The Sheikh's Marriage Bargain - Leslie North Page 0,21

her muscles working beneath his palms. Every beat of his heart was a plea for more. More and more and more, his pleasure building and peaking and finally taking him over completely. Her cries echoed in his ears, a beat behind his release, which was so powerful it seemed to draw all of them into the center of the universe and send it back out in a burst of pure starlight.

They stayed frozen together for several ragged breaths, and then he put Laila back on her feet. She touched him all the way down—his face, his neck, his collarbone—and when she finally looked back up at him, there was naked wickedness in her gaze.

“Okay,” she said. “Now you can take me to bed.”

10

Laila woke to the sound of birds outside Zayid’s bedroom—the first birds of the morning, singing their songs in the garden. Zayid breathed deeply beside her. But...her legs felt heavy. No—not her legs. It was Zayid’s leg, curved over hers. A zing of excitement like champagne bubbles flitted across her heart. He had never invited her to sleep in his bedroom before. She’d been installed in the guest room down the hall since their wedding night. It felt good—the solid presence of him next to her...and over her.

She hated to sneak away.

Laila shifted gently to the edge of the bed, but just as she moved to slide her feet onto the floor, Zayid stirred, his leg locking hers in place. Then a hand, clumsy with sleep, skimmed gently across her stomach and pulled her back. He blinked at her.

“No woman has ever rivaled my wake time.” His still-gravelly voice caught at her breath.

“I love the morning light for working in the studio.” She took her hand in his and brushed a kiss across his knuckles. “Wait—did you say no woman? How many have you had here to come to that conclusion?” she teased.

“Only you.”

The teasing smile slipped away from her lips, and Laila couldn’t put it back into place again. A deep warmth moved through her, head to toe, as warm as Zayid’s eyes on hers. Only you.

“I don’t know if I believe that,” she said softly, hope like a candle flame igniting in her soul. “You’ve never brought any other women here?”

“Never.” Zayid slipped his fingers through hers. “You’re the very first. Maybe it’s simpler for other people to invite women into their spaces, but for me—” He shook his head. “It’s not the same for me. There are more risks for the royal family.” He brushed his lips against her knuckles, and Laila almost, almost, swooned into the sensation.

But reality came down like ice water on the back of her neck. She was part of the royal family now, but it wouldn’t last. It couldn’t last. As soon as Zayid’s brother was married, they’d go their separate ways, and she’d be left with only the memory of this bed and these rooms. No matter what Zayid said to her now, she couldn’t afford to forget that the day was coming when all this would be behind them.

“Of course there are more risks,” she said, bringing his hand up to her face and resting her cheek against it. She put her smile back on like she’d put on her dress for the state dinner—shields made of silk. “I have to go. I’ll lose the light.”

“Oh, let it slip away,” Zayid said, tugging her into him. She fell across his chest with a laugh. “Laila...”

“Yes?”

“I’d like you to share my bed from now on.”

She bit her lip. “I should say no.” She traced a line down the center of his chest with her fingertip. “But I want to share your bed, too.” For as long as I can.

“Good. Now tell me you’ll stay. One hour. The light will be back tomorrow. Just this once,” he coaxed.

He was warm and solid beneath her, and his hands on her back stroked and rubbed. Her body couldn’t help but curve into his touch like a cat. Would it be so bad if she let the future be the future and enjoyed him now? It couldn’t possibly be. A morning in bed with Zayid didn’t mean she was falling for him. It didn’t mean this was anything more than getting a little pleasure out of their arrangement.

Given last night, a lot of pleasure.

“Just this once,” she murmured into the crook of his neck, then kissed her way up to his jaw. When their mouths met, Laila kissed the morning light goodbye and