The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) (9 page)

What was she trying to prove? But then, Lucy had always played to win. Everything she did brought out a fierce determination, her competitive streak. No wonder she'd chosen this kind of life for herself. Nothing else would satisfy her, he realized.
 

They both weaved around some low dunes and Azim sensed that she was finally beginning to slow. Was she starting to tire? Of course she was, he told himself triumphantly. She'd gone off too quickly, her eagerness to win conquering any sense of the pace required to win the race.

Azim pushed on, following Lucy around the gentle curve of a final dune before he saw the top of the dune they both so desperately wanted to reach first. He was only yards behind her now. He could hear the pounding of her horse's hooves. For a moment it seemed as if the hooves of both their horses pounded in unison, matching beat for beat. He was so close now he was sure he could almost reach out and touch her.

Lucy glanced sideways at him and he saw her brows lift. Was she surprised that he'd caught her? He saw her features tighten with visible annoyance, and then she dug her heels into the horse's flanks. With a surge she thrust forward and yet again there was distance between them.
 

He groaned as he saw her start to drive her mount up the steep incline of the highest dune, their destination. He could see she had immediate difficulty negotiating the incline, driving hard, leaning forward.
 

His own mount sank its hooves into the steep side of the dune, and then he had to work hard to coax the horse up the incline. Azim pushed harder, his muscles straining, his breathing harsher. Up ahead Lucy was driving her mount on and he was sure he could hear her gasping with the effort.
 

The exertion almost caused him to laugh out loud with a kind of exultant joy. Azim dug deep and pushed hard, his gaze fixed on Lucy.

They were both near the summit.

Then, he saw her horse's hooves sink deeper into sand, and Lucy came to a momentary, juddering halt. He heard her scream with frustration, her voice echoing across the dunes, and he couldn't contain his own delighted burst of laughter.

Azim saw her turn and glare at him. He was within a few feet of her now. He saw her horse wrench its leg out of the sand and push on up the dune in response to Lucy's urgent persuasion.

There was only a few feet left to go and they were almost neck and neck. Azim could feel his muscles ache as he coaxed his mount up the sandy incline. He heard Lucy gasping, saw her stare disbelievingly at him, as if she couldn't believe he'd actually caught up with her.

Then, with a final thrust, they each uttered their own desperate groan at the very same time, and their horses lurched upwards and onto the narrow flat summit of the dune.

At exactly the same moment the hooves of both horses planted firmly into the sand.

Azim slumped forward, laughing. He glanced at Lucy and saw she had also collapsed across her mount's muscular neck. She was breathing fast and there was obvious delight on her face, as if all the tensions of the last twenty-four hours had been let loose by their frantic race across the desert.

Their gaze met and they both grinned at each other.
 

Then, they broke out into peels of laughter.

The sound of Lucy's laughter was the most delightful music to Azim's ears.
 

Azim smiled at her. "Told you I'd catch you," he said breathlessly.

She waved a dismissive hand. "I slipped at the last moment. Otherwise, you'd have been left standing in the dust," she said.

"You sure you didn't just let me catch you?" he teased.

"As if," she said emphatically.

"Where'd you learn to ride like that?" he asked.

"I told you. I've been taking lessons," she replied. She sat upright and gazed toward the south.

"Why didn't I believe you," he asked rhetorically. "I think I do now, though."

He sat upright and followed the direction of her gaze.
 

"Did you say we're heading south?" she asked.

Azim peered into the distance. "Yeah."

"Won't that take us toward the coast?" she asked.

Maybe it was time to tell her what he had in mind, he said to himself. He considered that for a moment and then, once again, decided to take things one at a time.

"That's still a way off. First, let's get to that encampment." He gazed up at the sky and then across to Lucy. "Only, for the rest of the journey, I suggest an easier pace. You agree?" he said smiling across at her.

She laughed quietly. "Okay. Let's get going," she said and started to ease her mount carefully down the side of the dune.

Azim drew up alongside her as they headed down the dune's slope. He thought about the night to come. A short time ago he'd have doubted the sanity of anyone who'd told him that he'd soon be sharing a tent in the deserts of Qazhar with Lucy.

Well, in a few hours, he was about to do just that. The last few moments had simply been a vivid reminder of just how she could affect him, make him feel more alive. He knew he'd been given a second chance, another opportunity to make Lucy a part of his world. And he knew exactly what he needed to do to show Lucy just how much she still meant to him.

CHAPTER NINE

"There it is," Azim said to Lucy as they both drew their horses to a halt atop the ridge of a high dune. Lucy looked down and saw the welcoming sight of the encampment. She felt a brief surge of relief. It had been a long and hot ride across a desert landscape that just seemed like it had no end.

The encampment was nestled in a flat area between dunes, and consisted of a two large tents made of heavy, dark brown woven fabric. They sat alongside a large, shimmering pool of water and a scattering of palm trees.
 

Lucy gasped quietly and felt herself smile. It was like something out of child's storybook, she told herself. A desert oasis and isolated encampment.

Lucy wiped the sweat from her brow. The sun was low and near the horizon, but the heat was still stifling. She felt as if her entire body beneath her shirt and pants was caked with sand. She felt crevices and corners in herself she had never known existed. The clear water in the pool looked cool and inviting. Maybe she'd get a chance to wash. At last.

Lucy saw a few men attending to camels. "There are people here," she said.

Azim nodded. "There's usually someone here. It's an important resting place in these parts."

"How come you think they'll let us stay?" she asked.

Azim grinned at her. "They'll let us stay. Believe me. Once they recognize me, they'll be more than happy to have us as guests for the night."

She squinted at him, but he didn't add anything more to what he'd said.

They started down the side of the dune. As they made their way into camp, an elderly, bearded man, dressed in full white desert robes came toward them. Lucy saw the man's eyes were narrow with caution until he seemed to recognize Azim. Then the man threw up his hands and called out what sounded like an enthusiastic welcome. On hearing the welcome, other men came up to Lucy and Azim and before she knew it they were surrounded by a dozen smiling tribesmen.

Azim got down from his horse and started to talk with the elderly man who was obviously the tribal elder. At least that was how it seemed to Lucy. After a few moments, Azim gestured to Lucy and she got down off her horse. She went to Azim and he took her hand. She did nothing to remove her hand from his tender grasp, sensing that to do so could be taken as some kind of slight on Azim in front of the tribal leader.

"Lucy, I'd like to introduce you to my esteemed friend, Hassan. It is he who has agreed for us to be guests in this fine place," Azim said to Lucy. He smiled toward Hassan who grinned warmly at Lucy and bowed. He said something she didn't understand, but from the tone she could tell he was being cordial.
 

Lucy looked at Azim inquiringly and he nodded. "He's honored that you are here and hopes you will rest awhile and be content," Azim explained.

Lucy smiled at Hassan. "Thank you," she said. It had been a long time since she'd felt such genuine welcome in a place. It was such a contrast to what had happened to her back in the mountains.
 

Hassan spoke to some of the men. After he'd finished speaking, some of them moved off and disappeared into the larger of the tents. Other men removed the packs from the horses, placing them on the sand at Azim's feet. The horses were led away, taking their place alongside the camels.

There was a bustle of activity for a while as the men raced around the camp, gathering equipment and loading packs onto the camels.

Lucy frowned at Azim. "What are they all doing?" she asked.

"Leaving," he replied simply.

"Leaving!" she exclaimed. "Why?"

Azim nodded. "That's the tradition in a situation like this," he said.

Lucy squinted at Azim. "Like what?"

Azim sighed and cleared his throat. He paused as if measuring his next words. "Whenever a sheikh of a noble family arrives in an encampment it is the duty of a tribal elder to make way for him." Azim cleared his throat again, as if he didn't really want to say the next thing.

"And?" Lucy prompted.

Azim spoke hesitantly: "Especially if he arrives with a woman deemed to be his close companion," Azim said gazing deep into her eyes.

Lucy's gaze met Azim's defiantly. "Close companion," she said in a flat voice. "What exactly does that mean, Azim?"

Azim moved closer to her. His gaze was dark and purposeful, as if he was certain she already knew what that meant, even if she wasn't willing to admit it openly.

"You know, Lucy," he murmured.

Lucy dragged in a breath of hot, dry desert air. "They're leaving because they think I'm your woman?" she said bluntly.

Azim shrugged. "If you want to put it that way?"

Indignation welled up inside Lucy. "Who gave them that idea?" she demanded.

Azim's expression was casual. "Apparently it seems obvious to Hassan. He assumed that to be the case the minute we arrived in the camp. I was in no hurry to disagree with him," Azim said.
 

"I'm sure you weren't," she said folding her arms and staring at him.

She was sure she could see a mischievous look in his eyes. He was enjoying this, she said to herself, feeling another rush of indignation. How dare he give them that impression. She could tell that he hadn't done anything to contradict the tribal elder's assessment of the situation.

Lucy looked over Azim's shoulder and saw that the tribesmen were still busy. "I assume they're clearing out," she stated.

Azim looked over at the bustle of activity. "They're pretty experienced when it comes to moving out at short notice."

She grunted. "I can see that," she said. "So, we're going to be alone here. Overnight?"

Azim nodded. Was that a grin at the corner of his mouth? Did he think trapping her in this camp overnight was a reason to laugh at her? "And, there's nothing else we can do?" she asked.

Azim gazed up at the sky. "It's not long 'till dark. We don't have time to make it to the coast," he said.

"The coast!" she exclaimed. Azim waved a hand at her and turned away. She grabbed his arm and he turned back to her. "How far is it to the coast from here?"

Azim frowned. "We'll talk about that in the morning," he replied.

"I thought we were heading for the city," she demanded.

"We are. It's just that it'll be easier if we head down to the coast. From there, I've a thought about how we can get back to the city quicker than making our way westward across the desert."

"And you were planning to tell me this when?" she said frowning at him.

Azim took her gently by the shoulders. He gazed into her eyes. "It'll be fine. Let's just get settled in for the night."

Lucy felt her jaw tighten. She glanced over at the two tents. "So, which one is mine?" she asked sharply.

"What?" he asked, his brows furrowing.

Lucy pointed at the two tents from which men were emerging carrying various packs. "Which one of these two tents is mine for the night?"

Azim stared at Lucy. "Are you serious?"

Lucy nodded emphatically. "Absolutely."

"You want to sleep alone?" he asked incredulously.

Lucy peered at him. "Does that sound so unusual?"

Azim gasped and shook his head. "I guess not," he replied. "It's just that..."

Lucy cut him off. "You assumed I'd be sharing a bed with you tonight, Azim? Is that it?"

She saw his jaw drop and there was a definite flash of emotion in his eyes. What was that? Irritation? Frustration? She couldn't tell, but whatever it had been, it had looked fierce.

"That wasn't it at all," he said slowly. "I just thought that after the time in the mountains..."

"What? That I'd be grateful to lie in your bed?"

Azim scowled at Lucy. "You know that's not true, Lucy. That's not it at all."

Lucy started to move away from him, but Azim gently grasped her arm. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to tell these men to put my bag in that tent there," she said pointing to one of the tents.
 

Azim's face paled slightly. "Why don't you wait, before doing that? It might give them the wrong idea."

Lucy peered at Azim. "What? That I'm not your companion, as you so delicately put it, Azim?"

Azim's brows creased and there was a sudden darkness in his eyes. She saw his lips tighten, heard him draw in a slow, deep breath, and she knew he wanted to respond to that. She could see it in his eyes. "Aren't you?" he murmured finally, drawing her closer to him. His fingers tightened around her arm and she had the sudden, treacherous thought that his firm, demanding touch felt inexplicably and surprisingly good. Had she been waiting all day for him to touch her like this?

Lucy felt her heart quicken. Azim's gaze drifted down to her neck and she was sure he could see the pulse throbbing beneath her skin, betraying her barely disguised response.
 

"Let's just keep things businesslike between us, Azim," she said scrambling to maintain her composure.