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Amir looked at her, realizing that she was fairly intelligent, even tho
ugh she was a woman. His decision made, he nodded his head, “Fine! I will not tie you. Sleep now. As soon as the sun comes up we will begin again.”
Erin used the veil as a pillow, and lay down on the sand, thankful for the small amount of food and water she’d been given. She lay there for several minutes, wondering if her stomach was going to act up, finally breathing a sigh of relief when her stomach stayed calm and quiet.
As she drifted off to sleep, she dreamt of Kamal, of her parents, and of Shira. So far, Amir had only threatened to harm her. If she could just keep him calm until they reached civilization, surely someone there would be able to help her get away from him. All she needed was a small window of opportunity to save herself and her baby. She would rest now, for tomorrow was bound to offer a variety of escape opportunities and she needed to be ready to act on the spur of the moment.
*****
PJ watched as the sun finally disappeared on the horizon, the moon having risen on the other side of the desert. It now hung high in the sky, bathing the sand in moonlight, creating the illusion of a vast sea, filled with rolling hills and shadows.
“Are we going to stop for the night?” she asked Talib, who had been fairly quiet since her teammates had made contact with him.
She had listened in as they updated Talib on the satellite feeds, telling them that the travelers had stopped for the night, and appeared to be heading for the nearest cave system. Unless Talib and PJ travelled into the night, there would be no way to intercept them before they went underground. That was unacceptable as far as Talib was concerned.
“You heard what Brett said. If we don’t keep moving, they will be underground before we reach them.”
PJ shifted on the padded saddle, wishing she could get off the camel and walk for a bit. They had been travelling for over four hours now, and her legs were protesting the lack of activity. Not to mention the motion of the camel and the height had combined to cause a small case of motion sickness.
Talilb watched her squirm and wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her back into his chest. “Why don’t you lay your head on my chest and try to rest?”
PJ shook her head, “No, really, I’m fine.” Her catnap in the car had provided enough energy to get her this far; surely she could hold it together for a few more hours until they stopped.
Talib frowned down at her stubbornness, “You most certainly are not fine. You have come close to falling asleep numerous times in the last hour.”
PJ covered up a yawn and then replied, “I’ll be fine. I promise.”
Talib hooked a hand under her chin and turned her face up to his own, “I don’t want your promises, I want your compliance. Do you ever just follow orders, or was that only reserved for your superiors while you were still enlisted?”
PJ stared up at him, her gaze lingering on his lips and the sexy grin that was currently directed her way. “It’s more fun to break the rules, didn’t you know that?”
“Yes! I’m aware of that.” Talib stared down into her eyes, using a finger to trace her lips back and forth. Finally giving in to temptation, he lowered his lips, taking hers in a deep blending of mouths, tongues and breaths as they both gave vent to the sexual frustration their nearness the last few hours had caused.
“Habibiti, you taste as good as you smell,” Talib told her, letting his lips trails along her jaw line and down to the sensitive area behind her ear.
Chapter 10
PJ shivered with reaction, her pulse racing, and her mind shattering in the realization that Talib was finally kissing her. Unable and unwilling to disturb the moment with words, she moaned her pleasure as his lips once again found her own.
PJ was no stranger to kissing, having just recently broken up with her boyfriend of eight months –well, that was two years ago, but really, she wasn’t counting. She had been on a small sabbatical from the dating scene, not liking how easily she had been suckered into Greg’s way of thinking. Greg Standiford had lived in the apartment two doors down from her, and had asked her out for more than a month before she finally said yes.
Having just started working for Slade, PJ had been reluctant to involve herself in any serious relationships until she knew for sure how things were going to work out. Greg had been persistent and she had finally given in and gone to dinner and a movie with him. He had been the perfect gentleman, and that had begun what would turn into eight months of casual friendship, with no-strings attached sex as a side benefit.
Neither of them had been looking for a long-term relationship; at least that’s what PJ had told herself. But she hadn’t counted on the fact that she was incapable of separating her emotions from the physical side of things. When she had realized how much she was becoming attached to him, she had cut the ties and the friendship, stating that she had a new boyfriend and needed to move on.
Greg had only been her third boyfriend, and only the second of whom she had slept with more than once. Towards the end of their relationship, she had been unable to separate what they did with each other physically, from the casual friendship they had agreed to. The final straw had come when she witnessed Greg at a local dance club with another friend of his. PJ had been shocked to find out that Greg had many women with whom he shared a friend with benefits type relationship.
Cutting and running had been a self-preservation step and Greg hadn’t even seemed upset when she’d told him about the mysterious new boyfriend. He had plenty of women waiting in the wings to take her spot, and PJ had moved a month later, not wanting the constant reminder of how stupid she had been. Greg was a player and she had willingly allowed herself to become part of his lifestyle; something that went against everything she really believed and wanted for her own life.
Truth be told, she hadn’t missed having Greg around at all. Even the lack of sex hadn’t been enough to send her back out to the bars and clubs to find his replacement. PJ had immersed herself in one case after another, choosing to keep herself busy rather than moan about how lonely she was.
Letting her fingertips trace up the side of Talib’s jawline, she tipped her head back, inviting his lips to explore her neck. When he traced his lips to the point where neck and shoulder met and gently increased the pressure of his mouth, PJ was glad for the solid support of the camel beneath her, otherwise her knees would have collapsed.
She hadn’t known that spot was so sensitive, but when she moaned in response, she felt Talib smile against her skin and do it again.
Talib knew he was embarking on a journey that could only have a frustrating end to it. He and PJ’s focus needed to be on retrieving Kamal’s bride, not each other. His brain knew that, but his body couldn’t resist sampling the delectable temptation that had been sitting right in front of him, brushing against his center for the last four hours. A man could only take so much before his control gave way to his baser lusts!
“We should stop,” PJ whispered, still tangling her fingers in his hair, loving the soft curls that just touched the collar of his shirt. The feel of his hard muscles wrapped around her was doing things to her insides that had her wishing they were anywhere but on the back of a camel. “Talib?”
