The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) by Cara Albany Page A
Authors: Cara Albany
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she tried to make herself believe he would do that. But, remembering how things had been between them, she found it incomprehensible.
Once they'd finished their food they spent a short while chatting. It was idle talk about inconsequential things, but she could tell that he didn't really want this kind of conversation. The sun was finally almost dipping below the horizon when he surprised her by leaning forward and kissing her politely on the cheek.
"I'm sure you must be tired, Lucy. It's been a long day," he said in an even voice.
Lucy was sure she gazed at him with an expression of disbelief on her face. "I suppose you're right," she replied.
The light from the distant sunset made his skin appear warm, enticing, and she realized she wanted to reach up and run the back of her fingers down the edge of his jaw, feel the hard dark stubble against her skin. But she knew that if she did that there would no knowing where things would end up. She felt a curious, confusing relief when she saw him turn away from her and mutter. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Azim," she said to him and she watched him walk slowly back down the side of the dune to his own tent, open the flap and duck inside.
Lucy folded her arms around herself, feeling the welcome coolness in the air. Why had Azim just walked away from her like that? But, more importantly, why was she feeling like this after watching him disappear into his own tent for the night? Was this what it had all come down to? Lucy gazed westward across the desert. She suddenly wished she was already there, far away in Qazhar city, getting ready to leave again, putting all of this behind her once and for all. Instead, she was stuck out here, facing a long night with little sleep.
Lucy felt a sudden need to cleanse herself of these awful feelings, wash away the sand that was clinging to her, making her feel unclean. She peered down toward the oasis' pool, clear and cool and so very inviting. Dare she plunge into that pool, cleanse her body, scrub her mind of these tormenting thoughts? Of course. It was the only thing that would make her feel different, rid herself of these troubling sensations.
She raced down the dune and into her tent. She was stripped in minutes, wrapping her body in a towel she'd found in the sleeping alcove. She walked barefoot across the carpeted floor and opened the flap of her tent, gazing out. The sky was darkening, a deep shade of blue. There was still time.
Lucy stretched her head out for any sign of Azim. Finding the coast clear, she stepped out onto the sand, feeling the warm softness between her toes. She padded quickly across toward the pool a few yards distant.
Once at the water's edge she turned her head again, looking back. She could barely comprehend what Azim's reaction would be if he emerged from his tent and found her standing by the pool, getting ready to plunge into its welcoming coolness.
There was still no sign of him.
She gazed down into the water, still holding the towel tight around her body. She could see the sandy bottom of the pool. It didn't seem any deeper than her own petite height.
Lucy squatted down and traced the tips of her fingers into the water. It felt cool and inviting.
She stood and, with one last glance back toward the tents, she slipped off the towel. It dropped to the sand, piling around her bare feet.
Lucy felt utterly exposed and instinctively placed her hands across her breasts and middle. Feeling foolish because of the realization that there was no-one to see her, she took one step closer to the edge and dipped the toes of one foot into the water. She rested her foot into the sand beneath the surface. The sand shifted, obviously looser beneath the water than it was by the water's edge.
The angle of the incline beneath the water was sharper than she'd thought and, as she took a few steps into the water, she felt the sand move loosely beneath her feet. Her muscles tightened, maintaining her balance and she
Once they'd finished their food they spent a short while chatting. It was idle talk about inconsequential things, but she could tell that he didn't really want this kind of conversation. The sun was finally almost dipping below the horizon when he surprised her by leaning forward and kissing her politely on the cheek.
"I'm sure you must be tired, Lucy. It's been a long day," he said in an even voice.
Lucy was sure she gazed at him with an expression of disbelief on her face. "I suppose you're right," she replied.
The light from the distant sunset made his skin appear warm, enticing, and she realized she wanted to reach up and run the back of her fingers down the edge of his jaw, feel the hard dark stubble against her skin. But she knew that if she did that there would no knowing where things would end up. She felt a curious, confusing relief when she saw him turn away from her and mutter. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Azim," she said to him and she watched him walk slowly back down the side of the dune to his own tent, open the flap and duck inside.
Lucy folded her arms around herself, feeling the welcome coolness in the air. Why had Azim just walked away from her like that? But, more importantly, why was she feeling like this after watching him disappear into his own tent for the night? Was this what it had all come down to? Lucy gazed westward across the desert. She suddenly wished she was already there, far away in Qazhar city, getting ready to leave again, putting all of this behind her once and for all. Instead, she was stuck out here, facing a long night with little sleep.
Lucy felt a sudden need to cleanse herself of these awful feelings, wash away the sand that was clinging to her, making her feel unclean. She peered down toward the oasis' pool, clear and cool and so very inviting. Dare she plunge into that pool, cleanse her body, scrub her mind of these tormenting thoughts? Of course. It was the only thing that would make her feel different, rid herself of these troubling sensations.
She raced down the dune and into her tent. She was stripped in minutes, wrapping her body in a towel she'd found in the sleeping alcove. She walked barefoot across the carpeted floor and opened the flap of her tent, gazing out. The sky was darkening, a deep shade of blue. There was still time.
Lucy stretched her head out for any sign of Azim. Finding the coast clear, she stepped out onto the sand, feeling the warm softness between her toes. She padded quickly across toward the pool a few yards distant.
Once at the water's edge she turned her head again, looking back. She could barely comprehend what Azim's reaction would be if he emerged from his tent and found her standing by the pool, getting ready to plunge into its welcoming coolness.
There was still no sign of him.
She gazed down into the water, still holding the towel tight around her body. She could see the sandy bottom of the pool. It didn't seem any deeper than her own petite height.
Lucy squatted down and traced the tips of her fingers into the water. It felt cool and inviting.
She stood and, with one last glance back toward the tents, she slipped off the towel. It dropped to the sand, piling around her bare feet.
Lucy felt utterly exposed and instinctively placed her hands across her breasts and middle. Feeling foolish because of the realization that there was no-one to see her, she took one step closer to the edge and dipped the toes of one foot into the water. She rested her foot into the sand beneath the surface. The sand shifted, obviously looser beneath the water than it was by the water's edge.
The angle of the incline beneath the water was sharper than she'd thought and, as she took a few steps into the water, she felt the sand move loosely beneath her feet. Her muscles tightened, maintaining her balance and she
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