The Sheik and the Virgin Princess (24 page)

“Does being so hard hurt?”

“No.”

She tilted her head to see between his legs. He parted for her. She moved down to stroke him lightly. From there, she touched his thighs. He had long legs and well-shaped feet. What looked like a scar from a knife cut through his left thigh. All in all, he was a darned impressive package.

“When does the condom go on?” she asked.

“Anytime.”

She reached over him and opened the box, then handed him a square package. He opened the plastic and unrolled the protection.

“Did you have to practice that when you were younger? I mean you seem pretty good at it.”

He raised himself into a sitting position and urged her to lie down. “It’s not a difficult skill to master.”

Suddenly she found herself on her back, gazing up at him. Her nerves returned. “I’ve liked everything we’ve done so far. Am I going to like this?”

“I’ll do my best.”

He bent down to kiss her. Before their lips touched, she grabbed his arms. “I should probably tell you that I asked my doctor a few years ago, and she said that there’s no, um, physical proof of me being a virgin.”

“Thanks for letting me know. That should make it less painful.”

She glanced down at his maleness. It did look kinda big to be slipping inside of her easily.

“Don’t think about it,” he told her, then leaned low and kissed her. His hands moved between her legs.

Now that she knew what to expect, she relaxed into the pleasure that spilled from his fingers. He found that one spot again, but after teasing it for a bit, he moved and slipped a finger inside of her. This was a completely different sensation. He pushed in deeply, then stroked the inside of her.

Her body instantly contracted around him. She gasped. It had been like before, only less intense. Sort of a minisurrender. He thrust into her again, faster this time. She felt another contraction.

Rafe swore under his breath, and she stiffened.

“I’m sorry. What am I doing wrong?”

“Nothing.” He kissed her. “You’re doing everything right. It’s just you’re so hot and wet and I can’t wait to be inside of you. I can already feel you climaxing. It’s your first time and I’m supposed to show a little control. I don’t know if I can.”

She liked the idea of him being overwhelmed by passion. “Just do the best you can,” she said soothingly.

“Gee, thanks.”

He moved over her, kneeling between her thighs. He parted her with his fingers, and she felt something thick pushing inside of her. It felt nothing like his finger. Her body stretched in a way that made her uncomfortable—more and deeper until he was buried inside of her.

It was done.

He loomed over her, supporting his weight on his arms. She gazed up at him and felt her heart contract. She’d waited a long time for this moment, and even though the journey had felt endless, she couldn’t complain about the destination. This was exactly where she wanted to be.

“Ready?” he asked.

She nodded.

He withdrew and moved back inside. She tilted her hips to help. Again and again he slipped into her, pulling out only to ease into her again. In time she didn’t feel quite so stretched. The gentle rhythm grew almost pleasant. Then Rafe reached between them and touched that bundle of nerves buried just below the skin. He rubbed the exact spot in exactly the right way. She felt herself tensing.

It was just as amazing and yet it was different. Better. She liked the sensation of him filling her. She grabbed his hips to pull him closer. He was forced to stop touching her, but she didn’t care. She needed more of what he had. More of him.

He lowered himself onto her and kissed her. Their tongues tangled, mimicking the act of love. Pressure build inside of her. More, she thought frantically. More and more and more.

Then she lost herself in a whirlwind of release. She pulsed and cried out and gasped and held on to him as her body spent itself. When she was nearing the end of her journey, she felt him stiffen and call out her name.

Zara opened her eyes to find Rafe looking down at her. She watched him climax in a moment so intimate she found she couldn’t breathe. They held each other close as the last shudders rippled through their bodies.

At that moment she knew she’d lost something more important than her virginity. She’d also lost her heart.

Rafe broke his second fundamental rule when he stayed with Zara into the night. They slept entwined, or at least she slept. He simply held her and stared into the darkness. Of course, when compared with actually deflowering a virginal client who happened to be the long-lost daughter of a ruling monarch, staying in said virgin’s bed for the night didn’t seem like such a big deal.

She breathed deeply as she slept, making occasional soft noises and cuddling next to him. He liked the feel of her bare skin against his, the scent of her and their lovemaking lingering. When he closed his eyes, he could see them touching each other and remembered what it had felt like to enter her. She’d been so willing, so responsive, so giving.

He tried to tell himself that the sex had been better than average and to let it go. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of having experienced something significant. He wanted to think it was because she’d been a virgin. He’d never been anyone’s first time before, and at his age it wasn’t supposed to be an issue. However, he sensed his unease was more than just the fact that Zara had never been with a man before. It had something to do with her having touched his heart along with his body.

As soon as the thought appeared, he dismissed it. Sex, he reminded himself. It had just been about sex. Zara turned him on. He’d resisted and then he’d given in. The situation wasn’t any more significant than that. Maybe they’d do it again, maybe they wouldn’t—no big deal.

Except he found himself imagining more than just another session of lovemaking. He found himself wondering what it would be like if she was a part of his life longer than—

Rafe disentangled himself from Zara and slipped out of bed. He walked to the open French doors and stood naked in the moonlight. He wasn’t going to go there, he told himself. No fantasies about putting down roots and giving away his heart. He knew better. Love didn’t exist, except in the most superficial way possible. As soon as it all got tough, people walked away.

He turned and glanced at Zara, still sleeping. He could see the curve of her shoulder and one bare breast. His body stirred with desire. More frightening, something deep inside stirred, as well. As if he wanted more than just sex. As if she’d come to matter.

He pushed the thought away. No one mattered, he reminded himself. Not now, not ever. He didn’t do forever or relationships of any kind. He went it alone because that was how he liked it. How many times did he have to learn the lesson that the only person he could depend on was himself?

Zara nibbled on the mango slice. She felt deliciously wicked, eating breakfast in only her robe. Underneath she wore nothing at all.

“Why are you smiling?” Rafe asked from his place across the small table.

He’d already showered and dressed, pulling on cotton trousers and a loose shirt. He looked dangerous and handsome, and she still couldn’t believe what they’d done the previous evening.

“I’m having a good morning,” she said contentedly. “Here we are, on a beautiful island, listening to the sound of the surf. We don’t have a care in the world.”

“You aren’t the one about to lose your head.”

She dismissed his complaint. “The king will never find out. I certainly don’t plan to tell him, so unless you put it in your daily report, he won’t ever know.”

Rafe drank his coffee. “I don’t write a daily report.”

“I know, but you check in with someone in Bahania. Just don’t mention doing the wild thing.”

He didn’t return her smile. Instead he studied her. “Zara, about last night—are you okay?”

She knew what he was asking. She’d waited a long time to finally rid herself of her virginity. Was she having second thoughts?

“I’m fine,” she said honestly, wishing there was a way to let him know that she was so much more than fine—she was floating with happiness.

Her reaction wasn’t just because she finally figured out what all the fuss was about—it was because being with Rafe felt so right. At their moment of completion, she’d realized that she’d fallen in love with him. Instead of terrifying her, the information had been freeing. All her life she’d wondered if there was someone for her, someone special she could love with all her being. While she’d been engaged to Jon, she’d cared about him and had even loved him, but there hadn’t been such a sense of connection.

She felt that she and Rafe would be better together than they were apart. She liked who she was with him and how she felt about herself. She liked that they got along and made each other laugh. There wasn’t any fear or regret. Only a strong sense of the rightness of it all.

“Your father keeps asking when you’re returning to Bahania,” he said. “I figure I can only hold him off for another week.”

She sighed. “So you’re saying I have to grow up and start thinking about my life?”

“Something like that.”

She didn’t want to think about real life or being apart from Rafe. Because, regardless of whether she went back to the states or stayed in Bahania, he would be returning to the City of Thieves.

“I have a job waiting for me,” she said. “At the end of the summer, they’re expecting me to show up and teach my classes.”

“You have a father here who wants to get to know you,” he reminded her. “I thought you’d come all this way to find your family.”

“I have.”

“Being a princess isn’t just about wearing a tiara. The position comes with responsibilities. Bahania is a growing country, but it’s not perfect. There are still a lot of issues for women. Someone with your background could make a difference.”

She looked at him. “You think I should stay.”

“I think it’s a lot to walk away from. Besides, your regular life is going to be lost to you, either way. You can’t go back to being regular Zara Paxton.”

She knew he was right. “The thing is, I kind of liked being regular Zara Paxton.”

“I liked her, too.”

His dark eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled. She wished there was a way to know the right thing to do. She wasn’t comfortable with staying, but leaving felt like running away.

“I don’t have to decide right now,” she said. “I have at least another week.” Suddenly her skin felt shivery and hot. “So…what do you want to do for the rest of the day?”

He growled low in his throat. “Don’t go there, Zara. Last night was a one-time event.”

That was a news flash she hadn’t been expecting. “Why? Oh. I know. I read somewhere that men need time to recover before they can make love again, right? So how long do you need?”

He slapped his hands down on the table. “Did it ever occur to you that it might not be smart for us to have an ongoing physical relationship? That it might complicate things?”

At least he hadn’t said he didn’t want her. “We’re both grown-ups.” She took a breath for courage. “It’s not like we don’t want each other.”

He stiffened. She could see him waging a battle, but wasn’t sure what it was about. They’d already been lovers once, the damage had been done there. She loved him, she knew they didn’t have much time together. So why not take advantage of every second they did have?

“You make me crazy,” he told her as he rose and held out his hand. She put her fingers in his and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

“What about the recovery time?” she asked.

He laughed and pulled her close. “It’s not going to slow us down at all,” he promised. “Come on. I’ll prove it.”

Zara shifted her position in her chair, tucking her feet under her. It was relatively early on the island, but midevening in Spokane.

“I miss you,” Zara told Cleo as she held the phone to her ear. “Can’t I convince you to come back?”

“I would think you’re too busy to miss me,” her sister told her. “Or is being a princess getting boring already?”

Zara tried to smile. “It’s not that. I’m just so confused about everything and you always know what to do.”

“Yet people think you’re the smart one.”

Cleo’s voice was teasing, but Zara thought she heard an edge to her words.

“Are you all right?” Zara asked. “Are you mad at me?”

“No. It’s nothing like that.” Cleo hesitated. “I just didn’t belong there, Zara. You know that. The way I grew up, what I do for a living—I’m the last person who fits in royal circles.”

“But you and the princes got along. Especially Prince Sadik.”

“Yeah, well, that was just circumstance.”

Zara wondered what had happened between them, but she wasn’t going to pry. Sometimes Cleo was comfortable talking about her personal life and sometimes she held back.

“Besides,” Cleo continued, “you’re the one who called me, so you’re the one with the problem. You can’t be serious about turning your back on the king. He’s your father. You owe it to both of you to start a relationship. He’s family, Zara. With Fiona gone, he’s all that you have left.”