by Laura Martin
Seb saluted and turned so his back was facing Emma. The noises she made as she undressed were tantalising in the extreme and Seb was sorely tempted to break his promise and take a quick look, but he kept his feet squarely planted on the ground and his eyes facing forward. He heard the rustle of her skirts and imagined her lifting the dusty dress over her head, and then a quieter sound, which Seb could only conclude were her undergarments being removed.
‘Can I turn around yet?’ Seb asked, his voice almost catching in his throat.
He wanted her to say yes, he wanted to see her silhouetted against the darkening sky, naked and in all her glory.
‘No,’ Emma said firmly.
Seb sighed.
He heard a splashing sound, then a sharp intake of breath followed by some more splashing.
‘Sebastian,’ Emma said eventually. ‘You can turn around now.’
Seb spun slowly, wondering what he was going to see. Emma was submerged up to her shoulders; just the milky skin of her neck was visible above the water.
‘This is heavenly,’ she said.
Seb had to agree. He couldn’t tear his eyes away. He wanted nothing more than for Emma to place her feet on the ground and slowly stand up.
‘I could stay in here all night,’ Emma murmured.
‘When the sun goes down it’ll get cold quickly. The last place you’ll want to be is in the water then.’
‘After the heat of today I can’t ever imagine being cold again.’
Seb laughed and leaned back in the water. He watched as Emma started to unfasten the pins that held her hair in place and let the soft blonde locks fall about her shoulders. She looked like a siren arising from the depths, ready to lure unsuspecting men in and captivate them with her charms.
Once she’d shaken the last of her hair free from its constraints, Seb watched as she leaned back in the water and dipped her head under, submerging her hair and most of her face. When she surfaced her hair was slicked back by the water and Emma drew in a long, deep breath to replenish her lungs. Seb wondered if he’d ever seen anything so erotic.
He was in a dangerous situation. As he had desired, the only thing separating him from Emma was a few feet of water. It would take no effort at all to swim a couple of strokes and press her naked body up against his. He felt the first stirrings of arousal and knew he had to get out of the water and put some clothes back on before he did something they both regretted.
‘I should make a fire before it gets dark,’ Seb said gruffly.
Emma just stared at him, her eyes wide and droplets of water snaking down her forehead.
‘I’m going to get out now,’ he said.
She didn’t move.
He stood, revealing his entire torso. Emma was staring at him as though she couldn’t look away.
‘In twenty seconds I will be out of the water,’ he warned.
Emma’s eyes met his, but still she didn’t turn away.
‘And I’m not wearing a thing,’ he reminded her gently.
A small gush of air escaped Emma’s lips, her eyes widened and hurriedly she turned around, allowing him some privacy to exit the water. Seb felt a stab of disappointment, but knew it was for the best. He knew he should get out and get dressed and start the fire, and forget about Emma’s naked form a few feet away.
Chapter Eleven
Emma languished in the cool water, feeling all the dust and dirt from the long day’s ride being washed away, and she felt rejuvenated. She could hear Sebastian thrashing around somewhere behind her and opened one eye. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if she took just one little look.
Emma had never seen a man naked before. In fact she’d never even seen a man half naked before Sebastian had stood there with his torso exposed. The sight had sent sparks of heat down to her abdomen and now she was craving more.
When she had been duped by Freddie into giving herself to him it had been a hurried affair. Neither of them had undressed. Freddie had just pushed her to the bed and lifted her skirts. She hadn’t seen a single bit of flesh that she wouldn’t see at a ball or dinner party.
Not that Freddie’s physique could ever be compared to Sebastian’s, clothed or unclothed. Sebastian was muscled and powerful and every inch of skin Emma had caught a glimpse of was tanned to a beautiful bronze colour.
Emma placed her feet on the bottom of the pool and slowly started to turn around, making sure she kept her shoulders under the water.
Sebastian had pulled on his trousers and was standing with his back to her. She could see tiny rivulets of water trickling down between his shoulder blades. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch them, to trail her fingers over the taut muscles of his back and find out if they really were as firm as they looked.
Suddenly Sebastian froze and slowly turned back towards her. Emma knew she wouldn’t be able to turn around in time. His eyes locked onto hers and she could see the desire flaring just beneath the surface.
Emma felt as though she were on fire. She wanted to be brazen and bold, but a tiny voice of reason was holding her back. She wanted to stand and walk over to Sebastian, allow his eyes to roam over her naked body, then she wanted to press herself against him.
As soon as she thought it Emma knew it could never be. It was the same mistake she’d made with Freddie all over again. And Sebastian might be a better man than Freddie, but it still wouldn’t make any sort of intimacy right.
Emma tried to look away but her eyes didn’t seem to want to obey any command. She was frozen in place, her eyes locked with Sebastian’s, her desire for him building every second she stayed still.
Eventually Sebastian’s lips formed the now familiar grin and the connection was broken.
‘You peeked, Miss Knight,’ Sebastian said, his voice low and dangerous.
Emma nodded, not knowing what else to say.
‘Surely if you peeked, then I’m allowed to?’
Emma felt an unexpected thrill at the idea of standing naked in front of Sebastian and letting him peruse her body with his eyes. She opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out.
Sebastian watched her and Emma wondered if he was really expecting her to stand naked in front of him.
‘Sometimes I hate being a gentleman,’ Sebastian said, his voice low and almost dangerous. Slowly he turned around. ‘I’d hurry if I were you, Miss Knight. I don’t know how long my resolve will hold.’
Emma forced the muscles in her legs to move and stood, shivering slightly as the evening air cooled her skin and caused it to tighten and pucker. Quickly she made her way out of the water and struggled to pull her dress over her wet body.
‘Dry yourself first,’ Sebastian said gruffly, throwing a coarse blanket in her direction. ‘Otherwise you’ll catch a chill.’
Emma picked it up and started to rub herself dry, keeping one eye on Sebastian at all times to check his back was firmly towards her. Once she was no more than damp she tried again to get her dress on over her head. She struggled for a few minutes to straighten all the material against her damp skin, turning round in circles to try and untangle the skirts.
She stopped dead as she felt Sebastian’s hands on her shoulders and didn’t even dare to breathe as he helped her fasten the dress. His breath was warm against her neck and sent shivers down her spine. Sebastian worked in silence, his fingers deftly doing what Emma’s hadn’t been able to. When he stepped away, Emma felt almost bereft and turned to face him.
Sebastian was standing a few feet away looking at her strangely. As she watched he roused himself, shook his head and started to move.
‘We need to gather firewood,’ he said.
Emma nodded, glad of something practical to do. She slipped her feet back into her boots and ventured off into the undergrowth. After five minutes she returned with a pile of sti
cks. Sebastian nodded approvingly and took them from her. Whilst she had been away, he had been busy starting a small fire. The flames were crackling as they consumed the leaves and small twigs he fed onto it.
‘Good. With these, the fire should last most of the night.’
Emma watched as he fed a larger stick onto the fire then sat back, seemingly satisfied with his work.
‘Hungry?’ he asked.
Emma nodded, realising she was starving. They hadn’t had anything to eat since midday and, although it wasn’t the most strenuous of exercise, riding through the desert had given her quite an appetite.
Sebastian gave her two pots to fill with water and instructed her how to build a stand to balance them above the fire. When the water was bubbling away nicely, they added a small portion of rice, seasoned with herbs, to one pot. To the second pot Sebastian added some salted fish.
‘It won’t be the kind of meal you’re used to.’
Emma breathed in the scent of the cooking food. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever smelt anything more tempting,’ she said.
It was the truth. There was something magical about cooking their dinner above an open fire in an oasis in Egypt. Emma wouldn’t have cared if it were just plain rice they were cooking. It still would have been a wonderful meal.
As if summoned by the scent, Akil came scurrying through the trees towards the campfire. When the rice and fish were cooked, Sebastian dished up two portions and handed them to Akil. He disappeared the way he’d come, taking his brother his evening meal.
Sebastian served the remaining two portions and handed one to Emma. She took the metal tin and inhaled deeply. The rice was seasoned to perfection and the fish still had a salty tang in its aroma.
Sitting on the ground with her skirts gathered up around her, Emma started to eat. Each mouthful was pure bliss, and she wasn’t sure whether it was the surroundings or the fact she was so hungry that transformed the simple meal into something so delicious.
They ate in silence, and after they had finished Emma collected the used plates and pots and rinsed them with water from the pool.
‘Stay close to the fire overnight,’ Sebastian said.
Emma looked at the tree line behind her and wondered for the first time what kind of wild animals there were in Egypt.
Sebastian grinned at her expression and started to build the fire up so it would keep them warm overnight.
‘Probably the most dangerous animal in the desert is the scorpion,’ Sebastian said. ‘But you also have to watch out for snakes.’
Emma nodded and huddled in closer to the fire. Now it was dark, the air seemed to have a chill to it and she quickly went about fastening her damp hair up and away from her shoulders. Sebastian tossed her the small sack she was keeping her change of clothes in and instructed her to use it as a pillow. Silently Emma laid down and watched the flames.
Sebastian stood and walked over to her and gently covered her over with a coarse woollen blanket. Immediately Emma felt the benefit and burrowed down underneath it.
‘Where will you be sleeping?’ Emma asked.
‘Just here.’ He indicated a spot only a couple of feet away. If she desired she would be able to reach out in the night and touch him. Emma wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not. ‘The boys will sleep on the other side of the fire.’
The ground was hard, but Emma soon forgot the discomfort as she stared up at the night’s sky. There was not a single cloud in sight, just hundreds of stars shining so brightly they hurt her eyes if she looked too long.
‘It’s beautiful,’ she said sleepily. ‘I’m not sure I could ever sleep with a sky like that to look at.’
Sebastian laughed as her eyes began to droop and Emma surrendered her body to sleep. Her last thought before oblivion was how nice it would be to have Sebastian’s firm body cradling hers and keeping her safe.
Chapter Twelve
Sebastian awoke with a soft groan. He wasn’t as young as he used to be, and a night sleeping on the hard ground took him longer to recover from. He shifted slightly, then froze. Something warm and soft was pressing up against his side. Cautiously he opened one eye and glanced down—sure enough, the soundly sleeping form of Miss Knight was flush against him.
He wondered how it had happened. He remembered returning in the small hours of the morning and wearily taking his place back by the glowing embers of the fire. He must have misjudged it and fallen asleep much closer to Emma than he had planned. And now she was burrowing in closer, doing nothing to curb the desire that was already burning so strongly inside him.
She was still fast asleep, and he took a moment to enjoy the sensation. It was a long time since he had woken up to the soft form of a woman beside him. In his desire to keep his liaisons as short-lived as possible he rarely spent the night with a woman.
Emma was beautiful in the first morning rays of sunlight. Her cheeks had a slight rosy tint and her eyelashes rested gracefully on her cheeks. Her hair was falling out of the up-do she had secured it into the night before and curled a little as it fell around her shoulders. Sebastian’s eyes trailed lower. The modest neckline of Emma’s dress had slipped a little in her sleep, and although nothing was exposed he caught a glimpse of the creamy white skin of her chest.
He groaned. He knew he should move. If Emma awoke to find herself in this position she would be mortified. Although... Sebastian shook his head. No matter how interested she had seemed in his naked form the night before, that didn’t give him an excuse to prolong their closeness—if anything it was all the more reason to move away.
Stealthily Sebastian eased himself away from Emma’s still-slumbering form and stood, stretching and yawning as he stepped away.
He watched as Emma’s eyes fluttered open and couldn’t help but smile at the slight frown on her face as she tried to work out where she was. Then all the memories from the day before must have come flooding back as she sat hurriedly and rubbed the last remnants of sleep from her eyes. She straightened her dress, concealing that hint of cleavage, and stretched her arms above her head.
‘I can’t believe I slept so well,’ she said. ‘I never expected to get more than a few hours.’
‘Sleeping in the open air is good for you,’ Sebastian said cheerily. ‘And you would have been tired after the day’s ride.’
Emma nodded. Sebastian went over to the pack with the food supplies in and took out one of the pots he used to heat water over the fire. He grabbed a stick and pushed the embers around. They weren’t hot, just warm.
‘Your coffee will be lukewarm, I’m afraid. We haven’t got time to build up the fire again.’
He filled the pot with water and placed it on the embers, allowing the residual heat from the fire to seep through and warm the water. Then he added a generous spoonful of coffee.
Sebastian returned to his pack and brought out two small loaves of flat, dried bread. Gently he shook Akil awake and handed him one of the loaves. Then he split the remaining bread in half and walked towards Emma.
Silently they sat by the pool of the oasis and ate their breakfast.
‘I don’t think I’ll ever forget this,’ Emma said when she had finished eating.
Sebastian had to admit it was beautiful; the reflection of the early morning sun was shimmering on the surface of the water and the trees of the oasis cast long shadows around them.
After breakfast Sebastian quickly set about packing up the horses. He was eager for an early start. No doubt the men who had been following them would wake up with the dawn and set off soon after. At least there had been no sign of their approach through the night. For now at least, their pursuers seemed content just to trail them.
Sebastian wondered again just what it was Emma had in her possession, and how these men had got to know about it. He doubted they were interested purely for the historic
al interest of whatever it was they were seeking out and knew that more likely than not they would be dangerous. He suspected there would be a confrontation before the trip was finished. At the moment he wasn’t sure how they would come out on top, but he was working on a solution.
Just as Akil and Akins rode their horses back into their small camp Sebastian surveyed the scene and nodded in satisfaction. The fire was nothing more than a pile of ash now, no threat to the little oasis they would be leaving behind.
He ushered Emma over to her horse and made a cup with his hand to boost her onto the seat. She had just placed her foot into his hands when she let out a strangled scream.
Sebastian froze; the sound cut through his heart like ice. Quickly he looked her over. There was no sign of blood or a bullet wound, but he couldn’t be sure.
‘My leg,’ Emma whimpered.
Sebastian gently lowered her to the ground under the watchful eyes of Akil and Akins. Emma grabbed at her left calf and Sebastian felt the panic leave him. She hadn’t been shot or mortally injured; she had cramp. Her muscles had protested at the idea of another day spent in the saddle and they had seized up.
Cautiously he lifted her skirt so he exposed her leg to the knee. Emma looked at him with wide eyes but allowed him to continue. Firmly he pressed his hands against the flesh of her calf, massaging and stretching to try and relieve the taut muscle. Emma bit her lip at first as the pain continued, but with Sebastian’s constant ministrations after a few seconds the muscle relaxed and Emma gave a big sigh of relief.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I thought my leg was about to explode.’
Sebastian laughed.
‘It was cramp,’ he explained. ‘A muscle spasm. It’s because you’re not used to riding for so long. The muscle is tired and is letting you know.’
Emma nodded and looked down at where his hands were still kneading the muscle of her calf.
Sebastian quickly stood and backed away, allowing Emma to pull her skirt back to her ankles.