by Tina Gayle
* * * *
Frantic with desire, Marohka jerked their mount to a stop. She required more than a few appetizers. Only his touch could satisfy the hunger eating at her soul. With a gasping breath, she tore his hands away and reared up in the stirrups. “I can’t wait. I have to have you now.”
With one foot out of the stirrup, she would’ve turned and landed back in his lap, if he hadn’t slid from the saddle. He caught her around the waist and lifted her to the ground. His hard body beneath her fingertips, he quivered at her touch. His pulse leaped. She threw herself at him, with no other thought but him in her head.
He caught her against his chest. Her hands raked through his hair while his lips claimed hers. The sweet taste demanded more, and he plunged deeper into the warm recesses of her mouth. She wrapped herself around him. Her arms circled his neck. Her legs locked around his waist. She couldn’t get close enough.
* * * *
On fire, Stihl wondered if a man could explode from need. They tumbled to the ground. He rolled so his body took the brunt of the fall. He tangled his hands with hers, and he helped work his coat free of her body. Her hands skittered over his flesh, which raised goose bumps in their wake.
With his coat lying beneath her on the soft grass, he didn’t remove her shirt but found her breast with his mouth through the fabric. She arched beneath him sending her pelvic bone up against his groin. Little murmurs of pleasure sounded in her throat.
He attempted a slow seduction to draw out her pleasure, but he couldn’t wait. His body demanded its own release. Freeing her from her clothes, he settled between her legs. His lips and rod poised at each of her seductive lips. “I want to share your light.” He covered her mouth with his and slammed his hips forward.
He claimed her, driving her closer and closer to the dark abyss. Tiny tremors signaled her climax. On the rim of the passion cliff, he wrapped his hand around hers. With one leap, he sent them both over the edge into the light of bliss.
Chapter Eleven
Melody birds sang a sweet hymn in the distance. Scented pollen filled the air. The warm heat from the two suns encouraged Marohka to remain unmoving on the crisp grass. She was exhausted. Her mind raced with activity.
The joy of blending with Stihl sent a pulsating energy through her system. Emotions and memories that were foreign to her flashed in her mind. His thoughts and feelings merged with hers.
A radiant peace flew on feathery wings into her heart. The light they entered after their joining created a glow of happiness she’d never experienced before. The bond seeped into her system and found cracks in the armor around her heart. What she wanted from her career fought with what she needed in her private life. Could she have both?
Not possible. But right now, lying in Stihl’s arms, she believed she had the strength and courage to make it happen. Her head resting on his chest, the steady beat of his heart sounded strong and reassured her of their future. Even if she had to give him up somewhere down the line, no one could ever take away this moment.
Breathing in the sweet smell of clover, she recalled each detail. Heated by a wildfire of passion, they’d stripped each other of their clothes. His shirt torn, dials popped off and disappeared in the grass. They’d appear worst for wear when they rode into camp. The reminder needled her into moving.
She lifted her head. His gaze greeted hers. But before she spoke, he placed his finger over her lips.
“Don’t say it. I know we should keep moving.” He traced her lips, and his eyes darkened. “But you have to feel how much I need you. We won’t make it to the mine without having to stop again.”
The desire reflected in the black depths sent a shiver of desire over her skin. Heat spread to her toes. He wanted her. It may not be love, but it felt so incredible she didn’t care. A chance her heart demanded she take.
He rolled her over onto her back and pinned her to the ground. His weight rested on his forearms.
She slid her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through the curly hair at his nape. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Why?”
The blue sky glowed clear and bright beyond his shoulders creating a world full of light. A familiar glow echoed through her mind.
“Well . . .” She played with his dark hair, letting the silky strands trail through her fingers and drew out her answer. “I think”—she lifted her head and nipped at his lips playfully—“I should be on top.”
“Next time.” His hot urgent mouth crushed hers, keeping her from voicing any other objection.
* * * *
Marohka caught sight of the Trisar camp in the distance. The rough area consisted of one main building, which sat in the center of a number of smaller buildings. A large open space sat in front.
In the summer, the courtyard offered an array of colorful wildflowers. The men used the area to play games and hangout. But at this time of year with it barely spring and still cold, the area lay empty. Dead red grass covered the ground.
A corral sat at one end of the complex away from the buildings. Both the alba-oxen and the hover-jets shared the same space. The trail ended right next to the cote. No animals or jets were allowed beyond that point.
The camp located in one of the few level areas near the mountains, resided between the mine and the valley floor. The two suns rose over the mountains and set in the valley behind them. Wildlife roamed freely. A river, fed by runoff from the mountains, provided fresh fish as it wove its way through the landscape. A winding path to the right led to the canyons, to the left the path back to Central City. Fresh mountain air blew on the breeze, singing a sweet song of peace. No place in Lustralia could compare with this beauty.
“Where have you been? I’ve been expecting you for a few zitons,” Cyd said, approaching them. The rough gravel crunched beneath his feet.
“We got a late start.” Stihl helped her off their mount.
The early spring wind whipped her short feisty hair across her vision. The blissful smell of caffleck floated in the air. Her stomach gave a low grumbling noise. Not letting the aroma distract her, she turned to Cyd the moment her feet touched the ground. “Which cabin has my things?”
“Cabin one.” Cyd added, “Colorful eye patch by the way.”
“Good.” Impatient to change into her clothes, she rushed by him and didn’t wait for him to point out the hut.
She’d been to the camp a number of times and knew her way around. The unchanged, weathered buildings were made from the rare material of trees. The rustic color of the cabins blended with the gray background of the mountains in the distance.
The chirping song of a grape bird welcomed her, but the absence of men’s voices struck her as odd. At this time of day, people generally stood around the compound. Today, she caught sight of no one on her trip to the cabin.
She surveyed the main building, which housed Guilio’s office, the kitchen, and the rest-din area. The men ate their meals and spent their downtime there. No one stood at the doors. No sound came through the open doorway. The washhouse stood next to the main one and showed no life signs. The miners’ cabins lacked any activity around them either.
Only the voices of the men following her could be heard.
“Marohka’s clothes were covered in alba-oxen blood, so I had to destroy them,” Stihl said.
She arrived at her assigned cabin, opened the door, and walked in without waiting to hear Cyd’s reply. On one bed sat her bag. On the other lay someone else’s things. Rummaging through her clothing, she picked out a pair of slacks and a thick top. Then she turned to the two men who stood outside the door.
“I’ll be out in a minute.”
Stihl nodded and shut the door.
She slipped out of her clothes and took in the inside of the cabin at the same time. The bed, where her things sat, looked comfortable enough. She admired the batt on top.
The pattern of colorful squares created a picture of the surrounding landscape. Someone’s wife must have spent hour
s working on the design. The other bed held the batt’s partner. Between the two beds stood a heating unit.
The walls glistened with the natural color of the unstained wood. No pictures marred their surface. Shutters covered the lone window. The closed door barred the only means of escape from the wood box. The eerie feeling of being confined rushed her through the task of changing clothes.
After she slipped on her blouse, she noticed the things on the other bed appeared to be Cyd’s. Was this his room? With the limited space available at the camp and her being Stihl’s mate, they were forcing the three of them to bunk together.
She stepped into her shoes and threw Stihl’s coat over her shoulders. Marohka opened the door.
“They’re not sure what happened,” Cyd said.
“Why was he in the tunnel alone?” Stihl’s forehead wrinkled in thought. A worried glint swam in the depths of his brown eyes.
“What’s going on?”
Stihl grabbed her hand and drew her close to his side in an attempt to offer her comfort. Her mind instantly went on alert. “It seems one of the miners got caught in a cave-in. They’re not sure exactly what happened.”
She jerked away from him and turned to Cyd. “How could that happen? There are strict rules about the supports we use. There should be no reason for a cave-in.” Then an evil thought struck. “Are they sure it was a cave-in?”
Cyd hedged. “Well, they’re not exactly sure what happened. The miner’s body was found under a number of boulders.” He folded his hands together like a tent. “And one of the supports looked to be compromised.”
Cyd shook his head. “Guilio is not ruling anything out. From what I gather, there’s been a number of problems occurring at the mine.”
“I better talk to Guilio. We need to get to the bottom of this.” She marched toward the main building with determined strides.
Stihl grabbed her by the shoulder. “Wait up there an iton. Guilio is at the mine.”
She turned and shrugged his hand from her shoulder. “Then I better head for the mine. Something is going seriously wrong, and I need to put a stop to it right now.”
Stihl gripped her waist. “No, Marohka, you should stay here with Cyd.” His glare drilled into hers and issued a warning. “I don’t want you getting into any more trouble.”
Her anger ignited. Heat burned her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She stomped her foot on his boot to emphasize her point. “Let go.”
His hold tightened.
“It’s not my fault the alba-ox decided to walk off the side of the cliff,” she snapped.
“That may be true. But with the strange behavior of your alba-ox and you being poisoned at the theater, I’m not taking any chances,” he argued.
Marohka blinked back her confusion. “What are you talking about? I thought I drank too much at the theater. I wasn’t poisoned.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter. Just stay here with Cyd while I go check this out.” Stihl offered her a quick peck on the cheek and released her. “Please.”
She shook her head. “I don’t like this.”
“I know, but do it anyway.” His gaze begged her to do as he asked for once.
“Stihl, it’s my job to . . .”
“That’s right, and taking care of you is mine. Now, stay put.” He turned to leave.
“But, I should be there.” She disliked the idea of him going alone.
“Not until I’ve checked it out.”
She fumed and marked his steps to the corral. No man alive could make her madder. Noticing his bare chest, she called out, “Wait.”
When he paused, she rushed to him, slipped the coat from her shoulders and handed it to him. “It’s even colder up there. You better take this.”
His smile melted her insides. He slipped into his coat. “Thanks for not fighting me on this, Marohka. I need you to be safe.”
This time, his kiss wasn’t quick. The flavor just beyond his lips drew her in, making her want more, need more, demand more. When he would’ve pulled back, she stepped closer seeking a deeper connection, reassurance. His kiss soothed her ruffled nerves, and she forgot for an iton everything but him. Her world narrowed. The joy and pleasure found in his arms filled her soul.
After he ended the kiss, she opened her eyes to the soft velvet brown warmth of his. The dark pool of desire tugged at her heart. He shifted his gaze to a point just beyond her shoulder. “I have to go.” Reluctantly, he loosened his grip, and his arms slowly fell to his sides. He kissed her cheek. “I’ll return as soon as I can.” He stepped back.
“I should go with you,” she said, ready to argue her point. “I—”
“No,” he interrupted. “Cyd, watch her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”
“Sure thing.” Cyd’s fingers circled her biceps. “Come on, Marohka, why don’t we find something to eat?”
In response to his idea, her stomach rumbled, but she didn’t step away. Her gaze followed Stihl. He walked to the cote and mounted a hover-jet.
“If you’re not back in a ziton, I’m coming after you,” she yelled.
The sleek machine hummed to life with a soft groan. He didn’t turn or wave. She called out to him in her mind, quietly pleading with him for the right to accompany him.
* * * *
Stihl revved the engine to a low buzz before setting the craft in motion. Unable to trust himself to glance back at Marohka, he pressed forward. She’d be safer at the camp with Cyd.
The hover-jet’s speed quickly ate up the distance between the camp and the mine. He wished for the zillionth time that the machine could travel over ridges along the canyons from Central City. But the air jets needed a consistent flat surface. If it strayed more than a zit off the path, the hover-jet would fall to the bottom of the ravine.
The jets couldn’t fly more than a few leg-lengths from the ground. But once on a flat wide surface the machine raced over the ground with little danger to the rider, perfect for getting across rough terrain.
In the distance, the mountains shielded the valley. Their snow-capped peaks gleamed in the sunlight. Boulders, both large and small, blocked his path, but the jet passed by them without a bump. This same trek would’ve taken him more than a ziton to travel if he’d been on foot or the back of an alba-ox. The hover-jet completed the trip in under a few itons.
Once near the mine, Stihl noticed a group of men gathered around the entrance. The dark cavernous mouth of the cave stood behind them. The sound of his approach alerted a few men, and they turned. Guilio broke away from the group.
“Hey, Stihl, see you’ve made it.” He held out his arm in customary greeting. “How’s Marohka?”
Stihl stepped off the jet and gripped Guilio’s forearm. “She’s fine, just a slight concession.”
Pointing to the mine in front of him, Stihl inquired. “How about you? I heard you’ve had a little excitement.”
“You could say that. This mine here is nothing but a dark, evil witch. She tempts a man with her enticing favors then kills him with her black heart.” His aged face furrowed in disgust. “She’s trouble with a capital T.”
“Did you find out what happened?” Stihl paid no attention to the older man’s ramblings.
“No. From what we can tell, it looks like a damaged support collapsed and caused the other support to buckle. It could’ve happened at any time. Zook happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Stihl lowered his voice so as not to be overheard. “Was the support sabotaged?”
Guilio shook his head and tugged a thin brown stick from his pocket. “Can’t say. That support beam could’ve been damaged at any time.”
He offered the stick to Stihl. With a wave of his hand, he declined. The strong flavor of a chew stick repulsed his taste buds, and the supposed calming effects gave him headaches.
“Hate to think one of my boys did this.” Guilio bit down on the stick in his mouth. With a worried look over his shoulder, he finishe
d with a shrug. “But you never know especially if the price is right.”
“What are you going to do?” Stihl wondered if the mine would shut down because of the inquiry.
“Not much I can do, other than report it to the authorities. Zook’s family lives in Central City. They want his body sent there.”
“Is communication back up?”
“Yes, Hank sent us the part we needed so that’s one less worry.” The stick moved to the other side of Guilio’s mouth. “What about you? Your offer ready?”
Stihl glanced around, gauging the distance between him and the nearest set of ears. “I’m ready when you are.”