The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) (15 page)

"You want me to clean all of that off?" he asked, one of his brows lifting inquiringly.

Her heart was pounding and, as far as she could tell, it was hammering as loud as the raging storm just above their heads. The blanket shook and she felt the air shift around them. She could feel the pressure changing, and was sure that, at any moment now, the blanket would be wrenched away from them, exposing them both to the raw elements.

Lucy lifted her head imperceptibly and saw his approving grin. His head moved and his lips sank upon hers. His kiss was tender and reassuring, as if he'd sensed how she was feeling, and that it meant everything to him to make her feel safe. Even if it all it took was one kiss.
 

Lucy savored the taste of his lips, relished his loving attentions. The kiss immediately calmed her, reminding her of everything that happened hours before. She was instantly alerted to the pleasures and the dangers that were at war inside her.

Lucy felt his tongue slide along the length of her lower lip as he did exactly as he said he was going to do. Then his complete attention was upon the kiss, driving sensation into her with his tongue.
 

She snaked her fingers through his hair, enjoying the sensations of it against her skin. It felt so good to have him here, by her side. Just as it had been so incredibly wonderful during the night to enjoy every part of his body, every movement, every touch. And now here, in the middle of a sandstorm, he was still able to make her feel safe, make her feel like she was all that mattered to him. Even if everything around them was tumbling in chaos.
 

Right now it didn't matter how long the storm would last. As far as Lucy was concerned, this was where she belonged. Right here, by Azim's side, in his arms, while the world raged and howled around them.

Their lips parted and he she saw him gazing at her, his eyes completely full of tenderness and something else she dared not put a name to.
 

Not now. Not here, of all places.

Lucy smiled at Azim. The wind howled and the blanket shook around them. In amongst the roaring of the wind, she heard the horse neigh defiantly. She peered at Azim. "He isn't going to run off, is he?" she asked, eager to distract his attention somehow.

Azim lifted his elbow and showed her reins he had tied around his arm. "Don't worry. The horse won't be going anywhere."

The thought of her and Azim having no horse and being forced to cover the remaining distance to the coast on foot was too much to even consider.
 

They lay there for what seemed like an eternity, while the storm raged outside. She wondered at how vulnerable they were like this, but trusted that Azim would know just how to deal the situation. As she lay by his side, held close in his tender grasp, she began to realize that she'd always felt safe with Azim. There had always been some part of Lucy that had implicitly had faith in him, knew that whatever happened he would find a way to keep her safe, make sure life was good for her.

The past couple of days had just gone to prove how right that instinct had been. There hadn't been a moment since he'd come to rescue her, and chased after her in the mountains when she hadn't felt that he would do whatever was needed to protect her.

On top of that he'd literally turned her world upside down with the sheer, unadulterated pleasure he'd made her feel in bed. Her nerves were still shaking with what he'd done to her, the way he'd made her soul sing with every moment of ecstasy, every instant of rapturous, mind-blowing sensation. She could hardly even think about it all without triggering desire, without wanting him naked against her, needing him inside her again.

But, right here, in the middle of a storm, there was nothing she could do about that insistent need that was digging at her insides.

Lucy snuggled up against Azim, feeling his arms wrapping around her shoulders. One of his hands settled on the back of her head and she dug in against him even deeper. She inhaled his manly scent, felt the heat of his body through the robes. This was where she belonged, right now. In the arms of her loving sheikh, protected from everything the world could throw at them.

As if defying her very thought, the wind hurled one huge gust against them, but the blanket held firm around them. And, more importantly for Lucy, she felt Azim squeeze her even tighter, as if there was nothing life could do that could ever force him to let her go.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The storm passed as suddenly as it had arrived. Quiet descended upon them with a quickness that startled Lucy. Before she knew what was happening, Azim had swept the blanket away from them to reveal a blue sky and the horses gazing at them as if wondering what all the fuss had been about. The air was still and clear now that the worst had passed.

Azim stood and shook all the accumulated sand from the blanket. Lucy brushed the sand from her clothes. She gazed around startled at how quickly things had returned to normal. She wasn't sure how long they'd been under the shelter of the blanket. Maybe an hour. Perhaps more.
 

At one stage she'd thought the storm would never end, that she'd be crushed against Azim until nightfall. That wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world, she'd told herself.

But, now it was all over. She watched Azim load the pack
 
onto the horse's back. She hoped her equipment hadn't been affected by the sheer amount of sand that had been flying through the air. The pack had been a useful thing for them both to rest their heads on while the storm battered the dune beneath them.

"Are we going to make it to safety before nightfall?" she asked him.

Azim frowned. "We'll see," he replied. He went to the horse and set up a drink for the animal. "Maybe we can pick up the pace a bit. Either way, I think we'll be fine."

She saw him smile at her. "How was your first sandstorm?" he joked.

Lucy shrugged, trying to match the lightness of his attitude. She didn't want him to guess at the raging torrent of emotions she'd had to deal with under that blanket. "I'll know what to do next time," she replied. "Thanks to your expertise," she added.

He grinned. "I'll make a desert princess out of you, yet," he said.

For a moment, she wasn't sure just how to take that remark. She met his gaze, sure she could see a flicker of determination in those eyes. He wasn't merely joking about that, she told herself. He really meant it.
 

She shook her head and laughed. "I'm just a regular small town gal," she said firmly. She saw the way he looked at her and she cocked her head, twisting a shoulder, hoping the gesture would look cute and disarm the sudden seriousness she saw in his eyes.

Azim frowned and shook his head as he tightened the straps of the pack around the horses middle. "I think you're a whole lot more than that, Lucy. There aren't many women from little towns who'd do what you've done."

She waved a dismissive hand at him. "Don't go embarrassing me."

He squinted at her. "Why not? Isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing?" He gazed upwards, trying to find his next words. "What did you used to accuse me of doing? Driving you crazy? Yes. That was it," he added with a grin.

She narrowed her eyes. "I seem to remember you were pretty good at that, Azim," she said.
 

"Like last night?" he asked in an even, quiet voice.

There he went again, she said to herself. He wasn't going to drop the subject, no matter what she did.

Lucy went to the pack and he stepped aside as she dug inside, checking her equipment. Examining it, she found that it seemed to be undamaged.

A few minutes later she was back on the horse, leaning
 
into Azim, who'd wrapped his arms right around her. With a flick of the reins they started to head south again, this time faster. She sensed a fresh urgency in Azim as he coaxed the horse to a quicker pace than before.

For a while she simply leaned back against him, gazing out across the rolling dunes. This was such an incredible place, she thought. No wonder he felt so at home. Once its dangers had been tamed, the desert was awe-inspiring. It had the capacity to change a person. Make them feel utterly transformed.

It was part of the reason she'd loved coming to these parts so much in recent times. She'd always enjoyed seeing new places, and this wasn't the first desert she'd traveled across. In other countries in the wider region, she'd ridden by camel, visited isolated encampments and traveled with guides.

But, sitting here, with Azim pressing his sexy body against her, the only thing she felt like doing was sighing with contentment, and just enjoying the moment.
 

When he heard her sigh, Azim murmured in her ear. "You sound like you're happy." His voice was a low, tempting growl. Her nerves tingled with feel of his breath against the skin behind her ear.

Lucy gazed out across the landscape. "Who wouldn't be happy in a place like this," she replied.

"I know. I can't imagine never being able to come to a place like this." His voice was filled with pride.

Lucy turned her head and looked at him. "It's in your blood, Azim. That's the difference between you and me. I'm just passing through. But, for you, this is life. This is reality."

"Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Say what?"
 

"That you're just passing through," he said.

She frowned. "It's true. Isn't it?"

She saw his brows furrow and felt him draw in a deep breath. He didn't respond immediately and she worried she'd said the wrong thing. But, wasn't it true? Nothing that had happened in the last twenty-four hours was going to make any difference, was it?
 

Even as she entertained those thoughts, she knew they weren't true, knew that, deep down, something vital had changed since they'd been reunited back in those mountains.

Finally he spoke again. "I'd have thought last night might have made you see me in a different light," he said.

She tried to smile at him, but she saw how serious he was, so she simply nodded. "I did, Azim," she said softly. She reached a hand up to his face and stroked his cheek. "You know that, don't you?" she added.

She saw him frown, as if what she'd said had only made things worse, caused him more confusion.

"So, what are you saying, Lucy?" he asked, a sudden sharpness in his voice. "You know how I feel about you. How I still feel about you."

Lucy turned and faced away from him, gazing ahead toward the dunes on the horizon. It was going to be a long ride, if this was an example of the conversation between them.

"I know what you're saying, Azim. It's just all so complicated," she said.

She felt his arms tighten around her. "How is it complicated? I thought it was pretty clear how we felt about each other, last night."

"It may have been clear to you, Azim," she said, bristling slightly at his demanding tone of voice. "Things always were black and white for you. That's not how my world works," she said. Still facing away from him she added: "You know I don't live in your world. I never have."

She heard him sigh heavily and felt him ease away from her. "You could have, if you'd wanted," he said. "And then none of this would have happened. You'd have been completely safe with me."

Lucy stiffened and whirled around to peer at him. "Is that all you think about? Keeping me safe?"

"What's wrong with that?" he growled. His brows deepened and there was a hint of darkness in his eyes.

Lucy sighed sharply. "I never said there was anything wrong with it. Just that, I need my space. My freedom. I've worked hard to get where I am."

Azim squeezed her tight and grinned. "And I've worked pretty hard to get you right where I want you," he murmured.

In spite of everything she'd tried to convince herself of, that nothing had changed, she knew he was right. The way her heart was pounding, the insistent throbbing of her pulse as she listened to those words told her that everything had changed. And, it didn't matter how much she tried to rebel against that truth.

"I can't deny that you've gone to a lot of trouble on my behalf," she said, trying to deflect the direction of the conversation. She needed to find a way to make sure he understood she was grateful for his help. But, without encouraging him to think that there was anything for them both to move on to.

"That's generous of you," he said. She turned and saw he was grinning at her.

"And I'm grateful," she said slowly.

He frowned. "Just grateful?"
 

She nodded.

"That's all?" he asked, his gaze even.

Lucy turned away from him again and let out a huge sigh. Why was he making this so difficult for her?

"I don't know what else I can say, Azim," she said finally.

"How about telling me what you want to do next," he suggested in an even voice. She could tell he was being serious again.

"I thought the next thing was for us to get to your friend's palace on the coast," she said, knowing that wasn't at all what he'd meant.

He cleared his throat. Was he starting to get frustrated? He had every right to be, she told herself. Lucy knew she was probably starting to drive him crazy with her awkwardness about this whole subject.

"I was talking about something beyond that, Lucy. The future. Our future."

The sound of that last word struck her like a physical blow. She didn't dare reply to that. She wasn't sure she could even say the right thing, or find the words to express how that word had just made her feel. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him by saying the wrong thing.
 

The way she felt right now, she hardly even knew what she was thinking. Her mind was a whirl of jumbled thoughts warring with each other. She felt herself start to shake, and drew in a deep breath, desperate to calm herself.

Once the sensations faded, all she could feel was the movement of the horse as it strode languidly across the warm desert sand.
 

Why did everything have to get like this? So complicated. Why couldn't her heart just let her accept this wonderful, brief reunion for what it so obviously was? A reminder of a past she'd left well and truly behind. That wasn't too much to ask for, was it?