There, she’d managed to sound both sober and in possession of her faculties. And honest. Because it was the truth. She’d never been all that and she knew it, but this amazing man wanted to make love with her.
No matter how much he’d claimed to want Liyah before, he wouldn’t have acted on that desire without this particular unbelievable set of circumstances. He’d said it himself.
Their worlds didn’t overlap. Not even a little.
“Then no one is taking advantage,” he stated very firmly as his hands moved to the fastening on her skirt. “I believe it is time to remove more layers of the lives we choose not to acknowledge tonight.”
“Yes.” She didn’t want any reminders of her job at the Chatsfield or why she’d taken it.
Shockingly, Liyah felt no hesitation about taking off the rest of her clothes. Especially as it appeared Sayed was intent on helping her.
Though she’d never been naked with a man before, wasn’t accustomed to exposing her body to anyone for that matter. Hena had raised Liyah to be extremely modest, even among her female peers at school.
A lifetime’s modesty melted under the heat of his desire and she did her best to help him undress, as well.
When they were both completely nude, no outward sign of their usual roles, he nodded with satisfaction. “Perfect.”
“You are.”
He smiled, the expression somehow rapacious. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She was barely aware of what she was saying.
Her mind so preoccupied with the sight of acres of muscular bronzed flesh, she relied on rote response.
He moved toward her with the grace of a predator. “I hope you are ready for this.”
She did, too.
He stopped in front of her. “I am breaking a three-year fast. Prepare yourself. I plan to feast on you.”
Managing a bare nod, she shuddered at the words, but even more at his expression.
With practiced ease, he swung her up into his arms, the naked skin all along one side of her body pressed to his front.
She gasped.
“Couch sex is for when the comfort of a bed is not available.” He swung them around and started walking to the suite’s bedroom.
She didn’t argue, just leaned forward and started placing tasting kisses against whatever skin she could reach.
Salt and unexpected sweetness burst over her taste buds.
The thought of making love for the first and only time with Sayed in the bed reserved for the woman he had intended to marry resonated with a strange sense of rightness.
While Liyah had no hope of ever being that woman, for tonight she was undeniably his.
He managed to pull back the covers and lay her on the bed without dropping her, or even unduly jostling her.
“You’re pretty good at this,” she said as he released her, impress
ed.
Sayed straightened, giving her full view of his amazing body, his expression confused in a way she was pretty sure it never was. “I’m sorry?”
“The whole getting-me-into-bed thing,” she explained. “You were smoother than jazz.”
“Smoother than jazz?” he asked with humor. “Really?”