He sat up, one arm wrapped around her waist, the other hand pushing into her hair, dragging her up for another deep, intoxicating kiss. After that she remembered nothing, except for Khaled, hard, salty, warm and sleek against her body. Only the heat, the desire, the overwhelming need for more, and then the shuddering, crying, yearning, glittering explosion.
They clung to each other for long moments afterward until finally Olivia shivered. Khaled pulled away slightly and looked at her. “You should have said you were cold. Here.” He shifted them both so she was nearer the fire, with him lying behind her, his arms comfortably holding her against him.
“Mm,” she murmured.
“Better?” Khaled dropped a kiss on her temple.
“Perfect.”
“Again?”
“Oh, yes.” She reached up to kiss him, long and slow and deep. “Take me to bed, Khaled.”
He scooped her up in his arms and laid her in the middle of his bed on the crisp white linens. She reached to link her hands behind his neck. Kissing him, she uncurled her body and pressed it against his. “Show me what you want, Khaled.”
“You,” he whispered back. “I want you, now. All of you.”
“I’m yours.” It sounded like a promise. When Khaled rolled them over, positioning himself above her, she repeated the words again.
“Mine,” he agreed, and took hold of her in a way that left no doubt he meant it.
…
For the first time since he’d arrived in Scotland, Khaled was warm when he woke up. Olivia’s body was lying on top of his, acting like the most deliciously soft hot water bottle. Her hair was tickling his chin and he could feel her slow, deep breaths against his chest. He wondered idly what would happen if they stayed in bed like this all day.
But the first hints of the morning sunshine were sneaking through the gap in the curtain, and Olivia would never forgive him if he let her oversleep. Khaled reached down to curve his hand over her bottom then whispered into her ear. Olivia grunted and twisted away from him. He grinned to himself. He would never have guessed she was grumpy in the mornings. He’d have to find a more pleasant way to wake her up.
Khaled shifted them both so that he could reach her lips and kiss them lightly. Olivia’s mouth curled into a smile, but her eyes remained firmly closed. He trailed kisses across to her ear and then bit gently on her lobe. Her eyes shot open and she opened her mouth to protest. Then her eyes lit on his face and perceptibly she softened.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” she mumbled in reply.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead.”
Olivia burrowed back into his shoulder.
“Sweetheart, you can stay here with me all day if you want. But you’ll have to work out what to tell your father when he finds out.”
She sat up reluctantly. “What time is it?”
“Five thirty.”
Her eyebrows rose. “I could have had at least another hour’s sleep.”
Khaled shrugged. “You’re awake now.”
“Huh.”
“So we might as well make the most of it.” His hand slid up her body until it rested comfortably on her breast, with his thumb perfectly positioned over her sweet nipple.
“Khaled!”
“You don’t like sex in the morning?” He started stroking the nipple softly, enjoying her response.
“I like sleep in the morning,” she said, but she sat up, giving him access to her other breast.
It was his turn to take his time. Not teasing, but tempting, dragging her inexorably with him into deep, deep pleasure. At the end, Olivia slumped beside him, sated, but thoroughly awake.
“Time?” she muttered.
“Six fifteen.”
“I’ll go in a minute.”
“Livvy…”
“Mm?”
“I’m going back to London later today.” The flight was arranged. To change things would raise a lot of questions that neither of them wanted to deal with.
She pushed herself up on one elbow and looked at him. “Better late than never.”
“I suppose so.”
She gave him a shy smile. “It was nice.”
He reached out a hand to tickle her waist. “More than nice.”
She wriggled away. “Very nice. It’s a shame it’s over already.”
He squeezed his eyes closed. She was right. Their worlds were far too different. She had her goals and he had his duty.
“You could come and visit me in London.”
She bent her head to his chest, pressing little kisses down his sternum. “Maybe.”
From the other side of the room came the unmistakable sound of his phone. It was the ringtone reserved for the palace. Talk about spectacularly bad timing.
He moved Olivia off him gently. “I have to answer that.” He rolled out of bed, still naked, and walked over to the pile of clothes strewn in front of the fireplace. He extracted his phone from a pocket, pressed a button, and said his name.