CHALLENGED BY THE SHEIKH Page 9

  After shifting slightly, she draped her arm around his neck and nudged his head down where he feathered warm, wet kisses over her throat before sliding his tongue between the cleft of her breasts. She showed him exactly what she wanted and where she wanted it by guiding his head down until his warm lips encompassed her nipple.

  A sigh slipped out as she combed her fingers through his thick hair and held on as if he were a lifeline. In many ways he was, since he had effortlessly brought her back to the land of the living. Every pass of his tongue, every pull of his mouth, made her feel as alive as she'd ever been. As needy as she'd ever been.

  When she made a faint sound of pleasure, he lifted his head and sought her eyes. "Do you require something else of me tonight?"

  "Yes."

  "Then show me."

  After planting a soft kiss on each breast, then one on her mouth, he pulled her arm away and turned her back toward the mirror. Imogene recognized he knew what she wanted, what she needed, but still he waited until she made the next move. And she did by clasping the hem of her gown and pulling it over her head, leaving her completely exposed except for the pair of matching red panties. His arms came around her, his warm brown skin standing out against the fair flesh on her belly. In the mirror's reflection, she marveled at the size of his hands and how he used them so gently when he slid one down to her navel and with the other cupped her breast, playing his thumb back and forth over her nipple.

  All the inhibitions Imogene had possessed until that moment came tumbling down as she nudged Raf's hand lower. She held her breath, waiting, watching for the moment he took the lead. He didn't disappoint her when he whispered, "Open for me," as he urged her legs apart with his palm on the inside of her thighs. She wasn't quite brave enough to remove her panties and he seemed to sense that when he didn't try to slide them down. He did slide his hand beneath the lace band. That alone caused Imogene's legs to tremble and sent a rush of dampness between her thighs. In some ways, she felt as if she had left her body, watching the scene play out in the mirror. In other ways, she had never been so in tune with her body, her own sensuality that had lain dormant for so long.

  Even though she couldn't see what he was doing, she could feel it. Oh, could she feel it—the silken stroke of his fingers over her, inside her, the sensation of fullness, building pressure with every caress. He plied her neck with kisses, held her close, fondled her breasts, kept the torrent of feelings coming and coming until Imogene couldn't hold on anymore.

  The climax hit her in a hard succession of swells until she slowly drifted back into reality, only to be thrust back into a world of sensation when Raf palmed her cheek and brought his lips to hers for a kiss that was the perfect culmination of the experience. Yet he didn't stop touching her, caressing her, cajoling her with his steady strokes until he urged another climax from her.

  She ducked her head beneath his chin and let go a long, steady moan that would have turned into a scream had she not bitten her hip to stop it.

  As fiercely determined as Raf had seemed to be to show her this pleasure, he was also determined to show her a sensitive side when he pulled her into his lap, into his arms, her face resting against his heart that beat so steadily against her cheek. A heart that she wanted to know, inside out. More important, she wanted to know how it would be to have him inside her, completely. Now.

  "I want you," she murmured as she plied his jaw with kisses. When she reached for the drawstring on his pajamas, he clasped her wrist to stop her.

  "Not yet," he told her. "I took my pleasure from giving you yours."

  Imogene leaned back and stared at him, incredulous. "I want to make love with you completely. Not tomorrow or the next day. Tonight."

  Raf smoothed her hair back and kissed her forehead. "I must return to my room now."

  Her frustration escaped on a rough sigh. "Raf, this can't be that great for you. I mean, you haven't even—"

  He stopped her with a kiss. "This has been very worthwhile for me. I've never seen you look more beautiful than when you reached your climax. I look forward to the next time. And the next."

  The reality of what they'd done, in front of a mirror no less, hit her hard. Yet that realization didn't temper her need for him. "Don't leave, Raf. Let's finish this now."

  He brought both her hands to his lips and kissed each palm. "This is only the beginning." Then he set her aside and stood, his own unanswered need obvious beneath his pajamas.

  Holding out his hand, he brought her up into his arms. "Believe me when I say that I want to make love to you, but only when I feel we are ready to take that next step."

  Imogene wanted to hold on to her anger even when she felt as if she might melt against him. "I'm beginning to wonder what you want."

  With a hand on her bottom, he tugged her forward where she could feel the extent of his erection. "You need no longer wonder."

  "Then you're obviously into masochism."

  "I am determined to practice patience."

  "I get that, but why?"

  "You will have to trust that my reasons are legitimate."

  "You're obviously determined to make me crazy in the interim."

  "I am determined to make you feel things you have never felt before. To give you pleasure that you've never known with another man."

  He'd already done that. Imogene rested her lips against the middle of his chest. "Tomorrow night, it's going to be my turn."

  "I will not be here tomorrow night or the next."

  Imogene really wanted to scream now. "Where will you be?"

  "In Atlanta. I will be meeting with some prospective investors."

  Imogene saw a timely opportunity and went for it. "Maybe I should go with you since you won't be here to give me my lessons."

  "Ali, my foreman will see to that in my absence."

  "Does that involve only the riding lessons?"

  His expression went somber, intense. "He will be instructed to see to your riding only. Aside from that, no one is allowed to touch you but me."

  Wow! A regular little macho man. Make that big macho man. But honestly, it thrilled Imogene to see this somewhat possessive side coming out, as long as it only had to do with their lovemaking. "Well, okay, then. If you won't let me go with you, then I'll work really hard while you're gone."

  He brought her hands up and kissed each palm. "And when I return, we will continue."

  "Promise?"

  "You may count on that."

  With one last kiss he was gone, and Imogene stood alone in the room, clutching her discarded gown and the strongest sense that she could count on him, no matter what.

  She could also fall in love with him.

  The thought popped into her brain so quickly, she dropped the gown. Fall in love with him? Ha!

  Nope, she couldn't do that. But she very well could. And that would bring regret the likes of which she'd never known. Considering the one devastating mistake she had made with Victoria, the overriding remorse that had stayed with her for years, that was saying quite a bit.

  She had too much going on in her life, too much left to accomplish, too many fears driving her to succeed in order to give a man all her time. And she suspected Raf Shakir expected at lot more than she could ever give.

  * * *

  Six

  « ^ »

  After spending the day touring farms and negotiating, Raf was glad to be back in the hotel suite even though the place seemed stark and lonely. He raked the kaffiyeh off his head and tossed it aside. He rarely wore the headdress but many people believed that since he was a sheikh, he should look the part, though his legacy meant little now. He preferred ragged jeans to royal trappings. However, he would concede comfort for the sake of business. Today had been productive from that standpoint, yet his mind had turned several times to Genie. His strength last night had amazed him. How easy it would have been to work his way into her bed, into her body. Determination had given him that strength, yet it was only a matter of time before that wo
uld no longer serve him. He could not resist her much longer, nor did he want to.

  As soon as Raf had discarded his tie, the phone rang, generating excitement over the possibility that it could be Genie. He had gone before dawn without telling her goodbye, but he had left the hotel number on her pillow as well as a kiss on her cheek, fortunately without waking her. If she had come awake and beckoned him into her arms, he would have cancelled this trip. He would have climbed into bed with her and stayed throughout the day until they were both too tired to consider any other activities. Then he would have made love to her again throughout the night.

  The phone rang twice more before he drew in a deep breath to restore his composure. "Hello."

  "You are very hard to track down, Raf."

  The voice was familiar, but it did not belong to Genie. It belonged to his brother. "You've spent most of your adulthood tracking criminals, Darin. I have been in the same place for the past two years."

  "Yet you are not there now, which is why I am calling you. I believe it's time you meet my new wife."

  "I thought you were traveling throughout the summer."

  "We are, but we have decided to pay you a visit en route."

  Raf was pleased to hear that news. "As you most likely realize, I am in Atlanta. I will not be returning to the stables until tomorrow."

  "As it so happens, we are in Atlanta, as well."

  "Where?"

  "In the hotel lounge. I thought you might like to join us for a while since we will be departing in the morning."

  As exhausted as Raf was, he could not refuse. "I will be there shortly."

  "Good. We'll be waiting."

  Raf slipped his jacket back on and left the room, arriving in the lobby a short time later. The bar was sparsely populated and Raf had no trouble spotting the attractive red-haired woman who looked quite small next to his brother. Darin had changed very little since the last time he'd seen him well over a year ago, with the exception of his noticeably shorter hair, something Raf had thought would never happen. Perhaps his new wife had been responsible for that change, although he could not imagine Darin allowing a woman to dictate his choices. Before two months ago, he could not have imagined Darin married, either.

  As Raf drew closer to the table, he saw more subtle changes, namely Darin's conservative clothing, quite a transformation from his usual black attire. He also noted the way Darin smiled at his wife, the way he touched her possessively, the calm in his expression that had been missing since the death of his beloved fiancée. The intimacy between the couple was almost tangible and had Raf not promised to meet them, he would have left the lounge. With each step he took, his envy escalated, and so did his guilt over that emotion. After all, Darin had won his hard-earned peace. Raf should be happy for him. And he was on one level. On another, he was jealous.

  When he arrived at the table, Fiona looked up at him and smiled. "My gosh, they sure grow the men big in Amythra. I can definitely see the resemblance between you and Darin."

  Darin stood and held out his hand for a shake. "You are looking well, Raf." He nodded toward his bride. "This is my wife, Fiona. Fiona, my brother, Raf. He is older but not necessarily wiser."

  Raf shook her hand briefly and took the seat opposite them. "I am pleased to finally meet the woman who has ensnared by brother."

  "It wasn't that difficult," Fiona said, giving her smile to Darin. "He may seem tough, but he's really a pushover."

  Darin whisked a kiss across her cheek. "I do not remember hearing you complain when I seduced you."

  "If my memory serves me correctly, and it does, I seduced you."

  Again Raf experienced the sting of envy and he tamped it down with a forced smile. "How long will you be in the States?"

  "We leave for Paris in the morning," Darin said. "A belated honeymoon before we settle in Texas permanently."

  "A last trip before we're too tied down to travel," Fiona added.

  "Darin told me he is building you an inn," Raf said. "I would assume you could eventually hire someone to manage it in your absence should you decide to go abroad again."

  Darin and Fiona exchanged a veiled look before Darin said, "We will have something aside from the inn occupying our time in the near future."

  Raf did not have to ask, for he could see the pride in Darin's expression. "What would that be?"

  Fiona's grin lit up her green eyes, immediately reminding Raf of Genie. "I'm pregnant. I'm really not sure how it happened." Color rose to her face when Darin laughed. "Okay, I know how it happened. It just wasn't supposed to happen quite this soon."

  Raf turned his attention to his brother. "I assume you are both happy about this?"

  Darin's satisfied expression alone confirmed that fact. "Yes, and we hope that you are happy for us. It's past time for one of us to produce a son."

  "Or a girl, which it will be," Fiona said with certainty.

  "Of course I am happy for you both, no matter what the child's gender." Raf did well to sound convincing even when he found himself wanting to take his brother's place, but not with Fiona. He did understand why Darin had fallen for this particular woman, but the woman that immediately came to mind had blond hair, a beautiful body and a mind for business—except when it came to lovemaking.

  Raf shifted uncomfortably in the rigid chair at the longing that invaded his soul. As fond as he was of Genie, as much as he wanted her, he must continue to remind himself that he would not make the mistake of becoming emotionally involved with a woman who coveted her freedom.

  As Darin and Fiona spoke about their new life together, Raf's mood darkened when it should have been joyous. Fortunately, the conversation lasted only an hour before Darin announced they would be retiring for the night, with a knowing look directed at his wife.

  They stood at the same time and exchanged parting words and promises to keep in touch. Darin also vowed he would bring Fiona to the farm upon their return to America; Raf said he would try to visit Texas at some time. All in all it was a pleasant enough encounter, even though Raf had battled his own regrets throughout the conversation.

  They walked together to the lobby and parted there since Darin and Fiona had taken a room in a different hotel. As Raf entered the elevator, Darin asked, "Who is this Ms. Danforth who told me where to find you? Have you dismissed Doris?"

  Raf stopped the doors from closing with his hand. "No. She is not a housekeeper."

  Darin smiled. "Is she someone special?"

  More than his brother knew. More than Raf had realized. More than she should be. "I am teaching her how to ride."

  "I have no doubt about that," Darin said as he sent Fiona a sly smile. "Is she someone we might meet in the future?"

  Raf cleared his throat. "She will only be with me for three weeks. This is a business arrangement."

  Darin now looked somewhat disappointed. "I was hoping that maybe you had found the right woman." He drove home his point by circling Fiona's waist and pulling her close to his side.

  "I will let you know as soon as that happens. If that happens."

  Before Darin left, he said, "You never know what the future might hold, brother, as long as you are open to the possibilities."

  Raf had considered his future—a future that involved only the stables. Now that future was beginning to look bleak and desolate without someone with whom to share it.

  In all the years they had spent together as brothers, tonight was the first time Raf coveted what Darin had—an abiding love with a woman and a child to carry on their legacy.

  To Raf that seemed as unattainable as sleep, something he knew would not come easily tonight.

  * * *

  Imogene stared at the phone for a long moment as she muttered a few oaths directed at her cowardice. It was just a friendly call, for Pete's sake. She wasn't going to beg him to come back or cry or even mention that she missed him. She would simply tell him good-night, and give him a good piece of her mind for not bothering to wake her when he'd left that mornin
g.

  After picking up the receiver, Imogene pounded out the number he'd left on the pillow that morning, before she changed her mind. She only had to wait a few minutes for the hotel operator to connect her to his room. After three rings, she almost hung up until she heard his incredible voice greeting her with a simple "Hello" that nearly knocked her off the edge of the mattress.

  "And hello to you. Did you have fun today?"

  "I would not consider it fun, but you could say it was fruitful."

  "Good. I missed you." Oh, jeez. Did she really just say that? "Ali isn't nearly as grouchy as you are." Good save, Imogene. "Guess I like being bossed around more than I realized."

  "I did warn him about your stubbornness. I hope that when I return, he will still be in my employ."

  That would have made Imogene mad had his tone not been teasing. "I'll have you know, I was a model student. And I had a nice conversation with your brother. Did he reach you?"

  "Yes. He joined me earlier with his new wife. I had not met her until tonight."

  "What was she like?"

  "A very nice woman. They are expecting a child." The wistfulness in Raf's voice took Imogene back. She couldn't imagine Raf Shakir pining for a family, but then she couldn't imagine a lot of things about him and so far he'd surprised her at several turns. "That's great. I'm sure you're looking forward to being an uncle."

  "Where are you now?" he asked, his voice impossibly lower than before.

  "I'm in my bedroom, sitting on the bed."

  "Are you wearing red?"

  All over her body. "Actually, I'm wearing blue pajamas. What are you wearing?"

  "Nothing."

  She could picture that in great detail, except for one very important detail and only because she hadn't seen that part of him. She could visualize it, though, and that excited her. "Do you always sleep in the nude?"