“Again? I’ll start waddling like Bluebird.”
“You got another one?”
He slipped a finger between her legs, gave a slow, firm rub, watching her eyes all the while. Long dark lashes lowered, but not before he saw the deep blue of her eyes. She wanted him.
“Don’t you think we should start walking instead of lazing about in a cave?”
Saber didn’t answer, merely drew her head down and laid one on her. Lips, teeth, tongue. He gave it everything and almost cheered when she softened and started responding.
“Ride me. Take what you need.”
“But you’ve just—”
He lifted her a fraction and set her down over his groin, right where she could feel his interest. Her lashes lifted, giving him a great view of her sexy blue eyes.
“There’s something wrong with you.”
“Ain’t nothing wrong with me. All my parts are working fine. Wanna have you again, before we start our day.”
He lifted her, holding her up while he waited for her to obey his silent demand. She just stared, her mind working in ways mysterious to him since she kept her features expressionless. He figured it was a strategy she’d learned in the market. Don’t let anyone know what you’re thinking because knowledge gives them the advantage.
“I can tell you exactly what to do,” he said.
She tilted her head. “You haven’t before.”
“A mistake on my part.” Saber waited until their gazes connected. “Take my cock—now.”
She bit her lip, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her face.
“Then ride me hard. I want you to feel me when you walk, and I want to smell me on you. I like that.”
The uncertainty shifted into incredulousness. “It sounds as if you want to own me.”
Saber felt a slow grin take residence on his face, guessed his eyes sparkled with the same smugness beating in his heart. “I do,” he said quietly. “But the chase is fun too.”
Her mouth turned mulish and he figured he’d pushed a bit far. Too bad. This was him.
He rolled her under him, made sure she lay on the bed of soft grasses he’d collected the previous night and pushed his knees between her legs. He thrust inside her, watching her face. He started slow, using every bit of his expertise to tease another orgasm out of her. She was slippery and wet, liquid heat around his dick.
When she started responding, digging her fingers into his shoulders and making sexy little moans at the back of her throat, he increased his pace and took his own pleasure. They came together, not as hard as the first time, but still ultimately satisfying.
Saber smoothed her blonde hair off her forehead and placed a gentle kiss on the skin he revealed. “I could go again if you’re interested.”
“I’m sore,” she muttered, her words hot against his throat. “And I believe I smell like you, both inside and out. Goal achieved.”
“Good,” he said, choking back a snigger. “My work here is done.”
Saber the cat-man was kinda hot. She’d have some great memories once she arrived back on Dalcon.
Casey would be pleased she’d finally had sex. During one inebriated night, years ago, Casey had told her it wasn’t good to let your lady parts dry out. Gave guys the wrong idea. Made them think you didn’t enjoy sex, didn’t care if you ever had sex again.
Recalling the words now, Eva worried slightly about Casey. When she saw her again—if she saw her friend before she reported for duty—Casey would demand answers to her pointed questions. She had been there for her when Pryce died, had helped her with decisions, even though they’d been on different planets. It was time for Eva to repay the debt of friendship.
She pushed against Saber’s shoulders and wriggled out from under him. After dressing, she scuttled outside to find a bush. This outdoor plumbing was the pits. If she had money she’d buy one of those climatic suits. Regulated body temperature and took care of everything else too. Casey wore them on some of her missions.
Business done, she needed to ponder her escape. Saber was dragging his heels, slowing her down. But she’d escape the smug cat-man if it was the last thing she did. She’d pop his arrogance balloon and shove his nose in her success, should they ever meet again.
Saber Mitchell wasn’t going to best her.
The Dearbhorgaills weren’t going to beat her.
She would triumph.
They rounded the base of one of the volcanoes during their morning walk. The air was full of a strange scent, something Saber said was sulfur. Ugh, the stench reminded her of a rotten dravy egg. She picked her way around rocks and boulders, wincing when a sharp piece of rock dug into her big toe. The socks were wearing thin and wouldn’t last much longer. Wearing the same shirt for solar days was as annoying as her lack of undergarments, although Saber had remarked on the convenience.
In the distance, in the valley they’d traveled through previously, a herd of large grazing animals were visible plus the usual flocks of birds, much bigger and leggier versions of Bluebird, who also fed on the grasses and plants.
They climbed a rise, the heat of the day making her shirt stick to her sweaty skin. Saber came to an abrupt stop and swore.
“What is it?”
He pointed at the red river that flowed from the top of one of the cones. It glowed and sparkled in the solar light as it oozed down the slope.
“And I repeat,” she said. “What is it?”
“A lava flow. We won’t be able to cross it. We’ll have to walk around it. That way looks best.”
She followed his gesture with his gaze and groaned. “We have to go around the base of that smoking hill too?”
“I think so.”
“What happens if there’s another one on the other side?”
“There’s not much cover that way,” Saber said. “Those birds are always flying over. We need hiding places.”
“My socks aren’t much protection against these rocks. The rocks in that direction are worse.” Hopelessness threatened to buckle her knees, and she staggered to a shady spot and sank to the ground.
Bluebird followed and settled in beside her with a contented honk.
“I’m so tired,” she whispered. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired.”
Saber frowned at her, glanced in the direction he’d proposed they travel. “Why don’t I shift and check out the route? If it’s viable, I’ll come back to get you. You can rest out of the sun.”
“Thank you,” she said and closed her eyes. “Do you think it will take you long? Will I have time for a sleep?”
“You can sleep, kitten.”
Eva sighed, her weariness evident. “Thanks.”
“You can use my trousers as a pillow,” he said. “Don’t let Bluebird play with my boots.”
“I’ll put them under your trews. Try not to be too long.” A nice touch, Eva thought as she opened her eyes and reached for his trews and boots.
Saber’s smile was tender when he stooped to steal a kiss, and a flash of temper boiled inside her. She had difficulty restraining a snappish retort. “Take care.”
“You too, kitten. Keep under the cover of the rocks in case the birds fly over while you’re asleep.”
“It might be cooler under those two trees down there. They should be okay for a screen.”
He glanced at them and gave a swift nod. “See you soon.”
She watched him transform to cat, the sucky and crunchy sounds a little freaky, although she had to admit his cat shape was very sexy.
He gave a low grunt and loped off. Eva waited until he disappeared from sight, then waited for a little more time to pass before climbing too her feet. She was tired. True. But not too tired to seize the opportunity he’d given her to escape. “Happy birthday to me,” she muttered and slapped the dust off her butt.
She checked her surroundings for danger, noted Bluebird appeared relaxed and untroubled, and set off in the other direction. Hopefully, Saber was wrong and the fiery river ended or th
inned enough for her to safely cross.
Eva kept to the tree line as much as possible and found a wide path, which made traveling swift and easy. She passed other varieties of animals but took her cues from Bluebird. If he scuttled for cover, she followed suit.
She stopped to collect some fruit and ate it as she continued, knowing it was best for her to put as much distance as possible between them because Saber would attempt to track her. She came to water—a narrow stream—and after checking it for obvious predators, she waded into the middle and used its meandering path as a trail, hoping that might confuse the arrogant cat-man.
Bluebird honked from the bank then wandered off to graze. Eva wasn’t worried, since he did this often and always seemed to find them at day’s end.
She continued walking until the roar in the distance told her the stream took a tumble over rocks. She clambered out and surveyed the copse of pink and blue trees and the vivid lilac and green bushes. The bushes bore long, deep-purple pods. A type of nut sold in the market, and one of her favorite treats.
“Yum, your birthday lunch is served.” She would pick a few handfuls and eat them on the move.
She limped over to the nearest bush and started picking the nuts, working her way around…
And coming face-to-face with a trio of bipeds.
They didn’t look a bit like Eva. Their brows and facial features were much more prominent and most of their visible skin was a bright pink-red. Light-brown hair covered their arms, legs and torsos—too light to be called fur but heavier than anything she’d witnessed before. The closest one had a nose piercing, and they were obviously female, since they had breasts like hers. Apart from the fuzzy hair on their bodies, they wore no other clothing.
“Hello,” she said, focusing on their faces while trying not to stare. “I’m pleased to see you! Can I purchase transport to get to the resort on the other side of the island?”
The females stared at her, their mouths opening to reveal yellowed incisors and fanglike canines. Eva looked more closely at the one with the pierced nose and swallowed hard. Was that a bone?
She took a step back and bumped into something.
Damn, Saber was fast, a better tracker than she’d given him credit for. And he had bad timing.
She stepped away and turned, ready to glare, and instead found two more bipeds. These had light-blue faces and…oh!
She let out an eep of shock and hurriedly backed away. The ones with blue faces had matching color on their groins. They were male. Definitely males, because they hadn’t bothered to hide their masculine equipment.
“Um, hi.” She raised a hand, since she recalled Casey saying it was a universal greeting.
One of the males grunted, the guttural sound not reassuring. Neither was the way he grasped her upper arm, his sharp nail-like claws digging into her flesh.
She hoped that was some kind of weird greeting. Eva took a deep breath and wished she hadn’t. He needed to bathe. Still, she couldn’t act with rudeness. She reached out her hand, noticed it was trembling but forged ahead. Her fingers banded his biceps, and she squeezed.
The females gasped in unison and took a collective step back.
Holy Finnian bats. Eva’s hand fell to her side. “Um, I guess I’ll be going. So sorry to bother you.” She wouldn’t ask about transport again. She wouldn’t ask about the lava flow and how to get around it. She wouldn’t dally to chat. Better not to ask questions, full stop.
Eva wrenched her arm free and darted around the group. No birthday lunch for her. She was leaving right now.
The males grabbed her before she passed the nut bushes. They hauled her to a stop, despite her struggling. Frying fungus, the males stunk worse than a skunk-hen, and those were eye-wateringly bad on the stinkometer.
One of them jabbered something, the guttural clicks obviously too much for her universal translator implant. All she got was gibberish. While she was puzzling over the communication—because she was sure this was a cultural misunderstanding and she could fix it—the females approached.
The female with the bone through her nose said something and poked Eva in the stomach. They cackled together in discordant harmony. One of the males, who also possessed a decorative bone in his nose, squeezed her butt.
Eva didn’t care what sort of cultural misunderstanding this was, no one groped her without permission. She swiftly lifted her right knee and kicked backward.
Her foot struck the male’s groin front and center.
He bellowed and collapsed in a heap, his clawed hands holding his dangly as if it were broken.
She would’ve snorted, but Eva took the opportunity to run. Behind her she heard a shout, then thundering footsteps pounded the ground. Eva pushed harder, ignoring the branches and jagged stones. Her lungs burned and her breaths came in harsh pants. She sprinted around the corner and came to an abrupt halt.
The lava stream ran across the track. Hot and deadly, it had annihilated everything in its path, toppling trees and burning the undergrowth. The lava carried a load of rocks and moved with pops and cracks and crunches like a grumpy conveyor belt. The nasty scent of sulfur and scorched plant materials hung on the air.
Eva turned to flee in the opposite direction. A line of blue-faced males stood between her and freedom.
The male with the bone in his nose barked something and four males stepped forward. Eva released a nervous laugh but it didn’t hold much in the way of amusement. Four males to retrieve little old her. She remained rooted to the spot, not willing to make things easy for them.
They approached warily. She glared and struck out, but ultimately to no avail. Two of them each grasped an arm and propelled her toward an unknown destination. The other two walked at a prudent distance behind, close enough to offer aid but far enough away to avoid smashed danglies.
One of the big birds wheeled through the air, and their leader shouted another order. The males hustled her into the trees and followed a less obvious trail through the undergrowth.
Interesting.
These people were wary of the birds too.
After a short distance, Eva spied a group of thatched huts. Smaller huts circled a much larger one. The males dragged her to one of the minor huts and thrust her inside. They shut the door after her, and she heard a series of orders, more rapid-fire clicks that drew a blank from her translator.
She circled the interior of the hut and noted the streams of light piercing the walls. Not thick. She’d bet she could muscle her way through or dig underneath. After examining her options, she decided on the latter and got to work, digging with her hands. It was surprisingly easy, and soon she’d made a hole big enough to squeeze through. She sucked in a breath and squished beneath the gap.
A guttural sound lifted her head, and she rose to her feet. Bone Nose. He of the smashed danglies. Eva sighed.
This didn’t seem to be her day.
Bone Nose grabbed her arm and dragged her around to the front of the hut, jabbering in clicks and squawks. Several of the females scurried off and arrived back with strands of pliable vines.
Uh-oh. This can’t be good.
Bone Nose dragged her around the largest hut and she saw two poles driven into the ground. A four-legged creature of a type she’d never seen before was tied to one pole. They tied Eva to the other, slapping her when she dared to struggle. Eva ignored the blows to her arms and legs, the high-pitched jabbers, and continued to struggle until they finished their job.
As it turned out, the vines were soft yet very, very strong. Flying Finnian bats. She’d need a bloody miracle to get away from these furry maniacs.
Eva surveyed the area, mind busily working on an escape plan should a miracle present itself. Even though it meant backtracking and possibly running into Saber, he appeared the lesser of two evils.
Movement in the doorway of the large hut drew her attention. What the devil were they doing? Eva stared at the females as they dragged out a huge pot and left it beside a blackened fire pit.
Once the flames grew bigger and caught the wood, the males set the pot over the fire. Some of the females approached carrying pails of water, and Eva frowned when they poured them into the pot.
It was an awfully big pot.
Her gaze shifted to the other pole and the wretched-looking creature that stood with its heavy head down, furry gray sides rising and falling in rapid pants.
Another female added a platter of root tubers while a second tipped in a pail of leafy herbs.
The chef in Eva toted up the ingredients and came up with various dishes. Stock pot, tubers, herbs—a stew of some sort.
The females jabbered amongst themselves and called over one of the males. They conducted a heated discussion. Eva didn’t like the tone of their interaction or the way they kept looking in her direction.
Four of the males broke away from the group and stalked straight to her, determined expressions on their faces. Eva stiffened.
“Let me go. I haven’t done anything. You have to let me go!”
Hope surged when they released her bindings and dragged her away from the pole.
“Thank you,” she said and turned to walk away. If she hurried, she could get a good start before darkness fell.
Hard clawed fingers grasped her forearm and jerked her to a halt.
“Frozen fungus, what are you doing?”
Bone Nose jabbered something and the males bound her and lifted her into the cooking pot.
Frozen fungus and flapjacks.
She was dinner! The meat to go with the veg.
She’d stepped from the fire and landed in the cooking pot.
The water wasn’t hot yet—thank the goddess. You’re tough, her inner cook suggested. They’re intending to cook you long and slow.
Eva roared and started twisting from side to side. The pot didn’t budge. She began shouting. “Help! Help! Help!”
SnaredbySaber Page 9