Only Pleasure (Bound Hearts 10)

She looked at his hand again, remembering the dreams, the fantasies, and all the lonely nights when she had assured herself, if this night ever came, she would have the courage to take his hand.

She stood slowly, holding her wrap around her shoulders with one hand as she saw Khalid rise from his chair at the back of the room.

"The limo's outside. " Chase took her hand in his, broad, warm fingers wrapping around her smaller, paler ones. "Are you going home?"

Where she was alone? Where she could dream about him rather than taking her courage in both hands and becoming the woman she had been wishing she could be?

Bold. Courageous.

She was breathing harshly. She could feel her breasts rising and falling, felt his gaze flick over them as he began to pull her to the door.

"I don't want to go home yet," she finally whispered.

His arm went around her back, his hand cupping her hip as her velvet dress swished about his legs.

"I won't take you home then. " They reached the door to the bar and stepped out as the limo, a Hummer no less, pulled up to the sidewalk.

Snow covered the sidewalk now, a good inch, and she barely noticed it.

She didn't worry about the hem of her dress, because suddenly she was being lifted in his arms, her eyes widening, her wrap slipping as she clutched at his shoulders.

"I don't want you to slip and fall," he stated as the chauffeur opened the door smoothly. Chase ducked inside the warm interior, holding her against him as he moved into the sumptuous limo and sat down by a narrow bar counter, in one of the thickly padded, wide leather seats.

Khalid followed and the door closed behind them, the tinted windows hiding them, securing them against curious eyes.

The interior of the Hummer was incredible. The seats were wide, the dark leather was probably comfortable, but as Chase held her, she was betting he was more comfortable. Even with the thick wedge of his erection pressing into her hip.

She wasn't certain what she was getting herself into now. She leaned back against Chase's shoulder and drew in a hard breath. She was only seconds away from requesting that they take her home after all.

She couldn't do this. She thought she was brave. Thought she was courageous.

"Khalid, this limo is insane, you know. " Chase glanced around the interior, his hand stroking comfortingly down Kia's back as the vehicle moved smoothly through the streets.

"So I told my father when he had it delivered. " Khalid shrugged. "But it came with free petrol from his stations, so who am I to complain?" Khalid winked at Kia playfully. "I'm, of course, a bit more conservative with my own wealth. "

"Yeah, Khalid buys horses instead. " Chase chuckled.

"Fine beasts. " Khalid grinned. "But one thing this is good for is the viewing pleasure of all the beautiful lights through our fair city as it snows. All the comforts of home. " He waved to the windows that surrounded the seats. "And we don't have to worry about getting stuck for quite a while. "

"Khalid likes to run his security detail ragged in the snow," Chase told her with a hint of laughter.

"It's not the security detail I have such fun with," Khalid drawled, the faint Middle Eastern flavor of his voice tinged with his own amusement. "It's those damned special agents they keep on my ass. You'd think I wasn't a U. S. citizen. "

"One tied to a very rich, fairly powerful sheik," Chase pointed out.

Khalid winked at her again, and Chase felt her relax, not a lot, but enough that perhaps she wasn't gearing up to demand to be taken home.

"I assure you, Ms. Rutherford," Khalid announced. "It is Rutherford now, yes?"

"Yes," she breathed out faintly.

Chase had been unaware she had returned to her maiden name.

"As I was saying, I assure you, I'm related to the sheik by only the thinnest of bloodlines and a father that has more money than any true connections. Though he does enjoy spending the money on his youngest bastard son. " Khalid's lips quirked mockingly.

Kia inhaled slowly as Chase continued to rub her back. Damn her and her bare back. Her wrap was barely hanging to one shoulder now, the velvet dress held to her shoulders by thin straps, the velvet covering her breasts doing very little to cover the firm mounds.

She was incredible. Beautiful. Several strands of hair had slipped from the diamond pins that held it in place, the blond strands framing her face and neck.