Free The Sheikh's Desert Bride (Qazhar Sheikhs series Book 8) by Cara Albany

she asked.
    Azim pointed south. "There's a tribal settlement just over the horizon on that direction. It belongs to a family with which my family has very close ties. They'll be welcoming. I can assure you, " he said giving her a reassuring grin.
    Lucy gazed up at the sun which was already starting to make its way toward the far horizon. "You reckon we'll have time?"
    Azim nodded. "No problem." He leaned closer to her. "You ready for a ride across the desert with me?" he asked. "Or, do you need to rest a while?"
    Lucy scowled at him. "What do think I am? My grandma?"
    Azim laughed. "I thought you'd say something like that," he said.
    She thought for a moment and then added: "Just let me take a drink of water, and then we'll be off."
    Azim nodded. "I'll give the horses a short break."
    Azim got down off his mount and set up a drink for the animal which eagerly started to drain the bag he placed across its mouth. Azim watched Lucy remain defiantly on her horse. She drank some of the water from her container.  
    She glanced back toward the mountain range. "I thought we'd never get out of that place," she observed.
    "It's a maze. You can get lost in there, if you're not too careful."
    Lucy smiled at him. "Just as well you have such a keen sense of direction. But, then again, why am I not surprised at that?"
    She was teasing him again, and he liked it. Maybe she was relieved to be out of the mountains. Perhaps she had been more concerned than he'd realized. He hadn't seen any sign of Jawad's men since they'd left the site of the rock carvings. He was relieved that the only thing thing he had to worry about now was keeping Lucy safe during the relatively short desert journey back to the city.  
    But, he'd already had a change of plans about. He hadn't told Lucy yet, but the shorter southward path he'd chosen to get out of the mountain range had opened up an entirely new option for them. One that made more sense than a longer trek westwards across the desert. He hadn't revealed that plan to Lucy yet, choosing to wait until they were heading out across the desert before telling her what he had in mind. He was sure she'd see the sense in it, once he'd revealed it to her.
    Azim walked over to Lucy and looked up at her. "Are you pleased with what you managed to get back there?" he asked.
    Lucy took one last sip from her water bottle and shrugged. "I'd loved to have spent more time. But, I got what I could, I guess." She looked down at him. "What about you?"
    Azim squinted at her. "What do you mean?"
    Lucy slid her bottle away into her pack and peered at him. "Doesn't what you saw back there give you something to think about?"
    "In what way?" he asked.
    "What's going to have to be done to keep places like that safe," she said.
    Azim frowned. "I know what needs to be done, Lucy."
    "I suppose you do," she replied sharply. "But, what's happened in the last twenty-four hours surely must have shown you how serious the problem is," she said.
    Was she lecturing him? The thought made something bristle inside himself.
    He leaned back and folded his arms. "Are you suggesting that my country doesn't take its heritage sites seriously?"
    Lucy shook her head. "Not at all. It just shouldn't need foreigners like me to come and document what's happening."
    Azim squinted at her. "You're much more than just another foreigner, Lucy. You know that, don't you."
    She shifted on her saddle, obviously uncomfortable with the way he'd personalized the conversation. He saw the color change on her cheeks and saw the thoughts flickering in her beautiful eyes.  
    "Sites like these are being destroyed all over this region," she said.
    "But not in my country," he said firmly.  
    "That still doesn't change the fact that I had to come here."
    "That was your own choice, Lucy. No-one forced you to do this," he said. He had to contain the irritation in his voice. The last thing he needed before they set out across the desert was an argument.
    Lucy leaned a hand on her