Captive Bride

Chapter Seven

DAMN but Christina could be a bitch when shewanted to, Philip thought. Well, her day would come, and he would take great pleasure in making her admit her desire for him.

Late as it was, Philip left the tent to visit Sheik Yasir Alhamar, his father, for he knew the old man would be waiting for him.

Yasir Alhamar had been sheik of the tribe for over thirty-five years. He had captured his first wife, an English lady of noble family, while raiding a caravan. She lived with Yasir for five years, giving him two sons, Philip and Paul.

During those days, the tribe lived a nomadic life on the desert, and the climate and hard life aged Philip's mother quickly. She begged to go home to England with her sons.

Yasir loved her very much and let her go. But she promised him to let his sons return to Egypt when they came of age, if they chose.

Philip was raised and schooled in England. When he was twenty-one years of age, his mother told him about his father. Philip decided to find Yasir and live with him. When Philip's mother died five years ago, he inherited the estate. He left it in the care of the Caxtons' estate manager, since he didn't want to live in England and his brother was still in school.

Philip lived with his father's tribe eleven years, but finally went back to England a year ago to attend his brother's wedding. Paul had talked him into staying for a while. Then he met Christina Wakefield, and decided to make her his.

Philip had followed Christina and John Wakefield to the dock and waited patiently until their ship departed. It was sheer luck that he managed to obtain passage on a cargo ship. He left the same day, but docked a week before Christina's ship.

When he arrived, he contacted Saadi and Ahmad, and had them bring his horse, Victory, to meet him in Cairo. Saadi and Ahmad were good comrades; they were also distant cousins of his. The whole tribe was distantly related to him.

Philip had a half-brother here who was eight years younger than he. But they didn't get along too well. He could understand why, since Rashid would have become head of the tribe if Philip had stayed in England.

Yasir Alhamar was sitting up on the sheepskins that served as his bed. He still lived the traditional nomadic way, with little furniture and few comforts. Philip could remember how his father had laughed at him when he carted his bed and furniture up to the hillside encampment.

"So, you are still an Englishman, Abu. I had thought you would be used to sleeping and eating on the ground after so long," Yasir had said.

"At least I stole the items, father," Philip had returned.

"Ah, so there is still some hope left for you," Yasir had replied, laughing.

When Yasir saw Philip, he motioned him to enter and sit down beside him. "It has been a long time, my son. I have been told of the woman you brought into camp tonight. Is she your woman?"

"She will be, father. I first saw her in London and knew that I had to have her. I arranged for her brother to be sent here, and now she is mine. She fights me now, but it will not take too long to tame her."

Yasir laughed. "You are truly my son. You have stolen your woman, just as I stole your mother. Your mother also fought me in the beginning, but I believe she grew to love me as I did her, for she married me. Perhaps if we had lived in the mountains then, she would have stayed with me, but she couldn't survive in the desert climate. I would have gone with her, but I have lived all my life here, and I could not survive in your civilized England," he said. "Perhaps you will give me grandchildren before I die."

"Perhaps, father, we shall see. I will bring her to you tomorrow, but now I must return."

His father nodded, and Philip went back to his tent. He entered to find a meal awaiting him, and sat down to eat and muse over the girl sleeping in his bed.

He wouldn't be able to wait very long to have her, with her now-constant nearness. It had been too long since he had bedded a woman, and Christina's body was driving him crazy. He remembered her breasts, full under his caress; her tiny waist and slim smooth hips; her long legs, perfectly formed; her skin like satin; her hair—he could lose himself in that golden mass of curls.

Christina's eyes fascinated him. They had turned a dark, stormy blue when she discovered it was he who had abducted her. He had waited a long time to see that reaction. He laughed again as he remembered the shock on her face that had quickly turned to anger.

Well, perhaps he would give her a little time to get used to her new home, but not too much time. Tomorrow would do.

He undressed and gently eased his way into the bed. Christina was curled into a ball with her back to him. Philip considered undressing her, but that would only wake her and he was too tired to suffer her rage. He smiled when he thought of her reaction when she found him in bed beside her in the morning. Well, at least Christina was here beside him, even if it was against her will. She would have to accept the situation eventually. Philip closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.