Desert Knights

by Conrad, Linda; Conrad, Linda

  Karim let the polite snubs slide by. Now that he knew they weren’t in harm’s way with these men, he had important questions that needed answering.

  But before he could ask, Kalil said, “Come join us for a meal. I have a few questions and I suspect I can answer a few of yours. But we must be quick. We cannot linger here for much longer.”

  Within a couple of hours, Karim was riding through the midnight desert sands on the back of a horse, following unsteadily behind Morgan again. The horse proved only somewhat easier for him to control than the camel. But he couldn’t complain. The horses and supplies had been gifts from Sheik Kalil.

  Over supper they’d learned from their host that the beginnings of a civil war had been brewing among the normally quiet Zabbarán people over the last few weeks. The sheik claimed that few of the Taj Zabbar population were of the same mind as some of their elders about their country’s relations with the rest of the world—or their mission to go nuclear.

  Civil unrest and rebel forces were springing up and causing trouble in isolated pockets throughout the country. The bedouin tribes, who had been frequenting these lands for centuries, had joined forces with the rebels against the Taj.

  Sheik Kalil’s men had ambushed Taj soldiers, the ones who’d pillaged and burned the mountain village yesterday, and beheaded them for their savagery against civilians. When word of that defeat finally reached the heads of the Taj armies, the entire country would erupt in chaos.

  On hearing the news, Karim had been ready to abort the mission. One little boy’s life would still weigh heavily on his shoulders, but the situation in Zabbarán was far too dangerous for Morgan to continue.

  It was Morgan who’d offered a cooler head and a better idea when he’d all but dragged her away from the camp and back into the mountains.

  “Is it possible our team may be in the country already and on their way to our original meeting place?” she’d asked. But she didn’t wait for his answer. “Let’s keep going. We’re not that far behind schedule. We can try calling the team once we’re there. If they couldn’t find a way into Zabbarán because of the civil war, then maybe by now they will have a good extraction plan for getting us out.”

  Karim had given up in the end. She’d been right, of course. And once Sheik Kalil had learned of their mission, he volunteered to assist them in any way possible.

  Thus the horseback ride across the desert in the black of night. Karim had imagined he would break his neck at the pace Morgan set. But after two very fast hours, they arrived at the Zereh Oasis.

  Located on the original Spice Road, away from any traffic or human civilization, the Zereh Oasis water well had been contaminated several years back. The vegetation around the well dried up and no one ever stopped there anymore. Still, it was a deserted, rocky space, perhaps a half-mile wide and nearly a mile long, that could offer shelter to a traveler and a place to meet for the Kadir team.

  As he and Morgan dismounted and walked the horses to the first cluster of boulders they spotted, Karim noticed spider-like shadows of date palms and dwarf shrub. Their silhouettes appeared in the moonlight like scarecrows of their former forms, dried and spindly in the eerie light. In the stillness of the night, he also thought he could hear a noise, either animal or odd winds, off in distance.

  “Do you think the team has arrived before us?” Morgan whispered as she removed her head scarf and shook out her hair.

  He shrugged. “We’ll have to see. We’re a few hours early.”

  She seemed more concerned with the condition of their mounts than with guessing games. They secured the horses in a natural pen of giant boulders set off to the far side of the main oasis, and then spread Sheik Kalil’s gift of hay for the animals to eat.

  When they were done, Karim suggested they reconnoiter and scout the oasis. He was determined to find out about those distant noises he’d heard.

  Leaving their packs safely under a low, flat granite shelf, they started out across the rocks and dried-out grasses wearing NVGs and communications wires. After several minutes of walking, they happened upon a remarkable discovery. Water, trickling down the side of a sandstone boulder and landing in a natural pool at its base.

  “Do you suppose that’s good water?” Morgan asked as she moved closer to it.

  “I don’t think I want to be the first to find out.”

  He imagined that the water must have begun flowing from these rocks quite some time ago. A large pool had formed and, in the shallow corners, reeds and weeds had already grown several feet tall.

  But at that moment, Karim heard another noise that took his attention from the water and sent a chill down his back.

  Bending closer to Morgan’s ear, he whispered, “Someone else is here. Right beyond those boulders to the left. Don’t say a word.”

  Her eyes grew wide as her lips tightened into a single line.

  He motioned for her to wait there as he crept a little closer to the noise. His pulse was racing, his mouth dry as he flattened his body to a boulder and inched into a deep crevice between two rocks. He hoped to hell the noise he’d heard would be their team, waiting for their rendezvous.

  What he saw on the far side of the boulder had him swallowing hard and turning to stone. Two Taj soldiers were breaking camp. He’d taught himself the Taj language years ago, but they were speaking so softly that he almost missed the translation.

  It seemed the two men were as surprised at finding the water as he’d been. They’d stopped to eat and now needed to move on to rejoin their unit. But one of them sounded determined to fill his water containers before heading out.

  Karim slid back into the shadows, made his way quietly over the rocks to Morgan. “Can you swim?”

  Before she could reply, he put his hand over her mouth, grabbed her up and waded out into the reeds. Two seconds later they were waist-deep in water with high reeds over their heads. But he could still hear footsteps on the rocks, coming closer.

  Chapter 7

  The first thing that hit Morgan as Karim shoved her into the water and yanked her under was how frigging cold it felt. For a desert pool warmed by extreme heat during the day, the water in the murky pond could’ve had ice floating on top. Must be coming from a deep underground spring.

  Squatting in the frigid darkness with the water level at the top of her head, she held her breath to the end of her lung capacity. Then she eased her nose and eyes out, looking around through the tangle of weeds. She had to swipe droplets off her NVGs to see anything and then still couldn’t see much.

  But she could tell Karim was right beside her, his eyes and nose sticking out of the water, too. He moved one finger to his lips, telling her to remain silent.

  Easy for him. Her body was already starting to shiver. But she got the idea. Someone had obviously come to the pool to collect water. Someone Karim considered dangerous.

  Within moments, her teeth began to chatter. Gritting them tightly, she wrapped her arms around her waist to conserve warmth. But that didn’t help much. Her whole body had started to quake.

  Karim reached an arm around her shoulders and tugged her against his chest. “You okay?” he whispered into her ear.

  “F-freezing.”

  Closing both his arms around her back, he cocooned himself around her body, giving them both added warmth. But even with his heroic efforts, she was soon shaking uncontrollably.

  “Hang on. It should be okay to get out in a second. The guy’s moving away from the pool.”

  Morgan barely heard Karim over her chattering teeth and the roar of her own blood pounding in her ears. She wasn’t sure how he knew when whoever it was had gone. But in a blessed few minutes he pulled her out of the pond and began running his hands over her arms and up and down her back to get the circulation moving again.

  In the distance, she heard an engine starting and a vehicle roaring away. Whatever danger had pushed them into the pool must have left the oasis.

  Her attention returned to Karim. His gentle caresses a
nd tender ministrations would’ve been a turn-on—if she could’ve felt anything. Every muscle, every body part, including her brain, was going numb.

  “Your shivering is worse now that we’re out of the water in the night air,” he muttered. “We need to shed these wet clothes.”

  It took all her energy to say even one word. “H-here?”

  Before she could blink, he swooped her up in his arms and swung around to march off in the direction they’d come. “No. Back to where we left the packs. Nearer to where the horses are staked. Away from the water in case anyone else shows up.”

  She let him carry her. Let him take the lead in caring for her needs. But she had little choice. Her brain refused to work properly. Every sense, every molecule of her being, focused in on getting warm.

  When they reached the clearing where Karim thought they might be safe from anymore unwelcome visitors, he set Morgan on her feet and began stripping off her soaking clothes as quickly as he could. First came the NVGs, the jacket and then the shirt that clung tenaciously to her body, refusing to come unglued from her skin. Next came her boots.

  Morgan wasn’t too steady on her bare feet. But she huddled into herself and managed to stay upright while he shimmied her wet, sticky pants down her legs. She hung on to him and lifted her feet to kick the pants aside.

  As she stood shivering in her bra and panties, it was all he could do to stop staring. The sniper wore pink panties. Think of that.

  Then he noticed her skin turning blue and popped himself out of the sensual haze. “Lean against that boulder a sec.”

  Moving as quickly as possible, he went for his pack and retrieved his bedroll and an extra T-shirt. It took too long to clear a spot of rocks and lay out the bedroll, but he did the best he could as fast as he could.

  He used his extra shirt to wipe her down and dry off her hair as much as possible. The shirt ended up too wet for her to wear, and he knew she didn’t have a change of clothes.

  “Sorry, sweetheart. We can’t take a chance on lighting a fire. Climb inside the bedroll out of the wind. That should help some.”

  Hoping the sand beneath the bedroll still held a little of the heat from today’s sun, he helped her snuggle down into it. Then he turned to tug off his own clothes, spreading both his and hers across small boulders nearby. It shouldn’t take long for the material to dry in the desert air.

  Easing down, he knelt beside her while gently moving a few strands of hair that lay against her cheek. “Better?”

  Without opening her eyes, she stuttered, “S-some. B-but still c-cold.”

  Her sleeping bag had bitten the dust last night as she’d used it to drag him along the rocks. And he didn’t have an extra blanket or dry clothes to give her added warmth.

  It was impossible for him to stand there and watch her shiver. He couldn’t stand seeing her suffer. Sliding himself down into the bedroll beside her, he ignored the tight fit and spooned her close against his chest. If he could’ve opened up his body and let her crawl right inside, he would’ve done so without a second thought.

  “G-good.” She inched her bottom backward, closer still.

  Fusing their bodies, he hugged her tightly to him, hoping their combined body heat would warm her eventually.

  “N-nice. Thanks.” He felt her shuddering in every part of his body—and it drove him near the edge.

  “Think nothing of it.”

  He wasn’t sure if those words were meant as a remark to Morgan or to his own libido. Even icy cold, her skin felt as soft as a bunny’s fur. Grinning in the dark, he told himself not to think of the sweet, pink panties. Or the way her nipples had peaked against the material of her bra in the cold.

  “Try to sleep,” he said.

  But he didn’t expect to get much sleep himself. Not when the most exotic and erotic woman he’d ever seen was snuggled up beside him.

  Placing a kiss against her hair, he tried to close his eyes. He’d never been this affected by a woman. She was all he could think about.

  He worked hard to force his mind on their mission. On keeping her warm and safe. Not on the way touching her skin made his body harden, yearning for more. But his efforts weren’t much use.

  He’d been right when he’d thought she was special during training. He just hadn’t realized how special. What other woman would be able to survive all that she’d survived and still insist on finishing what they’d started?

  The woman was a survivor. She endured.

  And now it was his job to endure holding her close but making no advances through the endless hours until morning.

  Morgan awoke with a start, not sure why she couldn’t move. But the idea of being confined didn’t make her afraid. No, this was a good feeling. Cozy. Warm. Like floating on a heated cloud.

  Blinking open her eyes at the thought of heat, she looked up to a full moon, riding in a blanket of twinkling stars. The desert. The water. Oh, yeah. But she was deliciously warm now, she thought, as she drifted easily out of her sleep.

  Wiggling her toes, she began an inventory. Everything had been numb before, but now she could feel her feet. Her ankles and legs. The next mental stop up her body halted her thoughts and made clear the reason she couldn’t move. A heavy, thick leg was thrown over her hip, holding her in place.

  Karim. Protecting her. Warming her in his embrace.

  Wiggling a hand free, she stroked down his leg, loving the rough texture of his coarse hair against her fingers. The sound of a throat clearing from behind her was her first clue that he was awake.

  Her second clue was feeling his rock-hard erection pressing against the small of her back. The pressure grew insistent, yet he made no move to do anything about it. He said nothing, but she could feel his warm breath on her shoulder, tantalizing and seducing.

  She wasn’t used to anyone protecting her without asking something in return. Suddenly, her normal boundaries dropped away and she knew what she wanted. She wanted to feel alive. Needed to capture his life force and make it her own.

  Worming out of his tight hold, she flipped around so she could look at him—touch him. His eyes were open and he gazed at her as if she were the most priceless object he had ever seen.

  When her mouth closed over his, he was way ahead of her, taking and giving. He sucked her breath into himself, then fed his back to her. Sharing life.

  It was as if he’d known exactly what she’d needed the most.

  Their kiss turned to fire, but sweeter, then hotter. His hands were everywhere at once, touching, kneading, caressing. Hers tunneled into his hair, raced up and down his chest. It was as if two starving shipwreck survivors had been able to see the food for days but hadn’t been able to reach it. Releasing all that pent-up desire made them greedy. With no words, no permissions or sweet talk, they clawed at each other.

  As their tongues dueled and clashed, Karim shoved at her bra, broke the clasp and pushed the whole thing out of his way. Then his mouth clamped on to her nipple. He wasn’t the least bit rough, but she wouldn’t have minded. Laving and sucking, he drove her to a fever pitch.

  Sweat trickled down her neck while heat pooled between her legs. Groaning, she used a free hand to wiggle out of her panties. She wanted nothing in the way. Not clothes nor inhibitions. Nothing.

  With the last barrier gone, his fingers tangled in the curls at the apex of her thighs. Not close enough for what she needed. Desperate, she gasped and squirmed, finally bringing her own hand down to move his exactly where she wanted it.

  He growled low in his throat, and the sound brushed againstc her skin, throbbed in her belly. His fingers did amazing things, made her weep with pleasure, squirm with pure bliss as she rocked against his palm.

  She clutched at his shoulders as he suddenly twisted her under him, parted her thighs and positioned his wet tip at her opening. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she whimpered and arched her back, begging him, luring him.

  Right at the brink of some amazing discovery when his length nudged her entr
ance, she dug her nails into his buttocks and pulled him closer. She got what she wanted as he thrust inside. The exquisite awareness—the tremors, the feeling of being filled with heat and pleasure all at the same time—made her dizzy.

  He pushed deeper, hesitated. She could feel him right at the border of his control. Without giving her fair warning, a wave rolled through her. Took her right to a cliff, held her there, momentarily suspended over a waterfall of need.

  Karim gave one more push, and she washed over the edge on a shower of crazy sensations. Fourth of July fireworks on a sea of exhilaration.

  While she sobbed and shouted, Karim moved one final time, following her over. Groaning and shuddering above her, he wrapped his arms around her and held on tight.

  So this was why she’d been so caught up in him. This was the reason people talked about sex making them feel complete. It didn’t make them subservient at all. It gave them power.

  Ohmygod. She’d never realized. She hadn’t known.

  Chapter 8

  It was dawn when Karim opened his eyes to a slash of sunlight across his face. The mission called to him. Time to move out. Still tangled with Morgan, he carefully slid his arm from beneath her head. She stirred, buried her nose in his shoulder and made a soft noise of protest. Then she rolled over and curled into a ball.

  He had little trouble climbing out of the coverings without disturbing her as his sleeping bag was in tatters after their night of lovemaking. The two of them were unbelievably hard on sleeping bags. Good thing they would be completing the mission today and heading home.

  Getting to his feet, he stopped to gaze down at Morgan. She made such a picture. All soft and open. What he wouldn’t give for an entire night of uninterrupted hours with her and with nothing more pressing than finding all her sweet spots on his agenda.

  That would not be today. He turned but couldn’t resist one last glance. Needing to keep an image of her just this way, to hold on forever to what they’d done together, he tried to burn the memory of how she looked into his mind. But what a surprise he got when he discovered that her image was already solidly imprinted inside his heart and locked up tight. So soon?