Mills & Boon New Voices: Foreword by Katie Fforde. Ann Lethbridge

harem, she found the same servant from yesterday, who bore another letter with the King’s seal. She reached for it, a thread of apprehension skimming through her.

      Was this it? Was this her dismissal? She half prayed it was. The back of her neck tingled as she ripped it open and read it.

      It was not a dismissal—or at least not an outright one. Zafir simply regretted that he could not have dinner with her, and indicated that she would be served in her room.

      Genie ate dinner alone, then passed the evening with one of the books she’d taken from the library. She thought about going to bed several times, but she wasn’t in the least bit tired, so she stayed up and read on one of the comfortable sofas. She was just about to close the book and go to bed anyway when the door to the harem opened and Zafir strode in.

      A glance at her watch told her it was nearly midnight. She blinked at him in surprise.

      “What are you doing here?”

      He was still dressed in the garments he’d worn earlier. He jerked the headdress off and tossed it aside. “Disappointed to see me?”

      Genie swallowed. “Not at all. But I thought you were angry with me.”

      He shrugged. “I was irritated.”

      “Where have you been all this time?” She winced at how much like a jealous girlfriend she sounded. It wasn’t at all what she’d meant to convey, but if he noticed he didn’t react.

      “I’ve been trying to make a room full of grown men stop acting like spoiled children fighting over a toy sword.”

      “It’s not going well, I take it?”

      He popped two hands on his hips, his dark eyes full of fire and frustration. “It could be better.”

      Genie closed the book and set it on the table. “I can listen if it helps.”

      His gaze slid over her. “Listening is nice, but it is not what I want.”

      Her body felt as if he’d blazed a trail of flame over it.

      “What do you want?”

      His grin was sexy, sinful. “A swim in the mineral bath.”

      “Oh,” she said, sudden disappointment swirling inside her. She shouldn’t want to make love with him again, but she couldn’t stop the desire coursing in her veins like thick syrup. Just as well he didn’t seem affected by it.

      “You may join me, if you wish.” He left her sitting there, her mouth dropping open, as he headed for the spa. Genie debated with herself for a full minute before getting up and following him.

      Zafir stood poolside, stripping out of his garments. Her mouth went dry as layer after layer was peeled away until he stood there bronzed, hard-muscled, and magnificently naked. He wasn’t fully aroused, but he was on his way.

      She should turn and walk away, should prove to herself and to him that she was capable of refusing to be drawn into another doomed relationship with him. Last night had been amazing, a reminder of all she’d missed for so long. Did she really need another when there was no future in it?

      “Coming in?” he asked, before he dove cleanly into the water. He came up like a dolphin, rivulets of water rushing down his chest and arms before he flipped over and started to backstroke across the pool.

      Was she? Could she really turn away and go back to her book when all this glorious male body waited for her? She stood there in indecision, until Zafir cupped his hands and splattered her with water from halfway across the pool.

      Genie began to unbutton her shirt. “You’re going to pay for that,” she said.

      Zafir swam toward her, his eyes glittering with heat and desire. “I look forward to it.”

      She stripped, and would have glided into the pool quietly had he not shot up and grabbed her. He threw her over his head and she went under.

      When she came up, sputtering, he was laughing. “A little slow, aren’t you?”

      Genie dove under and went for his feet. She jerked them out from under him and he splashed down while she powered away to the other side of the pool. But before she made it strong arms encircled her and hauled her back against his body.

      The length of his erection pressed against her buttocks. Her insides liquefied.

      “You give as good as you get, don’t you, habiba?” he growled in her ear. But it was a sensual growl, not an angry one.

      “I try,” she replied, her pulse zipping into light speed. My God, it took nothing at all for this desire to spiral out of control. She should have known it would.

      “Mmm, and I can think of so many ways to test your ability to get even with me.” He turned her in his arms, his slick skin hot against hers. Part of it was the natural heat of the spring, and part was the desire between them.

      Genie wrapped her arms and legs around him, feeling suddenly reckless and full of joy.

      “You are welcome to try, King Zafir. I relish the opportunity.”

      “Do you indeed?”

      In answer, she kissed him, urgently tangling her tongue with his. Zafir responded as she’d hoped, groaning and squeezing her to him. His hands wandered, his fingers sliding around her bottom, down to the vee of her legs. He stroked her center lightly and she rocked against him, trying to make him go faster.

      He only laughed low in his throat, however. Genie reached for him, wrapped her hand around his hard length and squeezed. His laugh turned to a moan.

      She broke the kiss, trailed her tongue down his throat, his chest—and then she sank beneath the water and took him in her mouth. His thigh muscles tightened and she could feel the sharp intake of his breath where one of her hands rested against his abdomen.

      The other stroked him while she swirled her tongue around his length. Soon, however, he grabbed her and hauled her up.

      “I could have held my breath for another minute,” she grumbled.

      “But I’m not sure I could have held mine,” he said. “I declare you the winner of this round, because I am now unwilling to wait.”

      He took her by the waist and lifted her from the pool. Then he leapt out beside her and hauled her over to one of the cushioned divans that lined the sides of the chamber. “This is much more comfortable,” he murmured, following her down.

      There were no preliminaries. There was no need. Genie wrapped her legs around him as he sank into her. Her head tilted back, her eyes closing tight as the bliss of his possession threatened to overwhelm her. “Zafir,” she gasped.

      His lips were on her throat, her jaw, her breasts.

      “I cannot get enough of you, Genie,” he said, almost brokenly. “The more I have, the more I want.”

      And then he was thrusting into her, hard and fast, hurtling her toward the abyss. She welcomed it, wanted it, craved it—

      Suddenly she was there, crying out his name and wondering how it was possible to feel this way with only one person in the whole world. To feel as if you needed this to live, as if you would die if you didn’t have it.

      It was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. She was in love with a man she could never have. Even if she gave up everything and moved to Bah’shar to be with him she would only have stolen moments of bliss like this one.

      And that wasn’t nearly enough.

      Chapter Eight

      ZAFIR’S brain had dissolved along with his sense. He rolled from her body, belatedly remembering as he came back to earth that he’d forgotten to use a condom. Icy cold fear dripped down his spine in spite of the heat in the room. How could he be so stupid?

      How could he risk such a thing?