Read Online Must Have Been The Moonlight by Melody Thomas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Melody Thomas
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kissed her, which attuned her to her body in ways she’d never felt before. She’d experienced that undercurrent the first time in the pool at the oasis. She felt it again when her body leaned into his.
So had he.
And there had been a moment when Major Fallon kissed her when she wanted to taste more than his lips. To run her hands down his body. He’d had a hard body beneath those robes.
With a start, Brianna forced her attention back to the task at hand. Brushing the sand off her lap, she stood andscanned for Abdul. Her gaze stopped on the corral where her Arab mare had been penned. A man was watching her. Above his tagilmust his black gaze locked briefly on hers before he turned abruptly away.
“We are finished here, Sitt.” Abdul was suddenly beside her. “Do you need help moving your camera?”
“Who is that man standing near my horse? Do you know?”
Abdul glimpsed the topic of her query. “I had to run that one away once from your mare.” He spat in the sand. “He claims that he is a horse trader.”
The young man was gone when Brianna reached the corral of horses. Drawing nearer to where he’d been standing, she tented a hand over her eyes. The wind was gathering force. Her mare whickered restlessly.
“You aren’t so evil, are you, princess?” she murmured, her hands going over the mare’s long gray mane.
A gust of wind blew sand across the dozing caravan, and shielding her eyes, Brianna turned her face away. A hazy red luminescence radiated from the northeast. “What is it?” She was breathless when she joined Abdul and Alex outside the tent. Transfixed, Brianna watched the sky darken.
“They call it the sheytàn —Devil Wind.” Abdul’s long white robes were flapping in the wind. “It is the simoon .”
It looked like a monstrous fire. “How long before it reaches us?”
“A quarter hour, maybe.”
Riders suddenly appeared like a shimmering mirage running in front of the reddish glow, and Brianna froze. A dozen men on horses and camels were coming toward them at a gallop. One was riding a white racing camel, and her heart picked up pace.
Beside her, Alex took a step. The riders approached.
A small cry emanated from Alex’s throat, and before Brianna could catch her, Alex had gathered her robes in her fist. Half running, half falling, she slid down the dune, toward theriders. A black horse suddenly separated from the group, and soon the dark-clad rider swung from the saddle and was on his feet, sweeping Alex into his arms.
Christopher .
Brianna’s feet carried her down the dune before she stopped. Alex’s arms were around Christopher’s neck and her feet off the ground as he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her lips, her hair, her face. Christopher had always been omnipotent in her eyes, invincible, but now seemed only too human as he held his wife.
“Go, Sitt Donally,” Abdul said from behind her. “He is your family, too. Bring him back here.”
But she didn’t run into her brother’s protective arms. She didn’t belong in that intimate circle. She looked past her brother, directly into Major Fallon’s eyes. Sporting a rough beard, he sat atop the white camel, his rifle lying casually across his knees. Brianna saw rather than heard him give a command to his men. They rode past her. The air was growing increasingly hotter. Brianna hadn’t realized how far she was from camp.
Major Fallon stopped in front of her, his arm braced across his thigh. “I suggest that you find shelter, Miss Donally.”
Her gaze shot to Christopher and Alex.
“Don’t worry about them, amîri . They’ll be all right.”
“Did your plan work?” Her voice was quiet. “You’re still alive.”
“It worked.”
Holding one hand over her turban, she turned as he rode past and into camp. Brianna scrabbled back up the hill and ran to help Abdul take down the tent. All around the caravan, people were doing the same. Somewhere, she could hear Major Fallon’s voice carry above the wind.
So had he.
And there had been a moment when Major Fallon kissed her when she wanted to taste more than his lips. To run her hands down his body. He’d had a hard body beneath those robes.
With a start, Brianna forced her attention back to the task at hand. Brushing the sand off her lap, she stood andscanned for Abdul. Her gaze stopped on the corral where her Arab mare had been penned. A man was watching her. Above his tagilmust his black gaze locked briefly on hers before he turned abruptly away.
“We are finished here, Sitt.” Abdul was suddenly beside her. “Do you need help moving your camera?”
“Who is that man standing near my horse? Do you know?”
Abdul glimpsed the topic of her query. “I had to run that one away once from your mare.” He spat in the sand. “He claims that he is a horse trader.”
The young man was gone when Brianna reached the corral of horses. Drawing nearer to where he’d been standing, she tented a hand over her eyes. The wind was gathering force. Her mare whickered restlessly.
“You aren’t so evil, are you, princess?” she murmured, her hands going over the mare’s long gray mane.
A gust of wind blew sand across the dozing caravan, and shielding her eyes, Brianna turned her face away. A hazy red luminescence radiated from the northeast. “What is it?” She was breathless when she joined Abdul and Alex outside the tent. Transfixed, Brianna watched the sky darken.
“They call it the sheytàn —Devil Wind.” Abdul’s long white robes were flapping in the wind. “It is the simoon .”
It looked like a monstrous fire. “How long before it reaches us?”
“A quarter hour, maybe.”
Riders suddenly appeared like a shimmering mirage running in front of the reddish glow, and Brianna froze. A dozen men on horses and camels were coming toward them at a gallop. One was riding a white racing camel, and her heart picked up pace.
Beside her, Alex took a step. The riders approached.
A small cry emanated from Alex’s throat, and before Brianna could catch her, Alex had gathered her robes in her fist. Half running, half falling, she slid down the dune, toward theriders. A black horse suddenly separated from the group, and soon the dark-clad rider swung from the saddle and was on his feet, sweeping Alex into his arms.
Christopher .
Brianna’s feet carried her down the dune before she stopped. Alex’s arms were around Christopher’s neck and her feet off the ground as he wrapped her in his arms, kissing her lips, her hair, her face. Christopher had always been omnipotent in her eyes, invincible, but now seemed only too human as he held his wife.
“Go, Sitt Donally,” Abdul said from behind her. “He is your family, too. Bring him back here.”
But she didn’t run into her brother’s protective arms. She didn’t belong in that intimate circle. She looked past her brother, directly into Major Fallon’s eyes. Sporting a rough beard, he sat atop the white camel, his rifle lying casually across his knees. Brianna saw rather than heard him give a command to his men. They rode past her. The air was growing increasingly hotter. Brianna hadn’t realized how far she was from camp.
Major Fallon stopped in front of her, his arm braced across his thigh. “I suggest that you find shelter, Miss Donally.”
Her gaze shot to Christopher and Alex.
“Don’t worry about them, amîri . They’ll be all right.”
“Did your plan work?” Her voice was quiet. “You’re still alive.”
“It worked.”
Holding one hand over her turban, she turned as he rode past and into camp. Brianna scrabbled back up the hill and ran to help Abdul take down the tent. All around the caravan, people were doing the same. Somewhere, she could hear Major Fallon’s voice carry above the wind.
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