Pharaoh's Desire (8 page)

Kama made an undignified snort. She needed no protecting. If anything, Shu’s presence was more of an annoyance than a comfort, a constant reminder of her place. “Give him leave,” she told Dyzet. “I have no need of a guard.”

Dyzet shrugged. “The Pharaoh thinks otherwise. And whatever the Pharaoh desires—”

“Yes, yes. I know. Whatever the Pharaoh desires is fulfilled without question. You may wipe that stupid grin off your face.”

Kama watched Amonmose pull one of the men aside and point in her direction. She stared, mortified, as the messenger walked toward her. As he made his way through the throngs of soldiers, she recognized his tall, dark form.
Nadesh!
She had not laid eyes upon him since the night of the fire. Just looking at him brought back all the horrible memories. He’d wanted her raped and killed. If not for the Pharaoh’s interference, his will would have been done. Her eyes narrowed, but she caught herself. Now was not the time for confrontation.

“You are to ride with the Pharaoh,” Nadesh said as he approached.

Kama merely gave him a curt nod and brushed past him without speaking.

Nadesh inhaled Kama’s scent as she passed and turned to watch her go, mystified. He knew she recognized him, yet she said nothing. He’d expected her to try to claw his eyes out, but she barely acknowledged him, practically made him look the fool with her indifference. Was she trying to embarrass him in front of his men? Did she think her new status as the Pharaoh’s consort gave her such a right? He wondered if Amonmose had bedded her yet. But no, he would have heard. The palace was a breeding ground for gossip.

This Kama was not the wild woman Nadesh saw in Aswan. She was more reserved, as if she’d been humbled and now accepted her fate. A grin split Nadesh’s face at the thought that she had been broken, and his
 
loins tightened. If only the Pharaoh would find disfavor with her, then, perhaps she could be his.

“She is the Pharaoh’s woman,” Dyzet said aloud.

Nadesh looked sharply at the pretty girl. Just two summers ago, she’d been a flat-chested child. Now, she was on the verge of blossoming into a fertile, young woman. He licked his lips. “And what of you?” he asked. “Whose woman are you?” He was a powerful man, very well respected and financially stable. He knew he was not handsome, but his invitations for illicit encounters were rarely turned down.

“I am my own woman,” Dyzet replied haughtily, before walking away.

Nadesh watched the sway in her young hips and mumbled under his breath.
 
In Egypt, foreigners were regarded with suspicion.
 
Yet, Kama was being treated like a queen.
 
She was a Nubian.
 
She didn’t deserve the privilege of riding in the Pharaoh’s litter.
 
As of this moment, it was his sole purpose to make certain Amonmose did not fall victim to her charms.

The Pharaoh’s caravan consisted of seven litters, four dogs, and a party of well armed soldiers. It was Kama’s first journey out of the palace, but Amonmose’s close proximity made her so nervous that she found it hard to enjoy herself. She simply stared at the passing scenery and tried to be inconspicuous. She couldn’t help but make comparisons to Kerma’s lush landscape. She missed the thick, green grass and the cool, dense jungles. But the colors of Egypt pleased her as well. Its familiar reds and browns warmed her like a long lost cousin come to visit.

Instead, Kama concentrated on the dark bodies of the men carrying the huge litter on their shoulders. She was surprised that the ride was so smooth. After a few minutes, she began to frown. “Won’t the men soon tire?” she asked.

“No,” Amonmose answered her in a low tone that caressed her entire being. When she glanced over at him and saw the sensuous gaze in his eyes, she purposely looked away.

“How long must they carry us?” she asked. “Are they permitted to rest?”

“They do not complain. It is an honor for them to transport us.”

“Why?”

Amonmose switched positions, sliding up beside her. He leaned over and hooked his index finger under her chin and softly turned her to face him. They were inches apart. When he spoke, she could feel his warm breath against her cheek. “There are many who would give their lives to be in my service,” he told her. “I guarantee there is no one here who does not wish to be.”

She looked into his strange eyes, which she’d seen change from hazel to amber. He was so close she could see each one of his dark, feathery eyelashes. No man should have lashes so lovely. She shook her head and tried to focus on her question. “And each person is free to leave at will?” she asked, her voice surprising her with its shakiness.

He caressed her cheek. “One who has found my favor often finds the reward well worth staying.” He gazed into her eyes and then dropped his gaze to her mouth. “For some, my generosity knows no bounds.”

Kama felt a searing heat creep into her body.
He was doing it again!
Why did he continue these attempts at seduction?
 
If he was going to ravish her, he should just do it and get it over with!
 
Suddenly, she wished Dyzet were there, but they had been separated when Amonmose summoned her to ride with him.
 
She felt like a trapped animal here with him.

“Your skin is so smooth,” the Pharaoh murmured. “I could touch you all day and never tire of it.”

“Is that why you have brought me here?” she asked
.
 
She didn’t think she could handle him touching her all day.
 
She was fearful that he would kiss her again – and worse, that she would like it.

Amonmose drew the curtain closed. “Why do you believe you are here, Kama?”
 
There was a hint of suggestiveness in his voice and a raw desire in eyes, as if being this close to her was testing the limits of his patience.
 
Did he plan to take her right here in the litter?

“I can presume I’m here for only one reason.”

“And your conclusion is that you are here for my pleasure?”

“Do you admit I am not?”

“I must confess, I do not know your purpose here,” he said. “I do not know what I plan to do with you. I do not know if I will ever let you go. I only know that you intrigue me.”

She gave him a hard smile. “Animals
intrigue
you. Exotic cities
intrigue
you. War
intrigues
you. I am not some pet or oddity to be kept caged for your pleasure. I am just a woman, a simple woman who begs leave to go home.”

Amonmose shook his head. “I cannot let you go, Kama. Even if I did, you would be here, under my skin. My head tells me to release you, but my heart overrules.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “It is not your
heart
, Pharaoh.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“It is lust.”

He made a sound of assent and traced a finger along her cheek. “And you tell me you feel nothing, Kama?”

“No. I desire no man.” She forced the words out steadily. “Least of all one who serves as my captor.”

He smiled slightly. “I proved you wrong before.”

Kama watched his tempting mouth move toward hers, and felt her resistance vanish. Her heart fluttered, as if a cloud of butterflies had taken flight inside her. She closed her eyes as Amonmose brushed tiny kisses along her collarbone. The warmth of his mouth left a trail of heat everywhere he touched. His lips were tender against her skin, and her body flushed with heat, as he pressed delicate kisses along her neck. Kama shuddered, overwhelmed by the gentle affection. No man had ever touched her this way.

His scent was all male, strong and masculine. When she breathed, she felt surrounded by him, assailed. Then he softly licked her earlobes, gently pulling them with his tongue, and she heard her own sigh of delight. He was a drug, ominous and forbidden but darkly intoxicating. She did not want to be a slave to that drug. She did not want to lose herself in this euphoria. If she fell victim to him, she would never regain her freedom. She had to stop him.

Kama pulled herself from her passion-induced stupor, her breathing ragged and her heart palpitating. Somewhere, she found the strength to focus. “Why did you kill my family?” she asked.

Amonmose felt as if he’d been struck by a lightning bolt. Years of training had taught him to control his reactions and never apologize for his decisions. He was a Pharaoh. And yet, he felt moved to give Kama an explanation. But he did not know where to begin.

“I did not kill your family,” he said simply.

“You gave the order for them to be killed,” she replied, becoming bolder. “Maybe you were not present, but
you
were responsible. You engineered the raid. You commanded the soldiers. You are their leader.” She shrank away from him, eyeing him with hatred. “You may as well have killed them with your own hand.”

Amonmose’s heart thundered in his chest.
 
He did not know that her family had been killed that night.
 
For him, it had been another battle, trying to keep his citizens safe from foreign invaders.
 
He sat back, releasing his hold on her.
 
“You do not understand politics,” he said.
 
“My kingdom, my very way of life is constantly threatened by uprisings. I cannot have the people under my rule living in fright, fearing retribution from neighboring tribes.

You Nubians relentlessly attack our borders and terrorize our people! As Pharaoh, it is my sole mission to improve conditions here and guarantee solidarity to the citizens. I must protect my people. During that process, sometimes, innocent lives are lost.”

Her black eyes flashed at him. “My cousin had barely seen fifteen summers! You and your people needed protecting from her? Your men murdered her, and for that I blame you.”

Amonmose gave her an impatient look. No matter how many times he said it, she would never understand.
 
“Kama, know this.
 
I am sorry for your loss.
 
But I will not apologize for defending Egypt.
 
I have a kingdom to protect. If I second-guessed everything I did, it would eat me alive.
 
Sometimes, a man must make unpopular decisions,” he told her. “I live with mine every day.”

She sank against the velvet fabric of her seat. “You will never know the pain you have caused.”

He clasped her hands in his own. “I will not ask forgiveness for going into battle. This is what I do. It is who I am. But I will ask forgiveness for what I have unintentionally done to you.”

She stared at him through mist-filled eyes. “Giving me my freedom will replace any apologies you offer.”

Amonmose gazed at her, his body flooding with heat and attraction. He’d never felt more alive, nor questioned himself more deeply. It was thrilling and unsettling. Kama’s courage was attractive, but he could not agree to her request just yet. “I give you my word, I will consider the matter,” he said.

Hope burst into Kama’s eyes. “Pharaoh, I’m certain my mother is dying of a broken heart, waiting for my safe return. I am all she has. If you will not take pity on me, take pity on her. How would you feel if you were taken from your mother?”

Amonmose closed his eyes briefly, hoping she could not see his anguish. He did not like to talk about his mother. “Is your mother as beautiful as you, Kama?” he managed to ask instead.

“She is very beautiful. I miss her terribly and I know she is worrying for me.”

“Tell me about her.” He needed to hear something to make him forget his own painful memories. Kama was the perfect diversion.
 
He concentrated on watching the way her lips moved when she spoke.

Kama gave him a pleading look and sighed loudly. “My mother is Mutema Nibemheb-Hotep. She is strong and independent and smart, like all Nubian women. And she raised me to be the same way.”

He looked her up and down. “And so you are, Kama.” He felt a familiar heat creep into his loins again.
 
Why was it that he wanted this woman so badly?

Kama gazed into his eyes.
 
Her look was still defiant, but her tone had softened. “Please,” she implored him.
 
“Grant me my leave.”

Amunmose held her gaze. “You told me earlier that you were just a simple woman. This, I understand. Despite my royal position, I, too, am just a simple man.”