The Tarnished Jewel of Jazaar

“It’s all right,” he murmured. He slowly kissed down the length of her throat. “I want you to kiss me back.”

That was the problem: she wanted to do more than kiss. Only she had to appear untutored and modest, Zoe reminded herself as Nadir removed her necklaces one by one. And when she kissed him she felt untamed. How did he have that much power over her responses?

She felt his hands travel down her spine and her top sagged open. Zoe’s heart lurched. He had found the fasteners hidden under the beading in the back. This wedding night had gone further than she wanted and she wasn’t sure how to stop it. Nadir pushed her top down her shoulders, revealing a thin white chemise.

She felt his heated gaze on her. She shivered as a dangerous excitement swept along her body, but she knew she should be feeling exposed and uncertain. What would a virgin do? Zoe belatedly crossed her arms to hide herself, but Nadir grasped her wrists.

“Don’t,” he ordered in a gruff voice. He lowered her arms. “Never hide yourself for me. You are beautiful.”

Zoe wanted to believe that the compliment fell automatically from Nadir’s lips, that he said it to all his lovers, but she felt beautiful. Desirable. Wanted. She hadn’t felt like that for a long time. She had to be very careful and not follow her instincts, but the blood was roaring in her veins.

Nadir dipped his head and captured her mouth with his. This time he wasn’t as gentle. She fed off his aggression. His kiss was hard and hungry. He couldn’t hide how much he wanted and needed her.

Heat swirled inside her. She was caught up in the kiss as he slowly lowered her. She speared her hands into his thick hair as he laid her on the bed. She’d accept one more kiss and then she’ll pull away. One more …

She didn’t protest when Nadir stripped her heavy skirt from her hips. He tore his mouth from hers and knelt back. She watched dazedly as he yanked off his dishdasha and tossed it on the floor.

Zoe gasped when she saw his golden brown skin and muscular physique. Okay, new rule, she decided frantically. No more taking off clothes. This was as far as they could go.

Without thinking she reached out and stroked his chest. She rubbed her fingertips in the sprinkle of coarse hair. She enjoyed the rasp of friction and imagined his chest, hot and sweaty, pressed against her soft breast.

She bucked her hips as the ache in her pelvis intensified. Uh-oh. She shouldn’t have done that. Had Nadir read anything from that shameless move?

Zoe hesitated, her chest rising and falling. She needed to hide her bold responses—a virgin would be shy and uncertain. She couldn’t let Nadir know how much she enjoyed exploring his body.

“Touch me again,” Nadir said in a hoarse whisper. “Touch me as much as you want.”

He shouldn’t give her that kind of encouragement. If she touched him as much as she wanted she would not stop touching him. She would touch this legendary playboy in ways that would shock him.

But she shouldn’t refuse him. Okay, revised new rule. She wouldn’t go past his chest. That was safe. Zoe splayed her fingers and caressed his arms and shoulders. She smoothed her hands along his back before trailing her fingers back to his chest.

Nadir’s muscles bunched as she scored his nipple with her fingernail. She hid her smile as a sense of power poured over her. She drew her hands down to his rock-hard abdomen before she reached the waistband of his white boxer shorts.

There must be something in her eyes. Something that gave away how she felt. She saw Nadir’s expression tighten and the fire glow in his eyes before he swooped down and claimed her mouth again. The long, wet kiss took her breath away.

She didn’t mean to part her thighs when he nestled his hips between her legs. Zoe knew he was trying to go slow and she didn’t think she could slow him down further. His muscles shook with restraint as he caressed the length of her leg.

Nadir deepened their kiss and cupped her breast. Zoe was surprised by his possessive touch. It felt good. It felt right. It was all she could do not to arch into his hand. Her nipple tightened under his attention, her breasts full and heavy.

She shouldn’t allow this, Zoe thought dazedly. But she was still partly clothed. She wasn’t too close to the point of no return, but she was far away from her original plan. She should stop this now, no matter how much she wanted it.

Zoe gasped, the sound ringing out into the room, as he pinched her nipple between his fingers. Intense pleasure spread under her skin like wildfire. She wiggled under his body and demanded more from his kiss.

Nadir didn’t follow her insistent silent command. He pulled away and she whimpered. His gaze focused on her shoulder as he pushed down the chemise strap. She felt the tremor in his hand as he peeled the fabric from her small breast. She thought she heard a purr of satisfaction before he lowered his head and took her breast into his mouth.

Zoe’s moan staggered from her throat. It didn’t sound virginal at all. She tilted her head back as hot pleasure poured through her. She closed her eyes, unwilling to reveal how weak and needy she felt. Nadir seemed to know exactly what she wanted. She felt the strong pull all the way to her core.

She instinctively wrapped her legs around his lean waist and drew him closer. When she felt his rock-hard erection against her flesh she realized she was in the danger zone. She wanted him inside her so much, but he would find out the truth about her.

She quickly dropped her legs as panic swelled in her chest. She grabbed his wide shoulders and tried to push him away, but he was too strong. “We’ve gone far enough,” she blurted out. “I am not sleeping with you!”

She clapped her hand over her mouth. Taut silence pulsated in the room. Nadir didn’t move, but she felt the ripple of tension in his body.

Now she’d done it. Zoe hunched her shoulders and waited for the explosion that was sure to follow. There was virginal reluctance and then there was outright refusal. The Sheikh was going to cast her back to her family before the night was over.

Nadir shuddered as he tried to hold back. He wanted Zoe badly. He was willing to change her mind. Lie. Cajole. Beg. He needed to taste her, sink into her wet heat and make her his in the most basic, primitive way.

He didn’t understand this white-hot instant attraction, but he wasn’t going to question it. It was an unexpected bonus to be attracted to his arranged bride, and he was willing to make the most of his good fortune for a few nights before he sent her away.

But Zoe didn’t see it that way. Was she frightened by the unfamiliar sexual feelings or was it something else? He wondered if she had heard the rumors about him. They would send any bride into a panic.

“Zoe.” He reached out for her but stopped when she flinched. Did she think he was going to hit her?

“I’m sorry,” she said behind her splayed hand. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Yes, you did.” He watched her expression closely. She was thinking fast, as if considering her best option.

“Okay, I did,” she admitted as she dropped her hand. “But … But … you have to understand. I don’t know you.”

He braced his arms on the mattress and met her gaze. He sensed that wasn’t her main concern. There was something false about her behavior. “I’m your husband. That’s all you need to know.”

Her mouth drew into a firm line and he knew she was choosing her next words carefully. “I don’t know anything about you,” she clarified.

That wasn’t what she really wanted to say. Her eyes were very expressive. She had already made up her mind about him and it wasn’t favorable. “I don’t know anything about you, either,” he said, “but I’m okay with that.”

Zoe’s eyes narrowed. “Women are different that way.”

Nadir exhaled sharply. It was true. Sex wasn’t just sex with women. It was a connection. It was about intimacy. And with a virgin it was supposed to be a magical experience. A sacred rite of passage.

Damn these virgins. They had to make a simple pleasure so complicated.

“In all honesty,” she continued softly as she looked away, “I don’t know anything about you other than your name.”

Which she hadn’t used yet, he noted. He’d had visions of her crying out his name over and over, but that wasn’t going to happen tonight. Nadir reluctantly slid the delicate strap of her chemise up her arm and settled it securely on her shoulder.

“I don’t know your favorite color or your favorite drink.”

The words rushed past her reddened lips as she tried desperately to explain herself. But he didn’t believe a word of it. Zoe was trying to build barriers.

“I don’t know your pet peeves or your goals. It’s kind of hard to sleep with a stranger even if you are married to him.”

“Women have been in arranged marriages for centuries,” he argued as lust continued to scorch through his veins. “It’s normal. It’s natural.”

“Not for me!”

Nadir gritted his teeth. An American virgin was probably the worst of the lot.

In fact his bride was very American. How long would it take for her to see the same Western sensibilities and spirit in him? If she suspected that he wasn’t as conservative as he pretended she could use that against him. He needed to stay on guard around Zoe.