A/N: In response to "Marxbros" review (thank you, btw!) I made an adjustment to chapter one that explains that Najya had been with her uncle for 14 years after her parents died when she was 10. That being said, she's 24. Sorry for the confusion! And thanks so much for pointing that out. :)
Also want to point out there is a love scene in this chapter that may not be suitable to younger readers.
–DreamShel
Chapter Eleven
Kyle had not been surprised when the pair of weary looking travelers brought little on board with them. He showed them to the two staterooms he had available. As he had explained to Najya, they were adjoining and very small. While the two wandered the rooms, he informed them he was having water brought to them for bathing and he expected them to join him at his table for dinner.
At that suggestion, Najya turned abruptly and favored him with a stunned look. Kyle was perfectly aware of the agreement she had made for the rooms; Ardeth was not. She had been hoping Ardeth would wish to rest and perhaps take his meal in his room that evening. Hoping that she would be able to fulfill her end of the bargain without his ever coming to know about it. Kyle had just effectively pinned her into a corner that she could not escape from. Unless...Ardeth begged off.
"It would be an honor to join you," Ardeth answered politely. His back had been turned toward Najya so he missed her reaction to the invitation. Had he seen it, it would have unleashed untold questions on his part. Since he had not, his only thought was that this would be the perfect opportunity to find out more about Najya's friend.
But, of course, he would accept, she lamented silently. If she had been a vengeful person, she might use her powers to strike Kyle dead where he stood. As it were, she was bound by her word and her agreement with Kyle. She would make good on her promise, even if it embarrassed her to her toes to do so.
***
Ardeth stood alone at the bow of the boat, leaning against the railing as he watched the evening landscape pass slowly by him. He felt refreshed and comfortable in his clean robes and trousers. After Kyle had left them to their own devices, Ardeth suggested that he and Najya should rest before dinner. She had readily agreed. When the water Kyle promised arrived, she had hastily bolted the door that adjoined their rooms and he had not seen her since.
He heard the sound of footfalls behind him and turned to see Kyle approaching. "Good evening, Captain," Ardeth greeted kindly.
"Good evening. Please, call me Kyle." At Ardeth's nod, Kyle swept a hand toward the dining cabin. "Let's get settled and enjoy the entertainment before the meal is served."
"Has Najya been summoned?" he asked as his eyes searched the deck for signs of her.
Kyle smiled mysteriously; he had the uncanny feeling that Mr. Bay had no idea the agreement that Najya had made to book passage on the boat. "She'll join us soon. Promise." With a soft chuckle, he ushered Ardeth into the cabin and to a table at the front of the room.
Ardeth studied his companion for a moment. To this point, Kyle had been charming and attentive, and Ardeth read nothing unpleasant in his character. He was still very curious as to the Captain's relationship with Najya. He glanced around the room wondering why she had yet to make an appearance.
Feeling the watchful eyes of the enigmatic man seated at his side scrutinizing him, Kyle met his gaze unwaveringly. He decided to put Najya's new friend on the defensive before submitting to the inevitable inquisition he would receive. "Just how have you come to be with Najya?"
Of course, Ardeth was less than comfortable answering any questions pertaining to his relationship with Najya. There was the problem of the bizarre prophecy that was being investigated and he had yet to determine what her role was in the impending doom. Wondering just how much Najya had managed to tell Kyle before they boarded, he simply said, "She came to my people asking for help."
"Your people?" Kyle asked curiously.
Ardeth shrugged. "A desert tribe."
Kyle frowned at the lack of information Ardeth provided. Perhaps if he were a bit more forthcoming, Ardeth would open up a little more. "Look, I know Najya escaped after being sold into slavery. She said you're helping her on a quest of some kind."
Ardeth nodded and reached for the glass of water in front of him. "She asked for my assistance." After taking a sip from the glass, he turned toward Kyle. He needed the answer to the question that had been bothering him since he saw Najya in Kyle's arms. "Tell me of your friendship with Najya. You seem quite...close."
Kyle turned quickly at the tiny hint of jealousy that crept into Ardeth's voice. Was this mysterious robed man falling under Najya's spell? "You should really ask Najya."
"Very well," Ardeth agreed easily.
Kyle felt a smirk touch the corners of his mouth. Ardeth wanted to know, but he would not force the issue. He also knew that Najya would not tell Ardeth anything other than the fact that they were friends. "The first time I saw Najya, she was about fourteen years old. She was dancing even then. Her uncle wasted no time in exploiting the child."
Ardeth listened intently, although he was distracted slightly wondering what was keeping Najya. He should go look for her. "This I know. She has told me of her life with her uncle."
"Good, then I don't have to tell you how difficult it had to be for her. She had no one to look out for her, even under her uncle's roof. There were patrons who felt Naj was there to be more than just a dancer. She wasn't, of course, but it didn't stop some men from trying." Kyle paused as he noted the pain that crept into Ardeth's features upon hearing of Najya's plight. "I found Naj one evening, late, huddled behind the hotel in the dark alley. She had been beaten...abused. I...I saw to it that no man would ever catch her off guard again."
Ardeth felt the nausea building as he clutched the glass in his hand so firmly his knuckles turned white. His eyes flew to Kyle's asking an unspoken question and Kyle's eyes reflected the answer clearly. Suddenly, Ardeth was filled with a murderous rage in defense of a fourteen-year-old he had never met. Slowly, deliberately he formed the words to ask, "And how did you see to this?"
Kyle eyed the glass Ardeth held, thinking at any moment it would shatter in his hand. "I taught her to take care of herself. She can fight with the best of them, when needed."
That explains her fighting ability, he thought. "Why did you never take her away from that place?"
Kyle blinked at the accusatory tone in his voice. "Don't think I didn't try. I did. Unfortunately, the laws being as they were, there was very little I could do." He sighed heavily and accepted the whiskey the dining attendant brought. "I'm not family, Najya was underage, and in the care of her guardian. I had little recourse. When she was older, I asked her to leave, but she has a bizarre sense of family loyalty. Why she felt loyalty for that goat, I'll never know."
Ardeth nodded in understanding. Honor and loyalty was all she had left and she clung to it. "You did what you could." Again, he found himself looking around the room. "It has been long enough. I should go find her."
Kyle laid a hand on Ardeth's arm. "She will be here shortly," he said, noting the members of the band had filed into the room, four members -- one on tambourine, one played snare drum, and two flutists.
***
Najya took a deep breath and examined her appearance in the mirror. She wore the outfit Ardeth had found her in and she was slightly surprised it was still in good condition. The only things missing were the headpiece and her slippers. She decided she must have lost the headpiece in the desert during her initial meeting with the Med-jai. The slippers were simply ruined and had been left behind at the Med-jai encampment; she would dance in her bare feet.
She took a deep breath and opened the door to follow the band into the room. Mentally blocking out the knowledge that Ardeth would be in the audience, she entered the room with the intent to enjoy the dance. She had used the ability to entertain others in her uncle's hotel as a means to escape for short periods of time. Somehow, dancing had always given her the sense of flying; a way to remove herself from the earth and soar above into the heavens.
***
"There," Kyle said suddenly, obtaining Ardeth's attention and gesturing toward the musicians.
Ardeth turned his attention in the direction Kyle indicated and barely contained his shock. Najya entered the room, graceful to a fault, wearing the dancer's costume she had worn when they first met. In her hands she lightly held a flowing silk veil. Her hair hung loose and straight down her back, long and sleek, like a curtain protecting her backside from view. She stood before the small room of attendees as if she was unaware of their presence. She was absolutely stunning; he was torn between the need to cover her and haul her away and the desire to watch her perform.
The music began, a slow tempered rhythm, and Najya moved with it. Ardeth watched, transfixed as her hips moved, circled, and gyrated. Her arms, graceful and fluid, worked the veil as if it were an extension of her body. He became breathless as he watched her move across the floor, spinning sinuously while the veil flowed around her, hiding and revealing flashes of skin and graceful curves. He moved further toward the edge of his seat as he felt the stirring and tightening of his loins. His body was betraying him again. He wanted her; he could not deny it. She circled closer; he felt the wisp of air from the fluttering veil caress his cheek and he grew harder still. Her hips and shoulders shimmied, faster, faster, and the music's tempo increased with her instead of her with it. Was she trying to entice him? Was she testing his strength of character?
Kyle chanced a look in Ardeth's direction. He sat straight-backed and his attention completely fixed on Najya. His eyes were dark and murky and his hands were clenching and unclenching reflexively. Kyle was fairly sure that if there were ever a time to take advantage of the man sitting beside him, now would be that time.
As his desire increased, so did his anger. Anger that she had made this arrangement and was allowing others to see her as he saw her. Of course, that he was experiencing her performance as something sexual was not necessarily how others perceived it. That he could not control his urges where she was concerned might very well be where his anger originated. His head was spiraling in time with her as she spun faster and faster to the music. He was becoming dizzy with his rapturous feelings as his hardness grew with every step and move she made. This madness needed to end.
The music and Najya stopped abruptly and Ardeth leaped to his feet, thankful that his robes would hide his body's betrayal. He whipped the cape from around his shoulders as he approached her and covered her quickly. He was barely aware of her shocked expression when she felt the material envelop her. Nor did he notice that she gasped his name when he seized her by the arms and ushered her from the room. He paid little attention to her protests as he dragged her down the small corridor that led to their rooms. Once there, he tossed open the door to his cabin and hauled her inside. He kicked the door shut before he released her.
"Ardeth! Why are you so angry?" Najya demanded peevishly. "What is the meaning of this?"
He closed his eyes momentarily in an attempt to get his anger and body under control. Slowly he opened them and faced her. "You should have told me how you obtained passage on this boat. I never would have allowed such behavior."
"You...never...would...allow?" she questioned incredulously. "How dare you act as though you control my thoughts and actions? I will not be treated as anyone's property ever again. Do...you...understand?" She was completely flabbergasted by his behavior. She had done nothing wrong; had only danced as she had always danced. And had enjoyed her brief flight into the heavens while she did.
"I do not wish to control you," he tried to explain. His train of thought was lost when she tossed off his cape and stood before him, her body half exposed by her flimsy costume. In two quick steps he closed the distance between them and grasped her by the shoulders. "You should not bare yourself to others," he whispered, his eyes roaming over her, settling on her heaving breasts.
"I...I...do not. Not as you imply." She lifted her chin defiantly. "You see what you want to see. If it is of a sexual nature, that is of your doing, not mine."
Her accusations hit him at his center. Although her behavior might be looked down upon in his world, it was not such a heinous act in hers. That he felt desire for her only compounded his confusion. She was nothing like he was raised to look for in a mate, and yet that knowledge did not stop him from wanting her. His hands trailed down her arms in a soft caress and the feel of her skin through the filmy material boiled his blood. He was on fire for her and his need was outweighing his common sense.
Najya was unprepared for his abrupt change in attitude. She stood immobile while he moved closer, his mouth nearly touching hers. His breath fanned her skin softly and she felt a thousand goose bumps develop inside and out. Her arms went around him, resting at his back, as she stepped toward him.
Their eyes searched the depths of the other's, each seemingly saying the same thing. Kiss me, touch me, please! I need you! She nearly cried out when his lips brushed lightly against hers; at first so gentle she thought she had imagined it. When he increased the pressure and demand of the kiss, she felt the moan that escaped her throat emanate from deep within her. When she parted her lips for his probing tongue, she felt the intimate caress of his full lips sliding over hers. Her knees weakened when his tongue entered her mouth to touch and tease hers. While they explored and tasted each other's mouths, her body molded against his instinctively. His hands ducked beneath the veil of her long hair to roam down her back. He cupped her bottom intimately as he crushed her to him, allowing her to feel just how much he needed her. She had thought she danced with heaven earlier, but he was proving her wrong with each kiss, each touch of his fingers and hands.
Ardeth's hands came around to palm her breasts though the material of her choli. His hands moved urgently over her and could feel the heat of her flesh through the material. His need to touch her was maddening. As he kissed her hungrily, he folded his fingers inside the neckline of the flimsy top and ripped the fabric from her body in one swift tug. He groaned passionately when he was finally free to touch her supple breasts without any barriers. The blood pounded in his brain so intensely that he was barely aware of Najya's pleasurable gasp when he took one taut nipple into his mouth and suckled it greedily.
Unaware of her actions, Najya plunged her hands into his hair. She twined his silky locks around her fingers while she reveled in the unfamiliar sensations she was experiencing. Although he had been angry and had ripped her clothing from her, his touch was gentle as he explored her body. His hands trailed up her arms, over her shoulders, and dived behind the curtain of her hair to roam her naked back. Every touch from his fingers caused her to shudder with delight. Every flick of his tongue over her hardened, sensitive nipples and breasts coiled her desire toward a mind-numbing, throbbing ache that settled between her thighs. No one had ever made her feel like this, never. And she wanted more. She wanted his hands over every inch of her flesh. She wanted to touch every inch of his in return. As he lowered himself to his knees in front of her, trailing butterfly kisses along her abdomen, she was certain she would go quite mad if she did not feel what he had to offer inside her. Only he could provide what was needed to relieve the precious ache she felt inside.
Allah! His thoughts cried out with each gratifying and excruciatingly blissful touch. Had he ever felt anything as heavenly as what he now was experiencing? Never. Although his mind knew full well that he was on a mission and should bury all carnal thoughts, his heart and body had a more personal agenda. Could he not put aside duty for just one brief moment in time? Was it not possible for him to experience the delightful promise of Najya's love, if it was that which she wished to give him? On his knees before her, he worked the catches that released her coin encrusted belt and anklets. With that obstacle gone, his hands slipped inside the outer slits of her harem pants and traveled a tantalizing path up the back of her thighs to cup and squeeze her bottom tightly. Her heated moans matched his as he leaned into her and kissed the inside of her thigh through the silky material. His hands slid around to the sides of her hips and his fingers gripped the soft fabric firmly. As he lowered the pants, his warm, wet tongue worked over her soft skin, causing Najya to quiver with desire. As she stepped out of the pants, it was as if she could no longer stand under her own power. Her knees buckled and she had to lean against him for support.
Stop this madness! But she could not, would not. Why was it that Ardeth in no way instilled in her the dread she normally felt when other men attempted to touch her? Why was it that she ached for his touch instead of wishing to run from it? The one thing she knew, the one thing she did want, was to give in to the yearning in her heart. Somewhere in the back of her brain, she wrestled with the thought she was not good enough for him; she was not pure. Whether that had been by her choice or not, it was still true. Any rational thoughts, or irrational for that matter, she might have had were cast to the wind when she felt the softest of touches at her womanly center. She nearly passed out from the sensual feel of Ardeth's lips deliciously torturing her womanhood. While he suckled, licked, and nibbled the delicate flesh between her legs, he heard her moans turned to whimpers. When he eased himself from her before allowing her to reach her release, she begged frantically, "Please..."
"Shh..." he hushed her softly as he stood. "We have nothing but time this night," he assured her in a husky whisper that touched her with rapturous effect.
***
Kyle approached the door to Najya's stateroom cautiously. At first he had been worried that the man she traveled with had intended Najya harm. However, he knew, possibly better than anyone, that she was capable of taking care of herself. If Ardeth overstepped boundaries set by her, he might as well start counting body parts. If Najya did not take care of him, Kyle would. Somehow, though, Kyle knew Ardeth had no intention of harming her. He had watched Ardeth while he had taken in the sight of Najya's dancing. Although he might not have been thrilled with the thought of others laying their eyes on what her costume revealed, Ardeth seemed to enjoy the dance. Had been captivated by it. A smile touched his lips the closer he came to the door; he could hear the low, sensual moans emanating from inside. Najya had something to fear from Ardeth, such as losing her heart to him. Kyle had the feeling that fear was the furthest thing from her mind. He cast one last glance at the door as he passed on by.
***
Ardeth reveled in the naked beauty that stood before him. She approached him tentatively, closing the brief distance between them with two small steps. His eyes closed reflexively when she placed the palms of her hands on his exposed skin revealed by the v-neckline of his robes and pushed the material over his shoulders. As the robes fell to the floor, exposing his bare flesh, she moved closer still, pressing herself fully against the length of him. He nearly cried out when her heavenly breasts contacted the firm muscles of his chest. The feel of her warm, pliant flesh was driving him out of his mind. He had met his limit and could wait no longer; his need for her was outweighing his sanity. As his lips took hers in a deep, passionate kiss, he felt the delicate touch of her hands trail softly down his chest. His skin tingled deliciously wherever she made contact with him. His need stoked his urgency and he broke the kiss, eliciting a moan of protest from Najya, to work at impatiently shedding the remainder of his clothing. Within seconds, he stood as naked as she.
Blessed Goddess! He is glorious! Najya thought upon seeing his nude body. Although she was not well versed in the physical attributes of men, she was certain that her Med-jai was extremely well endowed. She wet her lips in anticipation as he guided her down the to thin mattress of the tiny bed. Feeling the soft nudge of his knee, she opened to him without hesitation.
As he positioned himself between her thighs, one hand palmed her breast easily while he supported himself with the other. Her eyes locked onto his in silent, passionate fury as he slid into her and she encircled his hips with her legs, luxuriating in the all-consuming feel of him. The sensation of his hardness moving inside her, thrusting in rhythmic time to the beating of her heart, was overwhelming. Her fingers slid into his silky hair while he pleasured her nipples, each one in turn. Their fervent moans mixed together, just as their bodies danced to an unheard tempo, moving as if one entity.
Thrusting harder, faster, Ardeth was amazed at the intensity of his emotions. He went through a spectrum of phenomenal sensations as he moved inside her, giving as well as taking pleasure. His lips trailed a heated path from her breast to her mouth and captured her lips possessively. As their tongues mated and stroked with a rapturous drive, her soft cries intensified within the kiss in time with each deep stroke of his manhood. As he felt her gloved tightness over and over, inviting and enveloping him with each plunge into her heavenly core, he felt his release moving to the surface.
Najya sunk her fingertips into the hard muscles of his back when she felt the intense, throbbing ache coil into a deep, euphoric sensation that traveled from her center and spread over her like a fire out of control. It gripped her in its greatness, causing her to cry out his name while she trembled and shook with its strength. She felt Ardeth tense, his face contorted with passion, and his movement came to an abrupt halt. Without warning, he suddenly rammed into her with mighty vigor, eliciting his own strangled cry as he repeated the dynamic thrusts several times, releasing his seed within her.
As he collapsed along side her and gathered her into his arms, she looked up, locking eyes with him. No words were needed to express their thoughts; each knew they shared a connection beyond the physical. As the sound of their rough, panted breathing filled the room and they lay spent, they could not stop touching, kissing. Neither wanted the moment to end, but sleep was difficult to fight after such exhaustive splendor. Pulling a blanket over their naked bodies, Ardeth kissed her tenderly before drifting off into a deep, relaxed sleep.
***
To be continued...