Amira by Sofia Ross

would
carry it on her wedding day just as Fiona had.
    “And
Hani…Arabian prince,” he said with a charming wink and a grin.  He took Hani's
hand in his again and squeezed it.  “Ye may not always have the riches of Ali
Baba or the wishes of Aladdin's lamp, but what ye have here with Serena is much
more valuable.  Cherish it!   Treasure it!   Love each
other.  Be good tae each other!”
    Hani
nodded like a young child receiving words of wisdom from his elder, and Serena
could tell that he was holding back a tear as the muscle in his jaw twitched. 
He was unable to speak but managed to utter a quiet “ Yes sir .” 
    Angus
then turned and ambled down the beach in the direction from which he came, and
Alastair strode protectively beside him.  Hani put his arm around Serena and
pulled her closer as they silently watched the pair disappear into the
distance.

Chapter 10
               
    Serena
and Hani spent the remainder of the afternoon stopping at a few shops on the
boardwalk and ate lunch together at a café.  There was a kind of quiet calm
between them as they spoke a little quieter, held each other a little bit
closer, and kissed more tenderly that afternoon.  He insisted on buying her a
handmade necklace that she had admired in one of the shops which specialized in
beach glass jewelry.  He lifted her hair and carefully fastened the clasp,
placing one soft kiss on the nape of her neck.  He stepped back to check how it
looked, and he said the color of the smooth, frosted glass complemented the
blue-green of her eyes.
    They
returned to the hotel, which was a toasty welcome from the cool autumn air. 
Upon entering the suite, Hani quickly pulled Serena into a warm embrace and
held her tightly in his arms.  She laid her head on his chest as he held her
and listened to his heart beating strongly in his chest.  When he lifted her
chin to look into her eyes, she did not resist his passionate kisses that
followed.
    He
guided her to the bedroom, where they had made love many times before.  This
time, however, was a little bit different as they kissed with more depth and
passion, and Hani thrusted slowly inside her like the waves that washed up on
the beach earlier that day.  He made love not only to her body but also to her
heart and soul, and when she came, he held her trembling in his arms as he
released his warm seed inside her.  It was more a life-affirming act than any
kind of hormonal lust, although their lovemaking was always sublime.
    Later
that afternoon, he worked on some paperwork even if it was supposed to be his
day off, and Serena sat near him as he worked, not wanting to be far from him
at any time.  It seemed that they were always touching each other in some way. 
She would stand behind him and rub his shoulders or she would sit beside him
and he would rest his hand on her thigh as he explained some of what he was
working on.  She didn't understand a lot of what he talked about, but she
nodded with interest as she listened.
    She
left him to have some quiet time to finish his work and make some business
calls and went into the bedroom and closed the door so her music wouldn't
disturb him, but she still kept the volume low.  She texted Maggie and didn't
get a reply, so she dialed her number, and it went directly to voice mail. 
That seemed strange, so she dialed again and finally got an answer.
    “Serena! 
Oh my God, girl!” Maggie shouted into the phone.  “Where have you been?  I
haven't seen you in forever, and Dee said you were sick today.  Are you ok?  Do
you need anything?”  Once Maggie opened her mouth, her words gushed out and you
couldn't stop her until she exhausted all that she had to say.
    “Maggie!”
Serena shouted back with a laugh.  “I'm fine.  Just been busy with classes and
shit and Hani had the day off, so we hung out and walked on the beach.  We ate
at that little café; you know the one where that really dorky guy was flirting
with me last time?