Page 63

Her smile held a tinge of relief, and he realized he’d been mostly silent for the last half hour.
The SUV turned into a dirt road, and a row of Bedouin tents swung into view.He flashed her a return smile.
“Ready for your surprise?”
“Umm, no.I’m not loving that look in your eye there, Savage.”
His grin widened, and the ache inside his chest loosened a little.Easing a finger down her cheek, he leaned in close.“I won’t let anything bad happen to you, but I can’t promise that you won’t be thrilled out of your mind.”
“Huh.That terrifies me even more.”
He laughed as they pulled up to the largest tent.The red and gold structure stood in the middle of the encampment.Several Bedouin natives greeted them and led them inside.Large plump cushions lay scattered on Persian carpets, and unlit Moroccan lamps had been strung up across the highest point of the tent.
The scene looked like something out of a movie, and Zach watched as Bethany took it in.
“Okay, I’m liking it so far, but why do I get the feeling I’m in a holding pattern right before I get Punk’d or something?”
He took her hand and tugged her forward.“Have a little faith, Peaches.If I decided to punk you, you’d never see it coming.”
He opened the flap at the other side of the tent and her outraged curse froze on her lips.
She gaped at the mostly white camel that stood gazing back at her from half a dozen feet away.Several more camels were scattered in the enclosure, but her gaze returned to the white one.
It moved forward the same time she did.She jerked in surprise and glanced at Zach.“Can I touch it?”she asked in an awed whisper.
“Sure, go ahead.”
She stroked a hand down the animal’s neck then pulled her hand back when it swung its head to glare at her.
“Oops, I don’t think he liked it.”
He laughed.“I think he’s eager to get started.”
“Get started with what?”she asked, the suspicion in her eyes growing.
Zach nodded to the waiting attendants.The first one stepped forward with the chair-like saddle.At a few sharp words in the Bedouin dialect, the animal folded itself gracefully onto the ground.
Several attendants did the same to their animals as a few more guests drifted out of the various tents.
He heard Bethany’s soft gasp.“Umm, I hope this isn’t what I think it is.”
Behind him, Philip stood with the wide-brimmed hat he’d asked him to bring along.Zach took it and placed it on her head.“It’s exactly what you think it is, Peaches.We’re going camel racing.”
A little while later, Bethany shouted with glee as she trotted past him, her grip tight around the two wooden pommels protruding from the saddle.
For the last half hour, they’d ridden deeper into the desert with fifteen other racers.High and low sand dunes undulated across the russet horizon.Beneath them, the red sand kicked up dust as camel feet pounded across it.
The lead Bedouin rider gave a sharp shout, and the animals picked up speed.
Bethany glanced over at Zach again, and his breath caught at the sheer delight in her face.Before now, he’d only seen that look when they’d fucked.He was fast becoming addicted to that look.Hell, he knew it was why he found it damned hard to keep his hands off her.And why he’d pushed thoughts of returning to the real world farther and farther away.
Despite what he’d boldly claimed in Paris, he’d had serious second thoughts as to whether this thing between them could survive outside the bubble he’d placed them in.Sure, everything he’d claimed he could make happen could probably happen, but even he knew there were forces outside his control.
The same forces that had ripped Farrah away from him.
God, why the hell was he thinking about her today?He gritted his teeth as he acknowledged that on some level he’d used sex with Bethany to smother what being here in Marrakech did to him.
But as much as he refused to think about it, he knew he’d have to confront the real world soon enough.Even if he wanted to stay here indefinitely, which he knew he couldn’t, Bethany had a life to return to.A life he craved being part of…