Shapeling Trilogy Book One: Roth (Sample Sunday #5)

Excerpt:

Roth could feel Rainey’s head lolling against his back. Her hands had gone slack and he held both of them in one of his against his stomach to keep her upright on the camel. He’d actually felt bad about springing their caravan travel on her. However, she'd left him no other option. If he’d told her beforehand, he would have had a spitfire on his hands. Roth smiled. For all her primness in dress, she was definitely a fiery woman. When his thoughts turned to the implications of that, he quickly suppressed them. He would not allow free reign to his imagination with her tightly tucked against his body.

They had been traveling for about two hours. Although hot, it was not dangerously so because of the spring season. Tahnoon halted his camel and their caravan began dismounting. When Roth’s camel bowed to the ground, the movement jarred Rainey awake.

"Wh-what’s happening?" She clutched his waist again.

"We’re stopping to drink and rest." He dismounted and reached to lift her. She didn't fight him.

"Ouch," she said.

He held her arms to steady her. She glared at him and jerked away. Her action sent her unstable body pitching backward. He caught her by the waist before she landed on her rear in the hot sand. The veil covering her face slipped and one eye peeked through.

Reaching for the burqa, she jerked it off and said, "It’s hot as a frying pan out here!" She pushed his hands away from her waist and reached to lift the dress over her head.

"Don’t," Roth warned, and grabbed her hands to stop her. "The dress is protection. And even though you’re wearing street clothes underneath, it would be vulgar to remove it in the midst of these men. I’ll give you some water to drink and bathe your face. Then put the burqa back on."

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