The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) (14 page)

That thought made his jaw tighten. He wasn't about to let that happen.

They ate breakfast, during which he told her about her horse's lame leg.

"Does that mean we have to wait for Hassan?" she asked.

Azim shook his head. "We can't wait for him to return to camp. It might be so late, we can't make decent progress. I reckon we can reach my friend's palace by mid-afternoon."

He saw Lucy's eyes narrow at the mention of the Al Kharif palace on the coast. He explained that once they got there, they'd be able to travel by helicopter to Qazhar city. It would take less than an hour.
 

He watched the way she considered that last point. Did she realize he was hinting that, once they got to Qazhar city, she'd once more be free to go where she pleased? If that was the case, what choice would she make? Would she simply thank him for his help and go her own way?

Azim contained the surge of emotion triggered by that thought. How was that even possible, after what they'd shared hours before? They hadn't even talked about that. He put that down to simple, early morning awkwardness. Surely she wasn't thinking last night had just been some glorified one night stand with the sheikh in his desert encampment.

The thought made him bristle.

"You okay?" she asked. He saw the concern in her eyes. She always had been able to discern his shifting moods, had always been able to sense his unease.

"I'm fine," he replied. He chewed on a fig. "I was just thinking we should get started. If we're going to share a horse, we'll need to slow the pace down a bit."

Lucy nodded. He saw she was about to say something, but he felt a sudden urge to make a move. If they started any kind of talk, they might not get out of the camp early enough.

As they tidied up the remains of breakfast he saw that she was watching him closely. Was she trying to gauge his reaction to last night? There'd be time for talking later, once they were out in the desert.

It didn't take long for them to pack everything they needed, including extra water from the supplies left by Hassan.
 

Then Azim lifted Lucy up onto his horse, in spite of her protestations. He climbed up onto his mount and tucked himself behind Lucy. He wrapped an arm around Lucy's waist. It felt good to have her so close. As he stretched out to take the reins, he buried his nose in the scented tumble of her blonde hair. He inhaled the sweetness and felt himself firm.

She leaned back against him and turned her face to his. "Comfortable?" she asked, giving him a mischievous grin. Had she noticed his instant reaction to her closeness?

He smiled at her. "I was just about to ask you the exact same question," he replied. "Would you like me to move?"

She shrugged and pouted her lips. "Why would I want that?" she asked. "I think I'm quite comfortable as it is." Her gaze flickered downwards. "I can tell you're already settled in."

He grinned at her. She leaned her head toward him and he kissed her. He heard her breath quicken, just like he'd heard so many times last night. Her taste was sublime and, for a moment, he had a sudden impulse to lift Lucy down off the horse and make love to her right there on the warm sand. He felt himself tighten even more, and then their lips parted and she turned her face away from him.

"Let's get going," she ordered. There was a tone of playfulness in her voice that made his heart glad. It was so good to see her happy again, hear the pleasure in her voice.

He flicked the horse's reins and they started to make their way out of the camp. At the top of the dune he glanced back at the tents. Coming here had been a good choice, he told himself.
 

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

They'd been riding for a few hours and she was starting to think that maybe they'd make it to the Al Kharif palace earlier than Azim had predicted, when she saw him peer with concern at the sky and make an announcement that sent a chill down her spine.

"I think we're going to have to stop," he declared.

She twisted in the saddle and stared at him. "Why?"

"Look," he said, pointing toward the south, the direction in which they were heading.

Lucy gazed toward the horizon. "I don't see anything," she said in a puzzled voice.

She felt Azim lean against her and he extended his arm over her shoulder. She followed the line of sight.

"See it. There's a sandstorm coming. It doesn't look to big. It doesn't spread wide enough, but it'll be enough to hold us back."

Lucy narrowed her eyes and saw a nebulous cloud gathering on the horizon.
 

"Can't you feel it in the air, already?" he asked.

Lucy paused and then shook her head. "It feels just as hot as before."

"The air has cooled slightly," he said. "And the pressure has changed."

Lucy squinted at Azim. "How can you tell that?"

He shrugged. "Trust me. I can tell," he said.

"What are we going to do," Lucy asked gazing around. Everywhere she looked there was just sand and nothing else.

"We'll have to take cover," he explained.

Azim guided the horse to the north-facing base of one of the sand dunes. He slid down off the horse and extended his arms up toward Lucy.
 

"Coming?" he asked. He seemed to be trying to make light of the problem, and she couldn't exactly tell whether what was about to happen was serious or not. She'd have to trust him. After last night, she knew that was the least of her worries.

Lucy slid off the saddle and let Azim wrap his arms around her as her booted feet landed on the sand. She was sure he held onto her for just a few seconds longer than was really necessary. His gaze flashed with an odd mixture of uncontrollable attraction and the flickering of worry.

Then he released her and removed the pack from the horse.

"When will the storm hit us?" she asked.

Azim threw the pack down on the sand. "In a few minutes," he said stooping to pullout one of the large blankets he'd packed.

Lucy watched him persuade the horse down onto its haunches. He seemed to have a natural ability to command the animal, something the horse sensed, because it immediately complied with its master. The horse hunkered down onto the sand as if it understood what was about to happen. Maybe the animal had been through this plenty of times, Lucy told herself.

Azim placed the large pack against the angular, sandy side of the dune and draped the large blanket over the pack, creating a sheltering space beneath.

"Wait a minute," Lucy said. "We're going under that blanket?" she asked.

Azim gazed at her and nodded. He looked puzzled, as if he couldn't understand why she could possibly be confused or even concerned. "Do you have any other suggestion?" he asked sharply.

She saw him glance up at the sky. There were already light flurries of dust tumbling down onto them. She could feel the pressure of the growing wind on the back of her neck.

Azim gestured down at the space below the blanket. "We'll be safe under this. The storm will pass in a short while," he said. "Hopefully," he added with a grin.

Lucy scowled at Azim. "Hopefully?" she exclaimed.

Azim smiled at her. "Please," he said pointing at the blanket he was holding. "Just get under there, will you?"

Lucy grunted. "This had better work," she said striding toward him.

"The worse thing that'll happen is that you'll get to spend some time lying next to me on the sand. What's so bad about that?" he said with a grin that told her he was teasing her.

Lucy rolled her eyes at Azim and then dropped down onto her knees, and ducked under the blanket. She lay back and watched Azim take the pack and arrange it so that, when he joined her and pulled the heavy blanket into place around them, most of it would be secured by some form of weight.

She watched him get down on his knees, holding the final open part of the blanket over his head. Behind him she could see heavier waves of sand flow past him. She heard the sudden roar of wind and felt the sharp tingle of grains of sand on her face.

Then with one final quick look behind him, Azim dipped down and tugged on the blanket sealing it behind him. He lay down alongside Lucy, his body pressed up against hers.

"Come here," he said placing an arm across her. She sidled closer to him, so that she was crushed tight against him. She saw his eyes brighten as she pushed her body against him.

With another hand Azim tucked the blanket so that parts of it were weighed down at the edges by both of their bodies. She was pressed hard against him, making her feel that both of them had joined into one complete body. She felt a flush of emotion at that thought. Now, where had that thought come from? Why did she suddenly feel the way she'd felt last night?

 
Lucy tucked herself even closer against Azim and felt the blanket shake with gusts of the approaching storm. Was this the only approaching storm she'd have to deal with, she asked herself? She shook that thought away as firmly as she could.

Light that made its way through the blanket allowed her see Azim's features.
 

He looked at her with concern. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Should I be worried?" she asked.

Azim shook his head and grinned. "You've got a choice," he said. She squinted at him and he continued. He continued, still smiling. "Take your chances here with me, or outside with the sandstorm."

Lucy narrowed her brows. "Very funny," she said. "I think I'll be perfectly safe here."

Azim raised a brow. "You sure about that?"

Before she could reply there as a sudden, sharp gust and the fluttered around them. She saw Azim grab the blanket above his head. His eyes widened as there was another blast of air, coming quicker than the last.

Lucy could feel the heat of Azim's body against hers. For a moment she was glad that he was so close. She could hear the roaring of the storm, feel the pressure of the air.
 

Azim gazed into her eyes, saying nothing, but she could see that he was thinking of her reaction. She could tell he knew that, unlike it was for him, this was no everyday experience for her.
 

Another powerful gust shook the heavy blanket and Lucy nestled closer to Azim. It felt as if they were wrapped in a strange kind of security blanket. Azim's free arm slid across her side and she felt him draw her closer. She could feel his breath against her face, could see the moistness of his lips, the thin covering of sand on his cheeks. She reached up a hand and brushed off the grains of sand. He smiled at her, leaned his head closer, kissing her on the forehead.

There was a loud roar of wind from outside and Lucy's body jerked involuntarily. His eyes narrowed reassuringly and she felt him tighten his hold on her. She felt the knot of worry in her middle loosen.
 

"How long is this going to last?" she asked.

The corner of his mouth creased with the hint of a smile. "What, this?" he replied, rolling his eyes, as if she was talking about their cozy huddle beneath the blanket.

She pouted at him. "You know what I mean."

The wind hurled another blast at them and she felt the blanket quiver at the side of her head.
 

"It's difficult to say. From the looks of it, I think it might be an hour or two," he said.

"Two hours!" she exclaimed.

Azim snuggled closer to her. "What's so bad about that? I'd have thought you'd be okay with that. Especially after last night."

Lucy lowered her gaze, eager that he wouldn't be able to read her expression. Stuck here, under a blanket in the middle of a sandstorm, there weren't too many places to hide. It was going to be difficult to avoid talking about last night. Why would she even want to avoid such a conversation, she rebuked herself.
 

There was so much to say about what had happened. It had been earth-shattering in every possible way. She felt that she'd been unnecessarily cold with him this morning. But, then again, maybe he understood the turmoil the events of last night had spun her into. She was still trying to understand what it all meant, what it meant for the future. Their future, if they even had one, she told herself.

Maybe she had no choice but to seize the moment, she thought. After all, she wouldn't be going anywhere for a while.

"About last night, Azim," she murmured. The wind roared again as if trying to drown out her words. It was as if she was even battling the elements, and not just the demons that had awoken inside her. Demons of the past. Their past.

Azim's gaze became steady and even. He didn't say anything, merely watched her struggle to find the right words.
 

Lucy smiled at him. "It was wonderful." She hesitated and then added: "It really was," she said, feeling the emotion welling up inside her.
 

In response, his smile was warm, and his eyes brightened. "It was, Lucy. It meant so much to me. You know that don't you?" he murmured, above the sound of the storm as the blanket shook with the forces raging outside.

Lucy nodded and sighed. She smiled back at him. "It meant a lot to me too, Azim."

He simply nodded, saying nothing, waiting for her to continue.

Lucy lowered her head and closed her eyes for a moment, grateful that he wasn't searching her features for more answers. Her heart had swollen suddenly with emotion, a tide of rising feeling, and there were a thousand butterflies tumbling around in her stomach.
 

There was nowhere to run, now. Nowhere to hide. This was the perfect definition of a face to face conversation. She tried to smile at the wry amusement that thought stirred in her, but there was no use trying to make light of this situation.

She felt Azim's fingers against her chin. He lifted her face gently up to his and she saw such love in his eyes that, for a brief, unguarded moment, it took her breath away. His gaze dropped slowly to her mouth, and she saw his brows furrow.
 

"You've got sand on your lower lip," he said. "Did you know that?"

Lucy couldn't shift her gaze from him, couldn't take her eyes off his brutally handsome features. She shook her head and watched as he lifted his hand and slid his thumb along her lower lip. She felt the roughness of his skin, and saw the effect just touching her like that had on him. His eyes narrowed with barely controlled longing and she was sure she saw him swallow quickly, betraying his true feelings.