He leant back against the rock face and watched her absorb its beauty. She brushed her hands through the luxuriant foliage of a tree and dabbled her fingers in the less warm water of a long, rectangular pool designed for swimming rather than for soaking.
Finally she sat on the edge of the central pool, surrounded by the warm steam and looked back at him, a broad smile across her face.
“Well you’ve certainly surprised me.”
He came up to her, standing before her.
“And you’ve surprised me.”
She raised her eyebrows in query, shaking her head. “How?”
“Before, I wanted you. But now I know you, I want you more.”
Her expression changed instantly, her eyes shone with emotion he could only describe as hope. It was as if his words had touched her somewhere deep, where the hurt of rejection for who she was, for where she came from, still lingered.
She reached over to him and he closed his eyes as he felt her tentative touch on his chest. Warm fingers slid up and spread over the scar over his heart, as if claiming it. Then the source of the heat that shot through his body, centering in his groin, was withdrawn.
“Look, up at the sky.”
He followed her gaze, dragging it away from what he really wanted to focus on, her. The early evening star was just beginning to emerge from its surrounding light, as if sucking in the last of the sun’s rays.
“Venus. According to ancient Bedu legend the evening star is the male child of the moon and the sun.”
He looked down at her and knew that she was thinking of Matta. He drew her to him then, gently, despite his growing need for her. He knew it had to come from her.
“Come, let’s bathe.”
His hand dropped down her arm, relishing every inch of heated skin until he gripped her hand and pulled her over to the tent. “Everything we need is inside. I had it made ready for us earlier.”
She laughed. “Of course you did. You know, Zahir, did anyone ever call you a control freak?”
“No they call me a sheikh.”
“Perhaps it’s the same thing.”
“Perhaps.”
He paused before the tent—its rich, woven geometric designs matched the ancient design of brick and stone that edged the pools and existing arches—and reluctantly let her hand drop. He pulled back the curtain of the tent and stood back for Anna to enter.
It was like an Aladdin’s cave, Anna thought, straight out of a fairy tale. Richly woven rugs with traditional designs covered the floor over which hung a brass, intricately decorated chandelier spiked with thick, white candles. There was nothing else—only a bed that occupied all the space. Anna dragged her eyes from the bed and explored the tent. Another flap revealed a wardrobe and yet another led to a mosaic lined, more modern bathroom. It was perfect.
“A bed. How convenient.”
“I thought it might be useful—later.”
“Umm. I am feeling a little tired.”
“Not too tired for a bathe, I hope?”
She grinned and desire lashed through her body when she saw his answering smile in his eyes that, for once, moved down to his mouth and flickered around his lips. She shook her head, unable to move her gaze from those lips.
“Then you should change.” He tossed her a bikini she’d never seen before.
“That, is never for a grown woman.” She pulled the tiny triangle of material as wide as it would stretch.
“For a grown woman, chosen by a grown man.” He smiled again, a smile of unabashed sensuality. “I will leave you to get changed.”
Anna tweaked the tiny white triangles that covered her breasts down a little, trying to extend the material to cover all her breasts, but didn’t succeed. She gave up, took a deep breath and emerged into the soft light of dusk. Any embarrassment was immediately forgotten when she saw Zahir waiting for her, half naked. Although they’d been sharing a bed, he’d always come to bed and left again in the dark.
His rich skin seemed to shimmer under the reflection of torches that he’d lit around the main pool below them. She licked her lips as her mouth dried instantly at the sight of his muscled body and the tail of hair that disappeared into his shorts, following the two corded muscles down the sides of his hips.
When she dragged her eyes upwards to meet his own gaze she saw that his eyes were focussed solely on her and they were hungry.
“You bought this bikini for me didn’t you?”
He nodded. “I don’t shop, Anna. But I did leave instructions for such an item to be bought. I thought it would suit you.”
She felt his gaze down her body as if it were his nails dragging seductively down her skin until she felt her nipples harden in anticipation. She knew that they would easily be seen through the white flimsy material.