Awoken by the Sheikh Read online

  He chuckled softly. Coupled with his large hand tucking a strand of her blonde curls behind her ear, it did little to help calm the excited rabbit that seemed to have taken up residence in her chest. He slid his hand under her curls behind her neck and brought her so close that she could almost taste him. His breath fanned her face, and an all too familiar scent caused her breathing to hitch even more.

  This was Rashid? My dream lover?

  “A man could take offence.” The smile accompanying those whispered words lit up the harsh features, and Astrid leant in closer to all that warmth, drawn by the magnetic pull of those dark brown eyes that crinkled up at the corners in obvious amusement.

  “Oh no, my pretty, not until you’ve seen Layla, and you need to eat first.” Rashid drew back slowly. One slightly calloused finger left a trail of heat along her jaw, and this time Astrid could not stop the needy moan escaping. Mesmerized by his fluid movements and held in place by her growing ache of need deep down in her core, she watched as he took another strawberry. The heat in his gaze stoked the slow fire in her belly to a raging inferno as he slowly pried her lips apart with the ripe fruit, and sat down on the bed.

  “Open for me, my pretty.”

  The whispered command skittered across her fevered skin. Her fingers closed over his as she took a bite out of the lush fruit, and its juices spilled down her chin. Rashid’s eyes darkened further, and his pupils dilated as his gaze followed the trail of juice trickling down between her breasts. It gave her the courage to take another bite, until her mouth closed over his hand. He visibly jerked in response, as she sucked his fingers into her mouth, and his low growl rumbled through her. Astrid released his fingers with a start, and within the space of one wild heartbeat, he pulled her onto his lap. One of his large hands cupped the back of her head. The other found its way under the sheet she was still clutching to herself with one hand, and settled just under her left breast.

  Rashid licked along her jaw, and heat coursed through her as he followed the trail of juice over the sensitive skin of her neck, down over her collarbone. He skimmed across the top of her breasts and dipped into the hollow between. Sheet forgotten, Astrid clung helplessly to his shoulders and dug her fingernails into his biceps. All conscious thought left her body with the shuddering breath she exhaled. Sensation assaulted her. Her skin tingled where his tongue trailed across her flesh. When his firm mouth finally suckled one erect nipple, and he bit down, she was lost. Oblivious to her surroundings and any misgivings, she didn’t recognize her own needy voice begging for more, as her body strained to get closer to the rock hard erection that nudged her swollen pussy through the restraints of his trousers.

  “My lord, the baths are ready.”

  Rashid froze at the sound of Layla’s voice. His breathing as harsh as Astrid’s, he pulled the sheet back up over her breasts with a rueful smile. Rashid’s knuckles skimmed across the achy nubs with firm deliberation, which made her gasp sharply.

  “I should have your head for daring to interfere, Layla.” With one last grim smile for Astrid, he turned toward the other woman, who bowed deeply at his curt demand. “Make sure she is well prepared. My patience is at its end.”

  “As you command, my lord.” Layla bowed again, a small smile on her face, as her dark eyes briefly connected with his.

  Astrid held her breath when he turned round at the open door. The predatory look that accompanied his next words raised her blood pressure a few more notches. “Eat, rest, enjoy the baths, for tonight you will know you are not dreaming.”

  Oh, I simply have to be dreaming.

  After Rashid’s rapid departure, she ate her fill of the sumptuous feast in front of her, mindful of the dark eyes watching her every move. Layla gave her a robe to wear and escorted her to the baths. Astrid stopped and stared, overwhelmed at the opulence of her surroundings. The eunuch’s firm hand on her back, however, gave her no choice but to follow where Layla led. Through the lush gardens heavy with spices and fruit, the oppressive heat of the day weighed on her, even though they walked in the shade of the many palm trees, which swayed in the tropical breeze. The deep rumble of the sea was a constant reassuring background. She was still on the island and hadn’t lost the plot completely in some drug-induced lunacy that had her reacting to a complete stranger like some sort of raving nymphomaniac.

  The steam rising from the hot baths gave her surroundings an otherworldly feel. Women of all shapes and sizes were everywhere. They shared the waters, and soft moans filled the scented air as the slave girls proceeded to pleasure the ladies of the harem. Her very own servant girl, assigned to her by Layla, startled her several times with her intimate caresses, and it was only Layla’s firm voice reminding her that these were Rashid’s wishes that stopped her from fleeing.

  She closed her eyes to block out the disturbingly arousing figures of two women clearly enjoying each other’s bodies, and willed herself to relax into the soft cushions at the water's edge. The fragrant steam and the skillful hands of the servant combined to lull her into sleepiness, until her bones felt like liquid, and she ceased to care about her surroundings.

  The servant covered Astrid's naked body all over in some sort of paste, smiling at her moaned protests. The paste clung to her flesh like a second skin, and it was a relief when the young girl used mussel shells to scrape it off. She smiled anew at Astrid's flinch when the shells scraped across her pussy lips. The slight pain proved disturbingly arousing, and her internal muscles clenched and released. A gush of moisture trickled past them, and heat rose in Astrid’s cheeks. What the hell was in that paste? She certainly never felt like this during her usual waxing routine. She sighed with relief when the girl rinsed all of Astrid's body hair away with several warm buckets of water.

  The scented oils the servant used next brought the awareness of every fiber of Astrid’s body to new heights as the girl’s skillful hands moved in a slow, sensual massage. By the time those hands reached her breasts, slowly kneading the soft globes, heaviness had settled in her veins. In her mind’s eye it was Rashid’s calloused hands that caressed her there. The increased urgency in the female sighs across the shallow pool next to where she lay notched her own arousal up a few degrees.

  Her heart beat faster as the servant’s hands moved in slow motion over her abdomen and then dipped into the wetness coating her pussy lips. Her hips bucked up in a silent plea, and the girl’s fingers slipped into her wet heat. Astrid couldn’t suppress her moan when the girl trailed kisses along Astrid’s slick skin until she reached her clit and sucked the little nubbin into her mouth. Arousal held Astrid in its firm grip, and she grasped hold of the servant’s long braid and tucked her closer. With her legs wrapped around the girl’s head she dug her feet into the other woman’s back and used the leverage to grind her aching cunt against the girl’s mouth, ruthlessly seeking her fast building orgasm.

  A small part of her still functioning brain wondered at what possessed her to act like such a wanton. Astrid had never been attracted to women before, but, by God, this girl knew what she was doing, and she beat Astrid’s purple little vibrating friend back home, hands down. Maybe this is what she came here to discover? That she was really into women? Even as she thought that, Rashid’s harsh features swam into her mind, and she dismissed that notion. His cock had felt so long and hard earlier, and her stomach hollowed out at the thought of his dark head between her thighs. It was him urging her on, readying her to take his cock.

  The servant’s fingers dug into Astrid’s ass cheeks, and the small appreciative murmurs she made as she licked, and sucked, and lapped up Astrid’s free flowing cream added delicious vibrations against her pussy. Head thrashing from side to side, Astrid flew, when the girl angled her fingers and found Astrid’s sweet spot with unerring precision. Utterly spent, Astrid collapsed against the cushions, and gave herself up to the gentle rhythm of the young woman’s skillful tongue as she licked Astrid clean. With her body still shaking in little aftershocks and her mind screaming at h
er that this was wrong, Astrid found she didn’t have it in her to care. No one knew her here, and that orgasm—her first non-rabbit induced one in years—had been something else.

  Her eyes fluttered open slowly, when the girl’s gentle attention to her pussy ceased, and Astrid locked gazes with the huge black eyes of the woman across from her in the pool. Need slammed into her anew, as she watched the other woman’s eyes cloud over with desire. The woman’s skin flushed where her partner’s lips closed over one breast, and Astrid briefly wondered whether her skin did the same in the throes of arousal. It certainly felt as though it ought to be. Heat washed over her, and her only just abated orgasm flared anew. Her pussy clenched, and a renewed wave of moisture coated the tops of her thighs. The servant girl laughed softly and spread Astrid’s thighs wider. The action gave the women in the pool an unimpeded view of Astrid’s swollen pussy. Tingles of arousal spread through her at the knowledge that her most intimate parts were clearly on display. The olive skinned beauty in the pool moaned softly, her gaze riveted between Astrid’s thighs, and heat washed over Astrid. She gasped when the exquisite woman in the pool held out her hand and beckoned her over. The other woman’s small breasts rose and fell in quick succession, and Astrid couldn’t tear her gaze away from the way the bathing beauty’s hair clung to her slight curves. A strand of her dark tresses played peekaboo with one of her nipples. Long and hard, her nipples stood proudly in the air out of the rosy surround of their areolas, and the woman moaned again when her partner cupped the other breast and licked around that nipple.

  Astrid’s body drew taut, and her breasts ached and grew heavy, as she witnessed the loving attention the slightly smaller and curvy woman gave to her olive skinned lover. This woman’s skin was black as the night sky, her teeth a startling contrast against the ebony color of her face when she released her lover’s breast and turned to look at Astrid. The girl said something to her in Arabic, and Astrid’s servant pulled Astrid to her feet, and gave her a small nudge toward the two women across the pool.

  “Go ahead. You know you want to.” Layla’s cool voice startled her, as Astrid descended into the pool. She looked up at the older woman standing by the edge of the pool. Had she stood there all this time? Layla watched Astrid with undisguised desire in her dark gaze. Astrid's own eyes widened when Layla dropped the belt holding her sheer trousers together and fingered her clit, her gaze fastened on Astrid. Caught up in the spell of her own arousal and the sheer sexual decadence on display, Astrid moved further into the pool, until she reached the two exotic beauties waiting for her.

  A renewed wave of desire flooded through her body as the melodic voice of one of the women whispered in her ear. She couldn’t understand the words, but the meaning carried through loud and clear. For whatever reason these women wanted her, and her body responded like a puppet on a string. Hot breath feathered across the sensitive skin of her neck, as one of the women’s soft hands lifted Astrid’s sensitive breasts. The other woman massaged her backside in a loving caress that made Astrid’s knees buckle with the force of her forbidden desire, even as a small part of her rational brain still functioning screamed at her that this was not her.

  “Relax." Layla's voice reached across the waters. "In order to pleasure the Prince, you must know your own body first. Let them help you discover what else makes you climax, so that you are ready for all he will demand.”

  Astrid's eyes fluttered closed of their own accord at the outrageous words delivered by the breathy singsong voice as the women surrounded her. The onslaught on her senses was almost too much to bear.

  “Touch me like you want to be touched.” The words, uttered by the beautiful woman next to her, as her breasts floated just above the waterline of the shallow pool, skimmed across Astrid’s senses.

  As if in a dream Astrid lifted her own hands to the small breasts in front of her. She marveled in the softness of the handful she massaged, reassured by the other woman’s smile urging her on. As she bent to take one rosy peak into her mouth, fingers invaded her own soft flesh. They parted her slick folds, and need made her juices flow anew. This was so wrong, yet felt so damn right. Another mouth caught her moan as those nimble fingers found her clit. Aided by the buoyancy of the fragrant water, Astrid straightened and deepened the kiss. Her tongue twirled with another, and her own fingers found feminine flesh and returned stroke for stroke as she received. Familiar, yet different, she let her fingers explore, just like others joined in. How many hands were on her now, her lust fogged brain couldn’t determine, too caught up in the moment. Movements ever more urgent, their water slicked bodies rubbed against each other, and moans filled the humid air as the sweet pressure built to unbearable levels. The other woman’s scream of surrender in her ear as her juices flowed over Astrid’s fingers had her teetering on the brink of her own release. With one last push deep inside her, and with Rashid’s face filling her mind, Astrid’s orgasm splintered her wide open. All the pent up passion erupted deep from within, and shudders racked her body.

  When her breathing finally returned to normal, heat suffused Astrid at the thought of what had just happened, as her multiple partners in play slunk away into the mists of steam.

  Good lord, I bet Lynn didn’t have that in mind. I don’t even know their names. And what’s more I don’t care.

  Layla’s quiet voice urged her to take the robe and slip out of the water. “Now you are ready.”

  Chapter Four

  Layla’s words made her heart flutter anew, and Astrid hastily put on the clothes provided for her. She followed the woman out of the baths, through the lush gardens, deeper into the island. Where was she taking her now? And what did she mean by ready? Ready for what exactly? “Where are you taking me?” she asked.

  “Yours is not to question, just to obey. Prince Rashid’s instructions are to be followed without fail.” Layla stopped briefly, and she beckoned Astrid forward.

  Good lord, who does he think he is? He could take a running jump. She would not obey anyone. This wasn’t the dark ages, fantasy be damned, and if he thought for one minute that she would, he had another think coming. Yeah, who are you kidding?

  Layla’s mocking smile as her dark gaze ran over her body did little to help Astrid slow her suddenly increased breathing. Memories of the bath's forbidden pleasures threatened to overwhelm her as she followed Layla. Yeah, who was she kidding? One look of Rashid’s commanding eyes, never mind that to-die-for gravelly voice, and she would be ready to do anything. Just knowing that he had wanted her to indulge in the baths let her do things she would never have dreamed of doing.

  The now familiar ache of renewed desire coiled low in her belly as she remembered the force of those orgasms brought on by just imagining him there. God. She would not be able to resist anything he asked of her, and the reckless, passionate side of her, the side she hadn’t even known she had until she set foot in this damned place, made her shiver in anticipation of his commands.

  Seriously, I need to get a grip.

  As she was lost in her thoughts and ever growing awareness of her own body’s needs, the Bedouin style tent rising up in front of her took her by surprise. How far inland had they walked? The tent stood proudly on its own, surrounded by lush vegetation. The soothing sound of falling water that cascaded over man-made rocks into crystal clear waters, took Astrid’s breath away. Could he have chosen a more romantic, secluded spot for whatever he had in mind? As though she conjured him up with the power of her thoughts alone, the man appeared from inside the tent, the minute Layla stopped just outside the entrance. Dressed entirely in traditional Arab clothes, he looked more imposing than ever. One harsh command to Layla and the woman disappeared into thin air, which left Astrid to look up at him. Astrid swallowed nervously at the heated gaze he swept over her body, all too aware of the see-through nature of her own traditional dress. She may as well be naked, for pity’s sake. Oh lord, don’t go there. The mere thought of being naked around this commanding man, meant she had to bite her l
ip to stop herself from moaning. Rashid smiled and drew her into his warmth. The minute she stepped close enough to him, she closed her eyes and inhaled his clean scent. She really needed to get a hold of herself, but the man just smelled so good.

  Rashid towered over her, and his hand burned through the sheer material at her back as he ushered her inside the tent and its lavish interior. She curled her toes into the thick, lush pile of the oriental carpet. Scattered lanterns brought out the incredible array of colors. The low seating was covered in silk scarves and the air thick with incense and sensual promise. She drew a shuddering breath into her lungs, when Rashid’s arms went round her waist and drew her into his hard frame, until her back rested against his chest

  “You have been a very naughty girl, my pretty.” His harsh voice skimmed along the sensitive skin of her neck, and her heart slammed into her chest bone. Arousal warred with unease at his next whispered words. “Did I give you permission to come without me?”

  “Wha—what?”

  Oh. My. God.

  Had he heard about her bath’s adventures? Or worse, had he watched her? At the thought, her heart missed a beat. His large hands dug into her hips, and she gasped at the rock hard erection that pressed into her buttocks. Moist heat pooled between her thighs, and she found it hard to breathe.

  “Naughty girls need to be punished.”

  Punished? What on earth did he mean? Before she could question him he spun her around in his arms. One hand pinched her nipple hard. The pain was more arousing than she would have thought possible, and his other hand fisted in her hair and yanked her head up. He pinched her again, harder this time. The desire she saw in his dark eyes as he assessed her reaction made the pain spiral down towards her pussy.

  “Stop, you’re hurting me!” Is that breathy denial really my voice? Her heart turned into a jackhammer as she waited for his next move, and arousal warred with fear.