Under a Desert Moon

by Laura Martin

  ‘Shh,’ she said, pulling away slightly. ‘This doesn’t change anything. It just leaves us with a memory to treasure for ever.’

  Seb’s resolve buckled and he found himself kissing her back with such fervour he hoped he wouldn’t scare her away. Emma responded with passion of her own, running her hands all over his body, but always returning to the hardness of his manhood straining beneath his trousers.

  He felt her tug at his shirt and obligingly Seb lifted his arms up so she could pull it over his head. For a second Emma just stared at his torso, as if really trying to commit every detail of him to memory. Seb felt a stab of panic. This couldn’t be the last time he was with Emma; surely there had to be more.

  Emma pushed him back towards the ground and swiftly climbed on top of him, straddling his hips. He felt her lower herself on top of his hardness and groaned as she wriggled around for a few seconds.

  ‘Clothes off,’ he gasped, wanting to see her naked, wanting to touch every inch of her skin.

  Emma grinned and started to tug off her shirt and chemise. He reached up and cupped her breasts in both hands, causing her to drop her head back and writhe in pleasure. Softly he caressed the milky white skin then caught both her nipples between his fingers and rolled them ever so gently backwards and forwards.

  Emma responded by lifting her hips and trying to tug down his trousers, but Sebastian had other ideas. He propped himself up on his elbows and started to loosen her trousers, racing to see if he could undress her first.

  He won, pulling her trousers down over her hips and waiting as she lifted herself off her knees and out of the garment. Finally she was naked atop him and Seb took a moment to just admire her. She was beautiful and strong and proud. He couldn’t believe just a couple of weeks ago he’d never even met her. It seemed as though they’d known each other for a lifetime.

  Slowly he trailed his fingers down between her breasts and over the taut muscles of her abdomen. He paused momentarily before he reached the soft curls at the bottom of her abdomen, then dipped even lower. Emma gasped with pleasure as his fingers gently circled and probed and he felt her buck against him.

  ‘This isn’t fair,’ Emma said, barely able to catch her breath.

  Seb ignored her, instead focussing on the movement of his fingers and the rise and fall of her chest as she panted.

  ‘You’re still half clothed,’ she managed to get out.

  Obligingly Seb paused and lifted his hips to allow Emma to pull off his trousers. Then it was his turn to groan with surprise as she caught him between her hands and started to stroke.

  ‘Emma,’ he said, his voice low with desire.

  ‘Yes, Sebastian?’

  ‘Don’t stop.’

  She smiled and he felt her grip tighten. His hips bucked up involuntarily as he felt her fingers glide over his skin, backwards and forwards, over and over again.

  Seb knew he had to have her soon, and so he grabbed her hips and positioned her over him. Slowly she lowered herself until he was just about to enter her.

  ‘Maybe we should stop,’ she said teasingly.

  ‘No. Never.’

  With gentle pressure he pushed her downwards and sighed as he felt himself slip inside her. Slowly Emma began rocking, picking up the pace as she flung her head back and started to moan with pleasure.

  He watched her above him and he knew he would never love anyone as he loved her. She was his one and only; she was the woman who completed him.

  Seb felt the climax build inside him and pulled her forward onto his chest. Emma tightened around him as he exploded inside her and then they lay panting together, neither wanting to be the one to move and spoil the moment.

  ‘Thank you for that,’ Emma said as she lifted her head and looked in his eyes.

  Seb didn’t know what to say.

  ‘I wanted one last memory of us together.’

  He wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her close to his chest. He didn’t want this to be his last memory of her. He wanted to make a lifetime of memories with her. He wanted to wake up every morning with her in his arms and he wanted to take her on his adventures during the day. And then each and every evening he wanted to make love to her before falling asleep with the woman he loved wrapped tightly in his embrace.

  Maybe it is possible, a small voice said inside his head. Maybe you can have all that and more? He thought about the future they would have together. Saturdays spent ambling round the streets of Cairo, arm in arm, and long Sundays spent in bed with no one else to disturb them.

  Maybe even children. Seb had never imagined himself having children, but with Emma he could see it so clearly. They’d have beautiful little girls with blond hair and blue eyes, the perfect miniature of their lovely mother.

  He shook his head. Surely it wasn’t possible? Surely it was just all a fantasy?

  ‘We should get started,’ Emma said, breaking the moment.

  Seb nodded, knowing they needed to start the day, but wanting to lie for just a little longer with Emma pressed against his heart.

  She wriggled for a few seconds then stopped and looked at him when she realised he wasn’t about to release her.

  ‘I can’t get dressed with you holding me like this,’ she said.

  Seb didn’t move.

  ‘You gave me until dusk to find the tomb,’ Emma continued, ‘so we need to get moving.’

  Seb cursed himself for his rash imposition of a time restriction. Why hadn’t he said they could stay out in the desert for weeks? Here it was just the two of them; they could easily be together. As soon as they returned to civilisation he would have to give Emma up for good. Maybe he could just kidnap her and wander off into the desert with her slung over his horse?

  Seb stopped in his tracks. It was only him who was stopping them from being together. If he said the word he knew Emma would never leave his side again.

  He shook his head and loosened his grip on Emma, allowing her to roll off him and start pulling on her clothes. He was doing this to protect her, to make sure she never came to any harm.

  Reluctantly Seb started to dress as well and soon they were packing away their camp and ready to start their search.

  ‘How shall we go about it?’ Emma asked as they both sat looking at the scroll.

  Seb leaned in closer than was strictly necessary on the pretence of studying the scroll and stayed there for a few seconds.

  ‘The entrance will be hidden,’ he said. ‘That was the whole point of building the tombs out in the middle of the desert, but it will be marked in some way.’

  He contemplated for a few seconds.

  ‘We should take a cliff face each and spend time really studying the rock, seeing if there is anything that could be interpreted as a symbol. Remember it will be worn down after all these years exposed to the elements.’

  Emma nodded.

  ‘If we get to the end of these rock faces we’ll swap places and double back. I’m pretty sure we’re in the right vicinity. It’ll be finding the exact spot that will be difficult.’

  Emma stood and stretched. She picked up her water skin and regarded the two rock faces.

  ‘Do you want the left or the right?’ she asked.

  Seb shrugged, allowing her to pick. Emma started on the left. She walked up to the rock face and began studying it in earnest. Seb watched her for a few seconds before walking over to the opposite side of the ravine.

  Every few minutes he would pause and look over to where Emma was slowly making progress. She was loving every second; he could tell by the look on her face. He’d never thought he’d find someone who loved Egyptology as much as he did, but here she was—the perfect woman had fallen right into his arms.

  Seb tried to concentrate on the rock face, but thoughts of Emma kept entering his mind. He couldn’t
allow the next couple of days to be their last together. There must be some way of keeping her safe but still keeping her with him. He’d give anything to know he would never harm her.

  Seb traced his fingers over the rock and tried to pick out any man-made markings. Often touch was the best way to pick something up. Nature didn’t often leave completely straight lines, so if he ran his fingers over a rock and found one then that could be the clue they needed.

  He thought he should share this pearl of wisdom with Emma so quickly strode over to her.

  ‘Have you found something?’ Emma asked, her voice high with excitement.

  He shook his head. ‘I thought I’d just say use your fingers.’

  Emma’s eyes widened and then she giggled.

  ‘On the rock,’ Seb said, keeping his face completely serious. ‘You might pick up something that your eyes can’t see.’

  Emma saluted him then turned back to the rock. Seb lingered for a few seconds longer, wondering whether it would be bad form to reach out, spin her round and kiss her.

  He sighed, and reached out. When it came to Emma it seemed his common sense left him.

  Gently he spun her round, planted a firm kiss on her lips and then walked off, knowing she would be wondering what it meant and knowing he couldn’t tell her.

  They continued their search, edging along the rock face as the sun climbed ever higher in the sky. At the beginning of the day Seb had been convinced they would find the tomb, but now he wasn’t so sure. They were almost three quarters of the way along the rock face and so far they had found no clue whatsoever.

  ‘Sebastian,’ Emma called, breaking Seb from his trance.

  Quickly he spun round and picked his way across the rough ground to where Emma was standing. She had stepped back from the rock face a little and was looking up to a spot somewhere above her head.

  ‘What is it?’ he asked, peering upwards, trying to shield his eyes from the glaring sun.

  ‘I think we’ve found it,’ Emma said, taking his hand in hers. ‘I think we’ve found the entrance to the tomb.’

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Sebastian peered up at the rock face as Emma pointed to the spot that had caught her attention. Her interest had been piqued as she’d seen the rock face seemed to be eroded back into a crevice above ground level and there was a ledge just above her head leading to it. So she’d stepped back and studied the area for a while. And then she’d seen it. The small carving, now eroded by the wind and sand of the desert, but still recognisable as some sort of bird of prey.

  She watched as Sebastian’s eyes alighted upon it and his whole face transformed into a smile.

  ‘That’s it,’ he said. ‘That’s got to be it.’

  Emma’s breath caught in her throat as he reached out and took her hand. For a second they just stood there, hand in hand, looking up at the small carving.

  ‘How will we get up there?’ Emma asked as she eyed the surrounding rock face.

  ‘You can pull me up,’ Sebastian quipped and Emma caught a glimpse of the carefree man she’d travelled with until their encounter with the bandits. Sebastian quickly studied the terrain, then motioned for her to wait where she was. He dashed back the way they’d come, leaving Emma wondering what he had planned.

  After a couple of minutes he returned with two large sticks wrapped in cloth. He threw them up onto the ledge above their heads and ran his hands over the rock.

  ‘If I boost you up do you think you’ll have the strength to pull yourself the rest of the way?’ he asked.

  Emma judged the distance then nodded. ‘But how will you get up there? It’s a long way without someone to boost you.’

  ‘Don’t worry. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.’

  Emma crossed the couple of steps to where Sebastian was standing and flexed her fingers. When she was ready she put her booted foot into Sebastian’s hand. He pushed upwards and Emma found herself soaring towards the sky so her chest was level with the ledge. Without too much effort she managed to pull herself the rest of the way onto the ledge. She scooted back from the edge and watched as Sebastian tested out various bits of the rock face. He quickly decided on a route and within a couple of seconds he had pulled himself up and was sitting beside her.

  Hand in hand they stood and moved towards the small carving. Emma reached out her fingers and traced the outline. Up close it was unmistakable; this was definitely a man-made carving.

  Sebastian led her back to where the ledge narrowed into a V shape, with a crevice leading further in. Emma gasped as he released her hand and squeezed around the rock face, only to disappear completely from view.

  ‘Come on in,’ Sebastian said, his voice echoing slightly.

  With a glance back over her shoulder Emma squeezed herself round the rock face and followed him. To her surprise the ledge widened out again and in the middle of the cliff at the back was a doorway. She looked back the way they had come and saw they were completely hidden from view.

  She felt a shiver run through her body. There was a possibility they were the first people to lay eyes on this entrance for thousands of years.

  Sebastian quickly retreated the way they’d come and picked up the as-yet-unlit torches. He spent a couple of minutes building a small fire and coaxing a flame to light the rags before setting one aflame and handing it to Emma. He took the other one in his free hand.

  ‘Shall we?’ he asked. ‘Or shall we just go home now we’ve found it?’

  Emma nodded, answering his first question and ignoring his second. She sensed he was nervous and she felt the same. Her throat had gone dry and she couldn’t manage to utter a sound. This was the moment she’d been waiting for for so long. She and Sebastian were going to be the first people to see the tomb of Telarti.

  Hand in hand they stepped forward and peered through the carved doorway. Just beyond the entrance the ground was cracked and uneven and a few large rocks lay at haphazard angles.

  ‘Looks like it isn’t the most stable of environments,’ Sebastian said, looking at the roof. ‘We’ll have to tread carefully. One sign of instability and we’re out of here.’

  Emma nodded but she wasn’t really listening. Just a few yards ahead of her, still mainly concealed by the darkness, she could see something on the walls.

  Slowly they walked into the entrance of the tomb. Emma gasped as the torches illuminated the walls, showing the detailed paintings and hieroglyphics.

  ‘There are stairs leading down,’ Sebastian said, his voice thick with emotion.

  Emma knew he had been in Egypt a long time, but she doubted he’d ever laid eyes on anything as beautiful or so well preserved as this tomb, and they’d barely passed the entrance.

  Carefully they picked their way down the flight of stairs, stopping every couple of steps to admire the murals.

  ‘Beautiful Companion, Beloved of Mut,’ Emma read from one of the walls.

  ‘We’re in the right place,’ Sebastian said. ‘This really is Telarti’s tomb.’

  ‘Mistress of Charm, Sweetness and Love,’ Emma read a little farther down.

  The floor levelled out and Emma glanced behind them. The entrance seemed a long way away and their path was only illuminated by the burning torches. The narrow stairway widened into a chamber with benches along two sides. Placed on the benches were a variety of bowls and drinking vessels.

  ‘This was where they left the offerings,’ Sebastian said, his voice hushed with awe.

  Emma walked around the perimeter of the room, staring in disbelief at the vivid colours that covered the walls.

  ‘They’re scenes of Telarti travelling through the underworld to meet Osiris,’ Emma said as she looked at the pictures she’d seen only in books before now. ‘And look at the ceiling—it’s beautiful.’

  The ceiling was painte
d a deep, dark blue and was studded with small yellow stars. Emma felt as if her senses were being overwhelmed. She thought she could stay here for ever and be content just looking at the murals.

  Sebastian crossed the room and took her hand, a look of awe in his eyes. Silently they moved through the chamber and to the doorway at the end. There was another set of stairs leading downwards, currently completely in darkness.

  Emma allowed Sebastian to lead her. With anyone else she might feel a little scared, venturing so deep into the earth with only the flickering torches for illumination, but with Sebastian by her side Emma felt completely safe. She knew he wouldn’t let any harm come to her. She felt him squeeze her hand as they began the second descent and she wondered whether this would hold the same excitement for her without Sebastian. She knew the answer immediately. Although discovering the tomb of Telarti was exciting in itself, doing it with the man she loved made it even more special.

  They stepped into the burial chamber at the bottom of the flight of stairs and Emma gasped. If she’d thought the rest of the tomb was beautiful then this was magnificent. The walls again were covered in vivid paintings, the pigments not faded by light and as vibrant as the day they were painted. As well as the murals the chamber was filled almost from wall to wall with treasures beyond Emma’s wildest imagination. There were chests of jewellery and piles of ornately decorated golden plates and beautiful stone carvings. Emma didn’t know where to look; every direction was filled with wonders more impressive than anything she’d ever seen before.

  ‘I can’t...’ Sebastian’s words trailed off as he continued his perusal of the room.

  Emma knew exactly how he was feeling. All this history and all these wonders were overpowering.

  ‘In all my time in Egypt I’ve never seen anything like this,’ Sebastian said eventually.

  Emma turned to him and looked into his eyes in the flickering torchlight. She knew she had to say something now; she had to make him see he couldn’t leave her alone. Everything was better when they did it together, and she had to fight to make him see it.