Page 18 of Under the Arabian Sky

I gulped again, praying he would keep his grip on me, wishing I could tenderly lay my hands over his. Wishing I could lean forward… just an inch… and touch my lips to the nape of his neck.

I felt my crotch twitch with delight as I watched a bead of sweat trickle from under his hair, slide down the brown skin of his neck and soak into the collar of his gown.

I wondered if he knew I was staring at his beautiful skin, his running sweat… or whether he was oblivious to my moment of voyeurism, instead focusing on freeing his falcon.

With another loud squawk my attention was taken away from Tariq’s perspiring skin. I looked over to the bird to see her taking her first wary steps out of the cage and onto the rocky ground.

She scanned her surroundings intently.

Happily.

She cast one last look at Tariq, blinking and tilting her head from side to side, as though she wanted to remember that face.

Suddenly, like a spinnaker snapping open in the wind, the falcon spread her wings, launched herself off the ground and took off into the endless blue sky.

Tariq tightened his grip on my hips, as though the sight of the bird flying free gave him a thrill that made his entire body clench with joy.

It was a moment that took my breath away.

The sight of that magnificent creature returning to the skies she called home was indeed one of life’s great experiences.

It was one that seemed to end far too quickly.

Tariq released my hips.

He spun about to face me.

His beaming smile was wide and somewhat intoxicating, exuding a sense of elation mixed with a distinct aura of kindness and compassion. Perhaps it was that intoxicating grin, or perhaps it was the glare of the sun and the heat of the day, but suddenly I felt my head begin to spin.

“Did you see that?” he asked. “Did you see her fly into the sky like it was the only place she’s ever wanted to be?”

“I did,” I murmured, my giddiness getting worse by the second. “I did… I’m sorry, all of a sudden I don’t feel so…”

My knees buckled.

I caught one last glimpse of the falcon, now a speck in the sky, as the world spun.

I fell backward.

But in the moment before I passed out, I was conscious of one thing—

Tariq’s swift, strong arms caught me safely once again just before I hit the ground.

CHAPTER8

I wokeup confused and dazed.

I blinked back the bright lights and tried to focus, only to see a white ceiling with a fan ticking overhead.

“Where am I? What… what happened?”

Somewhere nearby I heard the squawk of a bird, then another, unsure of whether the sound was an echo in my mind of the falcon from the Jeep, or whether I was hearing the creature’s cry for real.

I realised I was lying flat on my back.

I tried to sit up, only to be pushed gently back down.

That’s when Tariq’s handsome face came into view. “Take it easy. You’re safe. This is my clinic, hence the sound of birds resting in the infirmary in the next room.”

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