THE DAY AFTER
Normally awake before dawn, it was well after sunrise before Ardeth opened his eyes. He had been slightly reluctant to do so, fearing that last night was merely another unobtainable dream. He smiled a little when he saw Laurel snuggled in closely beside him. It hadn't been a dream after all. He felt slight movements against him and he loved the sensuousness and the innocence of her at the same time. He hadn't felt this content in months. It wasn't the physical part; it was more along the lines of emotional satisfaction. He wanted to shove everything out and focus only on her. Right now, he didn't care if they ever made it to Cairo. She opened her eyes and focused them on his face. The look on hers was one of confusion, as if she had totally forgotten what happened the night before. He reasoned that she must have thought she had dreamed the whole thing as well. He kissed her forehead and stroked her arm gently. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say to her. He thought of her father entrusting him with her. There were other thoughts as well, but he set them aside. She was so beautiful, even upon wakening. His lips found hers and he kissed her hungrily. He couldn't help it, he couldn't stop it from happening no matter how hard he fought against it. He wanted her again and didn't think he could ever get enough of her. Before they took it too far, Ardeth broke the kiss and gazed down at her. What had they done? What was to happen now?
* * *
They packed away their tents before eating. Both of them were starving and Ardeth was relieved to find that the fresh plums his mother had provided for them had yet to spoil. He offered one to Laurel, but she begged off. She told him she had never cared for plums. However, she sat near him and watched as he tore into the fruit with relish. Just the act of watching him eat was an experience all its own. After last night, she would never view him in the same light again. With amused interest, she watched as the juice dribbled onto his fingers. He reached for his water pouch, but she reacted quickly, and grabbed his hand.
"I can take care of that," she said softly.
Ardeth wanted to protest. They had no time to fool around. Yet, as soon as he felt her lips on his fingers, all the words left him, perhaps the ability to speak as well. One by one, she gently sucked each finger, even those without juice. Those with juice, she ran her tongue along them, cleaning each before she drew them into her mouth. The bit that landed on his chin was quickly kissed away by her lips. Still rendered speechless, he watched as she took a plum and held it up to his lips. Keeping his eyes on hers, he bit into it and she leaned toward him, covering his lips with hers, tasting him and the fruit swirling in his mouth. Suddenly, his desire to leave became a different type altogether. He had a specific weakness for plums and it appeared that he had the same weakness for her. Earlier, he had resisted the temptation of making love to her again, but he didn't know if he could do it now. He once again thought of that sensuousness versus innocence theory.
Today, he felt his body sinking to the sand. For a moment, he found himself quite thankful that neither of them were fully dressed as of yet. His chest and feet were still bare. She hadn't yet donned her mannish pants. When the kiss was broken, she sat straight up and gazed down at him. With a mind all their own, his hands slid from each side of her hips upward until they were underneath her shirt. Just the feel of her soft skin was enough to bring on the agonizingly wonderful ache that he had known so well since he saw her bathe. He didn't need anything else to send him over the edge. He wanted her, ached for her, but he wanted to resist. There was so much more he needed to tell her, so much more she needed to know. Yet, the words never came to the surface, they stayed buried within him. She moved off him to lie at his side and sighed a little when he worked her out of her clothing barriers. She helped him slip out of his, and seconds later, his body enveloped hers. He kissed her breathlessly, pulling her over on top of him. She broke the kiss and once again brought her body up to a sitting position astride him. He realized that he wasn't the only one with a need. He wanted to slide her body beneath his and take the gentle approach again, but there was an urgency building inside him. There was so much he longed to teach her, but there would never be enough time. He moved slightly, lifting her, and he slowly slid inside her. For the first few moments, he guided her along until she laid her hands upon his, indicating that she had the general idea. He didn't immediately release her, he couldn't. She moved against him slowly, too slowly for him. He dug his fingers into her waist and guided her along faster. The sun beat down on them harshly, increasing their combined body heat, and sweat began to roll off them. As was the case the night before, it didn't take either of them long to meet their releases. When Ardeth met his, he sat up and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the side of her neck. His teeth delicately nibbled at the flesh there for a few moments before his lips found hers. They had to leave, but he was in no hurry to move away from her.
* * *
After getting a late start, it didn't take them as long as they expected to cover a lot of ground. Ardeth found himself talking to her, talking a lot to her, telling her things that were best left unsaid with those on the outside. However, he felt the need to tell her everything, because she had shared so much with him, had given him so much. He didn't know how much she would believe or how much she would dismiss, but he couldn't shut up. The only thing that dried up the words was the oasis off in the distance. This was the midpoint.
Laurel noticed as well. Her cheeks pinked considerably when she remembered what she had done there. It didn't matter that he had made love to her twice. She glanced at him. "Can we stop?" She hadn't said as much to Ardeth, but the riding combined with their lovemaking had strained her muscles beyond her level of tolerance.
He glanced at her and almost said they didn't have time, but something about the look in her eyes and the expression on her face stopped him. He had completely forgotten that she wasn't accustomed to so much riding, but when that was coupled with their encounter last night and this morning, he was rather certain she needed a break. "We can."
They had been there no more than two minutes before Laurel came out of her clothes. She felt an immediate need to get into the water. Ardeth sat astride his horse, speechless. Once again, he felt like a voyeur as he watched her approach the water's edge. She stepped into the water, wading through it at first, and stopped when it came up to her waist. She moved out a little further, dived under, and disappeared from sight. He had yet to see anything so beautiful in his almost twenty-five years on earth in this life. She hadn't spoken one word to him since they arrived, hadn't asked him to join her, but again, it was something he couldn't resist. He came out of his clothes and went into the water. When he was submersed up to his waist, he glanced around, looking for her. She was nowhere in sight and he had begun to worry. Before he called out to her, he heard splashing noises and felt her body come up behind his. He started to turn toward her, but when her lips pressed against his flesh, he stood completely still. Her mouth and tongue made a trail from the small of his back to the totem tattooed into his flesh. She ended her journey with soft kisses to each shoulder. He wanted to turn around and put a stop to this, but he couldn't. He had never felt so powerless over anything in his life. He faced her and ran his hand along her cheek.
"I watched you," she confessed. "The first time we were here. I wanted to leave, but I couldn't."
He smiled a little. "I have my own confession," he began. He kissed her lips very gently, hardly making contact at all. "I watched you. I have been watching you for days now and I cannot seem to stop."
"Don't stop," she said. "Please don't ever stop."
Ardeth wanted to say something more to her, to express what was truly inside him, but it was no use. She was much too close to him. He kissed her, almost brutally, thrusting his tongue inside her mouth. This was what he had wanted to do the first time he saw her here, but he hadn't wanted to take that step. Now that he had taken it, he had to back away. However, for the time being, he shoved it out of his mind. A while later, they carried an extra blanket over to a shady area and spread it out onto the grass. They hadn't spoken much since moving over here. Laurel was sprawled belly down on the blanket, leaning up on her elbows while she gazed at a particularly uninteresting piece of grass. Unabashed, Ardeth was flat on his back with his arm thrown over his eyes. She thought he might have fallen asleep. However, he wasn't. He could see her plainly from under his arm. She had pulled her partially dry hair over one shoulder and was picking at the grass. By tomorrow or early the day after that, they would be back in Cairo, and he had yet to say anything about what would happen after that. She shifted her body, turning to her side, and she continued to gaze over at him. There were scars scattered about his body, some of them deeper and newer than others. She moved closer and ran a finger along what looked like the newest scar. He didn't move an inch. Curiously, she gazed at it, wondering what had caused it. It looked like a deep fingernail mark. There was so much more she wanted to know about him, but she wasn't sure he'd ever tell her. Laurel drew away after a moment and reached for the burlap bag. She dug out the diary, pen, and ink that Mrs. Bay had given her. She opened it to a new page and began to write. She wrote until her hand cramped, and it was at that moment she noticed Ardeth gazing at her with the same type of curiousness she had displayed earlier. He had actually dozed off for a moment and when he awoke, he noticed her writing in a small book. Some time during his nap, she had dressed and brushed out her hair. Normally, he would have felt somewhat vulnerable, but not with her. Did she sense the tentativeness in him? He reached for his pants and slipped into them. It was time to air out everything he had been putting off.
"When we reach Cairo, I will have to return," he said. The curious look on her face had changed to one of concern. "I cannot stay with you. When you told me of your father's plans for you, I understood because my father has plans for me. I must take a wife. I have known who I was to marry most of my life."
Laurel looked away and gazed down at the grass again. What was he saying to her? What was he trying to tell her? It was obvious, of course. What else did she expect? Did she think he would be hers forever? Was that it? Yes, that was exactly it. She had been naïve with her father and was now the exact same with Ardeth. At first, she was angrier with herself than him, but after a moment, the focus turned completely away from her. She bloody well had a right to be angry. He had taken her virginity, had done things to her no other man had ever done, and now he was talking about leaving her so he could marry? Wasn't this information that could have served her better before she allowed him to touch her? If she had known this, she wouldn't have allowed him to do anything to her. Who…what did he think he was? She wasn't some pathetic little girl longing to be a part of his…harem. Ardeth didn't take his eyes off her as a spectrum of emotions flew across her face. He longed to touch her, but he didn't move. He was certain that she wouldn't allow it. What did he think she would do? Did he believe she would shake her head, say that it was okay, and then act as if nothing had happened between them? He began to wonder whom, exactly, was the naïve one. He had taken a step with her that he never should have, and now he was paying the price. How could he ever face her father again?
Ardeth opened his mouth. "Dâyi'…"
She turned suddenly, bringing her body to a sitting position. Angered, her eyes were full on green. "Don't call me that," she cried. He didn't recoil from her shouted words. "You…you should have told me, should…should have said something," she uttered through a shaky voice. Her body was trembling as much as her voice. "You didn't…you said nothing and I-we-you…" She stopped speaking for a moment to collect herself. "Do you know how that makes me feel? Do you? You claimed to know, but you have no idea. Nothing, Ardeth, nothing. That's what you know. I can't go so far as to say you took advantage of me, because you didn't, but you could have told me when I told you. If you did…if you did…nothing would have happened. Is this a part of what you do? How many virgins have you taken under your wing? How many more will you have before you marry?"
"It was not like that," he began, his dark eyes boring into her, consuming her. "I did not intend to seduce you. I tried everything in my mortal power to deny you, to deny what was building inside, but I could not resist. No one has ever made me feel like you do. I dragged you into this, I know, but I would never use you. I cannot stay with you. I cannot deny custom or duty or my heritage. I can do nothing but say I am sorry for hurting you and I would do anything to erase it if I could. I do not regret for one moment what happened between us and I hope you can say the same when your anger abates."
She stared at him for a very long time. She didn't know whether she wanted to slap him or spit in his face. "You're a leader," she whispered, "but you're powerless. No one is supposed to say no to you, but you can't say no to anyone else. You're as stuck as I am, but you don't even realize it." She stood, but kept her eyes focused on his face. "I don't regret what happened, I can live with it. Can you?"
Solemnly, he watched as she picked up her burlap bag and stuffed her diary inside. "Laurel," he said. "What are you doing?"
"You said it yourself," she said blandly. "The oasis is a midpoint of sorts. I think I can make it the rest of the way by myself." Her voice had taken on a low tone, her eyes kept their bright green glint. "Go back to the village, Chieftain Bay. You don't have to waste another moment of your time with me. I wouldn't want you to disappoint your people or that future wife of yours."
She turned away from him and began walking toward the area where they had left the horses. He brought his body up quickly and ran after her. He took hold of her arm. "You cannot go on alone. You will not make it two miles before someone hurts you. You cannot allow your anger to put you in danger."
Laurel jerked her arm out of his grasp. "I don't want you beside me. Do you understand? I can't look at you again without losing my mind."
She whipped back around and walked on. Ardeth continued to pursue her. She made it to the horses before he did, but when she approached, she realized that they were not alone. Riding in the forefront of a small group of men was none other than Reginald Portafoy. Curiously, he gazed down at her, completely not expecting to find her here. When Ardeth appeared behind her, Reginald became angered beyond all reason and sanity. He immediately recognized the young man with the marks on his face. He was the one who demanded the amulet. However, he wasn't exactly thinking about that. He was an ass, but no idiot. The dark stranger was bare-chested and his hair was wet. He noticed that Laurel's was wet as well. It only took a moment for Ardeth to realize that this man was the one Dâyi' nafs feared. Before she could run, Reginald reached down and grabbed Laurel's forearm, forcing her onto his horse. Ardeth reacted and began to charge toward the men, not thinking, not realizing that he was virtually defenseless.
"Shoot him," Reginald commanded. "He kidnapped her."
"No, Reginald," she cried. "No." She tried to get off the horse, but he held onto her.
"Do it now," he commanded again.
Laurel wasn't certain which gun went off, but she heard the report, and she had never heard anything so loud in her life. She watched as the bullet apparently hit its intended target. The rage never left Ardeth's eyes, even after he realized he was shot and losing blood. The only time his eyes softened was when Laurel looked at him. She couldn't say anything, couldn't breathe. It was as if the world was at a standstill. She watched as Ardeth covered the wound with his hand and she saw the blood seeping through. She couldn't react at all until Ardeth fell to his knees.
"No, goddamn you," she screamed. "What did you do? What did you do?"
Reginald took hold of her again and squashed his hand over her mouth. "Shut up, Laurel. Shut up or I'll order them to cut him up in pieces right before your eyes." He glanced at Bishop. "Get one of those horses and rope. I'll have to tie her up."
While the one named Bishop rode over to one of the horses, Laurel couldn't stop looking at Ardeth. His eyes were closed and his face was partially obscured by his hair. The blood continued to leak out of him, but the stream had slowed considerably. Had they killed him? She moaned behind Reginald's hand, aching to scream out to him, but as soon as she vocalized, his hand clamped down even tighter. When Bishop brought the horse over, Reginald was forced to release her. It was something he dreaded. He wouldn't dare hit her, but he knew she would scream, and he was right. She continued to scream out to Ardeth during the entire time the men secured her to the horse, and it wasn't an easy task. She fought, kicked, and spat. She screamed until she lost her voice and when her voice was gone, she whimpered pathetically, continuing to do so even after she could no longer see him.
____________________
To be continued…
