“You will stay the night. In the morning, we will decide what is to be done.”
Zaxe nodded, more to appease the man than agree with him.
“We will have music now.” Qasim motioned to a group of men off to the side, and drum and pipe music filled the air, driving away the somber mood of moments before. “Dance. Eat. Enjoy. For who knows what tomorrow will bring.”
He was right about that. Zaxe rose and held out his hand to Jamaeh. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet. “Dance with me.”
“I don’t know how.” Her low reply would reach no other ears but his.
His heart broke for her. She’d lived a very restricted life, unable to enjoy the simple pleasures of society. While his life had been regimented, he’d been trained for any eventuality, which had even including dance lessons. “I will show you.”
As they skirted the fire, he kept one hand on her back to make sure no one bumped her. It was also a sign to the others that she was with him, that he would protect her. He’d seen the disapproving looks she’d received from some of the members of the small tribe. No doubt she had too, but she kept her chin up, not allowing them to cow her.
Several couples were moving in a complicated dance while the children jumped and twirled and tried to imitate their parents. “I hope you don’t regret this. I may step on your feet.” She tucked a skinny braid behind an ear and shuffled in place.
Her uncertainty was endearing, her willingness to try utterly charming. “I won’t.” He put one hand on her waist and held the other up. She clasped it and put her other hand on his shoulder.
“I hope I don’t,” she muttered.
With a grin, he took her into a slow spin. Jamaeh was light on her feet and caught the rhythm quickly, moving to the beat of the drums. Keeping a watch on the others around him, he took a turn faster this time. She threw back her head and laughed, the purity of her enjoyment mirroring that of the children. In spite of the hardships visited upon her, there was a bedrock of goodness inside her. It made him feel old and jaded, even as it drew him.
“This is such fun. I always thought it would be.” The hood of her cloak fell and her braids danced around her shoulders.
Lust hit him like a laser blast to the chest. Between one breath and the next, his body was rock hard, his cock straining against his battlesuit. He grasped her closer, making her smile turn to a frown.
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head and eased them to the edges of the dancers, still keeping them moving in tune with the music. She was watching her surroundings now, all her pleasure gone, the worry returned. It made him want to roar at the gods, but that was an exercise in futility.
“There is nothing wrong.” He slid his hand around to the small of her back and pulled her against him, letting her feel the hard press of his erection.
“Oh.” Her slender throat rippled when she swallowed. Her nostrils flared, and her eyes glazed over. If he tossed her over his shoulder and took her back to the hut they’d been assigned, no one would stop him, least of all Jamaeh.
That wouldn’t be smart. Bad enough that he’d let his guard down this afternoon. To do so this evening would be foolish. But he could give them both the pleasure of the dance. She didn’t object as he drew her deeper into the shadows. The laughter and voices fell away.
She swayed to the fainter strains of music, her breasts pressed against his chest, one of her feet between his so their lower bodies aligned. “I like dancing.” Arousal deepened her voice.
His clothing was way too constricting. If they were simply a man and a woman, he’d grab a blanket and lead her into the desert and make love to her under the stars and moon.
“I’m glad.” He barely swallowed a moan when she circled her hips against his, her mound warm against his straining cock. Keep dancing. Discipline had never been difficult, but like an untried youth, he quivered in anticipation, his heart pounding and his breathing increasing.
He slid his hand up her spine and cupped the back of her head, pressing it against him. She snuggled next to his heart and sighed. The music slowed, as did they. When another lively turn began, they remained still, their bodies aligned.
Zaxe closed his eyes and absorbed the moment. The scent of fire, the satisfaction from the delicious meal, and the dry night air. The sound of the drum and pipes and happy voices. The way Jamaeh rested against him, her breathing fast, and her hand on his waist gripping him hard. Using his chin, he nudged her until she looked up. He cursed the darkness keeping him from seeing her better, but he knew the slope of her nose, the high cheekbones, and full lips well enough to draw them from memory. Her form was indelibly etched on his soul.
When he lowered his head, she came up on her toes to meet him. Her lips grazed his, mint and spices and hot woman. He licked at her bottom lip and then nipped it, loving the way her breath caught and the low moan that escaped. She explored in return, more confident than she’d been the first time, eager to take what she wanted.
His body shook under the restraint. There could be no more than a kiss tonight, but this one would be one for the ages. He swept his tongue into her mouth, laying claim. She met the challenge, advancing and retreating, teasing him until his balls threatened to explode. He kept his hand on the back of her head so she wouldn’t leave before he’d had his fill. Not that she seemed in any hurry. She clung to him, rubbing her breasts against him. If she was anything like him, she was aching with barely suppressed need.
“Did you see the way she walked over to the men? Bold as brass.”
Zaxe went totally still and squeezed Jamaeh, urging her to stillness. The women were getting closer.
“What can you expect, considering she’s traveling alone with a man?”
“Hush, you two,” an older woman scolded. “She has no family other than a younger brother. Be grateful you do not walk in her shoes.”
Jamaeh stiffened in his arms as the voices receded. When she tried to move away, he tightened his hold and lightly shook his head. They needed to wait a bit longer. He should have heard them coming long before they’d gotten close, but he’d been distracted.
When he was certain it was safe, he stepped back. “We need to return to our sleeping quarters.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jamaeh tugged her hood over her face as she followed Zaxe. He’d gone from molten hot to icy cold in a heartbeat. Only a short time ago, she would have assumed it was because of what the women had said, the reminder that she wasn’t deemed as worthy as most women. After spending time with him, she was more inclined to believe he was blaming himself for not being more aware of their surroundings.
She hadn’t heard the women coming, but she wasn’t an assassin. How did one even become one? Didn’t seem like a vocation one voluntarily chose, but what did she really know about it?
Look at her father. The man lived to lie and cheat. Maybe it was genetic. She shook her head, denying the very idea. If that was the case, both she and Esau were doomed. And that, she would not believe.
No, circumstance combined with genetics and upbringing to mold people. Then there was choice. How much of his life had been his choice? She was familiar with having limited options. You did what you had to in order to live.
She would not allow the pleasure of their dance to be eclipsed by the nasty words of a few women. The memory was one she’d hold close to her heart and cherish. Dancing was something she’d always watched but had never participated in. No one had ever asked. She’d tried to memorize the steps, practicing at home in case the opportunity had ever arisen.