by Cara Albany
He gazed evenly at her. "Not at all. I consider this to be an essential part of a sheikhs life."
He cleared his throat and his eyes brightened suddenly. "Unfortunately, some of my fellow sheikhs in this kingdom don't quite agree. They would rather be seen dead than live in such spartan conditions as these." He lifted his chin proudly. "But I consider it a duty to remember where I came from. He shrugged. "Not everyone shares that view."
Once again she had touched a raw nerve. She could tell by the passion which had crept momentarily into his voice.
It seemed that it didn't take much scratching of his surface to reveal the hidden layers, the secret beliefs he harbored. So, she had been right. All of this, as simple as it seemed on the surface, represented so much more to him than just a desert retreat.
"I understand," was all she could say in response to that.
"Do you?" he asked. His gaze was penetrating, just as direct as it had been when she had touched on similar, sensitive subjects earlier.
She nodded. "Yes," she said simply.
That seemed to calm him a little, because she saw his shoulders drop slightly, the tension draining out of the powerful muscles.
Seeing him aroused like that had reminded her just who it was she had agreed to spend some time with. She'd witnessed the sudden change from courtesy to passion. Had she just glimpsed what Rashid had warned her about? That dangerous tendency Rashid had hinted at?
"I'm keeping you from your rest," he admitted. He turned away from her, and she briefly considered telling him she wasn't really tired, after all. That she'd love to stay up a while and talk, but everything had been so crazy and so surprising, she knew she needed a short while to adjust.
Maybe he needed time as well, to adjust to having her in his encampment. She must seem like an intruder, almost like an unwanted guest.
When he reached the entrance, she called out his name. "Sheikh Ahmed," she said.
He turned, his eyes wide with expectation.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"It is my pleasure," he replied. "And, please, call me Ahmed." He smiled. "Sheikh just seems too formal."
She smiled at him and he turned and left the tent, letting the flap close down behind him.
CHAPTER TEN
This wasn't going to be as easy as he'd originally hoped, Ahmed told himself when he began to walk from her tent to the entrance of the other one.
No.
He drew in a deep breath and lifted his head to the heavens. The enormity of the black sky was scattered with shimmering stars. This should have been a moment for them both to gaze in wonder upon this awesome sight. He'd hoped she would accompany him a while before settling in for the night.Perhaps they could have shared some of the basic food which was stored in the other tent.
But, hopes of an immediate intimacy had been dashed by the look in her eyes.
Suspicion.
She did not trust him. He could tell by the way she had looked at him in that tent. Hadn't he been courteous and respectful?
Of course, this was a situation he wasn't used to at all. She was the first woman to have come here. He'd never even considered bringing any of his many conquests here. This had always been his private space, a place never to be entered by the women in his life.
But, for some reason, none of that applied to the woman who was now taking up temporary residence in his tent. The woman who would soon be falling asleep on his bed.
That thought made his body tighten, muscles hardening with frustration.
He walked across to the pool of dark water and leaned against one of the trees. He felt the cool air as he gazed down into the water, his thoughts drifting to temptation.
Ahmed thought about Gemma. He could imagine what she would look like lying on his bed, beneath the covers. Probably she would be almost naked. He expected she'd probably brought something she could wear at night, although she hadn't had a chance to use it while sleeping in the car, of course.
But here, she might be tempted to relax slightly. She might slip beneath the covers and stretch out her beautiful, long body.
How he wanted to be beside her!
He would have given anything, right now, to lie alongside her and caress her smooth skin, to kiss her neck, to begin to take her to places she'd never known. To draw ecstasy from her with everything he knew, with his experienced touch.
And then he reminded himself. Of course. Was she not a virgin?
Innocent. Untouched.
At least that was what he had read. That was what he suspected, too. There was a quality about her that hinted at the truth of that suspicion. Of course, he could not know for sure. And she would never admit to such a thing.
But, there was undoubtedly a sense of tentativeness in everything she did, as if she was trying to not only hold him at a distance, but also keep control over her own feelings.
What could he do about that? The idea of having a woman so close to him who was also a virgin threw his thoughts into a wild chaos. He genuinely did not know what he should do to deal with that.
Of course, he would only know for sure if he was privileged enough to share the bed with her. Then he would find out the truth.
And if it was true, it would be the most exquisite truth he'd ever encountered.
Feeling swept over him at the prospect of sharing a bed with her. He gazed into the pool of water. His skin was boiling with heat, not just that of the night, but also the heat of his simmering passion for this pretty, spirited American who was now so close, and yet so far.
Almost untouchable, he reflected.
For now, he was determined to keep his word. He had promised her he would respect her completely, and he would do just that.
He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the dampness there. His heart was pounding and he could feel the blood rushing through his veins.
No woman had ever affected him like this. He gasped and shook his head, feeling like a wild beast that had been tied up, restrained, even though the primal urge to take what he needed burned a path through his body.
He kicked some sand into the water and watched the ripples ebb away from him. He knew what he needed, but he would have to wait.
What was it about this woman, that every time he needed satisfaction, he was forced to hesitate, compelled to an unwanted delay?
He knelt down and thrust his hand into the cool water. It felt incredibly inviting, and he could hardly wait, but he knew he would have to do so.
He would give her a while to settle in her bed. Then she would fall asleep and he would be free to act.
Then he would bring himself to the pool, just as he'd done so many times before. He'd slip quietly into the water, careful not to wake her.
The cooling waters would soothe away his tension, give him at least some relief from the burning heat raging through his nervous system.
He stood and walked toward what would be his tent for the night, glancing across to her tent. Once again the thought of her proximity triggered the now familiar response.
The need.
The want.
He roughly wrenched open the flap of his tent and went inside to the welcoming darkness and wondered what he was going to do until it would be safe to go out to the pool.
THERE WAS A NOISE OUTSIDE. GEMMA opened her eyes. It was dark in the alcove. Her senses seemed unnaturally keen. That was no surprise since she was in an entirely strange place. In more ways than one, she told herself.
She realized she'd fallen asleep, and she wondered just how long she had been out. She'd switched off her cell phone to preserve the battery, since she planned to use what was left to take some photos during the coming day.
She guessed she must have slept at least an hour or two judging by the fact that she still felt as weary as she'd felt earlier.
Gemma sat up and listened. Things were silent for a while.
Then she heard the noise again. A sharp, quiet, sound from outside the tent. For a moment she felt confused, try
ing to work out what the sound could be.
She heard it again and swung her bare feet out from beneath the covers. She stood next to the bed and heard the noise again.
Someone was out there, she told herself. She assumed it must be Ahmed. But what was he doing? The sound of water splashing drifted into the tent.
Suddenly she knew what he was up to out there.
The pool of water. The oasis.
Would he be there in the middle of the night? Of course, he might, she chided herself, as she padded out of the sleeping alcove and into the center of the tent.
She paused, listening.
Gemma could definitely hear sounds of him in the pool. The movement of water. That could only mean one thing, she told herself.
Ahmed must be naked out there.
Naked.
Her heart began to beat faster as the images of that what he would look like floated into her mind. Her pulse raced quicker and she drew in a deep breath.
Just thinking of Ahmed's naked body, just imagining what it would look like, triggered sensation that swept treacherously and rapidly through her body.
She turned to go back to bed, determined to ignore the temptation, and then she heard the sounds again. Once again, the images of his nakedness flashed into her mind. Curiosity tugged at her.
She moved toward the tent entrance and carefully pulled open the flap. Outside, the only light was from the moonlight. With the moon sinking toward the horizon behind the encampment, the entrance to her tent was shrouded in a black shadow.
From her right she heard the sounds again. Once again her heart pounded faster. Her mind was a blank. Temptation had taken full hold of her now.
She eased her way to the corner of the tent. She leaned back against the tent fabric, still in the shadow. She gazed across toward the pool.
There he was. In the water.
He was moving slowly, only his head visible for now. He was lying back, gazing up, through the tops of the overhanging trees at the sky. He had his eyes closed for the moment, almost as if he was content to float in the cool water.
Gemma eased forward slightly, her eyes straining to see him. This felt so wrong, she told herself.
So wrong, but so good.
Since meeting him for the first time in the garden, a part of her mind had speculated just what that powerful body would look like beneath the elegant suit and white shirt.
She might know for sure any minute, she realized.
Ahmed eased his arms across the surface of the water, moving slowly, simply floating. He looked so relaxed. So at home.
Gemma could only imagine how cool was the water, how much relief it would bring to a tired body.
Ahmed shifted suddenly and quickly, raising his shoulders up out of the water. Gemma moved back quickly into the shadow, panic seizing her in an instant. The last thing she wanted was to be caught watching him like this. Then how would she explain herself?
She chided herself at that thought. Why should she even be bothered by such a worry? She was old enough to make her own decisions, to decide on her own pleasures.
Ahmed's wide and powerfully muscled shoulders glistened with the covering of water. Gemma felt her throat tighten and she tried to swallow, but it was difficult. Her pulse was racing as she peered at his strong upper torso. She figured he must be standing on the sand beneath the water. He was tall enough to do so.
She saw Ahmed scoop up water into his cupped hands and drench his head. The water ran down the length of his hair and face, all the way across his shoulders and down his upper torso. That just made his skin shimmer in the moonlight, made his muscles stand out in even more clear and stark relief.
His body was everything she'd imagined it would be. He was perfectly shaped, someone used to physical activity. There wasn't an ounce of fat on him. His arm muscles were taut as he continued to wash his upper body with scoops of water.
Gemma began to feel calmer, now. The previous guilt she'd felt moments ago, hiding in the shadows, watching him like this, had faded. Now, she just felt fascination as she watched him move slowly and confidently in the water.
Gemma's body was no longer tired. On the contrary, she hadn't felt this alive and excited in a long while. The forbidden aspect of what she was doing made it feel even more thrilling.
Then she saw him move toward the water's edge. He was coming out, she told herself. Her pulse quickened suddenly.
She told herself, maybe she should go back inside. She didn't want him to catch her here, in the shadows, gazing at him. Gemma wondered how he would react, what he would say.
She remained in the shadow just for a few moments as she watched him move slowly to the edge of the pool.
Gemma was just about to move back toward the entrance to the tent, when impulse halted her.
Ahmed thrust his hands against the pool's edge, tightened his shoulder muscles and lifted his entire body up and out of the water. With his back to her, she was granted one of the most amazing sights she'd ever seen.
Ahmed's body was long and fully muscled. His torso emerged, dripping wet. Then his hips and rear emerged, shimmering with rivulets of water that ran down the length of his powerfully muscled thighs.
It was a glorious sight, like watching a warrior emerging out of the water, ready for battle.
In a moment he was standing there, his back still turned to her. He shook his body and ran a hand through his hair, casting off the excess water. He just stood there for a few moments, revealing all the glory of his body to her.
Gemma couldn't move. The sight of him naked like that was hypnotic and mesmerizing. She felt as if she'd sunk into a trance.
The view of his nakedness captivated her, held her frozen. She felt as if time had slowed, as if this moment would last for an eternity. She couldn't take her eyes off him.
And still he hadn't turned around. Hadn't given her the full view of his splendour. One last time, she thought about racing back to the tent, but she didn't want to leave.
Not yet.
Not until he'd turned around.
She realized she wanted to see his fullness, see the broad chest, see the tight abdomen. She wanted every one of her fantasies to be confirmed, and she wasn't going to move until that happened.
She saw him run a hand down the side of his body, wiping off the remaining pool water. Then he twisted his body and did something which made her heart quicken instantly.
He bent down, giving her a beautiful view of his rear, every sculpted muscle highlighted by the combination of wet skin and silvery moonlight.
She swallowed and felt the blood race through her veins. She held her breath as she gazed upon the amazing sight of his muscled rear.
Then he straightened and turned toward her and she felt a sudden panic.
He would see her. She was sure of it. He glanced over in her direction, and she was sure she saw his eyes narrow slightly, as if he was examining where she stood.
Gemma leaned back and shifted against the corner of the tent and saw him turn away.
He hadn't seen her. She felt relief sweep over her.
When she looked, one last time, she was rewarded with an amazing sight which made what she'd seen moments before pale in comparison.
He was facing her, straight on, fully exposed. She almost gasped, and raised a hand to her throat, needing to contain the emotion that raced through her at the sight of his fullness.
He wiped the water off the front of his body, as he would have done any time he came out of a pool of water. It was a casual gesture. But it wasn't his hands she was looking at.
Her gaze drifted down to his middle. She saw the thickness of his manhood there, full and tempting.
Huge and thick. Bigger than she could ever imagined.
She felt heat in her core. His manhood was every bit as powerful and strong looking as the rest of him. One of his hands shifted casually across it and she saw him touch it. Something about the way he'd done that made heat flare inside her, even warmer this
time.
Emotion swirled through her as she watched him for long moment, barely able to stop looking at his powerful looking member or his rippling abs. He looked unbelievably fit, she reflected.
Then he turned away from her and she felt a flicker of disappointment. This was her chance to get back to the tent.
Gemma slid around the corner of the tent as quietly and quickly as she could, and then through the entrance flap. She closed it behind herself and went to the sleeping alcove, throwing herself down onto the bed.
She lay back, feeling emotion swirling through her body, sensing every nerve alive, her mind filled with the images of what she had just witnessed out there.
He was incredible. He had the most amazing body she'd ever seen on a man. And she was here, alone, with him. A virtual prisoner because she'd need him if she was to return to the village and her car.
Her so called imprisonment was one that she had made for herself by agreeing to come her with him.
And now, she'd seen his body, seen the promise contained in that body. She felt a sudden, terrible combination of emotions.
Anticipation as well as trepidation.
For a moment, she wondered what she was going to do. What she could do.
All she knew, though, was that when she'd looked at him out there, the sight of his body had made her feel like she'd never felt before.
She moaned with frustration and shifted onto her side, trying to figure out what all this meant. She'd intended for this to be some kind of escape, a flight to temporary safety. But, instead, it looked like she'd thrown herself into one of the most perilous situations she'd even been in.
The man was just so tempting, so utterly enticing. She worried she might not be able to resist that temptation.
She'd resisted attractive men before, but Ahmed was a completely different proposition. He wasn't like the men who'd tried to seduce Gemma before. There was nothing awkward or hesitant or clumsy about Ahmed. Not like the others.
She'd seen the confidence in his manner out there. She'd witnessed the easy assurance. He was a man who was completely confident in his skin.
