The Prince and the Working Woman (Desert Prince Book 1) (8 page)

A satisfied grin crossed his face. “I am surprised.”

“That I can cook?”

“No, that you made me a steak.”

“I may not eat it any longer, but I grew up in cow country. We knew how to cook a rib eye when we were tall enough to see above the grill.”

“You still should have let me pay for the food.”

Mandy left the lemonade on the coffee table and then stopped in front of the chair. “I used you all day, dragging you all over the city. It’s the least I could do.”

“I don’t feel used. But feel free to use me now.” He raised his shoulders in an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, bad timing, right?”

From a small metal tin she popped two peppermints in her mouth. She cupped her hand over the heel of his leather loafer and pulled it off.  The other followed.

He tried to push up from the chair, but she held his ankle to keep him in place.

“I thought you were…”

“You don’t get to think, Hamid. This is my show.” Although she was not a big fan of going down on a man, she loved the power of being in control of her partner.

“Are you going to have your way with me?”

“You said I could use you. Are you taking it back?”

“No way.”

“I thought not.” She stepped on the leg rest and forced the seatback in the upright position.  Pulling a pillow from the sofa, she dropped it on the floor in front of the chair before kneeling in front of him.

Something about a hard body in a pair of jeans sent her pulse racing. The way the fabric molded muscular thighs.  Or the way the large bulge strained against the zipper. Kneading the denim encased flesh brought a rumble from his throat. This was going to be fun.

* * * *

Hamid inhaled in a deep breath. The air had been sucked from the room.   Sweet torture. If she continued to stroke him like that he’d come before he got out of his clothes. He reached for her, but she ducked his hand.

“No.”

“Why?”

She waved her finger in his face. “Are you in a hurry?”

“No.”

“Then wait for the mints to kick in.”

He shook his head in confusion. “What?”

“Something I read on the internet. I’m trying a little experiment.” Mandy placed a hand on his chest and eased him back into the recliner. She unbuttoned his jeans. “Lift your butt for a second."

He thanked God for the choice of Levis over Amani as she yanked them off his hips and down to the floor along with the boxers.

“Lights on or off,” she asked.

“I prefer to watch.”

“Okay, but that’s the only concession I will make. You are not allowed to participate.”

Before he had the chance to argue, she went down on him.  Her hot and wet mouth surrounded his hard shaft. She moved her mouth down to the base and then pull up, letting the tip of her tongue curl to run along the underside of his dick.  A spark in her eye reflected her unabashed pleasure.  Not many women really enjoyed being on the giving end of oral sex.

He sure loved the receiving end of her sexual experimentation.  Her hands moved from her shaft to his balls, kneading them with the perfect amount of pressure to stimulate but not hurt his precious jewels.  Then she lightly sucked and kissed the pulsating head. The cool mentholated sensation added to the pleasure. 

Just when he thought he’d lose it all, she stopped. 

“What the hell.” He reached for her head.

She sat back on her heels. “No hands.”

“You’re killing me.”

“Deal with it.”

Her grin spread across her face for a split second before she returned to her amazing torture. She twirled her tongue all around the now throbbing dick, from the head to base, then taking him deep in her mouth.

A groan emanated from his chest.  The hot saliva and cool mint on his skin took him right back to the edge. Unbelievable! She really knew how to give pleasure. He wondered how she …

No. Her past, like his, had nothing to do with the present.

She took his balls in her left hand and began tickling them and then letting them fall. He managed a few pained grunts as he lost the will or the ability to hold back. She knew what was coming, so to speak, but she didn’t pull back.  Her fingers tightened around the base and she ran her tongue across the tip.

As he came she lightly sucked the head bobbing up and down and taking him deeper inside. He climaxed in an explosion of pulsating thrusts. Shudders raced along his spine. Aftershocks followed for several breathless moments.

Mandy swallowed and followed it up with a gulp of lemonade. She raised her glass in a toast and followed up with another long sip. She shook as if she’d felt a chill. “That was surprising.”

“I’ll say.”

“I was never a big fan of that.”

He stroked her cheek. “You’d never know it.” She was in all the way.

“You can thank Google. I picked up a few tips that obviously work.”

He let out a rich chuckle. Which amused him more? That she researched blow jobs on the internet or that she admitted it. Although oral sex provided ultimate pleasure he never considered it a particularly intimate act but something that came with a per hour price tag. And only indulged in abroad.   He had a new perspective on the intimacy involved. He hated to be cliché, but that had blown his mind as well as his body. Her willingness to experiment, and her lack of inhibitions made her a phenomenal partner. She inflicted an exquisite torture and actually seemed to get off on every second of his enjoyment.

Who would have though a breath mint would add such intensity to an already stimulating sex act? The cool effects still lingered. He needed to find her informative internet site.

For a man who swore he’d never fall victim to a woman’s charms, he was slowing losing his long held convictions.  Although sated, he wanted nothing more than to be inside her, beneath her, on top of her and taking pleasure in all of her sexy body.

Too bad Mandy didn’t feel the same. Admittedly, she hadn’t shared in the rush of orgasm  like him. Still the fact that she struggled to pull his pants back into place took his high down a notch or two.

“What’s the hurry?”

She pulled him to his feet. Her trembling fingers fumbled with the zipper.  “It’s getting late.”

“I don’t have a curfew.”  He reached for her several times but she twisted out of his grasp. He lost the playful tug-o-war for her body.

She shook her head and pulled him toward the front door. “You are not going to be spending nights with the press parked outside. You are famous. Your face is on the currency.”

“It is not.”

“Okay that was an exaggeration but you are well known and I choose not to be.”

He understood her reservations. Women would barrel over each other to get themselves photographed with a member of the family. He didn’t like it but it was part of his life. How ironic that the woman he would proudly be seen with, didn’t want to be seem with him.  “When you move to the sixth floor…”

She paused, gave a moment’s thought and sighed. “We’ll discuss it then. In the meantime, you are going home tonight.” She opened the door.

He traced his finger along her jaw. “I will be back early tomorrow.”

“Do we have something to do in the morning?”

“You will be meeting your driver, and then we need to go to the bank for your credit card.”

Her chin jutted out stubbornly. “I already have one.”

Freaking Ms. Independence had to question everything when it came to money. “A corporate card to purchase for the center. Items like a cell phone, a digital camera, a computer and anything else you need to get started.”

“Oh.”

“Oh,” he mimicked. “Allah forbid you accept anything that isn’t in your contract.” He kissed her pouting lips. The lingering taste of Altoids brought a grin and a shot to the groin.  “After the bank I will be leaving for a few days.”

Was that a look of disappointment that crossed her beautiful face? If he asked, she’d probably deny it.  He stalled, waiting for her to back down and tell him to stay.

“Good night,” she said.

He stepped into the hall, still hoping. She waited until the elevator arrived before waving and closing the door. Not tonight!

Chapter Seven

Early Thursday morning Mandy walked among the ruins of an ancient temple. She began her exploration very early to avoid the heat of the midday sun. Touzar had a lot to offer an amateur archaeologist or history buff. Although their historical monuments rivaled the sites of their neighbors in this cradle of civilization they had not drawn the tourist trade of Egypt or Israel. Yet.

She had spent the past few days sightseeing and getting paid for this honor. From the old quarter of the city that dated back to the silk roads, to the spice markets where she wandered for an hour among the fragrant aromas she had the most wonderful time exploring the country.

Her driver was a quiet family man who displayed a picture of his five children in the visor of the Fiat. Small cars were the norm, which made parking only slightly inconvenient rather than impossible. He knew every back road through the crowed city. Oil brought wealth to the citizens but the country’s infrastructure was still trying to catch up. Construction in every corner of the capital slowed traffic to a crawl but twenty years from now their landscape would probably look very different.

She had not heard from Hamid since he left her at the bank on Monday. She sent him her number when she purchased her new cell phone but all she received was a texted ‘OK’. Was he upset that she hadn’t let him stay Sunday night? She felt guilty at first. Seeing today’s Gulf Times, where one of the younger princes had prominently hit the center pages stumbling out of a hotel night club with a scantily clad woman draped around his neck, convinced her she made the right choice.

She returned to the car. The ping of her phone brought a smile and a rapid beat of her heart. She looked at the screen. Not Hamid but just as thrilling.

YOUR THINGS HAVE ARRIVED.

Mona had returned from Thailand via Boston. What a relief. Mandy had been wearing the same clothes for the past two weeks. Thank goodness for the washer/dryer. In the arid climate, dust covered everything including her clothes, her hair and had even worked its way into crevices she never exposed to the public.

She had the driver bring her home and dismissed him. The Friday /Saturday weekend took some getting used to. A half hour later, ten boxes and her friend arrived.  The women hugged. Mandy, normally a happy loner, missed her roommates. Eventually she would adjust to life abroad but she would empathize with her future clientele.

"How was Thailand?" Mandy asked

"It was magnificent.”

“Coffee?”

“Please."

She led Mona to the kitchen and poured two cups of French roast. “So… Tell me about it.”

“Why don’t you tell me about this apartment you found first?"

Mandy kicked off her shoes and folded her legs underneath her as she sat on a cushioned chair at the island. "It is the same as this one but four floors down. I haven't seen it yet. They are painting before I move in."

"The same building?" Mona asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"And you are alright with that?"

Was the princess worried about her? Her concerns were unwarranted.  "I asked the boab if there was an apartment here. Hamid did not suggest anything except that I would probably be comfortable in this neighborhood."

"Have you been seeing a lot of him?"

Was this more curious matchmaking or did she detect a warning? "I arrived on Saturday. I spent Sunday looking for properties. He's been gone since Monday."

Mona dunked a biscuit in her coffee and took a bite. "You like him!"

She shook her head as if the idea was inconceivable. "We are complete opposites."

"That is not what I asked."

"As a boss he's great.” Mandy added more cream to her cup. Stirring stopped her from fidgeting under her friend’s curious scrutiny. “He let me do all the talking and let me make the final decision. Outside of work he is spoiled rotten and always thinks he's right."

“And still not the question. Come on Mandy you never had a problem being direct."

"You want the truth?” She sat upright in the chair and inhaled a deep breath. “I like his body.  I like the way he touches me. And I really like the way he…"

Mona covered her heated cheeks. "Okay. Too much information.’"

"You asked."

She cleared her throat. "I did. A simple yes would have sufficed.”

There was nothing simple about Mandy’s feeling for him. He was a prince. He was her boss. Two reasons alone to keep her distance. Given her past with her late husband and men in general, she should stick to her vibrator and erotic novels for her satisfaction.

“Since you are free tonight would you like to come with me? I promised to make dinner for my father-in-law. You can teach me how to make those bloomy onion things. I hear they’re his favorite."