It has been over a month and a half since the last update and I am so sorry for letting you all wait that long.

I want to thank all of you who left reviews, sent messages, added the story to your alerts and/or favourites, but most importantly those of you who read every single chapter in the meantime.

Shout out to Vintage Scotch, Angela, 19irene96, LadyVioletta24, Anonymous, guest and MPDreamer82. Thank you all for reviewing the last chapter! They were all such lovely words and they made me incredibly happy.

Here's chapter 19, enjoy :)

Chapter 19 - The first kiss

Breathless to the point that it was almost painful. But no matter how many times he pulled himself away, he kept coming back to experience that same sensation. Slipping his tongue over the threshold that were her lips, exploring an abyss of warmth and desire. It was as if thunder struck him every time he tasted her. He didn't dare to break away in fear of disrupting the spell entrapping him in this world of intoxicating pleasure. He wanted to savour it for as long as he could.

He ran his hand down her back as he held the other in place behind her head. Ardeth knew he'd been right about her. The way she responded to his touch, his mouth on hers and how she kissed him back with equal passion was enough to tell him all he needed to know. If this was the way she reacted to his affection, then how could she claim to love his brother? She couldn't. There was no way.

Finally Ardeth broke the kiss between them, breathing heavily with parted lips. He closed his eyes and he rested his forehead against hers. He then moved his hand back to the side of her face and cupped it gently. Her skin felt warm and yet he could feel her shiver against him. Perhaps he'd crossed a line by kissing her. But Ardeth honestly didn't care. Elisabeth belonged to no one. Not Samir nor anybody else.

"Say something." Ardeth whispered to her as the silence was starting to get to him.

"I don't understand?" Elisabeth eventually said, her voice soft and slightly hoarse.

The Medjai let out a short chuckle. "What's there not to understand?"

He opened his eyes and grabbed hold of her chin tilting it back slightly so she would look up at him.

"Why?" She blinked.

"Isn't it obvious?" He observed her as the upper right corner of her mouth twitched.

"It was only a mere minute ago that you told me you do not understand what Samir sees in me and then you kiss me?"

"I was angry when I said that." He assured her. "Of course I see it, I have seen it for a long time. I'd be a fool if I didn't."

Elisabeth let out a short huff.

"You do not believe me?"

"For all these long months that I've known you, you have stated more than once that you distrust me. Thinking I am only helping you for the money or perhaps to get my hands on some treasure. You even threatened to dismiss my services on multiple occasions. You even sent Samir to spy on me when I went to Alexandria. Am I wrong for believing all this time that you might dislike me immensely?"

Ardeth couldn't help but flinch a little. She wasn't wrong. Because there was a time he had felt like that. Elisabeth was a mercenary. A dealer of objects that belonged to his ancestors. She was a woman who knew how to use her voice, body and any other assets, to get her way. He still saw all those things in her. Albeit not in the same manner as he did the first time they met. It turned out that Samir had been right all along. He knew that what Ardeth truly felt wasn't a form disgust, but admiration.

"Do you still think I dislike you now?" He asked her quietly as he gently rubbed his thumb near her bottom lip.

"Please don't trick me."

"I am not tricking you, Zahrah."

Zahrah. The name held more power than he realized. Especially in this particular moment. It was what Samir called her. Ardeth had only used it once or twice when addressing Elisabeth and it hadn't really seemed to faze her then. But now a visible change occurred right before his very eyes. She stirred against him. Her feet getting ready to move away, but he was still holding her with one arm behind her back. He kept his stance, not allowing her to leave.

"Let go of me,-"

"I am not tricking you." He said again. "Never would I do such a thing."

"Not even if it means protecting your brother from a woman like me?" Elisabeth asked.

"No. That is not why I kissed you,-"

"Please, don't do this to me, Ardeth." She breathed.

The Medjai's skin tingled underneath his robe and a shiver went down his spine as she called him by his name. He licked his lips and searched her eyes. He felt a little insulted that she thought he would do a thing like that in order to prove his point. But after their talk earlier or his past actions, could he truly blame her for thinking it?

"Am I not allowed to show you how I feel?" He asked.

Elisabeth paused for a second and stared back at him. But eventually shook her head. "I'm already conflicted enough as it is. You're only making it worse."

"Am I?"

Slowly Ardeth began to stroke her lower back, pulling her closer in the process. He could hear her breaths clearly, deep but short. He caught her eyes lowering towards his mouth and then back up to meet his gaze. Ardeth did his best to not lean in. He wasn't playing entirely fair, he was aware of that. However, it was somehow quite easy to get a reaction out of her and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

"I don't want to hurt Samir, Ardeth." She confessed quietly.

A lump formed in Ardeth's throat. He understood what she meant, a part of him also didn't want to hurt his brother. But at the same time he felt it was inevitable. There was one thing Ardeth had said to Elisabeth earlier which he meant with his entire being, that she was giving Samir false hope of something that was never going to happen. How could he be wrong with that accusation? Her reaction to his kiss, his caresses, it was proof enough for Ardeth that he'd been right.

That being said, there was a little voice whispering in the back of his head. Accusing and criticising his current behaviour. It was reminding him that he was acting in a rather similar manner as his brother had done towards Elisabeth not too long ago. Ardeth had assured her many times that he wasn't like his brother, but his actions were proving otherwise. Perhaps even worse. He looked at her, cheeks still flushed, but there was also a clear visible wet streak trailing down one of them.

"I'm sorry, Zahrah." Ardeth said as he used his thumb to touch the tear that had run down her face.
"This is not the way I should have shown you my feelings for the first time. It was selfish, but I am sincere about them. I wouldn't kiss you unless it was because I wanted to."

He had to at least try and explain himself to her and that he wasn't doing this to spite his brother or to convince Elisabeth that she didn't belong with Samir. But because he wanted her. He desired her. Ardeth couldn't give one definite reason, he couldn't think straight when it came to her. All he knew was that this was what he wanted. Her in his arms.

"You have no idea how difficult it has been to keep you out of my thoughts. At first I believed it was only natural because I was keeping an eye on your progress with finding the American. As well as you knowing far too much about Hamunaptra. But as time went on and the more I got to be around you,- especially this last week, I realized there was a different reason why you haunted my mind. Do you know that it was actually Samir who accused me of feeling something for you?"

"He did?"

Ardeth nodded. "He is my brother. He knows me. Naturally, I did not agree with him,-"

"Naturally." Elisabeth repeated.

The medjai let out a short chuckle. "But I was wrong, Zahrah." He then paused. "I have no right to ask you this, especially because of what is currently going on between you and my brother. However, I have to know..."

He took deep breath. "Am I wrong for thinking you might feel something for me too?"

Ardeth knew he wouldn't believe her if she told him that she didn't feel anything at all. Even if he'd never seen any actual proof on her end, although there was that time when they'd held hands as she told him about the attack she and Samir had suffered.

Or when he discovered she'd written about him in her journal. Another example was that night when they'd shared a moment on the edge of the village standing only a few inches from each other. But the perhaps one of the most convincing pieces of evidence that Ardeth had, occurred only a few hours ago. When Elisabeth had ignored his order and risked her own life by entering the foreigner's camp to make sure no harm would befall him.

"Please, Zahrah." Ardeth closed his eyes and waited for an answer as his heart beat deeply and heavily in his chest.

"Ardeth,-"

Elisabeth finally spoke and immediately he opened his eyes to look at her once again. Her bottom lip was trembling slightly but he sensed that she was no longer trying to move away from him. "Even if I do admit it. Confess to how you're making me feel at this very moment, it won't change a thing once all of this is over."

"That is not true." Ardeth tightened his hold on her and couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips against her forehead. "It is already happening as you speak."

A shuddering breath escaped Elisabeth. "It shouldn't. I don't want to be in the middle of you and Samir. You are brothers. I am just someone working for you and the Medjai. Once we find the American, you will go back to your tribe. To continue your role as chieftain and be admired by your people. Find a wife and get married. Even Samir will find a suitable partner who will give him the love he deserves and seeks. That is as it should be and you know I'm right."

"But you do feel something for me?"

"Ardeth, you do not listen. It doesn't matter what I feel for either of you. Neither you nor Samir deserves to get hurt. I won't allow it."

Ardeth observed her quietly as she spoke. Her cheeks red and her blue-green eyes shimmering with emotion. Though he wasn't sure if it was fear, anger or something else. It didn't matter what she said. If anything, the urge to kiss her was growing stronger by the minute. Ardeth leaned back and moved a strand of golden hair out of Elisabeth's face. He gently tucked it behind her ear and kept his hand there.

"You only talk about what might happen to me and Samir. But now is not the time to think about either us. What he wants or what I desire. I want to know what you want."

"It doesn't work like that, Ardeth." Elisabeth raised her arm and wrapped her fingers around his wrist, slowly trying to remove his hand from caressing her.

"Yes it does. By Allah,-"

He leaned in and placed a kiss on her flushed cheek. Her skin was still warm and a little salty as he tasted her. Ardeth kept pressing soft kisses on the side of her face, getting closer towards her mouth with each little movement.

"What do you want right now?" He asked once again as he stopped and lingered near his point of interest.

"Um Gottes willen." Elisabeth whispered under her breath in German.

Ardeth obviously had no idea what she said. Probably condemning him to some other part of the world. Immediately he thought of what he'd read in her journal. His name in combination with German phrases, which he still did not understand to this very day. But the next thing that happened was something that he understood perfectly.

Something soft touched him. A pair of pink lips pressing feverishly against his. A shiver ran through him as she begged for entrance with her tongue first and Ardeth opened his mouth, hungrily accepting her assault. This was all the conformation he needed and he pulled her even closer against him.

Rather unaware of his surroundings, Ardeth tried to find his way back to the firepit. All the while trying to keep his body as glued to Elisabeth's as he possibly could. He opened one eye to take a quick look and noticed he'd managed to walk away from the horses and was now standing next to the almost burned up logs. He carefully, but swiftly, pulled her with him onto the blanket spread out in front of the entrance of the small tent situated next to the fire.

He felt hungry, yet full at the same time and the more sounds Elisabeth was starting to emit, the less in control he felt. Ardeth wasn't entirely sure what he was hoping for to happen next. All he knew was that he wanted this moment to continue for as long as he could handle it. Finally he dared to move away from her mouth and continued his display of affection on other parts. He gently pushed her down onto her back on the ground as he planted kisses along her jawline, down her neck, until he reached a small spot next to her collarbone which caused a loud gasp to escape her throat.

He couldn't stop himself from grinning as he heard her. Ardeth pulled back and propped up on one elbow to look at her. Her golden light brown hair fanned out on one of the bedrolls underneath her. She was smiling. Ardeth felt a flutter in his stomach and his body finally relaxed. He returned her smile and stroked the side of her face with the back of his hand.

"Anti gameelah."

Elisabeth bit her bottom lip as he called her beautiful. It felt odd hearing it from him. From the very first day they met their interactions had been as unpredictable as the ocean's current. Gentle one day and rough the next. He always seemed to be aware of where she was or what she was doing. But that wasn't the case from her point of view. She found Ardeth almost impossible to read and she wasn't sure if she loved that or if it scared her.

"Is something wrong?" Ardeth asked her as she'd suddenly fallen quiet.

"It is weird hearing you talk to me like this." She admitted. "I'm not sure whether to kick you or allow it to happen."

Ardeth looked her up and down for a second and then he grinned. "If I may say so, you are hardly in a proper position to be able to kick me."

A look of surprise fell over Elisabeth. He'd made a joke? She didn't think a thing like that would be possible. "I'll get my moment." She told him.

The medjai chuckled but soon they both fell quiet. Ardeth was contemplating what to do next. He hadn't planned on leaving camp for the next couple of hours. But they would have to eventually, they couldn't stay here forever. If they were to leave within two hours, they might arrive in Cairo by the end of the day. Before midnight even. They still had a job to finish and the longer they waited, the less likely they were to find the American. If there was any chance of that happening at all.

Ardeth honestly wondered how much difference another day would make? But he knew the answer to that already. A lot. He licked his lips as he searched Elisabeth's eyes. Perhaps it was better to wait and withhold giving into his urges until they were somewhere safer. More secluded and comfortable. Like Cairo. However, a part of Ardeth feared that by the time they would enter the city, that Elisabeth would get cold feet and would try and forget about everything which had just happened between the two of them.

This wasn't like him. He'd been with women before, but not once had a worry like this ever crossed his mind.

"Ardeth?" Elisabeth frowned at him with concern. "Are you alright?"

"It is nothing. Quite the opposite in fact." He replied as he caressed the side of her body with his fingers.

It was incredibly hard for him to resist temptation as her eyelids fluttered from his gentle touch. But Ardeth didn't want to claim her here. Not like this. Not now. Reluctantly he ignored the voice in the back of his head as he lowered himself to capture her lips once again. Only gently this time. Slow, yet firm. In a sense he was trying to show her he was regretting his decision of stopping.

"Please, do not think poorly of me." Ardeth quickly continued. "But I believe it might be better if we get some rest. There is still a journey ahead of us and despite wanting nothing more than,-" He paused and sighed. "Ya Allah..."

A soft chuckle sounded from below him and Ardeth cocked his head as he surprisingly saw that Elisabeth was laughing, albeit it timid, there was no doubt about it that she was giggling at him. After a few seconds she stopped and threw him a small smile.

"We rest." She agreed.

Ardeth wasn't entirely sure if he was happy with her consent or disappointed. His body was definitely experiencing the latter feeling. May the Gods bless him for being able to step back at a moment like this. The Medjai rolled onto his back and stared up at the dark sky, which was finally changing its colours to that of the early morning. One thing was certain, his mind wasn't going to allow him to get the rest he was looking for.

Let me apologize first to everybody who was hoping for Samir to share a moment like this with Elisabeth instead of Ardeth.

Nevertheless, I do hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the emotions going on inside and around all of these individuals.

I rewrote the scene many times and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Have a great weekend everybody!