SnaredbySaber (5 page)

“How much farther?” Eva asked.

He sent her a withering look and kept
walking, placing one foot in front of the other.

Eva had lost track of time since they’d
been walking for hours.
Hours
. She thought of her in-laws, and with each
step her fury built. Her battle with them had started because Pryce had dared
to do something of his own instead of coasting through life on his parents’
expensive coattails. They’d viewed it as shameful, a slight, and after
discouragement and admonishments hadn’t worked, they’d disowned him.

Disowned him for trying to be his own man.

What sort of parent did that? Oh wait. Hers
obviously weren’t stellar either, since they’d dumped her as a baby. But
neither had they faked affection they hadn’t felt. Her parents—in their own
way—had at least been honest about their dislike for her. Pryce’s parents still
pretended they loved him, but Eva knew otherwise.

She knew they’d paid an assassin to murder
their son.

Tears—livid and painful—shrouded her sight,
blurred the bright blue plants while the pain streaking up her legs with each
stomp grounded her again, made her determined to see this battle through. Let
them do their worst. Kidnappers. Assassins. Bah! They didn’t scare her. She’d
get her revenge even if she had to return in an incorporeal form to wreak havoc
in their luxurious mansion on Titled Hill.

Light streamed through the canopy ahead and
she blinked until her eyes became used to the brightness. At least picking her
way along the almost nonexistent path was easier than trudging through the full
jungle. Unfortunately, it also gave her a better view of Saber’s ass.

Her foot caught on a concealed stick and
she cursed, furious at herself for not watching where she was going.

Kidnapper. Kidnapper.
Kidnapper!

She picked herself up and continued
trudging after that tight, muscular ass. She’d pretend it was one of those
teaser-treats they’d started using in the hell-horse races—an incentive to get the
hell-horses moving and racing each other.

A crash sounded in the distance, the echo rolling
across the sky and vibrating through the ground beneath her feet. She came to
an abrupt halt, eyes scanning the sky. What the heck was that? Another
creature? A mythical dragon?

The thunderous noise repeated again, much
closer now. A bright flash of light lit the pink sky with flashes of deep rose
and scarlet.

“Rain,” Saber said. “We need to find
shelter.”

“That’s thunder?”

“Yep.”

Drops of rain started to beat down on the
leaves, bouncing off to strike her limbs. Steam sizzled from the hot ground,
making the air thick and hard to breathe.

Saber grasped her forearm and propelled her
under the shelter of a tree.

She dug in her heels. “Isn’t it dangerous
to stand under trees during a storm?” She had a vague recollection of some
expert on the vids going on about safety during solar and land storms.

“You want to waltz out into a clearing
where the birds might spot us, then you go right ahead.”

“If they were smart birds, they’d go to
their nests or wherever they hang out and keep dry,” Eva snapped.

Saber’s fingers bit into her upper arm,
forced her to move. The rain made everything slippery and the footing treacherous.

“Stop rushing me.” This was a nightmare, a
bad dream, and she’d wake up soon. Everything would be back to normal. She’d be
back in her flagship restaurant, training a new chef and steering clear of her
in-laws.

“Have you thought about other animals?
Predators? Did you notice the prints along the way? The broken branches?”

Holy Finnian bats
. “Predators,” she whispered, the word torn away in the splatter of
the rain against the leaves. “I was born in the city, lived there my entire
life,” Eva raised her voice, her tone a smidge above freezing point. “I know
city things. If I’d wanted to traipse around the jungle wearing socks and a
shirt, I’d have made sure to include a scary-animal training course in my
repertoire.”

The loud crashes continued overhead. The
sky darkened to a deep crimson and water started spilling from the sky in hard,
icy drops. The clammy humidity dissipated, replaced by cold and wet. The water
seeped through her socks, her shirt and through the remnants of her expensive
nightgown. It drenched her hair until every lock plastered against her scalp.

Saber kept walking and she traipsed after
him, each step an exercise in torment. He stopped without warning, and she plowed
into the back of him. His body was as hard as a rock.

“Ow,” she muttered. “What now?”

He pointed at a rocky face, which had an
opening. “Shelter,” he said. “We can wait out the rest of the storm in there.”

“What if there’s already an occupant?”

“Then we’ll square off and the winner will
take possession.”

“Ha-ha,” Eva said.

“Wait here.”

Eva opened her mouth to argue then snapped
it shut. If he wanted to act the hero, let him. She sank to the ground, more
exhausted than she’d ever felt after working a full day at one of the
restaurants.

A touch on her shoulder shot fear through
her. She scrambled back, throwing up her arms in a defensive manner.

“Steady,” Saber said. “It’s me. The cave’s
clear. We can shelter in there.”

With a tired nod, Eva clambered to her feet
and limped after the sure-footed Saber. The cave held a gamey scent and her
steps faltered. Her nose wrinkled and she adjusted her breathing, so she took
in air through her mouth. “Are you sure it’s safe in here? What if the owner
returns?”

“The scent is a few weeks old.”

“I’m glad I wasn’t here with the beastie
then. It must’ve really stunk.” Eva sank to the ground again, shoulders slumped
as she peered out of the mouth of the cave. The rain was so heavy there were
already tiny rivulets of water rushing to fill dips in the ground.

The thud of a boot against rock jerked her
head around. Saber was busy taking off his boots. She didn’t say anything until
he peeled out of his trews.

Her hands slapped across her eyes. “What
are you doing?”

Eva Henry was a curious mixture of brave
and smart, practical and quirky. She tempted him, made him ponder the
sensuality shimmering beneath her protective shell.

Saber grinned, saw her arrested look as she
peeked through spread fingers and felt his mouth widen to a full-out smile.

“What are you doing?” she repeated and
raised her chin.

“You’re beginning to sound like one of
those birds.” At least he’d managed to contact the resort. He’d worried his com
wouldn’t work way out here, but now Felix knew not to worry or bother sending
out search parties. And as it turned out, his brother was happy Saber had flown
off with Eva because he already had his eye on someone else.

A chuckle escaped. Felix was keeping things
close, not saying much, but Saber had heard his brother’s happiness. His plan
was working.

“Very funny. I told you I’m not interested
in sex.”

“What makes you think
I
am? And you
came to a resort that caters to feminine fantasies. How does that work?” Felix
told him that Eva hadn’t entered the reality suites or paired up with any of
the male employees. That pleased him.

She snorted. “
All
men are interested
in sex.”

It was his turn to grunt. “You might as
well tell me. We have plenty of time.”

She aimed a glare at him. “I don’t want to
chitchat. I want to go home.”

Saber finished peeling off his wet trousers
and hung them on a rock. She watched him the entire time with a
half-fascinated, half-wary expression that tickled his funny bone. “You should
take off your clothes too.”

“No.”

“It was a suggestion for your benefit,” he
said. “But if you want to freeze that’s fine with me.” Saber found a place to
settle near her, facing the entrance in case any beast decided to wander into
the cave. He found his gaze continually drawn to the woman. She’d started to
shiver, and he hated to see her suffer.

“Tell me about the resort,” she said. “Who
owns the place?”

“My family,” Saber said.

“A family-run fantasy resort? Sounds a
little odd.”

Saber hesitated then went with gut
instinct. They might be misrepresenting the resort to a handful of women, but
he’d give Eva as much honesty as possible. “I won the resort in a poker game on
Dalcon. The place was run-down. Not worth much. We needed a home and decided to
check it out. My mother was the first one to see the possibilities and we went
from there,” Saber said, navigating between truth and reality.

She cocked her head and even in the dim
light her expression blazed with curiosity. “How big is your family? Won’t they
be worried about you?”

“Of course they will. Felix—he’s the oldest
brother after me—will organize a search party. We won’t be out here long.”
Just
long enough to engage your interest.

“I saw you when I first arrived at the
resort. You were with a group of men.”

“My brothers. I have four brothers and one
sister. Felix, Leo, Sly, Joe and Scarlett. My mother keeps the family records
and we’re all named after ancestors.”

“From?”

“Earth. We came from a country town called
Middlemarch on the South Island of New Zealand.”

“Earth? That’s a long way from Tiraq.”

Saber shrugged, not offering more. Her
shivers increased to short, sharp vibrations that rippled through her delicate
frame. The woman couldn’t be more different from Lori if she tried, with her
small build and blonde hair. Her serious air. The way she lifted her chin in
silent challenge.

“Did you know shifters have a higher body
temperature? I could get you warm again.”

She shot him a suspicious look. “How often
does that line work for you?”

“No line. Feel my arm.” He held it out and
waited. “Ah well. If you want to chatter your teeth all night, it’s none of my
affair.”

“The rain will stop soon. We’ll be able to
walk until dark.”

“Once the rain comes it sets in for the
afternoon. It won’t stop before nightfall.”

“But it might.”

“You’re welcome to go out on your own. Of
course, we don’t know what type of animals might be lurking in the forest.
There could be more birds.”

“You’re just trying to scare me.”

Saber wanted to smile even though the
expression was pretty foreign to him. Hell, he’d smiled more today than he had
since leaving Earth. “Is it working?”

“I-I hope I never come face-to-face with
those birds again.”

“Me too.”

She met his gaze for an instant before
looking away. Another shiver worked through her. Saber didn’t know if it was
from the cold or the remembered terror of the bird seizing them. Before he even
knew what he was doing, he was reaching for her.

Fuck, she was freezing.

He stripped off her socks. “I’m going to
take off the shirt. Give it a chance to dry,” he said.

Her gaze was wary as she trembled harder.
“I’m so cold.”

“I know, kitten. Let me get you warm
again.” When she didn’t argue, he pulled up his wet shirt and tugged it over
her head. The nightgown came with it. He arranged the garments over a large
rock then settled on the ground with her soft weight atop him, in his arms. She
cuddled against him, her nipples hard, cold points poking his chest.

Gradually the chill dispersed from her body
along with the tension in her muscles. Her breathing became softer, and Saber
smiled against her hair. Given time she’d become used to him, learn to trust
him. She’d make him a good mate, and in return he’d give her a secure home,
friendship and loyalty. Maybe they’d even come to love each other.

The thought gave him pause. No. He didn’t
want love, didn’t want to make himself vulnerable in that way again. When Lori
had died, it had almost killed him too. Only his family’s need for him had forced
him to keep going, to step into his current leadership role.

He lightly stroked her body. She needed more
flesh on her bones, but she fit against him perfectly. Yeah, they’d fall into
friendship, and that would be enough.

* * * * *

Eva woke feeling warm and toasty. The
pillow beneath her head was firm while her surroundings were a true black,
which nothing pierced. Where the
jumping jackabee
jitters
was
she?

The hard surface beneath her head moved. A
hand moved down her back and settled on her bare bottom. Her breath caught
halfway up her throat while she sprinted through her memory files. Holiday.
Resort. Big freakin’ bird. Cat-man. Rain. Cold. Toasty warm…

The hand on her backside lingered, heat
emanating from the palm pressed against her tender skin. The warmth flowed into
her body. Her skin tingled while her female parts, her pussy… Eva bit back a
sudden urge to cackle. Cat-man. Pussy. They certainly went together. Maybe it
was a sign.

A tiny snort escaped her, and the arm
around her back tightened momentarily. “You’re awake.”

She could hardly pretend otherwise now that
she’d revealed her alertness. “What time is it?”

“Not long until solar rise.” His warm
breath whispered across her cheek and added another degree to the fever burning
beneath her skin. It had been so long since someone held her, comforted and
protected her without expecting something in return. And if she hadn’t met
Pryce, she’d never have known what she was missing. The burst of guilt
dissipated some of her ease. She stiffened.

“I’m not going to hurt you. It wouldn’t be
good for resort business if reports surfaced that we abuse our customers.”

“But you’d kidnap them,” she retorted.

“In fairness, we catnapped you,” he said.
“A fine distinction, to be sure, but we should get the facts right.”

Eva sputtered and the sound was a close
cousin to humor. This…man, she decided, didn’t behave like the males in the
market where she’d grown up. He didn’t behave like the customers in her
restaurant. He had a weird sense of honor. She gave a mental shrug, unable to
get a handle on Saber.

The hand on her buttocks shifted, and she
almost let out a sound of complaint.
Holy Finnian bats
. What was wrong
with her? She had to move away.

Yeah, she’d move any second now.

His hand resettled on her back and smoothed
down her spine in an exquisitely slow journey before it came to a halt on her
butt again. For long seconds his palm warmed her skin before he lifted it again
to repeat the process.
Frying fungus
, that felt so good. She wanted to
arch beneath his touch and encourage him to press harder, to go faster.

A low chuckle, not far from her ear, made
her freeze.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

Eva became aware of something else,
something other than the hardness of his chest. Tension bolted through her
muscles and the hand stroking her came to a halt on her butt cheeks.

“Ah, you’ve noticed,” he said in a cheerful
tone.

“Difficult not to when it’s poking into
me.”

“Yet you haven’t moved.” The whisper held a
note of taunting. Maybe a hint of dare.

Fear and disappointment coiled her guts
into a tight knot. “If you intend to rape me, you’d better get started. I want
to get moving.”

“Eva. Kitten.” Strong arms lifted her, held
her away from the steely erection that burned her skin like a hot poker. “I do
not, nor will I ever, force myself on women.” He spoke slowly and his words contained
an underpinning of pissed. “For some reason, women adore my green eyes and my
muscles. I
do
have a brain, but they don’t seem to appreciate that
nearly as much as my sexy body.”

A snort escaped Eva before her mind had the
chance to censor.
Humor. React
. The thought sprinted from her brain to
settle on her lips in a grin. She found herself relaxing, and after a long
moment, he pressed her against his body again. He was so warm, and Eva melted
into his comfort with relief. It was even better when he placed his hand on her
back and resumed his casual petting.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’m averse to
the idea of fucking you. You’re soft and your skin feels like silk. I bet your
pussy would feel perfect around my cock.”

A flush swarmed over her body and converged
at her breasts and the spot between her legs that had ached insistently since
she’d first woken in his arms. “Are you always so…so…direct in your
communications with women?”

He chuckled. “I enjoy fucking a woman’s
mind as well as her body. A little dirty talk works for me. Twice the
pleasure.”

“Oh.”
Holy Finnian bats.

“The moment you give consent, I’m going to
suck those pretty tits into my mouth. I’m going to suck hard until you feel it
right here…” His fingers drifted low on her buttocks to where her thighs and
ass met, and he cupped her warmth. “I’m going to finger your pussy, and when
you’re squirming with need and panting with pleasure, I’ll stick my cock inside
you. I’ll shove deep and give you the best fuck I can. Once we’re finished,
you’ll feel as if you’ve been possessed, you’ll have screamed in pleasure—and
you’ll beg me to do it all over again.”

Eva sucked in a huge breath, more turned-on
than she could ever recall. Those damn tingles were back, now
all
over
her torso, her arms, her legs.
Frying fungus
, her body voted for his
plan.

“You came to the resort to relax,” he said,
the rough gravel in his voice stirring nerve endings the length of her
traitorous body. “I know we’re in the middle of the jungle, but I’m happy to
fuck you. At the resort you’d only have the reality room.”

His implication brought another twist of
humor to her lips. The man had a healthy ego, implying he was better.

Eva lifted her head, tried to discern his
face but the darkness of the cave foiled her sight. She resettled against his
chest. “Prove it,” she said.

“You’ve told me—very insistently, I might
add—you’re not interested in sex. And now you’re daring me to prove my prowess?”

“You’ve made several claims.” Eva licked
her lips and found that damn grin had set up shop again. “I’m suggesting you
prove you can do everything you claim. I bet other women just accept your
boasts.” Eva drilled a finger into the middle of his muscular chest. “I have to
experience your claims myself before I can believe. Proof.”

Eva bit her bottom lip as silence fell between
them. She wondered if she’d pushed too hard, punctured his masculine ego beyond
repair.

Without warning, Saber slid her body
upward, his tongue playing with the tip of one breast, tracing patterns around
the areola until her nipple became an achy peak. Unhurried, he played with her
breasts until she wanted to protest. He hadn’t said anything about slow. In
fact, she’d expected he was all boast, and he’d turn into a two-, maybe three-second
wonder. Shove it in and pull it out, ready to get on with his day.

Chagrin belted her over the head even as
she finished the thought.

Saber chose to move to the next step on his
agenda. He sucked one nipple deep into his mouth, pulling strongly until her
body communicated its pleasure, every nerve ending standing to salute.

She groaned, felt the surge of wetness
between her thighs. “Don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

A hard thigh chafed her pussy, and she
found herself squirming against the resistance, rubbing against him in order to
release the tightly wound tension creating havoc with her mind and body.

“Saber, please. Please. I need…I need…”
Frying
fungus
, she needed his hard cock, the one that had made her wary because
she
knew
men, had experience that warranted such wariness.

This.
Saber.
He made her feel quite different emotions.

He released her nipple and she felt bereft.
A pained groan of protest whispered past her lips.

“Tell me what you need, Eva.”