"Ah, but I love you," he said huskily. "Morethan life itself. That gives me plenty to share with you until the day youadmit you love me, too."
"That day will never come—"
"It will!" Guy insisted passionately as hegently but firmly drew her chin around to face him. He caressed her jaw andthroat, his eyes searing hers with unflagging conviction. "It will."
Leila gasped as his mouth came down on hers, his kissso achingly tender that she felt it all the way to her toes. His lips werestartlingly warm and he pressed lightly, as if savoring the taste of her. Histongue felt like velvet when he flicked it across her wet lips, then he partedthem and probed deeper, his kiss becoming rough as he stroked her innersoftness.
His kisses went on and on for long breathless moments, growingso demanding, so irresistible she could not help but respond with equal fervor.She scarcely realized she had fallen back onto the mattress until he lifted hishead. She was facing upward and staring dazedly into his eyes, her arms wrappedaround his neck.
"I want to know everything about you, Leila,"he said ardently, caressing her cheek. "Everything. You are a wondrousmystery to me, like that brightest star in the heavens. I want to know whatmakes you smile, what makes you laugh" —he seized her mouth in anotherdeep, prolonged kiss, breathing his next words against her parted lips when hepulled away briefly—"what makes you moan and writhe in pleasure."
Leila was so dizzy from his impassioned kisses that shedid not protest when his hand slipped under hernightrailand glided slowly up her leg. His touch was whisper light, his fingertips justgrazing the curved line of her hip before sweeping upward across her belly tothe rose-scented hollow between her breasts. She sighed aloud when he cupped afirm mound and squeezed gently.
"So you like it when I do this," Guymurmured, trailing his tongue down her throat as he ran his roughened palmacross a sensitive tip, back and forth, back and forth, until she thought shemight surely scream. "Tell me, Leila. Tell me if you like it. I want toknow."
"Yes," she breathed, tossing her head. "Yes!"
"Then I'm sure you will enjoy this even more."
Leila's eyes grew wide as he suddenly flung back thecovers and brought himself up on his knees beside her. Then taking the thinfabric of hernightrailin both his hands, he rippedit in two. As her delicately limbed body was bared to his gaze, he straddledher with strong, muscled thighs the size of her waist and bent over herbreasts, flicking a taut, rosy nipple with his tongue.
"How do you like this, my beautiful love?" heasked huskily, circling first one aureole,thentheother, with what felt like a wet ring of fire. His caresses were no longergentle but fierce and possessive.
Leila could notanswer,herthroat was so constricted with pleasure. She had already surrendered to thesensual power he wielded over her. All she wanted now was for him to continuewhat he was doing to her . . . to feed the sweet madness that was escalatinginside her like a fever.
As he covered a tingling nipple with his mouth, drawingupon it hungrily,incredibleflashes of heatedsensation surged through her, and she pressed her hands against his thighs, herfingers splaying spasmodically against skin and corded muscle. She thoughtfleetingly of his hard arousal so close within her reach and was tempted tocaress and stroke him as she had been taught. But something deep inside herforbade the wanton impulse. A tiny inner voice told her she must hold somesmall part of herself back from this man who had taken everything from her.
The voice was suddenly silenced, Leila's thoughtsscattering when Guy spread her legs wide and knelt between them. His lipsforged a fiery path along the soft undersides of her breasts and then down hertaut belly.
"I know what will please you, my lady wife,"he whispered hoarsely, his tongue dipping into her navel. When she arched indelicious surprise, moaning softly, he raised his head and smiled roguishly ather, his eyes stained dark blue with passion. With a low growl of laughter, helicked a sensuous trail to the downy black hair at the juncture of her thighs.
Leila cried out as he cupped her buttocks and liftedher to his mouth, his panting breath as hot as his tongue which speared intoher. She clutched the sheets, her thighs tensing in excitement, wholly overcomeby his wet, thrusting assault. An intense pressure was building inside her,radiating from the tiny swollen bud where he teased her so relentlessly.
"No more, please . . . It is too much," shebegged him almost incoherently, bucking and twisting. She pushed frantically athis shoulders, her nails leaving red scratches. "Please . . ."
Guy ignored her cries, pressing further into her warm,seductive fragrance. Her taste intoxicated him, exciting him beyond measure. Itwas all he could do to contain his own burning desire, yet he wanted to driveher to the brink of ecstasy. Only when she began to tremble uncontrollably, hermoans becoming throaty whimpers, did he rise above her. Catching her wristshigh above her head, he embedded himself to the hilt within her slick softness.
"Ah, Leila . . . how I have dreamed . . ."
He said no more as her hot sheath tightened inexorablyaround him. He began to move within her, pulling back, then straining into heragain as far as he could reach. He wanted to go slowly, to prolong the sweetagony that was consuming them both, but it was impossible. His movements becamebold and fierce, made all the more so as she began to writhe beneath him, herhips risingseductively to meet his every thrust. He wasshaking and on fire from want of her, his own climax looming ever closer.
"Come with me, Leila . . . love," he urged,the scorching pressure in his loins like nothing he had ever felt with anyother woman. "Come with me. Now!"
For a breathless instant Leila marveled that she wasnot torn in two by the sheer size of his pounding flesh, then in the nextmoment, she was being carried away with him upon a wave of such blindingrapture that time ceased for her altogether. She was oblivious to all but thewild beating of blood and heart, then a throbbing rush of wet, blazing heat,deep, deep inside her . . .
She could not say how many minutes passed before shefelt Guy release her wrists and lift his weight to his elbows, but it was longenough to allow their frantic breathing to ease. She opened her eyes to findhim gazing down at her, smiling tenderly.
"I take it I pleased you well, my lady," hesaid, brushing her swollen, love-bruised lips with a kiss that was as light asair. He moved his hips provocatively against hers, their bodies still joined asone. "I think you can guess how well you pleased me."
She did not answer, a furious blush creeping over hercheeks and spreading down her throat to her high, upturned breasts. Seeing it,Guy chuckled. He bent his head and was about to draw a soft pink crest into hismouth when she gasped, trying to twist away from him.
"What are you doing?" she askedincredulously. "We have already—"
"Surely you don't think I have had my fill of you,my love," Guy cut in huskily, feeling himself grow hard again from herabrupt movement. God's blood, he would never have enough of her! He stroked adelicately boned shoulder, reveling in the silkiness of her skin. "Weddingnightsaremeant to last well into the morning. Thereis still much I'd like to share with you, and I believe you have things toshare with me." He dragged his gaze from her puckered nipples and staredinto her eyes. "Tell me more about those sensual arts you were taught inthe harem, Leila. What special techniques did you learn?"
Anger swept her. How dare he expect her to share hererotic knowledge with him! To do so would be a final betrayal of Jamal andeverything she held to be right and decent. When she returned to Damascus, shewould still possess at least some of her innocence.
"Anything I learned in the harem was not for yourbenefit, Lord deWarenne," she said tartly. "Thoseskills are reserved for my husband."
