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She inclined her head to his, so she could see his expression. It didn’t comfort her. “It doesn’t look like nothing. Is something wrong?”
He turned to look at her and brushed away a lock of her hair from her face. “Your comment made me uncomfortable. I’m just a man. Sometimes good. Sometimes not so good.”
She relaxed again. “You’re also sometimes modest.” She grinned. “But only sometimes. Other times, your arrogance is breathtaking. And,” she said, sitting up and caressing his cock into an erection again. She straddled him, “you are also a challenge.” He fell back on the ledge with a groan. “A challenge to see if I can turn that arrogance around and make you cede power to me.”
“Never,” he groaned.
She raised her eyebrow and pulled off him until she was just off him. He groaned. “Sarah,” he said, pleading in his voice. “Please,”
“Please? Who has the power now?”
With a growl, he turned her over until she was beneath him and thrust inside of her. All thoughts of power or control disappeared. She was his. And they both knew it.
CHAPTER 13
They’d stayed on at the mountain spa retreat for another week. Kadar had planned to show her other places, but she’d wanted to spend longer there. From the moment she’d set foot on the mountainside, she’d felt like a bird freed for the first time. And so they spent their days exploring the area, bathing in the pools, and all the while talking and learning about each other. And she discovered a man who was far more than just a king. A man with vulnerabilities and strengths he kept hidden, and a heart which was curiously guarded.
But that precious time had to come to an end and duty beckoned once more. And so at the end of the week, they left the retreat and descended into the desert. Before they returned to the city, Kadar wanted to show her how he used to hunt with hawks. One last stop before they returned to the palace and the city.
By the time they’d arrived at the oasis, the sun was low, and spread a rich umber glow over the desert sands. Sarah shielded her eyes, and glanced at Kadar, whose imposing stature and effortless grace were heightened by the dramatic landscape in which he stood. His white robes billowed slightly in the wind,contrasting with the darkening blue of the sky, streaked with orange. He was talking with a falconer upon whose leather-gloved hand, a falcon perched majestically. The bird’s sharp eyes and poised demeanor mirrored the sheikh’s own intensity. Sarah couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.
He turned to her and his face softened into a warm smile.
“You’ve never seen a falcon up close?” he asked.
“No, never,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, captivated by both the bird and the man standing next to her.
Kadar extended his arm, inviting her to come closer. She stepped forward, feeling the soft sand shift beneath her feet. “This is Asim,” he introduced the falcon. “He is a saker falcon, one of the finest for hunting.”
Sarah reached out tentatively, her fingers brushing against the bird’s feathers. She marveled at their softness and the latent power she could feel pulsing under them. “He’s beautiful,” she breathed.
Kadar smiled, a rare softness touching his features. “Falconry has been a tradition in my family for generations. It’s not just a sport; it’s a bond between man and bird, a dance of trust and freedom.”
He helped her with the falconer’s glove and the bird stepped onto her arm, surprisingly light but fierce in presence. Kadar moved behind her, his closeness sending a thrill down her spine. He whispered instructions, his breath warm against her ear. “Raise your arm and let him take flight.”
With a deep breath, Sarah did as instructed. Asim launched into the air, wings spreading wide against the setting sun. Her eyes watered as she watched in awe, feeling a profound sense of connection to the bird and the man who had shared this moment with her.
Kadar’s hands remained on her shoulders, his touch grounding her. “You see how he soars? That is the essence offreedom, a reminder of what it means to truly live.” She turned around to face him. “And that’s so easy to forget, sometimes, isn’t it? You’ve reminded me of what I’ve been missing.”
In that moment, the vast desert and the world seemed to shrink away, leaving just the two of them. “Me, too,” she breathed. “Except I’ve never experienced it. But here, with you,” she shrugged, “I’ve found something I didn’t even know I was missing.”
She thought he was going to kiss her for a moment. But, surrounded by people, he obviously thought better of it. He passed the falconer’s glove back to the falconer and shouted a few commands in Arabic to the other men. Within seconds, they were alone.
The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the desert into twilight. It looked magical—as magical as the past week had been. Just her and Kadar. And she thought she’d never forget that moment. The way the water of the oasis shimmered under the evening light, and the lulling rustle of the tall date palms which towered overhead. And him. Kadar. The way he looked at her. The way he touched her. And the way he made love to her. She would never forget him, even though she knew they had no future together. She might not know all of Sirun’s ways, but she knew enough to rule out a permanent relationship with a king.
“Time to return to the city,” he said. Sarah could see the reluctance in his eyes, and could hear it in his tone. But she knew it was time. They couldn’t avoid the real world any longer.
She nodded. “Of course. I’ve diverted you from your work long enough.”
They walked back to the cars in silence. Sarah did nothing to break it because she was too busy looking around, listening and breathing in the small details of this land and its people which she always wanted to remember—the sights and soundsof Sirun. The place where her family came from. Where she’d enjoyed such bliss with Kadar.
As the chauffeur drove off with Kadar and Sarah in the rear seats, following the convoy of cars back to the city, Sarah reflected on the memories she’d stored away since she’d arrived in Sirun.
They were images and feelings which she knew would stay with her forever. Because she’d made sure they would. She’d engaged every one of her senses to make sure each moment would last a lifetime, so she’d never forget this man who’d aroused feelings in her she’d only ever read about. But he was a king, and she knew they didn’t have a future together. That wasn’t the way it went with kings. Especially in countries like Sirun.
But she’d have her memories—the vivid reds and golds which flooded the desert at sunset, and the eerie sound of the rebab, played by Kadar’s men as they sat around a roaring fire. And how Kadar had reached for her hand and held it tight, as if he never wanted to let it go.
And then there were the nights—so dark that the stars shone more vividly than Sarah had ever seen them in her life before. She remembered her grandfather talking of the stars in Sirun, sad that he couldn’t see them so clearly in the English suburbs. Now she knew what he meant and a little of how much it had cost him to leave Sirun. And he’d done it to keep her safe. And yet she’d never felt as safe as she had this past week, encompassed by Kadar’s gaze, held by his hand and, later, worshipped by his body.
