Surely if she’d held onto her virginity in the hope of gaining the maximum prize for such a gift, she would have been better off staying in the high-rolling world her father favoured, where wealthy men paid a handsome price for such acquisitions, and not as a lowly social worker serving the less fortunate?
He didn’t doubt that there was more to the estrangement between father and daughter than she let on, but in this Zaid was sure she was playing with a straight bat. It was the same honesty and integrity with which she’d gone about helping his people in the past weeks, many of whom she’d befriended in the process. According to Fawzi, Esmeralda Scott had gained, in such a short time, the respect and admiration of the people she’d met. Her daily reports had also shown an in-depth understanding of how to best serve each community. Zaid had known very quickly that he couldn’t have picked a better candidate for the job of helping him to rebuild the Ja’ahrian communities his uncle had neglected so badly.
The only fly in the ointment was her father.
In the dimming firelight of his tent Zaid’s jaw clenched. So far, her one weakness seemed to be Jeffrey Scott. Perhaps the sooner his fate was determined, the sooner she could focus properly on other matters.
Like on his kingdom? On him?
His arms tightened around her. Why not? The memorable interlude they’d shared in his bed would run its course eventually, as most things did. But there was no rational argument for that course not to be prolonged for as long as possible if they both wished it to. No reason at all.
So he would make that happen.
Satisfied, he pressed another kiss to her forehead, then let the blissful sleep that beckoned finally take him.
* * *
Even though the tent was still in darkness when she woke, Esme knew dawn was creeping very close. The coals in the fire pit no longer blazed high, although the room still held its sultry warmth. A cockerel’s crow a moment later was accompanied by sounds of a rising camp.
She kept her eyes shut as memories of last night surged along with wave after wave of incredulity. She’d given her virginity to Zaid. The experience had been awe-inspiring both during, and afterwards, when she’d woken up more than once in the middle of the night to find his strong arms clamped around her as if he wouldn’t let her go. Each time, she’d returned to sleep with her heart lifting with an emotion she was too scared to label.
That undefined emotion and the fact that she instinctively knew she was alone in bed right now kept her from opening her eyes
just yet. Once she did, she’d have to face the day. Have to face the fact that she’d changed for ever.
So she listened to the camp sounds for a minute. Then, bracing herself, she opened her eyes. The confirmation that Zaid wasn’t in the room made her stomach dip alarmingly. Esme firmed her lips and sat up in bed. She’d known this was a one-time thing. The quicker she learned to accept that fact the quicker she could get back to her assigned role in Zaid’s life. Except that stern talking to brought nothing but a tightening in her chest and a yearning for that not to be the case.
Well, wishes weren’t horses...
Determinedly, she pushed her tousled hair back from her face, and was looking around for her clothes when the tent flap to a previously unseen opening in the bedroom folded back to reveal the man dominating her thoughts.
Zaid was shirtless. His dark hair was ruffled as if fingers—her fingers—had tossed it into its sexily dishevelled state. Dark shadow graced his unshaven jaw, giving him a rakish look that sent a dozen sparks of renewed need firing through her belly. And the soft black pants that rode oh-so-low on his hips? She swallowed, unable to decide which part of the magnificent man to feast her eyes upon. Memories of all that power, all that majesty, devoted to her pleasure in the dark of night made her stomach flip in giddy excitement, despite the voice inside her head that screamed caution.
His steps slowed as his gaze fixed on her, his eyes growing a shade darker as his gaze roved over her body. Belatedly, she remembered she too was bare from the waist up. Self-consciously, she dragged the sheet up to cover her breasts.
His eyes narrowed a touch as he approached. ‘Good morning, Esmeralda,’ he rasped when he stopped beside the bed.
Suddenly tongue-tied, she dragged her gaze from his mouthwatering torso to his face. ‘Um...hi.’
He moved as if to climb onto the bed, but then he froze. Her furtive glance showed his gaze fixed at a point on the bed. She followed his gaze, then blushed furiously at the sight of tell-tale stains on the white sheet.
Her hand dashed out, her intention to tuck the sheet away. He caught hold of her wrist, his grip implacable as his gaze returned to hers.
‘No.’ That was all he said. But he didn’t need to say any more. The primitive look in his eyes, increased a hundredfold from last night, said it all. He’d been her first and he wanted the evidence on full display. Had this been a thousand years ago, she was certain he would have roared and beaten his male chest in arrogant triumph.
For some absurd reason, considering the fiercely charged moment, she had the strongest urge to smile. An urge she couldn’t quite prevent.
His eyes gleamed as he caught her expression. ‘Something amusing you, habiba?’
She blushed. Inhaled shakily as the fingers that held her caressed the pulse racing at her wrist. ‘You should see your face. You look...’
‘Tell me,’ he invited as she hesitated.
‘You look like you’ve savaged a dozen predators in order to win some sort of grand prize,’ she said with an embarrassed smile.
His expression grew even more charged, his gaze slowly lowering to the sheet and then back up to hers. He let go of her wrist, prowling onto the bed until he was poised over her like the fierce marauder she’d likened him to. The kiss he slanted over her mouth was the last word in shameless, dominant claiming. The power of it bore her back onto the bed, even as she parted her lips to take everything he had to give.
The claiming was long and thorough, her senses swimming by the time he lifted his head. Topaz-dark eyes gleamed ferociously at her.