Read Online The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) by Cara Albany - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cara Albany
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by those for whom this was probably an affront to their own beliefs or ideology. But she had no time for such thoughts.
She finally managed to get her equipment ready and for the next hour she took all the pictures and video images she could get. Azim watched her the whole time and he seemed fascinated as he observed her doing what she had done so many times before.
In fact, at one point Lucy realized she was taking a secret delight in Azim watching her at work. It reminded her of how he had watched at her in the past, when they had just met, when everything was still exciting and new and full of hope.
Finally, she felt she had enough material. She'd just about filled up the memory of her camera, and she was satisfied she'd covered every angle that was available to her from her vantage point on the ground. She wished she could get up higher and get some shots of the more elevated parts of the carvings, but she knew that wasn't going to be possible. She took some satisfaction from the realization that she'd captured images of what was truly important; the undamaged condition of the monument. The pictures she'd obtained would be persuasive. She was sure of that.
"Finished?" she heard Azim ask as she started to pack her gear away into the pack.
Lucy sighed and glanced up at the monument. "I could spend all day here," she said.
Azim smiled. "I'm sure you could. But, we have to get going. If we're going to have any chance of getting out of these hills before sunset, I think we have to get going."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
Azim looked up at the sun. "We need to head south. If we move fast enough, there's a place I know we can use to stay overnight."
"Overnight?" she asked.
She saw the way he looked at her, taking in her expression of surprise.
"We can't make it straight back to Qazhar city that quickly," he explained. "It's going to take a couple of days."
"Can't you arrange for us to be picked up?" she asked, thinking he must have some means of arranging for them to be collected. She just assumed his wealth and power would give them options not available to others.
Azim shook his head. "I came away so quickly, I didn't have time to arrange anything."
Then he quickly turned away from her and started preparing his own mount for the upcoming journey. Could she believe what he'd just told her? Was he just trying to find any excuse to have her all to himself for one more night? She knew there would be ways to shorten the journey back to the city. So, why was he being so evasive about it?
This was no time for argument, she told herself. He was the one who knew his way out of these mountains. She knew they couldn't go back the way they'd come. She just had to trust him. And she could do that. Couldn't she?
More importantly, she knew she could keep him at bay. It was clear he was still attracted to her, still harbored some of the passion they'd both shared previously. Come to think of it, so did she. It was undeniable that something still connected them, something of the old feelings lurking in both their hearts.
Lucy busied herself with her pack, refusing to glance over at Azim. If it meant they had to spend another night, perhaps in a secluded encampment in the desert, she was sure she could cope. She was certain that there was nothing she couldn't handle, nothing that would make her succumb to Azim's obvious temptations.
Wasn't she?
CHAPTER EIGHT
It took longer than he'd thought it would to get through the mountains, but eventually Azim brought his horse to a halt on the crest of a rocky ridge that looked down across a wide expanse of welcoming, golden desert. Lucy rode up to his side and pulled to a halt.
"There we are," Azim said and sighed contentedly. He smiled at Lucy. "That looks more welcoming, doesn't it?"
Lucy frowned. "If you say so, Azim," she replied. He could tell she wasn't convinced.
"It shouldn't take us long to get to the place I have in mind for us," he said.
"And what's that?"
She finally managed to get her equipment ready and for the next hour she took all the pictures and video images she could get. Azim watched her the whole time and he seemed fascinated as he observed her doing what she had done so many times before.
In fact, at one point Lucy realized she was taking a secret delight in Azim watching her at work. It reminded her of how he had watched at her in the past, when they had just met, when everything was still exciting and new and full of hope.
Finally, she felt she had enough material. She'd just about filled up the memory of her camera, and she was satisfied she'd covered every angle that was available to her from her vantage point on the ground. She wished she could get up higher and get some shots of the more elevated parts of the carvings, but she knew that wasn't going to be possible. She took some satisfaction from the realization that she'd captured images of what was truly important; the undamaged condition of the monument. The pictures she'd obtained would be persuasive. She was sure of that.
"Finished?" she heard Azim ask as she started to pack her gear away into the pack.
Lucy sighed and glanced up at the monument. "I could spend all day here," she said.
Azim smiled. "I'm sure you could. But, we have to get going. If we're going to have any chance of getting out of these hills before sunset, I think we have to get going."
"Where are we going?" she asked.
Azim looked up at the sun. "We need to head south. If we move fast enough, there's a place I know we can use to stay overnight."
"Overnight?" she asked.
She saw the way he looked at her, taking in her expression of surprise.
"We can't make it straight back to Qazhar city that quickly," he explained. "It's going to take a couple of days."
"Can't you arrange for us to be picked up?" she asked, thinking he must have some means of arranging for them to be collected. She just assumed his wealth and power would give them options not available to others.
Azim shook his head. "I came away so quickly, I didn't have time to arrange anything."
Then he quickly turned away from her and started preparing his own mount for the upcoming journey. Could she believe what he'd just told her? Was he just trying to find any excuse to have her all to himself for one more night? She knew there would be ways to shorten the journey back to the city. So, why was he being so evasive about it?
This was no time for argument, she told herself. He was the one who knew his way out of these mountains. She knew they couldn't go back the way they'd come. She just had to trust him. And she could do that. Couldn't she?
More importantly, she knew she could keep him at bay. It was clear he was still attracted to her, still harbored some of the passion they'd both shared previously. Come to think of it, so did she. It was undeniable that something still connected them, something of the old feelings lurking in both their hearts.
Lucy busied herself with her pack, refusing to glance over at Azim. If it meant they had to spend another night, perhaps in a secluded encampment in the desert, she was sure she could cope. She was certain that there was nothing she couldn't handle, nothing that would make her succumb to Azim's obvious temptations.
Wasn't she?
CHAPTER EIGHT
It took longer than he'd thought it would to get through the mountains, but eventually Azim brought his horse to a halt on the crest of a rocky ridge that looked down across a wide expanse of welcoming, golden desert. Lucy rode up to his side and pulled to a halt.
"There we are," Azim said and sighed contentedly. He smiled at Lucy. "That looks more welcoming, doesn't it?"
Lucy frowned. "If you say so, Azim," she replied. He could tell she wasn't convinced.
"It shouldn't take us long to get to the place I have in mind for us," he said.
"And what's that?"
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