The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) by Cara Albany
Authors: Cara Albany
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managed to maintain some distance between them these past twenty-four hours.
She wondered how long she could keep up her resistance, hold back his obvious and clear advances. She'd seen the need in his eyes, witnessed the obvious desire he still felt for her. And, if she was absolutely truthful there was a part of her that was glad that he still had those feelings for her.
Even though they'd been back together for over a day now, she was amazed that he still hadn't demanded an answer from her. Hadn't forced her to tell him why she had run out on him.
Lucy wasn't even sure she could tell him. The act she'd taken had been born of sheer gut instinct, some unknowable force which had made her panic at the prospect of losing everything she told herself she'd won for herself in the battle of life. Wasn't being tied down everything she'd rebelled against back in her home town. If she'd wanted to settle down, she could have taken up her father's offer of security or ended up in her mother's bakery.
Wasn't it that she was running away from? Was it simply that she didn't want anyone tying her down? Not even Azim, the most incredible man she'd ever known. Possibly the most amazing man she would ever know.
"You hungry?" she heard Azim call to her from outside. She noted that he didn't even enter her tent, instead waiting respectfully outside.
Lucy stood and straightened her shirt, running a hand over her face. She didn't want him to notice the emotion she knew was etched on her face.
"I'll be right out," she replied.
And then she started to make her way out, determined that he wouldn't see that the memories of the past still had a capacity to move her.
CHAPTER TEN
They finished eating as the sun was starting to settle on the distant horizon. Under any other circumstances, Lucy told herself, this would have been one of the most romantic things she could ever have done. A meal with a gorgeous sheikh in a desert encampment while watching the sunset, seated on a blanket atop a high dune.
But, that wasn't how it felt.
Lucy drew in a slow, quiet breath and felt her nerves quiver. This actually felt like exquisite, painful torture, she told herself.
She glanced across at him, gauging him, assessing him as best she could. He looked calm, even pleased, she thought. Azim had been a thorough gentleman throughout the meal. He'd made no reference to their earlier disagreement. In fact, he seemed to take an almost innocent, simple pleasure in her company. How could he have forgotten what she'd put him through? Didn't he harbor even the smallest amount of resentment? Surely he had every right to feel something. Anything.
Lucy realized that his pleasant demeanor must simply be an act, a determined mask he was putting on. Azim was too proud to show any petty feelings to Lucy. During their previous time together she'd seen plenty of examples of his self-control. Whenever he'd been around other people, that was.
It had been a whole different thing whenever he'd been alone with Lucy. It had been during those solitary moments when Lucy had witnessed the sheer power that Azim possessed, not only as a lover, but as a man who was capable of making a woman the whole focus of his existence, as if nothing else in the world could possibly matter. That had been the private Azim she had been accustomed to seeing.
Lucy glanced across at Azim as they sat on the mat he'd laid out next to the oasis. No. This Azim was a different man from the one she'd known. Back then, in a situation like this, Lucy would have been left in no doubt about just what Azim felt for her.
Was the explanation simply that he no longer cared? Could it be that those occasional comments he'd made to her had just been slips of the tongue? That he wasn't as consumed by her as she'd thought? Had his attitude toward her cooled?
Once they'd reached the safety of the city, would he simply air-kiss Lucy and wish her well? As she chewed on another mouthful of food,
She wondered how long she could keep up her resistance, hold back his obvious and clear advances. She'd seen the need in his eyes, witnessed the obvious desire he still felt for her. And, if she was absolutely truthful there was a part of her that was glad that he still had those feelings for her.
Even though they'd been back together for over a day now, she was amazed that he still hadn't demanded an answer from her. Hadn't forced her to tell him why she had run out on him.
Lucy wasn't even sure she could tell him. The act she'd taken had been born of sheer gut instinct, some unknowable force which had made her panic at the prospect of losing everything she told herself she'd won for herself in the battle of life. Wasn't being tied down everything she'd rebelled against back in her home town. If she'd wanted to settle down, she could have taken up her father's offer of security or ended up in her mother's bakery.
Wasn't it that she was running away from? Was it simply that she didn't want anyone tying her down? Not even Azim, the most incredible man she'd ever known. Possibly the most amazing man she would ever know.
"You hungry?" she heard Azim call to her from outside. She noted that he didn't even enter her tent, instead waiting respectfully outside.
Lucy stood and straightened her shirt, running a hand over her face. She didn't want him to notice the emotion she knew was etched on her face.
"I'll be right out," she replied.
And then she started to make her way out, determined that he wouldn't see that the memories of the past still had a capacity to move her.
CHAPTER TEN
They finished eating as the sun was starting to settle on the distant horizon. Under any other circumstances, Lucy told herself, this would have been one of the most romantic things she could ever have done. A meal with a gorgeous sheikh in a desert encampment while watching the sunset, seated on a blanket atop a high dune.
But, that wasn't how it felt.
Lucy drew in a slow, quiet breath and felt her nerves quiver. This actually felt like exquisite, painful torture, she told herself.
She glanced across at him, gauging him, assessing him as best she could. He looked calm, even pleased, she thought. Azim had been a thorough gentleman throughout the meal. He'd made no reference to their earlier disagreement. In fact, he seemed to take an almost innocent, simple pleasure in her company. How could he have forgotten what she'd put him through? Didn't he harbor even the smallest amount of resentment? Surely he had every right to feel something. Anything.
Lucy realized that his pleasant demeanor must simply be an act, a determined mask he was putting on. Azim was too proud to show any petty feelings to Lucy. During their previous time together she'd seen plenty of examples of his self-control. Whenever he'd been around other people, that was.
It had been a whole different thing whenever he'd been alone with Lucy. It had been during those solitary moments when Lucy had witnessed the sheer power that Azim possessed, not only as a lover, but as a man who was capable of making a woman the whole focus of his existence, as if nothing else in the world could possibly matter. That had been the private Azim she had been accustomed to seeing.
Lucy glanced across at Azim as they sat on the mat he'd laid out next to the oasis. No. This Azim was a different man from the one she'd known. Back then, in a situation like this, Lucy would have been left in no doubt about just what Azim felt for her.
Was the explanation simply that he no longer cared? Could it be that those occasional comments he'd made to her had just been slips of the tongue? That he wasn't as consumed by her as she'd thought? Had his attitude toward her cooled?
Once they'd reached the safety of the city, would he simply air-kiss Lucy and wish her well? As she chewed on another mouthful of food,
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