Free Oasis of Eden by Genella deGrey Page B

we’d experience a population explosion. Our oases wouldn’t be able to support the populous then. We would all starve to death. What sort of a future would that be for our offspring?”
    “But surely you would—”
    “Hush now. I should not have mentioned it, forgive me. I don’t wish to spoil our time here.”
    Jade pressed her lips together. Egypt was not the only place in the world to live, after all.
    “How are you fairing? You seem to have recovered from Lothar’s unwelcome visit.”
    “I am.” She nodded, and he placed a kiss on each of her temples. “Tell me, Eli. What is the penalty for going into someone’s tent without permission?”
    Eli’s mouth stamped warm lip marks down to her earlobe. “The owner gets to decide if malice was intended.”
    His words buzzed in her ear, and she shivered. “And?”
    “Different punishments for different situations.” He set tiny kisses beneath her jaw.
    “Such as?” She was indeed curious, but her body refused to do anything that remotely resembled a protest of his adoration.
    “Do you really want to know?” Eli drew a circle inside the hollow at the base of her throat with his tongue, and then kissed his way up to her other ear.
    “It does interest me, somewhat.” Not that I’ll be able to think for much longer if he keeps that up.
    “But I can’t talk and use my mouth on your body at the same time.” He breathed into her ear.
    Jade gave up the ghost. “Oh, Forget I mentioned it.”
    “With pleasure.”
    Eli pulled her shirt tails from the waistband of her skirt, and his hands gravitated to her breasts. Jade arched into his hot palms, greedily seeking all sensation he was willing to create.
    “I can remove those if you wish,” Jade murmured, referring to her clothes.
    He shook his head. “And take the fun out of my treasure hunt?”
    A breathless laugh escaped from deep within her chest. “Well, then—by all means, do continue.”
    Eli chuckled and rolled her onto her side. He tugged her skirt off, tossed it out of the way and slid down so that his face lay even with her tummy. With a hand on her lower back, he held her against his mouth, kissing, sucking and laving at her skin.
    She squirmed with pleasure next to him and tried to bring her hips into contact with his tongue—that amazing trumpet player’s tongue. Jade growled in frustration; he wouldn’t let her move lower.
    “I know that which you seek.” He kissed and tongued the hollow of her belly button. “Give me more time, and you shall have it.”
    “I can’t wait any longer, Eli!” her voice broke, husky with passion.
    “You will wait or I will stop altogether.”
    Jade froze and clenched her jaw tight, vowing to endure this sweet torture. But if that tongue of his wasn’t teasing her kitty in about three minutes, she’d go screwy.
    He rolled her over again, this time onto her belly. She protested with a groan, but he wouldn’t relent. He shoved her shirt out of the way, and his lips and tongue blazed maddening trails across her lower back, each time ending at the tops of her bum cheeks.
    Just when she thought she couldn’t take anymore, he began depositing tiny love bites over her rump. She squealed at the first few bites, but the sensation settled down to a pleasurable pain. No matter how many times he’d move to a different spot, she still felt his teeth marks where he’d begun. Her bottom stung like the dickens, her breasts felt heavy and full as they pressed into the pillows beneath her, and the juncture of her thighs oozed hot honey.
    “Please, Eli—”
    “Shhh, Zsa-ninah. I’m almost ready.”
    “I’m more than ready.” Her voice sounded like a sobbing fool’s.
    He repeated the entire pattern of bites, and Jade was positive she would die from three different causes of death at once: the pain, the pleasure, and the anticipation.
    Placing his hand on the inside of her thigh, he pushed her knee to a bent position and slid his fingers up her leg. He circled her