The Sheik and the Runaway Princess (15 page)

The passion was as instantaneous as it was familiar. Sabrina felt her bones begin to melt as she pressed against Kardal. He was all hard planes to her soft curves and she thought about how right it was to be in his embrace. His lips, always tender yet firm, pressed against hers. There was something hungry about his kiss. This time he didn’t tease her or play by nibbling. Instead he plunged inside of her, circling her, taking her as if she were necessary for his very being. His desire—almost a desperation—fueled
her own
growing excitement. She clung to him, letting him take what he would and then following the movements of his tongue, showing him how much she wanted as well.

His large hands moved up and down her back. One slipped to her derriere and he pressed her to him. She arched her hips forward, and settled her belly against the thickness of his arousal. As she felt his maleness, she shivered from equal parts of excitement, curiosity and apprehension.

“Sabrina,” he breathed, breaking the kiss long enough to press his mouth against her jaw. He bit the tender skin just below her ear, then licked her lobe and made her squirm.

When she moved, his need flexed, as if he’d enjoyed the contact. She suddenly wanted to see him without his clothes. She wanted to touch him and understand what happened between a man and a woman. It wasn’t that she didn’t have theoretical
knowledge,
it was that her practical skills were sadly lacking.

Just the thought of them lying naked together was enough to make her breath quicken. Her breasts were already swollen and tender. Her nipples pressed against her bra in a way that was almost painful. Between her legs dampness and pressure grew, making her wish he would touch her there as he had before.

She wanted him. She wanted them to make love. Her bodily needs blended with her emotional connection to this man. Combined they were a force impossible to deny.

“I want you,” he said, kissing his way down her neck. “Sabrina, I need you.”

I love you.

But she only thought the words. She didn’t speak them. For loving Kardal would only bring heartache.

“We can’t,” she whispered even as he found the zipper at the back of her dress and tugged it down. “Kardal, I’m a virgin.”

Her dress slipped off her shoulders. She pressed the fabric to her breasts. He cupped her face in his hands and gazed into her eyes. She saw the tightness of his expression—the need flaring there.

“I want you,” he repeated. “It would be worth any price to touch you, to teach you, to make love with you. Please, do not deny me the glory of making you mine.”

Had he demanded, she might have found the strength to say no. Had he teased or cajoled she would have had some recourse. But the dark pleading, the raw need he exposed to her left her unable to deny him anything. Even when she knew they would both pay a price for this
moment.

He reached for the dress she clutched to her chest. Reluctantly she released the cloth and he drew it away. The garment fell soundlessly to the floor.

Underneath she wore silk panties and a bra. The peach lace exposed as much as it concealed. Before Sabrina could react to being nearly naked in front of him, Kardal glanced down at her and caught his breath. He made an audible sound—a gasp of pleasure. As if her
body were
as beautiful as the ancient treasures that filled the castle. Reverence joined need in his eyes. Suddenly she wasn’t embarrassed. She was proud to be the woman he desired.

“I would die for you,” he breathed and stunned her by dropping to his knees.

Sabrina didn’t know what to think.
Kardal kneeling before her?
What did it mean? But before she could figure out an answer, he pressed an openmouthed kiss to her belly and all rational thought fled.
Sparks
seemed to flare inside of her, leaping through her body in all directions. Goose bumps erupted on her arms and legs and her breasts swelled even more.

He ran his tongue around her belly button before dipping inside. A trembling started in her thighs,
then
moved both up and down, making it nearly impossible for her to stay standing. Without thinking, she pressed one hand to his shoulder and the other on his head. She slipped her fingers into the thick layers of his dark hair and gasped when he moved lower, kissing her just above the elastic of her panties.
Then lower still, nibbling along her thighs.

It tickled. It was perfect. She trembled so
much,
she could only remain upright by clinging to him. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist, holding her in place.
Kisses and bites and tantalizing licks—all up and down her thighs.
Finally he tugged at her panties, drawing them down her legs.

She was confused by what was happening. Shouldn’t they be in bed? Shouldn’t it be dark in the room? Or at least more dim than it was with sunlight streaming in through the windows? They were up high enough in the castle that no one could see in, but she felt exposed and awkward as he urged her to step out of her panties.
Exposed and very vulnerable.

“Kardal, I don’t think we should—”

He kissed her. Not on the stomach or the leg, but in that most private place. A kiss of lips and tongue that made her
stop
breathing. Pleasure shot through her with an intensity she’d never felt before. Without meaning to, she parted her legs so he could do it again. She held on tighter and prepared herself for the next wonderful kiss.

He did it again, parting her curls and licking her deeply, finding that single point of pleasure and flicking it with his tongue.

She cried out and her knees gave way. He caught her easily and pulled her against him.

“Sweet desert bird,” he murmured, shrugging out of his suit jacket, then gathering her in his arms and carrying her to the bed. “I wish to make you fly.”

She had no objection. She had no will. She would have done anything he told her, said anything,
promised
the world. If only he would touch her that way again.

He lowered her onto her mattress, then reached behind her and unfastened her bra. When she was completely naked, he settled next to her on the bed and bent down to take one of her nipples in his mouth.

Sabrina had never felt the soft, damp warmth of a man’s mouth on her sensitized breasts. She’d never felt the gentle tugging that pulled all the way down to her most feminine place. She hadn’t thought she was capable of feeling more, but she’d been wrong.

Over and over he licked her breasts, discovering the shape of them, the sensitive places. His fingers worked on the opposite nipple, making her pant and toss her head. The bottoms of her feet burned, her toes curled into the bedspread.

She didn’t know how long he touched her that way. Finally, when every muscle in her body had tensed with anticipation of a release—any release—he began to move lower.

This time she knew what to expect. This time she nearly wept with the glory of anticipating his tongue on her body. He moved between her thighs and she parted to admit him. When he lowered his head, she caught her breath.

Then screamed his name.
He licked her from the entrance of the place that would forever make her his to the tiny point of pleasure hidden within her slickness.
Again and again.
First slow, then moving faster. She clutched at the bedspread, unable to catch her breath or focus or do anything but exist through the most amazing pleasure she’d ever experienced.

No one else could ever do this to her, she thought hazily as her body tightened even more. No one would ever touch her body or her heart the way Kardal had. She wanted to tell him. She wanted to cry out that she loved him, that she would always love him. But words required air and she could not breathe. She couldn’t do anything but hang on for the sudden rush that overwhelmed her.

The whisper of a ripple slipped through her. Then another and another until she was no longer in possession of herself. It was perfect. It was better than her wildest fantasy. It was impossible, and yet the pleasure continued until she was limp, exhausted and more content than she’d ever been in her life.

She opened her eyes and found Kardal looming over her. Let him loom, she thought with a smile. Right now he could do anything he wished and she wouldn’t protest.

“There’s more,” he murmured, kissing her neck, then sitting up and unfastening his tie.

As she watched, he removed the length of silk, then his shirt. Next he pulled off shoes and socks, finally standing to unfasten his trousers and step out of them, along with his briefs.

In a matter of seconds, he was as naked as she.
Naked and…oh, my.
She tried to notice how his honey-colored skin seemed to reflect the light, but she could not. Instead her gaze was drawn down the thin line of hair bisecting his belly, lower until she gazed upon the proof of his arousal.

He was beautiful in a way only a man desiring a woman would be beautiful. He smiled slightly as he knelt on the bed and lightly kissed her still-tight nipples.

“I would ask you to touch me, but the results would be most disastrous. I find myself in the embarrassing situation of having to admit that my control is not what it should be.” He stroked her face. “I would like to tell you that it is because I have not been with a woman in a long time, which is true, but the truth lies elsewhere.”

He reached between her legs and began to rub her sensitized flesh. Instantly tension began to fill her.

“It is you,” he said lazily, slipping one finger inside of her.
“You, Sabrina.
You make me want with a fire I cannot control.”

She hadn’t thought it was possible for her body to need him again so quickly, but in less time than it took him to finish his sentence and her to clutch the words tightly to her heart, she found herself ready for him to take her back to paradise.

“Kardal,” she breathed, opening her arms.

A warning sounded in her head. A small voice whispered that once done this act could not be recalled. They would both be changed forever. But she couldn’t pull away or demand that he stop. She wanted him. She needed him. She loved him and she wanted to lose her innocence in his arms.

He didn’t take much persuading. He slipped between her thighs and she felt him pushing against her. She was slick from her recent release and at first he moved inside her easily. But then her body began to stretch to accommodate him. Pressure increased—a different kind of pressure from the pleasure she had felt before.

He paused and reached between them, finding her point of pleasure and rubbing it. She was quickly aroused. He pushed in a little more. And so they went until he reached the barrier that defined her innocence. With a kiss of apology, he pushed through, making her wince at the slight pain.

And then he was inside of her. Supporting himself on his arms, he began to move in and out of her in a rhythm as old as time itself. She clung to him, feeling her body respond to each thrust. Tingling began. Odd flares of heat filled her. She found herself pulling him closer, straining toward him.
Wanting more, wanting him.
Knowing that—

Deep contractions started low in her belly. They moved out like ripples in a pond. She was caught unprepared and found herself drowning in the sensation.

“Yes,” Kardal growled, thrusting in her again and again. With each movement, another ripple began. Then he stiffened and called out her name. She felt the powerful shudder that shook his body.

They lay tangled together until their breathing slowed. He touched her face and smiled at her. “You are mine,” he told her. “I have made you so and nothing will ever change that.”

Sabrina lay curled in Kardal’s arms and tried to think only of how contented she felt. How this had been right from the very first moment he had touched her.

She had finally done it—she was no longer the innocent virgin she had been just an hour before. The realization surprised her because it didn’t frighten her. She’d been so terrified that if she allowed herself to want a man, she would turn into her mother—going from relationship to relationship, her life ruled by sex.

She recalled a conversation she’d overheard between her mother and another woman. They’d talked about how being with one man made them want to be with all of them. Sabrina hadn’t understood their feelings then and she still didn’t. As far as she was concerned, she would be happy to have Kardal be the only man in her life for always.

For so long she had tried to be unlike her mother and now she knew that she’d succeeded.
Perhaps they had always been different and she had never noticed before.

“What are you thinking?” Kardal asked as he gently stroked her hair.

She snuggled closer, savoring the heat of his body and the way the hair on his legs tickled her skin. “That I don’t have to worry about turning into a wanton.”

He was silent for a moment, his expression confused,
then
he smiled. “You were worried that making love with me meant you were like your mother. You see that you are your own person instead?”

She nodded, her chin brushing against his bare arm. “I have no interest in another man.”

He shifted so that she was on her back, her head pressed into the pillow. He bent down and kissed her.

“That is as it should be,” he said arrogantly. “I have told you—you are mine. No one else will ever have you.” He grinned. “Not even the troll prince.”

His words broke the fragile protective wall she’d erected. While they’d been making love she’d been able to ignore the fear gnawing at her but it crashed into her, filling her with apprehension.

“Kardal, you can’t joke about that,” she said frantically, pushing him away and sitting up. She pulled the sheet with her so that she could cover herself. “You don’t understand.”

He sat up as well. “Do not trouble yourself. All will be fine.”

“Will it? What do you think will happen when my father finds out about this?
And the troll prince?
He’s not going to be happy that I’m not a virgin.”

Panic filled her. She tugged the sheet free and wrapped it around herself while she hurried to her closet.

“Why are you pretending this doesn’t matter?” she asked as she reached for her clothes. There had to be a solution. What would her father do to Kardal? Would he simply threaten him or would there be actual violence?
And what about the troll prince?
What kind of man was he?
If he had a temper…

She spun back to face Kardal. Tears burned at her eyes. “You have to do something. Go away.
Maybe just for a little while until all this blows over.”
She pulled on panties and a bra,
then
slipped into a sleeveless dress.

Kardal didn’t seem to appreciate the seriousness of the situation. Instead of getting up and dressing, he stretched out on the bed and beckoned her to his side.

“I have told you,” he said lazily. “You need not worry. I will be fine.”

He was so handsome, she thought as the first of her tears fell.
So strong and such a good leader for his people.
She’d never met anyone like him and she never would again.

Sabrina leaned over him. “Kardal, you have to listen to me.”

He touched a tear on her cheek. “You cry for me?”

“Of course.”
She wanted to shake him. “Don’t you get it? I love you and I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” The tears fell faster. “Dammit, Kardal, get up, get dressed and get out of here.”

She hadn’t thought about what would happen if she confessed her feelings, but she never expected him to sit up and start laughing. His reaction was so
unexpected,
she stopped crying and stared openmouthed at him.

He kissed her cheek. “How sweet you are to worry about me.” A smile curved his mouth. “And I’m glad that you love me. It is always important for the woman to love the man. Loving him makes her happy. Obedient as well, but I doubt you will ever be that. Still, you have many good qualities and you will be an excellent wife for me.”

She heard the words. They physically entered her ears and moved to her brain. She was even somewhat confident that he was speaking English. Yet nothing made sense.

“W-what?” she asked, barely able to form the question.

“Haven’t you guessed?” His smile turned into a grin. “I am the troll prince.” He chuckled. “At first I was quite insulted that you would call me by such a disrespectful name, but now I find it charming.”

“You?”

She took a step back from the bed. She tried to recall her conversation with her father. The one during which he’d announced her engagement to a stranger. She hadn’t stayed around long enough to find out anything about the man.
But Kardal?

He shrugged. “I know. You are happy now. That is as it should be.” He got out of bed and reached for his clothes.

A large object sailed toward him. Kardal barely had time to duck out of the way before a vase crossed the place where his head had been just the second before. He stared at Sabrina who stood by the table at the foot of the bed. Fury darkened her face and fire flashed from her eyes.

“You bastard,” she said in a tone of outrage. “How dare you?”

He quickly pulled on his trousers,
then
held up his hands in protest. “What’s wrong? Why are you angry? You should be happy that there is no troll prince.”

“You knew!” She pointed at him as if he’d just stolen something precious. “You knew we were engaged, but you never told me.”

Her mouth opened,
then
closed. “That’s why you claimed me as your slave. You wanted to know what I was like. And that’s why my father didn’t come get me. It’s not that he didn’t care that I’d been kidnapped. I hadn’t been kidnapped at all.”

“Sabrina, you are overreacting. You said you loved me and now we will be together. I told you it would be fine, and it is.”

“Like hell.” She picked up another vase, glanced at it, then set it back on the table. A fruit bowl flew at him next.

“You played with me, you bastard,” she spat. “You deliberately kept this information from me and let me feel horrible about everything. How dare you presume to decide if you want me around without consulting me?”

“Why are you angry? I will be your husband.”

“What makes you think I want anything to do with you?”

He still didn’t understand why she was so upset. “Sabrina—”

“Don’t you ‘Sabrina’ me,” she yelled. “All this time I was worried about you. I was afraid to be with you and make love with you because I thought you were going to get killed because of me. You used me and you kept the truth from me.” She crossed her arms over her chest and turned away. “I thought we were friends. I thought we mattered to each other.”

“We are friends…and lovers. Soon we will be married.”

She spun back to face him. “Don’t for one second think I’m going to marry you. I’ll never forgive you for this, Kardal. You treated me badly. You’re still doing it.”

“How?” he asked, genuinely baffled.
“What have I done wrong?”

“You don’t love me.”

“You are a woman.”
Love?
A woman?
Him?
“I am the Prince of Thieves.”

“You’re a man. I have to tell you, I’m really sorry there isn’t a troll
prince,
because I would much rather marry him than have anything to do with you. I can’t believe I was stupid enough to let myself care about you. Well, you can be sure that I’m never going to make that mistake again and just as soon as I figure out how not to love you anymore, I’m going to do it.”

She stalked toward the door and before he could stop her, she was gone.

Sabrina ran through the halls of the palace. Adiva saw her and tried to find out what was wrong, but Sabrina couldn’t think. She couldn’t do anything but keep moving because it all hurt too much.

She ached inside, as if someone had ripped out her heart. Perhaps they had. Kardal had thought all of this was a great joke. He’d been laughing at her expense. So many things now made sense. She should have realized. Somewhere along the way, she should have known the truth.

Without realizing where she was, she found herself in front of Cala’s quarters. She walked through the arch that used to lead to the harem and knocked on the closed door of Cala’s private chamber.

“Cala,” she called as she knocked again on the door. “Cala, are you there?”

“Just a moment.”

There was a rustling sound from inside the room,
then
the door opened a few inches.

The normally perfectly groomed and unruffled princess wore a thin robe. Her long hair was mussed.

“Sabrina.” Cala sounded distracted. “What’s wrong, dear?” Her gaze sharpened. “Have you been crying?”

A movement in the rear of the room caught Sabrina’s attention. She saw a partially dressed King Givon pulling on his shirt. Color flared on her cheeks. She pressed one hand to her chest.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you while you were…That is, I didn’t want to bother you.”

Apparently Givon and Cala had picked up the pieces of their relationship. The information should have made Sabrina happy, but instead it was very hard not to cry.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, and started to leave.

“Wait.” Cala glanced at Givon who nodded slightly. She drew Sabrina into the room. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

Sabrina felt uncomfortable discussing her personal life in front of King Givon. She tried to retreat, but Cala’s grip on her arm was firm. When Cala and Sabrina were seated on the sofa, Cala took her hands and squeezed them gently.

“What happened?”

Givon sat in a club chair at right angles to the sofa. His concerned expression combined with Cala’s kindness was Sabrina’s undoing. She found herself stumbling over her story, starting with her father telling her that she was engaged to someone she’d never met and ending with Kardal’s admission he was her betrothed.

“He laughed at me,” she finished, barely able to keep from crying. “All the time I worried about him and loved him, and he was laughing at me. Plus he doesn’t love me at all. He thinks I’ll be a decent wife, but that’s not the same thing. He’s talking about the fact that I’ll be happy loving him. I guess that’s supposed to be my reward as his wife.
Pleasure in service.”

She looked at Cala. “What did I do wrong? How can this have happened?”

Kardal’s mother sighed. “It seems I do no better in my relationships today than I did thirty years ago. I’m sorry, Sabrina. I knew who you were, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to interfere with my son’s life, but I see now that was a mistake.”

Sabrina tried not to feel even more stupid than she already did, but it was impossible. She started to rise to her feet.

“I see. I’m sorry I bothered you.”

“Don’t,” Cala implored. “Please, don’t run off. I feel terrible about what’s happened. I’m sorry my son is an idiot. I want to do what I can for you. I know you and Kardal have a lot in common. I think you would do well together.”

Great.
Cala was offering a lifetime of companionship. Sabrina wanted love.

“Perhaps I can help,” Givon said, speaking for the first time.

Sabrina sniffed. “I don’t think anyone can. I don’t care if Kardal is willing to marry me. I won’t have him. He treated me as if my feelings were only there to be convenient for him. If he doesn’t love me back, I don’t want anything to do with him.”

Givon nodded. “I understand what you are saying. However, I have recently watched all three of my sons fall in love with wonderful women. Not one of them did it right. In fact they all came perilously close to losing the loves of their lives. Thirty-one years ago, I lost mine. So I have some experience in this matter. Kardal needs to learn what is important.”

Sabrina swallowed. “You know how to teach him that?
Because I don’t.”

“I have a good idea.” He smiled. “Men often do not realize the importance of what they have until it is taken from them. With that in mind, I would very much like to offer you sanctuary from both your father and Kardal.”

She blinked. “You can do that?”

“Young lady, I am Givon, king of El Bahar. I can do anything I wish.”

Less than thirty minutes later Sabrina, Cala and several servants crossed toward Givon’s waiting helicopter. In addition to suitcases containing clothes, they carried with them several small trunks. Inside were the stolen artifacts Sabrina was determined to return to their rightful countries.

The helicopter blades circled lazily in the early-evening twilight, stirring up dust and the sweet scents of the desert.