Chapter 38
Nahlah
As the ground suddenly tilted beneath us, we tumbled backward. Before we could crash into the ground, Rami snapped his fingers, our landing softening as we skidded across the red sand, rust-colored dust billowing over us. Gasping for breath, I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my racing heart,
As the adrenaline began to ebb away, I became acutely aware of our positions. I was straddling him, my arms around his neck, his arms around my waist, our faces inches apart. As I met his gaze, I found him watching me, concern and relief in his eyes.
“You’re a genio fae,” I stated, my voice a whisper in the stillness of the night.
He hesitated, his eyes searching mine, before nodding. “Yes.”
“And you’re not manipulating Sultan Ghazi for your own gain?”
His brows furrowed in confusion. ”No?”
Relief washed over me, mingling with the torrent of emotions I’d been holding back. Realizing that he was not behind the sultanate’s ruin, that he too was a victim of cruel circumstances, allowed my feelings to fully surface. After the awkward, adorable moment in the library when he stumbled over his name, to the dance where it felt like the universe could fall apart, and I wouldn’t care, I”d developed feelings for him.
But now? There was no turning back. I”d fallen completely and irrevocably for him.
Narrowing my eyes, I said, “I have just one more question.”
He tensed, his expression guarded, as if bracing for rejection. “Yes?”
“Can you fly?”
He hesitated, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. “Yes?” he responded cautiously.
I wove my hand into the back of his hair, drawing him closer. “Good, because I’m riding Huriyah alone,” I declared before crashing my lips to his.
He froze for the briefest moment before surging forward, kissing me with a primal urgency that set my skin ablaze. Our lips moved together, filled with longing and the need for reassurance, each kiss igniting a spark that deepened the connection between us.
Time seemed to stand still as the intensity of our embrace grew, the realm fading into oblivion. Banding his arm around me, he leaned me back, and I closed my eyes, expecting to feel the warmth of the sand against my skin. Instead, the velvety softness of a feather bed cushioned my fall, taking me by surprise.
“So you could conjure a feather bed!” I laughed accusingly.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned in closer. “I can do that and much more,” he promised huskily, grasping my chin and tilting my head back, capturing my lips in another earnest kiss. As his tongue traced my bottom lip, seeking entrance, I parted them eagerly, a soft moan escaping me. All thoughts and worries dissolved, leaving only the exquisite sensation of his mouth on mine, his body pressed intimately against me.
Slowly, he broke away, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses along my jaw and down my neck, growling in frustration as he met the collar of my kaftan. With a flick of his wrist, our clothing vanished, and I squeaked in surprise, startled by the sudden chill. Without missing a beat, he continued to kiss down my chest, his lips and tongue leaving a heated trail across my skin.
My hand fisted in his hair as he reached the swell of my breast, his warm breath causing chills to course through me. Slowly, agonizingly, he traced teasing circles around the peak with the tip of his tongue, the sensation almost unbearable. When his mouth finally closed around it and he sucked gently, a gasp tore from my lips, waves of pleasure shooting straight to my core.
“Please,” I whispered, wanting, craving more of him. ”I need you, Rami.”
”Mmm, only because you asked so nicely.” His lips curved into a smile as his hands slid down to grasp my thighs, pulling my legs up around his waist. He paused for a heartbeat, his eyes locking with mine, the passion in his gaze sending shivers down my spine. Just when I thought I would go mad with anticipation, he thrust into me in one fluid motion, claiming me completely.
”Rami!” I arched beneath him, crying out at the wonderfully overwhelming sensation of being utterly filled. He stilled, allowing me a moment to adjust to his size, his lips parting as he gazed down at me.
”You don”t know how badly I”ve been wanting you,” he groaned, his hair briefly obscuring his face as his head fell forward.
”Probably as much as I”ve been craving you,” I gasped out. ”Now, move!”
A deep and unrestrained laugh burst from him, his fingers tightening against my skin as he obliged my command. ”Mmm,” he murmured, tilting his head to the side. His movements were deliberate, his pace completely unhurried as he watched me with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. ”Is this what you wanted?” he asked, his voice low and seductive.
”Yes,” I breathed, my legs tightening around him. ”But faster.”
”Hmm, no. Not yet,” he teased, his grin widening as he slowed his strokes, eventually stopping entirely and making me whimper in frustration. With a calculated motion that bordered on torment, he pulled out, inch by agonizing inch.
”Rami,” I said warningly, the sensation a delicious mix of pleasure and frustration. ”Don”t torture me!” I begged, my body trembling, aching for him to return.
”Patience, hayati,” he laughed, his voice a tempting combination of command and promise. ”I”ll take care of you.” His words sent a tingle across my skin, a moment of suspense hanging between us. Then, with a swift, powerful motion, he surged back inside, drawing a moan from my lips as my back arched in response.
Setting a deliciously deep rhythm, he captured my lips again, his tongue mimicking the movements of his body, each stroke building the tension between us. I responded instinctively, my hips lifting to meet him, my breath coming in ragged gasps as he drove me higher and higher with the promise of release.
”Don”t stop,” I demanded, dragging my nails down his back. He shuddered, a deep growl rumbling in his chest as his hands roamed over my body, caressing and teasing, each touch sparking a heated response within me.
”That”s it,” he murmured encouragingly, his voice a seductive murmur. ”Let go for me, hayati.” His words were soothing and thrilling as he shifted slightly, grasping my left leg and gently lifting it until my heel rested against his shoulder. Pressing a kiss to my inner thigh, he rotated his hips, the change in angle sending a fresh wave of arousal straight through me.
He began to move faster and faster, each thrust reaching deeper, deeper, deeper. His hand glided down my leg, fingers teasing and exploring until he found the sensitive spot that made me cry out in pleasure. My breath hitched as his thumb circled it, the tension coiling tighter, tighter, tighter, until it reached a crescendo, my head falling back as I unraveled beneath him.
”Rami,” I gasped his name again in a hushed tone, clutching his arms and urging him to come nearer. Securing my leg back around his waist, he leaned forward until our lips met in a kiss laden with all the need swirling inside me.
”Mmm, you”re so beautiful,” he praised, gently moving a strand of hair away from my forehead. His hands shifted lower, pressing my thighs wider apart and granting him the leverage to penetrate deeper with every thrust. As my desire swiftly rose once more, I instinctively locked my legs tightly around him. Threading my hand through the back of his hair, I gently bit down on his lower lip, eliciting a growl from him that reverberated through us both.
”You”re not so bad yourself,” I teased with a sultry smirk.
He chuckled, his hand moving to cup my neck as he locked eyes with me. ”You”re stunning, Nahlah,” he repeated.
Though his continuous praise brought a blush to my cheeks, it was he who was entirely glorious above me. Lips swollen from our kisses and hair falling messily into his eyes gave him a wild, untamed look. His broad shoulders and chiseled chest glistened with a light sheen of sweat, muscles flexing rhythmically with each movement. His smooth, bronzed skin highlighted the defined lines of his torso and the powerful strength in his arms. The stubble shadowing his jawline was thicker than usual, adding to his rugged allure, while his quick, shallow breaths hinted at his own struggle to maintain control.
But his eyes... they were dark with desire, emotions swirling within them—want, need, adoration, and fierce protectiveness. He was a vision of masculine beauty, exuding a potent mix of passion and power that held me spellbound, lost in the raw, primal connection between us.
“Rami,” I panted, the storm of sensations overwhelming me. “I need more.”
”Your wish is my command,” he smirked, tangling his fingers in my hair as he thrust into me with renewed vigor. His movements were driven by an intense craving as profound as my own, and as I felt my pleasure reaching its peak again, my eyes fluttered shut. “No,” he growled, his fingers grasping my chin. “Don’t you dare close your eyes.”
Obediently, breathlessly, I kept my gaze fixed on his, my hands roaming his back, feeling the play of muscles under his skin as we climbed higher and higher. A groan vibrated from him, the blissful expression on his face making me eager to watch him lose control, to have him unravel for me.
Becauseof me.
Threading my arms under his, I clutched his shoulders for support, attempting to maneuver us to the side. He huffed out a laugh, and as he immediately rolled onto his back, our positions reversing, I yelped in surprise. Straddling him, I laughed breathlessly, bracing my hands on his chest and moving up and down his hard length, setting a rhythm that matched the urgent beat of our hearts.
His hands gripped my waist, guiding me firmly as I rode him. But after a moment, he scowled impatiently, stilling me as he took control. Keeping me in place, his pace quickened, the new angle coaxing a euphoric whimper from deep within me, my walls clenching around him instinctively.
“Nahlah,” he groaned in response, throwing his head back. Desperate to hear him make that sound again, I tensed my muscles purposefully, pure desire jolting through me as his gaze snapped to mine. The intensity in his light blue eyes was heady and intoxicating, the strain in his voice a melody to my ears as he growled out, ”What are you doing to me?”
I laughed, my hair cascading around us as I leaned forward, my movements becoming more and more frantic. “Rami?”
”Yes, hayati?”
”Let go, habibi,” I whispered, my nails lightly scoring his chest, urging him on. ”Let go, for me.”
”Nahlah.” His response was a deep, throaty groan, the urgency between us becoming rapid and desperate. As his body tensed, signaling that he was as close as I was, I cupped his face and kissed him roughly, our mouths clashing, tongues tangling in a heated exchange.
”Don”t stop,” I whispered against his lips.
”Never,” he rumbled, his fingers tightening at my waist, pulling me closer.
With one final, deep thrust, the tension coiled tightly within us finally snapped, our shared climax crashing over us, intense and all-consuming. He buried his face in my neck, his hot breath mingling with my own gasps, both of us riding the waves of ecstasy together.
”You”re mine,” he whispered hoarsely against my skin, his voice filled with a possessive tenderness.
”And you”re mine,” I replied, my fingers threading through his hair, holding him against me.
Panting and clinging to each other in the aftermath, we lay intertwined, with nothing between us but our heartbeats.