Page 94 of Raul
“No need to pretend.” He gave her a heavy-lidded look. “Do you know how hot you are flying a helicopter in that outfit?”
She shook her head as desire poured through her to pool between her legs. When she bent to buckle on the other sandal, the movement pressed her thighs together, and she nearly moaned.
Straightening, she squared her shoulders. “Let’s go.”
As they unlatched the doors, a couple of crewmen sprang forward to hold them open. Erica waited as Raul walked around the nose of the helicopter, the wind ruffling his hair and making his tuxedo jacket whip against his body.Mierda,she should have brought a wrap. Except the more bare skin on display, the better. Hopefully, al-Buya didn’t mind goose bumps.
When Raul arrived at her door, he gave a convincing little stagger as the ship pitched slightly. So she went into sex-kitten mode. “Ooh, you’re going to drop me!”
“Not if you hold on very tightly,” he said, placing her arms around his neck before grasping her around the waist.
She leaned onto his shoulders as he lifted her down, bringing her close so that she slid down his body every inch of the way.
Even though she knew it was an act, all the nerve endings in her body sparked. So she did what any good gold digger would do: She stood on her tiptoes to give him a long kiss of gratitude.
When she broke the kiss, he smiled down at her, his eyes blazing, and murmured, “I am going to enjoy this role-playing very much.”
“Raul, my friend, welcome to theAzzam,my home on the sea!” A short, plump young man in a long white robe and a flowing white head scarf secured by a black rope walked out of double doors. He threw his arms wide.
“As-salamu alaykum,”Raul said, wrapping his left arm around Erica’s waist and shaking al-Buya’s hand with his right. “May I present my gorgeous pilot, Erica Ortiz.”
Not sure how to greet an amir, Erica went with a curtsy within Raul’s embrace. “Your Highness, a pleasure.”
Al-Buya’s gaze traveled down and back up her body, and he licked his lips under his black mustache. “Gorgeous indeed, and a skilled pilot. What a magnificent woman!”
She attempted to simper, but she was grateful for Raul’s possessive arm making it clear she belonged to him. “Muchas gracias,Your Highness.”
Raul waved a careless hand at Dario and Pascal, who stood on either side of them. “And my bodyguards.”
“Surely you do not need security on my yacht.” Al-Buya frowned.
“Pater insists,” Raul said before turning to Dario. “No need to stay with me. You can do a security sweep or something.”
“Yes,Señor,” Dario said with a bow.
Al-Buya waved one of his crewmen forward. “Take them to the staff lounge.”
The crewman led the two bodyguards away. Erica wondered how they would escape their escort to search the yacht, but she had confidence they would figure something out.
“Come in, come in!” Al-Buya gestured through the door. “Let us enjoy some food and drink before we tour.”
Raul gave a convincing little lurch, and she pretended to steady him.
“Ay, querida,perhaps I had one Scotch too many,” he said before giving al-Buya a rueful smile. “Have to celebrate my cousin’s marriage with enthusiasm. Maybe we could skip the drinks and snacks.”
Al-Buya looked annoyed but said, “Of course, my friend. Follow me.”
He warmed up as he showed off his yacht. Erica did her part oohing and aahing and generally pandering to his ego. There was a lot of marble, crystal, and gold, but some of the decorations were unique and spectacular, like the ornate geometric tiles in the bathrooms and the pages of exquisite calligraphy hung on the walls. She found herself asking al-Buya real questions about those, which made him beam with pride.
Raul maintained his tipsy demeanor, but even he occasionally interjected a knowledgeable comment or query about the yacht. He also kept his arm wrapped around her waist. The warmth of his palm resting on her hip and the brush of his thigh against hers as they walked sometimes made it hard to focus on their purpose. She wanted to turn into Raul’s arms and press herself against the length of his body.
Eventually, al-Buya began to wind down, but Dario had not called Raul to say they’d found the eggs or dragon. So Erica decided to stir up a little competition to keep their host talking.
“Have you seen Kyran Redda’s yacht?” She had no idea if the rock star had a yacht, but she figured al-Buya wouldn’t know either.
Their host looked startled. “No, I haven’t. Is it here in Caleva?”
“I think he flew in for the wedding,” Raul said. “Time constraints in his performance schedule, but he sailed his yacht here for last year’s DragonFest.”
