In response, he swooped down and kissed her so fast that she had no time to prepare for the onslaught of her emotions. He had her
up against the brick wall, his lips hot and soft against hers as he tasted her deeply. By the time he lifted his head, she could barely remember her name, let alone what they’d been talking about. “And you need to get inside, darling. Before I take you right here, right now, up against this wall.”
That actually didn’t sound like a bad idea to her. Then again, she was in enough trouble with her parents back home. The last thing she needed now was to be arrested for public indecency. Giggling, she managed to scoot out from underneath Murphy and take his hand, dragging him inside the lobby then over to the elevators, where they managed to get a car by themselves up to Aileen’s floor.
The minute the doors were closed, Murphy was all over—kissing her, caressing her, sliding his fingers up her thigh until he cupped the heat between her legs through her jeans. Shayma felt boneless, weightless, completely under his spell. It seemed all he had to do was touch her and she would melt into a puddle of goo at his feet.
Heat from their breath and bodies fogged the mirrors on the elevator walls and by the time the bell dinged on the fifth floor, Shayma wasn’t sure her knees would hold her. Luckily, she didn’t have to find out, since Murphy swept her up into his arms and carried her down the hall to the apartment door, ignoring her delighted squeals and the disapproving looks from several of the other tenants.
When he at last put her down, it was only to fish the key from his pocket, and then he still kept her close, his arm around her waist and her hands around his neck. They tumbled inside the place in a tangle of limbs and kisses and passionate sighs.
Shayma honestly didn’t remember getting naked or getting on the bed, but once she was there, she turned the tables on her big, buff, alpha man. The first time they’d made love, he’d been the one in charge and she’d loved every minute of it. But now, she wanted to take the opportunity to taste and explore every inch of him. After all, this might be her last chance, given how adamant he was about going his own way with his case. If he’d turned away from his buddies, leaving her too wouldn’t be far behind. She’d always known developing feelings for a man like Murphy would be risky, she’d just never expected to fall so hard, so fast.
Her heart pinched as she took advantage of his slow perusal of her body to leverage him over onto his back. This beautiful man was all hers right now, and she intended to take full advantage. Thighs straddling his hips, she loomed over him, taking in every line and sinew of his cut torso. She traced her nails lightly over his cheeks, down his neck, over the Navy SEAL tattoo over his heart, then stopped to toy with his small brown nipples. They were so sensitive, he bucked beneath her each time she gently scraped over them. Unable to resist teasing him further, Shayma bent to suckle one, while using her index finger and thumb to tweak the other. Murphy’s hand on her hips gripped tighter, not enough to hurt, just enough to let her know he was enjoying what she was doing. A low, hungry growl escaped from his throat before she silenced him with a kiss.
Straightening, she continued on her journey down his body, tracing the ridges of his taut abdomen and that delectable “V” of muscles near his pelvis that always drove women wild with lust. Finally, her fingers came to rest at the base of his erect cock. Shayma scooted lower down on his legs to allow her better access. He was magnificent, long and proud and not too wide around, with a glistening drop of fluid pearling at his tip. She stroked her thumb through that pre-cum and traced around the sensitive head of his erection before bringing the rest to her lips to taste him—salty and delicious.
Murphy grew restless beneath her once more and tried to roll her beneath him, but she refused to be swayed from her course now. Slowly, her gaze locked with his the entire time, Shayma bent and traced the tip of her tongue around the tip of his cock, once, twice, before sucking an inch or so of him inside her mouth. Murphy slammed his eyes shut and arched his back, his expression full of helpless need as she began a relaxed rhythm of up and down on him. As she pleasured him with her lips and tongue, she used one hand to fondle his balls while the other stroked the base of him. It wasn’t long before his hands, which had been tangled in the sheets beside him, came to rest on her scalp, gently guiding her into what he liked best.
Giving him what he needed was nearly as satisfying to her as having him inside her, but not quite. As much as she wanted to taste his essence in her mouth, she wanted to feel him moving within her even more. So, when his fingers tightened in her hair, signaling his impending orgasm, she backed off.
Murphy fumbled beside him in the nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom packet, which she quickly took from him and opened. Carefully, she put it on him, then positioned herself over his erection so that just his tip was touching her slick folds.
“Is this what you want?” she teased him, flashing him a devious little smile. She’d never really played the vixen in the bedroom before, but Murphy Coen seemed to bring out all her naughtiest sides. She slid him back and forth between her legs, causing them both to moan, before placing his cock at her wet entrance then slowly sliding down until she was completely seated on him. “This is definitely what I want.”
The words emerged as little more than a tumble of sighs as she began rising and falling atop him, tilting her hips slightly for maximum penetration and contact of her swollen clit against his abdomen when they touched. Soon, her head fell back and her eyes closed and she lost herself in sensation. Murphy reached up to play with her taut nipples as she rode him then gave up on submission altogether and sat up, increasing the angle of his cock inside her and taking control of the situation. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, nipping the tender flesh before soothing it with his tongue while reaching between them with the other hand to stroke her clit even more firmly with his fingers and bringing her closer to the edge.
Instead of fighting him, Shayma reveled in his control, arching against him and digging her nails into his shoulders as she slammed herself onto his cock over and over again, each stroke bringing her closer, closer…
“Oh, God,” she cried out, her forehead against his and their eyes locked. “I’m going to…”
“Come for me, darling,” he said, gripping her hips to steady her. “That’s it. Let go for me.”
“I-I…” Shayma sucked in a breath as her world exploded into millions of iridescent shards of light. Her inner walls gripped him tight as Murphy’s steady rhythm of thrusts faltered, harder, harder, until he too threw his head back and groaned, coming so deep inside her she could feel him unraveling at her very core.
With his face buried in the side of her neck and her fingers gently combing through his hair, they sat together, him still inside her as they rocked back and forth for what seemed a small eternity.
They weren’t a couple, weren’t anything formal, really. But when he held her like this and all was quiet and calm, everything in Shayma’s universe felt right. She’d never expected to find her mate so soon after breaking things off with Daveed, but it seemed that was exactly what happened.
Too bad a future between them was impossible.
Slowly, Murphy raised his head and kissed her gently before rolling them down onto the bed and discarding the used condom in the trash bin beside the night stand. He drew the covers up over them and snuggled her close to his side.
“That was incredible,” he said, stroking the damp hair from her forehead. “Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?”
“Once or twice,” she teased, smiling. These moments with him were what she lived for. The moments when she could see past his tough exterior and the walls he’d built around himself and glimpse the scared, abandoned little boy he’d been the day his mother had walked out. The psychologist in her knew that’s where all his bravado and arrogance came from. His rebelliousness too. But when they were like this—alone, unguarded, naked—she could almost imagine a life together with him, a life where he let her inside the fortress of his heart and they could start a family, a home, a life together.
Then her reality came crashing back. Her family wo
uldn’t accept him, wouldn’t accept anyone unless they’d handpicked the guy themselves. Here in New York, she was her own person, the ruler of her own life. An idea struck, crazy at first, but then gaining ground the more she thought about it. Perhaps she didn’t have to return to Al Dar Nasrani, not immediately anyway. Perhaps she could convince Murphy that what they had between them was worth fighting for and exploring more fully. Perhaps they could give things a trial run here in New York, after they found Aileen, and see if this volatile bond between them would grow into more.
Perhaps…
Her heavy eyelids slid closed and her lips curved into a smile as she drifted off into a sated sleep beside the man of her dreams.
6
It was a long while before they were on their feet and dressed again. Well, the on their feet part anyway. Murphy exited the bathroom, a cloud of steam following him from the long shower he and Shayma had just taken together, and strode over to the duffle bag he’d packed for his stay at his sister’s. After pulling on a pair of fresh boxer briefs he headed for the closet and his Navy dress whites uniform he’d always kept here just in case.