Pharaoh's Desire (9 page)

She shrugged.
 
“But you are Pharaoh. You are considered divine by many.”

“And yet, I have mortal needs.” An agonized expression slipped across her face, and she tried to pull away, but he held her tightly. “I cannot let you go my ebony beauty. You have infiltrated my defenses like no army could.” He kissed the back of her hand, his lips gently grazing her knuckles. “I am not as callous as you may believe. Give yourself to me. I promise only good things for you.”

She shook her head, anger flashing in her dark eyes. “You ask the impossible. Because of you, I have seen death and sorrow. Yet, you feel that I can put this aside and offer myself willingly to you? Each time I look at you, I would remember! Each time you touch me, I would recall the reason I am here! No!” She stood abruptly. “It can never be!”

Amonmose felt the litter sway wildly. “Kama, sit down!” he ordered. “You will topple us!”

She fell back into her seat, and tears sprang from her eyes. “May the gods have mercy on me,” she sobbed, “and cure my heart of this awful pain.”

Amonmose scowled.
 
“Where is the defiant woman that stared me down in Aswan?” he growled. “What happened to the fiery tempered wench who made my heart pound and my loins tighten?”

“I am still here,” she declared through her tears, “Begging for my release.
 
What say you?”

His emotions hardened once again.
 
“I said I would consider it, and I have. You will remain, Kama. And tears will not move me.” You are mine, and I will not part with you. Ever.”

She lifted her reddened eyes to glare at him. Her lips pressed into a bitter line. “Then, you should know, I am not chaste,” she spit the words like a challenge. “Do you desire me now, Pharaoh?”

Amonmose rushed her, clutching her wrists in the tight vise of his fingers. “I assumed nothing less.” He sneered. “I know of no woman who has made it past the age of eighteen without losing her virginity. That hardly matters to me. What matters is that you are
mine
now.” He spoke in a deadly tone. “Every man in my kingdom knows whom you belong to. I have left my brand on you, and I shall do it again and again until I am satisfied.”

He pulled her hard against him and then grabbed a handful of her hair. He tugged, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her head fall back and her lips part. With unchecked fervor, Amonmose crushed his mouth against hers, claiming her lips, searing her with a kiss filled with wild dominance, and pulling harder when she resisted. He invaded the sweet wetness of her mouth, taking everything he wanted. His passion equaled his anger as he suckled and nibbled and teased her lips. He felt a hardness forming in his loins, his own body reacting to the taste of her, the touch of her. She had put a spell on him, and if he was not careful, she would soon master him entirely.

With restraint he didn’t know he possessed, Amonmose released her from his embrace and gently placed her in the seat furthest from him.

Kama’s eyes flashed angrily as she struggled for composure. Her chest heaved as heavily as his, but she wiped at her mouth. “Are you pleased with yourself?” she scathed breathlessly.

Amonmose eyed her ripe form and tried to calm his rising manhood. “No,” he answered. “I will be pleased with myself only when
you
are pleased with me.”

“Then you will have a long wait!”

He smiled ruefully. “Speak again and I shall silence your tongue with mine own, woman.”

She glared hotly at him but wisely said nothing. They rode the remainder of the journey in silence.

Chapter Five

When the hunt finally began, a spirit of competition had taken root. Of all the men in the hunting party, only the Pharaoh, his closest advisors, and a handful of wealthy landowners were permitted to hunt. The rest were soldiers and attendants to assist the nobles, many of whom had brought their wives along, but females were denied the privilege of hunting. Kama thought this notion was absurd. In her culture, everyone enjoyed hunting, especially women. And hunting was more stealth than strength. Women silently stalked their prey and almost never came back empty-handed. Kama winced at the huge gathering of 124 people and 17 dogs. How did they hope to catch anything with all these fools hovering about?

Kama felt someone at her side and was relieved to find it was Dyzet. “Thank the gods,” Kama breathed. “I feel so out of place here.”

The young girl gave her a toothy grin. “I am glad for your company as well, Kama. I rode with the other ladies, and I cannot tell you what a bore they were.”

Kama had not spoken with any of the other women, but she was sure they were exactly as Dyzet described. “Perhaps you can ride with me on the return,” Kama suggested.

Dyzet shrugged. “You need only ask, and I am sure the Pharaoh would willing comply with any request you make.”

“He does not care about my wishes,” Kama said as she walked with Dyzet away from the large group.
 
“He cares only for what he wants.” It was true. She had begged for her freedom, and Amunmose had brushed her wish aside as though it was papyrus. No, she would not embarrass herself again by making requests. And she would never be indebted to him, no matter how small the score. She could only imagine what form of payment he would expect.

“Perhaps you need to find a different approach,” Dyzet insisted. “I’ll wager you have not used your charms on him at all.” Kama stopped in her tracks and eyed Dyzet with suspicion. “I have known the Pharaoh for many years,” Dyzet continued. “And I’ve always found him to be a wise and just ruler.”

“Except when it comes to me.
 
He is neither just nor wise.”

Dyzet’s face clouded in confusion.
 
“Have you learned nothing of Amunmose
the man
?
 
You’ve spent intimate moments with him.
 
You’ve seen him as few others have.
 
Can you not determine his likes?
 
Dislikes? His passion?
 
Every man has a weakness – even one who is divine.”

Kama was silent.
 
Perhaps Dyzet’s idea had merit. If Amunmose did have a weakness, maybe she could use it to get what she wanted. Maybe she could barter for her freedom. She’d done everything else in her power to change Amonmose’s mind, and it had been to no avail. For all of her ranting and raving, for all her tears and determined silence, she had not even succeeded in securing her release. Yes, maybe it was time for a new tactic. She bit her lip. It would require more intimate contact with him. The question was could she do it? The answer was—
she had to!

Later in the day, the oversized party drifted away from the marshlands and toward the dense forest. Most of the footmen stayed behind to attend to the litters, but the others traveled through the murky waters on foot. Kama went along, glad for the change of venue and the cooler temperature. She was the object of much interest to the noblewomen, who stared at her constantly. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were hostile or merely curious. Shu walked quietly behind her, shadowing her every step, and she felt oddly comforted by his presence.

Baal was not far away, either, keeping a watchful eye on Amonmose, who was decidedly the best hunter of the group. She’d expected him to sit in his litter and watch from afar, the pampered ruler who was more at home in the luxurious confines of his palace than on the field.But she was wrong. She could make out the strong lines of his body as his white tunic softly hugged his back. His forearms peeped teasingly from the long sleeves of crisp linen. The hem of his tunic was short, so her gaze to roamed from the fine hairs on his muscular calves to the outline of his brawny thighs. With each step he took, his body shined like bronze under the sun’s bright rays.

Unexpectedly, Amonmose turned and flashed her a wicked grin. So, he knew she’d been watching him. Their eyes locked, and Kama saw raw desire reflected in his. He brandished an iron sword with jade and onyx stones crafted into a clever design on the hilt. She’d wondered if all of the weapons in his chambers were just for show. Now she knew.

Amonmose stared at Kama as she moved uncomfortably under his intense scrutiny. He preferred the cool canopy of the trees, but she stood basking in the sun’s warm glow. The light was at her back, illuminating her shapely form beneath her white dress. Glory to the gods, she was beautiful. His eyes moved from her heart-shaped face and full lips to her up-thrusting breasts, which strained softly against the thin material of her garment. His mind was alive with images of her lying naked. He wondered how it would feel to hold those breasts. To caress her thighs. To have her beneath him, writhing with pleasure. He’d been waiting for her to want him as much as he wanted her. It was more pleasurable that way. But she was as stubborn as a team of oxen, and he’d run out of patience. Her kisses had told him all he needed to know. The passionate fire within her had not been banked after all. She was ready for him, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

Amonmose turned away, trying to drive all thoughts of her sweet, young body from his mind. He was off-focus, when he should be concentrating on the hunt. He took long, determined strides to put some distance between them. His loins might crave her madly, but his head cautioned against giving in to such primal feelings of desire. He was certain once he bedded Kama, the urges would subside and he could get back on task. Tonight, he would show her that he was master. By the time he was done with her, she would be begging him to take her to his bed.

He smiled. He would take what was rightfully his, and then she would no longer have her mysterious hold on him. His problems would be solved, and he felt more confident already. Amonmose turned to speak with Baal, but before he could take another step, an enormous black snake dropped from a tree in front of him, blocking his path. He heard a shocked gasp from someone in the crowd. The creature spit and hissed, vehemently, its eyes glowing with deadly promise. Amonmose sucked in a breath.
A king cobra
. He watched, horrified as the hood on the snake’s neck expanded to the span of a man’s hand.
 
Cobras usually only attacked when provoked, but this one slithered and hissed dangerously forward.

With jaws wide and fangs bared, the cobra lunged for Amonmose’s leg. He dodged to the side, swinging his sword low. The motion was swift and precise, and he severed the head of the cobra with one blow.

Chaos erupted. A cheer rose from the hunting party. Several of the noblemen ran over to congratulate him. Others stood in disbelief. Nadesh began barking orders for everyone to move aside. Meketen fingered his scarab beetle amulet and prayed loudly. The hunting dogs stood over the snake, yelping. The entire incident had happened in a heartbeat, but for Amonmose it seemed like an eternity. The spectators could not hear the loud pounding of blood in his ears. They could not see the beads of sweat across his back. All they saw was the brilliant metal flash of his sword. He accepted their praise with a weak smile. The gods were with him today.

“Friends, I am fine,” he called out to everyone. “Hunting is my sport, and I’ve bested far bigger game that that!”

Another cheer went up from the crowd.

“Sire, what will you do with your trophy?” one of the men called out.

Amonmose stared at the long snake now dead at his feet. The creature easily equaled the length of two men. “I shall have a pair of snake-skin sandals made for the noblemen on the hunt today.”

This was met by more exuberant cheers. Several of the Pharaoh’s attendants came forward and dutifully carried the large serpent away.

Baal stepped close and dropped his gaze to the ground. “Forgive me, Sire,” he whispered. “I should have been there to protect you. If you give me a chance to redeem myself, I shall never fail you again.”

Amonmose brushed him off with a wave of his hand. “Do not be ridiculous. There was nothing you could have done. It happened much too quickly. However…” He lowered his voice. “I believe that serpent being here was no accident.”

Baal’s eyes narrowed at the implication. “An attack?”

Amonmose nodded. “Cobras are not uncommon here, but king cobras are indigenous to Asia. And most king cobras only eat other snakes. This one came straight for me. Something must have provoked it.”