Free Into the Wilderness: Blood of the Lamb (Book Two) by Mandy Hager Page B

something driven by such shared longing be a sin? She stepped in close to himand gently ran the palms of her hands along the muscles of his arm. His skin was so smooth, the fine hairs soft and downy as they rose in goosebumps at her touch. He grunted and pulled her to him again, crushing her with a kiss that left her in no doubt of his desire.
    She was lost now, unable to think rationally. She pressed up against him as his touch explored her inch by inch. Gave herself over to it, her own fingers spider-walking down his back until they traced the hard curve of his hips. As his hand brushed past the hair that guarded her most private place, her eyes shot open in surprise.
    There, over Joseph's shoulder, she saw a stark silhouette on the beach. Lazarus! Awake and watching.
    With a tormented cry she pulled away, splashing through the sea. She didn't even pause long enough to scoop up her clothes—just ran back to the shelter of the boat, leaving Joseph totally abandoned to the tide.

The night seemed to last forever as Maryam drifted in and out of tormented dreams. Father Joshua was there, and the baying congregation of Star of the Sea . And her father's voice was there as well, ringing in her ears when she awoke fully just after dawn: Take this faithless whore and cast her out. At the time his words seemed so unfair, yet now she feared her actions last night proved him right.
    How could she face Joseph now? She should have sought him out immediately, explained to him why she had run. Would he hate her? Would his love have died the instant she fled? With a heavy heart she forced herself to rise and seek him out. Maybe it was not too late.
    Already the birds had started up their din, squawking and creeling above the chirp of the crickets warming themselves in the first rays of the sun. Maryam poked her head out of the boat's shelter. Joseph's sleeping mat lay deserted beside the smouldering remains of the fire. There was no other sign of him at all. Lazarus was there, though, swimming confidently across the bay. She released a long and shaky breath. How on earth would she deal with him ? She had no doubt he'd use what he had seen the previous night to cause her pain. It was part of his make-up, plain as that—he could no more control his brutish nature than a snake or shark. Today, for sure, she'd be his prey.
    She climbed down from the boat and tossed a few more sticks onto the fire to stoke it back to life. The smoke helped drive away the army of biting insects that swarmed around—alreadyher arms and legs were covered with inflamed itchy spots where they had bitten during the night. She peeled a pawpaw and ate it quickly, trying to soothe the terrible knot in her stomach each time she thought of Joseph.
    Lazarus swam in to land some distance from her, and she turned her eyes away as he rose from the sea. A picture of Joseph in all his aroused glory flashed through her mind, and a stabbing ache ran through her. Where was he? But now Lazarus came striding up the beach towards her, wearing only shorts, his sleeping mat and shirt tucked under his arm. She could feel a blush roaring up her neck to consume her face, so busied herself by tidying the campsite, hauling Joseph's sleeping mat onto the deck of the boat and returning with a metal pot in which to heat some water to brew up a potion of te buka leaves that would stop her insect bites from festering. It would be good for her grazes too. Dear Mother Evodia had long ago taught her all about its special qualities for staving off infection in the humid heat.
    Lazarus had stopped a short way off, and was staring intently at the hard-baked sand. He glared over at Maryam and, seeing she was watching, beckoned her over.
    â€œI think you'd better come see this,” he called, his voice dripping suppressed rage.
    She ran over to him, not brave enough to meet his eye, but scanning the ground to see what it was that held him there. As she approached, she saw something had