Royal Temptation: Protecting the Desert Princess / Virgin Princess, Tycoon’s Temptation / The Prince's Second Chance

His hands were warm and dry and his fingers moved to the tiny scar on her otherwise flawless skin.

‘What happened there?’ Mikael asked.

‘When we were nine Hussain, my future husband, showed me how to make a match burn twice.’

‘Do you love him?’

‘I don’t know him,’ Layla said. ‘We played as children. I get to choose my husband, but I have been told, for the good of Ishla, that Hussain would be the wisest choice. My heart does not think so, though.’

He wanted to lift her wrist and kiss it better. Mikael had never felt anything like it before. But then Layla got too close.

‘What are your family like?’ she asked.

‘I don’t have any family.’

‘Are your parents dead?’

Her question was so clinical he was able to answer.

‘I don’t know.’ He didn’t elaborate; instead he dropped hands and took up the menu, started to read out the choices, but she halted him.

‘You choose for me,’ she said. ‘I want what you order—I want to try your favourite thing.’

‘Is there anything you especially like or dislike?’

‘I want to try whatever.’

So Mikael ordered for them. He taught her how to peel the fattest, plumpest prawns and their fingers played together in the warm water bowl.

‘I love these,’ Layla said. ‘I want to eat prawns again.’

‘Don’t you have them in Ishla?’

‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘I must ask my father to get some for me.’

Mussels, oysters—all were bliss. But Layla just wanted more prawns.

‘I could live off these,’ she said, and then very rapidly changed the subject back to where she wanted it to be. ‘How can you not know if your parents are dead or alive? Can’t you trace them?’

‘Leave it, Layla.’

‘But I want to know.’

‘Well, I don’t want to tell you.’ Mikael refused to reveal anything. ‘What do you want for dessert?’

‘Prawns.’

After a draining black day it was a lovely night, and as he dropped her off at the hotel Mikael did the right thing: gave the valet his keys for a short while and saw her to her door.

‘Aren’t you staying tonight?’ she asked as they approached her suite.

‘I hope there’s no need for me to stay,’ Mikael said. ‘Unless you’re planning on going out again?’

‘No,’ she said. ‘There is no need for me to go out tonight. I have had the best day and the best night of my life and I am feeling very content.’

‘Good.’

‘Well, almost the best day,’ Layla said. ‘But it would be even better if you kissed me.’

‘I don’t think that’s wise,’ he said.

‘One kiss.’ She smiled, swiping her door pass. ‘Anyway, you have to leave me your shirt to wear—I still don’t have a nightdress.’

‘Your brother asked me to—’

‘You don’t have to keep my promises for me,’ Layla interrupted. ‘I shall be returning to Ishla a virgin.’

‘We were talking about a kiss!’

‘So what’s the problem, then?’ Layla said.

She soon found out.

Mikael turned her around to face him and it was a little like being in the car, with him trying to put on her seatbelt. Every touch had her awareness heightened. She stood shivering in anticipation as he positioned them. She felt his hand on her shoulder and his face move to hers, and then she was lost—because nothing in her imaginings could have prepared her for those arrogant lips turned tender.

His kiss was very soft at first, and one hand rested on her waist, the other at her shoulder.

Then she felt the slip of his tongue and the slide of his hand to the back of her head. She had not known that tongues kissed too. It was shocking, it was sensual, it was the gateway to paradise—and her hands went to his hair now as she matched his tongue. And then, whether it was his hand on her bottom or just the call of her groin, they moved in closer and that was the problem—one kiss led to more.

She could feel him hard at her centre, but more than that she could feel the strain of her breasts and the pull low in her stomach as Mikael kissed her ever deeper and then pulled his head back.

One kiss and her chin was red and her lips swollen.

‘I’d better shave next time,’ he said.

‘We agreed one kiss.’ Layla smiled. ‘But now I know why it is trouble…’

He released her. ‘I’d better go.’

‘You need to leave my nightdress,’ she said. ‘Are you working tomorrow?’

‘I am,’ he said, ‘but I’ll try and finish early.’ He was worried about her going out without him, but at the same time didn’t want to curtail her. ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’

‘I have a very special day planned,’ Layla said as he took off his shirt and handed it to her. ‘I am not getting out of bed.’

‘Oh?’ Mikael waited for her to elaborate but she had clearly said all she wanted to on the subject.

She looked at him, naked from the waist up, and wanted more of what she had so recently felt. ‘Can you kiss me now, so I can feel your skin?’