CHAPTER SIX
Eva held onto Riaz as he guided his mount slowly and expertly across the hot desert landscape. By the position of the sun she could tell they were moving north-east. His sense of direction seemed acute and instinctive.
Riaz had told her it would take around three hours to ride to his camp. Eva decided to settle in for a while. The easiest way to do that, she discovered, was to hold onto Riaz and let herself relax.
She felt safe. And it didn't matter that Riaz was still almost a stranger. She knew he had her safety uppermost in his mind. Just like he'd had the night before.
As she tucked herself close to him, she inhaled his scent, a powerful masculine aroma she found strangely and instantly enjoyable. Riaz sat bolt upright, his posture firm and slightly proud, she thought.
For a while, he didn't say very much to her. It was as if he realized what she had just been though, and didn't want to make things worse by dwelling on what Ahmed's men had had in mind.
And what had that been, exactly?
Eva thought for a while and came to the conclusion that it was simple. Ahmed had sent his men to bring her to his own camp.
That was shocking in itself, she thought. In this day and age, for a woman to be captured and abducted in the desert was like something out of olden times. Something barbaric and barely comprehensible. If she hadn't endured the experience, Eva wouldn't have believed it possible.
But it was all over. For now.
She'd had no choice but to accept Riaz's offer of safe conduct and a chance to recover herself. Even if it meant staying in his encampment for a night.
Tomorrow she would ask for a fresh horse and Riaz would no doubt insist on accompanying Eva back to safety. That was probably how things would probably turn out, she told herself. That wasn't the worst thing, she told herself. Circumstances had brought her and Riaz back together again.
Somewhere, at the back of her mind though, a treacherous, tempting voice told her there were other options for Riaz. But she pushed those thoughts firmly away. Maybe he wouldn't let her leave his encampment. Perhaps he'd insist she stay longer.
Would she object to that kind of proposal? Would she refuse the chance to spend more time with Riaz?
Right now, she didn't know the answer to that question. There would be time to consider all that once they'd arrived at his camp.
The movement of Riaz's horse and his close proximity felt hypnotic and after a while, Eva closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Her dreams were intense and colorful and Riaz was in them. Feeling her body rocking gently with the movements of the horse, holding onto Riaz, she was swept up in a kaleidoscope of images of the fort meeting, the desert and being in Riaz's tent.
In her dream, she felt herself lying once again in his bed only this time he was right there next to her. She felt soft movements lulling her into this strange, surprising fantasy.
Even although some part of her mind knew that all of this was a dream, she found herself enjoying the feel of Riaz's body next to her, the warmth of his presence, the way her was touching her.
She moaned and felt a sudden shifting movement of her body.
Eva opened her eye abruptly, snapping awake and found Riaz gazing at her, his head twisted round. He was grinning. Eva felt her face color with embarrassment. Had he heard her moan? What did he think that moan had meant?
Eva sat back, loosening her grip on his torso.
"You fell asleep for a while there," Riaz observed.
Eva dragged her gaze away from him, eager for him not to see the rapidly changing color of her face. They were still making their way across the desert. There was still no sign of the encampment.
Eva ran a hand through her hair and looked sheepishly at him. "I must have dozed off," she explained.
"It's probably the heat," Riaz replied. "Do you want to stop for a while? Stretch your legs?" he asked.
Eva felt the sudden stiffness in her body. Maybe it would do her some good to move around a bit.
"That might be nice," she said nodding at him.
Riaz drew the horse to a halt and slid down standing by the side of his mount. He looked up at Eva and extended his arms. His eyes were bright with anticipation. For a moment she considered whether she should let him do that. Would it send the wrong kind of signal?
Dismissing her doubt, she moved herself and settled into his arms, letting him take her full weight, his hands easing around her hips. Her feet sank into the sand and she straightened gazing up at him.
He'd enjoyed that brief moment of contact. She could see the appreciation on his features, see the sudden brightness in his gaze. He'd probably also loved every moment she'd been holding onto him, too, she told herself. She'd enjoyed herself, she admitted quietly.
Eva smiled at him and took a few steps away.
"I'll check your horse," he said. She watched as he examined the horse's leg. He nodded. "I think she'll be fine," he announced. "One of my men is brilliant at fixing horse injuries. He comes from a long line of horse breeders. What he doesn't know about these animals isn't worth knowing."
Eva nodded. "That's good," she replied.
Eva gazed out across the broad vista of golden sand dunes. "How far did you say we had to go?"
Riaz peered at her. "I didn't say," he replied.
Eva gave him a look. "You didn't?"
Riaz shook his head. "Maybe it was in your dream," he teased, giving her a sly grin.
He had heard her moan! The heat of the sun became instantly more noticeable. She turned away from Riaz.
What did he think she'd been dreaming about? Judging by that expression on his face, she was certain he assumed he had been in her dream. Was it really that obvious?
Grateful not to be facing him directly, she gazed out into the distance. They were atop a high dune. She lifted a hand to her forehead, sheltering her eyes from the bright sun. The sky was a clear, brilliant blue and the sands seemed to shimmer in the heat. For some reason, the colors seemed brighter now, the detail of the scene before her more sharp than usual.
Eva realized she felt calmer now. Perhaps her nerves had settled during the ride with Riaz. Maybe it had been his calm assurance, the sheer confidence he exuded that had found its way into her, taking the edge off her nerves.
All she knew was that she was enjoying gazing out across this scene, a renewed calm flowing through her body.
Eva turned back to Riaz. He was at the pack on his horse's side and she saw him remove a bottle and something wrapped in cloth. Riaz opened the bottle and held it out to Eva. "Water. You need it," he stated.
Eva took the bottle and raised it to her lips, taking a long drink. She felt some of the water run down her chin, all the way to her neck. It felt cool and refreshing.
Eva glanced at Riaz and held out the bottle. There was an appreciative expression on his face, his gaze locked on the dampness of her skin. Eva shifted awkwardly. "Do you want this?" she asked.
She saw Riaz drag himself back to the moment. He took the bottle from her and drank a small amount. Maybe she'd drank too much, she told herself. Water was precious out here. But, then again, they'd be at his camp soon.
Riaz placed the bottle back in the pack and opened the cloth, revealing what looked like some kind of dried meat.
Riaz held it out to her. "Hungry?"
Eva squinted at the dark strips and scowled. She looked at him. "What is it?"
Riaz smiled. "Meat," he said simply.
"What kind?"
He tilted his head. "Surely you've had this before. I thought you told me you've spent time in the desert."
She frowned, glancing down at the meat. "Somehow, I've managed to avoid anything like that," she said pointing down at it.
Riaz lifted a small strip to his mouth and bit down on it, starting to chew, his eyes filling with sudden relish.
"I'll let you enjoy that on your own," Eva said turning away from him.
"You'd like it," he said.
Eva folded her arms around herself and gazed out across the desert. "You still haven't told me what you think about what happened back there," she said abruptly.
Riaz came alongside her. "I think we both know why Ahmed ordered his men to go after you."
Eva glanced at him sharply. "Go after me?"
Riaz nodded. "Ahmed wanted you brought to his camp."
Although she already had guessed Ahmed's intentions, hearing Riaz say it out loud like that triggered indignation in Eva.
"Why?"
Riaz's eyes narrowed and he looked at her, a slightly disbelieving expression in his gaze. He was right. She knew why Ahmed would have done that. Was abduction just another one of the customs Eva would have to accept as a reality out here? Surely Riaz didn't condone that, she thought to herself.
Eva glanced at Riaz. One look at the disgust on his face told her all she needed to know about his opinion of Ahmed's actions. He would never resort to such low behavior.
They didn't speak for a few moments, their shared understanding causing a long silence. Now that it was so quiet, she could hear the soft sound of the shifting sands. Tiny whorls of sand floated off the sides of the dune upon which they were standing. It was as if the land was alive, moving silently beneath them.
Finally Riaz broke the silence. "Ahmed will be dealt with," he said in a flat, even voice.
Eva peered at Riaz, feeling shock at the abruptness of that statement. "What do you mean?"
Riaz's lips were suddenly a tight, thin line.
Eva turned and faced him. "What are you going to do?" she demanded.
Riaz continued to gaze steadily out across the desert. There was a distance in his eyes, a steely firmness, as if he was already seeing what he would do to get revenge.
Because that was what he was talking about, wasn't it? Revenge on Ahmed for daring to send his men after Eva. She wondered what that would look like, what he could possibly think of doing.
"You haven't answered me, Riaz," she said.
Hearing her say his name seemed to drag his attention back to her. Riaz looked at her. "There are ways of dealing with situations like this," he responded.
That sounded ominous, but before she could press him any further he'd turned away from her.
Eva followed behind him. "What ways?" she demanded.
Riaz whirled around and she could see the sudden fury in his gaze. She knew it wasn't a fury caused by her persistent questioning, probably more to do with the actions of Ahmed.
"Every desert leader has a duty to uphold the traditions of our ancestors," he said. His gaze became steady, penetrating her with an icy certainty. "Ahmed has stepped over the line many times before. But no-one has seen fit to remind him of the honor he has inherited. His obligations."
Eva hadn't seen him like this before. There was a worrying sense of contained violence in his entire demeanor. He towered over her and she was suddenly conscious of just how powerful his physique really was. But all of that anger was contained, held in check by every taut muscle in his body.
Riaz came closer and peered intently into her eyes. "Do you understand how much he insulted you by assuming that he could simply seize you like that?"
Eva frowned and lifted a shoulder. "It's even criminal, I expect."
Riaz smiled sardonically and glanced toward the eastern horizon. "Back in that world. Yes, it would be criminal," he scoffed. "But out here, there are different laws. We abide by a different rule. And Ahmed knows that fact, even if he ignores it." Riaz shook his head slowly. "We'll see what can be done. But, first I must get you to our encampment."
Eva grinned at him. "I'd almost forgotten," she joked, eager to try and lift his mood somehow.
Riaz seemed to sense what she was doing. His shoulders relaxed and he nodded. "We should get going," he said. "I want to get there before the sun sets." He peered at her. "Unless you want to spend the night out in the desert with me," he said, a sudden teasing tone in his voice.
Eva's eyes widened and she saw that he'd noticed the effect of his words. The corner of Riaz's mouth curled slightly with a smile.
Riaz went to the side of the horse and held out his hands. "Want a lift up?" he asked.
Eva squinted at him. "I think I can manage fine by myself," she replied.
Eva thrust a foot into the stirrup and lifted herself up. She turned and looked down at Riaz, realizing he'd probably been watching her rear as she'd lifted herself up onto the horse's saddle. All she could do in response was to frown at him and shake her head in pretend disapproval. That did nothing to wipe the smile off his face. She decided a shake of the head was all that was needed, so she didn't say anything.
Riaz lifted himself in front of her and seized the reins. He turned to Eva. "Ready for the last leg?"
Eva nodded.
Then, Riaz flicked the reins and the horse began to move down the side of the dune, with Eva's horse tagging along behind them.
Eva pushed away thoughts of Riaz's declaration up there a few moments before. She didn't want to think about what justice would mean out here. She wasn't even sure she wanted that. He didn't need to stand up for her. He'd already done enough as far as she was concerned.
With a quiet sigh she wrapped her arms around Riaz's torso and settled in for the remainder of the journey.