Wrapped In Pleasure - Brenda Jackson [52]
The best thing to do was to keep her mind occupied. She had to stop thinking about Jamal.
Jamal got out of bed drenched in sweat as chills from the night air touched his body, making him tremble. His dream had seemed so real. He inhaled deeply. There wasn’t the lingering aroma of sex, that special scent that he and Delaney’s mated bodies generated.
He momentarily closed his eyes, memorizing her scent and visualizing in his mind the nights he had been pleasured by her body in reality and not in a dream. He could never forget the sight of her lying on her back…waiting for him. Her legs were shapely, long and sleek, and her breasts, there for him to touch and taste, and he had thoroughly enjoyed doing both. But what took his breath away to just think about it was her rear, perfectly rounded and curvy, making him hard each time he saw it.
The memories were making his body hard, and his breath was ragged. A part of him cursed the fate that had taken him away from Delaney. He acknowledged he would have left eventually, anyway. But knowing that had made every moment with her precious as time had clicked away. The time they had spent together had not been nearly long enough.
He reached for his robe from a nearby chair and put it on, then walked across the room to the door leading to the balcony. Stars dotted the midnight sky and softly lit the courtyard below. With its numerous lush plants, beautiful flowers and exotic shrubs, the courtyard had always been his favorite place to hide out as a child. But no matter how well he thought he could hide, Asalum would always find him. He smiled at the memory, breathing in the scent of gardenias and jasmine.
He then smiled at the thought of what Delaney would think if she ever saw the palace. A part of him could see her feeling right at home here. There was no doubt in his mind that with her Western views she would be a breath of fresh air. Her liberal way of thinking would no doubt scandalize some, but her caring would capture the hearts of others. The same way she had captured his.
Just thinking about her was torment. He straightened slowly and sighed. After he met with his father in the morning he would leave for Kuwait to meet with the other members of the coalition to reach another agreement with the Sheikh of Caron.
Then he would travel to Ranyaa, his estates in northern Africa. And there he would stay until the marriage arrangements had been worked out. He didn’t want to be around anyone any more than necessary. He wanted to be left alone…to drown in his misery.
Chapter 12
Delaney returned the squiggling baby to its mother. “She seems to be doing a whole lot better, Mrs. Ford. Her fever has broken, and her ears no longer look infected.”
The woman shook her head, smiling. “Thanks, Dr. Westmoreland. You have been so nice to my Victoria. She likes you.”
Delaney grinned. “I like her, too. And to be on the safe side, I’d like to see her again in a few weeks to recheck her ears.”
“All right.”
Delaney watched as the woman placed the baby in the stroller and left, waving goodbye before getting on the elevator. She sighed deeply. During the three weeks since she had started working she was getting used to being called Dr. Westmoreland. Her heart caught in her chest each time she heard it. All of her hard work and dedication to her studies had paid off. She was doing something she loved and that was providing medical care to children.
Someone behind her chuckled, and she half turned and saw it was Tara Matthews. Tara was a fellow resident pediatrician whom she had met when she began working at the hospital. They had quickly become good friends.
“Okay, what’s so funny?” she asked Tara, smiling.
“You are,” Tara said, shaking her head, grinning. “You really like babies, don’t you?”
Managing a chuckle, Delaney said, “Of course I do. I’m a pediatrician, for heaven’s sake. So are you, and I have to assume you