Page 33 of The Sheikh's Desert Princess

CHAPTER EIGHT

Eva clambered down the side of the waterfall and stepped cautiously along the pool's edge. She leaned against the trunk of a small tree and gazed at the inviting water. She stooped down and scooped some of it up into her hand, throwing it playfully over her face.

Cold.

Hardly able to wait, she peeled off her shirt and jeans. She decided to keep her bra and panties on. No sense in getting completely naked, she told herself. Although the temptation to do so hovered at the back of her mind.

She glanced back up to the top of the waterfall and could see no sign of Riaz. She knew he'd keep his promise. There had been an unmistakably earnest look in his eyes when he'd given her his word.

Almost naked now, she felt more exposed than she'd done for a long time. But, she knew she had to wash off the dirt of the last few days. And wash away the memory of what had happened earlier.

Eva dipped a toe into the water, savoring the sharp coolness. She took a few more steps and the water rose quickly to her thighs.

Eva gasped at the coldness. The water was crystal clear and she could see the flat, rock-strewn bottom. She threw caution to the wind and dived forward. The shock of the water, the icy coolness, almost made her breath halt as she eased her body beneath the surface for a few moments.

Then, her head was emerging and she was shaking the water from her head. She gasped with pleasure and heard the sound of her voice echo around the confines of the enclosed area.

She settled back, her face skyward, swimming slowly, kicking out, feeling suddenly like a child. It was so good to be free of the dry desert, to feel all the tension drain out of her body.

Eva drifted on the surface of the pool for a while, content simply to savor every sensation. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Riaz. Of what he'd done for her.

The sheikh had rescued Eva. From what kind of fate, she preferred not to think of, as she let her body float gently.

But he had saved her. It was really that simple. Now, it looked as if he regarded himself as some kind of protector to Eva.

How did that make her feel? She wasn't sure, but it was certainly a new experience. No-one had ever taken on that role for her. He'd made it absolutely clear that her safety was paramount. And he'd acted accordingly.

The way he'd conducted himself toward her all through the journey to the camp had been impeccable. He'd been the perfect gentleman. Completely honorable.

But, maybe that was all an act, she told herself.

Once or twice, as she'd held onto him during the horse-ride across the desert, when her hands had strayed toward his waist, she was sure she'd felt his body tighten in response.

Even through the fabric of his traditional desert robe, she'd sensed the steel of his body, the power and poise enclosed there. Once, she'd even pressed her hand against his stomach, feeling the firmness of his muscles. She was sure those muscles would be ridged and taut.

Part of her had enjoyed sensing those reactions. But they'd also given her a strong sign of something more significant.

That maybe Riaz was trying to hold back something. That perhaps all that tension betrayed a mask he was desperately trying to hold in place.

Was Riaz trying to resist revealing how he felt about her? In spite of his efforts at maintaining a firm reserve, Eva was sure the sheikh was beginning to harbor some kind of interest in her.

She'd seen it in his eyes; sensed it in the way he forced himself to pull away every time he accidentally dropped the mask for brief moments. Little moments that had been so revealing, she realized.

Eva felt the forceful current of the water pushing her away from the falls and downstream following the steady flow of the river. She planted her bare feet on the stones of the riverbed and stood upright. The water reached to her breasts, covering them. She still instinctively covered herself with her hands.

Eva glanced self-consciously up toward the ledge from where the water tumbled in a white torrent.

Checking again.

There was no sign of Riaz. It looked like he was determined to keep his word.

She swam a little while longer and then got out of the water, settling on a low, flat rock, letting her body dry in the stifling end-of-day heat.

Eva knew that the sight of an almost naked woman basking by the riverside would have provoked even the most disinterested male onlooker. Luckily there were none around. She didn't close her eyes, deciding it might not be wise to relax her guard too much.

After a short while, she felt dry enough to get dressed. Standing behind a tree, she slipped off her damp undergarments and slipped into her still dry shirt and jeans.

Then she walked back up the slope. When she got to the top she saw Riaz sitting by the side of the river a short distance away. He was idly throwing stones into the river and, for a moment, he seemed oblivious to Eva's presence.

---