Desert Rogue (15 page)

Baffled, Jed worked his long fingers distractedly through his thick damp hair while he paced back and forth. It was unlike him to be unsure how to proceed in any situation, and it signaled a lack of self-confidence not at all to his liking.

Suddenly, his masculine pride began to stir. In spite of the way Vicky had affected him, and no matter how perilous her blue eyes and ripe curves made her, no female was going to cause him to hightail it. Surely he was man enough to face that little bit of femininity waiting behind the nearby mound of sand.

With a purposeful step, Jed made his way to the others. But his intentions almost crumbled when he rounded the dune.

There sat Vicky, more quietly vulnerable than he had ever known her to be. All at once, Jed felt a guilty flush wash over him at being the reason for her distress. He wanted to go to her and apologize, to enfold her in his arms and tenderly kiss away the furrows marring her brow. In short, a surprised Jed had a fierce urge to protect and comfort her.

At least, that was what he wanted to do until he recognized that there would be no need. It was apparent that a sympathetic Ali had already taken it upon himself to tend to that. And from what Jed could see, the Egyptian's kindness had created a blossoming closeness between the two.

Moving closer, the American wondered irritably just what words Ali had used to forge such a bond. The haughty English heiress and the Egyptian shopkeeper made an unlikely pair. Yet there were plenty of women who could find the tall, sharp-featured Ali attractive, Jed realized with an unnerving start, and being wounded always guaranteed rousing a woman's natural sympathy.

Well, damnation, that had better be all Ali had aroused, Jed swore silently, coming to stand before the two, his feet planted wide in a challenging stance.

“Time to head back to camp,” he barked.

“That would be for the best,” Ali agreed, his face showing the strain of exertion. “We have all endured too much this day,” he added with a pointed look of reproof in Jed's direction.

Ignoring him, Jed helped the merchant to his feet, reminding himself that gentleness was called for rather than the rough, emotion-releasing movements he wanted to employ.

Slipping Ali's arm around his neck, he was ready to proceed, when he was shocked to see Vicky trying to lend aid with her slight frame on the other side. Immediately Jed's teeth ground together. It would seem he had returned none too soon.

“No, Miss Victoria,” Ali protested with a small smile. “I will not allow my weakness to sap you of your strength.”

“But, Ali, surely I can help,” she argued softly.

“No,” he insisted. “Allow me to do this for myself with Kincaid's assistance.”

Do it for
himself
with
assistance?
Jed wanted to bellow. Didn't the man know that if he wasn't supported he'd topple over at their feet? Was this some ploy Ali was using as an opportunity to impress Vicky? The muscles along Jed's jaw clenched visibly. Or had the bastard finally remembered he had a wife back in Cairo?

The journey back to the campsite proved a lengthy and laborious one despite the short distance involved. With each inch Ali edged forward, it became apparent that he grew weaker, so that a solicitous Victoria began to fuss over him more and more.

By the time they arrived, Ali's swarthy complexion had grown white. Jed, on the other hand, could feel the red stain of anger creeping up his corded neck and across his face, brought on by Vicky's unwavering concern over the injured man.

Depositing the Egyptian on his bedroll, Jed thought to diminish his own tension through labor, the only release available to him. Turning away from the others, he began to gather fuel for the fire, hoping the task would give him some solitude. But from the corner of his eye, he saw Vicky approaching.

“Don't bother to dirty your hands. I'll take care of this. You can go sit with
Ali,
” he stated, sarcasm tinging his words in spite of his efforts to project a calm, nonchalant exterior.

Victoria regarded him curiously. When she cocked her head to one side, Jed swore she was about to argue with him. But instead, she merely nodded in quiet assent and did as he bid.

Jed marked this as the first time she had ever done what he had told her without causing a commotion. To his mind, she was all too eager to return to the side of the handsome man who had shown her a little kindness. With a snort of disgust, Jed got on with his work.

An hour later, Victoria smelled the tempting odor of food that began to waft through the oasis as a result of Jed's toils. It startled her how hungry she was, having thought herself too exhausted and upset to eat. But the aroma of whatever dish Jed was preparing brought her appetite to life, so that she waited impatiently for the American to signal that the meal was ready.

Surreptitiously she had watched Jed complete one task after another, and been quite taken by his effortless competence. But his dominance and its toll upon her had lingered in her mind, as well, no matter how she had sought to obliterate them.

She had attempted to focus on Ali as Jed had ordered, but her mind returned again and again to his last curt directive. There had been some odd, hidden meaning beneath his words, she was certain of it, but whatever it was, it had been beyond her.

Still, she had done as he had commanded and had been particularly conscientious about her duties, too, bathing Ali's forehead, making him comfortable, fetching him a canteen. Yet whenever she had worked up the courage to look in Jed's direction, she inevitably received a black scowl in return. Each glare had prompted her to be more attentive to the Egyptian, but her increased endeavors had earned her more foul looks instead of the approval she sought.

Not that she resented nursing Ali. He had been good to her. Besides, keeping herself occupied would prevent her thoughts from returning to the devastating kiss Jed had planted so firmly on her much too willing mouth, the kiss that haunted her still.

Stealing another glance at Jed as he moved through the camp, Victoria knew that it was best to keep away from him. Certainly it was better than having to deal with the sense of disloyalty to Hayden that had begun to eat at her conscience whenever Jed was around. And so she turned her attention to Ali once more, blocking out all else until finally the Egyptian drifted off to sleep. Then Victoria leaned back against a small date palm and closed her eyes rather than allow them to hungrily roam the landscape for one more peek at Jed Kincaid.

Her self-imposed isolation was short-lived, however. Though Victoria couldn't see him, she sensed Jed standing before her, obstructing the remaining rays of the sun. Fluttering her eyelids open, Victoria felt her breath all but catch in her throat at the sight of him. Some time within the last half hour, he had evidently returned to the small pool of the oasis in order to shave.

Bereft of the stubble that had covered his cheeks, Jed was more appealing than ever. The lips that had given her such pleasure were now more defined. And the clean lines of his cheekbones and jaw endowed him with a compelling masculine beauty. As he stood there in his
gallabiya
looming over her, he had the look of some magnificent desert prince, the sort to abduct young women, not return them to their fiancés.

“Here,” he said gruffly, hunkering down and pressing a cup into her hands instead of the dinner she expected.

“Oh, you've brewed tea,” she exclaimed in delight, feeling flustered by his commanding presence and baffled by his charity. “It's a bit cool, but I'm sure it will taste delicious.”

“You're not supposed to drink it, Vicky.”

“Why ever not?” she asked, blinking her eyes in confusion.

“Because I said so,” he responded. He produced a square of cloth and dropped it into the cup. Then his sure fingers wrung out the excess liquid, and he used the material to bathe part of her face, his touch more gentle than Victoria would have imagined.

“Use this on any skin that was exposed to the sun, including that leg you had peeping out from the slit in your skirt,” he said, his voice husky. “It will take out the sting.”

Before Victoria could respond, Jed got hastily to his feet and departed, leaving her to complete the task he had started.

B
y the time Jed stretched his long, muscular frame upon his bedroll later that night, he was in a much better state of mind than he had been all day. It wasn't going to be impossible to ignore Vicky, after all, he asserted, a satisfied grin seizing his mouth, and the taste of
zabeeb
lingering on his palate.

Of course, it would have been a whole sight easier if he had behaved himself to begin with. It had been outright foolish to go to the pool when she was bathing, and danged reckless to kiss her. But still, he had managed to survive the day without succumbing altogether, and for that he was thankful.

Oh, there might have been a few instances when he had been tempted to surrender. Despite his best intentions, he had not been able to resist touching her when he had brought her the remedy for sunburn. Yet, when he had caught himself becoming faintly aroused by what he was doing, he had been strong enough to walk away, no matter how much he had wanted to stay.

Dinner, too, had been a dangerous situation. Sitting there watching her pick at her food and glance up at him nervously had nearly prompted him to assure her that she had nothing to fear from him. But he had managed to hold his tongue and the meal had proceeded, a strained affair at best. As a result, the tension that had hung in the air became a wedge driving Vicky and him further apart, in spite of Ali's attempts to initiate conversation.

Afterward, when the cookware had been washed and stored away, it had been easy enough to keep himself distracted. There were chores to be seen to before their departure prior to dawn. And when Vicky had timidly come forward asking how she could help, he had assigned her jobs that would take her well away from him.

While it hadn't escaped his notice that Vicky had engaged in easy conversation with Ali, the pair sharing a laugh or two, he had happily been able to disregard it by concentrating on cleaning his pistol and the rifle usually slung from his saddle. He was to be commended for his restraint, Jed thought, even as he pushed the image of Victoria's fair head bent toward Ali's dark one from his mind.

Now, however, everyone had finally settled in for the night, Vicky's bedroll tactfully moved to the other side of the campfire. Consciously keeping his eyes on the stars overhead, Jed offered himself hearty if silent congratulations for replacing lust with caution.

He'd make a push to reach Cairo as quickly as Ali's injury would allow. Surely, if tonight was any indication, he'd have little trouble keeping Vicky at arm's length until then.

Contented, he shifted to his side so that it would be the sight of the desert that greeted him, and not Vicky, should he open his eyes. He was just drifting off to sleep, when soft movement in the middle of the camp sent adrenaline speeding through his body. Jed's senses came rapidly alert and his muscles tensed. Yet only silence followed. He had found himself in peril too many times in the past, however, to ignore the warning signal his sixth sense had sent him.

Casually rolling over, as though in sleep, Jed turned to the campfire, his fingers tightening on the pistol he kept beside him. Slowly, he opened one eye, his body prepared to react.

The sight he encountered shook him. Here he was poised to kill and the only figure visible in the dim glow of the campfire was Vicky Shaw.

What the blazes was the woman up to now? he wondered cantankerously until he saw her slight form shift to pull her blanket closer against the chill of the desert night. He swore he could even hear her teeth chatter as he lay watching her.

Tarnation! What had he just been telling himself about keeping the woman at a distance? It would appear his self-congratulations had been premature. Propping himself up on one elbow, he heaved a mighty sigh, silently cussing what he was about to do. But now that he had witnessed Vicky's distress, Jed found it impossible to turn his back on her.

“Come here,” he called begrudgingly. He raised a corner of his blanket and indicated an empty spot atop his bedroll.

It took Victoria a moment to adjust her eyes to the darkness beyond the campfire. But when their focus was complete, she understood why he had summoned her.

Trying to sort out her conflicting feelings, Victoria hesitated. Was Jed Kincaid offering her only the warmth of his body, or did he want her near for other reasons? It certainly had not taken much effort for him to elicit a response when he had kissed her. Could he be expecting such enthusiasm tonight, as well?

“The offer's not open all night,” he said, seeing her waver. “I need my sleep.”

All at once Victoria knew there was nothing lewd or suggestive in the invitation. It was a simple act of generosity. She moved to join him with a grateful nod of her head and crawled beneath the blanket he held aside for her.

“It's hard to fathom how a place so hot in the day can turn so cold at night,” she whispered. Not waiting for a reply, she fitted herself to Jed's hard, masculine length, not so much snuggling as huddling against him. Far from the disturbing sensations she had expected in being so intimately close to Jed Kincaid, Victoria discerned only his warmth as it slowly spread to her, that and a delicious feeling of security. Before she knew it, she had fallen contentedly to sleep.

Aware of the slow, even breathing of the woman next to him, Jed craned his head to look at her face, so peaceful now in slumber. Dang it all! he thought miserably, a deep frown creasing his face. It was going to be a damned difficult feat to keep Vicky at arm's length when she was curled up right alongside him.

* * *

“All right, Vicky, time to move out,” Jed ordered, shaking her awake in the pale gray light that presaged dawn.

It was evident that Jed had been up for a while. Most things were packed away and the horses were saddled, including her own. Victoria felt touched by his consideration until the swaggering American began to bully her and impersonally bark orders.

“Wash up if you want to, there'll be no oasis for us to stop at tonight. Shake out the bedding and roll it up, then water the horses,” Jed commanded. “After that, you'll find coffee near the embers of the campfire, and there's some dried fruit and bread, as well. I'll be busy with Ali. The fool thinks he can sit his horse today.”

Stalking away, Jed shook his head and muttered, his words quite audible in the stillness of the sandy wilderness. “As if I need him falling off and injuring his ugly hide again. How the hell does he expect me to drag him and some damned, pampered woman across the desert if that happens?”

As she splashed water over her face, Victoria found it hard to believe that the man who had kept her so mercifully warm last night could be so callously cold today. In the darkness he had shared the heat of his body, but with the dawn, it appeared he was willing to give her nothing. There was no attempt at friendship or even civility. Yet she couldn't blame him for his abruptness when she considered the responsibility he shouldered. Their lives depended upon Jed. For the first time Victoria felt as though she were a burden to him. The idea made her feel guilty, prompting her to do her share of the work and more. She put aside the mystery that was Jed Kincaid, knowing she had to concentrate on survival. After she returned to Cairo and he was gone, there would be plenty of time to think about Jed. But somehow such a realization seemed suddenly very sad rather than the comfort it was meant to be.

Appreciating the fullness of the
gallabiya
she wore and the freedom it gave her as she set about the tasks assigned her, Victoria envisioned no difficulty in wearing it for the remainder of the day.

Packing her clothing away, Victoria looked indecisively at the hideous and indecent slave outfit Zobeir had forced upon her. She might not want a reminder of her time in Khartoum, but she dared not leave behind any trace of their having been at the oasis. Quickly she buried the offensive garments beneath the sand, hoping to bury along with them all memories of her encounter with Zobeir.

Victoria had just finished her chores and had barely raised the coffee to her lips when she saw Jed helping Ali onto his mount, berating the Egyptian all the while.

“I said you could ride only if you agreed to
this,
” Jed insisted, fishing a thick rawhide strip from his own saddlebag.

“I will not be tied to my horse,” Ali objected.

“If you're not quiet, I'll end up gagging you, as well.”

“Why? Because I warned you to stay away from the woman?” Ali asked in a lowered voice that did very little to keep Victoria from hearing what he had to say. “I saw her sleeping beside you when I woke last night. She belongs to another man, Kincaid.”

“And just what were you doing looking to see where she was?” Jed wanted to know, obstinately refusing to defend himself.

“I would protect Miss Victoria with my life,” Ali proclaimed in a fierce whisper. “It matters not to me from whom.”

“Is that so?” Jed inquired, his voice casual but his eyes flashing dangerously. “Seems to me that's a mighty great length to go for a woman you just met.”

“You've known her hardly longer than I,” Ali asserted, “and see how possessively you behave. I remind you once more, the woman is Reed's.”

“He's welcome to her,” Jed said with a grunt, moving Ali's hands out of the way and deftly winding the leather thong around the Egyptian's waist, then tying it to the saddle horn. “There. That ought to keep you perched up there for a spell.”

“Such precautions are not necessary,” Ali repeated, clumsily trying to undo the knot Jed had fastened.

“It is unless you want to be strapped to the travois again,” Jed pronounced with a glower. “Now, leave that damn binding alone or I'll tie your hands to the saddle horn.

“Time to mount up, Vicky,” the American called before Ali could begin voicing his objections again. Swinging himself up effortlessly into his saddle, Jed glanced over his shoulder to make certain Victoria did as she was instructed, then led the way from the oasis without another word, his tall,
gallabiya-
clad form appearing as though it were fashioned for a life in the desert.

For the rest of the morning, Jed remained taciturn. On occasion he looked in Ali's direction to see how the shopkeeper fared as the morning heated up with brutal intensity. But he assiduously made sure his eyes never fell on Vicky. Having her beside him last night had taken its toll. The soft feminine feel and scent of her still lingered in his mind so that he had faced today with new resolve to have as little as possible to do with her.

After a few hours of pushing the horses as much as he dared, Jed glanced up to find the woman he was trying to forget pulling abreast of him, demanding his attention.

“I need some water,” she announced. She eyed him nervously even as the rasping of her voice supported the truth of her words.

Tarnation, Jed thought, his frustration escalating. Vicky was looking at him as if she expected him to jump all over her simply because she was thirsty. Not that he wouldn't like to pounce on her like some big cat on its prey, he admitted ruefully, but didn't she know by now that he would never hurt a little bit of a thing like her, no matter how he might sometimes roar?

Oh, he'd been willing enough to tease her and bait her when he had wanted to see her riled up. Now, however, everything had changed. If he didn't leave her alone, he'd chance a repeat of the urgent kiss he had given her yesterday. And if that occurred, he knew there was no telling where it might lead.

But for all his fine, monkish vows, Jed was well aware that the night still loomed ahead of him, when there would be no fuel to be found and thus no fire. Without that, they would be colder than they had been previously, and he knew what that portended. He almost groaned aloud at the prospect.

His face dark and brooding, Jed wordlessly handed Victoria a canteen as Ali rode up beside them. At least the Egyptian looked none the worse for his hours in the saddle, Jed noted. With a sidelong glance at Victoria, the envious American only wished this journey could prove as innocuous for him.

The rest of the morning proceeded without incident, the trio halting shortly after noon for a few hours' respite. Setting up a small canopy with the travois poles and a blanket, Jed noticed Victoria watering the horses and then setting out bread and dried apricots for a light luncheon. It was remarkable how a woman who had probably done nothing so physical as dress her own hair had suddenly become adept in the ways of the desert, Jed mused, until he realized that if he wanted to rest, all thoughts of Vicky would have to be banished. And sleep during this hottest part of the day would be essential, he knew, in light of the restlessness nighttime would bring.

His efforts had little result, however. Jed found himself far from refreshed when they set out again late in the afternoon, journeying until the purple haze of twilight began to color the desert's golden sands. Choosing a small indentation between two larger drifts, Jed signaled the others to stop. Again Victoria helped without being told, which caused Jed to wonder if she wanted as little contact with him as he did with her. Maybe he didn't have to worry about her seeking him out once the sun had completely disappeared.

After a simple dinner, Jed retrieved his precious supply of
zabeeb
and tried to pass it around, hoping Vicky would find the warmth it imparted preferable to last night's source of heat. But, with a shake of her blond head, she declined to try it.

So much for that, Jed thought miserably. He grabbed the bottle from Ali and brought it to his mouth, taking a long, deep swallow to fortify himself against what the darkness would force him to endure.

Yet when it was time to crawl beneath the blankets, Vicky went her own way, and Jed began to pray he might still be spared. Ali's soft snores soon rent the quiet of the night, and Jed reckoned that if the Egyptian was that exhausted, Vicky was probably more so. It could be that she had fallen into a sleep so deep the cold was no longer a problem for her. But just when Jed began to relax, he raised his eyes to find Vicky, blanket in hand, standing silently before him.