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She hummed, her fingers playing with hair on the back of my neck. It made me heady. If she kept doing that…
“I want to do it again.”
“What?”
Valeria looked away, clearing her throat. “The kiss, I mean. I… I want to feel like that again, Khalid.”
I understood her. Fuck, how much I understood what she meant.
But I asked anyway, “Feel like what?”
“Alive.”
I wanted to make her feel alive again. Make us both feel alive and more. But I was afraid that if I kissed her once more, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
“We can’t right now, my sweet one,” I said in a low voice that she could have barely heard it. My lips pressed over her cheek as I settled her on the couch.
Valeria visibly sulked, a small pout forming on her lips.Fucking adorable. “Can I ask why not?”
I wanted to kiss away her small pout. I tapped her nose and picked up the sketchbook to finish where I left off. “I said we can’t right now. It’s just not the right moment… the right place. Setting.”
I didn’t know how to explain it to her. In those few days, Valeria had become too precious to me. I didn’t want to lay her down and pleasure her in one of my apartments in London. It was not what she deserved. And I always wanted to strive to offer her the best.
Valeria
“Then where is the right place? The right moment?” My voice was laced with frustration that we both felt. I didn’t understand him. He was hard. I was wet.We were aroused, then why didn’t he… not like I would know how this works.
“Somewhere that is not here.” Khalid let out a sigh and paused for a moment. I felt his eyes on me as he continued, “Are you a virgin, Valeria?”
I blinked in his direction and looked away, my hands clenching tightly in my palm. I didn’t think he would ask that. I said truthfully, “No, I am not a virgin if that is what you are worried about.”
I felt his hand lay on top of mine. I faced him. “Okay, I just wanted to know. I didn’t want to cause you pain if you were.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded back. I felt safe and comfortable around him. I knew Khalid would never cause me pain. Not willingly anyway, like making me feel… empty without his touch and embrace.
It was driving me crazy.
“This is not the right time because I want to paint you, Valeria,” He whispered in his deep velvety voice.
“P-paint me?”
I could smell his musky scent when he crooned in my ear. “Yes.Naked.”
I trembled, my body reacting acutely to his teasing words.
He continued in his low voice, his finger trailing over my neck, “I want to paint your pale skin. Your neck. Your sensual body. Your stunning eyes. Your lush lips. Your red copper hair.”
Khalid flicked my ear with his tongue, making me gasp when he whispered dirtily, “Yourtits.”
“I can paint on you too, my sweet one.” He planted a soft kiss below my ear. My breathing grew erratic. My breasts—tits, as he called them, aching to be touched by him. “Lay your naked body on my bed and paint on your bare skin with my hands. Would you like that, Valeria?”
I was clenching my legs tightly, melting passionate desire gushing my underwear. I licked my lips, my heart beating loudly. “I… I would love that, Khalid.”
When I didn’t heart him reply, I sought him out and touched his face, feeling the warm skin beneath my palm. “Please tell me what are you thinking?”
He covered my hand with his, kissing my palm and squeezing it lightly. “I want you to come with me to my country. To Azmia. Tomorrow.”
I never even dreamt that he would ever ask me to come with him. Invite me with him to go to his country. It felt surreal.