by Sabrina York
“But—”
Before she could finish her sentence, his lips pressed against hers and warmth spread to every part of her body. He pulled her closer and ran his tongue across her closed mouth. She whimpered.
“Katharine, you are meant to save me.”
She backed away, creeping a few feet until her back hit the opposite side of the boat. Outta control. Yeah, she’d always had a thing for movies about sexy pharaohs, but this was ridiculous. “I want to wake up now.”
“I want to wake up with you.” His voice slurred. “I only wish I didn’t have this injury. I could show you my power.”
“You need to rest.” And I need to wake up.
“I…am tired.” He slumped, and she helped him lie back. For a moment, she leaned in to kiss him again then stopped.
“Katharine,” Bastet called. “Come. I need to show you something.”
Wobbly legged, she stood and made her way to the end of the boat where the other woman stood, steering.
“You don’t believe,” Bastet said. She swirled the long cane pole in the river current. The oarsmen, mute, rowed in silence.
“This is a dream.”
“No, it isn’t. Madame Eve brought you here. Believe. Seti needs you and right now; he needs someone to believe in.”
Katharine watched Seti sleep. His hand lay over the bandage, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically. Even in the dark, his muscular chest and handsome face sent shivers through her.
“He thinks he is pharaoh. Of Egypt.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think he must have had too much wine, or he hit his head after his brother stabbed him. He needs a hospital.”
“Sit.”
Katharine dropped onto the small seat beside Bast. The breeze lifted sounds from the banks and tossed them into the air. Frogs, insects, and other night creatures croaked and clicked. Fragrant blossoms lined the shore, filling the air with sweetness.
“It’s so beautiful.” The moonlight swam along the ripples on the water in wavy silver tendrils. Her shoulders dropped, and the tension rolled out of her back.
“It is.” Bast moved the stick confidently, steering. “The Nile is life-giving, nurturing. The beginning of all things.”
“The Nile.”
“Yes. Madame Eve sent you to Egypt to find peace and possibly more. As difficult as it may be to believe, time does not flow in one direction.”
“Meaning what? You don’t expect me to believe I’ve traveled back in time?”
“That is what I’m telling you. Think of it this way. We are passengers on a river of time….”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that analogy before.”
“Think of the mighty Nile as time itself. It flows south to north, which is somewhat unusual. But really, it isn’t doing anything special—it is flowing along the path of least resistance. Downhill is the easiest direction—and holds fewer obstacles.”
Bast stared out over the open water.
“Yes?”
“Well, as passengers on time’s river, we steer toward the best way, too. Sometimes it means going in an unusual direction—like the Nile. You should trust that you are on your chosen path. It isn’t the direction you expected—but it is the natural course.”
Katharine yawned. Alice down the rabbit hole would have been an appropriate analogy, and things were becoming less weird by the moment. So what if she was in ancient Egypt? The time analogy made sense. She closed her eyes. To dream within a dream.
***
“Wake up.” Bast said. “We’re here. You’re going to need to get him into the house without the guards realizing he’s injured. Come on.”
She rubbed her eyes. How long had she slept? The boat, grounded on a low bank, perched halfway out of the water. “Me? What about you?”
Bast was gone. Seti lay on the mattress, a small, dark shape resting on his chest. A brief pulse of bluish-green light flickered above him then all went dark. Voices called out from the bank, and the oarsmen disembarked. She needed to get him moving.
Chapter Eight
Seti winced, but when the expected pain didn’t come, he sat up gingerly.
“Katharine, you are still here.” The boat wobbled a little on the sandy bank, and he held his arms out to steady himself. “I feel so much better.”
“You needed the rest.”
“I am healed.”
“Nonsense. You need to go to the hospital. First, we need to get you inside. Bast said not to let anyone see you are injured. Someone may tell Amenmesse.”
“I feel fine. But thank you for staying with me.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close, hiding the bandage. “We’ll be safe once inside the walls.”
“Let’s go.”
They stepped onto the muddy bank. As they reached the walkway, two guards cleared the edge of the embankment. He squinted at the bright torches.
“Lower the lights.”
“A thousand pardons, my king,” the taller guard said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
“I’m here, and I wish to be left alone. Go.”
The guard eyed Katharine. “She’s dressed oddly.”
“Her garments are not your concern.”
The guard dipped his head. “Of course.”
“Do not disturb us tonight. Let that be an order to everyone. No one enters the compound until sunrise, when I will emerge as Egypt’s new king.”
“As you wish. We’ll give you the privacy you require.”
The gate snapped shut and Seti breathed in relief. “We made it,” he whispered. “Let’s go in. The house should be prepared to receive me.”
He led her up a set of stone steps. Though the house was built for a king, it wasn’t opulent, as the Nile flooding could wipe it away. Instead, it served as a resting retreat for the king and his companions. He’d been many times as a guest of his father, but never on his own.
The main room was large and open for talk or sleep. Pillows, stuffed mattresses, and woven mats spread from one end to the other. Large oil lamps flickered in every open space, lighting the room to almost daylight.
“Oh, the art is lovely.” She ran her hands along the paintings of cats that sat on each side of the interior doors.
“Guardians. I am quite fond of cats.”
She turned and her smile widened. “Me, too.”
“I will have many in my father’s, I mean, my palace.” The urge to pull her close and lay her on the mattresses tore at his groin. His cock began to throb as he thought of taking her. When had a woman stirred him so, especially with a simple smile? Never.
“I’ve got quite a few, myself. And I take care of sick cats. I’m a veterinarian.”
“What?”
“A cat doctor.”
“No wonder you drew Bastet to you.”
“Where did she go?” She gazed at the ceiling and the open-air skylights, the gentle curve of her neck open and exposed. The small black clothing she wore to hide her breasts didn’t cover them completely, and the rounded tops lifted as she breathed. Patience, by the gods….
“The goddess comes and goes without sound.”
“Okay…can we not talk any more about the craziness of this night? I feel like I am lost in wonderland.”
Brushing her long hair over her shoulders, he shuddered. “I’m sure we have other things to discuss.” He trailed his finger over her cheek, down her bare throat to her cleavage then back up her neck. Her skin, soft and unblemished, invited his touch. He licked his lips. “What would you like to talk about?” His voice, husky from the deepening draw to possess her, startled him. I must have her.
Before she could speak, he pressed his full lips against hers, his fingers entwined in her hair. She hugged him to her and met his kiss, gently. Her lips parted and he slid his tongue into her mouth and she responded with a thrust of her own. His head spun as he kissed her, and he pulled back, panting. Got to slow down, or this will be a short night.
“I want this to be perfect,” he said, stroking
her hair.
“I’m not sure a kiss could be more perfect.”
His cock ached and grew rigid.
“Please don’t stop.”
He rubbed her face with his thumb, savoring the way she looked at him, innocent and lustful at the same time. Tomorrow was a world away—things would be back to work and politics. Tonight, he could be a man, not king.
Leading her to the largest mattress, he dimmed several of the lamps as they passed. Soft coverings of the finest silks in deep crimsons and blues draped over the bed, and pillows covered the floor around it.
“I need to take this off.” He pulled the bandage loose and set it on the low table. No pain. He felt along his side. “I’m healed! The pain was gone, but this…?”
Her eyes widened. “How?”
“I think we know. The goddess would not allow my half-brother to take you from me. Come here.”
She stood close, and he breathed in her scent, savoring her soft belly against his hardness. He’d never tire of her—his own exotic mixture of unknown flowers.
“You needed stitches.”
“Shh. I’m healed. When will you start believing what is before your eyes?”
“Everything I believe has been turned upside down. I don’t know what to believe.”
“You feel me. You feel my passion for you. That is real.”
She laid her head on his chest. His nipples hardened at her light touch. How much longer can I wait?
“What is that?”
On the table, beside the bandage he had discarded sat a small golden box with two jewels inlaid in the top. A blue stone and a green one. Bast. He opened the box. Inside were small foil packets. “Odd. I assume Bast left these, but what are they?”
Even in the torchlight, he saw her blush, as she ducked her head. “They are, uh, protection. For when we…uh. Do stuff.”
He raised an eyebrow and then tore open one of the packets. Inside was a curious circular thing.
“Yeah, that goes there.” She pointed.
The heat rose in his own face. “Ah,” he said, dropping the item onto the table. “I see.”
She giggled. He knelt in front of her and drew her into another kiss, entwining his strong tongue with her soft, wet one. When he could no longer bear it, he stopped.
“What is it?”
“Are you sure this is your course?”
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“On the boat, you asked to go home. What has changed?”
She pushed him back and lay against him. “I’ve accepted my path. I want this, you, more than anything. I crave feeling your skin on mine as you move inside me.”
Her light hair fanned out around her like sunshine. He smiled and ran his hand under the edge of her shirt, feeling the skin of her stomach quiver beneath his touch. Easing the shirt up and off, he watched as she slipped off the black undergarment. When she stood and dropped her lower garments, he gasped. He was used to seeing bare women, but her body called to him in ways he didn’t understand other than a deep need to possess her.
“Your turn.” She pointed to his clothing and quirked an eyebrow. She lay on the mattress, her pale skin glimmering.
He tripped over himself trying to disrobe so he could join her. She giggled as he steadied himself.
When he took her into his arms and bare skin met bare skin, his head dizzied and he closed his eyes to savor the sensation. His cock throbbed painfully and moved to find release. Her nipples hardened as he kissed her, and he nipped at her neck, drinking in her scent and kissing the soft flesh again and again.
He held her breasts in his hands and fingered the nipples, pinching them gently. She arched her back, her mouth half open. Need surged through his rigid cock, and he wanted to push into her warm wet mouth. His ache to possess her had grown beyond the bounds of return, and his restraint wavered. He longed to shove her down and take her.
He sucked, long and hard—teasing her nipples.
“Seti. Oh.” She writhed under him.
He imagined her legs wrapped around him as he drove into her, again and again. His whole body trembled, and he reached between her legs and cupped her pussy. Wetness slid over his hand as he rubbed and slowly worked his finger inside her folds.
She flung her head back. When she moved against his finger, he edged in deeper thinking he would spill his seed all over her. Keep control. She held her eyes half open, but her hips bumped against him, and he moved his thumb to massage her most sensitive spot.
She tightened around his finger before she cried out. He buried his head in her hair and memorized the feeling of her bucking against him.
Chapter Nine
Katharine shook. Seti’s dark complexion glowed warm in the lamp light, and he gazed at her with a hunger she’d only read about. No one had ever wanted her so much. She sensed his need and squeezed her legs together to hold on to her passion. He leaned over her, bending down to kiss her forehead. She reached under him, grabbing his hard cock then tugged it gently. He clambered to sit up on his knees, granting her unobstructed access.
His shaft pulsed, its velvety skin sliding through her hand. She cupped the head, touching the sticky moisture. When she shimmied up to be belly to belly with him, she grabbed his balls and squeezed. “You tease me,” he moaned.
“I need this.” Oh, God, I need this.
She continued to stroke and pull, and he met her rhythm. Her own desire pooled heavy between her legs, and she began working him close to her own center of pleasure. When his tip touched her pussy, she arched against him.
“I can’t wait any longer to possess you,” he said. “I want you now.”
“Let me get a condom.” She grabbed the golden box, snatched a packet, and ripped it open. He lay on his back on the mattress, his long heavy cock quivering as he tugged it.
“Hurry.”
She straddled him and rolled the condom in place. When she started to move away, he grabbed her around the waist and sat her on his abdomen. Her wetness lay open on his stomach, and she ground against him.
“Now,” he said.
He eased her onto him and she closed her eyes, feeling him fill her, inch by inch. He thrust deep, and she cried out.
Her breasts bobbed as she rode him. So good. His hands clasped her hips, guiding her up and down. He’d push the rhythm faster, and then slow down when she got close to release. Suddenly, he stopped.
“What’s wrong? Don’t stop.”
“Look at the wall—look at us in the lamp light.”
She looked at the erotic pose of their joining. He began moving again, and she watched the wall, mesmerized at the shadow bodies making love. Her back arched as he pushed deeper.
“Lean forward.”
She bent toward him. He pushed into her, while the shadow man fucked the shadow woman on the wall. Tension coiled inside her from down low and began spiraling outward.
“Fuck me, Seti.”
He quickened the pace, pounding into her.
She leaned against him, her climax exploding, as she opened to him.
His fingertips tightened on her hips, and he thrust into her harder, groaning and thrashing his head about until his own climax passed. He stilled.
She lay on his chest, her legs straddling him and his cock still inside her. The aftershocks of her orgasm rocked her, and she moved against him, trying to soak up the last bits of pleasure before they disappeared. So good.
She rolled off him and lay in his arms. Is this merely a roll in the hay for him? Nothing about the night felt normal. Seti was kind and had a way of looking right into her soul and calling her out—keeping her true to herself. He’d said stay the night. He wasn’t ashamed. Why should she be?
“Katharine?” He stroked her hair.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. I haven’t bedded someone equal. Ever.”
“Huh?”
“Usually sex is a very selfish dispensing of my own needs. Servants. They are always at the ready to provide release. But this�
�is more. I felt needed. I enjoyed pleasuring you as much as my own pleasure, if not more.”
Okay, if this was ancient Egypt, then his words would make a lot more sense. Somewhere in them, there was a compliment—she was sure of it. “I enjoyed it, too. I won’t forget our night together.”
“I don’t want it to end.”
“We only have a night.”
“Will you stay with me? Here? I know it would be different, perhaps difficult.”
She sat up and pulled the silk blanket around her shoulders. “I have my clinic. And the cats. Besides, you must have a would-be queen.”
He covered his face with his hands. “I am betrothed to my sister, Sebi, but I don’t want to marry her. Amenmesse claims her, as well as Egypt. When the sun rises tomorrow, I will be in the middle of a very complicated political problem.”
“You’re going to marry your sister?”
“I don’t love her. It is customary to marry within the family to strengthen bloodlines. My brother can have her—and all of Egypt. I don’t want any of it.”
“So don’t marry her.”
“It’s complicated. My mother would kill me with her own hands if I didn’t take Sebi as queen.”
“If you are king, isn’t it your choice?”
“Perhaps. I don’t want to anger the gods.”
Katharine sighed. This was messed up. “Well, we both have real lives, with real problems.”
“Are you to marry someone you don’t love?”
“No. I don’t even have time to date. My clinic is operating in the red, and we owe a lot of money. I don’t have enough time in the day to turn things around.” Tears filled her eyes. “If I don’t figure something out soon, I may lose the place—or have to stop helping so many stray and abandoned cats.”
He stroked her hair. “You’re a good person. Things will work out. You have to trust that you are on the right path.”
“Why do people keep saying that to me?” And why has the path been hidden for so long?
“You must not be listening.”
“I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Yes. And I don’t want to waste another moment thinking about tomorrow. Let’s take some food out into the back garden and dine. The evening’s activities have made me hungry.”