But she would never see him again. And that thought was starting to hurt. Because she couldn’t kid herself.
She’d stopped thinking of their marriage as a business arrangement long ago.
Yesterday, Kasimir had taught her how to ride a horse. Very patiently, until she lost her fear of the big animals’ teeth and sharp hooves, until she started to gain confidence. She was still a little sore from their ride that morning, traveling across the dunes to the nearest village, to bring medicine from Marrakech. As she and Kasimir galloped back together across the desert, his eyes had been as blue and bright as the wide Moroccan sky. She lost a new fragment of her heart every time he looked at her with that brilliant, boyish smile.
Just as he was looking at her now.
“Well?” His hand was still outstretched with utter confidence, as if he knew she would not be able to resist.
“Is it soft? Like powder?”
He laughed. “No. It’ll leave bruises.”
“Sounds fun,” she muttered.
“Do you want to try it or not?”
She swallowed, then looked at the boys zooming down the sand dune at incredible speed, on boards lightly strapped to their feet. Heard their roars of laughter and delight. Maybe it wasn’t hard. Maybe it was actually quite easy. All she had to do was make the choice.
Josie’s eyes narrowed. She was done being afraid—of anything. Done living a life smaller than her dreams.
Holding her breath, she put her hand in his own.
He pulled her close. “Good,” he said in a low voice. “Let’s do it. Right now.”
His face was inches from her own, and a tremble went through her that had nothing to do with fear. Every time Kasimir looked at her, every time he spoke to her, she felt her heart expand until she felt as if she was flying.
Let’s do it. Right now.
His grip on her hand tightened. Then he abruptly turned away, disappearing into a nearby tent. And she exhaled.
It had been torture sleeping next to him the last two nights. She’d been so aware of him beside her, it was a miracle she’d gotten any rest at all. Especially the first night, when they’d been talking so late into the darkness, and he’d told her he meant to pay for her land. She’d been so ecstatic that she’d thrown her arms around him. He’d held her so tightly, his eyes dark on hers, and for one moment, she’d thought, really thought, he might break his promise. And here was the really shocking thing…
She’d wanted him to.
Her lips had tingled as she’d waited breathlessly for him to lower his mouth savagely to hers and pull her hard against his body. She’d ached to stroke her hands down his hard, tanned chest, laced with dark hair. She’d yearned to feel his pure heat and fire. Her body still shook with the memory of how she’d wanted it. And looking at him, she’d known he felt the same.
But he’d hadn’t touched her.
When he’d abruptly turned away, she’d felt bereft—disappointed. Almost heartbroken.
Which made no sense at all. She admired commitment to promises, didn’t she? And while they’d been thrown together in a very intimate way, it wasn’t as if they had—or ever would have—a real marriage.
She needed to keep reminding herself of that.
Kasimir returned to the table outside the dining tent. He had two snowboards hefted over his shoulders as if they weighed nothing. “Let’s go.”
Smiling, and far lighter on her feet, she led the way to the top of the dune.
“Like being faster than me, huh?” he said, quirking his eyebrow.
She grinned. “Absolutely.”
“We’ll see.” He answered her with a wicked smile. “Sit down right here.”
Obediently, Josie plunked back on the warm sand in her cotton button-dow
n shirt and soft linen pants. As he knelt on the sand in front of her, in his form-fitting T-shirt and loose cargo shorts, she wondered how brave she could really be. He’d promised not to kiss her.