "No, I'm fine."

"Do you wish to eat breakfast?" Malik asked.

Lana peered at Malik. "In a little while," she said in an unintentionally flat voice.

Why did she suddenly feel so awkward? What had happened to break the spell of the wondrous moments they had just shared?

Malik faced her. She saw his eyes narrow, scrutinizing Lana. He seemed to be preparing himself, something important on his lips.

Those lips, she thought, glancing at their moist fullness. She recalled how those lips had driven her to ecstasy, had tormented her, had sought to persuade her. What words were they about to utter, now?

Malik appeared pensive, swallowing nervously, his gaze shifting from Lana back down to the oasis below.

Perhaps it was time to go back to the tent. Before he had a chance to say anything.
 

Lana took one step back in the direction of the edge of the dune. Malik reached out and grasped Lana's hand. His fingers curled around her own. For a moment, she welcomed the touch, sensed the tenderness in the gesture. But, then the reason she needed to get back to the tent came flooding back into her mind.

Malik's gaze held her rooted to the spot, the way it had transfixed her on the bed only hours before. There was that hypnotic quality again, she told herself. His dark eyes burned with intent and she could sense within him the rising refusal to be denied. When he was like this, there was no denying him. Why did she find that notion so compelling? His determination made something primal shift inside her, a feeling of wanting to be possessed by him.