As Long As (6 page)

Geena gave another long cry, this one interspersed with a scream. The ball of pressure increased, grabbing at his buttocks before leaching into his groin. From there it ballooned. Furiously pounding. Fiery hot. Iron hard.

And Sokar exploded.

He roared in seeming agony. The world about them ruptured. All sorts of objects in the room beyond them shattered and fell. He didn’t notice. His spirit was soaring.
Nut,
the goddess of the sky, welcomed him into her realm. Millennia of time ceased to be of any importance. The years were relegated to nothingness. The only thing with meaning was his mate. The woman in his arms. Cleaving to him. She was there as the pleasure altered, turning into radiant pulses of bliss. Her dark brown eyes were large. Deep. Luminous as if she wept.

And he nearly joined her.

“Come,
habibi
. It is time.”

At the words, Geena’s was instantly awake, on her feet, and winding the top sheet about her. She hadn’t checked specifics. She’d just grabbed the first thing in reach. This was appalling. She’d slept? No. It wasn’t possible. She should be miles away by now. Safe. Secure.

Alone.

She finished with the sheet, tucked the material’s end beneath her arm, and took a deep breath. She had to continually sway to stay upright. That’s what came of standing on a broken, bowed mattress with bare feet. It wasn’t weakness. Nor was it fear. She hoped he didn’t assign either of those causes to her apparent clumsiness.
Wow
. She was at a distinct disadvantage here. She was near-naked. Dwarfed. And probably resembled a female awakened after a hearty lovemaking session. She didn’t look like a trained and worthy opponent. Her up-do had failed, too. Her hair was mid-back length, and at the moment, a mass of tangles. She shoved it over her shoulders and looked over and up at Sokar. The man was monstrously handsome. Elegantly attired. Watching her with those incredibly-hued eyes. Aside from the tie ends dangling from his neck and his open coat, he didn’t appear to have suffered any effects from their interlude.

“Time for what?” she finally replied.

“Our flight.”

“Look. Sokar. We never finalized plans for that.”

“I did. And now—”

“What?”

He finished as if she hadn’t interrupted him, “...I am debating options.”

“Oh really? I’ll give you some options. How about you leave? We make plans to meet about noon...maybe for brunch here at the hotel. And we work from there. How about that?”

He shook his head.

“No? What do you mean no?”

“Geena.
Habibi,
please
.
I am sorry I cannot let you rest longer, but I have given instructions to my pilot. Even now, he awaits our arrival.”

“Well. He can just un-wait it, then. I’m not going anywhere. Oh. And add in that I’m not ‘your love’, either.”

The sides of his mouth twitched. Geena focused on it. And if he dared smile, she was really going to get annoyed.

“You are very argumentative.”

“And you are very chauvinistic.” Geena folded her arms. “So, now that we’ve traded insults, how about you listen this time? Good-bye, Sokar. Thank you for the...um, yeah. That.”
Damn everything.
She was blushing. He was looking amused. She continued, as if none of that mattered. “You know what? Forget brunch. I think you need to leave now. Take your
ushabti
with you. There are other dealers and lots more artifacts. It’s late. And I’m tired.”

He smiled. Geena narrowed her eyes, and rued the impulse that made her wind the sheet so tightly about her lower limbs. She could hardly launch a kick with her legs bound.

“You are about to become a missing persons case, Geena Bauman – if you even registered at this hotel under your real name. The other possibility is that you will be a possible kidnap victim. The last choice is a bit unbelievable. Your disappearance might be considered abduction by unknown forces....like aliens. I trust you’ll forgive any inattention while I weigh the benefits of each.”

“Excuse me?”

“If I allow you to take all your belongings, you would be considered missing—”

“
Allow
? Did I hear that right? You did not just say that, Sokar. Not even you would actually say...no. You didn’t
. Allow
?”

He needed a course on women. Her voice had risen and he acted like it was nothing. He just continued listing options. “But if you dress and take your official papers, it should be assumed that you were kidnapped.”

“Look. Big guy. Just because we had sex does not mean anything. Okay?”

He lowered his head and did the growling sound again. The tone was low. Ominous. Threatening. It sent a wave of something physical pulsing through the suite, rattling all sorts of items. It emitted some weird vibes, too...all of which was patently ridiculous. Even if the guy reeked of male domination and control, he couldn’t send invisible messages that broadcast it. Shivers rippled along her skin, lifting little bumps in its path. This was amazing. Enjoyable. But terrible. She could only hope he didn’t spot her reaction. She had to say something.

Anything.

“Are you saying something with that growl?”

“I will not have an argument over semantics with you.”

“Oh, you won’t? Says who?”

“Nor will I allow you to denigrate the most wonderful experience of my entire existence. But the longer you argue, the easier my choice becomes.”

Oh. Heavens
. He stole her wits with his confession, and then said something chauvinistic again. The man really needed a course on male-female relationships. Her emotions felt like they were getting all twisted and confused. Her voice probably projected it.

“Look. Sokar? Um. What happened was just—. It was...um...” This was harder than she expected. Mainly because his eyes started to glow again. The last word was whispered and it limped out without much conviction, “...sex.”

“Very well. Alien abduction, it is.”

He launched at her, grabbed her with one arm, and zoomed out into the main room.

Without once touching any of the floor
.

Geena gasped. And then clung. She wrapped her arms tightly about his chest as he moved, swooping to snag the bundled
ushabti.
He cradled it at his lower belly propped against her arm. And then he flew through what should have been closed glass doors – if she’d been thinking and acting remotely normal last night – and went right over the balcony edge.

Into thin air.

Geena slammed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to see the end coming. Heated wind lifted her hair, rippling through the sheet about her. The ends of his suit coat slapped against her. Her grip subconsciously tightened. She even got a leg free, and wound it about one of his. Her heart was acting like an enraged beast, pounding at its cage with painful thuds. Each breath took immense effort and was gained with a lot of shaking. Then, they were shallow bits of air. Quickly drawn. Just as quickly exhaled.

He started whispering in her ear. The sound was soft. Serene. As if he hadn’t just leapt to his death and taken her with him.

“Geena-
nefer
.
Habibi.
You will come to no harm. Trust me.”

She cracked one eye open. Then the other. He looked exactly as he’d sounded. Perfectly calm. Unruffled. And that’s when it hit her. They weren’t falling. A quick glance downward showed the lights of Cairo to their left, while the world-famous landmarks of the Giza plateau grew smaller and smaller.

“Sokar?”

“Yes?” He was smiling. And then he winked.

“You’re
flying
!” Her shaking intensified. Her grip increased. She was very near to bursting into tears.

“Not really.”

“Not...really?” Shaking made the words quake. Her teeth chattered.

“It’s more of a...very long freefall. Ah. There is the plane. Hold on, darling.”

Hold on? Was he kidding?
She was gripped to him like a suction cup on glass. Her arm at his back was hooked around his neck. The front one hugged his torso. Still, she screamed when he bent forward and dove. The descent was too fast. At too steep an angle. Headfirst. Geena had heard of people dying of fright. She’d never believed it possible.

Until now.

She was probably hyper-ventilating before he went vertical again, bent his knees, and simply stopped. There wasn’t a jolt. There wasn’t even a nudge. She didn’t shift from her death grip, however, although her muscles were burning with the effort.

“Hello there, your majesty!”

Geena turned her face into Sokar’s shoulder. It was against everything she’d been taught and experienced. She sucked back a sob. She was not going to cry. She never did. She refused to start now. Crying was the equivalent of weakness.

“Everything is prepared?”

Sokar’s question sent a weird vibration, as if his voice boomed through her. It also echoed, defining an enclosed space. Geena sniffed. She couldn’t face him. Not yet.

“Ready when you are.”

“Very good. You may proceed.”

Sokar dropped his
ushabti
somewhere. She heard the slightest rustle as it landed. Despite her grip he pulled her to his front, into his arms, and sat. His suit coat twisted across his back, but that didn’t seem to hamper him much. The enclosure about them shuddered. As if she really was in a small jet. And it really was getting ready to take off. But for that to be true, the cabin needed to tilt.

On cue, the ascent started, pushing her against Sokar. Geena huddled there until the plane leveled off. And then she counted off eight more seconds before moving. She couldn’t stay. It felt far too heavenly. And that was just not right.

Geena wriggled. His arms loosened. She pushed backward, rocked slightly atop his thighs, and watched his shirtfront for several more moments. It was time for answers. No matter how horrid they might be. She wasn’t a weak-willed vapid female. She was strong. Tough. And deadly.

“Um. Sokar?”

She should have waited. She didn’t sound self-assured and composed. She sounded incredibly young. And frightened.

“Yes?”

His voice rumbled through her body again. Her heart thudded as the pulsations reached there. That was disconcerting. Maybe she’d be better served sitting in a separate seat.

“I...don’t understand this.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“I learned of immortality a long time ago,
habibi,
but I still recall. I was disbelieving, too. Incredulous. Skeptical. Despite being desperate at the time.”

“Desperate?”

“I was near death. Murdered by the hand of my own brother.”

“Sokar. Please. I can’t bend reality that far. Okay? You are not a vampire. They don’t exist. It’s not possible.”

“Take your time, little one. We have that. Eons of it. Trust me.”

“You need to tell me what’s really going on. And be truthful this time. Okay?”

“Very well. What do you want to know?”

He ran a finger along her arm, starting at her elbow and moving upward. Geena’s shoulder lifted before he reached it. All kinds of reactions burst into being. She didn’t dare look up. Her breasts tightened. Her belly quivered. The area around her heart warmed rapidly and markedly. She didn’t know which sensation was the worst.

“Perhaps I...should move to another...seat.”

The words limped out. His finger stopped just beneath her chin.

“Is that what you wish?”

He held his breath, as if worried over her answer. And something was really odd here. She was holding her breath, too. Geena steeled herself and looked up. Sokar’s greenish-yellow eyes gleamed, as if polished by a patina of moisture.

“Who named you Sokar?”

“I did.”

“Not your parents?”

“My parents were long dead.”

“Okay. We need a ground rule. You answer truthfully, but without putting vampirism into the equation. Can you do that?”

“I shall try.”

He looked like he spoke truthfully. There wasn’t a shred of guile showing in his eyes. Geena was snagged. Gazing into Sokar’s eyes was addictive. Intoxicating. Mesmeric. She couldn’t seem to pull away. She must be weaker than she thought. She sighed audibly. His lips twitched, showing he heard it.

“Um. Why did you choose a name of a god of the dead?”

“Tombs were being robbed. Sacred mummies of kings and queens defiled. Unwrapped for their amulets and then burned. I moved my father’s tomb. I needed a curse to protect it and a name to back the curse. Sokar was a good one to choose.”

“What’s your real name?”

“Which one?”

“The real one.”

“Pharaohs have five names.”

Pharaohs have five names. He’d just said pharaohs.
That really should bother her more.

“My birth name is Senusret. I picked out Horus Menkaure for my
Horus
name. Ahmose for my two-ladies name. My golden
Horus
name would have been Senusret the Fourth, as would my Son of
Re
—”

“Uh. Wait. Wait. Back up. What is a two-ladies name?”

“You have noted the vulture and cobra on the crown? They are on most statues. Right at the front.”

Had she?

Geena was having a hard time concentrating. And worse. She really didn’t want to. He took her expression to mean agreement and continued his explanation. Good thing. There was a light humming sound filling her ears. It didn’t come from the plane engines.

“These carvings represent
Nekhbet
and
Wadjet
, goddesses of the two lands, Upper and Lower Egypt. They are known as the two ladies. Every pharaoh has a name for their use.”