Some expletive she didn’t catch escaped his lips as he thrust harder—deeper—into her mouth. He climbed onto the bed, allowing her to sit on her heels and her free hand to wrap around his firm buttocks to encourage the flexing of his hips forward. A low hum of appreciation filled her throat, vibrating down the length of his rod. Her finger slipped behind the scrotum to massage the soft flesh behind. His fingers gripped her hair, pulling taut, but she didn’t mind. Tongue rolling around the soft purple head of his uncapped rod, she took all of him in her mouth, riding along his length.

When she started to roll the testicles in her palm, he pulled her forcibly from his cock and off the bed till she was level with his face. He stared at her a moment, then drove his tongue, with a force that stole her breath, into her mouth and thrust his hard, now damp, cock against her soft belly. His body was unforgiving as it took. Took everything she’d denied him before now. Her heart leaped furiously against his, her thighs grew slick with the fluids from her cunt. Sweat dripped between the valley of her breasts, collecting in the heavy crease above her ribs. Both his hands tangled tight in her hair as though he feared she’d escape him now.

That was the furthest thing from her mind.

But pleasure. Pleasure she could give him in spades.

By intuition alone, she felt this was her last chance with him. This was the last impression she could make on his soul.

Snaking her arms around his shoulders, she pressed her breasts tightly to his chest and tried to inch up his body until his cock thrust between the folds of her sex. She was tall enough for that, but he didn’t seem to grasp what she was about.

Their teeth clanked painfully together as their kisses grew feverish. That didn’t stop them from delving their tongues farther, tangling and tasting as she surrendered her body completely to him. Something she’d not done before with him or any other man.

Not in all her life.

Would he understand the significance of this gift?

Who did she think she fooled? The passion he’d been dying to unleash finally burned bright and strong beneath his hands. The jut of her breasts on his chest made him hard as all hell. It was a challenge not to bend her over and fuck her as hard and furious as the blood pumping through his body.

She’d finally given him the truth. The only truth he needed to seal his heart to her completely. He was wrapped around that pretty little finger of hers. And the talent she’d shown with that finger not a minute ago had almost made him come off in her hot mouth.

The taste of lemon from their lunch lingered on her lip as well as the male muskiness from her sucking him off. He pushed her back on the bed, following her down, tasting ever deeper of her sweet, intoxicating mouth. He took his fill of the elixir of her mouth, filling, then retreating, tonguing and dueling for supremacy in this intimacy. She gave as good as she got, matching his pace, lingering as he did, indulging completely in the raw intimacy of the moment.

Untangling his hands from her hair, he slid them down to her thighs, grasped them and pushed her legs back so her ankles wrapped around his neck. With a deft hand, he positioned his cock and filled her in one smooth stroke.

The sound he made wasn’t quite a growl or groan but all pleasure as he pulled away from her mouth and pressed his forehead to hers. Panting, because he was bloody well panting as he held himself above her, he closed his eyes and breathed in deep. He was so close to losing his seed. They wouldn’t leave this bed for the next week if he had his way. What was sprouting a little seed prematurely in their joining when he could last longer in a second tangle between her sweet thighs?

Hands framing her face, he pulled up enough that he could look at her eyes. Was it possible he’d cracked fully through that tough exterior she wore like the strongest armor?

“Jinan,” he whispered against her parted lips.

It was all he could say once her pelvis tilted upward, lodging his cock deeper into the hugging warmth of her velvet-lined sheath.

Her hands cupped his face, her fingers rubbing over the stubble as she stared at him with an open heart. It was at once the most erotic, sensual, and humbling sight he’d ever had in his life.

What would it take to make her his? What did he have to do to prove his worth?

To make her stay?

God, it pierced his heart to get that look of longing when she continually refused to even think of sharing a life with him.

Reaching behind him and unhooking her ankles, he drew her legs down to clasp around his hips. Then he pulled out and thrust back inside her. He closed his eyes, remembering everything about her—her soft plump flesh, full heavy breasts, and strong feminine legs. Her hand so lightly touching the contours of his face as she explored his features with an innocence ironic to the circumstances.

He was so close; he didn’t want to finish. Couldn’t he stay in her perfect body for the rest of his life? Why wasn’t it possible to build a life on this simplicity?

“Jinan,” he tried again. There were so many words still not said between them.

His mouth was dry, breath ragged, voice hoarse. He stole into her mouth since words escaped him. Did she feel the longing and passion unfurling in him as he took her hard and kissed her with every ounce of affection he harbored for her?

With her ankles clasped around his buttocks, heels digging into his backside, she urged him on when he wanted to indulge in slow pleasure. She broke away from his kiss.

Her breath came fast and hard as she sucked in as much air as she could with him crushing her.

“Love me,” she said, and sucked in her bottom lip as her body arched in demanding supplication against his.

Was it his imagination? The words were so low and maybe he mistook them for words of bliss, not words from the heart. It was too much to resist what she offered. He’d love her any way he could.

Pulling from the warmth of her body, he flipped their positions and put his back to the head of his bed. She mounted and slid down his length slowly, a hush of air escaping her parted lips. This wasn’t any better, he decided. He’d spill his seed quicker. She knew exactly how to fulfill their needs.

With his hands tight on her hips, he stopped the rise of her body. She let out a mewl of frustration and rocked her mound against him instead. He did the only thing he could think of when all he wanted more than anything in the world was to indulge in something she’d denied him since they’d first met. He would not let her cheat him now.

Pulling her head back with a grasp to the hair at her nape, he arched it back until she could no longer move.

“I like that you trust me that you don’t fight me when I take this kind of control.”

The groan she released was half squeal, half moan, and it had him bucking his hips up hard so he could hear it again. She did not disappoint. Before he could rein in his end, his excess of emotion, he came to his finale, squirting inside her tight sheath. His hips thrusting so hard she had to wrap her arms around his shoulders and hold on tight as he pumped his seed deep inside her.

She collapsed atop him when his cock jerked a final spurt of milk. Breath ragged, mouth dry, he rolled into her center, never wanting to leave her heavenly warmth.

Kissing her forehead, cheek, lingering at her mouth, he finally slipped his softening cock from her, a rush of fluid following his retreat. As much as he didn’t want to leave her, she needed to be cleaned.

Retrieving a dampened cloth from the water closet, he made quick work of cleaning his seed, which mingled with her fluids, from her mound and bottom. The motion brought his cock back to semi-life, but he ignored it. Now, he just wanted to hold her and help her find her own crisis—but sleep was inevitable at the moment.

Tossing the cloth in the direction of the water closet, he climbed into bed, and pulled her soft body flush to his, aligning their pelvises. Arms wrapped tightly around her, he squeezed her close.

“You are my heart, Jinan. Don’t leave me.”

The words were lost, though; her breaths were deep and even in sleep.

15

Found

Raised voices. More than one. Dread filled the pit of her belly, she had so many conflicting feelings. It might be Amir. Which meant she’d be taken away. There was no hope of Amir releasing her son. Not to one who had stolen his property right from under his nose. She hoped Rothburn would not be hurt in the process. That thought was as bad as being separated from her son.

The shouting resumed. She was sure the deep booming baritone came from Rothburn. The words were too far away and spoken too fast for her to make any sense of them.

Racing to the door, she tugged at it. It didn’t budge. She tugged harder, twisting the latch, but it held fast. She was locked in. Why had he done that? She shook the handle; the door wasn’t going to open. Raising her palms, pounding against the door, she shouted, “Rothburn, let me out of here right now! Don’t do this to me.”

She heard the dull thud of running feet, pounding toward her. The sound of a scabbard unsheathing and the shush of the soft trousers the eunuchs wore caught her ear.

There had been no response to her angry outburst, but she didn’t expect one from the eunuchs. Did they think they walked into danger? Was Rothburn even alive? God, please let him live.

She backed away from the door and called again in Turkish. “Please, unlock the door.”

Thump.

She jumped back a step, unprepared for the door to groan in the frame.

Thump, thump.