Her Desert Knight by Jennifer Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

masculine scent. Any minute now she’d feel the roughness of his skin....
    His lips met hers in a rush, like the eagle falling on its prey. Far from diving for cover, her mouth rose to his and melded with it. Sensation crashed over her. She was dimly aware of their natural surroundings—the wind in the trees, animals scurrying nearby—and of his hands resting warmly at her waist, but her whole being focused on the kiss and the powerful and intense effect it created in her body. Heat flooded her core, spreading out to her limbs, squeezing the breath from her lungs as she gave herself over to the sensation. She’d never experienced a kiss like this. Chemistry, was it? Or was it that she’d never kissed a man as gorgeous and dashing as Quasar. Either way the effect was overwhelming.
    She had no idea how long they kissed, but when they finally pulled apart and she opened her eyes, she found herself blinking against now-unaccustomed daylight. “Oh, dear.” The words spilled out. The intense sensations pouring through her had sparked her to life in a way that seemed dangerously familiar. She hadn’t felt this way since the early days of her marriage, when she was so sure that love could solve any problem, if she could just find a way.
    She’d been wrong.
    Quasar gave an amused frown. “‘Oh, dear?’ That’s not the effect I intended.”
    She sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to fan herself. “It’s just that I haven’t...I’m not used to...I didn’t think...” She didn’t know what she was trying to say. Had she really come here to watch the birds? She was old enough to know better than to accompany a gorgeous man into the wilderness if she couldn’t keep her wits about her.
    Her heart fluttered in her chest, the emotions that she thought she’d abandoned back in the States scaring her. Her conviction that from now on she’d live a sensible life, free of passion and drama, had all but deserted her. Right now she wanted nothing more than to kiss Quasar again.
    Which was a terrible idea. He was only here for a couple of weeks, tops. He’d made no further mention of introducing her to his family. For him this was just a diverting vacation fling. If she could enter into this with that spirit it would be fine, but she couldn’t. “We should go.”
    * * *
    Quasar felt his smile fade. Just moments ago Dani had been one with him, lost in a delicious and enthralling kiss. Now she shrank from him, her muscles stiffening. “I didn’t mean to alarm you. That was a sensational kiss but I’ll behave myself from now on if you prefer.”
    The countryside hummed with life that echoed in his body. A soft breeze tossed Dani’s hair and arousal kissed her cheeks with pink. The secluded natural setting, high up above the world, was the perfect place for a little impromptu lovemaking.
    But something told him that wasn’t going to happen.
    Dani’s lips had tightened into a white line. “I need to get home.”
    What had changed? She’d warmed to the kiss instantly, and enjoyed it as much as he. She was giving back as much as he gave the entire time. They’d kissed for a full three or four minutes! Part of him wanted to seize her in his arms and kiss her again, so they could jump right back into that world of passion.
    But he could tell that would be a terrible idea. “What’s the matter?”
    She shook her head, blinked. She inhaled as if to speak, then didn’t.
    “Is it that we don’t know each other well enough?”
    “Yes.” She spoke fast, obviously glad of a way to respond. “But it’s not just that.”
    “We can get to know each other slowly.” He took her hand and squeezed it. It felt cold, and tightened in his grasp.
    “We can’t. You’re leaving soon.”
    “Not that soon.” He’d be here for at least two weeks. On the other hand, maybe that was no time at all to her. He wasn’t too sure of Omani dating customs. It was probably customary for them to glance at each other across the stalls of a