Zara lay in bed, listening to Noah’s side of the conversation. She hadn’t lied to him about being exhausted, but her mind was too busy concocting and discarding plans for escape. She also hadn’t lied when she’d told him she couldn’t stand it when he was nice. Her breakdown earlier had been genuine. Crying it out had helped, but she would have felt better about what she was planning if he’d ignored her. She had liked being cuddled in his embrace. His cock had throbbed against her in need, but he’d completely ignored that to care for her.
She couldn’t discount what Noah had said about soul mates. She’d always felt safe, secure, and loved by Damian, but like a piece of the puzzle had been missing. Zara also had to admit, if only to herself, she’d never been concerned with not being completely honest with Damian. She had a feeling her loose adherence to the truth might well prove problematic for Noah. Keeping him at arm’s length was becoming an issue.
Zara listened intently as Noah vetoed what sounded like a suggestion to get her back to Mesa. That wouldn’t work at all. It was going to be difficult enough to slip Noah’s leash on her home turf. Once that was done, she needed to be able to make her way to Morocco to talk with Ghazil Assaraf. Ghazil was a broker of sorts between arms dealers and those who wished to purchase their wares. Zara had been able, on several occasions, to use him as deep background or to engineer a meeting with someone normally reticent to meet with a journalist. She had earned the reputation as one who wouldn’t give up a source or betray the trust of those who chose to talk with her.
“Zara,” he called softly from the door.
She rolled over to look at him, only grimacing slightly as her derriere came into contact with the mattress. Noah almost managed to suppress his grin.
“It’s not funny,” she said with little rancor.
He smiled as he crossed to the bed and sat down, then took her hand in his and raised it to brush his lips against her knuckles. She shook her head.
“What?” he asked as he smoothed her hair.
“Why is that one moment you can be the most egotistical sonofabitch, and the next, you can be so caring? It’s very disconcerting and interruptive when I’m trying to hate you.”
He chuckled. God help her, she was starting to enjoy that sound. It was all male and underpinned with a sensual tone that acted as a switch to her pronounced sexual response to him. How startling the simplest of gestures could spark the banked embers of desire contained deep within her into a wildfire, she found impossible to control.
“How’s that working for you… the hating me part?”
“It could be going better.”
He laughed outright. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“Care to join me?” she invited.
“If you’re looking for a nap buddy, you’re probably better off alone.” He stood.
Zara turned back the covers and held them up, so he could see her beaded nipples.
“I’m not tired anymore.”
“Aren’t you hungry? I had something earlier…”
“I am, but not for food.”
Noah looked at her intently, but Zara couldn’t hold his stare. She feared he could peer into her soul and somehow figure out while she did want to suck his cock and have sex with him again, that she was planning it as a ruse might become apparent. Noah was a lot of things… stupid not among them.
Noah pulled his sweater over his head and sat down to take off his socks and shoes. When he stood to unbuckle his belt and unfasten his jeans, Zara crawled provocatively across the bed toward him.
“Let me,” she purred, pushing his hands away and taking over the task.
She loosened his belt and opened his fly. As her hands worked, she knelt, licking and nibbling her way up his chest until she was sucking one nipple, then the other. His hard cock was readily revealed as it sprang from the opening in his jeans. Zara worked her way back down his torso until it was proudly displayed at eye and mouth level. She reached out with the tip of her tongue and licked the bit of pre-cum from the slit in the head of his penis before enveloping it in her mouth. Zara sucked and swirled her tongue around him as she pushed his jeans over his butt, down past his thighs. Noah’s groan gave evidence to the fact that he was enjoying her skills and attention.
He stepped out of his jeans, freeing himself so nothing encumbered him. She trailed her fingers from the back to the front of his balls, wrapped her hand around the base of his cock, and squeezed. Lapping the underside of his staff with her tongue, she drew him deeper into her mouth until he touched the back of her throat.
“Jesus, that feels good.” He groaned with pure masculine intensity.
Noah’s eyes locked with hers, watching her suck and lick him in the most intimate fashion. He wove his fingers through her hair, keeping it off her face. Zara knew he would enjoy watching her pay homage to him in the most fundamental and sensual way possible. Not only was she enjoying pleasuring him, she knew when she was done, for once, he’d be under her spell and not the other way around.
Her eyes must also have hinted at her thoughts as Noah brought both his hands up to cup her head. He stilled the motion of her head but allowed her to lick and gently nibble on him. No longer in control of her motions, she looked up to see a feral gleam had overtaken his face.
“That’s not the way it works, sweetheart. Remember? I told you.”
Noah held her head in place and rocked his hips, pushing his cock forward, then retreating… never quite pulling the head past her lips before plunging back into her. It wasn’t that he was moving his cock fast, but he was moving it powerfully and not allowing her any control whatsoever. She decided if that was the case, she’d just provide him with a hole to fuck and not bother trying to make it better for him.
“Uh-uh, you started this. I expect you to finish. Suck me, Zara.”
Surely, he didn’t expect her to respond with her mouth full of his staff. Noah fisted her mane, lighting up her scalp, with one hand to keep her in place and reached past her with the other to land a hard swat on her backside. She yelped but began sucking him. The faster she got this over with, the better for her, but Noah didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry to finish.
Noah brought the hand that had struck her bottom back up to wrap it in her hair, too, as he pumped harder and faster. He arched his back, so she had no choice but to deep-throat his entire length. His thrusting became more urgent, and Zara found she wanted to provide him with the maximum pleasure she could, even if she was no longer in control.
There it was, she thought—she was no longer giving him a blowjob. As he had told her, he was fucking her mouth, and the profound difference between the two made the fire in her blood race through her body and center in all her erogenous zones.
“Fuck, yes,” he growled as he shot his creamy essence into her mouth, down her throat, and into her belly.
He had a death grip on her head and continued to shoot his load until she was sure his balls would never produce another drop. She had never been one to swallow, but Noah didn’t ask and didn’t give her a choice. When he finally emptied himself, he withdrew and pulled her onto her knees in front of him.
Noah kissed her deeply, not seeming to mind the residual taste of his essence as he held her close, cupping her ass gently. He tilted her backward but never allowed her to feel as though she was falling. He kissed her mouth, then trailed other kisses over her face and throat, nipping at its base, then tonguing her there. He pressed her back onto the bed, pulling her legs out from beneath her as he kissed his way down her torso.