Breaking the Sheikh's Rules

Slowly he turned around, his face unreadable, his long robe concealing his body. He came into the tent, the drapes falling closed again behind him.

‘Why didn’t you tell me you were innocent?’

The simple question blindsided Iseult for a moment, but she recovered. ‘Would you have slept with me if you’d known?’

No way, was Nadim’s quick and instinctive response—along with a rogue voice saying, Liar, you wouldn’t have been able not to.

As Iseult watched, she could see Nadim battle with something, but eventually he said, ‘Probably not, no.’

Iseult ducked her head, ashamed of having been duplicitous on any level, and had to admit, ‘I think I knew that…but I didn’t want you…not to sleep with me.’

She lifted her chin again, feeling something defiant move through her. She knew if she had the moment again she’d act in the same way. She’d wanted Nadim and he’d wanted her.

Nadim had moved closer and Iseult could feel heat rising. His smell wound round her again, and that musky tang of sex.

‘You know this changes everything.’

Iseult could only look at Nadim. ‘What do you mean?’ She had a sudden horrifying vision of Nadim telling her that because he’d been her first lover some ancient desert law decreed that they should be married.

As if reading her mind, he quirked a hard smile and said mockingly, ‘You can stop that overactive imagination right there. This may be a country with indelible ties to ancient customs, but those customs don’t apply to women I decide to take as my mistresses…’

For a long second his words didn’t sink in. Mistresses. There was something so inherently insulting about that word and title. As archaic as the laws he’d just spoken of. And yet Iseult had to mock herself. Nadim was hardly the kind of man who’d have something as trite as a girlfriend or a partner. He was of the modern world and yet not of the modern world.

She tried to comprehend. ‘You’re saying that just because we’ve slept together now I’m your mistress?’

He moved closer, and Iseult’s hands tightened on her belt. Her breath hitched unsteadily. ‘Precisely that’s what I’m saying. Sleeping with you once is not enough. Not by a long shot. You’re innocent, Iseult. I can teach you…help you explore your sensuality.’

Iseult’s brain melted, and the part of her that rebelled was drowned out. How could he know what he said? How could he know that with those few words he was taking out one of her innermost vulnerabilities, looking at it in the light and saying, Let me help you with this.

She shook her head and felt her hair move across one shoulder, saw how Nadim’s eyes flicked there momentarily and how his eyes grew darker. Her heart thumped in response. ‘I…don’t know how I feel about that.’

In a cataclysmic second he was close enough to snake a hand around her waist and pull her into his body. Their robes were so flimsy she could already feel the potent burgeoning strength of him, and at that moment the thought of being denied another chance to sleep with this man was anathema to Iseult.

His eyes blazed down into hers, mesmeric. ‘I’m offering you all I can give, Iseult. You will be my mistress and we will explore this attraction for as long as we both feel it.’

How could she think when he was so close? When it felt as if a mythical kingdom lay just beyond the tent, calling to her seductively to give in? When this man had woken her from a deep dark and cold sleep and shown her an enticing taste of what it was to be a desirable woman? Iseult couldn’t believe that there was anything more to this than sheer random carnal attraction. But one thing she did know: if anyone had the ability to make her feel beautiful it was going to be this man, and now. Nadim was making it perfectly clear to Iseult

this would only last for a very finite time.

Feeling as if she was stepping out over a cliff-edge and into a void of nothing, Iseult just said shakily, ‘Okay…’

An expression crossed Nadim’s face—one that made Iseult tense instinctively; it had looked like cynicism. She had a sudden flash of understanding that she’d just joined the leagues of other women who’d never said no to him, and for a second wished that she could be stronger. But, feeling her tension, Nadim pulled her even closer, and now his expression was full of only one thing: desire.

Taking Iseult’s hand in his, he led her back to the bed, which was still rumpled. He lay down and pulled her down to lie alongside him, the movement causing her gown to slide aside so that one breast was exposed.

Immediately embarrassed, Iseult went to cover up again, but Nadim stopped her hand, pulling the robe further apart and down her arm, making Iseult’s pulse throb between her legs when she saw how he looked at her. Her breast flowered under his gaze, swelling and tightening, the tip becoming an aching hard point.

Before he touched her, though, Nadim asked innocuously, ‘Are you hungry?’

Iseult’s throat dried. She was, but not for food. As if reading her mind, Nadim chuckled darkly and said, ‘You are learning fast, my sweet Iseult…time for food later, I think…’

Feeling desperately wanton, Iseult couldn’t move as Nadim bent and cupped her breast and brought that tingling peak into his mouth where he sucked hard. Iseult gasped. Her hand tightened on the bedclothes. And then he pushed her back and opened her robe fully, spreading it apart, baring her to his gaze.

With a dark look of intent he started to press kisses down over her flat belly to where dark red curls hid the secret place of her desire. She felt Nadim’s hands spread her legs apart and said shakily, through the fire building at her core, ‘Nadim?’

He looked up at her, all dark and awe-inspiring, and said, ‘This time is going to be all about you and your pleasure. I will show you another way to fall off the edge…’

As Iseult watched he started to press teasing hot kisses up her inner thighs, and then she felt his breath feather between her legs as he showed her exactly what he meant.