Her Secret Read online

  Kate looked at his long fingers for a moment, hesitating. But when he started to pull his hand away, she jumped up and took his hand. She knew that she’d startled him, but he hid his reaction well.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled.

  He pulled her closer. “I understand,” he told her, his voice low. She looked up into his eyes, startled by how much taller he was. She was about average height, but normally wore heels…really high heels. So, generally the men who escorted her to parties and events were about the same height as she was. Today, she was wearing flat sandals, wanting to be comfortable. The rocky terrain on this island wasn’t conducive to heels. She would have been asking to twist an ankle on the uneven pathway that led from her villa to the street. Also, there weren’t any motorized vehicles here on the island. It was too small and the roads weren’t wide enough. Everyone walked where they needed to go.

  But standing here, tilting her head way back in order to see his eyes, she was astounded by how tall he was.

  “I want to…walk with you,” she told him, stumbling with the words.

  They walked along the sandy beach, both of them slipping their shoes off and digging their toes into the soft sand. It was a beautiful night and, as they walked, he asked her more questions. Eventually, she relaxed and enjoyed his company as they basked in the cool breezes coming off the water. Somehow, they ended up at the edge of the pathway that led to the small villa she’d rented.

  He lifted a hand, the rough pad of his thumb touching her cheek. “I make you nervous. Why?”

  Kate wasn’t exactly sure how to respond. She wanted to be a sophisticated woman of the world, but she couldn’t seem to stop trembling.

  In the end, she decided to be honest with him, in the hopes that he would understand. “I want you,” she admitted, looking up into his eyes. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “I know I’ve only known you for an evening, but you fascinate me. I don’t know much about you, but I sense that you’re a gentle and kind man.” She looked up at him, waiting for him to respond. But she couldn’t see his eyes in the dim light. “I think that you want me too.”

  “You’re right,” he replied, his hands stroking her waist, up and down. “Are you inviting me in?” he asked.

  Kate bit her lip, wanting to say yes, to have the courage, but the reality of saying “yes” was just too much for her. So instead, she stepped closer, her hand shifting from his arm to the middle of his chest, hoping he would understand the unspoken invitation.

  “I’m taking that as a yes,” he growled, but he didn’t move. “I have a question for you though.”

  Kate swallowed painfully, praying that he wouldn’t ask the one question she truly feared.

  “You are a mixture of sophistication and innocence. Normally, I wouldn’t ask, but something is telling me I should. Have you ever been with a man?”

  He did. Darn it!

  “No,” she admitted. With a sigh, she leaned against the wall of her villa. “I know that some…” she started to say actresses, but moved to a broader term, “women consider bed-hopping a weekend sport, but I’ve never participated.”

  He sighed even as he pulled her closer. “Kate,” he growled.

  She pressed her cheek against his chest, enjoying the thrill of his arms around her. She was right, this man was extremely gentle as his fingers moved into her hair, his strong fingers massaging her scalp.

  “I can’t come in, Kate,” he admitted.

  She froze. Had she heard him correctly? Surely, she’d misunderstood! Pulling away, she tilted her head back so that she could see his face. But it was shrouded in shadows cast by the foliage overhead. “You can’t? Or you won’t?”

  “Both,” he admitted. “I can’t be your first. It is an important moment and you should save it for your husband.”

  The pain lancing through her was brutal and unexpected. A moment ago, she’d cursed the darkness because she couldn’t see his expression. Now she was glad for the darkness. If she couldn’t see his rejection, she hoped that he couldn’t see the pain hitting her now.

  She pulled up every ounce of acting ability she could muster and pasted a bright smile on her face. “That’s too bad, Talal. I wasn’t planning to marry ever, but…” she shrugged and stepped back again. “Good night then,” she turned to her door. Thankfully, there was no crime on this island, so there was no need to lock her door. There wasn’t even a lock on the door, just a latch, which she firmly connected as soon as she was safely inside.

  So much for meeting a man that fascinated her. She leaned back against the door, wiping away the tears that filled her eyes now that she was alone.

  Making her way into the beautiful, white washed bedroom, she didn’t bother to take off her clothes. Instead, she curled up on top of the covers and stared out the window. The soft, ocean breeze soothed her wounded pride and helped her make sense of Talal’s rejection. She didn’t like it, but the fact that he’d said no was probably a good thing. She didn’t know the man. Not well enough to commit to any sort of physical relationship. Just because he fascinated her, made her whole body tremble with anticipation, didn’t mean she should offer to have sex with him the first night she’d met him.

  Yes, his response was a good thing, she insisted silently. She didn’t need the complications of a man in her life. She’d told him the truth about never marrying. In her world, marriages rarely lasted and any breakup was plastered across the tabloids. Kate was too private to put herself into a situation where that might occur. As an actress, she believed that her acting should be front and center, but she was careful to keep her private life sacred. The tabloids only printed what she wanted them to print and every news story was carefully calculated and timed. She had an outstanding publicity agent who knew how to make the most of every article posted about her.

  Besides, whoever Talal was, he was obviously an important man. The waiter tripping over the chairs was a clear sign that Talal was intimidating to more than just herself. He hadn’t mentioned what he did for a living, but from their conversation, she guessed that he did some sort of consulting work for the government. Or maybe he did something in marketing? That would also make sense based on his comments earlier about buying the yanzi directly from the source.

  Trying to figure him out was exhausting and, by the early hours of the morning, she was asleep. But her sleep was disturbed by dreams of Talal kissing her, holding her tightly in his arms.

  Late the following morning, Kate woke up and sighed as she surveyed the sunshine streaming through the blinds of her bedroom. Another day in paradise, she thought.

  Another lonely day.

  Kate was startled by the revelation. She hadn’t ever felt lonely before, too busy with starting her career and…well, avoiding the straying hands of the various actors, directors and producers at every must-be-seen-at social event in Los Angeles and Hollywood or flying off to one of the other international hot spots.

  Stepping out of the bedroom, she padded barefoot down to the kitchen where Isla, the amazing housekeeper and cook, was already hard at work. Whatever the kind housekeeper was making, it smelled amazing!

  “Good mo…” Kate’s greeting halted mid-word when she realized who was sitting on the small patio, sunshine streaming down on his dark head. He looked incredible in another linen shirt and khaki slacks.

  Slipping out of the kitchen where Isla was working, she stepped onto the cool stones of the patio. “What are you doing here?” she asked, pulling the loose cotton peasant style blouse closer over her breasts. She had only pulled on a pair of shorts and this shirt, disdaining a bra so early in the morning. Especially since she’d planned on reading in the chair he was occupying until the sun became too hot. She had no plans to wander around the island today, wanting to lick her wounds after his rejection from the night before.

  Isla lifted two steaming plates and carried them to the patio, placing them on the table. “I’ll be back later to clean. Don’t do anything in the kitchen. Just have a good da
y.” With that, the friendly housekeeper disappeared, leaving her alone with the man who had rejected her offer last night.

  Kate wasn’t sure what to say. How did one greet a man who had turned down a blatant invitation for sex? She wasn’t sure, always being the one to be doing the rejecting.

  “Come. We shouldn’t let the food get cold,” he announced, folding the newspaper he’d been reading while waiting for her to emerge.

  Kate continued to stand in the doorway, confusion and wariness clear in her expression.

  So when he stood up, she automatically stepped backwards, not sure what was going on. “Why are you here?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

  He took her hands, pulling her arms down to reveal her full breasts. Kate knew that her nipples were pressing against the thin, cotton material and pulled back, but he didn’t allow her to hide. Not today.

  “I want you too, Kate,” he told her, his fingers tightening around her wrists. “Last night, I barely slept, thinking about you here.” He moved closer, pinning her against the doorframe. “I can’t tell you how many times I almost came back, wanting to ignore the fact that you are a virgin and it isn’t my right to take that from your future husband.”

  Kate was shocked at the thought. “That’s really old-fashioned thinking, Talal.”

  He shrugged. “I’m an old-fashioned man and I’m not going to apologize for it.” His hand came up to cup her cheek, holding her in place. “But I also can’t deny that I want you.” His other hand drew her wrist closer to him. She gasped when he pressed her hand to his erection, trying to pull away but he held firm.

  “This is what you do to me, Kate. All night, this has been my curse.”

  She could barely breathe as she felt the hardness, shocked and yet…fascinated. Almost involuntarily, she shifted her fingers, feeling and exploring him. And the whole time, she watched his eyes, fascinated when he closed them.

  “Why are you doing this?” she demanded, pulling her hand away. His eyes popped open and she gasped at the heat she saw there.

  “Because last night, walking away from what you were offering was possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

  She laughed, but it was an angry sound, and stepped around him, shocked by his brazen intensity. “So why did you?”

  “Because I had to.”

  She settled into the chair and spread the linen napkin over her lap. She knew she wasn’t going to be able to eat anything, not after that little interlude. Kate almost laughed aloud at the use of “little”. Talal was not a little man in any way!

  Thankfully, he sat down as well. She could breathe more easily once he stopped looming over her. Well, and it relieved her from being able see the clear evidence of his arousal, which…yeah, she wanted. Badly!

  “You’re embarrassed,” he observed. “I apologize, Kate. I’m used to women who are more sexually aggressive and wouldn’t have hesitated with any kind of touching.” He spread his napkin over his lap as well. “I will take things slower, going forward.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He lifted his fork and stabbed a piece of shrimp and egg casserole. “I mean, if you are still offering, I will be your first lover.”

  She blinked in surprise, not sure what to say. He smiled encouragingly from across the table, waiting for Kate, but the words…what was she supposed to say?

  Honesty. She couldn’t ignore it. She wanted to reject his offer, if only to soothe her wounds from last night. But that would be self-defeating.

  “Yes,” she finally breathed. “Yes, I would love for you to be my first lover.”

  That heat flared in his eyes and she shivered, dropping her fork. She waited breathlessly for him to pull her back into his arms, carry her off to her bedroom and make love to her. Right now.

  But he only nodded and took another bite. “Good. Eat,” he ordered. “You’re going to need your strength today.”

  Kate couldn’t stifle the shiver of anticipation or the stab of fear. She also wondered when this momentous activity would occur. He didn’t appear to be in any hurry. In fact, he changed the subject! She was wondering what sex would be like, finally, and he asked her what she thought about the US president’s latest health care bill. Huh?

  Thankfully, Kate managed to catch up with him. She answered his questions, enjoying a spirited debate on health care, family care, maternity leave, and a variety of other subjects, eventually relaxing enough to even laugh with him. And yeah, she relaxed enough to eat! She managed to eat about half of the food Isla had prepared before finally leaning back and patting her flat stomach. “Goodness, she’s a wonderful cook.”

  “I agree,” he commented, his eyes drifting lower. Kate suddenly realized that her breasts were almost fully on display, the thin cotton barely hiding anything from the man’s dark looks.

  Yesterday, she would have curled her shoulders and sat up straight, not allowing the material to enhance the outline of her breasts. But now she trembled as she watched him watch her. And she felt her nipples peak, lifting the thin material.

  “We’re going out,” he told her, looking up from her breasts.

  “I’ll go get dressed,” she stood up. As she left, her hips swayed just a touch more than usual.

  Talal watched her walk away, his eyes transfixed on the rhythm of her hips and the long lines of her slender back. He wondered if she knew what she was doing or if her movements were unconscious. When she glanced back at him over her shoulder, he knew that the enchanting woman was purposely enticing him.

  Leaning back once she disappeared, he wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Already, she’d distracted him. He should have been back at the capital yesterday afternoon for important meetings, but he’d stayed all afternoon, talking with her, losing track of time because she was simply too fascinating to walk away from. And then last night, he’d been in pain thinking about her soft curves and the vulnerable look in her eyes after she’d told him that she was a virgin. And he’d loved the idea that no man had ever touched her.

  Well, no man had made love to her, he mentally corrected. Of course, another man had experienced her soft sighs and kissed her. She was just too beautiful to be completely untouched.

  Gritting his teeth, he kept himself from following her into the bedroom. Yes, he was definitely going to make love to this woman. But he wouldn’t be doing it on her terms or timeline.

  He almost laughed when she came back out in a different shirt, with a bra on, and a shorter pair of shorts, along with some flat sandals. She’d obviously showered since damp tendrils curled around her cheekbones, but she’d been fast. Even her makeup was light, not a smoky smudge of liner anywhere, only those captivating, sky colored eyes drinking him in.

  He was relieved she hadn’t dressed up since there wasn’t really any place to go out to. His plan was to take her out on the water, to talk with her and enjoy her company for a while.

  Then make love to her all night.

  That was the plan anyway. As she came closer, he took in the outfit more clearly. The shirt was as blousy and thin as the previous one and, she may be wearing a bra now, but that tiny bit of lace was barely even there.

  It was going to be a long day, he thought.

  “You look beautiful,” he beamed as he stood up. “Let’s go.”

  He took her hand and led her out of the villa, noting how soft her hands were. “We’re going out on my boat.”

  She laughed as she skipped to keep up with his longer stride. “A boat? I wouldn’t have thought you had a boat.”

  He shrugged slightly. “It isn’t exactly like the other boats that are around the island.”

  “Can we go fishing?”

  He chuckled as he helped her down the winding, stone pathway. “If you want to go fishing, I’m sure we could find some fishing poles.”

  “So this isn’t like a fishing boat that the islanders use?” she asked, eager for more information. It wasn’t as if the man didn’t tell her any
thing about himself, but every time she asked him a question, he answered in vague terms, then turned the question back on her. It would be frustrating, but she was determined to consider their conversations and his lack of details a challenge.

  Kate trailed behind him down the narrow, rocky path, admiring the muscles in his arms and shoulders as he helped her navigate the pathway. She’d been traveling this path for the past week and hadn’t slipped a single time, but she accepted his help because it allowed her to touch him, to put her hands on his shoulder as she stepped down one stone step to the next whenever he considered the path too treacherous. It was a gentlemanly thing to do, even though she was fully capable of walking on her own.

  As she stepped down off the last step and took in the view of the island’s tiny bay, she gasped in amazement. Normally, she saw the quaint fishing boats and the white, sandy beaches, the deep blue of the sea. But today, further out in the deeper waters, was a magnificent ship, easily a hundred times the size of the largest boat in the bay. It was so large it couldn’t anchor at the dock.

  “That’s my boat.”

  “It’s huge!” she whispered in awe. She would have laughed at her lowered voice if she’d thought about how silly she sounded. It wasn’t like anyone was around. And even if they were around, they would all see the boat…um…ship…and would agree the thing was massive!

  Kate had been on plenty of ships in Los Angeles for parties and other social events. But even those weren’t as large as this one. It was…

  “Good grief, that thing is the size of a cruise ship!” she blurted out.

  He laughed softly, his fingers tightening on hers as he gently tugged her down to the pier. “Not quite that large. Only twenty cabins,” he explained.

  She snorted, shaking her head. “Oh, well, only twenty!” and she shrugged dismissively. “With only twenty cabins…”

  He turned around and Kate laughed at the mock threatening expression on his handsome features.

  Unfortunately, there was also laughter in his eyes, which negated any threat that he might be trying to convey.