my carav, he is there, walking beside it."
He chewed his spiced meat while his eyes glowed, pinning her to the floor. He looked angry, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.
"Is he a guard?" she asked, taking a sip of water from the goblet.
"He is not." Every line of Ziyad's body was tense and rigid.
"Oh? I thought he would be, since he never seems to leave his post."
"Hyram is my cousin, Amani," Ziyad said. "If I'm ever killed before I have a son, my Spider crown would go to him. He has yet to take a wife. Seems he is sniffing around mine."
She gasped at the news. "I-I didn't know! He never told me. Why then would he walk next to my carav every day?"
you?"
"I can think of many reasons. Has he ever touched
"Well, when we first left Suridesh, I fell in the sand after jumping from my moving steps. He helped me up."
"What do you think of him?"
"He is a nice man."
"Do you find him handsome?"
Now it was Amani's turn to arch a brow at her husband. By the gods, was he jealous? Her heart hitched in her chest as she studied him. His movements reaching for the food were short and sharp while his mouth was set in a thin, taut line. Amani had the sudden, undeniable urge to tease him.
"Well, Spider, he might be your cousin, but the family resemblance is almost non-existent. While your brow is strong and proud, his slopes just a bit. Your nose is straight. His has a knob. Your lips are soft, while his seem permanently chapped. And your hair… It is thick and full. He hides his underneath his dunla. Could he be balding?"
Ziyad's bark of laughter warmed her skin. She hadn't heard it in a very long time. The sound of it had her nipples puckering from where she sat. Gods, but her husband was a beautiful man. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners or how his entire face seemed to light up turned her mouth dry.
"No, Highness, I do not find him attractive," she said. "Not after I've held the most wondrous man in the caravan against me."
The look in Ziyad's eyes turned from mirth to passion at a turn of the winds. He seemed as if he was about to crawl across their tray and pounce.
Amani stood suddenly, startling him. "In fact, I should go find Brand right now. I know he's getting on in years, but you don't think he's asleep, do you?"
Ziyad stood and lunged at her. She squealed the moment his strong arms engulfed her. When he began tickling her, Amani laughed and doubled over, but could not escape his grasp.
"Are you telling me you're dallying with my weathered old carav driver, wife of mine?"
His tickling became even more ruthless, until Amani's giggles produced tears. "Ziyad, stop—I'm teasing you! Please!"
"Not until you tell me who this man is you speak of."
His chuckles filled her heart. He was enjoying himself, torturing her.
"You!" she yelped without hesitation. "Gods, Ziyad, you're the most handsome man I've ever laid my eyes
upon."
He stopped his tickling and turned her in his arms. "Truly?"
Amani cupped his cheek and smiled at him. She said nothing, she merely nodded. Something changed in his eyes. His smile faded, but he didn't let her go. His fingers plunged into her hair until he lightly fisted it in his hand.
Ziyad rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. "I…I…"
"Shh," she whispered, placing her hand over his mouth. "Don't say anything."
He was trembling. The mighty Spider Prince of the Golden Desert shook in her arms like a leaf on the wind. Amani framed his face with her palms and stood on her toes, kissing him fully on the mouth.
She kept her kisses chaste, pulling away just enough for him to lean forward, wanting more.
"Gods, Amani," he groaned against her
He chewed his spiced meat while his eyes glowed, pinning her to the floor. He looked angry, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why.
"Is he a guard?" she asked, taking a sip of water from the goblet.
"He is not." Every line of Ziyad's body was tense and rigid.
"Oh? I thought he would be, since he never seems to leave his post."
"Hyram is my cousin, Amani," Ziyad said. "If I'm ever killed before I have a son, my Spider crown would go to him. He has yet to take a wife. Seems he is sniffing around mine."
She gasped at the news. "I-I didn't know! He never told me. Why then would he walk next to my carav every day?"
you?"
"I can think of many reasons. Has he ever touched
"Well, when we first left Suridesh, I fell in the sand after jumping from my moving steps. He helped me up."
"What do you think of him?"
"He is a nice man."
"Do you find him handsome?"
Now it was Amani's turn to arch a brow at her husband. By the gods, was he jealous? Her heart hitched in her chest as she studied him. His movements reaching for the food were short and sharp while his mouth was set in a thin, taut line. Amani had the sudden, undeniable urge to tease him.
"Well, Spider, he might be your cousin, but the family resemblance is almost non-existent. While your brow is strong and proud, his slopes just a bit. Your nose is straight. His has a knob. Your lips are soft, while his seem permanently chapped. And your hair… It is thick and full. He hides his underneath his dunla. Could he be balding?"
Ziyad's bark of laughter warmed her skin. She hadn't heard it in a very long time. The sound of it had her nipples puckering from where she sat. Gods, but her husband was a beautiful man. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners or how his entire face seemed to light up turned her mouth dry.
"No, Highness, I do not find him attractive," she said. "Not after I've held the most wondrous man in the caravan against me."
The look in Ziyad's eyes turned from mirth to passion at a turn of the winds. He seemed as if he was about to crawl across their tray and pounce.
Amani stood suddenly, startling him. "In fact, I should go find Brand right now. I know he's getting on in years, but you don't think he's asleep, do you?"
Ziyad stood and lunged at her. She squealed the moment his strong arms engulfed her. When he began tickling her, Amani laughed and doubled over, but could not escape his grasp.
"Are you telling me you're dallying with my weathered old carav driver, wife of mine?"
His tickling became even more ruthless, until Amani's giggles produced tears. "Ziyad, stop—I'm teasing you! Please!"
"Not until you tell me who this man is you speak of."
His chuckles filled her heart. He was enjoying himself, torturing her.
"You!" she yelped without hesitation. "Gods, Ziyad, you're the most handsome man I've ever laid my eyes
upon."
He stopped his tickling and turned her in his arms. "Truly?"
Amani cupped his cheek and smiled at him. She said nothing, she merely nodded. Something changed in his eyes. His smile faded, but he didn't let her go. His fingers plunged into her hair until he lightly fisted it in his hand.
Ziyad rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. "I…I…"
"Shh," she whispered, placing her hand over his mouth. "Don't say anything."
He was trembling. The mighty Spider Prince of the Golden Desert shook in her arms like a leaf on the wind. Amani framed his face with her palms and stood on her toes, kissing him fully on the mouth.
She kept her kisses chaste, pulling away just enough for him to lean forward, wanting more.
"Gods, Amani," he groaned against her
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