Worth

by Shay Savage

  “You have my gratitude,” I said. I nodded towards the large trunk near my sleeping area. “I have placed inside my trunk the necessary documents for the sale of her and her offspring to you, along with enough coin to provide for them. If I fall, retrieve this immediately—before my father learns of my death. Move Aia to your tent and speak nothing of her unless pressed. It would be better for others to assume she had been in your hands for some time.”

  “Of course,” he said. We clasped arms once more before Antonius retired to his own tent.

  As soon as the flap of the tent shielded us from those outside, Aia was quickly by my side and began to remove my armor. She laid it expertly aside before retrieving a bowl of water, warmed by the fire. I watched her in silence as she took a soft cloth, wet it, and began to wash me. She appraised my body with her eyes as she went about her work, and the deep devotion I saw in them brought a smile to my lips.

  It had been like this since the day we arrived at camp. Aia adjusted quickly to her surroundings and took joy in caring for me as if she were my legal wife. The others did not notice her as anything more than a common slave in my eyes, which served us both well.

  With the washing complete, she silently tore pieces of bread from the loaf and slipped them past my lips. It was a silent undertaking and one I found most enticing. Once fed, I retreated to the bed and pulled back the coverings.

  “Come lie beside me,” I commanded. “I’ve been cold and desire your warmth.”

  Aia obliged, dropped her dress to the floor, and then curled herself against my body as I wrapped my arms around her. I trailed my fingers over the flesh of her stomach and breasts as she reached up to touch the side of my face.

  “I feared when you did not return last night,” she said.

  Watching her eyes, I saw her deep concern for my well-being inside of them. The conversation with Antonius played through my mind. I hadn’t considered how much she may have indulged in similar thought and wondered if it was something that worried her greatly.

  “Have no concern,” I said to her as I stroked her cheek. “I will not fall.”

  She nodded, for she would not disagree with me. I toyed with thoughts of explaining to her what I had arranged, but I could not risk it. If she were to tell anyone else, even the child after it was born, it could jeopardize the legality of their sale, and I would not risk such a thing. My father knew nothing of my slave lover, and I would keep it that way.

  Moving to distract her from brooding thought, I brought my lips to her neck and kissed her softly. She responded with tilted head to grant ease of access and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. I moved my mouth up her throat until I reached her ear.

  “I desire the embrace of your thighs,” I said.

  “Anything, Dominus.”

  “Not here,” I whispered in her ear. She was always so careful when she addressed me, I wondered if she sometimes forgot my feelings for her.

  “Faustus,” Aia corrected herself.

  “No, not that name either.” My lips moved back down her throat and I nipped at her skin. “In this bed, I am always Lucius to you.”

  “Lucius,” she echoed. She ran her hands up my sides and over my arms to my shoulders. She tightened her fingers against my skin as I continued moving down her throat with my mouth.

  With practiced touch, I found the warmth between her legs with my fingers, and brought forth her moisture as her hips rocked against me. As soon as her breath turned to panting against my chest, I guided my cock to her entrance and delved into her body.

  I moved slowly, not just to save my strength or for the sake of my exhausted body, but also to give her the full pleasure of my deep penetrations. Only she saw this other side of me—the gentler man who desired nothing more than her company and her warm sex—and only when we were alone inside the tent.

  Moving my hips, I thrust deep inside of her, enjoying her muffled cries of pleasure against my shoulder. I continued back and forth until Aia arched her back. She pressed her head to the sheets as she gripped my forearms and cried out into the cool night air. I followed soon after, muffling a moan against the skin of her neck.

  For many minutes, I held her tight against me. I listened to her breathing as it slowed and felt her light touch over my arms. She soothed me, and the memories of battle violence faded from my head as her touch consumed all thoughts.

  “I want you to be mine,” I whispered in her ear as I trailed kisses up and down her throat. My hand graced over the swell of her stomach, and Aia laid her hand over the top of mine.

  “I already belong to you,” she reminded me.

  “Owning your body is not enough for me,” I replied. I moved my hand to the place right above her left breast. “I want your heart, for that is where your true worth lies.”

  She looked at me, and her eyes shone with tears.

  “It is yours, Lucius,” she said. Her voice broke slightly. “Since the day you first touched me, it has been yours.”

  In my own heart, I knew I could never make it more than this—more than her in my bed as my slave and concubine—but I would do everything within my power to make her feel like more. With every touch, I would show her what she meant to me.

  Her worth was mine.

  ~the end~

  OTHER TITLES BY SHAY SAVAGE

  Stand Alone Novels

  Transcendence

  It’s said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn’t have the ability to comprehend language?

  Ehd’s a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He’s strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it’s obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn’t know where she came from; she’s wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache. Still, he’s determined to fulfill his purpose in life—provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.

  Elizabeth doesn’t know where she is or exactly how she got there. She’s confused and distressed by her predicament, and there’s a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She’s not at all interested in Ehd’s primitive advances, and she just can’t seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant—and often hilarious—struggle.

  With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

  Luffs: a Transcendence Compendium

  Once upon a time, you fell in love with a caveman.

  His needs were basic, his ambitions primal, his love fierce.

  Now, fall in love with Ehd all over again…through Beh’s eyes.

  Luffs—Shay Savage’s holiday gift to Transcendence fans everywhere!

  Talen

  In a world plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic debris, people in the valley struggle to survive while those on top of the hill want for nothing.

  This is where I come in.

  I spend my nights plundering supplies in the walled city of Hilltop, and I trade them to the valley people below. I’m not a thief. I prefer to be known as the head of Lost and Found.

  When I discover a beautiful but dangerous competitor in my territory, I also learn she knows more about me than she should. Is she a spy sent by my father, or is she a rebel like me? I don’t trust her, but together we’ll discover secrets that may destroy what’s left of our world.

  There have always been those with wealth and those without.

  My name is Talen, and I’m here to even the score.

  Deklan

  My father owes a debt.

  I am his currency.

  I’m supposed to marry the recently crowned mafia king of
the Foley family as repayment for my father’s transgressions. I don’t understand why the Foleys would want me, but I’ve grown up in a crime family, and I know the ugly consequences of not doing what you’re told.

  But as the wedding date approaches, the deal changes, and I’m about to be wed to a man I know nothing about. In fact, I don’t even know his last name.

  Instead of becoming a mafia princess, I’m marrying the henchman.

  Deklan.

  After one look at him, I’m not sure I’ll survive the wedding night.

  Offside

  I have to be the best. I am the best. I’m quick. I’m strong. I’m smart. I’m the star keeper of my high school soccer team, and I’ve got major leagues scouting me. As their captain, my teammates will do anything I say—on or off the field. Girls practically beg to be added to my list of conquests. As long as I manage to go pro for the best team in the world, I won’t have to worry about my father’s wrath.

  I’m Thomas Malone, and I’ve seen to it that the world revolves around me.

  There’s a new girl at school, and it’s just a matter of time before she gives in to my charm. This one’s just a little more stubborn than most—she won’t even tell me her name! She’s smart, too. Maybe too smart. I can’t let her in. I can’t let anybody in. I’m not too worried, but even I have to admit she’s interfering with my focus on the goal.

  Dad’s not going to be happy about that.

  Did I mention I love Shakespeare? Yeah, I know. I’m a walking contradiction. According to the Bard—“some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Somehow, I got all three.

  Now how is anyone supposed to live up to that?

  Alarm

  Safe and comfortable. That about sums up Chloe’s life. Meeting a tall, dark stranger covered in tattoos is not in her plans. Bad boys just aren’t her type—even if they are gorgeous and built like a brick wall. Her internal alarms warn her that Aiden Hunter is definitely on the list of men her mother told her to avoid, but she doesn’t listen. Instead, she finds herself drawn to Aiden and the excitement he promises.

  Near the beach in Miami, he occupies her days with thrills and her nights with passion she’s never experienced before. She knows he’s hiding something from her, but Chloe pushes away her concerns and embraces this new way of living.

  As Aiden teaches her to live life to the fullest, Chloe battles the internal warnings that tell her to be wary. By the time she realizes her fears may be justified, it’s too late.

  Aiden’s past is catching up to him, but is he the hunter or the hunted?

  Commodity

  A woman hunted by human traffickers.

  A hot and dangerous bodyguard.

  Utter destruction.

  The end of civilization.

  The beginning of a new form of currency.

  Women are now the highest COMMODITY.

  Specimen

  I awaken in a laboratory.

  I don’t know who I am.

  I’m inexplicably drawn to the doctor who cares for me. She tells me I’ve been altered, that I’m stronger and faster, that I’ll be a key component in a war that has all humanity at stake. She says I volunteered for this. She says I volunteered to be transformed, but I have no way of knowing if what she says is true.

  Something isn’t right. My memories have been taken, wiped clean, but dreams begin to slip into my conscious mind. I can’t let anyone know when that happens, or they’ll remove my memories again. Somewhere inside of me, I know I need to remember something important.

  I’m fighting a war I don’t understand, and the one woman I rely on can’t be trusted.

  Judging Books

  The debutante path is a fairly straight track: who you are, who you associate with, and whose label you are wearing become priorities. They define you. They are the aspects by which you are judged.

  Ashlyn’s world has been one of enlightenment and finesse, and now she is ready to take on the financial world at her father’s company just as he had always planned. Her future had been scripted long ago, but a chance meeting with a beautiful boy on a bicycle gives Ashlyn a new outlook on life.

  Ethan is far too young, far too tattooed, far too pierced—just far too everything—to ever fit into her world. He has issues, too—major ones. Ashlyn knows he will never be accepted by her friends, let alone her overbearing father, but there is something about his live-in-the-moment outlook that keeps drawing her back into his arms.

  Ashlyn must make a choice. Can she forgo the family dynasty and live life to the fullest with this fascinating but damaged young man?

  Outnumbered

  I’m not exactly the social type. After spending most of my formative years in prison, I prefer an isolated existence in the wilderness of Canada’s Northwest Territories, making what little cash I need guiding tourists to the best hunting grounds. I have no desire for company; I crave solitude instead, especially during the subarctic winter months, but what am I supposed to do when I come across a woman in distress? I can’t just leave her to die in the cold, and a storm is on the way.

  So now we are confined to my secluded cabin, and I quickly realize there’s something not quite right about Seri—or is her name Netti? She switches moods faster than a snowshoe hare changes direction. In fact, I’m starting to think there’s more than one person behind the mystifying woman’s intense, green eyes.

  Physically, only two of us are trapped inside the rustic cabin, but I still feel outnumbered.

  Win Some, Lose Some

  For Matthew Rohan, every day is a struggle. Each task others complete without thinking is a challenge for him. Recently orphaned, he has to finish the last few months of high school and take care of his disabled sister on his own.

  When Mayra comes into his life, his comfortable routines implode. Matthew can’t handle change, but Mayra is unrelenting in her quest to understand him, to show him acceptance and maybe even love. When she breaks through his shell, Matthew’s world will never be the same again.

  An awkward boy with Asperger’s Syndrome, a persistent girl who pulls him out of his isolated existence, and a lottery ticket that will change their lives forever.

  Socially Distanced

  Locked away in an isolation facility in Atlanta, Sean exists but doesn’t really live in his silent, bleak environment. When Kendra moves into the quarantine pod next door, Sean finds meaning in his life again. Separated by a wall, they can only communicate across a balcony, and she helps him find some creative ways to relieve the tension and monotony. Together, they’ll find a new normal.

  Worth

  An injured Roman Tribunus finds comfort in the touch of the slave commanded to tend to his wounds. As a slave, her value is measured as a couple of coins, but as Tribunus Faustus learns more about her, he begins to understand her true worth. Still, a man of his station can never acknowledge feelings for a slave, and she is already owned by another man.

  Savaged

  Four tales never before published by USA Today bestselling author Shay Savage.

  An executive in need of some temporary release. A Dom looking to cleanse his soul. A twisted college encounter. A PA and a terrorist’s unlikely meeting during an office building takeover. Four alpha males just waiting to fulfill your fantasies in these hot short stories.

  Are you ready to be Savaged?

  Includes:

  Same Time Tomorrow: Executive Julian Reddick is tired of his brand of hand lotion but doesn’t have time to date. What’s the solution? Call in a “nooner” from a high-class company of ill-repute. Valerie Woods is exactly the distraction he needs.

  Cleansing Bonds: A Dom who had hurt the one he loved and an abused sub looking for release. Both are sure they will never be able to find what they need, but they find healing with each other.

  Encounter: On a weekend night near campus, a college girl walks home alone from the local bar. Who is watching her f
rom the shadows, waiting to take advantage of the situation?

  Want No More: Olivia’s new job takes an unexpected turn when terrorists take over her office building. Olivia is taken hostage, but Adam, the sexy head henchman, seems to be exactly what Olivia desires.

  BONUS STORY

  What I Want (Want No More from Adam’s POV): Adam Lebourn’s life for the past three years has lead up to this point, but to exact his revenge on the man who ruined his life, he is going to have to rely on a decent amount of luck. He never expected his good luck charm to appear in the form of a beautiful, submissive PA.

  Savage Kinkster Series

  One Night in a Storm

  Two university students thrown together in the midst of a raging storm, one a Shibari expert, the other an instinctive submissive.

  As the flood waters rise, so does Kasinda’s panic. When she allows Cree to use his expertise to ease her fears, she finds herself healing from the trauma of her past.

  The floodwaters may soon subside, but their passion for each other is just beginning to grow. Cree may be the rigger, but it’s Kas who has his emotions in knots.

  One Night in a Dungeon

  Rocco, isolated by his horrific past and imprisoned in the impenetrable cage of his own mind, knows how damaged he is. Resigned to a lonely fate, he finds solace in the bonds of a shibari rigger’s ropes.

  Casey is determined to use her newfound rope skills to break through to the flawed, submissive Rocco. She knows her dominant personality and newfound expertise will benefit the young man, but her own childhood trauma may jeopardize teaching the anxious, introverted virgin the more intimate ways of rope and endanger the promising relationship between them.

  One night in a dungeon, two broken souls will be bound together.

  Surviving the Storm Series:

  Surviving Raine

  As the captain of a schooner catering to the elite on the Caribbean Seas, Sebastian Stark does his best to avoid any human encounters. Interacting with people isn’t his thing, and he prefers the company of a bottle of vodka, a shot glass, and maybe a whore. There’s no doubt he’s hiding from a checkered past, but he does well keeping everything to himself…