If only they hadn’t put him on her side of the bed! Granted, it was nearer to the door, but his head rested on her favorite pillow, and she wasn’t about to risk waking him up by switching them. Sighing with resignation, she went around to the far side, pulled back the sheets, and got in bed with a man for the first time in her life.
As she flipped the sheet up over him, his body heat flowed back toward her in waves, his scent carried along with the warmth. Tempered with the fragrance of horse—a smell Sara had always found pleasing—Jerden’s own unique aroma was nothing short of delightful. Simply breathing it in calmed her nerves and allowed her heartbeat to return to a normal rate. Hair as black and shining as the stallion’s mane lay on the pillow and she reached out to touch it without a second thought. Softer by far than the mane of any horse, the texture of his tresses drew her to him like forbidden fruit.
With her next breath, her heart filled with pain, for that was what he was.
Forbidden.
And if not technically forbidden, he was certainly not something she was entitled to, or ever would be. The thought of what might happen when he
did
wake up sent chills running down between her shoulder blades. It was wrong of her to touch him in such a manner when he lay sick and helpless. He’d asked for her assistance, nothing more.
Tears dampened her pillow, frustrating her further. She
never
cried. What was it about him, simply lying there asleep, that dragged so many different emotions from her? This was foolish, pointless behavior. She needed to be monitoring his condition, not weeping over him. Taking his wrist, she felt for a pulse. It was faint and slow, just as Vladen said it would be, and he drew in one shallow breath for every four she took herself. She reminded herself that he’d only come to her because he was riding her horse and she was his nearest neighbor.
Proximity.
That was the only reason he was there. His presence in her house didn’t mean anything else.
She couldn’t explain why she thought it
should
mean anything more. Perhaps this was why Zetithians had nearly been exterminated; they made you covet things you had no business wanting in the first place. After all, a woman had been killed to enable another to get closer to this man. He was a dangerous brew—intoxicating, deadly, and probably addicting. Sara was a fool to keep him there in her bed and decided to send him away as soon as possible. Bonnie could look after him far better than she could, and if she couldn’t do it, Salan would take him in a heartbeat.
Poor Salan. She’d been bitten by the Zetithian bug long before Lynx had come to work for Bonnie. She’d fallen for Leo Banadänsk, the golden-haired husband of the Mordrial/Terran witch, Tisana, who traveled together with Cat and Jack Tshevnoe and their families aboard the starship
Jolly
Roger
. Now, with more Zetithians to choose from than ever, Salan had renewed hope, but her blatant attempts at seduction had made her something of a joke within the Zetithian community. Not that they would ever openly laugh at her. They were too polite and kind, just as Jerden would be if he weren’t drowning in grief.
Sara could imagine his smile, could almost hear him purring. No, she knew better than to think he would ever be interested in her. Men seldom were, and she was okay with that now. A lifetime of being the maiden aunt wasn’t so bad. She had her own life. In another place and time, she would have been looked down upon, even ridiculed for being a spinster. But this was not that time, nor was this society one in which she would be good for nothing except as a governess to someone else’s children. She would leave Jerden for another woman to heal with her love, and she would stick with her horses. She had all but lost a horse to him already. She wasn’t about to hand over her heart.
The big cat let out a loud purr and then fell silent, apparently trusting Sara enough to sleep.
Wish
I
felt
that
way.
Closing her eyes, she tried to forget about Jerden and his leopard, but with every cell in her body screaming at her to get closer to him, he was impossible to ignore. And what difference would it make? She could snuggle up next to him and he would never know. Vladen had even told her to do it.
Jerden had lain with a thousand different women. What was one more? Lifting his arm out of the way, she crawled up beside him and laid her head on his shoulder, her own arm draped across his chest. She held her breath, waiting for him to stir, but he never moved. At last, she inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with his scent as her arms absorbed his warmth. The heartache she felt was fleeting this time, rapidly giving way to a deep, overriding sense of contentment and belonging.
None of these feelings made any sense to Sara, but as she drifted off to sleep, she knew one thing for certain. It wouldn’t last, and when Jerden awoke from his healing slumber, he wouldn’t remember any of it, nor would he wish to. He wanted nothing from her except Danuban, and if she were to sell the horse to him, he might never darken her door again.
In any event, she wouldn’t agree to the sale without the stipulation that she could still breed her mares to Danuban. Perhaps when he recovered from this illness of his, Jerden might even be more… friendly.
Yeah, right. And pigs might fly.
Sara didn’t have time to appreciate the finer points of waking up next to a handsome man because she awoke to find the big black cat staring back at her with its huge yellow eyes. “I suppose you’re hungry. Guess I’d better feed you something before you decide to eat me, huh?”
She had no idea what Jerden had been feeding the leopard, but it must’ve been enough because, despite the fact that some of the local cattle breeders had reported calves being killed, Sara had never lost a single foal. It must not have bothered his collection of cats and dogs, either. Unfortunately, Sara didn’t have enough raw meat in the house to keep a cat that size happy for long.
Lynx had been delivering supplies to Jerden for some time now, so he would probably know what Jerden fed the big cat—that is, if she could get to her comlink to call him. After assuring herself that Jerden still had a pulse, she inched her way out from under the covers on the opposite side of the bed. Unfortunately, the cat was between her and the door. She reminded herself that the leopard hadn’t tried to attack her the night before, though it
had
growled at her.
Don’t act like a prey animal, Sara.
The cat’s gaze never wavered as she drew herself up and walked purposefully around the end of the bed. “Just sit still. I’ll be right back.”
The leopard replied with a yawn, which Sara took as a good sign. She made it to the comlink unscathed, but it was Bonnie’s daughter, Ulla, who answered the call. “Mom and Dad are out working,” she reported. “I’m fixing breakfast for the little ones.”
Which was quite a job, seeing as how Bonnie and Lynx had seven children. At eleven, Shaulla was the eldest, with two younger sets of triplets, aged four and nine. “I’ve got a similar problem. Any idea what Jerden has been feeding his leopard?”
“Cat food,” Ulla replied promptly.
“Really? How many tons does it eat in a week?”
Ulla shrugged. “I don’t know, but he gives her a big bowl full of it at least once a day. I’ve seen him do it.”
“Wait a minute. You’ve
seen
him?”
“Yeah. He gives her fresh meat sometimes too.”
Sara scratched her head. Apparently Ulla had been over to Jerden’s place more than she would’ve thought. “Do you mean to say you’ve been
visiting
him? He doesn’t strike me as the type to want company.”
Ulla grinned, her Vessonian forehead ridges crinkling as she brushed back a lock of long, blond hair from her face. “I never said he knew I was there.”
“Ah. Sneaky little woman, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am,” Ulla said, laughing. “Can’t help it. It’s the Treslanti in me.” Her expression sobered. “I know I should’ve told Mom about the horse sooner, but I liked watching him ride it too much.”
“Well, I certainly can’t blame you for that. It’s pretty amazing.”
“Wish I could ride like he does,” Ulla said wistfully.
“You’re improving,” Sara said. “Speaking of which, I still haven’t gotten word on the Welsh ponies. Guess you’ll just have to keep taking your riding lessons on Akira. The way things are going, by the time those ponies get here, you’ll have outgrown them.”
Ulla nodded. “The older trips can still ride them, though. Brie and Jean are dying to have their own ponies. Trent’s more into speeders.”
“Typical boy,” Sara agreed.
“Who is that?” One of the younger girls climbed up beside Ulla and stuck her face right up against the viewscreen. A huge smile revealed her fangs as she waved excitedly. “Hi, Sara!”
“Hello, Karsyn,” Sara said, waving back. “Are you being a good girl?”
Karsyn made a face as Ulla tugged her ponytail. With her white-blond hair and Zetithian features, Karsyn looked like a cross between an elf and a Persian kitten. Folding her arms, she gave Sara a firm nod. “Yes, I’m good.”
“Oh, she’s good, all right.” Ulla snickered. “You should have seen her dance recital last night. She was the star of the show. Danced all over the stage. Of course, she wasn’t
supposed
to do that.”
“See my shoes?” Karsyn asked, holding up a ballet-slippered foot.
“Yes, and they’re quite lovely,” Sara replied.
“I’m a great dancer,” Karsyn confided. “Daddy says I’m the best Zetithian ballerina in the whole world!”
Ulla rolled her eyes. “More like the
only
Zetithian ballerina in the world.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Karsyn insisted. “I’m still the best.”
Ulla lifted Karsyn from the table and shooed her away. “You never did say why you’re feeding Jerden’s leopard.”
“No, I didn’t.” Sara gave Ulla a brief rundown of the events of the previous night. “Vladen says he’ll be okay, but I’m not convinced. Anyway, the leopard was with him, and now it’s sitting there next to the bed looking really hungry. I’ve never had to feed a carnivore of that size before, and I’ll admit I’m a little unnerved by it.” The leopard wasn’t the only reason she felt nervous, but Sara didn’t think it was a good idea to mention the part about having slept next to a naked Zetithian man, no matter how mature for her age Ulla might be.
“She’s very tame,” Ulla said. “I’ve never seen her chase his other pets, and she’s never come after me, either. Jerden calls her Cria.”
“Thanks. That helps a lot, though I may have to make a run over to his place to get more food. I doubt if I have enough here for more than a snack. I probably ought to feed the rest of his menagerie while I’m there.”
“I can do it,” Ulla offered. “I’ll go over there before my riding lesson. They, um, sort of know me.”
Sara chuckled. “Even when you aren’t invisible?”
“Even then,” Ulla replied. “Before he had the horse, Jerden went out running a lot. I’d watch him leave and then play with the dogs for a while. I don’t think he realizes it, but I also clean his house sometimes.”
“Does your mother know you’re doing that? She didn’t say a word to me about it. In fact, she said she should encourage you kids to pester him more.”
Ulla’s gaze faltered slightly. “Well… not exactly. I mean, she knows I’ve been over there
some.
She was kinda worried about him at first and said someone ought to check on him every day. Since I can disappear, I knew I could do it without him knowing. He’s always seemed okay to me, and I probably don’t need to go there anymore, but—well, maybe I do. You say he’s sick?”
Sara blew out a pent-up breath. “I don’t know
what’s
wrong with him, but he was definitely feverish and now he’s unconscious. Of course, you probably know all about how sick Zetithians behave.”
“Yeah. They just conk out for a while. It’s usually only for a couple of hours, but sometimes it’s a couple of days. You get used to it eventually.”
Sara wasn’t so sure about that. Going into a coma whenever you caught the flu seemed a bit excessive. Still, it had suffering through chills and fever while you were awake beaten hands down.
After thanking Ulla for her help, she terminated the link and went back to the bedroom with a mixing bowl full of the dry food she normally fed to her own cats. Jerden still hadn’t moved and neither had the leopard. She shook the bowl enticingly. “Here you go, Cria. Want to eat this outside?”
The big cat ignored her. Sara was about to call her again, but somehow saying “Here, kitty, kitty, kitty” seemed a little ridiculous. Stepping closer, she set down the bowl. Cria gave it a brief sniff and looked away.
“I sure hope you’re housebroken,” Sara muttered. “I do
not
want to have to clean up after you.”
Cria got up suddenly, but instead of eating anything, she simply stalked around to the other side of the bed and leaped onto it. Settling down next to Jerden, she began licking his arm.
“Oh,
great.”
Sara had her cats conditioned to stop what they were doing whenever she snapped her fingers. She doubted Cria would respond the same way, but figured it was worth a try.
Cria ignored that, too.
The use of force was out of the question, but how did
anyone
get a leopard off their bed that clearly wanted to stay put?
“You don’t,” she muttered, answering her own question. “Well, the food’s here if you want it, Cria. Guess I’ll have to leave a door open so you can get out if you want. Something tells me the litter box in the bathroom would be woefully inadequate.”
Not wanting the cat to think she was on the run, she left the room with careful nonchalance and went out to the kitchen. When she opened the back door, Jerden’s other pets—at least a dozen cats and dogs—marched inside.
“What the hell?” Her next thought was that Ulla would be wasting her time going over to Jerden’s place to feed them. “Guess I’d better call her back,” she said as the entire menagerie trotted by, a tiny Yorkshire terrier leading the way.
When the last cat—a long-haired, bobtailed calico—had entered, Sara followed them to the bedroom, only to stop at the threshold in stunned silence.
Vladen might have called each of the animals and told them the same thing he’d told her. The cats were already settling themselves on top of Jerden and the dogs were curled up all around him, except where Cria lay stretched out next to his left side. Sara was about to protest this invasion when she heard a soft nicker outside the window.
Stepping carefully around the bed, she rolled up the shade to find Danuban staring back at her. “Oh, you have
got
to be kidding me!”
The stallion snorted and tossed his head.
“You are
not
coming in my house!”
Danuban nudged the glass. Rolling her eyes, Sara unlatched the casement and allowed it to swing open. The big horse was tall enough that his head fit perfectly through the window and his subsequent neigh could’ve awakened the dead. Jerden didn’t move a muscle.
“Okay, I give up.” Shaking her head, she gave Danuban a pat on the nose and then went out to the kitchen to fix breakfast for the crew. “Just hope he doesn’t start drawing enocks.” Bonnie and Lynx might’ve made a lot of money raising the large, flightless birds, but though their eggs were delicious, the birds themselves were extremely vicious. Having a horse in the house was infinitely preferable.
She was whipping up a batch of pancake batter when Drania came in. “So how’s Jerden this morning?”
Sara nodded toward the bedroom. “See for yourself.”
Drania followed Sara’s nod, moving with her odd, chimp-like gait. Sara gave it a few moments and followed, still stirring the batter. If she’d thought the animals draped all over Jerden would have freaked the Rutaran out, she’d have been wrong. Drania was standing next to the bed, combing her long fingers through his hair.
She glanced up as Sara entered. “Even zoned out, he is one fine hunk of a man.”
Cria let out a loud purr, almost as though voicing her agreement while Drania resumed gazing at him, tracing the line of his brow with her fingertips.
“Yes, I suppose he is.”
Drania sighed and turned away from him. “It’s not fair. Here you’ve got something like
that
in your bed, and that’s the best you can say about him?”
Sara shrugged. “I can’t help it. I mean, I can
see
that he’s a perfect specimen, but…” She stopped there, shaking her head. “He does
smell
nice, and his hair is beautiful, but I—”
“Don’t like men, do you?”
The pang near her heart almost made her gasp, but she managed to control her reaction. “It’s not that, I just—”
“Prefer women?”
“No.” Sara didn’t know what to say, or even how to explain it. Throwing the mixing bowl across the room seemed a more viable option. She controlled that impulse, too. “I—never mind. It doesn’t matter anyway.” She turned and went back to the kitchen.
No, it didn’t matter.
So, why am I feeling like this?
Sara couldn’t explain that, either. Her vision clouded with tears as she poured the batter onto the griddle. Thankfully, this was an action she could perform in her sleep. Her stable hands
always
wanted pancakes—never eggs or bacon or toast or cereal—and with enough syrup to drown a rat.
At
least
they
all
like
the
same
things.
Zatlen and Reutal came in just as she was setting the last plate on the table.
Reutal took a seat and inhaled deeply. “Ah! Smells wonderful.” He glanced toward the bedroom. “Is the cat coming to breakfast?”
Sara rolled her eyes. “Which one? There must be at least six of them.”
“Eight if you include Jerden,” Drania said as she climbed onto a chair.
“He’s the one I meant,” Reutal said with a snicker. “Have a nice time with him last night, Sara?”
“He’s still asleep,” Drania said. Her tone was neutral, but her expression was wickedly suggestive.
The Norludian licked his lips lasciviously. “Ah, wore him out, did you?”
“He’s
asleep
,” Sara said firmly. “As in comatose—or whatever you call it when a Zetithian conks out like that.”
Reutal grinned. “
Sure
he is. That’s what they
all
say.”
“It must’ve taken you all night to come up with that one.” Sara had never given Reutal many opportunities to needle her on sexual matters before. If that was the best he could do, he was clearly out of practice. “Just because he’s in my bed doesn’t mean I did anything with him besides sleep.”
Reutal shrugged and picked up the syrup bottle. “Your loss.”
Sara stared at the syrup cascading over his stack of pancakes as she tried to sort out exactly what he’d meant by that remark. Was he actually encouraging her to…
consort
with Jerden?
After dabbing a suckered fingertip in the sticky sweetness, he licked his finger. “Just one taste of
his
syrup will give you the best orgasm of your life.”
If Jerden gave her any kind of orgasm at all, it would be the best, by virtue of the fact that it would be the first. She couldn’t very well admit that to Reutal, however. He’d never let
that
subject drop. “So I’ve heard.” She was about to move on to the plans for the day when Reutal opened his mouth to speak. It was time to set him straight. “I’ve also heard that he’s still mourning that Audrey woman’s death. He’s not going to respond to anyone—at least, not for a while.”