One Hot Desert Night Read online

  Sunny tossed the brush back into the bag, slid her arms around his waist and pressed a kiss on his lips. “I’m ready to go shopping. And I’m really ready for our dinner beneath the stars.”

  So was Rayad. He only hoped he could keep his baser urges in check long enough to finish their meal. After that, he would make no promises.

  * * *

  The small village marketplace had been surprisingly crowded with men dressed in traditional thawb and women wearing abayas. Sunny had only seen a handful of vehicles, but a lot of livestock—from cows to camels. The smells of spices and grilling meats coming from small tents set up by vendors had made her incredibly hungry. Her darkly handsome escort had also fueled her appetites that had nothing to do with dinner.

  Several times during the trip, Sunny had almost lost Rayad in the crowd. The language barrier had hindered her ability to understand his conversations with the locals, and he’d had plenty. Yet one thing she had understood— they’d called him Basil. Later this evening she would answer her curiosity and ask him why they didn’t use his proper name. Why they seemed to treat him like a fellow commoner, not well-heeled royalty.

  Right then, she had to haul all the supplies out of the Mercedes while Rayad opened the secret door. Cave, sweet cave. The thought made her smile.

  “What do you find so humorous?” he asked when he joined her at the rear of the vehicle.

  “Nothing,” she said. “Just glad to be back and glad I have my own personal pack mule.”

  He faked a frown when she handed him two of the burlap totes. “Are you calling me an ass?”

  “Not at all. But I do like your ass.” She topped off the comment by patting his cargo-pant-covered bottom and heading toward the entry.

  By the time they made two trips up and down the stairs, Sunny wanted nothing more than to take a bath. “Am I supposed to clean up in the reservoir?” she asked as she laid the caftans Rayad had bought her on one bunk.

  “You may, or you may use one of the showers.”

  Clearly he’d been withholding pertinent information. “You said you didn’t have a shower.”

  “Not adjacent to my quarters.” He pointed across the room at a closed door. “You will find one in there. The pressure is adequate although the water will be cold.”

  She swept one arm across the perspiration beading on her forehead. “A cold shower sounds perfect. I’m still trying to recover from the heat.” He wouldn’t help her body temperature one bit if he kept standing there with his arms folded across his chest, the short sleeves of his black tee revealing biceps that should be registered as lethal weapons. Yep, a cold shower was definitely in order.

  “I will leave you to your bathing now while I prepare our meal.”

  She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until he’d mentioned that. “Great. I shouldn’t be long since I didn’t pack the hair dryer.”

  He smiled before he started away then paused and faced her again. “Perhaps at some point in time during our stay together, I will join you in the shower.”

  With that, he left the bunk room, closing the door behind him, and leaving Sunny with all sorts of questionable ideas and mental images. She couldn’t wait to be alone with him under the night skies. She couldn’t wait to see what might transpire after dinner. Then again, she could be disappointed if he brought out the honor card.

  Fortunately, she had ways to convince him to take the next step, beginning with making herself fresh and presentable. She made quick work of the shower that was more of a stream, thankful she brought shampoo and bath gel. She then grabbed a towel from the metal locker, dried off and returned to the room to retrieve her favorite sleeveless gauze caftan.

  As she held it up, she did a double take when she noticed the wide silver necklace intertwined with deep coral beads that perfectly matched the color of the dress. She had admired it, but she certainly hadn’t purchased it due to her lack of cash, not to mention the rarity of the stones that carried a hefty price tag. Instead, she allowed Rayad to buy her a pair of sterling hoops that were much less expensive after he insisted.

  No doubt he’d been the jewelry culprit, and she would definitely thank him, argue it was too extravagant, and then maybe show her appreciation with a big, fat kiss.

  After she twisted her damp hair into a loose braid, Sunny slipped into a pair of the recently purchased sheer white muslin underwear that looked like men’s boxers, only shorter. Not exactly sexy, but functional. Luckily, the dress didn’t require a bra. She then applied a little mascara and lip gloss using a compact mirror, slid the earrings into her lobes, clasped the necklace around her neck and marveled over the fact she had morphed into a girly-girl. Piper would be so proud. Piper would also hate that her twin didn’t have a pair of spiky heels at her disposal. Thank heavens. Barefoot seemed to be the way to go in lieu of sneakers, although she worried she might wind up with a stubbed toe, or step on a snake.

  Satisfied everything was in place, Sunny walked into the corridor to find Rayad standing by the entry to the cavern. He’d changed into a plain white tee and dark blue cargo pants, and it appeared he had shaved his beard down to a shadow. One gorgeous, gorgeous man at her disposal. Lucky her.

  She executed a corny curtsey. “Good evening, Your Highness. You clean up good.”

  He nodded slightly. “As do you. The dress fits you to perfection, yet I knew it would.”

  She figured he’d had a lot of experience with gauging a woman’s size. He’d probably had a lot of experience with a lot of women. “Thank you,” she said, her face flushed. “Since it’s getting fairly late, is dinner ready?”

  “It is,” he said. “Now if you will follow me, I will show you to our private dining room.”

  Sunny wasn’t too thrilled to have to climb yet another flight of stairs. But the effort was well worth it when they emerged at the top of the rock formation and stepped onto a sandy plateau. Her attention immediately turned to the host of diamond-like stars spread out as far as the eye could see, and the near-full moon hanging high overhead. An amazing panorama and the perfect start to an equally amazing night. “I’d forgotten how incredible the night sky looks in such a remote place.”

  Rayad slid his arms around her from behind. “I am sorry we missed the sunset, but perhaps we will see that before we return to the palace.”

  She didn’t even want to consider leaving this place, or him. Leaning back against his chest, she caught a whiff of what must be his soap, a heady scent that reminded her of exotic incense. Not only did he look great and feel great, he smelled great. “Who needs the sun when you have all these stars?”

  “We both need sustenance.”

  She turned into his arms and smiled. “That would probably be a good idea. Otherwise, you might have to carry me back down those steps.”

  He feathered a kiss on her forehead. “That would be my pleasure. Yet I would not want to stop until we reached my bed.”

  “Maybe I wouldn’t want you to stop.”

  “That is good to know, as long as you are certain that is what you wish.”

  She couldn’t quite peg why he continued to need reassurance, unless it had more to do with his reticence. Regardless, she would provide it. “Believe me, that’s exactly what I wish.”

  He kissed her then—a long, lingering kiss that made her forget all about dinner. She focused on the feel of his tongue softly exploring her mouth and his palms roving up and down her back before coming to rest on her bottom. She remembered their sexy interval in the pool and realized if they didn’t quit now, they might ignite the sand beneath their feet.

  As much as she hated to do it, Sunny broke the kiss and said, “Maybe we should grab a bite to eat.”

  He released her and cleared his throat. “That would probably be advisable.”

  “Probably so.”

  Taking her b
y the hand, he led her to an area illuminated by a lone torch set into the ground. A multicolored blanket held various platters with cheeses and meats and fruit, along with a basket of bread.

  Sunny’s returning appetite caused her to let him go and drop down onto one of the pillows flanking the food.

  After Rayad joined her on the opposing cushion, he handed her a plate. “As they would say in America, dig in.”

  She laughed. “Yes, that’s what they would say. And yes, I gladly will.”

  Every bite Sunny took was pure bliss, though she couldn’t say if she was driven by hunger or simply the atmosphere. They barely said two words during the meal, and before long, they’d made quite a dent in the food.

  She wiped her mouth with a napkin and moved her empty plate to the middle of the blanket. “That was the best meal I’ve had in years.”

  Rayad pushed the pillow away and stretched out on his side, using his palm to support his jaw. “Do not become too accustomed to this luxury. What I have brought from the market is simple.”

  She briefly studied the night sky and relished the warm breeze blowing across her face. “I don’t care what we eat as long as we eat it here.” When she brought her attention back to him, she found him staring at her intently. “What? Do I have something on my mouth?”

  “You have a beautiful mouth,” he said. “And I see nothing obstructing my view of it.”

  She set her pillow aside and stretched out to face him, leaving little space between them. “Considering how busy our day has been, you’d think I’d be tired, even after my nap. But remarkably I’m not. And that reminds me, I have something to ask you about our trip to the village.”

  “I will answer to the best of my ability.”

  Time to play the name game. “When we were in the village, I thought I heard people calling you Basil. Did I misunderstand?”

  “No, you did not. That is how they know me.”

  “Then they don’t realize you’re a prince?”

  “They do not, and that is how I wish it to be.”

  “Why?”

  “One never knows where enemies might be lurking. It is best to blend in with the masses and conceal your true identity.”

  Now it made sense. “Ah, it’s that whole ‘spy guy’ thing. And by the way, you never have told me your code name.”

  “If I did, I would have to—”

  “Kill me?”

  A strange, almost wary look passed over his expression before he quickly replaced it with a smile. “I would prefer to kiss you.” And he did, soft and slow and much too short, before he asked, “What do you wish to do now?”

  A very loaded question. “What do you wish to do?”

  “I cannot tell you what I wish to do for fear you might leave.”

  She scooted closer. “Try me.”

  “I would rather show you. Lie back.”

  After Sunny complied, Rayad rose above her and studied her face for a long moment. The next kiss he delivered was tempered at first, then deeper, and grew predictably hotter.

  He broke away long enough to remove his shirt, then quickly divested her of the caftan. When he took her back into his arms and kissed her again, the feel of his bare chest pressed against her breasts caused her to shift restlessly against the dampness between her thighs. She wanted nothing more than to have him relieve the ache, but he’d told her she would have to ask. She could do that. Better still, she could follow his lead and point him in the right direction.

  On that thought, Sunny lifted Rayad’s hand from the curve of her hip, placed it on her inner thigh then held her breath while she waited for him to respond. She didn’t have to wait long until he skimmed his palm higher up her leg, pausing to toy with the bottom edge of the unflattering underwear, as if determined to tease her into oblivion. A needy sound slipped out without regard for her effort to stop it, and that involuntary reaction seemed to send Rayad into action.

  In one smooth move, he had her muslin pants pushed down to her knees and his hand between her legs. He continued to kiss her, his tongue mimicking the movement of the stroke of his finger, stoking a fire that threatened to sear all her control.

  He took his mouth away and whispered, “You are very wet,” without missing a beat with his touch.

  If she could find her voice, she’d probably respond with “You think?” but she was too far gone to speak. She couldn’t do anything but give in to the sensations and brace for the impending orgasm. It came swift and hard in a series of strong spasms that caused her to tremble all over.

  Sunny gradually returned to reality when Rayad rained kisses on her face, but her respiration still wasn’t quite steady. “Wow,” she managed to say after a time.

  “Did you find that satisfactory?” he asked.

  “Do politicians play favorites?”

  His laugh rumbled low in his chest. “That was only a sample of what I will do for you. There will be more to come, if you so desire.”

  You betcha she did. “I’m not sure I can handle much more.”

  He ran a fingertip along her jawline. “You can handle more than you realize. You will eventually see that.”

  At the moment, all she could see was stars, and not just the ones glimmering above her. “I’m going to take your word for that.” Feeling unexpectedly bold, she rolled to her side to face him. “Take down your pants.”

  The demand evidently shocked him momentarily into silence. “Do you wish me to leave on my boots?”

  She rose up and nudged him onto his back. “I said take down your pants, not take them off. Then you don’t have to worry about your shoes.”

  “But—”

  “No buts,” she said as she wagged a finger at him. “As women say in America, do as you’re told, sit back and enjoy it.”

  That unearthed his sexy smile. “Far be it for me to question a determined American woman.”

  While Rayad undid his fly, Sunny kicked out of the underpants before turning back to him to see he’d pushed his pants to his knees.

  Amazing. The man had been endowed with many physical gifts, and she just discovered another one. He was mighty proud to see her. Very proud. He had every right to be.

  After laying her cheek on his chest, she drew a line from his sternum down to his abdomen then lightly raked her nails up his thighs. He remained very still and silent, until she set out to explore him from shaft to tip. His indrawn breath indicated she must be doing something right, so she kept right on doing it. And when she circled her hand around him, he released a groan. That chink in his armor drove her to continue to stroke him, knowing that it wouldn’t take much to send him completely over the edge. But before she could, he clasped her wrists and wrested her hand away.

  “Enough,” he said, his voice bordering on a growl.

  She raised her head to find his eyes were closed. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “On the contrary, you did everything right. That is why I stopped you.”

  “I think it’s only fair that I return the favor.”

  “I prefer you not.”

  She felt suddenly self-conscious, and a tad miffed. “Does it bother you when a woman takes control and causes you to lose control?”

  “That is not my concern.”

  Here we go again. “Look, if you’re going to start spewing that stuff about me not knowing my own mind—”

  “I was going to say that I want to be inside you.”

  Well, that changed everything. “I’d like that a lot.”

  “As long as I know you are certain you wish to proceed.”

  The last of her patience floated away on the warm desert breeze. “I am completely naked and still riding the pleasure train after having one of the best orgasms of my life. That pretty much speaks to my certainty.”

 
Finally, he looked at her. “It was that good for you?”

  She couldn’t contain her smile. “On a scale from one to ten, I’d give it a twenty. But that doesn’t mean you should puff out your chest and tell the world what a master lover you are. Not until you give me everything.”

  “I will give you all you need, and more.”

  “Then do it.”

  “I prefer we retire to my bed.”

  “I prefer we not waste that much time.”

  “It is not about time or convenience,” he said. “It is about protection.”

  Aha. The condom conversation. “I’m protected against pregnancy, and I have no communicable diseases.”

  “Nor do I. I receive a thorough physical every six months. Therefore, you do not have to concern yourself over that. If you trust me.”

  Darned if she didn’t on this count, too. “I trust you.”

  “Good. You must know I would never do anything to put you in jeopardy.”

  But would he understand if she couldn’t go through with it? Only one way to find out. “Then what are we waiting for?”

  This time he took control, nudging her onto her back and centering his dark gaze on her. “Rest assured, I am weary of waiting. Are you certain you would not rather be lying on a proper mattress?”

  “I’m only sure of one thing. If you don’t make love to me now, I’m going to start pouting.”

  He kissed her softly before presenting her with one heck of a smoldering look. “I certainly do not wish to prolong your agony.”

  Then he kissed her again, touched her again, bringing her to the brink of another climax and a place where the past no longer existed. But when he parted her legs and moved atop her, that past came back to roost. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t divorce herself from the memories of another cruel man, no matter how hard she tried. And regardless of the consequences, she jerked from beneath him and practically shouted, “Stop!”

  Shaking and ashamed, Sunny sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. She waited for a few moments of silence to pass before explaining. “The same thing happened the one and only time Cameron tried to make love to me after the abduction. He left the next morning, and I never saw him again. I wouldn’t blame you if you did the same thing.”