Free Diamond in the Desert by Susan Stephens Page A

a spare inch of unnecessary flesh on his hard, toned body, and each muscle was clearly delineated after his strenuous physical exercise in the lake. He was every bit the soldier, the fighter, the leader, yet he had the most sensitive hands. She groaned as he massaged her scalp with his fingertips.
    ‘What do you want, Britt?’ he murmured.
    ‘Do you really need me to answer that?’
    ‘I like you to tell me,’ he said.
    Emir’s voice had the power to arouse her almost as much as the man himself. Raising her chin, she took a deep breath and then told him what she wanted.
    ‘So open your legs wider,’ he said.
    Her first thought was, No. I can’t do that—not while you’re looking down at me.
    ‘Wider,’ he said.
    She wanted this. He excited her—
    ‘Wider still...’
    ‘I can’t—you’re merciless—’
    ‘Yes, I am,’ he agreed in the same soft tone.
    ‘Enough,’ she begged him, reaching out. She needed human contact. She needed closeness more than anything. She needed a kiss—a tender kiss. She still longed for the illusion that they were close in every way, Britt realised, feeling a pang of regret for what could never be.
    He had never seen anything more beautiful than Britt at this moment, when every part of her was glowing and aroused. His desire to be joined to her was overwhelming, but something as special as this could not be rushed. It must be appreciated and savoured. One of the so-called erotic secrets of Kareshi was nothing more than this lingering over pleasure. Making time for pleasure was a so much a national pursuit he had been forced to persuade the Kareshi people to balance their country’s business needs against it, but he would never wish these old traditions to die out. In fact, he had every intention of fostering them, and as Britt reached for him he took her wrists in a firm grip. ‘Not yet,’ he whispered.
    ‘Don’t you want me?’ she said, arching her back as she displayed her breasts to best advantage.
    She had no idea how much.
    He held her locked in his stare as she sat up. He even allowed her to lace her fingers through his hair, binding him to her. Britt was easy to read. She was already on the edge. Intuition had always helped him in the past—in all sorts of situations, and now this. With Britt he mastered his own desires by channelling his thoughts into all the things that intrigued him about her.
    ‘How can you bear to wait?’ she complained.
    ‘I bear it because I know what’s best for you,’ he said. ‘I know what you need and I know the best way to give it to you.’
    ‘How do you know?’ she said, writhing with impatience.
    On the sexual front that was all too obvious, but knowing Britt wasn’t so hard. She was the oldest child, always trying to do her best, the lab-rat for her sisters, the one who would have been given the strictest upbringing by her parents. Britt was used to bearing the weight of responsibility on her shoulders, and with duties at home and then duties in the business she hadn’t had much time to explore life, let alone discover the nuances of sex and how very good it could be.
    ‘So, how did you like our Nordic traditions?’ she murmured against his mouth.
    Distracted, he brushed a kiss against her lips. ‘I like them a lot. I’d like to know more. I’d like to know more about you—’
    The look of surprise on her face almost broke the erotic spell for him, and then she said with touching honesty, ‘I’d like to know more about you and your country.’
    ‘Maybe you will.’
    Closing his eyes, he inhaled her wildflower scent, and realised then that the thought of never smelling it again was unthinkable. He was still on guard, of course. There was still a business deal to do and it would be unwise to underestimate Britt Skavanga. She was everything he had been warned to expect...and so much more.
    * * *
    When Emir kissed her she was glad of his arms supporting her, because he didn’t just kiss her breath away, he kissed