The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8)

by Albany,Cara

  She was just about to turn and head back to the water's edge when the water by her side erupted with a noisy splash, and waves tumbled across her. She was almost knocked off balance, and she felt her body float suddenly backwards as the water swelled around her. She twisted to face the swirling turmoil next to her, instinctively raising her hands to her face to protect herself from the sudden torrent of water. Even as she did so, she already knew what it was.

  It could only be one person.

  Azim.

  She stretched her toes down to the sandy bed and stood upright, gazing straight ahead.

  What she saw made her gasp. Her heart raced and her pulse started an insane, urgent pounding.

  She watched as Azim's head emerged from the water, rivulets streaming down his dark hair and across his face. He looked like a figure out of dream as he rose up in front of her, water running of his skin. He seemed to force himself upwards, his wide shoulders pushing up from the depths, water running across his muscles. He raised his hands to his face to wipe the streaming water away from his features.

  She saw him gaze at her, a wildness in his eyes. He grinned at her as if the sensation of plunging into the pool beside had awakened something primitive in him, an elemental energy. His gaze was locked upon Lucy, his eyes bright with good humor.

  "Azim!" she exclaimed.

  He blew water away from his mouth and gasped. "You didn't tell me you were going for a swim," he growled moving easily toward her.

  She refused to float away from him and searched her mind for words to throw back at him. "I didn't realize I needed permission," she retorted. She felt herself float a couple of feet away from him as if trying to maintain the short distance between them.

  Azim eased his hands through the water, still edging closer to Lucy. He narrowed his brows. "I didn't suggest you did." He ran his gaze across the water's surface. "It's just that I wonder how you knew this was clean," he said.

  "What are you talking about?"

  Azim quirked a brow. "An oasis like this is sometimes used for all manner of things," he said with a teasing tone.

  "Like what?" she demanded.

  Azim shrugged and leaned forward. "Things other than swimming."

  "If that's the case, how come you just jumped in?" she objected.

  He grinned at her and leaned away from her, floating on his back, ignoring what she'd just asked him.

  Lucy scowled at him, panic rising suddenly. "What are you talking about?" she demanded.

  Azim lifted his head and gazed at her, assessing her reaction for a moment and then laughed sharply. "I'm joking," he said with a gasp. "You won't find a cleaner pool for miles. The tribesmen treat these oases as a precious resource." He smiled at her. "Don't worry. It's perfectly clean and safe for swimming in."

  Azim lifted his hand out the water quickly and scooped two curving lines of water straight at her. She twisted away from him and squinted as she was momentarily drenched. She wiped the water from her face and heard him laugh. "Just wanted to see how you'd react," he joked.

  Lucy scowled at Azim. "You gave me a fright, diving in like that," she accused.

  Azim's brows furrowed and she saw the corner of his mouth crease with the hint of a smile. "Really? I gave you a fright? Now, that must be a first," he added.

  Azim lifted himself upright again. His skin was wet, his hair still dripping, his shoulders gleaming in the soft light. She felt a familiar warmth curl in her middle. Azim's gaze seemed to intensify, heat flickering in his darkly intent eyes.

  A sudden thought drove itself into her mind.

  Azim must be naked!

  He must be, she told herself. Feeling her heart pounding, Lucy's gaze flickered downward and what she saw below the surface of the clear water confirmed her suspicion.

  She saw every part of his body there.

  They were both utterly naked, facing each other in the pool of an oasis.

  She thought about his naked body diving recklessly into the cold water, plunging into the coolness beside her. What had caused him to react to decisively, so urgently?

  She imagined him inside his tent hearing the sounds she'd made; saw him thrusting open the opening of his tent and gazing across at the oasis. She could see the hunger ignited on his features as he'd seen her in the pool. He must have acted quickly, almost impulsively as he'd raced barefoot across the sand and thrown himself into the water, desperate to be next to her.

  How could she have not realized all of that, she chided herself. Heat flushed Lucy's face and she wrenched her gaze away from Azim. The mere thought of his bare, naked body beneath the water had triggered a riot of sensation in her.

  When she looked back at him she could tell that he was probably reading her mind, sensing what she was thinking, just as she'd always suspected he could do. Especially when they were alone like this. But, they'd never been alone like this. Being here was a whole new level of intense, and she felt every nerve in her body alive, now that her naked sheikh was a mere few feet from her.

  Azim floated inexorably toward her. He was close enough that he could have reached out and touched her, but he had still resisted the urge to that.

  Lucy met his gaze with a challenging look of her own. She saw his brows narrow slightly in response to her defiant look. There were no words that could describe how she felt right now. She could have cut the silence with a knife.

  Lucy knew that look. She'd seen it many times before, but she'd forgotten just how it could affect her, the sensation it could evoke in her body, the thoughts it could claw out of the darkest reaches of her memory.

  Did she really want him to touch her? If he did reach out his hands and take hold of her, she wasn't sure how she'd react, whether she'd be able to contain the old, familiar need which she felt building inside her.

  The silence around them, in the oasis, was like a protective cloak that had wrapped itself around them.

  Azim came closer, the ripples of the water lapping against her shoulders.

  Lucy gazed at Azim, seeing the urgency of his desire etched on his features. His nostrils flared as he drew in a deep breath. His lips were full and moist and she remembered how she used to run her thumb across that lower lip.

  He came closer and now he was inches from her. She felt herself floating, suddenly lighter, as her toes lifted from the sandy floor. She used her arms to keep herself afloat as she watched Azim close the final distance between them. She was sure she felt the heat of his body as he reached up a hand and cupped her chin.

  Lucy's skin tingled at his touch, nerves ignited all down the length of her body. She almost shivered, but the closeness of his heat put an instant end to that.

  His eyes were filled with desire, and she felt the hypnotic power of his gaze, recalling how it had always conquered even her strongest resistance. And now was no exception.

  Then he seemed to surge forward, his body pressing hungrily against hers, and she felt the fullness of his desire collide with her. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close, curling one leg around her, making escape impossible. Not that she had any intention of even trying to get away from his tender embrace.

  Her breasts crushed against the muscled hardness of his chest and she gasped. He gazed at her, his brows deep ridges, his eyes searching her features. He snaked his fingers through her wet hair, his eyes glancing there, seemingly savoring the sight of her damp locks in his hand.

  Then she felt him tug gently on the hair at the back of her head, lifting her chin, presenting her mouth to him. Their eyes met, mutual need battling with her last instant of weakening resolve.

  She knew he was going to take possession of her mouth, and she felt her pulse race furiously as the treacherous impulses of her body took control. Her mind was cleansed of all thought. All she felt was the deliciously tempting way he had suddenly taken control of her body.

  And then his lips crashed down upon hers. Moist and forceful, his tongue delved instantly into her mouth. Sensation consumed her, overta
king her, and she groaned. The sound merely seemed to drive him on harder, his kiss becoming more ravenous.

  She felt him pull her body against her and the firmness of his already aroused manhood pressed against her belly, sending quivers of delight racing throughout her body. She hadn't realized he was so big, she somehow told herself in the midst of the whirling sensation that had claimed her.

  She curved a hand around his head and made it plain she didn't want him to stop, holding onto him with fierce need. His lips drove her to ecstasy, the hungry movements of his tongue making that sensation even more intense.

  She felt the sheer strength in his muscles as he held her tight, as if he had no intention of ever letting go. She felt completely enveloped by him, as if the barriers between them had been obliterated in an instant.

  His hand slid around her back and, yet again, she felt his thick manhood press against the softness of her belly. Memories and sensations flooded her, a war declared between feeling and thought. Right now, she knew there was only going to be one winner.

  Lucy hadn't felt like this before. Not even when she'd been with Azim what now seemed like an eternity ago. It was almost as if their separation had only served to make the intensity of their desire for each other even more wild, even more dangerous.

  He wrenched his mouth from hers and suddenly reached his hands down, taking hold of her torso. Then she felt him lift her up, her breasts emerging from the water, rivulets running off them. She saw his eyes widen and, in an instant, his head dipped and his mouth was upon one of her nipples. Every nerve in her body seemed to flame and she groaned. The sound of her voice seemed to only make him more ravenous, and he feasted on her flesh, his circling tongue sending shivers of delight coursing throughout her.

  Lucy threw her head backwards and gazed up at the darkening sky, scarcely believing what was happening to her. She grasped hold of his shoulders, feeling the tautness of his muscles as he supported her in his firm, immoveable grasp. She never wanted him to let her go, couldn't understand what had compelled her to run from a man who could make her feel like this.

  Lucy wrapped her legs around Azim's waist, feeling suddenly as light as a feather. She sensed his reaction to her move, aware that in doing so she had opened herself up to him.

  Lucy eased a hand into the space between them as he moved his mouth from one breast to her other. Against her fingers, she felt the hair on his chest. Instinctively, she curled her fingers and tugged on the hairs. He jerked and his gaze flashed up to her face. Some part of her had remembered that he liked it when she did that, and judging by the wolfish furrowing of his brows, some things hadn't changed during their absence from each other.

  As he resumed laving her nipples, sending wave upon wave of pleasure tumbling through her body, Lucy let her hand slide down the front of his chest. He was in such amazing condition. His abs were deliciously firm and she could feel him straining every muscle to hold himself together.

  She was tempted to move her hand even lower, touch his manhood. She closed her eyes and imagined what it would feel like to wrap her hand around that velvety thickness. Again. After all this time.

  She swallowed and felt her heart clench at the mere thought of what that would ignite in him. She moved her hand back up to his shoulder. For a while she simply surrendered to his passion, letting him control her pleasure. Every nerve in her body sparked with ecstasy to every movement of his tongue. She was sure the water around their bodies must surely boil, such was the furnace of desire they were creating.

  She felt his hand drift down to her middle, tracing a line across to her hip and then his fingers were at her core. Heat flamed between her legs and she gasped. She felt his fingers explore, parting her, readying her for what was to come. She sucked in a deep breath and grasped at his arm. Lucy wasn't sure she was ready for this. It was all happening so fast.

  Then, in an instant, every muscle in her body softened as she felt one his fingers settle around her most sensitive area, beginning to move in slow circles. Her body jerked as pleasure jolted, taking possession of every one of her nerves. She groaned and dug her fingers into Azim's arm. But, she knew she didn't want him to stop, couldn't conceive of giving up this moment.

  Lucy wrapped an arm around Azim's back and thrust the side of her face against his shoulder. His skin felt hot against her cheek, and she inhaled his scent savoring the barbaric sharpness of it.

  She felt his finger continue its enticing, tormenting circular motion, and pulses of pleasure surged throughout her with every tiny movement. She shook against Azim and grasped him even more tightly. Her hips tightened around him, and all she wanted was to be as close to him as possible, even if it meant holding onto him with animal ferocity.

  She felt him draw in a deep breath, sensed every muscle in his body tighten. Was he finding it as difficult as she was to contain the explosion of ecstasy that lurked inside?

  Lucy felt Azim clasp her tight, the muscles of his supporting arm quivering. Still, his expert finger traced its way around her core, teasing her, lifting her higher and higher, sending her body into shaking spasms that made her groan and gasp. She knew delirium was just a moment away, but she wanted to hold the inevitable crash for just a little while longer.

  Azim's finger continued its tormenting path and Lucy tried one last time to hold onto herself, quivering on the edge of a precipice.

  But, then with one skilful, practiced movement Azim ran his finger across the place at her core where climax was inevitable. Lucy was overcome by a shattering wave of pure ecstasy that wrenched a scream from her and forced her to cling onto Azim for survival. She felt every nerve come alive, muscles shaking as climax overtook her. Azim's muscles hardened as he held onto Lucy with a gentle determination. She remembered how he'd held her in the past. Just like this, she told herself. Just like always.

  Pleasure eventually subsided and Lucy clung to Azim, desperate for her heart to slow, struggling to regain her breath. She held onto Azim as her senses returned to the world around her.

  Her throat tightened and she felt a sudden growing unease, as confusion took hold of her pleasure-addled mind.

  Azim seemed to sense a change in Lucy. He lifted his head and gazed inquiringly into her eyes. There was fiery passion in that look, as well as the hint of a question, the vaguest suggestion of uncertainty. Did he know where this was going? Was he just like her, and he hadn't even tried to think where this would finish?

  Lucy ran her hands across his gloriously handsome features, feeling her legs cling to him, sensing him press closer to her. She smiled at him and leaned her head into him, kissing him, savoring the firmness of his lips, feeling how he reacted to her kiss. She felt his breath, warm and barely controlled. The taste of his lips was truly something beyond imagining. His scent was overpowering.

  Their lips parted and their eyes met, questions instantly answered. There was no use denying what they both knew must happen. Something had been reawakened, a vital connection they'd both been pretending didn't exist anymore.

  But, there was no point in resisting it any more.

  And, when she felt his arms sweep beneath the water and around her, taking hold of her, she knew exactly where he was taking her.

  As he started to stride out of the pool, Lucy held in his arms, water running off both their bodies, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, clinging tight to him, feeling the heat of his body.

  Then he started to walk toward his tent, carrying her, holding her close to him, and she knew that the night had only just begun.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  As Azim laid her down on the bed, Lucy could only gaze up in wonder at his astonishing naked body. In the oasis pool she had felt its power, felt its heat. But, here by the soft light of the candle by the side of Azim's bed, he looked glorious.

  As he'd carried her to his tent, she'd felt his nakedness against her, the forcefulness of his body. She'd clutched him, oblivious to their nakedness, the cool air against their wet bodies. It had
seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

  From the bed, Lucy looked up at him, stretching her arms, seeing the way he was looking at her. "Azim," she murmured. "Come to me."

  Her words drew a sharp breath from him, and she watched how his chest filled, his shoulders tensing. He kneeled one leg down onto the bed and dipped his head, claiming her mouth once more. His lips were a tender delight, tinged with urgent, impending need. She heard him gasp as he kissed her, felt his breath against her lips. Drops of water settled on her forehead. She teased his mouth with her tongue and that only served to make his kiss even more urgent, more demanding.

  Lucy's entire body seemed to soften beneath the tender assault of his mouth and tongue. She stretched out her arms, opening herself up to him, accepting that this was where she should be.

  Azim shifted closer, and she could feel the heat of his skin against her side, sense the movement of his entire body, the way his legs stretched out alongside hers.

  Lucy curled her fingers, taking hold of the bed covers, grasping them with barely constrained desire. She realized she wasn't going to be able to wait much longer. She needed him to touch her again, the way he'd just done in the pool. Her core still ached with need, warmth still pulsing there, desperate for his touch.

  Lying here, sinking into the softness of the bed, with Azim by her side, his lips working their wonders, she was suddenly overtaken by a sudden emotion.

  She named it because she wanted rid of it.

  Doubt.

  Treacherous, betraying doubt. Frustration curled in her, and she willed herself to battle the gnawing doubt.

  These were the same old thoughts that had caused her so much trouble in the past. She wasn't going to have any of that now. Not here.

  She groaned slightly and Azim pressed his lips even more hungrily, his desire beginning to intensify.