Saber sat on the edge of the bed and in one quick move, had her facedown and draped over his knee.
“What are you doing?” Eva attempted to scramble off but he held her easily.
“Giving you the spanking you deserve for scaring the fuckin’ crap out of me,” he said in a matter-of-fact voice.
His hand came down hard on her buttocks. The sting shocked her, paralyzed her mind again. The second blow dragged a yelp from her throat.
“Stop! You can’t smack me! I’m not a child.”
The third blow came and frying fungus, it hurt.
“You acted like a child.” Smack. “You put yourself in danger.” Smack. “I probably have gray hair sprouting as we speak.” Smack.
Oh, flibbergidgit, that hurt.
Smack.
He shifted her slightly, changed the angle of the blow. It still hurt—but a surprising jolt of heat went through her. While she was considering that, he struck her again. Another different angle.
Flying Finnian bats. Along with the slap of pain came another arrow of heat.
“Nothing more to say?” he taunted. “No more excuses?” He punctuated his words with sharp slaps.
“I thought you were in league with the Dearbhorgaills.”
Smack. “I’ve never met them.”
“They could have hired you through a third party.”
Smack. Smack. “I am not an assassin for hire.” Smack. Smack.
Now she’d done it. Her poor bottom smarted. It was hot and tender while her pussy ached with an echo of her pain. She didn’t understand her body’s reactions one bit.
“Anything else you want to say?” he asked, his voice silky.
“Uh…” Her brain had gone blissfully blank and all she could think of was the next blow on her bottom. Would it hurt again? Or would it ratchet up the ache between her thighs.
“Eva?”
There was clear warning in his testy tone. What did he want her to do? Her brain struggled to formulate a reply even as he spanked her again. The pain arced over her buttocks and to her needy core. Without thinking, she raised her buttocks.
Saber gave a hard laugh. “Eva?”
He wanted her to do something, but what? He was angry because she’d run away, caused him to worry and had almost died in the cooking pot. She got that. In hindsight, she hadn’t acted wisely, but he’d kidnapped her. What was she meant to think?
Smack.
Tears sprang to her eyes, a direct contrast to the edgy sensation, the almost pleasurable sensation that tingled in her pussy.
“Eva?”
Finally, finally something clicked in her mind.
Frying fungus. He wanted her to apologize.
Smack.
“Ow, I’m sorry. Is that what you want to hear? Do you think I enjoyed being an ingredient in a stew? It wasn’t my idea of a good day out. My birthday, and one I’ll never forget.”
“Your birthday?”
“Yes, well, the day I celebrate. I don’t know the real date of my birth.”
His hand settled on the hot skin of her buttocks and stroked. “Not the most gracious apology I’ve ever heard.” An odd note colored his tone. “But I guess it will do.”
He turned her over, and her gaze went straight to his face. The horrid man was trying not to laugh.
“It’s not funny.”
His humor slipped away. “That’s my point. I was worried about you. If I’d arrived twenty minutes later you’d have been dead.”
Contriteness bloomed inside her. “I know. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t do it again. Talk to me,” Saber said. “Know that I will never hurt you intentionally.” He lifted her and placed her facedown on the bed. “Stay there and I’ll get the medi-box.”
She sank into the mattress, her backside aching, her pussy aching, her feet aching. A fair portion of her body throbbed, now that she thought about it.
Saber returned to her side and sat. He opened the medi-box and grunted. “They have the good stuff. Expensive.”
The cooling touch of the gel on her backside made her groan in appreciation. “That feels so good.” Already the tightness and heat were retreating, the tiny healing nanos in the gel doing their work.
Saber rubbed the gel into bruises, cuts and the lingering spots caused by hot water. He treated the backs of her legs and her feet. “Turn over for me.”
Eva rolled, feeling more relaxed than she had since leaving the resort. Saber continued to minister to her until all the achy pain left her body. “Would you like me to do you?”
“Later.” Saber grinned. “After food. My stomach feels as if my throat has been cut.”
“Charming.”
“What do you want to eat?”
“I don’t mind. Anything, as long as it’s filling.”
Eva watched Saber rub the healing gel on his body, but he didn’t have many ouchies. She stared openly, allowing herself the thorough visual tour she hadn’t before. He had a strong body, a fit one with sculpted pecs and ridges that went down his belly. His cock thrust out in an impudent manner, the ruddy head glistening. Someone was thinking about sex.
Someone else, she amended silently. That was her one remaining ache—a sensual one that seemed to bloom and grow with every lingering peek at his hot body.
“I should move,” she said.
“Stay there. Let me get you something to eat and drink.”
Saber wandered over to the cool cube. Her mouth watered at the idea of a decent meal. While she enjoyed fruit, she didn’t want to eat it for days on end. She thought about her favorite dish, with hot spices and vegetables and noodles. Frying fungus, she could practically smell the fragrant spices cooking.
“Drink this,” Saber said, handing her a glass of water. “You’re dehydrated. We should have drank water as soon as we arrived.”
She downed the liquid. “What are you cooking in the hot cube?”
“I don’t know. I picked a meal and put it inside to heat.” A ding signaled the end of cooking, and Saber went to retrieve it. “Take a seat and I’ll serve your meal.”
Eva glanced down at her naked body. “I’ll grab a robe first. I’m sure I saw one in the other room. Do you want one?”
“Why not?” he said. “Let’s do formal and dress.”
Eva grinned at his casual ease with his nakedness. “Just because you and your people go around naked, doesn’t mean I need to follow suit.”
“But the scenery is so pretty.”
He actually meant that. It gave him pleasure to look at her. No one, not even Pryce, had complimented her on her appearance. The closest she ever came was “scrawny”, and she was even scrawnier at present. She plucked a turquoise robe off a hanger and rifled through the clothes until she came upon a green one, just a fraction lighter than Saber’s eyes. Perfect.
Robe donned, she ambled back to Saber, her limbs, her breasts becoming heavy under his close scrutiny.
“Very pretty,” he said, his gaze drifting down her body, garbed in the form-fitting robe. “Have a seat. Dinner is served.” He gestured at the table.
“That’s my favorite meal!” she said.
“Mine too,” Saber said, indicating a plate with a big steak. “Want some beer or would you prefer wine? They actually have a bottle of wine from Earth.”
“I’d love some,” she said, her stomach gurgling in anticipation. “I can’t wait. I have to taste this.”
Saber settled opposite and handed her a glass of the wine. “No need to wait.”
The taste of the familiar spices danced across her tongue. The vegetables were cooked but still crisp while the noodles were better than any she served in her restaurants. She swallowed and groaned. “That is delicious.”
“My meal is good too,” Saber said after swallowing a mouthful of meat. He cut open a food she hadn’t seen before. It was white inside and had a crispy skin. He added a thick, white, creamy substance and a knob of butter to the white part and sprinkled on a chopped green herby plant. �
��Vegetable,” he said with a lazy smirk.
Oh, my fruity starters. She wanted to eat him. The sex part of his equation was looking better and better. The ache in her pussy, the throb in her breasts—they were transmitting urgent communications to the rest of her body. She lowered her gaze, stared at the cooling vegetables on her plate.
“Eat up,” he said. “You’re going to need your energy.”
She jerked her gaze up and got lost in those incredible eyes of his. Way too easy to imagine waking up to those every solar day. Way too easy. This path of thinking—it wasn’t good for her.
Enjoy, the logical part of her brain whispered.
Enjoy, the temptress inside her crooned.
Enjoy.
“Do you like the wine?”
Eva started and his brows lifted, silent humor dancing in his gaze. She grasped the glass and took a swig.
“Hey, that wine costs a bomb on Earth. I imagine with import taxes that it costs a small fortune here. Sip. Savor.”
“Ah, sorry.” He was right of course. She took a sip and let the liquid sit on her tongue before swallowing. Hints of tropical fruits, sunshine. Delicious. “It’s good.”
“Do you think we should attempt to make some here?”
“You know how?”
“My family owned vineyards on Earth. We all know how to make wine. It’s a matter of growing the vines. We have some in stasis, along with several other Earth plants, and could import more at a price. The soil looks suitable.”
“You should make wine,” she said. “Make it exclusive to your resort and charge a premium for it. Play the nob factor.”
“Nob?”
“One who thinks they’re better than anyone else and expects to have the best, and shoves the lower levels’ noses in the fact they can afford luxuries.”
“Ah,” he said. “I like it.”
Feeling less jumpy, she set about demolishing her meal. Saber did the same, and for the first time in days, her hunger subsided.
“Dessert?” Saber asked.
“What do we have?”
“I’ll surprise you.” Saber removed their empty plates, poured her another glass of wine and tipped up her chin to steal a kiss. She was still tingling all over when he swaggered to the cool cube and pulled out something white. When he set it in the middle of the table, she saw the top was studded with juicy red berries and something else resembling shards of syn-choc.
Saber sat at the table and cut into the dessert. “Pavlova. My favorite dessert.” He slid a dish over to her and served a larger portion for himself. “It’s crunchy on the outside with a fluffy center. The meringue is always covered with cream and decorated with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, and slivers of dark chocolate. My mother used to make one for my birthday every year.”
Clear pleasure shone on his face. Happy memories.
She didn’t have many of those.
“Don’t.” Saber reached for her hand and laced their fingers together. “Life is what you make of it. In the future, you’ll think of today and the pleasure we found in being clean and safe, eating our favorite foods and drinking glasses of celebratory wine. When we think of pavlova, we’ll both smile.”
As always, his touch made her heart race, her world right. “Do you think your mother would give me the recipe for the pavlova?” She imagined making Saber’s favorite dessert and presenting it to him on his birthday. If she had the recipe she could experiment, find substitutes in order to make the dessert. She could—
Frying fungus. No point imagining the future. They didn’t have one. Not together.
“Yes, if I ask her. Try it.” He cut into the hard outer shell with his spoon, scooped up a little of the topping and a glossy berry then held it out to her. “Open up.”
Eva’s heart beat a little faster, and her hot spots set to tingling again. She opened her mouth and closed it around the dessert, sliding it off the spoon. Sweetness from the white contrasted with the tart berry. She swallowed, her eyes sliding to half-mast while she catalogued the textures and flavors. “Delicious.”
Saber gestured at her plate with his spoon. “Enjoy.”
Not a problem. She set about demolishing her dessert, and finally, with her stomach full and happy, she set her spoon down and pushed her plate away. “Thank you.”
Saber stood and held out his hand. With his other, he scooped up both their glasses of wine before leading her to the sleep-bed. He set the glasses down on a bedside unit.
“I want you now.”
Eva sucked in a quick breath, not moving when he unfastened her robe and let it slide to the floor. It landed in a silky whoosh but neither of them took their gazes off each other. Her belly quivered as his stare heated, his eyes lowering to study her mouth.
“I want to fuck that luscious mouth of yours,” he whispered. “I want to suck your tits until your nipples stand out. And then I want to slide between your thighs and take you hard, go so deep you’ll still feel me tomorrow. And most of all, I want to mark you with my scent, so no one is left with any doubt about to whom you belong.”
“You mentioned the scent thing before.” Heat collected in her cheeks at his words, but her mind fastened on the last part of his sensual statement. Belong? He wanted her to belong to him? “I—”
“No,” he whispered. “No more talking.” And he made sure she couldn’t talk anymore by sealing his lips over hers.
Chapter Ten
Saber gloried in her, the way her arms wrapped around his neck and clung to him. She parted her lips and let him explore in the way he’d wanted ever since sliding the spoonful of pavlova into her mouth.
When he lifted his head, he was breathing hard. Urgency throbbed through his veins, urging him to haste. He scooped her off her feet and settled her on the sleep-bed. Fuck, this was gonna be good. A real bed. Soft and clean. No imminent danger.
At the thought, he reconsidered. Best to check.
“I’ll be back in a sec. I want to check outside. Make sure everything looks normal before we fuck.” He wanted to laugh at her deer-in-headlights expression. Nothing like a little bluntness to keep her quiet.
He stalked to the exit and opened the door, the silky robe fluttering around his legs. Darkness had fallen while they’d cleaned up and ate. Distant stars glittered in the sky. He cast out his senses for danger. Insects clicked in the trees. A bird squawked over to his left—not a cry of danger, so he ignored it.
A familiar honk came from nearby. Saber followed the honk and found a large dog-house type structure he hadn’t noticed before—that perhaps hadn’t been there before. Rustling sounds came from inside, plus another honk. At the opening sat a dish of water and another of grain. A blue head poked out the doorway, gave another honk, then retreated.
Saber straightened, frowning. “Interesting,” he murmured, tossing over the events of the evening in his mind. The favorite foods. The fitted clothes. Everything they needed…even for Bluebird. “Curious.”
Shrugging, he listened again and when he heard nothing to disturb him, he strode inside and shut the door. He turned the lock, added a chair under the handle for extra security and returned to Eva.
“Everything okay?”
“Nothing out of place,” he said, dropping his robe on the floor. He crawled onto the bed and started to play. Pleasing himself simply by touching her, testing the areas that made her issue soft sounds of enjoyment.
“Saber.”
“Love hearing my name on your lips, kitten.” He clambered over her and straddled her hips. His hands wandered, shaping her breasts and flicking her nipples. “It’s good to seeing your skin smooth and unblemished. I didn’t enjoy seeing you hurt.”
“I wasn’t keen on it either.” Her voice was husky and breathy, her blue eyes wide and brimming with heat.
He ran his fingertips over her lower lip, gave a gasp when she took one finger inside her mouth and sucked. The warmth she generated reverberated through his entire body, struck his groin with lashes of pr
omise.
“Kitten,” he whispered.
Her gaze went to his and he felt himself swallow. Damn, this woman tangled him up in knots. She was brave, so brave, and didn’t bitch about her fatigue or injuries. And she’d had a shitload of them. He knew because he’d played doctor.
“Take my cock in your mouth.” He pulled his fingertip away and repositioned his body. “I want to feel the same heat around my cock. Feel the slide of it against your tongue.” As he spoke, he traced his dick around her lips. “Open.”
She took him into her mouth, and the wet heat blew his mind. His dick was already primed, but this…this was almost too much sensation. His balls tightened to the point of pain as she prodded and licked the head of his cock. Good. So fuckin’ good.
“Take me deeper,” he ordered.
He shuddered when she complied with no hesitation. She pulled back, took him deep again.
“Can you taste me?”
She hummed around his tip, and he felt the buzz right to his balls. Unable to help himself, he cupped her face, holding her in place while he thrust.
When she made a choking sound, he pulled back. He rolled to his back and dragged her over him. With a firm hand at the back of her head, he encouraged her to recommence her ministrations.
She didn’t disappoint, her gaze snaring his as she lowered her head. She ran her hand up and down his length then she sank her mouth over his cock head. Saber groaned, even though he’d watched her, known the exact moment he’d feel the heat of her mouth again. She explored with her lips, and his heart battered his ribs. A provocative flick of her tongue made him jump and she laughed, even though her mouth was full of his dick.
“Hey, watch it,” he said.
One of her blue eyes closed in a wink. His balls jolted. She slid the flat of her tongue over the underside of his cock. He shuddered with helpless pleasure, her slave, and willing to do anything for her. She bobbed her head, taking him almost to the root, and a dark sound escaped him. It vibrated in his chest, and when she pulled up, he didn’t think he could hold off much longer.
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