Page 104

“Malik...look at me.”

“I am.”

“Really look at me,” she insisted.

Malik’s gaze became perplexed. “Ihavebeen looking at you for almost half of my life, Ky.”

Her heart skipped a beat, but Kyria steadfastly refused to let his words get to her head. “I’m not beautiful. I’m not even talented like Harper. I’m just ordinary, so how can you like someone like me?”

Malik frowned. “Why do you keep saying these things? Youarebeautiful.” And the way he was looking at her, she could almost, almost believe it herself. “And more than that, you’re perfect.”

“Oh, Malik.” She could see it in his eyes. He meant every word. But how could he? “What if—-” She swallowed past a lump on her throat, whispering, “What if you were just used to having me around and—-ah!”

In a blink of an eye, the sheikh had rolled her to her back, and he was suddenly above her, the weight of his body bearing down on hers.

“If anyone has reason to be worried about this not being what it is,” the sheikh said broodingly, “it should be me.”

“Why?” Kyria was genuinely confused.

“Because you’re young,” he said grimly. “You’ve barely started your life, and there’s every chance you could still meet someone else—-” But Kyria was already shaking her head even before he finished speaking, and the sheikh’s words broke off.

“Do you think I didn’t try?” she whispered. “It was one of my most important goals in the past two years, Malik. But just the thought alone of going out on a date with another guy made my skin crawl—-” She stopped speaking when she saw his eyes squeeze shut at her words. “Malik?” Her tone was quietly anxious. “What is it?” Had she said something wrong?

Malik lowered his head to her shoulder. He had always wondered if she had ever been attracted to any other man, had always wondered how he would feel if he learned that there was someone else. And now she was telling her there wasn’t a single fucking one—-

“You shouldn’t have said that,” he said roughly.

Oh, she knew it! Shehadsaid something wrong, and she wondered dismally if telling the sheikh about how she felt about other men had made him feel guilty or pressured. Raising a trembling hand, Kyria threaded his fingers through his silky hair, whispering, “I’m sorry, Malik.”

“As I am.” His head lifted. “Because I had promised myself to give you time and space...”

Her eyes flew wide open at the savage look in his eyes. That was definitelynotthe look of a man who was guilty or pressured. Rather, that was the look of a man who wanted...her.

“I wanted to give you a chance to think this through,” Malik growled. “But after what you said—-” The sheikh gripped her by the hair.“Fuck that.”

His mouth covered hers.

And the weird things that she used to have fantasies and nightmares about...became reality.

Her eyelids swept closed.

Their first kiss.

His lips prodded hers to open, and her arms went up to wrap around his neck just as his tongue slid inside her mouth.

“Kyria.”Her name on his lips was a rough rasp, but it was also the most sweetly arousing sound, and she found herself arching against him with a moan.

“Aira.” Fuck.

The kiss deepened, and he began sucking on her tongue hard. She gasped for breath, but he only let up for the last second, leaving her to stare up at him dazedly while the erotic sound of their panting filled his room.

“More?” he asked hoarsely.

Oh.

Her heart ached when she realized that he was deliberately controlling himself, fearful of frightening or overwhelming her.

She gave him a small nod.