Johari tried downplaying her body"s reaction to his closeness as she attempted to take in what he"d just said. "Anywhere in the world?" she asked, looking at him with stunned eyes.
"Yes. Because of my business I have a private plane."
She nodded. Her family owned several private planes and she frequently went with her parents on trips. But as usual they were accompanied by heavy guards and chaperones. There had never been a time when she was allowed to just go off and enjoy anything and anyplace by herself. The thought of doing so now was tempting.
She doubted Monty knew just how tempting it was. She studied him, saw the darkness in his eyes, felt heat radiating from him, then she quickly concluded that maybe he did know. She wondered what he thought would be in it for him. What he would get out of spending time with her? It was quite obvious he was a man who had been around. A man used to certain things. Money. Women. s.e.x.
"Why, Monty?" she decided to ask. "Why would you do that for me when you know there is nothing that I can do for you?" There, she"d asked, hoping she couldn"t have made things any plainer than that.
"But there is something you can do for me. You can keep me company for as long as you can. You remind me of what it"s like to be carefree. You want to do something that I haven"t done in a long time and that is to just enjoy life."
He chuckled and said, "I"ve been told by a lot of people that I work too hard, don"t have enough downtime for myself."
Johari nodded. She could believe that. Her brother had been the same way until he"d decided to take a month off and do nothing. That was when he had met Delaney.
She glanced up at Monty and decided to ask another question, one she"d been curious about since meeting him. "How old are you?"
A curve of a smile touched his lips. "How old do you think I am?"
She studied his features. His eyes, she thought, were full of intelligence way beyond whatever years she would guess. And she had reason to believe he possessed a razor-sharp mind. His features were magnificent, surpa.s.sed any woman"s fantasy, the substance of any woman"s dream. He was extremely handsome and didn"t look any older than Jamal, but then her brother carried his age of forty-two well. "Um, around thirty-five or thirty-six?" she finally said.
He laughed. "I"m whatever age you want me to be. And that"s all I"ll say on the matter."
She smiled. "You"re not curious as to my age?"
"Not enough to ask. In this country a man knows better."
She couldn"t help but chuckle. "So I heard."
When the elevator came to a stop and the door opened, he took her hand as they stepped out into the hall. He turned to her. "So, will you meet me for breakfast in the morning around nine? There is a nice cafe on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Park. I will send my car for you. And then after breakfast we can start our day."
She gnawed on her bottom lip for a few moments. She didn"t want him to send his car for her because she was not ready to let him know where she was staying. Succ.u.mbing to the desire to see him again, spend time with him, she nodded. "Yes, but I will take a cab and meet you there. And please don"t mention anything in front of Cel. She would worry."
He gave her a satisfied smile. "I promise not to say a word."
Relief rippled through her. She didn"t want Cel to not enjoy her cruise for agonizing over Johari"s safety. "There is another promise I"d like you to make if we are to spend tomorrow together."
"What promise is that?"
"You will remember that I have a fiance."
A smile touched his lips. "Although I wish I could forget, I promise that I will not."
Two hours later Rasheed was back in his condo and reliving in his mind all that had transpired that night. He and Johari had returned to the club to find it was still in full swing.
Cel had eyed him suspiciously but hadn"t asked either of them any questions. And less than an hour later, she and Johari had thanked him for such a wonderful time but felt it was time for them to leave. He had offered to let his driver take them to their hotel, but they had declined. He had, however, made sure they had gotten safely in a cab. Once the yellow taxi had pulled away from the curb he had nodded to the driver in the dark-colored car who"d automatically followed close behind.
Shoving his hands into his pants pockets, he walked outside on the balcony, the same one Johari had danced on earlier. Moving closer to the very spot where she"d stood, where she had danced, he glanced around. He could still feel her presence as well as the heat she had left behind. Then there was her lingering scent. It was her scent that was gripping him, inside and out, making him remember how s.e.xy she had looked in that dress and how well the material had fit her curves. And it was that dress, her scent, along with the memory of her taste that had him looking forward to seeing her in the morning.
Her taste.
It was as if his tongue had known her. Had been waiting. Had gotten possessive. And had greedily taken. He considered himself a very skillful kisser, but the first taste of her had nearly s.n.a.t.c.hed his senses, rendered him mindless. And when she had touched her tongue to his, not sure if it was the proper thing to do, exposing her lack of experience, he"d been fascinated beyond belief in knowing that had been her first kiss.
And when he"d angled his head and deepened the kiss, every bone in his body shared in the pleasurable experience. And not once did she resist. She had returned the kiss, as best she knew how, and instead of boring him, her inexperience plunged him into a world filled with so much pa.s.sion and pleasure, the concept of her being able to accomplish such a feat was still wearing on his brain.
He drew in a calming breath when he thought of the phone call he"d received moments ago to say that Johari and Cel had arrived at their destination safely.
Turning, he walked back inside the condo. It was late and time for him to take a shower and go to bed. Things had been rather interesting tonight and he looked forward to seeing Johari for breakfast in the morning.
Johari eased out of bed, hoping the noise would not awaken Celine. In bare feet she slid open the gla.s.s door to walk out onto the balcony. After she had slid the door shut behind her, she looked around, thinking this balcony was nothing compared to the one she had been on earlier. The one she had danced on for Monty.
Monty.
She still didn"t know his age, since he"d been evasive about it, and then there was the question of his nationality. If he was American, and she leaned toward believing that he was because of his mastery of the English language, then he was of mixed ancestry, which was obvious with the shade of his skin. But then he could very well be of Greek, Italian or Turkish descent.
She pulled in a deep breath. There was so much about him that she didn"t know.
Likewise, there was a lot he didn"t know about her.
She did, however, know that his last name was Madaris, thanks to the man at the club. And on the cab ride home Cel did tell her the little bit of information she was able to get out of Roderick Long. Monty was a wealthy businessman with a strong connection to the Madaris family from Texas. And according to Cel, the Madaris family name was incredibly popular in Texas, especially Jacob Madaris, who was married to a movie star named Diamond Swain.
Also, she and Cel had compared notes in regard to what Monty did for a living and Rod had verified the information about his occupation that Monty had shared with her. He owned a very successful company representing wealthy businessmen in the global market.
Her thoughts then shifted to the kiss she and Monty had shared that night. At first, the intrusion of his tongue into her mouth had shocked her, but when he had basically locked their mouths, she got carried away by his sensuous skills, and had no choice but to become a willing partic.i.p.ant. Sensations she had never experienced before took over her mind and parts of her body and she had no regrets of her involvement. Even now while reliving the memories, the nipples of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, which were pressing against her nightgown, felt hard, sensitive. And although maybe she shouldn"t, she felt excited about meeting Monty for breakfast in the morning.
She yawned, at once feeling sleepy, and hoped that when she returned to bed she would immediately drift off and not be tortured with dreams of her and Monty doing things they had no business doing.
Covering her mouth when a second yawn escaped, she returned inside and then moved slowly toward her bed, hoping morning would arrive quickly so she could gaze into Monty"s eyes once again.
The next morning Rasheed sat in the plush cafe keeping a watchful eye on the door, wanting to make sure he saw Johari when she arrived. He had gotten a call from his man a few moments ago to say she had left the hotel and was en route to the cafe in a cab and would be arriving any second.
He leaned back in his seat and smiled when he thought about the call he had placed earlier to Christy Madaris Maxwell. Since Christy was only a couple of years older than Johari, and since he figured his idea of fun fun would be vastly different than what Johari"s would be, he had asked Christy for suggestions on what activities Johari might find to her liking. Christy thought spending a day at Coney Island would be enjoyable. would be vastly different than what Johari"s would be, he had asked Christy for suggestions on what activities Johari might find to her liking. Christy thought spending a day at Coney Island would be enjoyable.
He could make no excuses that his definition of exciting activities exciting activities leaned more toward the s.e.xual side and could think of a number of spine-tingling things he would love doing with Johari. The thought of licking her from head to toe-especially savoring the area between her thighs-certainly sounded very delightful and pretty much topped the list. Performing such an act would definitely provide a form of entertainment for him he hadn"t had in a while. leaned more toward the s.e.xual side and could think of a number of spine-tingling things he would love doing with Johari. The thought of licking her from head to toe-especially savoring the area between her thighs-certainly sounded very delightful and pretty much topped the list. Performing such an act would definitely provide a form of entertainment for him he hadn"t had in a while.
He was convinced his state of abstinence was the reason a deep pulse was throbbing in his middle section, behind the zipper of his pants. Kissing her was like a match being tossed into a barrel filled with dry leaves. And his dreams last night hadn"t been much better. He had actually dreamed of making love to her and in his dream he had enjoyed it a lot more than any of the times with his mistresses. To envision such a thing had him wondering how much wine he"d drunk last night before finally going to bed.
Whatever other thoughts were filtering through his mind suddenly dissolved when Johari walked into the door. His mouth fell open and he could only sit there and stare. Last night he had thought she was beautiful. But now in the brightness of daylight, beneath the rays of the sun, she literally took his breath away.
There was an early-morning glow to her features and for some reason he felt the smile on her lips was meant just for him. And gone was the minidress from last night. Today she was wearing a pair of jeans and a blouse, and she looked absolutely stunning.
He stood when she moved toward his table. Ignoring the l.u.s.t-filled looks from the other men who had stopped eating to gape at her luscious curves encased in formfitting jeans, she walked with the ease of someone who had an ingrained sense of grace and style. A sense of pride filled his chest knowing the woman that they were feasting their hungry eyes on belonged totally to him.
When she reached his table she nervously licked her lips, and the body part behind his zipper that had been throbbing all morning in antic.i.p.ation of seeing her again and inhaling her scent suddenly wanted to misbehave.
"Good morning, Monty."
He thought, just like her looks, her voice had a breathtaking quality, as well. And there was a silkiness to it that flowed across his skin, had desire taking refuge in several of his body parts. "Jo. You look beautiful this morning," he said, responding to her greeting while inwardly frowning at the thought that he was behaving like an anxious suitor. "And thanks for joining me."
"Thank you for your invitation."
When she took a seat he did likewise. The waitress who"d known he was waiting on someone brought over menus. "Thank you." He then glanced over at Johari. "Has Celine left the city?"
She smiled over the menu at him. "Yes. It was a straight flight and she"s called to let me know she made it to Miami."
He nodded. "That"s good to hear." Then after glancing at his menu a few moments, he asked, "Do you see anything you would like?"
She smiled up at him and closed her menu. "I"m not a big eater so a bagel and cocoa will be fine."
Deciding since he was a big eater and needed more than that, when the waitress returned he gave her their breakfast orders. He saw Johari looking at him with a smile on her face. Automatically his gaze was drawn to her lips and remembering how perfectly they had fit his last night sent all kinds of sensations radiating through him.
He shifted his focus to her eyes, and with a slow smile he leaned over the table and asked in a low voice, "May I ask what you find so amusing?"
"Your appet.i.te," she whispered, returning his smile. "You eat as much as my brother."
Rasheed arched a brow. "You have a brother?"
She said nothing for a moment while staring at the silverware, and he studied her, thinking that once again she had said something she would have rather kept secret.
He didn"t intend to let her off that easy. "Jo?"
She lifted her head. "Yes, I have a brother, but I prefer not talking about him."
"All right."
She held his gaze for a moment. "Are you always this easy?"
Rasheed almost muttered at the absurdity of that claim because he was not an easy person by any means. Although most of the people of Mowaiti considered him a fair man, one who would go to any lengths for their needs, they knew on certain issues he could be as difficult as crossing the Sahara Desert. He had matured a lot over the past few years and was no longer the hothead that he used to be. The two things about him that hadn"t changed were that he always put the people of Mowaiti first and he chose his friends wisely.
"No, I"m not always this easy," he finally said, laughing softly. "I"ve made you an exception."
"And I appreciate you for doing so."
Instead of responding Rasheed simply looked deeply in her eyes as he took a sip of his coffee. When his carefully laid-out plans came to light he doubted that she would appreciate anything about him. He couldn"t remember the last time, if ever, he had gone out of his way to pursue a woman. And the thought he was doing so now and the object of this mad obsession was the very woman he would marry added a degree of intrigue to the chase. And what made it even more tantalizing was that Johari had no idea she was game. What a pity.
The waitress brought their breakfast and when she began eating so did he, taking every occasion he could to look at her. Every time he did so he couldn"t help but remember their kiss and couldn"t help imagining how it would be to kiss other parts of her body. Specifically, he would love for her to bare her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with the sole purpose of him tasting them and could just about envision the texture of her nipples on his tongue.
And then there was the area between her thighs, which was considered a woman"s hottest as well as her sweetest spot, and he would love for his tongue to enjoy her there, as well. He was having a challenging time keeping his hormones in check this morning and sooner or later he would have to do something about it. But then there was that promise he"d made to her that he would not forget she was promised to someone. Since that someone was him he doubted he would forget, so there was no chance of him breaking that particular promise.
And, he thought further, if she a.s.sumed remembering she was promised to someone meant he wouldn"t be trying his hand at seduction, then she was sadly mistaken.
It took everything within Johari to sit and eat her breakfast without staring across the table at Monty, although she was very aware that he was staring at her. She could actually feel his eyes roaming over her.
A few times she had glanced up and seen the heat that was sweltering in his gaze. Also in his gaze was another promise, one she hadn"t asked him to make. Also in his gaze was another promise, one she hadn"t asked him to make. She had seen that look before in the eyes of guys around campus. Most of them knew she was a princess from another country and Saud"s presence only made her a challenge to some of them. She had seen that look before in the eyes of guys around campus. Most of them knew she was a princess from another country and Saud"s presence only made her a challenge to some of them.
When her bodyguard continuously foiled any of their zealous plans they had resorted to relaying their ardent desires through eye contact. She had dismissed the looks as a waste of their time and hers. But for some reason she couldn"t do the same with Monty. It was as if his look had substance, a lot more confidence. His eyes didn"t broadcast a look of what he wanted and could not have, but what he figured he would get eventually. In the meantime he would be content to patiently wait. All of that confused her since he had made her that promise and she believed he would keep it.
Now if she herself could remember she was promised to someone. Monty was making it very hard for her to do so. If she thought he oozed s.e.xuality last night then he was really overflowing with it this morning. During the cab ride to meet him, she couldn"t help wondering why he would want to spend time with her today. There was no doubt in her mind that with his worldly air and handsome features, he could have just about any woman he wanted. Even now, it didn"t take much to notice the number of women around the room who couldn"t eat their breakfast for looking at him, checking him out checking him out, as Cel would often say. And he was a man worth checking out.
"I thought we could spend a day at Coney Island. Do you feel up to it?"
She glanced up and met Monty"s eyes. They were beautiful and the kind you could lose yourself in. He was wearing a crisp white shirt along with a pair of khaki pants. When he had stood as she had approached the table she had gotten a good look at his attire with his s.e.xy physique. She concluded that he would look good in any clothes he put on his body.
"Yes, I"m up for it," she said. "In fact it was on my list as one of my things to do. It sounds like a place I"ll enjoy."
He smiled over at her. "And we will make sure that it is."
As they walked on the boardwalk of Coney Island, Rasheed would be the first to admit that even he had had a great time today. They had gotten on a number of rides, had eaten a number of hot dogs and had taken off their shoes to walk on the beach. He had discovered Johari had nerves of steel when she had agreed to ride the Cyclone, but his greatest joy had come in seeing her ride the carousel as she tried time and time again to get the bra.s.s ring located in the center of the ride.
It was getting late and he wasn"t ready for his day with her to end. He glanced over at her and slowed his pace. She lifted a brow when he stopped walking and he reached out and took her hand in his. "Would you have dinner with me tonight?"
She smiled wryly. "I would think you would have had enough of me today."
He fought back the temptation to say he hadn"t gotten as much of her as he"d intended to get. He pushed from his mind the mental image of taking her back to his condo with the sole purpose of seducing her senseless and then making love to her.
"No, I haven"t had enough of you today. I"ve enjoyed your company and hope we can spend time together again tomorrow."
He thought that by now she felt somewhat comfortable with him. He hadn"t gotten out of line and they"d had a really good time. And he had kept his promise. "So will you join me for dinner?"
She gazed at him for a moment, breathed in deeply and then said, "Yes, I will have dinner with you."
Chapter 5.