Page 21 of Prince of Her Heart
Tilda nodded, clearly unsettled but soothed enough by his tone and words.She glanced at Tabitha with wide eyes full of questions but didn’t press.
“Walk me out,” Ramzi said again, softer now, tugging Tabitha gently toward the door.
He stopped at the back door of the SUV, his hands still wrapped around hers, thumbs slowly stroking the base of her palms as if he had no intention of letting go.
“Stop looking so confused,” he murmured, voice low and coaxing.“And you’re going to have to show me a bit more affection than you did in the kitchen if we’re going to convince your neighbors that our engagement is real.”
That snapped her out of the fog.Tabitha blinked, then frowned up at him, her brows pulling low.“What did you say to my dad, Ramzi?”
His chuckle was quiet but intimate, the sound brushing over her skin like a caress.That low rumble slid down her spine and sparked something deep inside.Even now, without more than his touch and the soft rasp of his voice, her body throbbed with unwanted awareness.
“You used to trust me, Tabby.”
Her spine stiffened.“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, her voice sharper than she intended.“Only my dad uses that nickname.”
Ramzi’s expression shifted, something playful stirring in the corners of his eyes as he moved closer, her back bumping gently against the sleek side of the SUV.His heat enveloped her instantly.
“It reminds me of a kitten,” he murmured, his breath warm against her cheek.“I think I’d like to hear you purr.”
A low sound rose in her throat, something between exasperation and longing.She wanted to push him away—and she wanted to pull him closer.Her fingers twitched with the urge to do both.
Her whole body hummed, every nerve ending straining toward him.His chest brushed against hers, firm and unyielding, and her breath hitched.Her thoughts blurred, tumbling over each other in a scramble of need.She wanted to taste him.She wanted to punish him for stirring her up like this.She wanted to forget the neighbors behind their fluttering curtains and climb him like a tree.
“I don’t,” she managed, though the words rang hollow.
Ramzi’s smile deepened, his dark lashes dipping briefly.“A challenge,” he murmured.“I accept.”
Her pulse spiked.She held her breath, trying to brace herself.
“Ramzi, what are you doing?”
His gaze flicked to the house, then back to her.“Since several of your neighbors are watching us,” he said, tone maddeningly casual, “I’m going to kiss you.Then I’m going to check in at the hotel.After that, I’ll be back to help your dad bring over the present he made for the bride and groom.”
He pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.Just a soft brush, but it scattered her thoughts like leaves in the wind.
“Then,” he continued, his voice dropping even lower as he kissed the other side of her lips, “I’d like you to show me around town.”
She couldn’t think.Couldn’t breathe.
“And after that… we’ll see how to fill the time between the tour and the party tonight.”He leaned in again, nipping gently at her lower lip, and her knees nearly gave out.“Any suggestions?”
She didn’t answer.Couldn’t.
With a soft moan, Tabitha reached up, her fingers weaving into his hair as she yanked him down to her.This time, she kissed him.Her lips teased and tasted, but Ramzi responded instantly, his body pressing her more firmly against the SUV.His hands settled on her hips as he tilted her head, deepening the kiss until she was no longer in control.
His mouth moved over hers with skilled precision, coaxing and claiming.His tongue traced the seam of her lips until she gasped, and he took advantage, sweeping into her mouth.He rolled his hips once, then again, and her hands clutched at his shirt, needing more even as her brain begged her to stop.
She didn’t stop.
She didn’t even think.
By the time he pulled back, both of them were breathing hard.Her heart pounded in her chest, her legs trembling where they had somehow locked around his waist.She hadn’t even noticed herself doing it.
Ramzi’s hands slowly helped her legs stand again, his palms running over the backs of her thighs with practiced control.Once she was standing again, he adjusted her cardigan gently, smoothing it back into place before stepping away.
Her face flamed.She tugged her sweater straight and looked around, mortified that they’d put on a show for whoever might be peeking from behind those embroidered curtains.
“I’ll…uh…see you later then.”
