The Sheik’s Embrace (The Billionaire’s Club #12)

Chapter 27

Married. Tara turned and gazed up at Zayed. She was…married! Dear heaven, she was married to this wondrous man!

“Hello, wife!” he teased, obviously seeing the surprise in her green eyes. He lowered his head and kissed her. This time, it wasn’t just a brief kiss. This time, he slowly eased her into the kiss, taking his time for a more thorough caress. His strong arms held her securely against his hard body as he nipped and teased and kissed her until she was completely lost in the moment.

Only then did he lift his head and nod approvingly. “Say it,” he grumbled.

Tara wasn’t sure what he meant, but she beamed and said the only thing on her mind. “I love you.”

He growled, his eyes heating with desire. “Close enough.”

Tara laughed and he pulled her closer. Leaning her head against Zayed’s shoulder, she turned to her sister. Somehow, a white, silk dress had appeared, carried by a palace staff member. It wasn’t a wedding dress, but it was perfect. Tara wasn’t one to enjoy being in the spotlight, so this small, delightfully romantic wedding was exactly what she would have wanted. The speed with which it had taken place was truly a testament to the efficiency of the staff. They’d had mere hours to put together the flowers and someone to officiate the ceremony.

“Congratulations,” Kaia announced. Tara laughed, feeling giddy as her sister hugged her close. “If you ever need me, you know the code,” Kaia whispered in Tara’s ear.

Tara tightened her arms around her sister’s slender frame, then pulled back. “I know the code. And the same in return, big sis!”

Kaia wiped a tear from her cheek. The palace had found a lavender dress with a ruffled neckline and pretty, matching heels. Kaia had pulled a double strand of pearls and pearl stud earrings from a backpack which were the perfect match for the lavender ensemble. Kaia had never looked more lovely!

“Congratulations,” Sheik Abuzman said, bending to give Tara a gentle hug. “Now that you are here, I believe that Pitra and Bidar can have a much more productive and positive interchange of goods.”

Tara laughed when she heard Zayed growling behind her. “That’s very kind of you, Sheik Abuzman.”

“Please, call me Riaz.” He glanced over his shoulder at Kaia, then back at Tara with a mysterious look in those dark eyes. “I have a feeling that we will become very well acquainted with each other over the coming years.”

A split second later, she was pulled back into her new husband’s arms.

“She’s not a negotiating tool,” he snapped.

“Of course not,” Riaz replied. “However, her presence means that Pitra is in much more capable hands.” He winked at Tara. “And I like her. I’d like to see more of her.” He then looked at Zayed. “So that means we’re going to have to become friends.” He offered a teasing grin at Kaia who simply glared in return.

“Let’s eat!” Zayed announced, giving the other man a mock glare before he extended his elbow to his new wife. “Hopefully, it’s not poisoned.”

Riaz threw back his head, laughing at the taunt. Then he offered his arm to Kaia. Tara wasn’t so smitten with her new husband that she didn’t notice Kaia hesitate before accepting the proffered arm. The quartet moved into the small dining room where a beautiful dinner was laid out. The room had been decorated with pink roses and candles. As soon as they stepped into the room, a waiter arrived with sparkling glasses of champagne.

Zayed waited until everyone had a glass, then he lifted his and said, “To my new wife!”

Kaia and Riaz cheered, then delicately clinked glasses and sipped the delicious champagne.

Another waiter arrived bearing a tray with sumptuous appetizers. The man bowed low, offering the tray in one hand with a stack of napkins in the other.

“Oh!” Tara started, surprised at the awkwardness of the waiter’s movements. “Thank you.” Carefully, she selected one of the small bites, but she had no idea what it was. She suspected that the cracker had salmon and something else, but she wasn’t particularly hungry for food. After yesterday’s introduction to the delights of the bedroom, Tara wanted nothing more than to disappear with her new husband and explore more. In fact, she was looking forward to exploring this man and all of the sexual possibilities in detail!

She looked up at Zayed and nearly choked on the bite of…whatever. She could see desire equal to her own in his eyes.

Tara was just about to say something, anything, to ease the sexual tension that suddenly made her feel hot and constricted. But before she could speak, her arm was wrenched behind her. The pain in her shoulder was unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

“What…?”

Then a knife was placed against her neck. She smelled the man before she recognized his voice.

“Stay back, or I’ll kill her!” Elijah announced. He pressed the knife against her neck and Tara felt a pinprick of pain. Obviously, he’d broken the skin, but she kept her features bland, unwilling to give this subhuman any indication that he’d hurt her.

“Tara!” Kaia gasped, dropping her glass of champagne to the floor. It shattered, but no one moved.

“This is my disobedient wife!” Elijah explained in a sneering tone. “You are a bigamist! The divine creator will have you burn in hell for stealing my woman from me!” He turned to Kaia, his grin widening. “Ethan has special plans for you, girlie! You’ve infuriated him to the point where he must bring you back into the fold of our community. Just as I will do to Tara, we must bring you back and teach you the right path!”

Elijah started moving backwards, still pressing the knife against Tara’s throat. Kaia stepped forward, but Riaz wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her back. He whispered something in her ear, and as Tara watched, Kaia seemed to relax. Of course, Kaia never fully relaxed. Tara’s sister was always tense, always on the lookout for danger.

So the fact that Kaia had allowed herself to be held back instead of breaking the man’s arm, told Tara that help was close by. She wasn’t going to have to leave with Elijah.

With her hands still gripping Elijah’s forearm, she released one hand and let it drop to her side. Then she watched Kaia, waiting for her signal. Two more steps and Tara saw it. The short nod was barely discernable. But Tara saw it. And she reacted immediately!

The yelp of pain echoed in her ear, but Tara was careful not to let it distract her. In fact, she tightened her grip around Elijah’s testicles, even twisting to increase the pain. As she continued to grip the man’s balls, she turned, not surprised to find two of Zayed’s body guards less than a foot away.

They both moved quickly, securing Elijah’s arms behind his back. Tara heard something snap, but wasn’t sure if the sound was caused by breaking bone or torn cartridge. If Elijah was lucky, the bodyguards had merely dislocated his shoulder.

However, Tara didn’t release her grip. She didn’t care that Elijah was secured with handcuffs and pain. She kicked him in his already injured groin. The man curled into the fetal position on the floor, no longer yelling. Apparently, the pain from Tara’s kick had stolen his voice.

Before she could take another breath, Tara was scooped into Zayed’s arms and carried to the far side of the dining room. Tara shifted so that she could watch as the guards lifted Elijah onto his feet. The man couldn’t hold his weight, but the guards didn’t care. They picked him up by his arms and dragged him out of the dining room, away from Tara and Kaia.

There was a long silence after the guards had departed with their prisoner. Tara was shaking, shocked by the scene. But there was an enormous surge of relief. She hadn’t realized how worried she’d been over the past few days, wondering where the bastard was, waiting for Elijah to find her.

“Well, that was a surprise!” Kaia said, her voice completely deadpan.

Tara glanced over at her sister, then she burst out laughing. Slowly, Zayed lowered her feet back to the floor, but didn’t release her and Tara didn’t move out of the circle of his arms. A moment later, everyone was laughing.

Several hours later, Tara stepped into the extremely large bedroom that she hadn’t really explored the first time she’d been in here. But for some reason, she felt more nervous than the last time.

“What’s wrong?” Zayed asked, taking her hands and leading her away from the bed.

Tara glanced over her shoulder, surprised at their direction. “I don’t know,” she told him honestly.

“You’re nervous,” he stated, sitting down in an overstuffed chair, then pulled her onto his lap. “Talk to me, Tara. You’ve always been so confident about work issues. It’s just the personal stuff that gets you confused.”

She looked down at his hand resting on her knee and remembered the moment several days ago when her hand had rested on his knee. She’d been so curious then.

“Tara?”

She lifted her gaze from his hand, looking into his eyes. “I don’t understand why I’m so nervous.”

“I love you, Tara,” he told her, his voice velvety with sincerity. “Since the moment you walked into my life, I can’t remember a moment when I didn’t love you.”

That warmed her heart in ways she couldn’t put into words. Twisting, she cupped his face with her hands. “I love you, Zayed,” she whispered back. “Not because you saved me from that horrible creature. But because you are a good, kind, compassionate man, who genuinely tries to make the lives of your people better.” She kissed him softly. “That’s not been my experience. The men I’ve known have been self-centered, manipulating people and systems so that they gain more power and more money.”

He covered her hand with one of his own. “You never have to worry about anything again. I’m going to take care of you, Tara.”

She smiled gently. “I’m going to take care of you as well.”

He chuckled. “I will enjoy your efforts.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “You don’t think I can?”

His hand stroked her knee. “Tara, I want to spoil you and make you so deliriously happy that you’ll never want for anything ever again. I want to make up for all the pain you’ve endured in your life.”

She kissed him sweetly then. Not because of his promise, but because of his sincerity. No, she couldn’t spoil him with material things. But she could spoil this man with her love and affection.

That kiss was a lingering, gentle caress. It was the first time she’d initiated a kiss and she wanted to explore, to experiment. And he let her. Zayed didn’t move while she kissed his lips, remembering how he’d nibbled on her lips and she mimicked that movement, smiling when he groaned. She felt his hand tighten on her knee and blinked. “Are you holding back for some reason, Zayed?” she whispered and kissed him before he could reply.

His answer was to leap up from the chair, lifting her with an arm under her knees and behind her back. Gently, Zayed laid her on the bed, then braced his hands on either side of her, looking at her from her head all the way down to her toes still enclosed in shimmering heels.

“I think I want to see you in nothing but those shoes,” he murmured, pushing away from the bed and lifting one leg as he examined her heel. “How in the world did they fit so many little rhinestones on one shoe?”

She laughed, feeling silly, but his playful examination of her shoe helped her relax. “I have no idea, but they are surprisingly comfortable.”

“They make your legs look incredible,” he replied, sliding the chiffon wedding dress higher. He then proceeded to examine her legs. “Nice.” He moved higher, causing Tara to gasp when he exposed her upper thigh and the material tickled her bare skin. “Very nice.”

His voice was grumbly now as he lowered her leg and stepped back. Within moments, he was completely naked, the suit that he’d worn for their wedding in a crumpled mess on the floor with no concern for the tailor who had created such a masterpiece.

Tara had pushed herself up onto her elbows, watching as all of those delicious muscles came into view.

“Nice,” she whispered, then licked her lips as he tossed his slacks over the pile. “Very nice.”

“Are you mocking me, wife?” he teased, coming back to loom over her.

Tara gasped, shocked by how much she wanted to touch him.

“Never,” she replied, her breath catching in her throat as she waited tensely for him to lower himself down over her. When he merely waited, Tara whimpered. “Why aren’t you touching me?”

“Because I want you to set the pace,” he told her.

Tara blinked, confused. “What do I do?”

“Anything you want,” he replied with complete seriousness.

She stared at his naked body for several more moments, remembering all of the lessons she’d been taught in her youth. In that moment, she decided that she needed to do the opposite of everything she’d learned. The only way to have a happy, healthy relationship with this man was to follow her instincts. And her instincts were telling her that she wanted to enjoy sex and not be ashamed of her needs. So instead of retreating into herself, she took a breath and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

“I want to touch you, Zayed,” she told him. She didn’t wait for permission as she’d been taught all those years ago. Instead, she raised her hands and let her fingertips slide slowly over his chest, exploring, testing, and enjoying this kind of freedom. His body was fascinating and she wanted to know everything about him.

Zayed growled at her touch, then rolled so he was flat on his back while Tara straddled his hips. “Is this better?” he asked, grabbing handfuls of her dress and pushing it out of the way.

“Yes,” she replied, ignoring his struggles with her dress as she let her fingertips move more freely over his chest, arms, and abdomen. She felt his erection throb against her bottom and shifted, moving so that she was awkwardly straddling his thighs. With frustration, she shoved the chiffon out of her way since it was covering the very part of him that she most wanted to see.

“How about if we dispense with the dress?” he asked, sitting up. He deftly found the zipper and, with a swish, pulled it all the way down, releasing the tension that held the bodice against her chest.

For a terrified moment, Tara grasped the material, holding it in place. But when Zayed didn’t immediately grab handfuls of the chiffon to pull it off her, she felt more comfortable. Slowly, she lifted the diaphanous material over her head. Zayed took over, his longer arms able to free her.

With a sigh, she released the material to him, and he gave the piece of art that was her wedding dress the same treatment as his formal attire. Tara might have protested, but his hands, now free of white chiffon, returned to cup her breasts.

“I like this,” he rasped, his thumbs coming to slide over her nipples, encased in silver mesh. “I like this a lot!”

Tara let out a sound that might have been a laugh or a sigh. She wasn’t sure, and with her eyes closed, she couldn’t really think. Not when his fingers kept doing that to…! The heat was a shock and her eyes flew open. Looking down, Tara realized that his mouth had covered her nipple and it felt…divine! Instantly, she wrapped her arms around his neck, grinding her hips against him. “More!” she whispered.

So he lightly bit down on that puckered tip. The sensations were instant and shocking! And oh so good! “I like that,” she told him, biting her lip as she shifted her body, silently pleading with him to do the same to her other breast. And of course, Zayed obliged. Enthusiastically.

“I thought I was going to be allowed to explore,” she gasped.

He laughed, then leaned back down. “Explore away,” he replied, then groaned when she immediately leaned down to tease his nipple. His hands dove into her hair, displacing the pins that had been holding her locks in place. The dark tresses tumbled down over Tara’s shoulders, but she ignored it, determined to get to know her husband’s body.

When she moved from his nipples to his stomach, Tara couldn’t stop touching the ridges and lines. Every part of him was fascinating. But her true goal was that part of him that still slightly terrified her, but also intrigued her.

“Growing up, women were taught to fear this part of men,” she whispered, then wrapped her hand around his shaft, watching intently. “We were told that it was our responsibility to be demure, so that men wouldn’t be overcome with lust and hurt us.” She rubbed her thumb over the top, exploring the ridge. “We were told that men couldn’t control themselves if we tempted them too much.” She looked up to find him watching her. “That was all a lie, wasn’t it?”

He groaned, covering her hands with his to show her how he liked to be touched. “Men can control their lust if they want to, Tara,” he explained. “I love when you touch me like this.” He took her thumb, showing her how to touch the place right under the ridge, stroking it gently. His chest was heaving with his breaths and Tara took control, stroking him the way he’d just showed her. He groaned again, letting his hands move to her thighs.

Then he shook his head and pulled her hands away. “I need to…” he hissed and sat up again. Before she understood what he was going to do, Zayed had lifted her up so that her thighs framed his head.

“What are you doing?” she squeaked, flattening her hands against the wall. Before he could reply, he’d torn away the pretty panties she’d been wearing. She started to protest, however, his finger…no, his tongue, was there, licking her aching core.

Tara gasped again, then moaned when he pulled her closer. Everything after that was instinct. She shifted her hips, silently showing him what felt best. “There!” she hissed. “Right there!”

Without conscious thought, her hips moved, shifted, angled so that his mouth and his tongue hit that spot exactly as she needed it. Before long, she cried out, her body shuddering as that beautiful pleasure washed over her.

The world seemed to fly around her, but when Tara opened her eyes, she realized that she was now on her back and Zayed was looming over her. She was barely able to realize that he was rolling protection down over his shaft, then she felt him pressing into her. After the last time, Tara now knew what would come and she grabbed his hips, pulling him in closer, deeper. She lifted her legs, angling her hips so that he could reach even deeper.

“Like that!” he groaned, then started thrusting. His movements were long and deep and every time he filled her up, Tara gasped at how perfect it felt. When he started to get closer, his thumb moved and she pressed her hand against his, showing him what she needed just as he’d done for her earlier.

It took only a few more thrusts before Tara gasped, arching her back as her body throbbed with another climax. And her inner muscles clenching around him took him over the edge with her. Zayed stilled for a moment, then he thrust once, twice and called out her name as his orgasm consumed him as well.

A long time later, Tara shifted, opening her eyes to realize that he’d been watching her this whole time. “Thank you,” she whispered, her smile widening. “That was…perfect.”

Zayed chuckled, still deeply connected with her as he stroked her back. “You’re beautiful, Tara.” He kissed her deeply. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”