The Sheikh's Christmas Present Read online

  He’d seen her naked before. It shouldn’t be such a big deal, but as soon as she was naked, she hurried into the water. Although it was cold against her skin, she didn’t stop until only the swells of her breasts remained. Reaching out, she traced a finger over his dark skin.

  Jarik shuddered, but he didn’t turn around. “Did you bring me here to seduce me?” she asked quietly as she moved closer. Unable to resist, she pressed the palms of her hands against his shoulders and pressed her nipples against his skin.

  “I won’t deny that I want you,” he said darkly. “And I did hope that if you relaxed, you might feel freer.”

  “I bet you bring all your women here.” Wanting to know just how badly he wanted her, she slid her hands under the water and traced her fingers over his hip bones. Just a few more inches and she’d be able to wrap her hands around his cock.

  He inhaled sharply. “I’ve never brought a woman here.”

  “And why now? It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s a piece of my history,” he said through clenched teeth. “I don’t share it. Maria, are you trying to kill me?”

  He was sharing it now, but she didn’t point that out. Instead, she danced her fingers up and down his thighs. “I don’t think that you’d be much fun if you were dead. You don’t even realize how much you make me feel alive. I want to share that with you.”

  “If you keep touching me like that, I’m going to turn around.” His voice was heavy and thick, and she immediately pressed her naked body against him.

  “Not yet,” she pleaded. “Let me enjoy this. Please.”

  “I want you to, but if you keep at it, there won’t be anything left to pleasure you with. Unless that’s what you want, and if that’s the case, by all means. Keep playing.”

  Maria laughed, her voice sounding strangled and pressed her head to his skin. The waters lapped around them, and she felt the current tugging gently at her legs. More than one thing threatened to sweep her away.

  All she had to do was let go.

  “Maria?”

  “I let a complete stranger pay me money to fly him out of the country. I shared a room with him, and I let him touch me. And now…” she swallowed hard. “Now, I’m naked in the water with you, and I know exactly what I want.”

  “Wanting something and taking something are two different things, Maria. I tease and seduce, but you have to take the final step.”

  He stood completely still in the water, like a statue, waiting for her to make a decision.

  Except that she’d made her decision the moment she’d crossed those rocks with him. Her pussy pulsed with need, and she took a deep breath and wrapped a hand around his cock.

  Hard. Big.

  “Fuck,” he hissed and immediately jerked out of her grasp. Whirling around, he gripped her hips and jerked her up against him. Maria moaned and wrapped her legs around his waist. His erection nestled in her wet slit, and she slowly moved against him.

  Kissing her hard, he rocked her back and forth, has his cock slid over her clit, she cried out and clung to his neck. Despite the chill of the water, her whole body felt like it was on fire. “Please,” she hissed. “Don’t make me beg.”

  “Are you kidding?” he laughed hoarsely. “All I can think about is making you beg for me, but I can’t wait any longer. I want you right now. Hold on tight.”

  There was no way she was letting go of him. Pressing her face into his neck, she felt him reach between them and slide a finger inside her, testing her.

  She was soaking wet. He curled his finger easily inside her, and a wave of pleasure shot through her. “I’m ready. I’m ready, please. I need to feel you inside me.”

  Lapping up the salt water from his skin, she scraped her teeth across his neck, and he readjusted his grip on her body. Before she knew it, he was probing her entrance.

  He grunted and drove into her until he was completely sheathed. The sensual invasion shocked her so much that she lost her hold on him. If he hadn’t been holding her so tightly, she would have slipped under the water.

  “It’s okay. I’ve got you,” he groaned. “You feel so good, Maria. So tight.”

  When he didn’t move, she wiggled her hips. She needed to feel him sliding deeper.

  Hard pounding. If she was going to enjoy him, she wanted him without restraints.

  He didn’t stop her, so she pulled her hips away and thrust back against him. “Maria,” he gasped. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “A little pain never killed anyone,” she said as she lifted her body again. Nibbling on his neck, she moved against him again. “I need more, Jarik. Please.”

  “Hold tight,” he whispered. She tightened her legs around him, and he carried her from the water. The sun warmed her as he crossed the sand, still nestled inside her, and lowered her to the blanket. She felt exposed on the empty beach, but no one was around, and when the weight of his body pushed him even deeper inside her, she saw only him.

  Digging her heels in the blanket, she pushed her hips up and dug her nails into his waist. It seemed to be all the encouragement he needed. He let go of his restraint and started driving into her harder and harder.

  “Yes,” she whispered and arched her back. As if he could read her mind, he bent his head and took a sensitive nipple in his mouth. Roughly scraping his teeth across it, he drove her higher and higher. She could feel the unrestrained need swirling around in him, and he held nothing back.

  Tangling her hands in his hair, she pulled his head back and pressed her lips to his. His tongue mimicked the thrust of his hips, and he muffled the sound of her moans. She lost more and more control of her body until she began to shake from the pleasure. Falling back into the sand, she gasped and let go as the orgasm took her. “No,” she gasped. “No!”

  “No?” He immediately froze above her. “Habibti, what’s wrong?”

  Maria’s hands trembled as the orgasm subsided. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was afraid it’d make you come, and I’m not ready for it to be over.”

  A faint smile played on his lips, and he gently pulled out of her. “You drive me insane, and I’m ready to blow, but there isn’t a chance in hell that I’m letting you go with only one orgasm. Now…let’s get you ready for round two.”

  “Round two?” she asked faintly as he slid down her body. When she felt his tongue sliding over the skin of her inner thigh, she shivered. “Oh, God.”

  Jarik continued to torment and tease her. Knowing how hard he was, she couldn’t believe his patience with her. Her body came back to life, desperate for what she’d just tasted.

  More. She didn’t think she could ever have enough of him. When his tongue touched her clit, still sensitive from her last orgasm, she jack-knifed up and grabbed his head. “Enough,” she gasped. “Please. I need you again.”

  “Maria,” he whispered as he moved back up her body. Kissing her, he gripped her hips and pulled her over until she rolled on top of him and straddled him. Without any hesitation, she gripped his cock and took him deep inside her again. Although she’d just experienced him, she still couldn’t get over how they fit.

  Perfectly.

  “Ride me.” His voice was strangled and desperate, but she couldn’t keep her body still if she tried. Staring into his eyes, she began to move over him. It was slow and sensual at first. She felt like her soul was bared to him, and she struggled to put up a boundary. She tried to focus on the pleasure and remember that this was temporary, but the more she stared into his eyes, the faster she fell.

  “Jarik,” she whispered. Breaking eye contact, she focused on the white-hot desire coiling inside her.

  “Maria?” Jarik asked questioningly.

  “Just this,” she whispered. “Please.”

  “Just this,” he echoed hollowly. He leaned up to capture her mouth, and as he took control of her hips, he moved her harder and faster against him. Soon, there was nothing but the desperate search for release. She could see the concentration in his face as though he
was trying to hold back, and she knew that he was waiting for her.

  He didn’t have to wait long. Arching her back, she practically sobbed his name as the damn broke inside her. Harder, more intense than the last orgasm, this one seemed to shatter her from the inside out. For a moment, she felt dizzy. The warm sands and the sound of the water disappeared, and there was only Jarik, still possessing her body.

  Dimly, she heard him shout her name and felt him as he arched even deeper inside her.

  “I can’t,” she whispered, but she knew that she was lying. She could, and she was.

  She was losing her heart to Jarik Shadid.

  10

  I can’t. Even though it was nothing more than a whisper, Jarik heard it and he had a strong feeling that Maria didn’t realize that she’d said it aloud.

  What couldn’t she do? What fear was so strong that it had distracted her right before he’d felt her fall apart around him?

  Lazily, he stroked the bare skin of her back, which had been warmed by the sun but flushed by him.

  He liked that.

  “I’m hungry,” he said softly after a few minutes. Despite the crazy heart-pounding sex, they’d both experienced, he knew that she was awake. He could feel her uneven breath on his neck.

  “Again?” she asked hoarsely as she lifted her head to stare at him. “I think I need some time to recuperate before we do another round.”

  Chuckling, he reached up and pushed her hair from her face. “No. I meant that I’m actually hungry. For food. It has to be well past lunch time.”

  “Food?” she shook her head. “Right.”

  “Believe me, I certainly want another chance to love you but I definitely need some time to rest. How about we have a quick lunch, and then we can come back for another go.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she rolled off him. “I thought we were meeting someone here.” When he didn’t answer right away, she closed her eyes and sighed. “You lied to get me here.”

  “I didn’t lie,” he said quickly. “There is a donor here who wants to help out Christmas Crates, but that donor is me.”

  “You?”

  “You were so upset about the snow, and there was nothing that I could do to help you. I remembered you saying that you wanted to spend Christmas on a sunny beach, and I figured that this was the only way to get you here.”

  There was still suspicion in her eyes when she reached for her clothes. “So you bribed me with money so you could have sex with me?”

  “Whoa!” Grabbing her hand, he forced her to stop. “Maria, look at me.”

  “Just let me go.”

  “Not until you look at me. You’re not sure how you feel about what happened, and you’re twisting things around so you can avoid those emotions. I’m not going to let that happen. Look at me,” he demanded in a low voice.

  There was anger in her eyes when they finally settled on him, but he also saw uncertainty swirling around in them. “Maria, from the moment that I looked you up, I knew that I wanted to help Christmas Crates. The fee to get you to fly me was a fraction of what I wanted to pay. What you’re doing is amazing, and I want to be a part of it. This trip to the beach was so I could finally see a genuine smile on your face. You’ve stressed and worried and hissed and snarled from the moment I laid eyes on you. I wanted you to smile. I wanted to be the reason that you smiled. I won’t deny that I wanted you, but I would have been equally as happy seducing you back in the hotel room. I didn’t do all this simply to get you naked, Maria.”

  He didn’t release her until her shoulders relaxed. She gave him a small smile. “Okay, but what you’re talking about is a business transaction, and I refuse to do that while I’m naked. Can we talk about it when we get lunch?”

  Jarik could tell that she’d slipped a little out of his grasp, but he hadn’t lost her completely. They’d talk, and he’d make love to her again.

  And again and again until she realized that he wasn’t planning on letting her go. Ever. Maybe then, she’d finally give in.

  He took his time getting dressed and gave her time to sort herself. He even turned his back until she cleared her throat to give him the all clear.

  “There’s a place that my brothers and I used to love. Interested?”

  “Something swanky, I’m sure,” she muttered, but she smiled at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. She was warming to him.

  He helped her back over the rocks again and led her a few blocks up the beach before stopping in front of a small building with a single window.

  “Is this is it?” Maria asked with a laugh. “Boy was I wrong.”

  “Glad I could surprise you. As kids, my brothers and I were little hellions. My mother used to say that we weren’t fit for restaurants, but here we could eat good food and still run along the beach and make trouble.”

  “Is that you, Jarik?” an elderly man called. “Come here for your regular? Ah. Is that a lady with you?”

  “Gordon!” Jarik reached through the window to give the old man a hug. Gordon had seemed ancient when Jarik was a kid, and he honestly couldn’t believe the man was still alive, let along working. “This is my friend, Maria.”

  “Maria. You are very beautiful. Please tell me that you are more than friends,” Gordon said with a wink. “If he will not claim you, I am single.”

  “Oh, my,” Maria laughed. She leaned over as the old man kissed her on the cheek. “I am very fond of the view here.”

  “The beach or Gordon?” Jarik asked, amused.

  “Both.”

  “She’s a keeper, Jarik! While you’re here, can you help me real quick? My assistant is off on an errand, and my back isn’t what it used to be.”

  Jarik kissed the top of Maria’s head, almost absently, and went to help Gordon. The old man opened the door to the yellow shack and pointed to some boxes on the floor. “How can I help you?”

  “They’re the bags of soda, and my cola is out.”

  Jarik hauled the bag of syrup from the box and pushed it on the rack. As a teenager, he’d spent a few summers at the beach and helped Gordon out when the old man needed it. Screwing the line in place brought back fond memories. The carbonation machine made a few popping noises before the syrup started to flow through the line. “All set!”

  “Good, good. Your lovely lady ordered, and I’ll have it ready in a few minutes. Now, go out and woo her.”

  “Woo her? I thought she was going to be your girlfriend!” Jarik teased.

  “I see the way you look at her son, and it’d be suicidal for anyone to try to take her away from you. How long have you two been dating?”

  “Dating?” Jarik shook his head. “I’ve only known her for a few days.”

  “A few days?” Gordon frowned. “Be careful, Jarik. The hotter the flame, the worse the burn.”

  “When have you ever known me to get burned?” Jarik asked with a wink. Hugging the old man, he went back out to join Maria. She was staring off at the shore. “Are you okay?”

  “It really is beautiful here,” she murmured as she turned back to him. Nervously tucking her hair behind her ear, she cleared her throat. “I owe you an apology about earlier, Jarik. Usually I don’t stick around after sex, so I guess I’m not sure how to conduct myself.”

  “Maria, you don’t have to apologize. The whole situation is strange, and we’re making the best of it.”

  “Yeah, but I know that you’re in a hurry to get to your destination, even if you won’t tell me why.”

  “I’m not keeping secrets from you, Maria.” Sighing, he stared out at the water before replying. “There are things I’d rather not discuss until I have more information. I hope that you will understand.”

  She paled slightly. “Jarik, are you in danger?”

  “No. At least nothing more than usual.” At her look of concern, he attempted a smile. “I’m the second son of a crowned sheikh. There’s always potential for trouble,” he answered. “But I’m not about to take any chances with you around. Once I finish in
Lebanon, I’ll tell you everything. Now. Let’s talk about the terms of my donation.”

  Gordon whistled and set their baskets of food on the counter by the window. Jarik grabbed them and sat at the table. Despite the warm weather, there were no other customers, so he felt comfortable talking freely with her.

  Surprisingly, Maria didn’t switch into business mode. She touched him frequently, smiled often, and didn’t shy away when he flirted.

  Remarkably, she didn’t flinch when they talked about money. For the first time ever, he felt like she was finally comfortable with him.

  Afterward, when the sun started to set, he reached across the table and took her hand. “We have to go back,” he murmured quietly.

  “I know.”

  “Do you feel a little more relaxed?”

  “Jarik, I’m more than relaxed. I feel charged and ready. Even optimistic. I guess I had no idea how badly I needed to let my hair down. Thank you for this.”

  Leaning over, he kissed her gently. She tasted sweet and silky, and his body stirred in remembrance of how she felt. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to act on it.

  He felt at peace sitting next to her, holding her hand. It felt right. Still, he couldn’t help but forget the words that she’d whispered.

  I can’t.

  He was in the shower when Maria woke up the next morning. She felt almost bereft when she reached over and found a cold spot where his body should have been. Yesterday and last night had introduced her to pleasures that she hadn’t even known possible.

  Jarik was one talented man.

  Her muscles were still sore when she pushed herself up from the bed. Her phone vibrated, and she yawned and absentmindedly grabbed it from the nightstand.

  “Hello?”

  “Maria?”

  “Sebastian?” Wide awake, she gasped and jolted up. “Are you okay? You better tell me that you’re in the hospital dying or I’m going to kill you next time I get my hands on you. Why have you been ignoring my calls? Do you realize what day it is? Do you realize that I’m not in Syria? I’m stuck in Riyadh. I’m grateful for the extra toys, but I don’t understand why I had to fly here to get them. I’m panicked, Sebastian. You know how important this is!”