My heart swelled in my chest until I thought it would burst.

Emotion clogged my throat as I stared up at him, my gaze memorizing every inch of his face. He opened his mouth to speak, and I darted forward, kissing him, daring to take control. Only the lack of air forced me to pull back, and we both breathed hard for a moment.

His eyes sparked with fervor and the want in his eyes sent a bolt of heat straight through me. With unmistakable clarity, his fingers grasped hold of the straps that held my nightie in place. My belly tightened painfully as he pulled with infinite slowness, slipping one of them off my shoulders. It slithered down my arm and the silky bodice slipped a fraction. A wave of heat washed down my limbs. He smiled, his fingers grazing my collarbones and moving to the other strap, pulling it downward, his lips pressing against my throat as the nightie pooled at my waist. His hands moved over me, cupping and rubbing my breasts, his fingers driving me insane. I stepped back, my cheeks heated and he growled. Laughing lightly, I stepped out of my silk nightgown, kicking it across the floor and pressed my self against him, my gaze entranced by his. He licked his lips, his eyes staring into mine with a sense of wonder and a hint of disbelief. Like he couldn't believe I existed.

I arched up, and this time the kiss was a caress, a mutual exploration, a promise. His lips and embrace were cool, but all I felt was a wealth of warmth. An intense, pulsing ache between my legs twisted my insides. Hips shifting, I pressed my thighs together, but that didn't help. The pressure only made it worse.

Till my hair got caught in his armor.

Shrieking, I let go of his hands to try to get my hair loose. Ali smiled at my efforts, bringing his arms around me, and laughing as I struggled with my hair. "My love." He grinned and started to work my hair-free. "Laila, darling, let me."

He carefully caught up my rescued hair and held it away from the evil mail links as I helped him remove the heavy chain suit and the padding underneath. Finally, he only stood there in his black leather pants, his glorious chest brushing mine, the hard muscles a marked contrast to my softer skin. I pouted and he glanced down, his eyes amused.

I huffed and whispered in his ear. "I need you, now."

The change that sentence elicited was a study in itself. Ali studied me with an expression that was almost fierce, his eyes drilling into mine. I met his gaze head-on, unafraid, and rose onto the tips of my toes. He met me halfway, sweeping his lips over mine, backing us into the steamy pool, the water rippling from our bodies as we waded in, not breaking our kiss. I was on his lap—oh my God— his lips cool against my neck and the warring heat and coldness tightened me everywhere.

"Are you sure Laila?" he growled near my ear, his breath warm on my neck before his lips brushed the sensitive area.  His touch on my body affected me in a way I had never experienced before. He rocked against me and slid his hand over my waist to my hip, kneading, caressing until every inch of my skin, every nerve ending, was tingling and alive.

"We've done this before," I murmured my pleasure as he pulled me farther onto his lap to straddle him.

"It won't be the same," he was right. It wouldn't be. There was no going back from this. He pulled back, his eyes a swirling mess of gold and I ran my fingers along his smooth jawline, his hands settling low on my back.

"No, it won't be," and I brought my mouth to his. His mouth molded into mine as he shoved one hand into my hair, his other arm clamped on my waist. I wasn't just kissed.

I was devoured.

We moved, straining and gasping, the water splashing around us. His teeth caught my bottom lip. A brief sting registered, and he shuddered. Breaking the kiss, he lifted up enough to look down at me. "Tell me you want this." His hips were still churning against mine. "Tell me you need more."

"More," I whispered before I could even think about what we were doing. There was no room in my body or mind or between us for there to be anything other than what we felt. It was just him and me.

My hands sunk deep into his hair and I tugged his head back, surprised by my aggressiveness. I'd almost lost him today. I needed to show him how I felt. Needed to make him believe. My tongue slipped between his lips and I moaned as I ground myself against him.

Every rocking movement mounted my pleasure and deepened my cries. The arm circling my waist was like a band of steel, holding me where he wanted, keeping me in place to receive the long, delicious strokes. Powerless to do more than wiggle against him, I tossed my head back and let him take me. My eyes shuttered, surrendering to what my body demanded, wantonly rolling my hips against his hardness. The tension between my legs built quickly, stealing my breath, shocking me. My body started to spasm around him, and he caught my chin, forcing my head back, claiming my mouth with his as I cried out. 

With startling quickness, he slipped his hands under me and lifted me as he rocked back.

"Are you okay?" Ali asked thickly, and instinct told me he was watching me, and that made me all the hotter. I wanted him to do that again.

Heart thrumming, I opened my eyes, and I'd been right. His gaze was fixed on me. I nodded, fighting the urge to turn into him and rest my cheek against his chest.

He pulled me close and crushed his mouth to mine, his tongue edging past my lips, and I breathed his name while he stood up, carrying me. God, he was strong. Muscles shifted and bunched beneath my questioning hands as he strode towards the bed, pouring our bodies onto the dull silk.

My arms wrapped around Ali's neck and I pulled him down to the bed. His body covered mine and I could feel his heart pounding in his chest almost as loudly as my own. His muscles tensed at my touch and I placed a suggestive kiss in the middle of his chest, above his heart. His body jerked and he groaned.

"Damn it, woman," he hissed. "What are you doing to me?" He pressed his forehead to mine, his voice raspy. He dipped his head as his hand slipped down my throat, between my and further down, over my stomach, stopping just above my core.

His mouth brushed over my skin, nuzzling, and tasting, down to my collarbone. Pleasant warmth spread along with my limbs, and I closed my eyes with a sigh.

"Laila, my love," Tenderly, he cupped my cheek, holding his gaze with mine as he slowly bent forward, giving me time.

Time to move away, time to change my mind. I met him halfway, my lips melting against his, our sighs mingling. His kiss was deep and sure as if we had all the time in the world. This was different. There were no secrets, no pretenses. I felt his tongue against my skin, circling, and laving over me. My chest suddenly ached and became heavy, but it wasn't from pain, lack of air, or coldness. No. It was like when Ali had touched me when he'd stripped me bare and kissed me—kissed me everywhere.

There was a desperateness growing inside me, in the way I touched him, the way I kissed him. The way I pressed against him. The way I held on to him, not wanting to let go. Desire swirled inside me, leaving me feeling out of control and dazed. Even as my body arched into his, ached for him, our eyes met, and my throat tightened with emotion. From a brief glimpse of his eyes, I saw that they were a bright hazel, intense, and full of love. Tendrils of fear curled under the raw heat. I loved him. I had fallen I love with him. My insides tingled, just as my skin hummed. I lifted my head, brushing my lips against his.

The hard-line of his muscular length pressed against me and I squeezed his shoulders, lost in my feelings. Our kiss deepened and became insistent. I felt loose. Untethered. Like I was on a cloud. 

Suddenly Ali changed his pace and gripped my wrists, pulling them down and capturing them in one hand. I was immediately pinned on my back. He kissed me and then pulled back, hovering above me. Holding my wrists to my stomach, he moved, kissing his way from my chin to my belly button, coming so close to where I ached for him- needed him. His hand moved another inch south, and hot, sweet darts of fire sped through my blood as his hand slipped between my thighs. His tongue slid over my lips, then inside, matching the slow, languid thrust with his fingers. He tormented me until I moved my hips against his hand. I lifted my hips, trying to urge him to move faster, go deeper, but he held back until I cried out in frustration.

He half-laughed, half-growled as he lifted his head. "I know what you want..." I could barely understand him. His words were a spark cast in oil. His touch was fire against my skin. A small, keening whimper escaped me as my release came out of nowhere. He trembled with restraint and the strong arms that bracketed me tightened.

He moved then, readjusting me back under him and thrust his hips against mine, entering me, inch by inch. Tremors started in my stomach. Muscles quivered. The tension was building again, coiling until I couldn't take his slow, measured movements any longer. His teasing grinds and rolls. Our fingers twined, and he lifted my hands high above my head, holding them there. I cried out, wanting to thrust my fingers into his hair as he moved slowly, deeply. It felt like I would burst into flames as he sank into me, again and again. Something was different about this time. Each touch seared me and seemed to break him. More. More. And more. It was not enough. And too much. His mouth claimed mine as his body did the same, pounding against me, into me until the pleasure seemed to crest once more, the fierceness shocking as he seemed to lose all sense of control.

My gasping moans quickly escalated, higher and higher I went until I threw my head back. Once again his lips were on mine, silencing my hoarse screams as I came apart. Spasms rocked through me. His large body moved over mine, and in me, until he pressed hard against me, his shout swallowed in our kiss as he shuddered.

Ali rested his forehead against mine, and I could feel his heart pounding just as fast. "I love you," he whispered tenderly. "So very much. More than life itself."

My lips parted on a sharp inhale.

"And I you, my Prince," Ali made a low sound in the back of his throat. Lowering his mouth to mine, he kissed me deeply.

And then I understood.

Understood what it meant to feel at home wherever you were.

To feel as though I belonged at any moment, in any place, in any time. I knew I would always be home here.

With this boy. In his arms. In this moment. In this time.

And that my heart would never be lonely again.

**************