As You Desire Read online

That you’ve both had.

  Yeah, well, he could deal.

  He reached the shore, walked through the sand and realised his mind was still wired even though he was now physically exhausted.

  Another glass of wine is definitely needed.

  Once back inside the house, he headed towards the bathroom, making sure not to make any unnecessary noise. He didn’t bother turning on the lights as he willed the shower to come on. Sometimes, being in the dark was almost as peaceful as swimming at night. He stepped beneath the steaming hot water and began lathering his favourite soap onto his skin. The clean scent filled up the bathroom as he rinsed the bubbles from his tired muscles.

  Out of nowhere, an image of Lona standing in the sunlight popped into his head, her luscious silhouette clearly visible beneath the thin chemise. She had breasts that begged to be palmed and touched and kissed and—

  “Damn!”

  Rafi twisted off the stream of water, stepped out of the shower and grabbed his towel. He secured it around his waist, refusing to even acknowledge his stiff cock.

  You only want her because you haven’t been with a woman in a while—

  His blood froze as the sound of Lona’s scream of anguish reverberated through the wall. He rushed from the bathroom to his bedroom, pushing open the door to see Lona sitting up in the bed. Moonlight pouring in through the windows made it easier to see her wide, anxious eyes. She looked so small in his king-sized bed, her chest heaving as she clutched his sheets.

  “Lona, what is it?”

  “The baby… He wants the baby!”

  She dropped the sheet and Rafi saw she had been sleeping in the yellow bikini he’d given her. He hadn’t even thought of her needing pyjamas.

  Lona’s hands went to her belly as she shook her head. “I can feel him…the baby… Oh God, Rafi, the baby!”

  She let out another low moan of pain as Rafi rushed to her side, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up at the sound of the sheer desperation in her voice.

  “Touch my belly and you’ll feel him, too!”

  Lona looked up at him, her face framed by her hair. “Please…touch me.”

  Rafi sat on the edge of the bed and reached out his hand. Lona grabbed it, dragging his palm to her stomach. He touched her stomach as he held her gaze, wishing he felt something if only to ease her mind.

  “Do you feel it?”

  Rafi rubbed her stomach as she lay back against the pillows. He could feel her trembling beneath his hand as he continued to stroke the smooth skin of her belly.

  “I felt him so strongly just a minute ago.”

  Her voice was a whisper in the dark as she placed her hand over his and helped him to press down even more.

  “Lona, I don’t feel anything.” He snatched his hand away as she winced. “Are you in pain?”

  “Not right now.”

  Maybe not physically, but emotionally…

  The look in her eyes reminded him of a hunted animal as she stared at him. He wished he had the power to make her feel at ease.

  “Can I get you anything?”

  Lona shook her head again, closing her eyes with a ragged sigh.

  “I make a mean cup of chamomile tea.”

  Rafi almost reached out to touch her face as she opened her eyes to meet his gaze again.

  “C—can you stay with me for a little while?” Lona dropped her head and silky, chestnut strands shielded her face.

  “Uh, sure…just let me put on some clothes.” He stood, thinking he’d give her a little mental push for some peaceful shut-eye if she couldn’t go back to sleep on her own.

  “Oh.” Lona’s gaze dropped to the towel draped around his waist. “Yes, of course.”

  Rafi left her lying back against her pillow to rummage through his dresser for something suitable to wear. He never wore anything to bed, preferring nothing but the cool sheets on his bare skin.

  “Do you need the light on?”

  “No.”

  He heard her sit up in the bed again.

  “Rafi, you don’t have to stay with me. I’m feeling better.”

  He cast one look at her face and knew she was lying. “No, it’s not a problem.” In rapid fashion, he stepped into a pair of old running shorts, yanked them up, shucked the towel and pulled his T-shirt on. He dragged the wooden chair by his dresser over towards the bed and sat down. “I’ll stay until you’re asleep.”

  Lona stared at him for a minute. “Thank you.”

  Rafi watched as she turned on her side with her back facing him. Her tresses shone in the moonlight as she settled into a more comfortable position. His eyes were drawn to her bare shoulder, the graceful line of her neck and the thick swathe of hair lying against the part of her back that was exposed to him.

  Rafi listened to her breathing as he tried to steady his own. He counted to one hundred, then up to five hundred, in an effort to occupy his thoughts. The sight of Lona’s silhouette beneath the ivory sheet was making it hard to remember what number he was on. He could just reach out and touch her…run his fingers through those ginger strands. In fact, he was dying to pull the sheet down lower to expose the dip of her waist and the rounded curve of her hips and ass.

  That’s it…time to go.

  “Lona?” Rafi whispered, looking for any sign of movement.

  He stood up, quietly leaning over her to look at her face. Her hands were nestled beneath her chin and her long lashes looked impossibly dark against her creamy skin.

  Beautiful…she is so beautiful.

  Rafi pivoted away from the bed, disgusted by his inescapable attraction to a female who was not only pregnant, but obviously going through the worst time of her life.

  Yeah…and you still want to press her into the mattress.

  He closed the door to his bedroom and headed for the fridge to pour another glass of wine.

  Watching over Lona was going to be more challenging than he’d anticipated.

  * * * *

  Lona placed the bowl of strawberries next to the ham and cheese quiche cooling on the table for dinner. Satisfied with her table setting, she grinned as she opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water. She couldn’t wait to see Rafi’s face when he got home. He always insisted on doing all the cooking, but she was tired of being waited on hand and foot. She was restless, tired of waiting on pins and needles for the next wave of pain to overtake her. The good news was that she felt better than she had in months and it felt good to cook something in the kitchen she knew would be enjoyed.

  At least you hope so.

  There was a chance Rafi wouldn’t like her quiche.

  With a little sigh, she went to the patio door, opened it and stepped outside. She turned

  her face up towards the sun as the warm wind blew around her, lifting her short sundress up off her legs. There was no one to bother her, no one around who knew who she was or what she’d been accused of. Rafi’s place was so peaceful—being around Rafi made her feel at peace. She couldn’t explain it. Maybe it was just the location or Rafi’s warm smile and engaging conversations.

  Lona exhaled slowly, watching the waves break, frothy and white in a sea of blue-green water. She never got tired of looking at the ocean washing up on the sandy shore. The rhythm of the waves comforted her and she found herself staring out over the water several times a day, lost in her thoughts.

  Still, after five days of lounging in the sun and sleeping, she felt like she’d scream if she didn’t see a change of scenery. Not that the scenery was anything less than beautiful.

  Especially Rafi.

  Lona squeezed the cold bottle of water in her hand.

  He was more than beautiful. He was kind, thoughtful, funny and one hell of a cook. His easy-going manner made her feel welcome even though she hated feeling like she was imposing on his generosity. He’d insisted on using his genie abilities to produce sundresses, shorts, tops and bathing suits for her to wear, but she’d persuaded him to take her into town to purchase her own lingerie.
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br />   Yup, he was the perfect host, giving her space as he’d promised, never hovering yet often around when she wanted company. She’d slipped into an easy routine with him. It scared the hell out of her to admit she was beginning to adjust and even enjoy living with him.

  Tonight, she wanted to find her own place to stay. She had enough money to afford to rent somewhere small until she found a job.

  And you can offer what skills?

  Lona shook her head. She didn’t think there was a huge job market for conduits for psychic energy. It had been so long since she’d lived in the real world. One way or another, she had to forge a new life for herself, and relaxing on Rafi’s deck wasn’t going to help her to do that. It had been crazy of her to accept his offer in the first place. He had to be longing for his space. Lona was sure he’d like to get his life back to normal, and taking in a pregnant roommate outta the blue for an indefinite amount of time was anything but normal.

  Niri’s warning echoed in her head. She would need Rafi’s help to rejuvenate her body with magic.

  But there’s still time.

  She did tire more easily than she had a couple of weeks ago, but overall she felt stronger. The strange pains she’d been experiencing had disappeared ever since the night she’d asked Rafi to stay with her. Maybe there was a chance she wouldn’t need his magical powers for quite a while and if she did in the future…

  You’ll just have to ask him.

  Lona swallowed hard, trying not to picture his hands pressed to her heart as his magic energy flowed through her body. She closed her eyes, effectively blocking out the sun but not the memory of Rafi calling her name in the dark the last time she’d had a nightmare. She’d pretended to be asleep so he wouldn’t have to stay any longer than necessary. His fingers had barely grazed her skin as he’d pulled up the sheet to cover her, yet she couldn’t forget how much she’d wanted him to touch her. She’d been embarrassed to realise she’d hoped he would lie in the bed beside her.

  Had he known what she desired when he’d brought the chair?

  Lona got up and walked to the edge of the porch, unconsciously searching for Rafi as she looked down the beach. Soon, she’d see him running back towards her as he finished his daily jog before dinner. Her stomach twisted into a weird knot as she envisioned what would soon be the reality of Rafi breathing hard, sweaty, his eyes full of light as he bounded up the stairs towards her.

  She blinked and found that he was within sight, a little farther down the beach. Her heart began to pound as he lifted his hand to wave, never missing a jogging step in the sand. Lona watched him approach, wishing she could look away, but her eyes drank in the sight of him as he came up the stairs.

  He looked amazing with the wind riffling through his over-long, wavy brown hair, with his sweaty, white T-shirt clinging to his muscled arms and tight abdomen.

  “Whew! It’s warm tonight. That jog was tough.”

  He smiled at her as he stripped out of his damp shirt.

  Lona nodded, willing her eyes to stay on his face as he stretched his arms overhead. “It is warm.”

  And you are so hot.

  “Here.”

  She handed him the bottled water and tried not to stare as he twisted off the cap and proceeded to drink. Her gaze dropped from his face to the smattering of hair across his pecs. Rafi continued to chug down water as her eyes flitted down to the black running shorts he was wearing. The spandex nylon fabric hugged his powerful thighs, sinfully tight ass and the impressive outline of his cock.

  “Do I smell something cooking?”

  Lona cleared her throat and wondered if he’d seen her ogling his body. “I made a ham and cheese quiche for dinner.”

  “You did?”

  Rafi turned towards the patio door and beads of sweat rolled down his tapered back.

  “I did. It’s not fair for you to cook every night.”

  “I don’t mind.” Rafi finished the bottle of water. “It’s a welcome change from my normal routine.”

  There was the pang of guilt again. She knew she was cramping his style, living with him like this.

  “Would you like to take a swim with me before we eat? Sometimes a dip in the ocean is the only thing that cools me off.”

  Lona was sure she could see flames leaping off his tanned skin.

  “Hmm… I haven’t been swimming in a while.” Lona glanced at the waves rolling in to shore. “And I don’t know if I’m ready to take on the ocean.”

  Rafi grinned. “Would a swimming pool be more to your liking?”

  “It would be…too bad there isn’t one here.”

  “Have you forgotten what I am?” Rafi asked with a look of utter disbelief.

  Lona shrugged. “So, are you going to poof a swimming pool right here on your deck?”

  Rafi gave her a mischievous grin.

  “How warm do you want the water?”

  His coffee-coloured eyes never left her face as he waited for her answer.

  “Eighty degrees?”

  “Cool. Step back, please. And just for the record…I zap, not poof.”

  Lona moved to the stairs and watched Rafi lift one hand. A blast of brilliant blue light flashed before her as she shielded her eyes.

  “Your pool awaits, Milady.”

  Chapter Six

  She dropped her hands from her face and gasped. The deck had been a nice size, but now it was huge. Glass mosaic tiles lined the rim of the oval pool and glimmered in iridescent shades of blue at the bottom, reflecting the lights all around. Gorgeous green plants encircled the entire area, making it look more like a tropical getaway.

  “Wow!” She tore her eyes away from the water to shake her head in disbelief at Rafi. “Look at this. It’s amazing!”

  Rafi smiled. “Test the water.”

  Lona walked forward, holding on to the shiny railing leading down a few steps into the pool, and stuck her foot in. The water was warm and welcoming.

  “It feels divine.”

  She took another step down into the pool, longing to feel the balmy water all over her body. All of her reservations about swimming melted away.

  “This is definitely my idea of the perfect swim. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  You’re incredible.

  She bit her tongue to keep her gushy compliment to herself. He was a genie—no doubt this kind of stuff was everyday stock for him and the women he entertained.

  “Do you need to change?”

  Rafi winked at her as another flash of blue blinded her for a second. She blinked and found him clad in a pair of blue swimming trunks. The sleek material lovingly clung to his narrow hips. She shifted her attention from the tempting bulge front and centre in his swimming shorts to see Rafi gesturing towards her purple sundress with a lazy smile.

  “What about you?”

  Lona bent down, lifted her purple sundress up her body and pulled it over her head. She tossed it on the deck’s surface before turning to Rafi. “Let’s swim.”

  He ran his gaze over her body for the briefest of moments and Lona wondered how she looked to him in her pink, polka-dot tankini. The shimmering fabric clung to her breasts and dipped a little to show off her cleavage. She liked the way the polka-dots drew attention away from her rounded stomach down to her solid pink bikini bottoms.

  Rafi’s eyes seemed darker as he looked at her.

  “Last one in is a rotten dragon egg.”

  Lona giggled. “I’m already in the water.”

  Rafi shook his head as he rounded the side of the pool. “Doesn’t count… I mean all the way in.”

  “Ok—”

  Water splattered all over her as Rafi disappeared into the deep end with a big splash as a result of his wild cannonball.

  Lona wagged her finger at Rafi as she waded out towards him. “That was so unfair.”

  Rafi shrugged, treading water as he chuckled. “Don’t be a sore loser, Lona.”

  She rolled her eyes at him before dipping below the
surface of the blissfully warm water. When she broke the surface, Rafi was right in front of her, sporting his heart-melting smile. On impulse, she splashed him, giggling at the look of surprise on his face.

  “Hey!”

  He caught her by the wrist, dragging her even closer to him. Her feet were firmly planted on the pool’s bottom, but she felt like she was floating on a cloud as Rafi stared down at her with that mesmerising twinkle in his eyes.

  Damn these crazy hormones!

  Yes, hormones were the reason for her racing pulse and the flutter in her chest. The hormones were to blame for the overwhelming desire rising within her to taste his kiss.

  “I should apologise for not explaining the rules to the getting-into-the-pool game.”

  Lona swayed with the flow of the water as she nodded her head. “Yes, you should.”

  “Will you forgive me?”

  Will you kiss me?

  Heat suffused her body, heat that had nothing to do with the pool temperature.

  Thank goodness he can’t read my mind.

  Her gaze fell to his mouth and she unconsciously ran the tip of her tongue along her bottom lip.

  Was it so wrong to desire a kiss so much her heart cried out for it?

  “Lona…”

  She blinked, embarrassed and flustered by her thoughts as she lifted her eyes from Rafi’s mouth to his eyes.

  “What were you thinking about just now?”

  “Kissing you.”

  Lona inhaled sharply.

  Out loud.

  She’d answered his question out loud.

  “Rafi, I’m sor—”

  “Don’t say that. Don’t be sorry for wanting something as badly as I do.”

  Rafi refused to think about the repercussions of his actions as he bent his head and kissed Lona. Her lips were softer and sweeter than he had imagined and he had to remind himself to go slow. The growing desire to touch her had been driving him crazy all week. His cock hardened in an instant as she surrendered to his kiss, welcoming his tongue with her own as he tasted her for the first time.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his hands on her waist. He wanted to crush her body against his, but…

  But then she’d feel your raging hard-on.