The Sheikh's American Bride (The Sharqi Sheikhs Series Book 2) (6 page)

Before they were allowed out on the kayaks, they had to sit through a quick instruction on how to paddle and steer. The kayak instructor recognized Claire from her time on the rowing team and quickly waved her off to grab a lifejacket and choose her kayak.

Claire felt as though she had a spring in her step as she chose her boat and climbed in. Pushing off from the dock, she floated a few feet out and turned the kayak around to await the couple.

Summer was almost over and the leaves were already starting to change. Inhaling deeply, Claire closed her eyes as she took in the scents. She loved everything about the water. One of her favorite things about Harvard was all the different water sports clubs; otherwise, she never would have been able to afford her passion for sailing. Being small had its benefits as she could scoot around the sabots easily enough.

Growing impatient, she opened her eyes to see Vanessa struggling to put on her pink lifejacket. She wondered if she was doing it on purpose as Taleb stepped up to help her. Once she was ready, Taleb helped her into her kayak before stepping into his own. He pushed off the dock and paddled out to join Claire as Vanessa seemed to rock back and forth before the instructor shoved her off from the dock.

Turning her kayak, Claire began paddling down the Charles River as Taleb joined her. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Vanessa struggling.

“Are you okay?” he called out.

“I am fine,” she replied bitterly. She wasn't fine. Claire could see that but she was feeling too good to care at the moment. She was in her own element and feeling free. And the petulant side of her was enjoying watching Vanessa struggle as she bet that this was the first time she ever had to work at something.

Claire paddled closer to Taleb as he watched Vanessa over his shoulder, she dipped her paddle in the water and sent a spray of water over him. She could not help herself the temptation was too high. Taleb looked at her with his eyebrows raised. 

“What did you just do?” he asked her as he paddled closer to her.

“Nothing,” Claire replied, paddling away from him but she didn’t get far when Taleb splashed her back. Claire screamed as the cold water splashed against her and ran down her back. “Taleb!” she scolded.

“Did you think that you would get away with it?” He splashed her again.

“Hey! I only splashed you once!” Claire splashed him with her paddle as she laughed.

“Blame yourself, you started it,” he teased.

Claire was shocked that Taleb splashed water at her and she was beginning to see a more relaxed and playful side to him. She paddled closer to him and bumped his kayak with hers.

“Claire, behave yourself,” he warned mockingly. Claire started giggling and did it again. Taleb shook his head. Claire nodded in Vanessa's direction.

“So you've found a potential candidate,” she stated.

“I have. Jealous?”

“You're
so
full of yourself.” Claire tried to splash him again but he managed to move his head out of the way at the perfect time.

“Can you blame me?”

No, she couldn’t blame him. He was gorgeous, intelligent and downright yummy. Claire shook her head and started paddling away from him. They both had gotten soaked with all the splashing and she didn’t want to imagine what his shirt would look like under his lifejacket, as it adhered to him like a second skin. She smiled as she pictured the outrage coming from Vanessa if anyone dared splash her. 

“There wouldn't be any sharks in here would there?” Claire asked, loud enough that Vanessa would hear. She turned her head and saw Taleb frowning at her.

“This is a river not an ocean, there wouldn't be any sharks here,” Taleb replied as Claire started laughing.

“Well, I just had to be sure, Taleb.”

He shook his head. “There are no whales either,” he said sarcastically. Claire narrowed her gaze at him as she turned her kayak around to face him. 

“Aren't you too young to be a sheik?” she asked him.

“It’s a title conferred by heredity of decree, so it can happen at any age.”

Circling her kayak around, they both appeared to be circling each other in the water as they talked.

“So, um, about the library,” Claire began.

Lifting his brows as he paddled to her left, “You did leave rather quickly,” he said carefully.

“I did.”

“Why?”

Sighing, she looked at him. “Before the Dean assigned me to show you around, I had just ended a relationship with someone who cheated on me and I wasn’t prepared to be in another one with someone so soon.”

“We are not in a relationship,” Taleb replied as Claire tried not to visibly flinch at his comment.

“No, but I liked it. The kiss. A lot,” she confessed.

A slow grin spread across his face, “So, you’re saying I’m a good kisser?”

Before Claire could respond, Vanessa finally caught up to them. She was breathing heavily, her makeup was smudged and her hair had fallen loose around her.

“Who’s a good kisser?” Vanessa asked as she paddled ineffectively toward them. Clearly, she wasn’t paying attention during her instruction.

Claire bumped his kayak again to keep him from answering and quickly started paddling away. “I told you to behave yourself,” he called out as he started paddling after her. Claire giggled as she tried to get away from him.

She stopped paddling and circled around to splash him again but before she could, she noticed Vanessa waving her hands in the air.

“What is she doing?” Claire asked him, as she motioned to Vanessa. He turned to see what was going on. Vanessa stood up in her kayak and waved her hands at the guy renting the kayaks but he was looking the other way.

Suddenly, Vanessa’s kayak began to rock wildly as she began flailing her arms around and screeching. Before she knew it, she rocked too far to one side, lost her balance and fell into the water with a loud splash. Claire gasped as she clapped her hand over her mouth unsure if she was going to laugh.

Taleb quickly jumped into the water and swam towards her, as she continued to scream and flail around in the water forgetting that she was wearing a lifejacket. Reaching her, he wrapped one arm around her waist as he held her up while someone from the kayak rental came out in a motor boat. Pulling up alongside them, he reached his hand out to grab Vanessa’s as Taleb helped hoist her into the boat where she landed clumsily on her stomach. Rolling over, she sat up and clutched at the boat as it rocked with her movements.

Turning to Taleb, “The next time you ask someone out on a date, you better make sure that you aren’t already on one,” she told him. “I'll leave you here to have fun with
her
.”

Vanessa left on the motor boat with one of the kayak instructors, giving him a flirty wink as they sped off. Taleb stared after her before smiling to himself; he really was having more fun with Claire. As he turned to swim back to his kayak, he heard Claire laughing.

No longer able to keep silent, she roared with laughter as she slapped at her thighs with absolute glee. Vanessa falling into the water was the funniest thing that she had ever seen. Taleb looked at her with his eyebrows raised. Claire could not stop laughing.

Shaking his head, he started laughing. That was the first time she had ever heard him laugh so hard. It was so nice to see him laugh whole-heartedly. He looked good smiling and it made her stomach do all sorts of flip-flops when he directed it at her.

“That was the funniest thing ever,” Claire said to him. “That mini tantrum she threw before she left was even funnier.”

Taleb laughed. “She was not pleased,” he said to her. He swam towards Claire and grabbed the side of her kayak pulling it toward him as it flipped over. Claire screamed as she started to fall, but Taleb had grabbed her by her lifejacket and hauled her against him.

“Taleb!” she cried out. She held onto his muscular arms as they bobbed in the water. They were so strong and hard, Claire liked how they felt as he wrapped them around her.

“I think that it’s safe to say you are the reason why both Vanessa and I are wet,” he told her in a scolding tone. “Now it’s your turn.”

“Me? How is it my fault?”

“Well, you were the one to recommend kayaks.”

“Which you thought would be fun,” Claire added.

“And when she fell in, I, being the gentleman that I am, had to jump in after her,” he continued as she grinned at him. “And since I had to get wet, it is only fair that you be wet as well,” he finished.

“For what? Solidarity?” she asked as she attempted to splash him with water.

“Or, for being a brat,” he responded as he splashed her back. Laughing, Claire tried to swim away but he held tight to her. “Did you hear what she said to me before she left?” Shaking her head no, he continued, “She said to have fun on the date I’m already on.”

Claire instantly sobered, “Oh Taleb, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

Placing his finger over her lips to shush her, he smiled at her, “Do not worry about it. I am having more fun with you.” Unsure what to say, Claire stared at him wondering how they got here and not wanting to spoil the moment. Pushing Claire toward her kayak, “Come, my apartment is nearby. Let's drop these off and go get dry,” he told her as he swam toward his kayak.

Claire nodded, too surprised to reply. She was pleased that Vanessa was gone, more for herself than the Dean. She found that the more time she spent with Taleb, the more she liked him and while she knew that she wasn’t his type or wife material, what harm would it cause to have a little fun?

She was tired of being the odd one out. It felt good to be the center of attention for a change, even if it would be short-lived. 

Claire gasped as she looked around Taleb's apartment. It was spectacular with its floor to ceiling windows that looked out over Harvard Square. Standing in the doorway while she waited for him to grab towels, she stared around at the main living space, with the over-sized leather furniture and large screen smart TV, it was obvious that guys lived here.

Taleb threw Claire an Egyptian cotton towel to dry herself, as she kicked off her shoes and left them next to his by the door.

“Thanks,” she said, pressing the soft material to her face. She dried her hair and caught Taleb staring at her chest as he wiped his hair too, but he didn’t turn away. It made Claire feel a little shy as she realized how tightly her wet shirt was hugging her body. She felt her cheeks turn red.

“What are you staring at?” she asked him. His grey gaze was resting on her. It was so intense; she had to break it as she looked away.

“You have a nice place here,” she told him not waiting for him to answer her question.

“It's okay,” he answered as he followed her around the room with his eyes.

Wrapping the towel around her hair, she turned to look at him, “So, do you have something I can change into while my clothes dry?”

Nodding his head, he gestured for her to follow him down the hall. Walking into a spacious bedroom, Claire looked around at the king-sized bed with its plush comforter and pile of pillows. She didn’t think he’d appreciate it if she jumped on it while wet.

As she turned back toward him, he pointed to the robe on the back of the door. “Change into that and I’ll put your clothes in the dryer.” And with that, he shut the door.

Looking around the room, Claire was surprised to see no personal items out. Everything seemed to be neatly stored away making it difficult for her to snoop without having to open drawers. Realizing that she was taking too long, she quickly shed her wet clothes and was just about to reach for the robe when the bedroom door swung open and Taleb walked in wearing nothing more than a towel.

“Sorry, Claire, I forgot to grab…clothes,” Taleb finished, as he stared at her standing in the middle of his room, naked. With a squeal, Claire jumped on the bed and grabbed a pillow to cover herself, completely forgetting that she still had the towel on her head.

Claire blushed as a smile spread across his face. “What are you smiling at?” she asked him, completely mortified that he had seen her naked.

“I had been wondering if your blush spread to other delectable parts of your body and I’m pleased to see that it does,” he told her as he walked toward the bed.

Claire stared at his chest as he walked toward her unable to look him in the eyes. His entire body had a golden tone as if he spent all his time in the sun. Without his shirt on, his muscles had more contour than she imagined as she fisted her hand on the pillow to keep from reaching out to run her fingers down his chest to his happy trail that disappeared under the towel.

Reaching his hand out, he tugged at the pillow that she was now fisting in both hands. “There now,” he said softly. “That pillow did not do anything to you, there’s no need to strangle it,” he told her as he managed to pull it out of her tight grasp and set it aside.

Claire desperately wanted to cover herself again and reached for the towel on her head, but he beat her to it as he tugged it loose and tossed it far from her reach.

Smiling down at her, “You’re beautiful, Claire and if you’ll allow me, I will show you.”

Unsure how to respond, she felt her blush deepen, as he dropped his towel. Unable to resist, she dropped her head to look and had to close her eyes. He really was magnificent, which had her wondering what he could possibly see in her.

Before she could call a halt to what they were about to do, he grasped her chin and forced her to lift her head to look at him. The look in his eyes was almost her undoing as she looked into his admiring gaze.

Without thinking, Claire leaned forward and pressed her lips to his; parting her mouth on a gasp at how good it felt. She had not realized how much she had missed his lips until he kissed her. The last time they had kissed, she had put a stop to it and ran off without saying anything, but she didn’t intend to do that this time. Not now.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately as Taleb pushed her back onto the bed and joined her.

Hovering over her, Taleb slid his knee between her legs forcing them apart as he settled comfortably between them. Looking down at her, he traced the side of her face with his finger before running it down her nose to her lips.

As he gently outlined her lips, Claire opened her mouth to capture his fingertip and sucked it into her mouth, swirling her tongue around it before he slowly pulled it out with a pop. His eyes darkened with approval as he watched her. With his hand, he continued to explore her body seeming to see her for the first time as he gazed on her with wonder.

As he trailed his fingers across her chest, his thumb brushed up against her nipples as she moaned in response. He stared transfixed as they puckered up into stiff peaks. Dropping his head down, he licked first one and then the other.

The sudden intense feelings his warm mouth created had Claire itching to close her legs so that she could rub her thighs together to calm her growing need. Instead, she drew her legs up and rubbed them up and down the sides of his body, as he continued to worship her breasts.

Claire felt as though her body was on a slow simmer and Taleb was the flame, as she felt her body heating up under his capable hands. Everywhere he touched or kissed her, she wanted more. He was stirring sensations inside her that she had never felt with Daniel or any other man.

Working his way down her body, Claire arched up when his beard brushed against her more sensitive spots. Lifting his head, he grinned at her as he rubbed his chin across her mound watching as she writhed beneath him. Lifting her legs, he draped them over his shoulders before kissing the inside of her thighs.

Rubbing his thumbs along her fleshy lips, he parted her folds and licked her as she clutched wildly at the comforter beneath her. Inhaling deeply, Taleb ran his tongue up and down before he captured her clit with his mouth and sucked on it.

Claire’s orgasm caught them both by surprise as she cried out his name and began bucking beneath him. Holding tight to her hips, he drank in her juices as she spasmed beneath him.

When she had started to calm down, he reached up to his nightstand and opened the drawer. Pulling out a condom, he rose up on his knees to put it on, but Claire stopped him. Taking it from his hand, she ripped it open and held it to his now throbbing erection before rolling it on. Looking down, Taleb had to close his eyes at the intensely erotic image of her small hands wrapped around him.

Leaning forward, he kissed her as she fell back on the bed. He chuckled when she wrapped her legs around his waist, lifting her hips as he rubbed his cock up and down her slit. Thinking that he would go slowly, he began to work his way in. Her muscles were still vibrating from her first orgasm and he groaned at how eagerly her body welcomed him inside.

Wrapping his arms around her, he began to thrust in and out, as she looked up at him wide-eyed. Claire’s eyes began to flutter closed and he nipped at her chin causing her to snap them open.

As the pleasure began to build inside her, Claire found herself lifting her hips to meet each downward thrust as her muscles clutched against his upward pull before he slammed back into her, causing both of them to moan with desire.

Soon Claire couldn’t stop moaning, as her entire body felt as though she’d reached her boiling point and was threatening to boil over.

Suddenly, he sat up, taking her with him, as she found herself straddling his legs. Grabbing his shoulders, she dug her heels into the bed as he lifted her easily by the hips and began to speed up his thrusts. Taleb’s grunts grew louder as he neared his own orgasm. Claire grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him, her cries of pleasure drowning inside his mouth as his own orgasm shook them both.

Collapsing backwards on the bed, Claire smiled up at him as he removed the condom before lying down next to her. Pulling her to him, she snuggled against him as their legs tangled together.