return his gaze to her face when she tossed him a glance over her shoulder. “No, mustard is fine,” he answered, briefly considering pinning her against the counter and taking her from behind. He could just imagine pumping into her while pressed solidly against her backside.
He took another sip of his herbal tea. Usually the sweet brew calmed him. But not today and certainly not now.
“Be prepared to enjoy my sandwich,” she was saying. “Mybrothers think they’re the bomb and would give anything for me to make them one. They have my special touch.”
He nodded. He could believe that and suddenly felt envious of a slice of bread and wished he could trade places with it. He would love to have her hands on him, spreading whatever she wanted over his body, preferably kisses. She wouldn’t even have to toast him since her touch would burn him to a crisp, anyway.
She glanced over his shoulder and smiled again. “You’re quiet today. Are you okay?”
He was tempted to tell her that no, he wasn’t okay, and if he were to stand up she would immediately see why he wasn’t. But instead he said, “Yes, I’m fine.”
Satisfied with his response, she turned back around to continue making their sandwiches. He leaned back in his chair. He watched her pat her foot on the hardwood floor while she worked. She was also humming. He wondered what had her in such a good mood. Unlike him, she must be sleeping at night and not experiencing sexual torment.
“Did you finish your book?” he decided to ask. She had been reading it all morning. The only time he noticed her not reading was when she’d fallen asleep on the hammock.
“Oh, yes, and it was wonderful,” she said, reaching up in the cabinets to get two plates. “And of course there was a happy ending.”
He lifted his brow. So she had been reading one of those kinds . “A happy ending?”
She nodded, turning around. “Yes. Marcus realized just how much Jamie meant to him and told her that he loved her before it was too late.”
Jamal nodded. “He loved this woman?”
Delaney smiled dreamily. “Yes, he loved her.”
Jamal frowned. “Then what you read was pure fantasy. Why waste your time reading such nonsense and foolishness?”
Delaney’s smile was replaced with a fierce frown. “Nonsense? Foolishness?”
“Yes, nonsense and foolishness. Men don’t love women that way.”
Delaney braced herself against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. Her legs, Jamal noted, were spread apart. Seeing her stand that way almost made him forget what they were discussing. Instead his gaze moved to the junction of those legs and wondered how it would feel fitting his hard body there.
“And just how do men love women?”
Jamal’s gaze left her midsection and moved up to her face. She was still frowning. Evidently she was no longer in such a good mood. “Usually they don’t. At least not in my country.”
Delaney lifted a brow. “People do get married in your country, don’t they?”
“Of course.”
“Then why would a man and a woman marry if not for love?”
Jamal stared at her, suddenly feeling disoriented. She had a way of making him feel like that whenever he locked on her dark brown eyes and lush lips. “They would marry for a number of reasons. Mainly for benefits,” he responded, not taking his gaze off her eyes and lips. Especially her lips.
“Benefits?”
He nodded. “Yes. If it’s a good union, the man brings to the table some kind of wealth and the woman brings strong family ties, allegiances and the ability to give him an heir. Those things are needed if a sheikhdom is to grow and prosper.”
Delaney stared into his eyes, amazed at what he had just said. “So the marriages in your country are like business arrangements?”
He smiled. “Basically, yes. That’s why the most successful ones are arranged at least thirty years in advance.”
“Thirty years in advance!” she exclaimed, shaking her head in
He took another sip of his herbal tea. Usually the sweet brew calmed him. But not today and certainly not now.
“Be prepared to enjoy my sandwich,” she was saying. “Mybrothers think they’re the bomb and would give anything for me to make them one. They have my special touch.”
He nodded. He could believe that and suddenly felt envious of a slice of bread and wished he could trade places with it. He would love to have her hands on him, spreading whatever she wanted over his body, preferably kisses. She wouldn’t even have to toast him since her touch would burn him to a crisp, anyway.
She glanced over his shoulder and smiled again. “You’re quiet today. Are you okay?”
He was tempted to tell her that no, he wasn’t okay, and if he were to stand up she would immediately see why he wasn’t. But instead he said, “Yes, I’m fine.”
Satisfied with his response, she turned back around to continue making their sandwiches. He leaned back in his chair. He watched her pat her foot on the hardwood floor while she worked. She was also humming. He wondered what had her in such a good mood. Unlike him, she must be sleeping at night and not experiencing sexual torment.
“Did you finish your book?” he decided to ask. She had been reading it all morning. The only time he noticed her not reading was when she’d fallen asleep on the hammock.
“Oh, yes, and it was wonderful,” she said, reaching up in the cabinets to get two plates. “And of course there was a happy ending.”
He lifted his brow. So she had been reading one of those kinds . “A happy ending?”
She nodded, turning around. “Yes. Marcus realized just how much Jamie meant to him and told her that he loved her before it was too late.”
Jamal nodded. “He loved this woman?”
Delaney smiled dreamily. “Yes, he loved her.”
Jamal frowned. “Then what you read was pure fantasy. Why waste your time reading such nonsense and foolishness?”
Delaney’s smile was replaced with a fierce frown. “Nonsense? Foolishness?”
“Yes, nonsense and foolishness. Men don’t love women that way.”
Delaney braced herself against the counter and folded her arms across her chest. Her legs, Jamal noted, were spread apart. Seeing her stand that way almost made him forget what they were discussing. Instead his gaze moved to the junction of those legs and wondered how it would feel fitting his hard body there.
“And just how do men love women?”
Jamal’s gaze left her midsection and moved up to her face. She was still frowning. Evidently she was no longer in such a good mood. “Usually they don’t. At least not in my country.”
Delaney lifted a brow. “People do get married in your country, don’t they?”
“Of course.”
“Then why would a man and a woman marry if not for love?”
Jamal stared at her, suddenly feeling disoriented. She had a way of making him feel like that whenever he locked on her dark brown eyes and lush lips. “They would marry for a number of reasons. Mainly for benefits,” he responded, not taking his gaze off her eyes and lips. Especially her lips.
“Benefits?”
He nodded. “Yes. If it’s a good union, the man brings to the table some kind of wealth and the woman brings strong family ties, allegiances and the ability to give him an heir. Those things are needed if a sheikhdom is to grow and prosper.”
Delaney stared into his eyes, amazed at what he had just said. “So the marriages in your country are like business arrangements?”
He smiled. “Basically, yes. That’s why the most successful ones are arranged at least thirty years in advance.”
“Thirty years in advance!” she exclaimed, shaking her head in
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