The Sultan's Choice

Samia was securing her dressing gown around her when she heard a knock on the door. Alia had just left, after making sure that she had everything laid out for the morning, so Samia approached the door with a smile, assuming it was her.

‘Did you forget some—? Oh. It’s you.’

Instantly a fine sweat seemed to break out over her skin when she saw Sadiq on the other side of the door, and she had to raise her eyeline. She felt extremely undressed in the flimsy silk night clothes.

In the same instant Sadiq silently cursed himself for coming here as he took in Samia’s attire and saw how the silk moulded lovingly to the curve of her waist and breasts. He could see the dark shadow of her cleavage, the faint pink of her skin, and arousal was painfully instant. Had he really deluded himself that he would just come here and hand over what he had in his hand and then leave again?

Something within him shifted, and mentally he stepped over a line. There was no going back now. He simply didn’t have it in him to walk away from this woman.

Samia watched as some enigmatic expression crossed Sadiq’s face. She felt a flutter of excitement deep in the pit of her belly.

‘Can I come in?’

Samia knew she should say no and close the door in his face—for all sorts of reasons. And for all sorts of reasons she didn’t. She stepped back, responding helplessly to the feral glitter in his eyes. Lord.

The door shut behind him and Sadiq held out a distinctive red and gold box. The new perfume. She looked from it to him and had a sudden fear of opening it. She reached out to take it, hoping he wouldn’t wait for her reaction, but he lifted it high so she couldn’t reach it.

Feeling utterly out of her depth, and trying to cling on to some sanity, fearing he was just toying with her, she said, ‘Sadiq, what do you want? I don’t think we’re meant to see each other the night before the wedding.’

She was very self-conscious of the henna tattoo snaking up her hands, arms, over her feet and ankles. Sadiq’s mouth curved in that slightly mocking smile she was coming to know so well.

‘Those romantic notions don’t apply to us.’

‘Of course not.’ As if she needed to be reminded. She looked down, afraid he’d see the quick dart of hurt in her chest, and then looked up again determined to make sure he was under no illusions that she harboured any such notions. ‘Don’t worry—I don’t believe in love. I’ve seen how it causes bitterness and destruction.’

‘Good. We’re in complete agreement on that score,’ Sadiq replied lightly, no expression on that harshly handsome face. ‘I wanted to give you this perfume before tomorrow.’

She quashed the lancing hurt that he’d agreed so readily with her, but she couldn’t focus on that now. Her voice was far too breathless. ‘So why won’t you just give it to me then?’

His voice was like dark velvet. ‘Because I want to show you where to place it on your body to get the most potent effect.’

‘Sadiq …’ she protested weakly, watching as with one hand he reached out to untie the belt around her robe. Feeling drained of all energy but the one fizzing in her blood, she half-heartedly tried to stop him. He flicked her hands away. His long fingers moving against her belly made her sway slightly, as if drunk.

With an economy of movement the belt was undone, and Sadiq gave her dressing gown a gentle pull so that it fell to the floor with a swishing sound. Now Samia was standing before him in nothing but the matching negligee, which clung like a second skin. She might as well have been naked. As she watched his eyes drift down over her body the atmosphere around them crackled with electricity. Her nipples tightened and chafed against the lace of the bodice.

Sadiq lazily took the exquisite perfume bottle out of the box and put the box on a nearby table. Without taking his eyes from hers he opened the gold top and pulled her arm towards him, placing the open end of the bottle against the hammering pulse-point of her wrist. She felt the tiniest trickle of cool liquid and could imagine it turning to steam as it hit her hot skin.

Huskily he said, ‘Only a tiny amount is needed because it’s so potent.’

Before the smell even hit her nostrils she just knew. This time he’d got it exactly right. It was so light it was barely discernible, and yet within seconds of mingling with her skin and pulse it became headier—a faint rose scent, winding upwards around her body. It was like the late summers she remembered in England, when the air was saturated with luxurious scents. Samia nearly closed her eyes and groaned out loud.

‘I think this is more you … no?’

Samia couldn’t speak. She just nodded, feeling very wobbly. Sadiq was placing some drops on the tip of his finger, and touching it to the pulse at the base of her neck, trailing that finger down over her breastbone and down farther to the cleavage between her breasts.

Samia brought up her hand to cover his and looked up at him, feeling wild with a reckless abandon and yet also not sure at all if she was ready for this. ‘Sadiq, wait … we shouldn’t …’

He arched that arrogant brow. ‘Who says? We’re our own masters, Samia. No one can tell us what to do. And I want you so badly it hurts.’

Blue eyes glittering almost feverishly, he brought the hand that covered his down and placed it over the throbbing heat of his erection. Samia looked down and saw her hand captured by his, touching him so intimately. The henna tattoo stood out like a brand, calling to her, saying, Make this man yours.

She lifted her gaze with an effort and it was as if nothing else outside this room mattered—only the heat between them right now. Her own voice husky, she said, ‘I don’t really want to stop … I want you too.’

‘Good. Because I don’t think I would have had the strength to turn around and walk out that door.’

The evocative scent that he’d had made for her seemed to enhance the moment, and as if in a trance Samia watched Sadiq put the bottle down on a table. He came close to her, and somehow Samia realised that they’d moved nearer to the bed. The dim lights made Sadiq’s skin look golden olive. He was so beautiful he took her breath away. Completely on instinct she reached up and put her hand to his jaw, feeling the texture of his lightly stubbled skin.

She felt a muscle tense against her palm, and then Sadiq took her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm, and said with such intensity that she melted all over, ‘Enough. ‘