A frown quirked her brows. Had he thought she might not?
‘You mentioned that you wanted to see the ruins of wasat. They’re at their best at sunset.’
It was then that she became aware of a magnificent stallion behind him. Beneath the saddle there was a blanket over its back, gold and black, and a roll of fabric hung to one side. She could only imagine it contained the sorts of necessities one might need when riding horses in this harsh climate—water, a satellite phone.
‘Are they—far from here?’
‘No.’ He gestured to the horse. ‘Ride with me.’
It was a command. A shiver ran down her spine, and a whisper of anticipation. She eyed the horse, trying to remember the last time she’d been on the back of one—years. Many, many years. Her gaze flicked uncertainly to his.
‘It’s like riding a bike,’ he said, a smile lifting his lips now, a smile that sent little bubbles popping inside her belly.
She walked towards the horse. It was magnificent. A shimmering black, it reminded her of a George Stubbs painting—all rippling muscles and intelligent eyes. She lifted a hand and ran it over his nose. The horse made a breathy noise of approval then dipped his head.
Amir watched, transfixed.
‘He’s beautiful.’
‘He likes you,’ Amir murmured, moving closer, pressing his own hand to the horse’s mane, running his fingers over the coarse hair. ‘Let me help you up.’
She was tempted to demur, but, looking at the sheer size of the horse, she knew it wouldn’t be wise. Or possible.
‘Thank you.’
He came to her side, his eyes probing hers. ‘Ready?’
She nodded wordlessly.
He caught her around the waist easily, lifting her towards the horse so she could push one leg over and straddle it. Amir’s hands lingered on her hips a moment longer than was necessary and still she resented the necessity of their removal.
A moment later, he’d pressed his foot into a stirrup and swung his leg over, nestling in behind her, reaching around and taking the reins, his body framing hers completely. She closed her eyes, praying for strength, because sitting this close to him was its own form of torment. She could smell him, feel him, his touch confident and reassuring as he moved his leg to start the horse in motion.
‘We’ll go fast,’ he said into her ear, the words warm against her flesh. Her heart turned over. She nodded, incapable of speaking.
They sped. The horse galloped north, towards the Al’amanï ranges before tacking east. The sun was low in the sky, the colours spectacular as day blurred towards night. They rode for twenty minutes, each step of the horse jolting Johara against Amir, so after a while she surrendered to the sheer physicality of this, and allowed herself to enjoy it. The feeling of his chest against her back. His thighs against hers. His arms around her, flexing the reins. Every jolt bumped her against him and by the time he brought the horse to a stop, she was so overcome by the sensations that were flooding her body she barely realised they were at an ancient site.
‘These are the ruins,’ he said, his face forward, beside hers, so if she turned her head just a little her lips would press against his. She could hardly breathe. Her eyes traced the outlines of the ancient building, barely registering the details. She saw the pillars and columns, one of the ornate rooftops remained, the windows carved into arches. Yes, she could imagine this would have been a resting point in the desert, thousands of years earlier. A lodging as a midway point across the landscape. It was beautiful but she was so overwhelmed, it was impossible to react. A noise overhead caught her attention. She glanced up to see the enormous wingspan of a bird—his falcon. As she watched, it came down to land atop the ruins, its eyes surveying the desert.
‘They’re...’ She searched for the word and instinctively looked towards Amir. It was a mistake. Just as she’d imagined, he was so close, and in turning her head towards him she almost brushed his cheek with her lips. He shifted a little, so that he was facing her, their eyes only an inch apart. The air around them crackled with a heat that had nothing to do with the desert.
‘The ruins are...’
She still couldn’t find the words. Every cell of her DNA was absorbed by this man. He was too close. Too much. He was...perfect. Superlatives were something she had in abundance, when it came to Amir. The ruins just couldn’t compete with him.
‘Would you like to see inside?’
No. She wanted to stay right where she was. She bit down on her lip, sure what she was feeling must be obvious in her expression.
‘I—’ She frowned, her brows drawing together.
‘The view from the top is worth seeing.’
Was he oblivious to the tension that was wrapping around her? Did
he not feel it?
She nodded slowly, awkwardly, but when he climbed down from the horse she had to tilt her face away from him because of the disappointment she was sure must show in her features. He held his hands out. ‘May I?’