“No,” Imani replied, but the name was vaguely familiar.
“It’s a private beach accessible only to the royal family. We’re going to spend the day there. There is a small house there we can use, but we’ll be entirely alone—well, except for our security, the chef, his assistants, and our help. I sent the chef and the others ahead yesterday to prepare the place for us.”
A small thrill of pleasure sparked inside of Imani. They were going to spend the whole day together. It shouldn’t matter so much, but it did.
When they arrived at their destination, the royal couple entered the so-called small house, which was actually a sprawling beach house with ten bedrooms, eleven baths, and an indoor pool.
In the great room, decorated in patterned chairs that seemed comfortable and cozy, Imani looked out at the water. Outside on the balcony, contemporary wicker chairs with teal cushions were grouped together around tables with unlit votive candles on top. Beyond that, she saw a stone pathway that led down a gentle incline, shadowed by shrubs and palm trees to the clear blue of the Gulf lapping at the shore.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed as she took in the scenic view.
“I thought you would like it,” Wasim said, right behind her.
She clasped her hands and turned to face him. “What are we going to do first?”
“How about horseback riding to start?”
A playful smile lifted the right corner of his mouth. He hadn’t smiled much recently, and the transformation in his face reminded her of the fun they used to have, before the bitterness that developed between them.
“Are you talking about a race?” Imani asked.
“You’re not ready for a race,” Wasim said dismissively.
“Oh, really?” She pretended to be affronted. “Maybe you’re not ready to lose.”
With his hands behind his back, he took two steps closer and her skin heated at his nearness. Gazing up at him, she became lost for a moment in his copper-brown eyes. Were all women this enamored with their spouses? He never failed to arouse her passions and make her heart beat with much too much speed beneath her breast.
“May the best horseman win,” Wasim said in his velvety voice.
“You mean, may the best horsewoman.”
“When will you learn?” He laughed softly and shook his head, which only made Imani more determined to beat him and knock the cocky smirk off his face.
They changed into more comfortable clothes while the help prepared their horses for the ride. Instead of saddles, they both chose colorful padded seats that draped over the horses’ ribs. Imani climbed onto a brown and white stallion, while Wasim lifted onto a black mare.
They started out at a slow pace along the water’s edge. The horses stepped into the rolling waves, the white crests lapping at their legs as they trotted through the water. Wasim pointed out dolphins leaping in the distance, only one of the many marine animals that filled Barrakesch’s deep waters. There were hundreds of varieties of fish and sharks much further out.
When Imani and Wasim reached the end of the beach, they both turned around to head back the way they’d come, and when their eyes met, a silent challenge was issued. Imani took off on the stallion and Wasim shot after her right away.
The horses’ hooves sank into the wet sand along the water’s edge, and Imani crouched over the powerful beast and urged him to go faster, but she was no match for Wasim and his mare. He passed by and then glanced back at her. The breeze coming off the Gulf whipped his black hair into frenzied disarray, his white clothing billowed around his arms and legs, while laughing eyes softened his features. For a moment, she didn’t care if she won or lost. She simply wanted to look at him and bask in the positive energy pouring out of him.
Still, she had a race to win, but Wasim showed her no mercy. He led the way to the original spot and handed her a big loss.
He jumped lightly to the ground onto his bare feet, and Imani, laughing and panting, looked down at him. “You have an unfair advantage.”
“How so?” he asked.
“Because you ride all the time,” she said.
With his hands at her waist, he helped her down, and she landed between him and the horse. Wasim brushed her hair back from her face that the wind had mercilessly whipped about, and her skin tingled where he touched.
Bending his head to her ear, he said, “Yet you challenged me. You should learn to pick your battles.”
Her heart raced at his closeness and the whisper of his breath against her earlobe. “And you should learn to show mercy.”
“Did you want me to let you win?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“I’m suggesting you could have shown a little mercy, that’s all.”
“I’ll show you mercy when we go for a swim. I promise not to drown you.”
“As if you could. I was practically born in the ocean.”
“And you were also the better horsewoman. We’ll see soon enough what kind of swimming skills you have, won’t we?”
“Yes, we will.” Imani walked ahead of him and then glanced over her shoulder. Feeling playful, she said, “Race you!” Then she took off running.
“Hey!” Wasim scrambled up the incline after her.
The chef and his helpers had a spread of fruit and citrus-flavored water waiting for them. They indulged in the refreshments and then gathered their belongings to enjoy the rest of their time on the beach.
Helpers set up umbrellas and chairs and a table on the sand, and when Imani got ready to disrobe, Wasim dismissed the male bodyguards so they were alone.
She removed the opaque cover she’d worn down to the beach and unveiled an electric blue halter top bikini. She even put a little extra wiggle in her body as she removed her clothes, knowing Wasim’s eyes were on her. When she turned to him with the sunblock in her hands, his eyes were clouded with lust.
“Could you do my back, please?” she asked.
He took the bottle without a word, and she let him rub the cream into her shoulders and back. Then he lowered to his haunches and got her legs, too. The touch of his hand should have been nonsexual, but she couldn’t help getting a little turned on. By the time he finished massaging the lotion into her inner thighs and the underside of her ass—which received much more attention than was necessary—her nipples had beaded against the bikini top and she was a little breathless.
He finished the job by covering her arms, chest, and belly, his warm hand sliding over her heated skin with a slow, silky touch. When he finally let her go she felt deprived and wished he’d continue touching her.
She returned the favor by rubbing the lotion over his muscular back and down along his hard thighs and calves—taking her time to appreciate the beauty of sinew and muscle covered in golden skin. She was just as thorough as he was and rubbed the lotion into his chest and abs with a lazy, circular motion that caused him to draw the occasional sharp breath. When she finished the task, Wasim tossed the bottle aside, dragged her close by the back of her neck, and plundered her mouth in a searing kiss.
When he released her, his shallow breaths feathered across her parted lips. “Ready to go into the water?” he asked.
While the look in his eyes said he wanted to do anything but go into the water, she appreciated that he was sticking to their planned schedule.