Too late, she discovered she’d borrowed money from her in-laws.
The moment she defaulted on a payment, they’d be entitled to step in and take everything she and Pryce had worked so hard for.
Her hands fisted as her mind dwelled on the worst-case scenario.
Wasn’t going to happen. Not if she had her way. She’d die first.
She owed it to Pryce.
A largish bird soared through the valley. Eva tensed but when Bluebird continued to graze, she relaxed. He, or she, seemed to know when danger was nearby, so perhaps Eva could sleep a little.
She woke abruptly, every part of her body tense. Her heart smacked against the wall of her chest, her muscles locked in terror when the weird crunching sound came again, along with a sharp honk.
Eva turned her head, took in the situation swiftly—and fury replaced her fear. “A pox on it! A pox on bloody Saber Mitchell, may his dangle rot and fall off!” She sprang to her feet and advanced on Bluebird, flapping her hands. “Shoo! Shoo!”
Bluebird squawked and backed away, the remains of a com-circle in his beak. She made a grab for it, but he crunched down and it broke into two parts. One dropped to the ground. She swooped on it and glared at the electronic innards.
He’d had a com-circle the entire time. And now it was broken.
That was it.
She’d known trusting him was foolish. Males… She should have learned her lesson by now. If she wanted a job done it was best to do it herself.
Eva stomped to her shirt and pulled it on. She sat, scowling, her hands trembling as she pulled on the socks. Eva jumped to her feet, frowned left and glared right. She glowered up at the sky, doing a slow three-sixty to check for big-ass birds.
All clear.
Eva chose a direction and set off to rescue herself. To hell with Saber. She didn’t intend to sit around and wait to discover his sneaky plan.
* * * * *
Saber arrived back at the waterhole much later than he’d expected. He’d found several fruit trees and cursed himself for not bringing his trousers. Difficult to carry stuff in feline form without a receptacle of some sort.
The solar light had almost faded when he prowled up to the waterhole, a hastily woven bag tied around his neck.
Eva wasn’t there.
He dumped his bag of fruit and shifted. “Eva? Eva?”
When she didn’t come out of hiding, concern gave way to fear. When he’d left her, she’d been lying in the dappled sunshine. He thought she’d be safe enough since the few trees at the edge of the water could hide her from predators circling overhead.
He went to grab his trousers and something sharp dug into the sole of his foot. He bent to pull it out. “Fuck!”
Eva had discovered he was in possession of a communicator. That put her absence in a different light.
Damn, why did women have to make a situation so difficult? Things had been going well between them. Maybe she wouldn’t hold a grudge.
He considered grudges and women for a few seconds then his mouth twist into a snarl. Yeah, right.
He tied his trousers and his boots around his neck with practiced skill. Seconds later, he was circling the area in feline form, searching for her scent. He found it soon enough and realized the blue bird had followed her.
Nose to the ground, he increased his speed to a lope and followed Eva’s trail.
* * * * *
Once the solar light disappeared, the temperature dropped. At least it wasn’t raining. Eva trudged through the darkness, her nerves jumping at each new sound. Bluebird practically hugged her leg, never more than a beak-length away, which told her that he was scared too. She needed to find a safe place to spend the night. Not a cave. But maybe at the base of a tree. Some of the bigger trees were hollowed out. She started scanning each one she passed, saw a possible and approached with quiet, cautious steps.
Bluebird honked, and she paused. “One honk for yes and two honks for no,” she said.
Bluebird obediently honked. Three times.
“What does that mean?”
The bird remained silent.
“An unreliable warning system,” she muttered. Already she’d learned to expect the unexpected in the cursed jungle. “Here goes,” she said, and approached the hollow sanctuary with trepidation. “Why does it have to be so dark?” She peered inside.
Two golden eyes stared back.
Eva froze. “Uh, sorry to disturb you.” Holding her breath, she backed away. “Please don’t attack. Please don’t. Please don’t.”
Bluebird let out three low honks.
“Okay, I get it. Three honks means already occupied.”
Wearily, she trudged along the narrow trail and searched for another haven. Despite the lower temps, sweat ran down her forehead, beaded between her breasts. Her heavy feet found every sharp rock on the path. What felt like hours later, she discovered a tree with exposed roots. It offered both concealment and shelter from the worst of the wind that tugged her hair, swirled leaves and ruffled treetops to create creepy noises.
Bluebird ran straight into the shelter, so she figured it was safe enough. She scooped up some leaf litter to make a sort of a bed and settled in. Bluebird honked, a sound of contentment, she decided, and cuddled against her chest.
It was so cold, but at least the wind wasn’t cutting through her shirt and nipping at her bare flesh any longer. Eva listened to the rustle of the leaves, the moan of the wind as it wended its way through the trees. Occasionally a growl or a squawk jerked her to full terror instead of her current low-level fear.
When she settled everything in Dalcon, she was going to take a long break. She’d buy herself the biggest, most lethal weapon money could buy and she’d return to Middlemarch Resort and shoot Saber’s sexy ass full of holes. And she’d enjoy doing it because this was all his fault. Every last bit of her precarious position.
* * * * *
She’d walked farther than he’d expected. Saber lost her trail once but managed to pick it up again. At least she was still in one piece and moving, but he worried about her alone in the dark. There were some big predators out here, and they were lucky they hadn’t crossed paths with many of them. Yet. The last thing he needed was for Eva to face danger on her own.
Her trail stopped then started again, and Saber’s opinion of her grew. She was looking for a place to hole up and wait out the night.
Clever lady.
He’d already known she was smart and determined, and now he could add resourceful and intelligent.
Saber lost the scent for a while and circled back looking for it again. Then he saw Eva, and relief swept through him, making his four legs tremble.
He did a quick shift, wrapped his trousers in a tight ball and placed his boots within easy reach. She must have been exhausted because she didn’t wake when he squeezed in beside her and drew her into his arms.
The bird gave a sleepy honk and settled back to doze.
Saber listened to the jungle sounds and relaxed. Eva had chosen well. They were safe enough here for the rest of the night.
* * * * *
Eva woke feeling warm. Bluebird still cuddled into her chest, making breathy little sounds. A birdy type of snore.
But the warmth at her back, the hand at her hip…
She stiffened and struck, raking the hand with her clawed fingers.
“Ow! What did you do that for?”
Eva twisted, disturbing Bluebird and wriggling free of Saber’s arms. She sprang to her feet, putting distance between them. “You’re lucky I’m not a titled lady. Their fingernails are filed to stabby points. You had a com-circle! You had one all the time. You could have called for help. How much are the Dearbhorgaills paying you? How much?”
“No one is paying me anything,” Saber said.
He was smart to look wary. Her hands bunched into fists as she imagined throttling him. “You bastard,” she spat. “You knew I wanted to go home. I’ve made that very clear. How far are we from the re
sort? Tell me.”
“We’re on the other side of the island,” Saber said.
“Is anyone coming to get us?”
Saber hesitated.
“Flying Finnian bats!” she snarled.
“What’s a Finnian bat?”
“They’re dirty, rotten, cheating scumbags,” she snapped. “Just like you.”
“Ouch,” he said.
“This isn’t a laughing matter.”
“I don’t believe I was laughing.”
“Ooh! I can’t look at you.” She whirled away then turned back with a fierce scowl. “At least tell me if I’m going the right way. Give me that much at least.”
“If you promise not to stab me in the back, I’ll lead.”
Eva glared and folded her arms over her chest. “Put your trews on. I’m tired of looking at your dangly thing.”
He smirked. “Not so much of the dangly.”
“I’m going to find a bush. When I come back you will point me in the direction of the resort. That is all I require from you.”
Eva stomped to a bush and took care of business. This was the third day. She had a solar week before things would become desperate. Her assistant would contact Casey if he couldn’t communicate with her. She could count on her best friend to look after her interests. While Casey might not know any details, she knew it was important for Eva to get back to Dalcon before the start of the next solar month.
“Want some fruit?”
Eva snatched the glossy pink fruit from him and bit down without a word of thanks. Bluebird honked, and Saber shrugged. He gave her an insolent wink and stalked off along an overgrown path.
Eva forced her body to move and trudged after him. She’d thought she was reasonably fit from cooking and working long hours in the restaurants. Not so. Every part of her body ached and she couldn’t wait to have a proper meal. This fruit stuff wasn’t very filling.
“How do you know where you’re going?”
“I don’t. We’re heading to the east, which is toward the resort.”
“Tell me the truth. How many solar days will it take us to reach the resort?”
Saber slowed and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Four. Maybe five.”
He wasn’t lying. She read the truth in his face. Her shoulders drooped momentarily before she gave herself a stern lecture. She’d spent her childhood in the market. She’d clawed her way into a successful business. She could handle a few more solar days with Saber Mitchell.
If she didn’t give in to impulse and murder him first.
If she lost the restaurants because of him…
Eva forced her mind away from her problems, the bloody ticking timepiece in her brain that was counting down the nanoseconds to disaster.
She ground her teeth and concentrated on Bluebird walking in front of her. The bird waggled its tail feathers with each step—a sort of a cute twitch. Her gaze wandered and settled on Saber’s butt.
She jolted, scowled, looked away. She didn’t need to see the firm flex of his muscles.
Bluebird released a shrill squawk, and Saber cursed.
“We need to hide. It’s those damn birds again.” Saber grasped her upper arm and propelled her toward the shelter of a large tree. When she tripped, her scooped her into his arms and sprinted the rest of the way.
“Thanks.” The word was clipped and held not a shred of real sentiment.
“You’re welcome.”
He was laughing at her. “It’s your fault I’m in this mess,” she snapped. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in the middle of nowhere, half naked and starving with a big-ass bird wanting to snack on me.”
The humor disappeared from his face as they reached the tree. “I’m sorry.”
Above them the large bird screeched. Bluebird honked, a low call of distress, and Eva stooped to pet him. “It’s okay, fella. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
“He’d taste good roasted over a fire.”
“That’s not funny.”
“We need to find food. You can’t afford to lose any more weight.”
“My weight needn’t concern you,” she said in a frosty voice. “I think the bird has gone now. Can we get moving?”
Saber checked the skies. “Of course. There are some fruit trees at the end of the valley.”
“Which way do we go once we leave the valley?”
“We continue east.”
No hesitation. Yes, she thought he was telling the truth. But she didn’t trust Saber, and began forming her own plan. He didn’t have her best interests in mind, and he still hadn’t told her why he’d kidnapped her. While she was certain the Dearbhorgaills were involved, he hadn’t confessed. Not yet.
No, she couldn’t trust him. And she didn’t have to stick with him either. At the first opportunity, she’d strike out on her own once more.
“How did you find me?” she asked, feigning nonchalance.
He slid another glance over his shoulder and grinned before turning his attention back to the path. “I followed your trail. Once I caught your scent, it was easy to find you.”
“I see.” She wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Chapter Seven
Something was up with Eva. He couldn’t put his finger on the what, but she was too quiet, had been too biddable for the last two days.
They’d covered a lot of ground, more than he’d expected they would. Another two days trekking and they’d reach the resort, or at least one of the small towns on the coast where he was positive they’d find transport.
Not much longer to seduce her to his way of thinking.
At least she was sleeping close to him during the nights, even though she said it was to keep warm. He breathed in her scent, fresh and green after they’d bathed at another pool. She murmured in her sleep and he drew her closer
Bluebird stirred and shambled out of their resting place—an old lava cave. Other birds were calling in a dawn chorus.
Saber ran a hand over Eva’s hip and nuzzled at her collarbone. He kissed the soft skin and aimed a second kiss at her lips. She gave a sleepy groan and turned into his arms.
For an instant he froze, then he went with the moment, arranging her firmly against him and settling in to kiss the hell out of her. Fuck. She was so sweet. Even when she was giving him the silent treatment, she amused him, made him think about their future.
Kids.
Pets.
His own family.
Hell, they had the pet thing sorted already, although he’d been thinking more along the lines of a cat or a dog or the local equivalent. His brothers were gonna laugh their asses off when they saw Bluebird.
She gave another sleepy groan and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her breasts flattened against his chest, and he gave in to temptation and slid his hand under the ragged shirt to explore the silky skin beneath. He pinched a nipple, felt it harden beneath his fingertips.
Unable to resist, he slipped a hand lower to smooth over her butt then rolled her beneath him, parting her legs with his thigh. She froze for a second and he thought she’d nix his plan for some morning loving, but she surprised him by relaxing again and giving him free access to her body.
Saber fingered her, teasing her until she moaned and her folds became slippery with her arousal. He sucked her neck, taking pleasure in the act, knowing he’d see his mark of ownership later in the day.
With increasingly urgent hunger and a pleasurable ache in his balls, he rose over her and pushed deep inside her. Her snug channel flexed around him while she encouraged his thrusts by placing her hands on his ass. Desire kicked in his belly, urged him to move faster, shove deeper and harder. He resisted, wanting to give Eva pleasure first, make this good for her. His hand tangled in the hair at her nape and he claimed her mouth, giving her steady thrusts at what he hoped was the perfect angle.
The hands at his butt tightened, fingernails dug into his flesh. She cried out against his mouth, gasped hard and ca
me in a violent spasm of pleasure.
Thank you, God. Saber increased his pace, plunging into her with hard thrusts. Words spilled from his lips. “Fucking you is heaven, Eva. I love the feel of your cunt around my dick. The husky sounds you make, and the fuckin’ sweet way you give me pleasure.” Dirty words. Explicit words.
Nothing less than the truth.
She made him feel whole, completed him, but those words he’d utter another time.
Later. Later he’d let his real personality shine through once she stopped acting like a flighty filly ready to flee at a moment’s notice. Or maybe that was where he was going wrong. He was being so careful with her. Maybe he should loosen his restraint and act the alpha male.
“Feel so good enveloping my cock. So wet. Tight. Just fuckin’ perfect.” His lustful thoughts spilled out. The hands bruising his backside dug into the muscle and the liquid heat surrounding his dick seemed to grow hotter, her arms clutching him in a tight embrace. “Wanna fuck that sassy mouth of yours. Your ass.”
Mine, he thought. My woman. Not that he’d say it aloud. Not yet. He still had some self-preservation. Instead he concentrated on chasing his orgasm.
“One day I want to fuck you in a big, soft sleep-bed. Maybe after I’ve taken you on the kitchen counter.” His cock seemed to lengthen as he growled the words into her ear, his balls pulling painfully tight.
“That is not very sanitary,” she said in a prissy voice. “Kitchens are for food and cooking.”
“You got cleaning products in that kitchen of yours?” Saber pulled back, pushed home and groaned, coming so hard he saw stars. Pink ones, which made no sense at all because that was a girlie color.
“Of course,” she gasped.
Saber withdrew a fraction and growled again at the sensations that jerked his cock. Long moments later, when the contractions trailed off, he pulled out of her and arranged her on his chest like a living blanket. “You got cleaning products, then we’re having sex on the counter. I’m gonna drape you over and take you from behind.”
His feline rolled under his skin, and Saber gave an involuntary thrust against her leg. “You got another one in you?”
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