Authors: Shelley Munro
“You.” Gods help her, but she needed him.
“How do you need me? Tell me what you want
me to do.”
Eva bit her lip. No one had ever asked her
that before. They’d always taken…even Pryce. She stiffened and a flashflood of
guilt roared on the heels of this betrayal.
Saber licked her other nipple, lightly bit
it, but didn’t suck with the intensity of earlier. “You have to tell me, Eva. I
can’t read your mind.”
Lucky for her. She’d die of mortification
if anyone else saw the inside of her head, listened to her innermost thoughts.
“Eva.” The quiet insistence in his tone
told her he wouldn’t budge from his stance.
“I want you to suck my other breast.”
Suddenly she was glad of the lack of lighting. He wouldn’t see the blaze of
embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “And maybe you could touch me down there too.”
He barked out a laugh, sharp with a hint of
rust, as if he hadn’t had much to laugh about recently. “You want me to suck your
breast and tickle your feet?”
“No!” The word came out in an explosion of
air. “I want you to touch my pussy, finger my clit and stick your cock inside
me. I want you to fuck me and make this edgy feeling go away. It’s only fair
since you started it.”
“I can do that.” A definite growl.
He sucked her breast, and she felt his
sharp teeth marking her flesh. If anything, it made her hotter, more desperate
for him to fill the empty ache that was driving her insane. His hands wandered
her body, leaving heat and tingles in their wake. She jumped a little when
fingers slipped between her legs and slid across her wet folds. Eva shuddered.
Gamboling
griffins
, he excelled at this sex stuff. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt when he
shoved his thing inside her.
His fingers strummed her, and he seemed to
know the right spot to touch to ratchet up the achy need. He released her
nipple and lifted her body until she sat astride him.
“Lift up. Take me inside you.”
An order. A helpful order, because she’d
never done it this way before. Of course, living in the market she’d seen sex
in all its forms, but the actual
doing
was different from a visual.
Awkwardly, she rose on her knees then grasped his cock in her hands. He was
hard and hot and much larger than she recalled.
She fumbled, half expected harsh words or a
quick slap.
When neither scenario occurred, she gave in
to her curiosity and stroked his cock. She explored the hard length of him from
tip to root. A rumble sounded and she halted her petting.
“Keep going,” he ordered.
She repeated the move, discovered a bead of
moisture on his tip. The rumble reoccurred, and she realized it was a purr—his
way of indicating pleasure.
“Put me inside you.”
Eva directed his cock to her entrance and
sank down. His flesh pierced her an inch at a time, filling the gnawing ache
and replacing it with another one as he stretched her to the point of pain. His
large hands spanned her hips, lifted her body a fraction then filled her a little
more. His raised her again and forced her down, driving deeper into her flesh.
The sensation wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d expected, and after several slow
repeats, he filled her, balls-deep.
“Eva,” he whispered.
When she looked in his direction, she found
the cave had lightened slightly. She could see the outline of his face, the
flash of sharp white teeth. “Yes?”
“Start moving, kitten. Up and down. Take
what you want.”
“I thought you were going to fuck me?”
He chuckled, and she found her lips curving
into a smile. “I can’t do that on this stone floor. I’d rub a layer of skin off
your back. Wait until later today.”
“A shower and a soft sleep-bed.”
“Exactly,” he said after a brief pause. “My
hide is tougher than yours. Do your worst.”
Eva rose and sank, taking him back inside to
the root. She paused, sighed. Although he filled her to the point of pain, it
registered on the good side. She lifted, felt his hands band her hips again and
guide her into a faster pace. Threads of pleasure chased from her core, raced
across her skin. She’d felt the same phantoms before with Pryce, knew they’d
lead nowhere, but she was determined to enjoy them while they skated through
her body.
“Wriggle around to get the right angle,”
Saber said. “Touch yourself. It makes me hot when a woman goes after her
pleasure. Knows what she wants.”
Eva frowned, felt her brow crease in an
echo of her mouth. She wanted to follow the phantoms. She lifted up, still
guided by his hands at her hips, flexed her hips and changed the tilt of her
body.
This time his cock touched a sensitive
place deep inside her body. She groaned and repeated the motion.
Flying
friggin’ Finnian bats
!
Saber shuddered and the shiver reverberated
through her, hit that sweet spot deep inside. Her fingers slid down to trace
over the base of his cock. Her knuckle scraped across her own hot flesh and a
spasm shot through her cunt. She tightened around Saber’s cock. A tendril of
pleasure streaked down her legs to her toes, filled her with exhilaration.
She lifted and slammed down, combining the
move with the glide of her fingers over her damp flesh. The musky scent of sex
filled the air, while the sounds of fucking brought heat to her cheeks. She
repeated the quick shove, the prickles of heat and phantom feelings solidifying
into a mass of painful pleasure.
Hellfire and poxy whores
. She didn’t know whether to stop because it hurt or keep going in
case it got better.
Saber took the decision from her, his hips
thrusting upward repeatedly, his cock filling her with brutal intent. The
painful pressure intensified then exploded without warning.
Eva cried out as Saber plunged into her
hard and fast, man-grunts echoing off the cave walls while her flesh rippled
around his shaft, the spasms going on for long pleasurable seconds before trailing
off. Saber stilled, his hands bruising her hips, his head thrown back and his
eyes firmly closed.
Eva let her gaze run over the savage beauty
of his face and couldn’t regret giving in to his sexual allure. She’d never
felt this relaxed before.
Saber released his grip and tugged her down
until she sprawled on his chest. Their bodies were still connected but Eva
couldn’t summon the energy to move. Not even thoughts of his sexual history,
the vague curiosity about where he’d learned his skillful ways, plagued her
mind, which was surprising. The possibility of disease or pregnancy wasn’t a
worry either since every woman visiting the resort was required to have medical
shots and produce a certificate to prove their clean bill of health.
No, she could return to Dalcon secure in
the knowledge that only memories—good memories—would chase her from this casual
liaison.
“It’s lighter out. We should think about
moving,” Saber said, loath to move, but knowing they should.
“I guess.” Eva’s stomach complained in a
thunderous rumble. Embarrassing enough to heat her cheeks. “What are the
chances of finding something to eat?”
Saber hid his amusement. “Think positive.
We’re bound to find edible fruit on the trees.” He’d seen the odd fruit tree
yesterday, but wildlife had stripped them of their bounty. “I’m starving.”
“What’s your favorite food?”
“I enjoy a good juicy steak, on the rare
side.” A shifter’s favorite food involved anything with meat. She’d learn that
soon enough.
“What do you eat with the steak?”
“I prefer my steak to cover the plate,
which doesn’t leave room for green stuff. My mother says our ancestors ate
vegetables with their meat. She says if it’s good enough for them, we should
follow suit.” And he recalled the arguments around the dinner table. Vegetables
first then the meat. Happier times. Easier times. Times before the virus had
broken families, broken dreams, broken the future. Killed Lori.
He must’ve made a sound because Eva lifted
her head to stare at him. Her blue eyes looked sleepy, satiated, which pushed a
bolt of satisfaction through him. He’d pleased her and released the cork on his
own sexual frustration. Fuck, she’d almost blown his brains clear of his skull
with her throaty cries and sexy shudders.
“Are you afraid of your mother?”
It took long moments for him to realize she
was speaking to him, waiting for his reply. “Of course not. I respect her. She
and my father didn’t have much money when they married, yet my brothers, sister
and I never lacked for anything. We had an idyllic childhood.”
“My parents discarded me in the Dalcon
market.”
The hard note in her voice told him the act
had scarred her and she didn’t forgive easy, not that their actions were defensible.
Fuck, what kind of parents did that to their child—left them like a piece of
rubbish?
“Do you know who they were?”
“No, but only whores and thieves frequent
the marketplace and the surrounding slums during the night. Decent folks—the
traders—come out during the solar hours.”
Saber’s breath caught, but her stony expression
told him not to pry, despite his myriad questions. “I’m sorry. That can’t have
been an easy childhood.”
She was a mixture of contrasts, and he
wondered how she’d managed to stay so…untarnished.
Innocent. Yeah, that was the word he
wanted. She didn’t look as if her hard life had sucked the juice from her. His
mind skirted the fringes of the horrors that would have greeted her on a daily
basis—a life very different from his childhood, and the fun and freedom he’d
enjoyed. Lazy days of fishing with his brothers and cousins, having the run of
the countryside, rushing in and out of friends’ houses while his parents
worked.
He wanted to ask more questions, but her
rigid shoulders and tight lips didn’t encourage his pursuit of the subject. He
knew quite a bit about her, but he wanted to hear everything from
her
lips. “What do you do on Dalcon?”
“I run two successful restaurants, and I’m
looking to expand.” Her chin lifted in a show of pride.
“So you’re a good cook?”
She nodded. “I can do anything relating to
the restaurant. Cook, clean, serve customers. Everything.”
“A boss should know how to do the tasks he
asks his employees to perform.”
“Exactly.”
Her sharp reply held approval, and it made
him want to smile. Despite himself, despite his remorse over Lori’s death, he
wanted to please Eva. Would spend his life trying to please her if he could,
but he wasn’t stupid enough to tell her that. Now was the time to hook her
attention and play that line until she surrendered. He had privacy and few
distractions. The completion of the task was up to him.
“Let’s go.” Saber eased her to his side
then stood and extended a hand.
She winced as she straightened.
“You all right?”
“Sore muscles.” She glanced down her body,
seemed to catalogue her aches and pains. “I’m bruised.”
Saber inched closer. “You want me to kiss
them better?”
“I need medi-serum. I’ll get some at the
resort. It can’t be as far away as you think.”
“Let me see.”
He reached for her, but she slipped from
his grasp. “Bruises won’t kill me.”
Strong. Self-reliant. Smart.
Saber mentally cataloged everything he’d
learned about Eva. She was the type of woman they needed for their clan—a
worthy woman.
His woman.
Eva paused at the mouth of the cave,
scanned left and right then looked up through the gaps in the canopy. Hopefully
her clothes, or at least Saber’s shirt, would dry better now than they had in
the cave, because at present the fabric clung with uncomfortable clamminess.
The blue nightgown she’d discarded as next to useless.
She took two steps down a narrow path
before strong fingers banded her upper arm and dragged her to a stop.
“I’ll go first.” Saber brushed past her and
took point.
“Why?”
Saber halted and gestured with his hand.
“By all means. Take the lead, so I can watch your ass jiggle.”
Eva stalked past and tried not to touch the
infuriating man. She didn’t have a jiggly part on her body. In fact, Pryce used
to tease her and tell her to eat more, which reminded her she was hungry. Her
stomach gurgled in confirmation and she increased her pace, tried to forget
about the hulky cat-man who padded behind her.
Soon she became aware of another urgent
need.
“I need to…need to…”
“Go behind the bushes over there.” Saber
pointed. “But watch where you stand and squat. Some of the plants could cause
an allergic reaction if they come into contact with your skin.”
Eva hurried in the direction he’d
indicated, her cheeks burning at his matter-of-fact words. While on assignment,
Casey had said she often peed standing up. Some sort of invention that allowed
a woman to pee like a man. It was quicker, less embarrassing and didn’t involve
body parts coming anywhere near the ground. An advantage, Casey had said.
Eva hadn’t understood, but
holy Finnian
bats
, she did now. The moment she got to the resort, she intended to ask
her friend to acquire one for her. Eva hunted for a spot, checked for bugs and
hurriedly took care of business before rejoining Saber. He gave a courtly bow
and stood aside to let her pass.
Stupid males. Eva muttered under her breath
and stomped past, following the trail with ease. The walking was much easier
than it had been the previous day.
The squawks of birds arguing up ahead
slowed her steps until she saw they were of a regular size. They sat low in a
tree, feeding, and on a fruit she recognized. An edible fruit. Eva started
running, flapping her arms and shouting to scare them off.
The birds took off in a flash of scarlet
and black, their calls of protest even louder than before. Chattering in
agitated caws, they resettled on higher branches, their beady eyes measuring
her danger factor. A couple hopped closer, cocking their scarlet heads. Eva
jumped and seized the nearest piece of fruit. She sank her teeth into the
bright green flesh and savored the tangy juices running over her tongue.
“Wait.” Saber’s hand closed over her
shoulder. “How do you know it’s safe?”
“I use these on my restaurant menu. We
import them from the Tiraq mainland.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Oh!” Eva yanked away from him
and darted to the fallen fruit on the ground. “Yarrow worms! A delicacy.” She
plucked one from the partially eaten Yarrow fruit and gobbled it down, the
firm, meaty texture tainted with the flavor of the fruit that was the worm’s
main diet. “Diners pay a fortune for a meal of Yarrow worms. They’re seasonal,
but this season pickings have been slim.” She handed a plump, wriggling yellow
worm to Saber. “Have one. They’re very nutritious.”
Saber took it, his doubtful expression
echoing in his pretty eyes. He stared at the wriggling worm before biting down
with his sharp teeth and swallowing. “Not bad.”
“The fruit is good too.”
“We should pick some and keep moving.”
“What’s the hurry? We’ll stop for a meal.”
Saber shrugged and plucked several ripe
yarrow fruit off a tree. He discarded one that the birds had pecked and chose
several others, which he stuffed in his trews pockets.
Eva slapped at a bug and bit into a yarrow.
She tossed away the central stone and searched for another. A loud muffled
snort came from behind her, and she turned to glare at Saber. “What? You think
it’s funny that my ass is hanging out every time I move?”
“That wasn’t me.” Saber scanned the bushes
and lifted his nose to scent the air.
Eva shrugged and went back to picking
yarrow—until something burst from the undergrowth beside her.
Eva screamed and scrambled back. She caught
the gray of fur as she tripped and sprawled backward on her ass, smelled the
fetid scent of the creature as it came to an abrupt halt. Beady black eyes
stared at her. Then it charged.
“Watch out!” Saber shouted, seconds before
he scooped her off the ground. He thrust her up into the branches of a tree,
tossing her with easy strength. The yarrow she held in her hand went flying.
Eva gripped the limb and concentrated on not falling.
A second creature charged from the bushes,
heading straight for Saber.
“Saber!”
Horrified, she watched. The bulky creatures
ran on four feet and, she realized, had rough-looking bristles instead of fur
or hair. Wicked, curling tusks protruded from both sides of their jaws and they
squealed and grunted with each charge. Saber dodged one, stumbling when the
second caught his leg with its tusk.
Eva’s breath caught as Saber raised his
fist and punched the creature on its flat nose. A shrill squeal rent the air.
The creature shook its massive head then charged again. Saber was going to get
gored with those yellowed tusks. Her hand clapped over her mouth.
No. No!
But Saber jumped aside, one mighty tusk
just catching the fabric of his trews and ripped them up to his knee.
Fear clawed through her when the creatures
pawed the ground and ran at Saber from opposite directions. “Watch your back,
Saber!”
He jumped for the outstretched limb of a
tree and swung upward, placing all his weight on the branch seconds before the
animals reached him. They struck each other, full force in the face.
Admiration filled her when Saber swung from
branch to branch, avoiding the fighting creatures until he came to a rest on
the same tree limb where she perched.
“You’re bleeding,” Eva said, knowing if it
weren’t for Saber, she would’ve ended up trampled or gored by the creatures.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Once I shift to my
feline form I’ll heal.”
“Oh. Is that what you were doing
yesterday?”
“When you accused me of flashing?” Saber
winked and her breath caught in amazement.
Apart from Pryce, men had never paid
attention to her, not until she’d become a wealthy widow. Then they’d even
resorted to brute force in an attempt to become her husband. She forced the
horrid memories away, consigning them to the past where they belonged.
“Um, yes.”
“Shifters always heal better if they can
change to their other form. It’s something to do with the transformation.”
“Can all your family shift?”
“Yes, apart from my mother. Is that a
problem?”
“I don’t have difficulties with other
races,” Eva said.
“Good to know.”
“I can’t afford to alienate my customers.
We’re near a spaceport and our customer base comes from all over the galaxy.”
Below them, the creatures squabbled over
fallen yarrow fruit.
“How long do you think we’ll be trapped up
here?”
“As long as it takes,” Saber said.
Frustration sliced and diced Eva. “We’re
never going to get to civilization at this rate.” She’d worked so hard, and now
it seemed revenge was slipping from her grasp. “I need to get back home as soon
as possible.”
Saber cocked his head. “Why?”
“None of your business.” Eva shifted her
weight, trying to find a comfortable spot, and the branch creaked. She clutched
at her wooden perch, a gasp of panic escaping.
“Don’t move,” Saber said in a calm voice as
if he were discussing the weather patterns for the upcoming day.
A distinct crack sounded, and Eva let out a
squeak of terror, gripping the branch even harder. Beneath her the creatures
gobbled up the windfall of fruit while she swayed on the wobbly tree limb. “The
branch is going to break.”
“No, it will be fine. I’ll move to another
tree.” Like a youngster playing on a swing toy, he reached for the next branch
and swung over.
The branch made another ominous cracking
sound. Eva shifted to the left then overcorrected to the right. She felt
herself falling and shrieked at the top of her lungs. Her hands clung to the
branch and her shirt rode up, the cool breeze whistling over her bare ass.
“It’s all right, Eva. The pigs have
wandered off. You can drop.”
“Pigs? Is that what they were? How do you
know they’re not going to wander right back?”
Saber grasped her by the hips and helped
her down without making a comment about the shirt riding up. He did, however,
smooth his warm palm across one buttock as he set her on her feet.
“Stop trying to sneak a touch,” she
snapped.
“If you continue with your caterwauling,
you’ll attract their attention.”
Eva consciously lowered her voice, but it
still emerged with a hint of strident attitude. “You touched my bottom.”
“I could have left you dangling or let you
fall to the ground. I can put you back up there if it will make you feel any
better about the situation.”
“You think you’re funny. You’re not.” Eva
cast a cautious look in both directions and started down the narrow track. This
time she kept a wary eye on both the sky and ground, and she didn’t bother to
check to see if Saber had decided to follow in her chosen direction.
A tiny red creature darted across the path
in front of her, and Eva almost jumped out of her filthy socks. She patted her
chest and took a deep breath, hoping to regulate her heartbeat.
“I hate this planet,” she muttered. “Give
me a dirty market full of thieves and purse grabbers any day. At least I know
what to expect.”
The cat-man trotted past her in feline
form, and she glanced at his rear leg. He appeared fine, so obviously shifting
to heal the wound inflicted by the pig thing had worked. He looked a little
silly with his tied trews looped around his neck, but that was probably a wise
idea. He didn’t exactly have pockets.
The track led into a clearing and a narrow
valley lay before them. Beyond the valley, several mountains sat in a compact
group. Eva came to a halt and stared at the purple plumes of smoke coming from
the tops of the cone-shaped peaks. “Why are they smoking?”
Of course the black cat didn’t answer. He
continued moving down the path while she stared and attempted to puzzle out
this new mystery. The trees growing in the valley held a pink tinge on their
trunks and branches, which was an attractive contrast to the green of the
foliage.
Eva resumed her trek and noticed the valley
was alive with the calls of birds. The undergrowth on either side of the path
rustled suspiciously, and Eva increased her pace while trying not to think
about the horrors of the beasties inhabiting the bushes. She checked the path
ahead, fear crowding in on her when she realized she couldn’t see Saber. The
man might be annoying, he might even be in league with the Dearbhorgaills, for
all she knew, but at least he seemed to want to keep her safe for now. He was
her best chance of getting out of this mess in one piece.
Eva quickened her pace until she was
practically running. She burst around a bend in the path and came to a
screeching halt to avoid a collision with Saber. The cat let out a rumbling
purr, and Eva froze.
What now?
Why
has he stopped?
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, because
something
was
wrong. She could feel it in her bones. Her fingers curled
into his fur, and she found herself inching closer until her hip was pressed
against him.
He made another low sound deep in his
throat and rubbed his head against her arm, while Eva swung her gaze across the
path. Next, she swept the skies. If the big bird grabbed them again it could
drop them anywhere, even in the middle of the sea, which held the potential for
greater terror.
“I can’t see anything,” she whispered.
Saber made another low sound and pulled
away. He padded down the trail, and she realized he’d simply been waiting for
her. Warmth bloomed in the region of her chest. She could count on one hand the
number of times other people had worried about her well-being. Eva found
herself smiling, a smile so wide it hurt her mouth. She increased her pace to
catch him once more.
They stopped to pick and feast on several
different types of fruits and berries she recognized. Once her thirst and
hunger were appeased, her mind finally focused on her various aches and pains.
She could also smell herself, and it wasn’t pleasant.
Saber, now in his two-legged form, stopped
again. He grinned. “I think I can hear water,” he said. “This way.”
Eva followed him down the trail, her gaze
going to his tight butt, outlined nicely in his black trews. His upper half
remained bare and that drew her gaze too. She’d never known a male like him,
not one who continually drew her attention. He fascinated her, brought her
curiosity to the fore and made her want to ask dozens of questions—including
why he might have accepted money from the Dearbhorgaills to kidnap her.
Maybe she’d attempt a few casual questions
later tonight. They had to fill the hours of darkness somehow.
Memories of what they’d done this morning
heated her cheeks. She wouldn’t mind repeating that again either, although she
was sure it couldn’t be as spectacular as she remembered.
“There’s the water,” Saber said.
Eva had been so deep in thought and busy
staring at Saber, she hadn’t noticed the change in scenery. “What is that
smell?”
“I’m not sure,” Saber said. “There’s steam
coming off the water, so it must be some sort of hot spring due to the
volcanoes. It can’t be that hot though because there are birds swimming in the
water. On Earth, the hot springs smell of sulfur, but this is a different
scent. It’s almost floral.” He frowned and lifted his head, his nostrils
flaring. “It reminds me of the scent of lavender, a plant on Earth. My
grandmother used to grow it in her garden. She made oil from the flowers and used
the dried petals in soaps.”