Authors: Annalynne Russo
Blood of the Nile (20 page)
Yet once the
ordeal had ended, a new brand of misery took its place. While Maliyah sat
cooped up in a hospital room trying to recover, Ramses was nowhere to be found.
Two days in the intensive care unit, and not a single visit from the man that
had claimed her as his mate. Hell, not even a phone call to make sure she
hadn’t succumbed to her injuries. Maliyah left her lover a slew of voicemail
messages, and plead with him to at least sit down for a chat so they could work
things out. She even asked Salma to put in a good word or two as he packed up
his belongings and unceremoniously left her father’s house. Nothing seemed to
faze
the stubborn hunk of a man.
Maliyah had no
choice but to leave town. Once the doctor cleared her for travel, she booked
the next available red-eye back to Sicily. First, she’d gathered her luggage
and engaged in an emotional goodbye with her cousins. Still, she refused to
cry. It wasn’t until the airplane taxied down the runway, that Maliyah allowed
herself to grieve. Out the small window to her right, she could see the bright
lights of the city on the horizon. Egypt, and everything about it, made her heart
ache with thoughts of the man she’d loved and lost. The gritty desert sand,
harsh and abrasive as ever, reminded her of Ramses’ tough exterior. In
contrast, the gentle lull of the Nile conjured memories of her enveloped in his
warm, comforting embrace. Her vision panned to the left and she spotted a large
rock nestled along the river’s edge, much like the one where they shared their
first intimate moments. All of a sudden, Maliyah’s restraint shattered. Tears streamed
from her cheeks, a fresh wound inflicted by her lover’s scathing rejection.
“Pardon the
intrusion. But I thought you might need these,” a voice called from the seat
behind. Then, a handful of tissues dangled above her head. She looked to the
left, and glanced at the other two passengers in her row who sat oblivious. One
read a magazine, while the other appeared to be taking a nap.
Maliyah would
recognize that voice anywhere. Her fingers fumbled with the seatbelt, trying to
break free of it. She turned in her seat and continued to sob as she came face
to face with Ramses, the man she loved. The one person she realized she
couldn’t survive without.
“What are you
doing here?”
“Claiming what’s
mine,” Ramses answered with an inconsequential shrug of the shoulders. In
contrast, his eyes pierced her with a look of smoldering lust. For several
seconds, Maliyah sat on her knees with her hands clutching the back of the
seat, mesmerized by the man who for years she’d adored from afar. Finally, he’d
come for her. She couldn’t believe it.
Ramses reached out
about to caress Maliyah’s hand, when a flight attendant passed by the aisle,
then stopped short. “Ma’am, I’m sorry. The plane is about to take off. You’ll
have to take your seat.” Maliyah rolled her eyes indignantly, then turned her
head and scowled at the other female.
Oh shit!
Maliyah realized the flight
attendant had accompanied her on the trip from Palermo to Egypt. She had her
hands on her hips and sported the same stern expression on her face.
“Maliyah, listen
to the lady.” Ramses’ fingers grazed the top of her hand. His soothing touch calmed
her sudden irritation. “It’s a three hour flight. That gives me plenty of time
to grovel and beg.”
Once the plane had
reached flying altitude and the captain allowed passengers to move about the
cabin, Maliyah convinced the woman to her left to switch seats with Ramses.
“I’m still in shock that you’re even here. For days, I tried to talk sense into
you, but you wouldn’t return any of my calls.”
“I was a fool.”
Ramses entwined their fingers,
then
glided his lips
over her knuckles. “You deserve better. I thought I was doing the right thing
by letting you go. But now I know that’s not possible. I’d rather die than live
another day without the woman I love.”
“Wait. You love
me?” Maliyah cocked her head to the side, turning an ear toward Ramses to make
sure she heard him correctly.
“Of course I love
you,” Ramses said, shifting his weight so he could look directly into her eyes.
“I’ve always loved you, habibti.”
“I love you, too.”
Suddenly, the water works began to flow again. A sea of tears flooded Maliyah’s
face. In response, Ramses leaned in and kissed her.
Gently.
Passionately.
Still, her body reacted in full force.
Everything inside tingled. Her cheeks flushed. Her womb clenched in
anticipation. Although before desire roared out of control, her lover pulled
away, saving them both from the embarrassment of a plane full of onlookers.
“So
what now?”
Maliyah asked hesitantly.
“Well for starters,
you’ll need to get over this silly fear of flying,” Ramses said, wiping away
her tears. “I’m officially retired.
Just sold my business to
Andreas.
That means I’ll have plenty of free time to travel with my new
bride.”
“Are you serious?”
Maliyah fumbled with her words. She could barely speak, shocked by his makeshift
proposal.
“About
everything.
The wife.
The
kids,” Ramses said, whispering into her ear. Her body stiffened at his words.
Ramses must have noticed because he reared back slightly,
then
squeezed her hand. “We’ll adopt if we have to. I want the house with the white
picket fence, too. That is, if you’ll have me?”
At that moment,
Maliyah knew Ramses still harbored doubts. He worried that she wouldn’t accept
him. Ironically, they both shared the same unfounded fears, insecurities that
Maliyah needed to put to rest once and for all. She wrapped her arms around his
neck and drew him close
,
then spoke softly so that only
Ramses could hear. “I want you. The rest is inconsequential.”
The End
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Other Books by
Annalynne
Russo:
www.evernightpublishing.com/pages/Annalynne-Russo.html
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