Pharaoh's Desire (17 page)

When Amonmose reached the corridor that led to the garden, he found Kama’s bodyguard at the entrance watching vigilantly.

Shu bowed. “Greetings, Pharaoh. Lady Kama insisted upon being alone, but I kept watch here to make sure no one else entered.”

 
“Excellent. I
 
rest easily when I know you are with her.”

Shu bowed again as Baal came to stand by his side. “We will await your return, Sire.”

“There is no need,” Amonmose said. “Both of you are dismissed for the night.”

Baal protested. “But Sire—”

“Goodnight, Baal,” Amonmose said as he disappeared into the dark tunnel that led to garden. He had not meant to be so abrupt, but neither did he wish to explain himself. Kama would be mortified if she knew both guards were waiting for them. She was so private. She would not want anyone to suspect what they were doing.

Amonmose stepped into the garden and was submerged in fragrance. The smell of the delicate blooms filled his nostrils, and he grew heated thinking of the last time he was here with Kama.

At his feet, he noticed a trail of blue lotus flowers that glowed eerily in the incandescent light of the moon. He followed the path Kama had deliberately left for him, moving deep into the dense garden. He was surrounded by darkness except for the soft glow of the moon lighting the flowers on his path.

Abruptly, the trail ended, and he found himself in front of a clear pool of water. His breath caught. There was Kama, bathing. When she stood up, rivulets of water streamed down her curvaceous form. The moonlight danced sweetly upon her body, its soft beams illuminating her shoulders and her breasts.

She held out her arms to him. “You found me.” She smiled coyly.

Amonmose walked fully clothed into the shallow pool, heedless of the cool water soaking his tunic. He pulled her naked body against his. “You left a trail for me,” he said. “It was too easy. I wanted to hunt for you, like a warrior stalking his prey.”

“I am sorry to disappoint you,” she whispered.

“You could never disappoint me.” He nuzzled her neck and took long, deep breaths.

Kama shivered. No matter how many times she gave herself to Amonmose, she never grew tired of his soft caresses and his demanding kisses. She was infatuated by his power, amazed by his tenderness, and rendered helpless by his sexuality.

She ran her hands up and down the hard planes of his body. He had a short tunic on today, and she could feel the muscles of his well-toned legs pressing against her. She remembered the first time she saw him naked, the flash of fear that she would not be able to accommodate him. But he’d helped her conquer her fears, and each time they joined, the experience was more joyous than the last.

“Tell me your desire, Kama. Your wish is my command.”

She nudged him back and smiled mischievously. “I wish this tunic to disappear.”

Without hesitation, Amonmose pulled off the offending garment and cast it over his shoulder. He stood naked before her and she stared, mesmerized. “Your body is perfect,” she told him. “You are everything a man should be.”

He slid his hands to her cheeks, cupping her face, and kissed her. His kiss was strong and smoldering. She savored the taste of him. His daylong absence had seemed like an eternity. She missed his voice, his touch, and definitely his kisses. Kama returned the assault on her mouth with ardor, briefly pulling away to kiss the corners of his lips and the strong line of his jaw. She moved down, placing delicate kisses along the column of his strong throat. She let her mouth roam to his smooth, chiseled chest and innocently licked his flat nipples. He groaned with pleasure, and she secretly smiled. Each day she found something new that excited him.

Amonmose softly grabbed her braided locks and tilted her head back, forcing her to look at him. “Where did you learn that?” he playfully demanded.

His voice was thick with desire, and Kama shuddered. “That is my secret.” She laid her hands flat on his chest and gazed into his eyes with the fire of challenge. “Would you know my next desire?”

His lips twitched. “Always.”

“Make love to me.”

Amonmose made a sound deep in his throat and slid his arms around her. He lifted her effortlessly and wrapped her legs around his waist. Kama clung with powerful thighs, and Amonmose carried her to the water’s edge, where he gently laid her on the thick carpet of grass. With a hand, he spread her legs apart and eased himself on top of her, his manhood already hard with longing.

He captured her lips in a searing kiss, and Kama felt the familiar smoldering heat begin to spiral inside her. He could make her body bend to his will with just one stroke of his skillful tongue. As he nibbled at her lips, he moved in a slow sensual thrust. Kama gasped with delight and eagerly welcomed him inside. Instantly, she felt herself succumbing to his deep, erotic strokes.

Kama purred
 
soft sounds of pleasure in his ear, and Amonmose shifted. He rolled , gently pulling her along with him, until their positions changed. She sat astride him and smiled down like agoddess waiting to being worshipped.

Kama began riding him with slow, undulating movements. Her pace was unhurried as her velvety walls stroked his hard member. Amonmose groaned with pleasure. As she arched her back and moved against him, he gently gripped her hips, his fingers digging softly into her delicate flesh.

Trapped between her soft thighs, Amonmose surrendered to her fully. Her wanton eagerness excited him, eager, and all too soon, he found himself responding to the molten heat building inside of him. His passion was like a run-away horse, breaking free and galloping at full speed. He wanted this to be slow, so he could savor the feel of Kama’s voluptuous body for just a few minutes more.

But she was relentless, pounding, grinding.
 
She cried out, gripping his shoulder as they grew closer, shared the same heat. Amonmose thrust, urgently, reaching. Kama arched. They came together, shuddering and sighing. Kama pressed her hands against his chest as she breathed.

For the next few moments, they floated languidly, hanging on to the fading vestiges of ecstasy. Their breathing gradually returned to normal as their passions ebbed.

Amonmose breathed hoarsely in Kama’s ear. “You are mine now and forever…”

In response, Kama wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. Surrounded by the fragrant aromas of the garden and bathed in the faint glow of the moonlight, their bodies lay entwined on the soft grass. Sated, they lay listening to each other’s heartbeats until they both drifted off into a contented slumber.

Chapter Eleven

Kama awoke to the musical sound of birds announcing the birth of a new day. She stretched languidly, tangling herself in the cool bed linens. If she were a bird, she would soar across the sky all day and look down on the world with all its majestic sights. Then at night, she would return to the garden and rest amongst the beautiful, fragrant blooms.

She wrinkled her nose.

If she were a bird, she would never get to lie for hours in this soft bed. She would never feel tender caresses from Amonmose. She would never know the heated passion of their lovemaking. She smiled as she vaguely remembered him carrying her from the garden last night and placing her in his massive bed. He cradled her in his arms and snuggled her tightly, with his strong chest pressed against her back. She heard him whisper sweetly against the back of her neck. It all seemed like a dream. She was not sure what he said, but his lips felt warm and delicious against her skin, and she murmured a few sleepy words back to him.

Kama replayed the moment over and over again in her mind, trying to recall his exact words. She pressed her eyes shut and focused on the sound of his voice. Slowly, like a dense fog lifting, she started to remember. Something about taking a journey. A journey? Why? To where?

Her eyes flew open, and she sat up, her hand reaching toward where Amonmose should be, but was not. Kama quickly scanned the room; it seemed so empty without him. Perhaps the journey was one he was taking alone. She sighed. She supposed she would have to get used to it.

Kama tossed the linens aside and got out of bed. She would not sit around moping all day. As she pulled on her dressing gown, she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found Shu standing outside.

“Lady Kama, I have a message from Pharaoh Amonmose.”

Kama’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes?”

“He has taken leave for an important mission and he will return soon.”

That must have been what Amonmose was telling her last night when she was half asleep. “Do you know where he has gone?” she asked.

“He did not disclose his whereabouts to me,” Shu answered. “He only asked me to deliver the message.”

“When did he leave?”

“Early this morning, before the first rays of dawn.”

Kama tried to hide her disappointment, but somehow Shu must have read her mind.

“Do not worry,” Shu said gently. “I shall protect you. You are always safe with me.”

Kama looked at Shu, and for the first time, she really noticed him. He was tall and thickset, with a bald head, as was the fashion. He was not nearly as handsome as Amonmose, but she did not expect him to be.

Shu’s dark skin was unblemished except for two strange branding marks on his left and right forearms. She had never thought to ask about them, about anything. She’d always seen him as reminder of her capture.
 
But he had kind eyes, she saw now. And he was always there for her, always keeping vigil over her.

“Shu, how did you get those marks on your arms?” she inquired.

The gentle giant looked down at his brands with a mixture of pride and regret. “That is a long story, Lady Kama.”

Kama smiled. “Well, I have all day to listen. I am going to get dressed, and then you can tell me all about it while we’re out.”

“Out?”

“Yes.” Kama smiled cheerfully. “I think today is a fine day to visit the market, and I would be happy for you to escort me rather than be my shadow.”

Shu nodded with a faintly pleased expression. “Very well. Your wish is my command.”

Mutema carried a large basket of barely on her hip. Her day was just beginning, and the work would last long into the night, but she had no complaints. Distraction was a blessing, and labor brought her the manageable pain of aching muscles.

In the past few months, she’d developed a resilience she did not know she had. When news of the fire and her family’s death reached her, she cried day and night, bitter at the gods for taking her loved ones. She’d lost her daughter and the love of her life. She’d lost her heart from her chest..

She had not planned for life without Kama. No mother would expect to outlive her child. She’d tried so hard to protect her; she’d failed miserably. And now Kama would never know the joys of motherhood; the love of a good man; the confidence that comes with middle age; or the wisdom that accompanies old age.

With no bodies recovered, Mutema had even been denied the privilege of having a proper funeral procession. With no body to reside in, their
Ka
would be lost. Mutema prayed their souls would not be wandering the Underworld.

Now, she was alone in the world. She had nothing, save this house—for now.
 
It was the house that Akahmen owned, and since he had no living heirs, the state would take it; now, it was only a matter of time before she was ousted. In a few short months, Mutema had grown thin, and her once glorious, dark mane of hair had turned into limp, white strands. Years doubled their appearance on her body. She spent her days making beer to sell and grieving over the death of her family.

Mutema emptied her basket of barley into a large wooden vat and then began the arduous task of making a cooked malt. She mixed the barley with emmer wheat and water and then heated the mixture until it simmered. She worked slowly and methodically, stirring until the two grains were thoroughly blended. The whirling colors of gold and green melt into a muted brown. When she was satisfied with the resulting texture, she added her special recipe of yeast and uncooked malt. To distinguish her beer from other brewers, she flavored it with honey and various fruits. She sniffed deeply, breathing in the heady aroma. It was often said that wine was the ambrosia of the gods. That could be, but beer was the nectar that fueled the common man.