On a Barbarian World (11 page)

“This is amazing,” she said.

“You have the soul of a warrior…although you would need much more training.”

She laughed. “Wow, great praise.”

Actually, having him at her back, surrounding her, was damned distracting. The feel of him, all hot and hard, made her wonder again why she didn’t just drag him back to his rooms and get him naked. Sure, she wasn’t going to be here long…but that wouldn’t stop them from enjoying each other for a short time.

She swallowed and lowered the sword, the tip touching the dirt. Sex was fun. A good time filled with pleasure and a few laughs.

Kavon’s touch was a hundred steps beyond fun. What she felt when she looked at his body was so far from enjoyment…it was deep and intense.

Something warned her that after a night with Kavon, she wouldn’t walk away unscathed. She felt the tug of the connection between them. He was a risk. The kind of risk she’d always avoided. Something told her this big warrior had the potential to shatter her soul, and she’d grown up vowing to never, ever let a man do that to her.

“Warlord!”

The shout made all the warriors in the ring pause, tensed and ready. A man was running toward them, waving his arms.

“Drog has attacked the village!”

The warriors moved as one, bristling, lifting their swords.

Kavon stepped away from Aurina. “Darroch, please see Aurina back to my rooms.”

“I’m coming with you,” Aurina said.

“No.” His face turned dark.

“I can help—”

“No.” He was already turning away and shouting orders at his warriors.

She grabbed his arm. “Kavon, you can’t order me around like one of your—”

He spun so fast, she gasped. A second later, he grabbed her, and her world turned upside down. A hard shoulder dug into her belly and a big hand slapped over her butt.

Oh, my God
. He’d tossed her over his shoulder.

“Colm, take the men to the village. I want Drog’s men dead or captured.”

“Yes, Kavon.”

As Kavon strode into the house, Aurina hammered at his back. “Kavon, I have a weapon. One that could defeat Drog’s men easily, with no loss of life—”

“Be quiet.”

She smacked his back again. “I can help.”

“My warriors know what they are doing. It is our way. And I will keep you safe, even if you are determined to throw yourself into danger.”

Suddenly the world tilted again, and he set her on her feet. She blinked. They were back in Kavon’s rooms.

“Stay,” he ordered, his face looking scary.

She opened her mouth to blast him, but he strode out and slammed the door closed.

With a frustrated scream, she grabbed the door handle…just as she heard a loud click.

She rattled the handle. He’d locked her in.

“Kavon!”

But there was no response.

Fuming mad, Aurina spun. The damn barbarian had it in his thick skull she was some damsel in need of protection. He wasn’t half the man she thought, if he refused to see her as anything but a pretty ornament to decorate his bed.

She strode to the balcony. Maybe she could see the village from there.

But as she pushed through the gauzy curtains and stared out, all she could see was a stunning view of the Wilds and the mountains in the distance.

Dammit
. She thrust her hands on her hips, then her gaze fell on a narrow ledge leading from the balcony and running across the stone wall of the house until it met a set of outside steps leading down to the ground.

Aurina smiled. She hurried back inside to the large armchair and snatched up the cushion. She grabbed the laser stunner and her star crystal, tucked them into her pocket, and moved back to the balcony. She lifted one leg over the balcony railing and looked down. They weren’t too far up, but a fall would hurt.

It would probably be wise not to fall.

Chapter Seven

Kavon ran his sword through one enemy warrior before stepping, turning, and swinging at another barreling at him.

Drog’s men were big, dogged fighters, who fought at the edge of honor. They had no compunction about using sneaky tactics. Each one of them had a black snake tattoo twining around their left arms—Drog’s symbol.

Kavon’s men were slowly working through them. Nearby, Kavon spied a few bodies of villagers on the ground—covered in blood and not moving.

Damn Drog. This was all a ploy to draw Aurina out, and find out who she was, and what she looked like. The warlord was, of course, not with his men. No, he sent them here alone, so if Kavon complained to the King, Drog would disown them and claim no knowledge of their actions.

The man was a coward in every way.

Kavon’s sword clashed against another. He pushed hard, putting all his weight behind his weapon. The other warrior staggered backward. Kavon finished him off with one clean thrust of Tanir.

He turned, just in time to see Kian battling a giant of a man. The larger warrior turned slightly and Kavon saw it was Zaltoh.
By the Warrior’s fist
. Zaltoh was slowly pushing the younger warrior backward…right toward one of Drog’s men, who was hidden beside some crates. Waiting with his blade drawn.

No!
Kavon strode forward, but two more of Drog’s men surged into his path, swords raised.
Curses
. He wouldn’t make it in time to save Kian. He fought harder, calling on every ounce of strength from his nanami, his hearts beating hard.

Then he saw a flash of something bright whizzing through the air.

The man behind Kian cried out, and fell to the ground clutching his chest.

There was movement near Kian, and Kavon watched Aurina leap over a small stone wall, something small and metallic clutched in her hand and held out in front of her.

His heart stopped.
Damn her
. He watched her drop to one knee, swivel, and more of the orange lightning shot out at Zaltoh.

The man’s sword dropped, his stunned gaze met Kavon’s, then he fell to the dirt.

Aurina raced over to the shocked Kian, then she spun and took aim at the last few attackers.

But they were already retreating…and staring at Aurina with wide eyes. Drinking in every damn detail of her.

“Stop them escaping!” Kavon bellowed.

His men turned and gave pursuit.

Kavon strode toward Aurina, and every step fueled his growing fury. He grabbed her arms, breathing deeply to hold back words he knew he’d regret when rage was no longer riding him. He felt like a young, untried warrior again, battling his overwhelming emotions.

Aurina looked up and was smiling. But when she got a good look at him, her smile withered. “Kav—”

“Be silent.” He snatched up her strange weapon, grabbed her arm and spotted a few villagers coming out of hiding. “Kian, are you all right?”

The young warrior nodded.

“Good. See to calming the people.”

“Yes, Warlord.”

Kavon swiveled, and started dragging Aurina back to the house.

She was, thankfully, smart enough not to talk on the way back to his rooms. He unlocked the still-locked door to his rooms and dragged her inside.

He released her and slammed the door closed behind them.

Aurina spun, temper flaring in her eyes and her arms spread wide. “A thank you would be nice.”

“How did you get out?”

She lifted her chin. “I climbed off the balcony.”

“And the device?” He held the weapon out. It looked tiny in his hand, incapable of doing anything.

Her face changed and he could tell she was embarrassed. “It’s a laser stunner. It shoots directed energy that can stun, maim or kill. I didn’t tell you before because I knew you wouldn’t give it to me—”

“So you lied?”

Her chin lifted. “Kind of like you did about the e-beacon?”

Damn her. His hands clenched on her weapon.

“I did what I had to do,” she added. “I did crash-land on a strange, dangerous planet.”

Kavon closed his eyes and forced himself to take deep breaths. When he had some semblance of control—and it wasn’t much—he opened his eyes. “Do you know what you’ve done?”

She looked wary.

“Drog now knows for certain you’re here. Before, he would have just suspected, but now his men will report back to him, which was the entire purpose of his asinine attack on my people.”

Aurina swallowed. “It was a recon mission.”

“Exactly. Now he knows what you look like, and that you have technology we do not possess.” Kavon nodded toward the stunner. “And he will come after you.” Anger flared in Kavon’s veins, agitating his nanami. He thrust his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry—”

“More of my people will likely die, all because you did not stay where I asked you to stay.”

“You could have explained!” She touched his back. “You didn’t ask. You just tossed me in here and locked the door.”

She might have a small point, but he was too angry to concede it. “There was no time. I had to get to the fight and protect my people.”

She slid in front of him, her cheeks flushed. “There was time for a few words, Kavon. I am not some empty-headed damsel who needs you to protect me every second of the day. I can help you. You just have to talk to me…you know…like I’m a person.”

“Maybe, but this is my world, Aurina. It can be dangerous and dark and lethal. Sometimes, I need you to just do as I ask.”

“But you don’t ask, you order.”

“I am a warlord. That is what I am accustomed to. The end result is the same. Do the words I use really matter?”

She wrapped her arms around herself, her voice lowering. “Yes, they do. But if you don’t realize that, then I guess I’m arguing for no reason. I’m not weak. I don’t need your protection. I may not know your world, but I can take care of myself.”

“Really?” Kavon felt something dark and needy stir in him. Something that was hungry for this woman in ways he’d never hungered before. “You can protect yourself on my world?”

She lifted her chin. “Yes.”

“Then prove it to me.”

She stilled. “How?”

“I challenge you to a fight. Prove to me that you can best me and you don’t need my protection.”

She considered. “And if I win, I get the e-beacon?”

“No, we already have a deal for that. I will start asking and not ordering.”

Her brows rose. “Really? Okay.”

He strode over to his locked wooden chest, and pressed the code into the metal lock. The lid popped open and he stowed the stunner inside. He slammed the chest shut again and locked it. “No weapons.”

He was gratified to see a flare of wariness in her eyes. “I need my weapon. You’re bigger and stronger than I am.”

“Which just proves my point. You won’t always have your weapon. That is one of the first lessons a warrior learns.”

“I spend time sparring with my brother, Rynan. And he’s pretty mean and lethal himself.” She cocked her head. “What do you get if you win?”

“You must kiss me.”

She set her shoulders back. “All right, Warlord Mal Dor. You’re on. I accept your challenge.”

Kavon suppressed a ruthless smile. He strode away and shoved furniture out of the way to clear a space.

“Here?” she said.

“Here.” He faced her.

She bounced on her feet and bent her neck from side to side. She held her hands up in front of her face. “Okay, bring it on, warrior.”

Kavon circled her slowly. She matched his movements, her gaze glued to him. He lunged in to grab her, but she darted away and his fingers grabbed air.

They circled again. This time he went low, ducking, aiming to grab her knees.

She was gone again in a quick leap.

His gaze narrowed as he watched her.

He already knew she was observant, that she noticed small things others missed. Somehow, he was telegraphing his moves and she was anticipating him. He frowned. He wasn’t sure anyone—at least, no warrior he’d ever trained with—had managed to do that before. She was using her strengths against him.

Well, it was time he used his.

He charged at her. Her eyes widened, and she dodged. But Kavon changed direction and kept coming. His fingers brushed leather, but again, she managed to duck under his arm and spin away from him.

He didn’t let up, switching directions to follow her.

She leaped onto the bed and ran across it, before leaping off the other side.

Kavon dodged around it. She ran across the room, and when he lunged for her, she dropped to the floor.

He stumbled past her.

He spun and she was facing him.

“You can’t run from me forever, little skyflyer. You will tire.”

She lifted her chin. “I can try. It’s worth it to have you ask me politely for things.”

“I said I would ask, I never said anything about politeness.”

She rolled her eyes. “Typical.”

While she was talking and distracted, he jumped forward. She leaped back, but he managed to get a hold of her. He wrapped an arm around her middle and lifted her, kicking and cursing, off her feet.

“Damn you, barbarian. That wasn’t fair.”

“Cunning is considered honorable. As long as you do not use false pretenses and stab someone in the back.” He twisted her until their noses brushed. “You saw me coming.”

She poked her tongue out at him.

Kavon stared, captivated by the deep grass-green of her eyes. “Something makes me think you aren’t disappointed to be caught by me.”

“Don’t be preposterous.”

He wound his arms tighter around her. Her full breasts were pressed hard against his chest, and under his hands she was all woman. “Now you will kiss me.”

She released a shaky breath. “Damn you, barbarian.”

“Kavon. Call me Kavon.”

Her hands reached up and snaked into his hair. “Kavon.” A low murmur.

Then she pressed her lips to his.

The two of them stayed there, just for a second, lips to lips, not moving.

Then she moaned and opened her mouth, and really kissed him.

By the Warrior
. Kavon groaned, his mouth capturing hers. Her tongue thrust into his mouth, tangling with his. He felt the desire that had been simmering ever since he’d first seen her turn from a murmur to a roar. Every minute spent with her, every small thing he’d learned about Aurina, had only caused that need and want to grow.