Saffron

by Taige Crenshaw

  He was a bit nervous about the maps, but Kade had given him a set so he’d also compare those. With a deep breath, he placed a hand along the cool rock of the tunnel. His mind flashed to the first time he’d pressed Saffron against it and kissed her.

  The vision so real, he felt a bit off kilter. Pushing to his feet, he shook his head to clear it, folded the map back up, and shoved it in one of the many pockets of his cargo pants.

  Rahmon’s radio crackled. Kenric barely spared him a glance when he began speaking the local language. He progressed on and looked at another tunnel entrance. Grabbing the map, he peered down into the darkness, wondering why it wasn’t lit, and made a mark on the paper.

  “What’s this one lead to?” he asked Rahmon when he stood beside him again.

  “Very bad. This one collapsed a few weeks ago when we had a quake. As of yet, no one has gone back down since we cleared out those we lost.”

  He nodded but his attention remained on the map. Putting it against the wall, he handed Rahmon the marker and said, “Mark for me where you found this most recent vein of silver.”

  A few moments later, he took the pen back and capped it. “Thank you.”

  “I have to go back up. There is another matter for me to attend to.”

  “You need me to come with and handle it?”

  “No. This will be my last bit as being in charge. I will make the announcement tonight over dinner that you are the one to report to.”

  Kenric rotated so he could see Rahmon fully. “I want you in charge of a team. All I’ll be doing is overseeing what you do. Don’t change anything else. You’re doing an amazing job here and I’ll make sure Kade knows it. The only thing we need to do is get you a trustworthy right-hand man. That way, the chaos that I saw when I arrived won’t happen again.”

  “You… You don’t want to take over?”

  “No. You need to be able to keep things running smoothly after I leave. I’m only here to oversee the blasting and drilling. When the tricky bit is done, I’m outta here.”

  They began walking back to the shaft. “Where do you go when you aren’t working in a pit like this?” Rahmon asked.

  “I have a ranch in Montana where I raise horses.”

  “Ahh, like your American cowboys.”

  Kenric laughed. “Something like that.”

  “Are you coming up with me?” Rahmon questioned.

  “No. Like you said, you can handle this. I want to check one more tunnel.”

  “The meal will be served in two hours. If you are not back by then I will return and check for you.”

  “I’ll be up,” he assured the man, making note of the time on his watch. “Go on.”

  As the lift took Rahmon back up, Kenric made his way back to the tunnel that had killed some of their team, pulled the flashlight out of his pocket, and began walking along it.

  Almost two hours to the second later, Kenric stepped from the lift and shut the gate behind him. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he removed his helmet and waved at Rahmon as he headed for his tent. He needed to get cleaned up before he ate. Then he would get back to his maps.

  If he was right, he could bypass a big chunk of rock and use some of the older tunnels to get to another facet of the vein. And he liked being right. The sooner he got it done the sooner he could actually make it back home.

  “Man, I miss not living out of a tent,” he muttered as he swept the flap back and entered his temporary home.

  He froze, the material falling closed behind him as he stared across the small area. Blinking a few times, he realised he wasn’t seeing things. Not in the least. Sitting at the foot of his cot was none other than Saffron.

  Her hair hung over one shoulder in a thick braid. She had on a sweatshirt and jeans, with steel-toed boots on her feet.

  “Hello, Kenric,” she said, her raspy alto striking every nerve in his body and making it go into hyperdrive.

  His heart thundered in his chest. Two months. Two fucking months since she’d vanished on him after dropping that news. And now here she sat, cool as a cucumber as if she had every right to be in his tent.

  “What are you doing in my tent, Dr Eshe?” he growled, praying for the strength to not drop to his knees and bury his head in her hair.

  Well, he doesn’t seem very happy to see me. Saffron swallowed as she took her time in staring at the man she’d been unable to get out of her mind from the moment she’d walked into his office and life. He was hot, sweaty, and had never looked so good. Dirt streaked his face and she knew he’d had a long day. She wanted to take care of him.

  “We need to talk.”

  “Why? Didn’t you get what you needed off your chest the day you dropped that shit in my lap and vanished?”

  Yep. Unhappy.

  “You were the one who didn’t accept me,” she said, her own voice hardening.

  “How would you know? You made up your mind the second I approached. It wouldn’t have mattered what I said. As far as you were concerned I was just another lying human.” His eyes flashed icy blue fire.

  His words struck home. Hard. She battled back her instinctive anger and took several deep breaths.

  “I made a mistake about that. I should have given you a chance.”

  He stomped over to her and glared down. “You should have fucking told me,” he bit off before he wrapped his hand in her braid, jerked it back, and kissed her.

  Her synapses went haywire at his masculine and addictive taste. He still smelt of smokiness and warm amber. Kenric dominated her mouth until she sagged limply against him. Her body pulsed with longing and she could barely find the strength to wrap her arms around him, holding him as close as possible.

  His gaze burned her when he yanked back. “You better take us somewhere no one can hear or this camp is going to get an earful.”

  She didn’t even bristle about the order, just did as he said.

  “Where are we?” he asked when they appeared.

  “Sārez Köl,” she replied gesturing to the lake and mountains. “In the Pamirs highland region. Don’t worry, we’re still in Tajikistan.”

  Kenric didn’t even glance at the area—all his focus was on her. He gathered her close and made short work of undoing her braid so her hair fell free around her. “Two months,” he growled before he took her mouth again. The kiss was so intense it made her toes curl. “Two fucking months and not a single word.”

  “We need to talk, Kenric.”

  “Marry me,” he said around spine-tingling kisses.

  “What?” she pulled away and stared up at him.

  His eyes belied the calm exterior he showed—they flared with passion. Thick lashes gave him a hooded look as he watched her with a predatory gaze. “You heard me, Saffron Eshe.” He took a step closer and curved one strong hand around her upper arm. “I did some research on you,” he said.

  Her skin felt like it burned from little pinpricks of fire that danced along every exposed surface. She wasn’t quite sure what to make of his words. Was it good or bad that he’d checked her out?

  “Did you?” she questioned.

  “I did. Seems to me you are more than just a lover of nature. You are also love and beauty. People invoked your name for matters of the heart, fertility, beauty, and even self-esteem.”

  He had done some research. His fingers touched her upper shoulder where the tattoo resided. Heat pooled in her core at the caress. It didn’t matter that it was through the sweatshirt—he touched that which meant so much to her.

  “So why, Saffron, do you not allow yourself to love? I know you love me. You wouldn’t have said it if you didn’t. But I don’t get why you ran. Am I not good enough for a goddess?”

  By the gods, she was about to melt into a puddle here and now. “I was angry,” she said, locking her knees to stay upright.

  “Hmm.” He dropped his hand and walked away, going to the edge of the blue waters of Sārez Köl. “Why are you here?” he asked without turning around.

  She
worried her lower lip as she ambled up behind him. Side by side, they stood overlooking the calm waters, which held a perfect reflection of the surrounding mountains.

  “Kade sent me.” She shrugged. “Guess he figured they needed a fucking rock doc.” She caught the twist of his lips before he smoothed it away. “When I landed, I knew you were here.”

  He faced her. “How?”

  She reached for his hand, only to stop before actually touching. “Do you trust me?”

  “Yes,” he replied immediately.

  His eyes held hers as she took his hand. “This is what I feel when you’re near me.” She allowed him in to share her feelings. From the look on his face, she knew he could feel it too—the fire burning in her veins, the electricity skating along her skin, and the echo of his name in each heartbeat. Ken-ric. Ken-ric. Ken-ric.

  His gaze smouldered as he stared down at her. “Every time?”

  “Every time,” she confirmed. “Since the day we met.”

  He flashed her a rakish grin. “Good.” Another kiss sent her eyes back into her head before he set her away from him. “Now that you’re here with me, there will be no more running.”

  “I don’t run.”

  He arched a brow and she sighed heavily.

  “Okay, so I did run. But I came back.”

  “Kade sent you here. Doesn’t quite count the same.”

  “I was planning on tracking your ass down once I finished here.”

  “Were you now?”

  “I was.”

  He pulled her close and wrapped her tight in his embrace. “Why was that?”

  “I don’t want to live without you.”

  “What about when I get old, bald and fat?”

  She laughed. “If you let that happen, it wouldn’t matter. But it doesn’t have to.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Are you saying you can make me immortal?”

  Unease rose in her. “Only if you wish it.”

  “Oh, I wish it, Doc. I wish it.” He cupped her cheek and brushed his lips along hers in a teasing manner. “I did ask you to marry me earlier. What do you say?”

  Joy she’d never felt before filled her up and began to spill over. With barely a thought, she fixed her attire and stood before him in a long, tight dress that exposed her arms. She placed one over her tattoo and muttered a few words. Golden light surrounded her and she moved her hand between them. The streaming light circled and finally settled in her palm. It flared bright and she saw him shade his eyes. When it faded, two rings sat there.

  He reached out and picked up the larger of the two bands. They were black and silver bevelled inlay rings. The silver cut through the middle, and in that had the design of her tattoo. Without speaking, he slid it on his left ring finger and smiled.

  “A perfect fit.” He stroked the side. “What metal is this?”

  “Tungsten.”

  “Strongest metal.” He picked up hers and put it in place. The cool metal warmed immediately as she touched the side of his face.

  “I love you, Saffron Eshe.”

  “And I love you, Kenric Annson.”

  He glanced back at his hand. “Am I immortal now?”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?”

  He slashed his gaze to hers. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Doc.”

  “I’m serious, Kenric. This is not a decision to take lightly.”

  “I’ve spent the last two months wondering where the hell you were and how I was going to find you again. I want to be with you, Saffron.”

  She kissed him. Threw her arms around his neck and plastered her mouth to his. She poured everything into that kiss. His rumbling growl reverberated up her spine and spread throughout her body.

  “Much more like it.” Hathor’s voice floated in her mind.

  Beneath her feet, Saffron could feel the earth settling down a bit. She sighed and sank into the man who held her in his arms. He was everything she could ever want.

  “I love you, Kenric.”

  He drew back and stared at her. “Can we do that? Talk like that now?”

  “There is so much for you to learn, my love.”

  “You have a most willing pupil.”

  “Come, we must go back.”

  He dragged a finger along her breasts. “No time for a quick celebration?”

  “No. You have work to do and so do I. But…we have tonight.”

  His laughter followed them back into the tent. He arched a brow at her but she stepped from the tent, once again dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, leaving him to follow.

  “Kenric!” Rahmon hollered. “I see you found Dr Eshe. I was looking for you, to introduce her.”

  She felt warm all over when Kenric slid his arm around her. “No need for that. She’s my wife.”

  Rahmon glanced between them both. “I…I didn’t know. Kade never said anything.”

  “He doesn’t know,” Saffron put in. “I smell something wonderful.” She brushed by them and headed to the food tent.

  Hearing him call her his wife eclipsed anything she’d experienced before.

  “Plan on hearing it every day, Saffron.”

  She reached for a plate of food and sent him a heated look over her shoulder. “I do, husband.”

  She watched him walk towards her. His swagger unmistakable, his intensity off the charts, and what made it even better was he was all hers.

  Damn right.

  She kept her eyes on him as he strode up to her the rest of the way and kissed her. With a whimper, she fought to remain on her own feet as he pulled away. “Let’s get to work, honey,” he said with a smile. “The sooner we do this, the sooner we get to go home.”

  Home. What a wonderful word, and one that, before Kenric, she didn’t even have in her vocabulary. She had houses. Now, with him, she had a home.

  “I like the sound of that.”

  “Me too, love. Me too. I love you, Saffron.”

  The look he gave her solidified his statement. And she knew the rest of her life would never be the same, but it would be so much better.

  Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:

  Seducing Damian

  Aliyah Burke

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  That feeling was back…again. Barely containing the shiver—although not entirely unpleasant—that coursed through his body and made him weak in the knees, the man cleared his throat and swallowed before continuing with his lecture.

  “Are you okay, Professor?” a student asked from the front row.

  The man nodded his dark head and flashed the students in his class one of his winning smiles. The women longed to have that smile mean more than it ever would. His classes were always full. Both men and women wanted to take his class. He taught with vigour most people didn’t see anymore. He taught about ancient Egypt. Although, truth be told, Egyptian mythology was his true passion.

  “I’m fine, thank you.” His voice was deep and soothing; the sort of voice that could offer comfort or bring immense pleasure, depending on how he wanted it to be heard. Blinking, he put his eyes back on his class. “Now, where was I?”

  “Just about to tell us about the Valley of the Kings,” the same student spoke.

  He grinned and responded, “So I was. Okay.” He swept his gaze across the smaller group study he was doing today. There were only about fifty in this class. Damn, Damian, you have got it made. Then he continued with his lecture. In spite of everything, his love of teaching and his love of the very subject, Damian Memphis Keith still felt that unknown presence.

  As the students were filing out of the lecture hall, Damian began to tuck his own papers in his satchel. A warm breeze blew over him, causing him to look up in suspicion. On the air, the faint scent of lotus blossom lingered, tantalising his nose like no smell ever had, at least not while he was awake. The hair on his body seemed to stand on end as if filled with an electrical current.

  What the hell? Damian shook his hea
d and tried to focus on what he was doing. Instead his gaze was drawn to the far corner of the room. He could barely make out the image of a woman bathed in the sunlight from the large windows. At her side were two lionesses, at least he thought they were, for they were also hard to discern.

  Dropping his papers, Damian rubbed his eyes because he knew there was no way what he was seeing was real. For one, he didn’t know anyone who carried themselves with such presence. And two, he positively didn’t know anyone who had big cats as pets.

  “Professor?” A voice shattered through his haze.

  Inhaling deeply, Damian opened his eyes to see Kathryn Harrison standing before him. She was one of his best students. The only downfall…she wanted much more than a professor-student relationship.

  “Yes, Ms. Harrison? Something I can do for you?” Damian shoved the rest of his papers away.

  “I was just checking to make sure you were okay,” she admitted. “You looked a bit dizzy earlier and just now you were staring off into the corner at something only you could see.”

  Risking another glance to the corner, all he saw was the sunlight filtering in the window. No woman, no cats, nothing. He frowned briefly before he turned his attention back to the woman before him. “I’m okay. Thanks for the concern. I guess I am coming down with something.”

  Damian picked up his briefcase and tossed his leather jacket over his arm. “I will see you tomorrow, Ms. Harrison. Again, thanks for the concern.” Long strides took him up the steps in the lecture hall and through the door.

  * * * *

  “Touch me,” she commanded. The voice was sultry and hypnotic. “Touch me, Damian.”

  If he had half a mind to think of refusing that would have fled under the compulsion he heard in her tone. “Yes,” he murmured and reached through the dark.

  Skin softer than velvet lay beneath his hand. He groaned in pleasure. Sliding across the silk sheets, Damian pressed the length of his body against the one beside him as his fingers sank into the wet folds at the juncture of her thighs. His other hand delved into the thick hair that fell about her head.