Under a Desert Moon Read online

  After a few seconds Emma felt Sebastian slip an arm around her shoulder and ease her back against him. She stiffened at first, but then allowed herself to relax against his chest.

  ‘In here we’ll be fine,’ Sebastian said. ‘We just have to wait the storm out.’

  ‘How long will it take?’ Emma asked.

  She felt him shrug underneath her. ‘Could be a couple of hours, could be a day.’

  Emma shivered at the thought of being stuck in a sandstorm for a whole day.

  ‘Just relax, close your eyes and try and get some rest,’ Sebastian said. ‘We’re perfectly safe in here.’

  At first Emma thought the idea of rest was preposterous. She’d never been one of these people afraid of storms. In England she quite enjoyed watching the thunder and lightning pierce torrential rain from her bedroom window. But this was completely different. This was dangerous. There only needed to be a particularly strong gust of wind and their flimsy blanket shelter would be torn away and they would be exposed to the elements. Emma doubted they would survive.

  The strange thing was she didn’t feel particularly afraid—at least not as afraid as she should, given the circumstances. She wondered if it had something to do with Sebastian’s strong arms forming a protective shield around her body. She knew he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. He would throw himself on top of her to shield her from the storm if need be. Emma felt a small tingle of desire rise up inside her at the idea of Sebastian’s body pressed against hers and tried to shake it off.

  ‘Are you comfortable?’ Sebastian’s voice was low and close to her ear. Emma felt the small hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and wished he would lower his mouth just a little more so she could feel his lips against her skin.

  ‘Mmm-hmm,’ Emma managed to mumble.

  Sebastian must have mistook her lack of eloquence for fear as he tightened his hold on her, pulling her even closer to the sculpted muscles of his chest. Emma’s heart started to pound and she was convinced he must be able to feel it where their bodies met.

  She squeezed her eyes tight and tried to think of anything but the man behind her. It was difficult when she felt every breath against her neck, every rise and fall of his chest through the thin blanket. Emma tried to picture something else, anything else. This was not the time to focus on her attraction to Sebastian. A very unwise attraction.

  He doesn’t want you, Emma told herself. That wasn’t strictly true. Sebastian wanted her, she could see it in his every gesture and look, but he didn’t want to marry her. He’d made that abundantly clear. Emma felt the tears well up in her eyes and was glad she was sitting with her back towards Sebastian; she didn’t need him seeing her like this. It wasn’t his fault men didn’t find her a worthy prospect for marriage. First Freddie had rejected her, in the cruellest way possible, and now Sebastian.

  Not that Sebastian was a bad man; he’d stopped himself from compromising her further because he knew he could not marry her. She should be thankful for his chivalry. But a small part of Emma was crying out, asking why men seemed to run from the idea of marrying her. Freddie she could put down to bad judgement on her part; he was a cad and a snake. Sebastian was different. He was a good man, kind and generous.

  Emma sighed quietly. It was no use torturing herself. Sebastian didn’t want her and she should be thankful for that. She should be grateful he would be the strong one, for it would be all too easy for her to spin around, run her fingers over his bare chest and invite him to take her.

  She smiled at the thought. He’d probably back out of the makeshift tent and take his chances in the sandstorm.

  Sebastian shifted a little and Emma felt herself relaxing even more into him. His arms wrapped around her were so protective and strong, and she loved the warmth emanating from his body and penetrating hers. It was no wonder she was so attracted to him. After the scandal with Freddie she’d been shunned by society. Over the years she’d been slowly accepted back into some circles, but the eligible bachelors all gave her a wide berth. Only the men with bad reputations, who made it clear they knew of her past, ever approached her, wanting to take up where Freddie had left off. No wonder she was so enamoured with Sebastian. He was a good-looking man who liked her for herself, not what he thought he could get from her.

  Emma shook her head. That wasn’t all of it though. If she was honest, the fact that Sebastian had been interested in her was only a small part of the attraction. He was funny and kind and generous and he had a body Emma wanted to spend all night exploring with her hands. She didn’t think she’d met a more wonderful man.

  It was a shame the idea of spending his life with her made him run for the hills.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Seb felt his head drooping as the storm started to relent outside their makeshift tent. For two hours he’d sat rigidly, holding Emma tight, hoping that their shelter would be enough to shield them from the fury of the sandstorm. The wind was still gusting outside, but it had lost its power and Seb knew that meant the worst was behind them. He’d survived many sandstorms during his time in Egypt, but only once before had he actually been caught in the desert in one. Normally the streets of Cairo would start to darken and there would be plenty of warning to get inside and cover all the windows.

  The first sandstorm he’d endured in the desert had been similar to this one in many ways. It had rushed upon him with unleashed fury. That time he’d been alone and a long way from any sort of shelter. He’d wrapped his horse’s upper half in a blanket, trying to shield its delicate eyes and nose from the sand, and then he’d used the second blanket to wrap himself in. For four hours he’d lain curled in a ball on the desert floor, knowing one move could dislodge the blanket and mean an agonising death.

  This time had certainly been more comfortable. The shelter of the rock meant they were spared the worst of the storm and also gave them somewhere to build their makeshift tents. Sitting with his back straight, pressed against the rock, was much more preferable to spending the hours curled up in a ball. And then there was Emma. When the storm had hit he’d felt a terror like never before. Seb had always flirted with danger, never abandoning a scheme just because there was an element of risk, but never before had he felt the same terror as he had when he’d realised Emma could get injured.

  Gently he tightened his grip on her and held her close, knowing the worst of the storm had passed and the danger had gone with it.

  ‘Boys,’ he called softly in Arabic.

  ‘Boss?’ Akil’s voice floated back on the wind.

  ‘Are you both well?’

  He heard a giggle. ‘Of course we’re well.’

  It took more than a sandstorm to scare the two orphans.

  ‘Stay under cover for a few more hours,’ Seb instructed.

  ‘Yes, boss.’

  Seb closed his eyes and wondered whether sleep would come. His body was relaxing now the danger had passed and he felt exhausted. The only thing preventing him from sleeping was Emma’s body, moulded to his own.

  It wasn’t that she was heavy, or lying against him in a way that made him uncomfortable; it was more how conscious he was of their closeness. The blanket she had wrapped herself in when she’d removed her shirt had slipped from her shoulders, revealing smooth creamy skin Seb ached to touch. The thin straps of her chemise were gradually slipping lower and lower as her chest rose and fell with each breath. Seb closed his eyes and stifled a groan. This was the last thing he needed: to be stuck in a confined space with the woman he found almost irresistible and for every breath to be revealing more of her skin.

  He knew he should be a gentleman, pull the blanket back into place and close his eyes, but Seb felt the stab of desire deep inside him and wondered how long he could be a gentleman for.

  Without averting his eyes, he desperately tried reminding himself of all the reasons they couldn�
��t be together. To spend a night with Emma would ruin her. It didn’t matter if no one found out; it would destroy her spirit to have another man treat her like that. And Seb knew he couldn’t be the one to destroy such a beautiful spirit. Equally he couldn’t marry her; he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he gave in to his desires, married Emma, then his true colours came through and he hurt her as his father had hurt his mother.

  Emma made a small, contented sound and burrowed even farther into his chest.

  Seb couldn’t help himself. He lowered his head and brushed a gentle kiss on the top of Emma’s head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. He knew this was all he could allow himself to do, and reluctantly he pulled the blanket up so it covered Emma’s shoulders and hid the temptation.

  Seb must have slept although he didn’t remember his eyes drooping or his muscles getting heavy. He awoke when Emma started to stir, turning against his chest so her cheek was pressed to his bare skin. Seb opened his eyes and watched her start to wake. There was a fluttering of her eyelids, a soft moan escaping from her lips, and then she was awake.

  It was clear by the expressions on her face it took her a few seconds to work out where she was and the circumstances that had led them there. Seb suppressed a grin.

  Suddenly her eyes widened as she looked up at Seb and realised she was burrowed into his bare chest in such an intimate fashion.

  ‘Good morning,’ Seb said, not letting his voice betray his awareness of how close they’d spent the night.

  Emma sat up straight, her eyes locked on Seb’s torso and her cheeks turning a soft pink colour.

  ‘Sandstorm’s passed,’ Seb said conversationally.

  ‘Oh...er...good?’ Emma said, sounding more than a little flustered.

  He reached for his shirt that he’d unwrapped from his face at some point in the night and slipped it back over his head. The action must have reminded Emma that she had also removed her shirt for the same purpose and that her dignity was being preserved only by a thin chemise and a strategically placed blanket. Seb watched as she grabbed the shirt and wriggled into it whilst trying to hold up the blanket with one hand.

  ‘Ready?’ Seb asked once she had got herself sorted out.

  Emma nodded and they both squinted as Seb lifted the blanket up and let in the early morning sun. Quickly Seb got to his feet and offered his hand to Emma to help her up. His leg muscles were stiff after spending all night in one position and he gently stretched them out.

  Akil and Akins were also just emerging from their shelter and all four of them stood for a few seconds just quietly surveying the scene.

  The sky was completely clear and the sun was already beating down on the desert floor. Only their dusty camp was evidence of what had happened the previous night.

  Seb went straight to the horses and started to inspect them for any injuries. His horse neighed appreciatively as he unfastened the fabric from around its eyes. Wadjet also seemed unharmed and stood almost as soon as her sight was restored.

  ‘Boss,’ Akil called to Seb quietly. ‘Pharaoh is injured.’

  Seb went immediately to Akil’s side and started to inspect the horse. He first carefully unwrapped the animal’s eyes and spent a minute soothing and stroking. Then he moved round to Pharaoh’s left side where Akil was squatting. There was a deep gash in the horse’s leg. At some point in the night it had stopped bleeding, but the sand was a rusty brown colour indicating the horse had lost a fair amount of blood.

  Seb examined the wound, shifting slightly as he felt Emma come to his side and start stroking Pharaoh’s neck, trying to comfort the injured animal. It looked as though a rock had been dislodged during the sandstorm and had fallen onto the horse’s leg. Seb shuddered at the thought that just a few yards to the right and it could have hit Emma.

  Carefully he eased Pharaoh to his feet and watched as the horse took a few unsteady steps.

  ‘Boys.’ Seb called the two anxious brothers over. ‘Pharaoh is going to be fine,’ he reassured them. Seb knew the brothers loved the horses almost as much as they loved each other. ‘But he won’t be able to carry anyone.’

  Akil and Akins shared a glance and then grabbed one of Seb’s arms each.

  ‘We can look after him, boss,’ Akil said.

  ‘We don’t need to shoot him, boss.’

  Seb smiled. ‘No, we don’t need to shoot him.’

  Emma was watching the exchange with obvious interest on her face but for the moment Seb had to organise getting Pharaoh somewhere he could be tended to.

  ‘The best thing would be for you to take Pharaoh and Ptolemy and trek east to Luxor. Pharaoh won’t be able to carry either of you, but Ptolemy is a strong horse and should manage the trip. You can lead Pharaoh.’

  The brothers exchanged a few words with each other quietly.

  ‘How long is the trek, boss?’

  Seb pictured the map in his mind, identifying their current location and the location of Luxor.

  ‘Two days, maybe three at the most. You’ll be going slowly but it shouldn’t take more than three.’

  ‘What about you and the lady?’ Akil asked.

  Seb waited for him to continue.

  ‘What about the people following?’ he asked in a hushed whisper.

  ‘After getting caught out in the sandstorm last night with nowhere to shelter I’m hopeful they’ll have to give up and regroup.’

  Akil and Akins both nodded solemnly.

  ‘And if not I’ll think of something.’

  The brothers debated for a few seconds and then Akil stepped forward.

  ‘We will take the horses to Luxor and then we will return and rejoin you.’

  Seb didn’t bother to question how the boys would know where to find them. He’d been impressed time and time again by their tracking skills and knew if they said they would find them then find them they would.

  Quickly they started to pack up the camp. Akil and Akins only took what they needed for three days, leaving the rest of the supplies for Seb and Emma.

  ‘What’s happening?’ Emma asked.

  Seb spun to face her. ‘The boys are taking Pharaoh back to Luxor to get his wound seen to. Then they will rejoin us.’

  Emma nodded slowly, watching the brothers pack up the two horses.

  ‘Will they be safe?’

  Seb smiled. ‘They lived on the streets of Cairo for years. Don’t underestimate what they can do.’

  ‘And us?’ Emma asked.

  ‘We continue.’

  Emma’s tongue darted out to wet her lips and Seb could see she was nervous.

  ‘Just the two of us?’

  ‘Just the two of us,’ Seb confirmed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ‘What will you do once this trip is over?’ Sebastian asked as they rode in the afternoon sun.

  Emma shrugged, not sure how to answer the question. This trip had changed everything. Even if they didn’t find the tomb at the end Emma knew she would never forget this couple of weeks. She’d enjoyed a freedom she’d never known before, and she wondered whether she would ever be able to go back to the ballrooms of England and all the rules that went with them. She couldn’t imagine having to have a chaperone just to talk to someone, or needing an escort if she wished to take a stroll around the park.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Emma said truthfully. ‘I’m not sure I can return to my normal life.’

  ‘Egypt’s captured your heart,’ Sebastian said softly. ‘It was the same for me. I didn’t plan on staying, in fact I hadn’t planned on settling anywhere, but when I first sailed down the Nile into Cairo I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave.’

  ‘It is a captivating country,’ Emma said, ‘but it’s more than that.’

  She wondered how to explain exactly how she felt to Sebas
tian. He was a man; he had freedom and the choice to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He didn’t need to be accompanied everywhere by an unmarried aunt, and if he got caught up in a scandal it would probably enhance his reputation, not ruin it.

  ‘I love Egypt,’ Emma said. ‘I think I’ve loved it all my life—my father’s stories made me desperate to visit. But it’s more than that. In England I’m a prisoner.’ Emma paused as she saw the expression on Sebastian’s face. ‘At least it feels as though I am.’

  ‘You’re not free to do what you want?’

  ‘There are so many rules and conventions. And if you break one, even just a little, you become an outcast, an outsider.’

  ‘Whereas here in Egypt you’re free to be yourself and do what you want?’

  Emma nodded, pleased he understood.

  ‘It would be hard to go back to your life in England after enjoying this freedom,’ Sebastian said.

  Emma sighed. She knew that. Often during the quiet hours of the afternoon as they were riding through the desert she wondered what she would do. If she were a man she would set herself up in business in Cairo, translating old manuscripts and living off her inheritance. But for a woman it wouldn’t be that simple. Even here, in such an exotic country, there were still the same rules when you scratched the surface. No one would take their business to an unmarried woman who lived on her own, and she wouldn’t fit into any aspect of society—she’d be lonely.

  ‘It would be very hard, but I don’t have much choice. I can’t very well live here on my own.’

  They rode on in silence for a few minutes and Emma began wishing their trip could last for ever. This was where she was happiest, in the desert on an adventure with Sebastian by her side.

  ‘We should reach the sunken oasis in about an hour,’ Sebastian said, breaking the silence.

  This brought a smile to Emma’s face. It was well over a week since they’d stopped the first night in the oasis, but Emma could still close her eyes and imagine its beauty in intricate detail.