Desert Sands. Barbara Jeffs

to stay where she was. An embarrassed heat flowed into her cheeks and she buried her face in his chest. When she heard his bland words she began to giggle. She knew Kalim was laughing also she could feel it rumbling in his chest.

      This time when the door slid open at the correct floor Kalim curled his fingers around her arm and escorted her along the carpeted corridor.

      Shannon came to a sudden halt all the hairs on the back of her neck standing on edge when she recognized her surroundings and all the blood drained from her face as she asked, “Are you in the same suite?”

      “Of course.” His sardonic tone set her teeth on edge. “Where else would I stay when that room holds such lovely memories of you.” His fingers softly caressed her cheek and his voice deepened to a sensual murmur. “When I go to bed at night I see your naked body warm and begging for my loving. Every time I shower I recall your hands running over my body hot and soapy. He paused and when he continued his voice was thick with passion. “Remember how we washed the soap off each of our bodies?”

      “No,” she denied, but she did. Fire licked along her veins until it consumed her totally and her mind replayed images of their lovemaking so vividly she could almost feel his hands caressing her wet body.

      “Liar.” He drawled. “Your body betrays you.” His hands cupped her face and his thumbs stroked softly across her lips, and when she reacted to his touch he added cynically, “I believe that proves my point.”

      At that moment Shannon did not know who she hated the most Kalim or herself. Try as she might she could not stop herself from responding to his touch and she groaned with despair.

      He opened the door and stepped back to allow her to precede him into the sitting room then closed the door.

      “Go and have a shower while I find you something to wear.” His drawl was mocking. “I would suggest we shower together but I doubt you would agree.”

      Her eyes widened in amazement. “I’m not having a shower,” she stated firmly. “With or without you.”

      “Oh for God’s sake act your age and don’t be so damn stupid.” His hand flicked out in an impatient gesture. “We are both wet and cold. It makes sense to get changed and dry before we catch pneumonia.”

      Reluctantly, she agreed. “All right but I shower alone.” When she noticed his cynical smile she wanted to hit him.

      He turned on his heel and went striding angrily into the bedroom. A few moments later he returned and handed her a terry cloth robe with the hotel’s emblem emblazoned on its pocket.

      “Here.” He held the robe out to her. “I’ll order coffee while you are bathing. Do you want anything else?”

      “No thank you.”

      She took the robe from his outstretched hand and hurried into the bedroom and across to the adjoining bathroom, relieved to see that there was a solid lock on the door.

      The warm water stung her chilled flesh as she stood under the hissing spray and she gasped in pain. It had been a mistake to come here, she realized that now. Kalim was different. He had changed from the warm, loving companion that she remembered into a cold cynical forbidding stranger. She had never seen him like this, angry, hurt, bitter and she suspected that she was to blame.

      When she entered the sitting room fifteen minutes later Kalim rose to his feet with the lithe grace she remembered so well.

      “I used your comb.” She ran her hand over her damp hair. “I hope you don’t mind.”

      His eyes followed the movement of her hand and she quickly dropped it back to her side.

      “Of course I don’t mind.” His voice throbbed with exasperation. “You know you are welcome to use anything you like.” He gestured to the tray on the occasional table near the sofa. “Drink your coffee while I shower and change, and then we will talk.” He turned on his heel and walked into the bedroom.

      Shannon glanced at the tray and nostalgia tugged at her heart when she noticed the cream. Kalim drank his coffee black but he had obviously remembered that she preferred cream in her drink.

      With a sigh she sank onto the sofa and curled her legs beneath her then leaned her head back against the soft velvet cushions lost in her memories. Memories of six months ago. Memories of the first time she had been in this suite.

      It had been raining that day as well. The rain had been responsible for their meeting. The day she met Kalim she had been hurrying along the footpath with her head bent in a vain attempt to protect her face from the biting cold rain and she had literally walked into him.

      She had not noticed him getting out of the car and their bodies collided rather forcefully. He had been knocked backward into the car and she had been knocked unconscious when her head had hit the corner of the front car door.

      “Shannon.” Kalim snapped his fingers together under her nose and she jumped in surprise as she was brought abruptly back to the present. “Where were you? You looked so far away.”

      For a moment she closed her eyes and concentrated fiercely on clearing her mind of her memories. Obviously she had been so lost in her thoughts she had not heard him enter the room and speak to her.

      ”I was thinking of the day we met and how I knocked myself out cold.”

      Her senses deserted her completely as he sank onto the sofa beside her his thigh pressing against her trembling leg.

      “You looked so tiny lying on the cold concrete in the rain.” He ran his hand up the inside of her arm under the wide sleeve of the robe. “I was so afraid you may have damaged yourself.”

      Shannon laughed. “Well I did have a terrible headache for a few hours.” Her gaze drifted slowly over his large frame. He had changed into a blue T shirt and an old faded pair of jeans and it made her smile. “I see you still cling to those old jeans.”

      He glanced down at his legs. “They are comfortable.”

      “You’re incorrigible.” She waved her hand in the air in a dismissing gesture. “You could buy truckloads of new jeans but you refuse to buy even one pair and throw those tattered rags away.”

      Soft warm lips pressed lightly against the side of her throat.

      “If they offend you so badly you could always help me change into another pair.”

      The thought of her hands touching his body sent a burning wave of desire sweeping through her like a flood and an aching knot twisted her stomach into a tight ball.

      She leaned toward him and groaned in torment when she felt his arousal throbbing against her thigh. One part of her mind told her that this was wrong but another part never wanted it to end.

      “This is wrong.”

      “This is the only thing that is right.” His hand slid inside her robe and cupped her breast in his palm. “I ache to touch you.”

      Half forgotten fires sprang into life as his hand stroked and caressed her quivering flesh. His thumb flicked over her nipple until it hardened into a firm point. Her fingers curled into his hair like talons and she threw her head back as his hot mouth replaced his fingers on her breast.

      The feel of his mouth gently sucking on her nipple sent her senses spinning out of control and any modicum of rational thought was totally beyond her at that stage. A burning white heat raced through her veins until it exploded in a burst of sensation in every nerve ending.

      With a sudden movement he pushed her backward on to the velvet cushions and parted her robe with his hands and her lips with his mouth. His body moved over her and he began rubbing his hips in a circular motion against her thighs. Her legs parted and his mouth hardened with passion.

      Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as her whole body began to tremble. She moaned low in her throat as she lifted her hips and thrust them against his arousal that was straining the denim to bursting point.

      “Shannon