in love and happy-ever-after. He definitely didn’t, but maybe she’d somehow find that one day.
The thought made his chest feel oddly tight and he stood to end the torture of being with her when he shouldn’t be. “We have an early morning. The Sheikh wants to get going as soon as we check once more that his wife’s not in labor.”
Her gaze stayed on his as she slowly pushed to her feet. Searching. Questioning. Not a surprise, since moments ago he’d been kissing her like a man on a mission to get horizontal with her as soon as possible.
Much as he still wanted that more than his next breath, she deserved better.
They walked in silence to their rooms, which were connected by an interior door, and Rafael knew he wouldn’t get much sleep, thinking about her warm, soft body curled into a bed so close to his. The same way he’d been unable to sleep the night he’d tucked her into the guest room of his house, and he hadn’t even known her then.
Now that he did, now that he knew the attraction was mutual, staying away from her would require Herculean strength, but for her sake he could do it.
Stopping at the door to her room, he somehow managed to kiss only her cheek, though he knew his lips lingered there too long. “Good night, Gabriella.”
“This is totally unfair, you know.”
“What is totally unfair?”
“Getting James to include me on this trip, then making me sit close to you, look at you, feel the touch of your hand while we drove, and it was all so distracting I barely noticed the gorgeous scenery. Then you took me on a romantic balloon ride with your arms around me, which was the most incredible thing I’ve ever done. More romance and kissing and touching by a fire under the stars. And now you dump me like a hot rock in front of my door?”
The flash of fire in her eyes, the annoyance in her voice and her words were so surprising and adorable he couldn’t help but laugh, even though having to leave her now wasn’t in the least amusing. “Dumping is a strong word. I’m simply dropping you off after a wonderful day together.”
“Why?” A challenge in her brown eyes joined that single word.
“For the reasons we just talked about outside, Gabriella,” he said quietly, hoping she’d understand. “You deserve so much more than someone like me can give you. I’m leaving soon, and I don’t want to be another man who disappoints you.”
“You can’t disappoint me if I’m not expecting anything.” Her fingers slid up the front of his jacket to grasp his neck again, on up to trace his jaw and cheekbones, and even that simple touch made him want her even more. “You’ve made me see that I’ve been living in a cocoon this past two years. Hiding. But unlike you’ve had to do in these past weeks, I haven’t been hiding from outside forces. Haven’t been hiding because someone asked me to. I’ve been hiding from myself, and now I know it’s time to change that.” Her eyes softened, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Being with you tonight is all I want. Breaking out of my shell to enjoy just one more incredible night with an incredible man. Is that so much to ask?”
He didn’t even realize he’d wrapped his arms around her until his hold tightened and he couldn’t make himself let her go. He warred with himself about the right thing to do. “Gabriella—”
She rose on tiptoe and buried her hands in his hair. Pulled his mouth to hers for a kiss so long and sweet and hot it fried every last working brain cell he had left.
He somehow broke the kiss and stared into her beautiful eyes. “You promise you won’t regret it when I leave? That you won’t feel hurt that I can’t stay?”
“I won’t regret it. I won’t be hurt. Unless you walk away this second. In which case I’ll have to become like autocratic Rafael Moreno was the first day we met and ‘take control of the situation.’”
How a woman’s eyes could be amused, sensual, and flashing all at the same time he had no idea, but it was an irresistible combination. He loved how Gabriella made him smile and laugh and want her so much he ached. “You already know I hate to give up control of any situation, mi ángel,” He touched his mouth to hers and began to walk her backwards ten feet down the hallway to his own door. “So how about we take control of it together?”
“I like that idea a lot.”
And with that she plastered her body close to his, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, which was so distracting he had a hard time remembering in which pocket he’d stuffed his room key. “Can you wait for just two seconds while I find my key?”
“I don’t know. But I’m happy to help you look.”
She peppered kisses on his face at the same time she put her hand caressingly into his pants pocket, obviously looking for something other than his room key, and he laughed then nearly moaned.
“I’d never have dreamed that charming midwife Gabriella Cain could be such a vixen.” Thank God he finally found the key in his jacket pocket, because she was driving him crazy and they were both still fully clothed. He shoved the door open and nearly stumbled as he backed her inside because now that they weren’t in a public hallway and he’d abandoned all worries of hurting her, he couldn’t get his hands and mouth on her fast enough.
“I’ve never been a vixen, I don’t think.” She pushed his jacket off at the same time he was unzipping hers. “Apparently, you bring her out in me.”
“I’m about to show you what you bring out in me. Didn’t you say you felt like Cinderella at the charity ball? I think I may be turning into the Beast.” And while it was a joke, it wasn’t far from the truth. He’d already stripped off her sweater and was in the process of unbuttoning her pants, and couldn’t remember a time he’d felt as desperate to make love with a woman as he felt right now.
“You’re mixing up your fairy tales. But since you are a prince, I guess that’s okay.”
She lost him on the conversation because he’d gotten her pants off and he took a moment to look at her, holding his breath at the vision before him. At her slim body, her luminous eyes, her hair a little tousled and her beautiful lips parted. He reached to unclasp her bra and as she stood there in near-naked perfection, he felt humbled. Incredibly lucky to be the man she’d chosen to break out of her shell with.
“Gabriella.” He drew her close and kissed her, drinking in the taste of her and the sweetness of her, then scooped her up against his chest. A couple of steps to the bed and he’d deposited her in it, stripping off the last of his clothes to slide in next to her, loving the feel of her skin against his.
He captured her wrists in his hands and raised them above her head, letting his other roam in a gentle touch over her breasts and down her ribs as his mouth captured her nipple.
“I guess you were serious about taking control.” She gasped. “How can I touch you if you’re holding my hands?”
“Later. First, I want to make you feel good.” So good, so special for her that she’d never feel regret. Just memories of what it had been like between them, which he knew he’d never forget.
He moved his mouth back to hers, slipping his hand between her legs to feel the wetness there, caressing her for long minutes, and with any other woman he might have joined with her right then. But this was Gabriella, and he wanted to touch her all night. Could listen to her little moans forever as she writhed and gasped, but finally her hands broke free of his hold and she reached for him.
“I thought we agreed we were going to share control tonight, hmm?” she said, grasping and stroking him until he was the one moaning.
“Take pity on me, bella. The truth is I have little control around you.”
He could feel her smile against his lips. “That’s what I like to hear, Dr. Moreno. And remember how I said I was a Girl Scout? Always prepared?”
He laughed when he saw she had a condom in her hand, and