Wrapped in Pleasure (7 page)

He leaned down and cupped her cheek, his dark gaze intense. “All you can and ever will be to me is a beautiful memory that I will keep locked inside forever. Our two cultures make anything else impossible. Do you understand what I’m saying?” he asked quietly in a husky voice filled with regret.

Slowly Delaney nodded her head as she gazed up at him. “Yes, I understand.”

Without saying anything else Jamal dropped his hand from her face, turned and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Delaney buried her head in the bedcovers as she fought back the tears that burned her eyes.

D
elaney slowly opened her eyes to the brilliance of the sun that was shining through her bedroom window. Refusing to move just yet, she looked up at the ceiling as thoughts and memories of the night before scrambled through her brain.

She lifted her fingers to her mouth as she remembered the kiss she and Jamal had shared. Her mouth still felt warm and sensitive. It also felt branded. He had left a mark on her that he had not left on another woman. He had given her his special brand of kissing that had been so passionate it had made her lose consciousness.

Closing her eyes, Delaney gave her mind a moment to take stock of everything that had happened last night, as well as come to terms with the emotions she was feeling upon waking this morning.

Yesterday Jamal had pretty much spelled everything out to her. He had told her in no uncertain terms that he wanted
her. But then in the same breath he had let her know that the time they spent at the cabin was all they would have together. He had obligations and responsibilities in his country that he would not turn his back on. He had a life beyond America that did not include her and never would. In other words, she would never have a place in his life.

As a woman who had never engaged in an affair, casual or otherwise, she had felt indignant that he would even suggest such a thing to her. But last night after he had left her alone in her bedroom, she had been able to think things through fully before drifting off to sleep.

Jamal’s life was predestined. He was a prince, a sheikh, and his people and his country were his main concerns. He admitted he wanted her, not loved her. And he had stated time and time again that what was between them was lust of the strongest kind, and as two mature adults there was nothing wrong in engaging in pleasure with no strings attached.

What he offered was no different from what her brothers consistently offered the women they dated. And she had always abhorred the very thought of any woman being weak enough to accept so little. But now a part of her understood.

Things had become clear after Jamal had brought her into the room and placed her on the bed. And after listening to what he had said then, she had known: she was falling in love with Jamal. And now, in the bright of day, she didn’t bother denying the truth.

Although her brothers were dead set against ever falling in love, a part of her had always known that she would be a quick and easy victim. Everyone knew that her parents had met one weekend at a church function and less than two weeks later had married. They claimed they had fallen in love at first sight and always predicted their children would find love the same way.

Delaney smiled, thinking of her brothers’ refusal to believe their parents’ prediction. But she had, which was one of the
reasons she had remained a virgin. She had been waiting for the man she knew would be her one true love, her soul mate, and had refused to sell herself short by giving herself to someone less deserving.

Over the years she assumed the man would be a fellow physician, someone who shared the same love for medicine that she did. But it appeared things didn’t turn out that way. Instead she had fallen for a prince, a man whose life she could never share.

She opened her eyes. What Jamal had said last night was true. When they parted ways, chances were they would never see each other again. Somehow she would have to accept that the man she loved would never fully belong to her. He would never be hers exclusively. But if she accepted what he was offering, at least she could have memories to treasure in the years to come.

She inhaled deeply, no longer bothered that there would not be a happy ending to her situation with Jamal. But until it was time for them to leave, she would take each day as it came and appreciate the time she would spend with him, storing up as many memories as she could.

She wanted him, the same way he wanted her, but in her heart she knew that for her, lust had nothing to do with it. Her mind and her actions were ruled by love.

“Are you sure you are all right, my prince?” Asalum asked Jamal as he gave him a scrutinizing gaze.

“Yes, Asalum, I am fine,” Jamal responded drily.

Asalum wasn’t too sure of that. His wise old eyes had assessed much. He had arrived at the cottage to deliver some important papers to His Highness to find him sitting outside on the steps, drinking coffee and looking like a lost camel. There were circles under his eyes, which indicated he had not
gotten a good night’s sleep, and his voice and features were expressionless.

Asalum glanced over to the car that was parked a few feet from where they stood. “I take it the Western woman is still here.”

Jamal nodded. “Yes, she is still here.”

“Prince, maybe you should—”

“No, Asalum,” Jamal interrupted, knowing what his trusted friend and confidant was about to suggest. “She stays.”

Asalum nodded slowly. He hoped Jamal knew what he was doing.

Delaney walked into the kitchen to the smell of rich coffee brewing. She was about to pour a cup when her cell phone rang. “Hello?”

“I just thought I would warn you that the Brothers Five are on the warpath.”

Delaney smiled, recognizing Reggie’s voice. “And just what are they up to now?”

“Well, for starters they threatened me with missing body parts if I didn’t tell them where you were.”

Delaney laughed. She needed to do that and it felt good. “But you didn’t, did you?”

“No, only because I knew their threats were all bluster. After all, I’m family, although I must admit I had to remind them of that a few times, especially Thorn. The older he gets, the meaner he gets.”

Delaney shook her head. “Didn’t Mom and Dad assure them I was all right and just needed to get away and rest for a while?”

“Yeah, I’m sure they did, Laney, but you know your brothers better than anyone. They feel it’s their God-given right to keep tabs on you at all times, and not knowing where
you are is driving them crazy. So I thought I’d warn you about what to expect when you return home.”

Delaney nodded. She could handle them. Besides, when she returned home they would provide the diversion that she needed to help get over Jamal. “Thanks for the warning.”

“How are things going otherwise? Is the prince still there?” Reggie asked between bites of whatever he was eating.

“Yes, he’s still here and things are going fine.” Now was not the time to tell Reggie that she had fallen in love with Jamal. A confession like that would prompt Reggie to tell her brothers her whereabouts for sure. His loyalty to her only went so far. She decided a change of topic was due at this point.

“There is something I need to ask you about,” she said, fixing her focus on one object in the kitchen.

“What?”

“The table in the kitchen. Did you and Philip know that it wobbles?”

She could hear Reggie laughing on the other end. “The table doesn’t wobble. It’s the floor. For some reason it’s uneven in that particular spot. If you move the table a foot in either direction it will be perfect.”

Delaney nodded, deciding to try it. “Thanks, and thanks again for keeping my brothers under control.”

Reggie chuckled. “Laney, no one can keep your brothers under control. I merely refused to let them intimidate me. For now your secret is safe. However, if I figure they will really carry out their vicious threats, then I’ll have to rethink my position.”

Delaney grinned. “They won’t. Just avoid them for the next three weeks and you’ll be fine. Take care, Reggie.”

“And you do the same.”

After hanging up the phone, Delaney poured a cup of
coffee, then took a sip. She wondered if Jamal, who was an early riser, was outside practicing his kickboxing as he normally did each morning.

Glancing out the window, she arched her brow when she noted another car parked not far from hers, a shiny black Mercedes. And not far from the vehicle stood Jamal and another man. The two were engaged in what appeared to be intense conversation. She immediately knew the man with Jamal was Asalum. However, with his height and weight, the older man resembled more of a bodyguard than the personal secretary Jamal claimed he was.

Her gaze moved back to Jamal. There was such an inherent sensuality to him that it took her breath away. In her mind everything about him was perfect. His bone structure. His nose. His ebony eyes. His dark skin. And especially his seductive mouth that had kissed her so provocatively last night.

He was dressed in his Eastern attire, which reminded her that he was indeed a sheikh, something she tended to forget at times; especially when he dressed so American, the way he had last night. He’d been casually dressed in a pair of khakis and a designer polo shirt. Today he was wearing a long, straight white tunic beneath a loosely flowing top robe of royal blue. He also wore a white kaffiyeh on his head.

Delaney thought about the decision she had made. Feeling somewhat shaky, she took another sip of her coffee. She knew exactly what would happen once she told him that she had decided to take what he offered. There was no way he would ever know that she loved him, since she had no intention of ever admitting that to him. His knowing wouldn’t change a thing, anyway.

She sighed deeply. She had to make him believe she no longer had any reservations about their future and she had accepted the way things would be.

No longer satisfied with watching him through the kitchen window, she decided to finish her coffee out on the porch the way she normally did each morning. She wanted him to see her. She wanted to feel the warmth of his eyes when they came in contact with hers. And she needed to look into them and know his desire for her was still there.

At the sound of the door opening, Jamal and Asalum turned. Delaney became the object of both men’s intense stares but for entirely different reasons. Asalum was studying her as the woman who had his prince so agitated. Having been with His Highness all of his life, he read the signs. Jamal wanted this woman sexually, and in a very bad way. No other woman would do, so there was no need for him to suggest a substitute. He could only pray to Allah that Jamal didn’t take drastic measures. He had never seen his prince crave any woman with such intensity.

Jamal’s gaze locked with Delaney’s the moment she stepped outside of the door. The first thing he thought was that she was simply beautiful. The next thing he thought was that she looked different today. Gone were the shorts and tops she normally wore, instead she was wearing a sundress that had thin straps at the shoulders. Her curly hair was no longer flowing freely around her face but was up and contained by a clip.

“I must be going, Your Highness,” Asalum said, reclaiming Jamal’s attention, or at least trying to. Jamal kept his gaze on Delaney as he nodded to Asalum’s statement.

As far as Asalum was concerned that in itself spoke volumes. Shaking his head, he inwardly prayed for Allah’s intervention as he got into the car and drove away.

Inhaling deeply, Delaney released the doorknob and walked to the center of the porch. Her gaze never left Jamal’s
and she read in his what she wanted to read. The dark eyes holding hers were intense, forceful and sharp; and the nerve endings in her body began to tighten and the area between her legs filled with warmth with the look he was giving her.

And when he began walking toward her, he again reminded her of a predatory wolf and gave her the distinct impression that he was stalking her, his prey. There was something about him that was deliciously dangerous, excitingly wild and arrogantly brazen. A part of her knew that no matter how far he went today in this game of theirs, she would be there with him all the way. In the end he would succeed in capturing her, but she would not make it easy. She intended to make him work.

When Jamal came to a stop in front of her, dark eyes held hers in sensual challenge. “Good morning, Delaney,” he murmured softly.

“Good morning, Jamal,” she responded in kind. She then looked him up and down. “You’re dressed differently this morning.”

A smile twitched his lips, and amusement lit his eyes as he looked her up and down, just as she had done him. “Yes, and so are you.”

Delaney smiled to herself. She was beginning to like this game of theirs. “I thought today would be a good day to do something I haven’t done since I got here.”

“Which is?”

“To try out the hot tub on the back deck. It’s roomy enough for two, and I was wondering if you would like to join me?”

Jamal raised a brow, evidently surprised by her invitation but having no intention of turning it down. “Yes, I think I will.”

A tense silence followed. Delaney knew that he wasn’t anyone’s fool and saw her ploy as seduction in the making and was determined, as he’d done the night before, to turn things to his advantage. He didn’t play fair.

She was hoping he wouldn’t. In fact, she was counting on it.

“I’ll go on out back,” she said, her voice only a notch above a whisper. “My swimming suit is under my dress.”

“And it won’t take long for me to change clothes and join you,” he said huskily.

She turned to leave, then suddenly turned back to him. “And one more thing, Jamal.”

“Yes?”

“You have to promise to keep your hands to yourself.”

A rakish grin tilted the corner of his lips, and a wicked gleam lit his eyes. “All right, I promise.”

Delaney blinked, surprised he had made such a promise. She really hadn’t expected him to. Without saying another word, she opened the door and went back into the house, wondering if he really intended to keep his promise.

Delaney was already settled in the hot tub when Jamal appeared on the back deck. She found it difficult to breathe or to look away. She finally let out a deep whoosh of air when she broke eye contact with him to take a more detailed look at his outfit.

The swimming trunks he wore were scantier than the boxer trunks he usually wore for kickboxing. Everything about him oozed sex appeal, and she felt inwardly pleased that for the next three weeks he belonged only to her.

“The water looks warm,” Jamal said, breaking into Delaney’s thoughts.