by Cade, Rachel
“Well,” Karen said between breaths, “I lost, what happens now?
The silence was penetrated by wind that stretched over miles of desert around them. Such a desolate place should have felt barren and isolated, but it didn’t. To Karen it was the greatest place in the world to be, and he was the perfect man. Too bad he looked at her as no more than a child.
Chapter Four
Karen straightened, and a cool breeze shifted the white fabric of his robe against her skin. Her face was downcast, with her lids shielding her eyes so he couldn’t make out her expression.
Lifting his hand, he pressed the back of his palm against her cheek. His touch was featherlight, but he could feel the warmth of her skin radiating against his.
She wouldn’t look at him, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took.
“How old are you now?”
After a moment her lips parted. “Twenty-five.”
“Twenty-five,” he repeated. He turned his head and was on the verge of distancing himself from her when her gaze caught his.
Tamir saw something in her eyes that drew him closer, causing him to lean down toward her. There was a warning, tugging at his self-conscious not to start this. But desire pressed him forward to close the space between them. He originally sought out her mouth, but warring thoughts caused him to redirect, grazing the hollow of her cheek with his lips.
On the first touch, he felt her lip tremor against the corner of his mouth. He reached behind her to the small of her back and pulled her to him.
The silk robes provided almost no barrier to the span of skin beneath it, and Tamir had to restrain himself from the sudden desire to crush the fabric into his fist.
Still, they had not quite kissed. Now his mouth hovered over hers, teasing the corners with his breath before his nose skimmed the bridge of hers.
Karen’s palms began to roam his chest.
Tamir stared at her expression as she touched him. A heat that had nothing to do with the desert grew inside him. Teeth clenched, Tamir pulled away.
The heat of her mouth and body evaporated with the distance he put between them.
Exhaling, he turned away from her as a breeze flapped the folds of her robe; he refused to meet her quizzical stare.
“It will be nightfall soon.” He stared out into the horizon, imagining them being seen from the sky as miniscule specs among hundreds of dunes.
He licked lips that were completely dry. “We should head back to the camp.”
Karen folded delicate arms across her chest, and several moments passed before she spoke. “Then what?”
He took several steps away from her.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“So you are asking it again,” Tamir stated lowly as he stopped.
He faced her. “Tomorrow morning I will bring you to the airport, and you will return to the United States.”
Karen grimaced, and her full mouth flattened. “To the airport? I need to go back to my hotel.”
“I will send someone to fetch your belongings, and inform your colleagues that you are leaving the country.”
Her chest heaved as her eyes widened, and he calmly turned toward the horse stating, “Come.”
***
Karen ripped open the tent flap and stormed inside when they arrived back at the camp, her bare feet tracking sand across the rugs. Tamir’s nostrils flared in annoyance as he followed her inside.
“You are upset about going home?”
She whirled around to him. “No! I’m upset about being sent home!”
Tamir kept his expression neutral. Despite himself, he was affected by the frustrated bitterness that flashed in her eyes before she turned away from him again.
“I am not doing this to punish you. I just want you to be safe, and it isn’t safe for you here.”
“You could have let me return with—when you let everyone else go.”
Tamir placed his hands on his hips. He looked to the top of his tent, letting out a short breath. He wasn’t a man used to having his actions questioned.
“I didn’t want to take the chance of you getting into more trouble. If something happened to you—I would be obligated to explain it to Bruce. I believed you would be safer here with me.”
Denying him eye contact, her voice was low and weighty. “You said you weren’t ready to let me go.” She paused. “You will be tomorrow?”
He stared at Karen, her question frozen in his mind. He understood the words but wouldn’t let them develop any real meaning.
On reflex he answered, “Yes.” Making sure he avoided her expression, he immediately turned and left the tent.
***
The campfires had gone out, and most of his men had sought the solace of their tents. He’d sat by the fire with them much later than he usually would, as they laughed and reminisced on old times.
The moon rested high above their heads, flanked by a blanket of stars, turning the rust colored sand navy blue with its lunar glow.
With the temperature cooled now, he could do far worse than sleeping on a palate in this circumstance. There was also an option of sharing the tent with Nidal, but against his better judgment he decided to go back toward his own tent, hoping that another temperature had cooled.
His tent was absent of light when he returned. Was turning off the oil lamp her way of saying his company wasn’t desired?
Being familiar with the space, it wasn’t hard for him to make his way around it in the dark. Moving quickly, he removed most of his clothes, finding a pair of linen pants in his trunk.
He let out a sigh before he made his way over to his bed. He hoped she didn’t sleep like a mad woman, and moved carefully not to hit any limbs as he lowered himself amongst the pillows.
He waited for a moment, expecting a full verbal assault when she realized he was so near, but he was greeted only by silence, occasionally cut off by the hushed sound of her sleeping. Tamir let out a breath, his heels piercing into the lush silk beneath him.
***
Faint rustling noises caused Karen to awaken. An almost pitch black greeted her eyes. Moonlight futilely attempted to filter through the tent fabric, causing her to strain to see.
Once she realized she was no longer alone in the room, her heartbeat doubled. In the space of several deep breaths, she realized it was Tamir. His unmistakable aroma permeated the air. In the dark, she heard the hushed sounds of fabric shifting, and imagined he was getting undressed.
Swallowing, Karen lay in the dark listening intently.
She hadn’t expected him to return to the tent, positive she wouldn’t see him again until dawn.
The soft palette shifted, and she realized how near he was. She immediately shut her eyes and slowed her breathing, feigning slumber.
The spicy musk of his body grew more fragrant as the pillows shifted under her head. She imagined his jet-black hair falling over the colorful embroidered pillows. Instead of wondering why he’d come back to the tent, she wondered what he was wearing. Had he bothered with an elaborate cover-up since he wasn’t alone? She still wore his robe.
As he’d promised, her clothes had been washed and returned to her by a young man who notified her by leaving the clothes near the flap entrance before rushing off.
A cool breeze spilled into the room, causing her to realize a chunk of the large robe had slipped off her shoulders.
In the quiet, she continued to breathe at a languid pace, though it wasn’t comfortable. Suddenly, the whisper light fabric weighed down against her skin, and she could feel each crease and fold against her body.
She had no real idea exactly how close or far Tamir was from her, but she knew by tomorrow afternoon they would be many miles apart. Possibly never seeing each other again.
Later in her life, how would she feel about this moment?
Regret?
Shame?
Soon thought evaporated and action took over.
Karen sat up, turned to her left, and began crawling on h
er hands and knees. She didn’t stop until several steps later when her hand hit flesh.
She heard an intake of breath and felt a strong hand wrap around her wrist.
Imagining him staring at her, her free hand sought out his body again, falling on the side of his rib cage. His skin held a comforting warmth beneath the pads of her fingers, and she let them skim down his frame and felt him tremor beneath her touch.
Before she could explore him further, he caught her other free hand, and this time, her breath caught.
Had she finally gone too far?
Silence stifled the room, almost overwhelming the darkness that enveloped it.
After a moment, Karen made her first attempt to pull her arms away from him, but he held her in a secure grip.
“You are sure this is what you want?”
The timbre of his voice tingled her skin as she pondered his unexpected question.
“That depends, are you planning to thwart me?”
The low reaction from him was barely audible as his body shifted beneath her.
His hands were large enough to easily wrap around her forearms, and one by one he lifted a finger until he no longer held her.
When Karen’s hands found him again, she soon realized she was touching the hollow of his throat. She turned her hand over so the front of her nail traveled down his Adam’s apple. She continued her exploration toward his chest, briefly stopping on the light thump of his steady heartbeat.
As her hands smoothed deeper into his skin, she could feel a slight moisture of sweat wetting her fingers while she lightly traced his ab muscles.
Tamir’s breathing deepened, heightening and lowering his stomach below her.
They couldn’t see each other, but she knew he was staring at her in the dark. It made her glad she couldn’t see his expression, nor he hers.
She withdrew her hand from him long before she reached his waist.
“I was just wondering what you were wearing.” She spoke with deadpan sarcasm as she turned from him to lie down again. She tried to keep her voice from revealing the breathlessness she felt.
Tamir’s laugh caught her off guard, and Karen glanced briefly behind her before she felt the shift of the palate once again.
Standing on her haunches, she felt the presence of his body heat engulf her backside.
“Am I allowed to also be curious?” he asked.
Her tongue tasted the corner of her mouth. “You already know what I’m wearing,” she stated calmly.
“I can correctly assume my robe?” he asked.
She nodded before quickly adding, “Yes.”
“Excellent.” He was close enough for his breath to swim through her hair. “So I do know what you are wearing. But my curiosity was regarding how you feel.”
Chapter Five
A bump hit her shoulder, and when his soft beard scratched her collarbone, she realized he was leaning over her. His hands caressed her outer thighs and the fabric became non-existent. The warm weight of his chest pressed the back of her shoulders.
His hands slowly moved up her body, shifting and pulling against the silk. After measuring her waist, he gently cupped her breasts in each hand.
Karen’s tongue pressed against the back of her teeth, rendered motionless by the soft pressure of his touch. Tamir’s head turned, and she felt the warm heat of his mouth blossom against the side of her neck.
“We will do this once,” he breathed between kisses. He lowered his left hand from her heaving chest to her opposite hip and began turning her to face him. “We will get it out of our systems and be done. Yes?”
He snatched her up by her hips, holding her to him as he leaned forward and ran a cool wet tongue up the center of her throat.
Karen’s pulse quickened as breath pushed through her lips. “Ye—”
Her response was cut off by his kiss.
Karen fell backward into the mass of silk and pillows, bringing Tamir with her, their limbs entwined in one another. A quiet, yearning passion spurned their movements as his tongue moved deftly into her mouth while the sinuous texture of his lips glided over hers.
He released some of the pressure of his kiss, allowing them both to deeply inhale before he returned, twice kissing her with a fleeting intensity that sent her hands reaching for the back of his neck.
But Tamir was beyond her reach, and she felt tugs at the sash around her waist.
She licked her mouth, lowering her hands to her sides, and closed her eyes against the darkness.
The fabric made a soft tap against the pillows as it was pulled from her body. His hands parted the folds of the robe, but didn’t touch her. And before she could become used to her skin being completely exposed to desert air, Tamir’s mouth was on her breast.
None of his body weight held her down, but a moan was wrenched from between her teeth as his tongue skillfully worked to harden her nipple.
His chin stubble grazed her stomach as he moved across to the other breast.
She thought she’d be ready for the familiarity of his touch but still she gasped at the chilled wetness of his mouth.
Tamir’s large hands roamed over her stomach and hips, sliding between her lower back and the silken pillows.
Karen grasped at his wide shoulders before one of her hands sank deeply into his hair, gently holding him to her as his mouth plunged into her sensitive flesh.
She let her head fall to the side, her tongue pressed hard to the roof of her mouth to keep her moans at bay.
Sleek wisps of his hair escaped through her fingers as he lowered his body down hers.
Karen’s eyes snapped opened.
After kissing just to the right of her belly button, Tamir stopped. “Are you nervous?”
The deeply accented voice vibrated against her stomach.
There was a hint of humor in his question, and he seemed to be waiting for an answer.
Karen’s pelvis moved a fraction as she shifted her legs. “No, I’m fine.”
“Hm.” She imagined his eyebrow raised as he stared at her, perhaps a grin touching his lips.
“Disappointed?” she asked, wondering why it still pleased her so much to challenge him. “You’re much bigger than I am, if it makes you feel more manly.”
There was a hissing noise made by air pushing through his teeth. Karen laughed in the darkness, shifting her leg until her knee tapped against him in jest.
He was lying next to her, and though they weren’t touching any longer she could feel his undeniable body heat. The quiet intimacy of the moment caused a smile to form on her lips to really know and understand that his desire was just as great as hers.
Fingernails scored her bottom as his flattened palm penetrated the space between her body and the pillows.
Lurching at the unexpected touch, Karen’s bent knee hit his mouth.
“Oh my God! I’m sorry, did I—”
“Knock out any of my teeth?” he asked. “No, you did not.” Warm breath teased her thigh as he spoke. “You said you were not nervous.”
“I’m not.” A desert breeze wafted through the room and across her dampened nipples, causing her to shiver, which didn’t back up her point. She slammed her eyes shut as heat began lancing up her core, and he’d barely moved his hand.
When he did, she realized he was wearing a ring on his forefinger, the cool metal pressed against her heated skin.
Tamir’s fingers bent slightly as he slowly pulled his hand away.
“I’ve decided … I like how you feel.” Soft lips met the skin where her pelvis and thigh met, followed by a wet velvet tongue sliding along the crease.
Karen said nothing in response; her stomach sank as she exhaled. Tamir’s hand roamed along the underside of her thighs. His touch was featherlight, teasing, and it burned her. Soon the pads of his fingertips traced the outer v of her sex, and Karen forced herself to remain still. She knew he was anticipating her every reaction. His ringed finger slid down the line of her entrance.
Karen swall
owed convulsively as Tamir shifted his body weight against her, creating a heated friction that caused her pleasure points to vibrate.
With her senses elevated, Tamir pushed his head between her slightly parted thighs. The roughness of his beard tickling her almost unleashed a giggle from her throat that she promptly suppressed.
His head descended and the pointed tip of his tongue teased her with a fleeting tap before plunging into the depths of her pussy.
As his tongue snaked along her intimate crevices, Karen’s legs clamped his head as she muffled a whimper with her hand. Tamir’s palm held against her inner thigh to keep her legs apart.
He lapped languidly at her flesh, searing her each time until the tent began filling with her response. Tamir pressed his mouth deeply into her, melding against her natural curve, massaging his tongue across her swollen clit.
It wasn’t long after faint sucking sounds echoed throughout the room and she felt herself on the threshold of orgasm. She recognized the feeling of her body fading against the pillows, and all she knew was the pulsing torment growing at the center of her thighs.
She began shoving her pelvis into his face, grinding her teeth into oblivion, completely ready to surrender her body to him.
He held her clit in a sweet vise between his tongue and teeth, holding her several inches off the bed.
Then he let go.
He let her go completely, removing his hands and mouth from her.
After several moments, Karen became more aware of reality.
“What—what’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
“W–well aren’t you going to finish?”
He made a noise. “It seemed as if you were about to come. It is not time.”
“What?” She paused, yanking the robe up on her shoulders as she sat up, her anger somehow superseded the throbbing between her thighs. “Are you serious?”
“Of course.”
Karen moved toward the direction of his voice, determined to find his body in the dark. Her first strike drew an “Ow” from him, but she wasn’t satisfied.
Moving along the uneven surface of the pillows with no sight wasn’t an easy feat. Particularly when tracking a retreating foe. Her hand caught his waistline and pulled, there was no tearing, but the thin material definitely loosened on his hips. “I’ll advise you not to move,” she said.
