His Sabah

XIX

The sound of the alarm drew Salim from a deep sleep. He shot up, groaning softly and fumbling to turn it off, the blaring noise causing his head to begin pounding in irritation. Silence returned to blanket the room once more, and Salim found his eyes growing heavy under its calming spell. He gave a deep sigh and relaxed against his pillow again, tightening his arm around the person beside him, craving their warmth. 

Wait.

What?

His eyes jolted open in surprise and he looked down at the small body pressed against his. Involuntarily, a smile formed on his lips as he gazed at his sleeping wife. Her beautiful face was the picture of peace, with her long lashes and thick hair brushing across her cheeks. He couldn't bear to disturb such a sight. Slowly, he reached out to brush the strands away, allowing him to appreciate her lovely face in its entirety. 

"God," he breathed, his chest constricting at how stunning she was, even fast asleep. He couldn't help but marvel at how he could have possibly been gifted such a beauty. She was beyond anything he could have imagined and simply staring at her for long enough made him ache with a desperate need to touch her, kiss her, be with her in every way.

Swallowing, he moved away from her slightly, and then climbed from the bed, shocked at his overwhelming thoughts and needing to put space between them. He had never been one to feel so strongly about the opposite gender. Yes, he enjoyed women, but once he had fulfilled himself of the pleasures they offered, he forgot about them almost as quickly as he became attracted to them in the first place. 

With Sabah however, it was completely different. He felt like he was being pulled to her by some magnetic force he couldn't explain and it scared him, especially because he knew how apprehensive she was when it came to his affections.

Though, glancing at her, the curve of her body beneath the sheets, he didn't know how much longer he could hold them off.

Deciding what he needed quite badly, for more than one reason, was a nice cold shower, he made his way towards the bathroom, intent on taming his wild thoughts. Fifteen minutes later, when he felt sufficiently refreshed, he decided to finally wake his lovely wife. Toweling his hair dry with one hand, he sauntered to the bed and leaned over her petite frame.

"Hey," he whispered, shaking her gently. "Wake up."

Sabah's eyebrows came together in faint annoyance and she turned her face away from him, making a irritated sound in the back of her throat. Salim rolled his eyes and shook her again, a little more firmly this time.

"Come on," he said, "let's go. Up and at 'em."

"Five more minutes," she whined, rolling onto her other side. Salim sighed and stood to his full height, changing hands with the towel. "We're going to miss the boat," he said, watching with hardly restrained amusement as Sabah jolted up in bed, her hair flying wildly around her face. 

"Oh my god! I nearly forgot! We're leaving tod--" She stopped mid-sentence as her gaze settled on him, her face flushing bright red at the sight of nothing but the towel tied low around his hips.

Salim looked down at himself, failing to hide the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "What's wrong?" he asked, feigning innocence. Sabah shook her head and looked away quickly, her blush deepening as he grew closer.

"No, really," he continued, relishing in her coy behavior. "What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

He draped the towel he had been drying his hair with around his neck, plopping down on the edge of the bed. She immediately scurried to the opposite end, about to climb off when he leaned across the mattress and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.