When he finally pulled away, she smiled up at him, her face beaming with her excitement but she stepped back and hurried down the dirt path in the direction of the village. She didn’t want to go, but knew she had to hurry before Laura woke up. Sidra rushed through the wet fields, hurrying towards the bakery for coffee and muffins. She was out of breath when she reached Laura’s flat but her friend had overslept. Thankfully.
She placed the bag and coffee cups on the breakfast bar, then settled down with her cup of coffee, savoring the memories of her secret morning with Rashid, her body still singing from the memory of how incredible it had felt to be in his arms to experience that kind of excitement.
“Why are you blushing?” Laura asked, her mouth hanging open and her robe only partially closed as she stood in her bedroom doorway, looking at Sidra as if she’d grown a second head.
Sidra jumped and turned guiltily to her friend. Her mind worked quickly and thought up an excuse. “Oh, I was just thinking about that book I told you I was reading,” she said and was relieved when Laura smiled and tightened the robe of her belt.
Laura laughed and shook her head as she picked up the cup of still hot coffee, slipping the lid off carefully. “You’re going to have to give me the name of that book. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything that would put that kind of expression on my face.”
Sidra was relieved that her friend accepted her explanation, not feeling guilty at all for lying to her. Laura was like a pit bull when she thought something was going on and Sidra wasn’t ready to talk about Rashid just yet. It was silly, but she had a feeling that telling Laura anything would make the feelings she had for Rashid go away and she loved this special feeling. Or maybe, Sidra knew that this was just a special moment in time and when she had to leave, she wanted these precious memories all to herself. Telling Laura might make them dirty, sully them in some way. Her feelings and actions were too wonderful to be wrong, so silence was the best option.
Within an hour, the two of them were off on another spree around London. This time they hit all of the decorating sites, enjoying an afternoon of shopping and Sidra found several unique pieces that she had shipped back to the States for future projects. They laughed and lunched at a cute café, but when Laura received a message from one of her clients just before dinner time, their fun was at an end.
“Sidra, I’m so sorry but I’ve got to get over to this house and help this client. Apparently, something is wrong with her light fixtures and she’s just furious about whatever it is.”
“No problem,” Sidra replied. “Go and get things fixed. I know how demanding some clients can be.” Secretly, she had a plan and didn’t want Laura tagging along so this was the perfect opportunity.
As soon as Laura left, Sidra locked up her friend’s apartment and headed for the drug store in the village. She was painfully embarrassed but she persevered, making her purchase and then getting back to her friend’s flat with a bag full of groceries. She had a pile of cheesy pasta, garlic bread and a bottle of red wine all set up as soon as Laura walked wearily into the flat.
Over dinner, they shared stories about various clients, laughing about some of their requests as they devoured the pasta and finished the bottle of wine. With all the carbs in their systems, they were exhausted as they watched a movie that night. The romantic comedy was just what Sidra needed!
Chapter 4
Sidra nervously tucked several of the various sized packets into her back pocket and carried one of Laura’s older blankets under her arm as she hurried out of the flat the following morning just as dawn was creeping into the village. She reached the rock earlier than normal and paced back and forth as the sky slowly lightened over the horizon. Would Rashid be able to get away again? And would she be able to follow through on what she wanted to do? She was so nervous, she didn’t hear Rashid as he and his horse walked through the underbrush until he grabbed her around her waist and lifted her into his arms.
She gasped and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him closely, kissing him desperately.
When he pulled away, he looked down at her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, feeling the nervousness in her body and not letting her get away with trying to hide it.
Sidra ran her hands up and down his chest, feeling his muscles and the incredible strength of him under her fingers. “I…um….went to the drugstore yesterday,” she said softly, unable to look him in the eyes. She stared instead at the middle of his chest, swallowing painfully and she knew that her face was filled with color.
Rashid stilled, wondering if she was saying what he hoped she was saying. “And?” he prompted when she stopped.
Sidra took a deep breath and reached into the back pocket of her jeans, pulling out several condoms of various sizes. “I was hoping…well, maybe…”
She stopped and was embarrassed by her assumptions. He was silent in front of her and she was now worried that she’d offended him in some way.
When she finally found the courage to look up at him, she gasped at the heat in his eyes. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, his hands flexing against her waist.
Slowly, with absolute conviction, she nodded her head. “Yes. Absolutely sure.”
He pulled her into his arms and bent his head. “You won’t regret this Sidra,” he said with a low, husky voice.
Sidra already knew that. “I’d only regret it if we didn’t do this,” she said a moment before his mouth covered hers. She was ravenous this time, unable to keep her hands off of him. She wanted him more than she’d ever thought possible. When he touched her, she lit up with the heat of his touch and before she knew what was happening, her sweater was tossed over her head. His mouth moved to her neck, his teeth biting and teasing, sucking against her inflamed skin, she gasped and moved against him, inflaming him to the same level.
“I brought a blanket,” she gasped and stepped out of his arms to quickly spread the wool blanket out over the wet grass.
As soon as the blanket was laid out, Rashid pulled her back into his arms, then swung her up, dropping to his knees and laying her down onto the center of the blanket. As he looked down at her, he pulled her sweater over head, looking down at her breasts encased in the light blue, lace bra. “You’re gorgeous,” he groaned and dipped his head to nuzzle her breast through the material.
Sidra sighed happily and her fingers found their way into his hair, her body moving underneath his impatiently. She couldn’t wait to experience the bliss she’d found yesterday but when his warm mouth closed over her nipple, she realized that she had so much more to experience.