TEMPTATION

Laurel was a bookworm.  She had read hundreds of books in her lifetime.  Some of them were set in the desert and almost all of them made mention of mirages.  At that moment in her life, Laurel was certain that what she saw ahead was a mirage.  She had walked for several miles before giving in to his insistence that she ride, and now, she was seeing things.  Stretched out before them was a small area of green and the shimmering of water.  Ardeth whispered something [wâHa (oasis)] under his breath and for a moment, Laurel was certain she had hallucinated that as well.  Remembering that his young charge didn't understand Arabic, he repeated the word in English.  She nodded.  Oh, of course.  Both of them were losing their minds.  It all made sense now.  Ardeth rode them toward the unreachable oasis, but unlike most hallucinations and mirages, this one didn't disappear.  He knew they should ride ahead, but he couldn't resist.  The thought of a cool plunge in that clear water was too much of a temptation to turn away.  He didn't think she would mind, either.  After assuring her that this was no hallucination, they both jumped down from the horse and slowly approached the green grass.

He glanced at her.  "If you would like to bathe, now is your chance."  He didn't have to say another word.  She ran to retrieve her bag and a fresh change of clothing. 

The moment the ice cold water touched her, she thought she had died and gone to heaven.  She frowned at the thick cake of abrasive soap Ardeth had given her, but she wouldn't complain.  It felt as if she hadn't bathed in a century.  Vaguely, she wondered where Ardeth was, but it was a thought she drove out as soon as it entered her mind.  Ardeth had wanted to wait for Laurel to bathe before he took the opportunity to do it himself.  Someone had to serve as a look out, but the water beckoned him, seduced him.  The girl should be well protected from view by the foliage.  He stripped out of every stitch of his clothing and moved toward the cool water.  A loud splash caught him off guard and he quickly went into a stance.  It mattered little that he was naked, it was automatic.  Before he could move, he realized that he had invaded her chosen bathing spot.  Immediately, he wanted to turn around and flee, but he was stuck to the ground as if glued.  It never entered his mind that she could see him.  Fascinated, he watched as she came out of the water, her back facing him.  Out of its braid, her hair was long and thick, nearly covering her naked buttocks.  The rest of her skin was as brown as her face and hands.  Her body was long and lean, but feminine.  He held his breath as her body began to turn.  In the shortest of moments, she would face him and see what he was doing.  Yet, he couldn't budge.  He saw the curve of her left breast before she turned her back on him again.  A moment later, she dived into the water and disappeared.  Ardeth's breathing started again.

Laurel wrapped herself in fresh clothing and began running her fingers through her hair.  She would let it dry a little before braiding it again.  As long as it was, it would never get dry in a braid.  She had never felt more human than she did right at that moment.  She wasn't aware that Ardeth had chosen his own bathing area not far from where she stood.  As innocently as a doe entering a lion's den, she stepped toward the edge of the oasis just where the water began.  A fairly sizeable rock had hidden Ardeth from view until she stepped over to the water's edge.  As much as Ardeth before her, she stood frozen, unable to breathe.  She knew she should have turned away, but she couldn't.  Instead, she ducked down as far as she could and peeked around the rock every few seconds.  She marveled at his lean body, the markings on his back and shoulders, his long legs rippled with muscle, and the taut curve of his buttocks.  He turned toward her and she ducked back, thinking she was caught.  She waited a moment to hear his angered shout, but none came.  When she looked again, she received another close and personal view of his magnificent body.  His chest was broad and as rippled with muscle as his back.  There didn't seem to be anything ill conditioned about him.  Her eyes followed a trail downward, taking note of his abdomen, and then further still.  Never before had she seen a naked man, and this one would spoil them all for her.  None of them would look like this anywhere.  She felt a little tingle in her stomach that spread throughout her entire body.  Why does he stay covered all the time?  Doesn't he realize…  She shook off the thought and ducked again.  What was she doing?  Laurel crawled away before Ardeth discovered what she done.         

He didn't want to leave the cool pool of water, but knew he must.  It had helped drown out a little of what he had witnessed earlier.  He couldn't force himself to move back and didn't want to think of what she would have done if she had caught him.  Seeing her like that had truly shown him how utterly lonely he was.  He had been without the companionship of a woman for some time.  He had trouble remembering what it was like touching the soft flesh of a woman, inhaling one's scent or tasting the sweetness of a kiss.  He had absolutely no intention of attacking her or even acting like he wanted to, but what little he saw was most beautiful.  He didn't want to admit it, but he had actually wished for her to turn around.  He had wanted to see more than she had revealed.  He shook his head.  Stop thinking of her this way or all her fears will be realized.  After he dressed, he moved slowly toward his horse.  He noticed that the girl [she definitely has the body of a woman, does she not?] was patiently waiting for him.  He immediately noticed that her gaze was averted.  She couldn't look at him.  Had she seen him looking at her?  He put his knapsack away and then glanced at Laurel.  She was toying with a string hanging from her shirt.  He noticed that her hair was down and still very damp. 

"We must go," he said.  "Our stopping here has delayed the trip.  We will not make it back until tomorrow morning."

She jerked her head toward him [still visualizing him naked] and nodded.  "Yes, I'm ready to go."  She was trying her best to keep her eyes off his face.  After what she had seen, she didn't know if she could meet his gaze again.

They rode until the light began to fade.  Ardeth made quick work of the tent, refusing her assistance.  She found his behavior odd.  She wondered if he knew she had been watching him bathe.  What made everything worse was that both had suddenly become clumsy, bumping into each other, and gasping aloud as if they were being electrocuted.  After several mumbled apologies, they each sat down and began to dig around in the knapsack for food.  They purposely avoided reaching out at the same time.  God forbid if she touched his hand.  It might burn her.  After the food and water was stowed away, they didn't argue about the sleeping arrangements.  Laurel crawled into the tent without a word.  Ardeth grabbed his blanket and moved a bit further away from the tent.  There were other temptations eating at him and he would not succumb to them, he would not become the man she feared.  As soon as Ardeth became comfortable, he closed his eyes and slept.

Laurel laid awake for a long time.  She knew from the few days she had been with Ardeth that at night, he fell asleep fairly quickly.  Tonight, she would leave him.  She couldn't stay around him another day, not after what she saw, not after seeing him.  She didn't know what it was about this man, but instead of scaring her now, he was doing something else completely different.  After that little peeping incident, she had begun noticing little things about him that she hadn't noticed before:  his scent, his good body heat radiating toward her, the way his bottom lip was slightly fuller than his upper, and the depths of his dark eyes.  You're only attaching that 'savior' thing to him.  You're only thinking this way because he has saved your bum more than once.  Whatever the case, it was time for her to go.  In the dark, she began to scrounge around for her bag.  She crawled out of the tent, immediately noticing the outline of Ardeth's body.  He always slept sitting up, but she knew he wasn't awake…or at least she thought she knew.

The moment she climbed out of the tent, Ardeth had heard her.  He had been having his own disturbing thoughts about Dâyi' nafs, had analyzed everything about her that he hadn't noticed before.  He shook it off completely and focused on the girl [woman] trying to make her escape.  Without moving a muscle, he listened as she tried to make as little noise as possible.  However, his hearing was sharp, his senses were three times as sensitive than normal.  She began creeping toward him and he sat up as still as possible, going so far as to close his eyes.  He didn't want her to see him with his eyes open.  He wasn't stupid.  He knew exactly what she was doing.  She was trying to run, but he was unsure of the reason.  As soon as she stepped close enough, he sprang into action.  He did this so quickly, Laurel never knew what hit her.  All she felt was a hand clamping around her ankle, holding on like a steel vise.  Startled, her first reaction was to jerk her foot out of that vise, and when she tried, she lost her balance.  The next thing she felt was the biting sting of sand and some of it slipped into her mouth, its gritty texture nearly cutting into her gums.  Throughout the whole thing, Ardeth never released her ankle.  In fact, he tried [unsuccessfully] to keep her from falling, but her forward momentum carried her over, quicker than his reflexes.  Within nanoseconds, he was out of the blanket and kneeling beside her, trying to offer assistance to help her stand.  She flipped to her back suddenly and lithely, fixing her eyes on his face.  At that moment, she was ready to cause him bodily harm.  It didn't take long for him to see this.

"What the hell are you doing," she cried indignantly.

"Keeping you from running away," he said calmly.  "You will not last one day without food or water.  Perhaps it is I who should ask you that question."

Neither of them noticed she was still flat on her back and he was nearly leaning over her.  It was a parody of another kind, but both of them were completely too angry to realize it.  "I don't have to stay with you," she said stubbornly.  "I can go away any time I get ready.  Unless you want to tie me up and actually hold me captive, then I'm free to go whenever I wish.  Get away from me before I kick your face in."

Although her words should have angered and/or insulted him, they did nothing more than amuse him, but in a dark way.  "You are a foolish little girl," he said.  "I will not let you go.  You are not my prisoner, but you are my charge, and I cannot let you go."

His words only angered her further.  "I am nothing to you." 

She lifted her leg as if she intended to plant her foot squarely in his face, but again, his reflexes were key.  If she wanted to struggle, he would let her.  He took hold of her leg and held it in his hand, digging his fingers into her flesh.  Her jaws were clenched and her lips drawn into a stubborn snarl.  She kicked out with her other leg and he took hold of it as well.  All the while, he kept his eyes locked fiercely with hers.  He was too strong for her.  Her resistance began to wane just the slightest and Ardeth finally trusted her enough to release her.  The instant he did, she sat up abruptly and planted her hand firmly in the center of his chest.  Foolishly, she thought she could shove him out of the way, but his body was wired and rigid.  Without hesitation, he took hold of her wrists and shook her lightly.

"Stop," he commanded.

"Let me go," she demanded, trying futilely to free her wrists.

What was going through his mind at that moment?  Hours later, he wouldn't remember anything exactly.  Both of them were angry, enraged almost, and he wasn't sure what else he could do to work the aggression out of him, to erase the resistance in her.  Yet, there was more.  It had been racing vigorously through his mind since he saw her bathing in the oasis.  Roughly, he jerked her forward and crushed his lips against hers.  He expected her to pull away and slap his face, but she didn't.  Instead, her body began to relax little by little and her lips softened against his.  A little moan escaped her as his tongue slipped between her parted lips.  He released her wrists and her arms snaked around his neck.  His hands went to each side of her waist as he pressed forward brutally.  Her beautiful lips tasted sweeter than anything he had ever experienced.  Laurel was instantly enveloped by his essence, taste, and warmth.  He broke the kiss first, running his tongue over his lips gently, as if taking one last taste of her.  For a moment, they breathed heavily, not taking their eyes off each other.  There was an immediate need to apologize, but neither of them felt there was anything to be sorry for. 

Recovering, Laurel dug her hands into the sand and backed away.  Ardeth stayed where he was for the moment, unsure if he could move just yet.  In the dark, they stared at each other for a seeming eternity.  Neither of them was sure what to do or say to the other.  Regardless of what had happened between them, Ardeth didn't want Laurel to run.  His reasoning had nothing to do with some lustful need.  He was genuinely concerned for her safety.  If she went out onto the desert alone, she was certain to die, and he would not let that happen.  She kept her eyes fixed on him as she brought herself to her feet.  Ardeth followed suit, keeping his eyes on her.  At any moment, he expected her to run.  He would catch her, it was as simple as that, but he hoped she didn't make a run for it.  He couldn't guarantee what would happen next.  They stood no more than two feet apart, but he didn't dare put more distance than that between them.  At this moment, he didn't trust her any more than she trusted him.  As Laurel walked around him, he kept his eyes glued to her.  His body only turned when she moved completely past him.  Solemnly, he watched as she crawled back into the tent.  He sighed and moved back toward the tent as well.  However, he didn't sleep far from it.  He stayed close enough where he could grab the fabric if he so desired.

Within the tent, Laurel wrapped up in the blankets.  She knew Ardeth was lingering close outside to ensure that she didn't escape.  She had yet to calm down, to reconcile what had happened.  She wanted to forget it, go to sleep, and move on, but she couldn't.  She had been kissed before, of course, but not like that, not exactly how she wanted.  She hadn't noticed how sensuous his lips were, especially the bottom one.  It seemed perfectly designed to match and mold with hers.  What are you thinking?  Knock it off, get it out of your mind, it was his way of subduing you…nothing more.  She closed her eyes, but all she could see was Ardeth's face coming toward hers once again, his lips colliding with hers.  She took in and remembered the sight of his strong naked chest that tapered down to a narrow waist.  She began to wonder what it would feel like to have his body pressed against hers, his exposed flesh crushed onto hers.  If only she had some ink…she could put her thoughts to paper and get them out of her head.

Ardeth was having his own trouble falling to sleep.  His mind was focused on something it should not be focused on.  He didn't know what motivated his behavior.  Had he simply wanted to control her and that was the only way he could do so?  The images of her nude form stayed in his mind, tweaking his senses.  The one thing that stood out above all else was the luscious curve of her left breast.  He didn't understand why his mind was focused on that more than any one thing about her.  If he closed his eyes and thought about it, he could almost reach out and touch it, could almost feel the soft skin beneath his hands as he rubbed his thumb along the coffee colored nipple...  No.  I must not.  I must not think this way.  This woman, this girl, is shar [wicked].  Shaking it off, he leaned back and closed his eyes.  He had no desire to look at Dâyi' nafs again tonight.  If he did, he wasn't sure if he could trust himself to do right by her.

*  *  *

When the sun rose, both Ardeth and Laurel silently went about the task of folding up the tent.  Neither of them made eye contact while they completed the job.  Ardeth was profoundly grateful to note that she had braided her hair.  If he saw it long and flowing down her back, he would want to touch it.  After the tent was folded perfectly, Ardeth took it from Laurel without touching her hand.  With the tent stowed away, it was time to go, but Laurel had issues riding against him, and honestly, he didn't want her to ride against him.  Before he said a word, Laurel climbed up into the saddle.  She waited for him to join her, but he didn't.  Instead, he took the reins of the great beast and began to lead him forward.  For once, Laurel didn't argue.  She kept her eyes focused on the back of his head and he plodded onward.  She was relieved he didn't try to ride with her.  Having him so close wasn't a good idea.

They stopped for a short break three or four hours later.  Both of them drank a little water and ate some of the dried food.  They reached into the bag at the same time, their hands touching, and both pulled away as if they had shocked each other.  Suddenly, the act of eating didn't appeal to either of them.  Ardeth sighed a little.  They were still a few hours away and couldn't continue the journey like this.  He wouldn't admit that he'd gazed upon her during her [most erotic] bath, but he couldn't remain silent any longer.  It was driving him insane.

"Miss Lipton, I should apologize for what happened last night," he began.

His words made her jump.  She actually didn't expect him to mention it.  Laurel wanted to tell him so many things, including that she had lied about her name.  "Don't worry about it," she said.

"I did not…did not intend to dishonor you," he said, nearly stumbling on his words.

"I don't care," she said with a vicious hint in her voice.  "I don't want to talk about it.  Can we go?  The sooner we get to your village, the sooner I can be on my way back."

Ardeth gave another of his curt nods.  "Very well," he said.  "When we arrive and you are outfitted, you must have a guide to lead you back to Cairo," he told her.  "The same dangers await you."

She shrugged.  "Whatever you say," she said nonchalantly.  I just don't want you to be the guide.  If you're the guide, I'll spend the entire trip fantasizing about you and your glorious body.  She knew nothing about men, but he was one that would be hard to resist.  "I'm not going to argue with you."

Why not?  Why are you not?  What was she thinking?  What was going on inside her head?  Without another word, he waited patiently for her to mount the horse.  She did so without hesitation, straddling it, long since giving up trying to ride sidesaddle.  He began to lead the horse away, but stopped after a few steps.  Why shouldn't he ride?  Laurel watched curiously as Ardeth hooked his foot into the stirrup and climbed on behind her.  When his body made contact with hers, she took in a sharp breath.  Although his body was covered in layers of robes, she still hadn't forgotten what he looked like and it seemed as if she could feel every line, every muscle.

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To be continued…