by Nocturne
She was still too slender, too fragile looking for his peace of mind, no matter that she carried around a huge chip on her shoulder. He remembered with amusement the way she’d easily laid him on the floor the first time they’d met.
Still, the roundhouse kicks she demonstrated and then traded with the other women were impressive.
Not that he’d watched her all morning long. Just as they’d planned, he’d broken away after the pole competition and wandered through the keep, with the premise of checking on their horses.
One of the servants he’d eaten with at the morning meal sidled up beside him. “Your mistress,” he said, aiming his chin toward Fari. “She fights well. You must be proud to serve her.”
The way the man eyed her in her sleeveless, knee-length tunic made Caleb stiffen. Her breasts were unbound, as were all the other warriors’. Still, in his estimation, her body was the most attractive. Lean but curvy.
He alone knew just how soft all that dark, creamy skin was. “I am proud.”
“Does she seek to increase the number in her employ?”
Caleb gave the servant a hard glare.
The man held up his hands. “If you two have an accord, I’d not overstep. But it isn’t unusual for the warriors to seek additional lovers. Their appetites are quite large.”
Caleb growled. “She’s more than satisfied with the servant she has.” When he realized he was jealous of the other man’s interest, he winced inwardly. The last thing he had a right to be was jealous. Sleeping with her the night before had been recreational, not something he considered personal.
He hoped like hell she knew that, too. Still, they couldn’t have men sniffing around her, not if they hoped to search for the fragment of the medallion without suitors trailing them everywhere.
When he turned back to the women, he found the group was breaking up. Fari clasped the wrist of one warrior, then another as they thanked her for her instruction. When she loped toward him, she was smiling.
“You enjoyed that?”
“I did,” she said, her dark eyes shining. “I trained Amazons.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Never gonna hear the end of that one, am I?”
Her own eyebrows made a devilish waggle. “Who else will I ever be able to tell? Gotta get it out of my system now.”
“Hey, I let it slip that we’re…um, exclusive.”
She gave him a questioning glance.
“Just so you wouldn’t have to fight off applicants.”
“Applicants?”
“To be your love slave,” he deadpanned.
She laughed and raised a goatskin bag, aiming a stream of water into her mouth. Sunlight hit the stream and sparkled on her lips. Caleb groaned inwardly, wishing he had the right to lick off the drops.
“Stop doing that—looking at me like I’m on the menu,” she said, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth.
He grimaced. He hadn’t realized he’d been so transparent. “What’s on the agenda now?”
“The midday nap, a Scythian siesta. The women are heading to the baths.”
He leered deliberately. “Can I help you with yours?”
She glanced at him quizzically. “That’s actually not a bad idea. If we make a show of our…devotion…we’ll have an excuse to slip away from the festivities early tonight. But I really would like to take a look at the Greeks’ boat first. Their gear.”
“See if anything points to company of an alien kind?”
“Exactly. Having a Greek nosing around her chambers is alarming enough, but if he’s Centaurian, we may have a bigger problem.”
Fari slipped her tunic over her shift, then stepped into her trousers. He bent and handed her the boots.
“You’re pretty good at this.”
He chuckled. “Sugar, I’m even better at takin’ em off.”
The Greeks’ boat was a wash. If a Centaurian was among them, he hadn’t left anything anomalous to point to him.
Remembering that Professor Carswell had described headsets that served the same purpose as the AIM crown that she’d used to send them back in time, Fari sighed as they made their way from the pier. She’d hoped finding their competition would be easier than this.
As they walked across the narrow wooden slats, the same Greek she’d nailed at dinner the night before sauntered onto the dock, his gaze narrowing as he caught sight of her.
“You have to let me handle this,” Fari whispered to Caleb.
“Not a chance.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “Someone will see. I have to do this on my own. Stand back.”
She braced her legs apart as the man approached.
He halted in front of her, then, ignoring Caleb’s presence, moved closer still.
Fari hated having to tilt back her head to meet his hard, dark gaze.
The man lifted a hand and set it on her hip.
Fari didn’t flinch, just gave him a thin smile. “Did I not demonstrate clearly enough that I am not one you may molest?”
“Send your northern dog back,” he said, crowding her legs with his knees. His hand slid down to her backside.
Caleb muttered something behind her, and she knew she’d better handle this before the cowboy waded in.
Fari tilted her head, looking up at the handsome Greek from beneath her lashes. She lifted a hand and scraped her nails through his longish, dark hair.
Nope, no invisible headset. Didn’t mean he didn’t have one, just that he might have stashed it somewhere for safekeeping. She leaned away when he aimed a kiss at her mouth. And then turned, pulling him hard to roll him over her shoulder and into the water.
She didn’t bother looking back. Caleb’s feet stomped behind her.
When they left the dock to head back to the palace, he laid a hand on her shoulder.
She halted, rolling her eyes. “You do know I could have you on your ass in under a second.”
Caleb gripped her hips and ducked under an awning.
“What are you doing?”
“Making it look like you couldn’t wait a second to get a little lovin’ off your slave.”
“You’re an ass.”
His mouth landed on hers, hard, then immediately softened, caressing her lips in slow, drugging circles.
Starved for air, she drew back, blinking.
“Did he have a headset?” Caleb whispered.
He’d done that to find out what she’d learned? She should have been relieved that he was still focused on the mission, but part of her wanted to yank his hair out. However, two could play at this game.
“No headset,” she said, sliding a leg between his and walking her fingers up his chest. When she reached the gaping V of his shirt, she slid her palm inside to rub the hair on his chest.
He caught her wrist and dragged her hand out. But she was already tucking fingers under his tunic, trailing a fingernail up his thigh.
When his eyes bugged, she laughed and stepped back. “Did you think all that posturing on the dock wouldn’t have any consequences?” She said it loudly.
His gaze quickly darted left, then right. Fari suppressed a giggle. They didn’t really have any company, but he didn’t need to know it.
She turned on her heel, giving a little extra bump to her grind as she led the way back to the palace.
Caleb didn’t mind standing behind Fari, trailing her every move through the hall, while Hippolyta’s favored ones partied with the Greeks. Fari was among the favored this night, dressed in an off-the-shoulder robe like the other women wore. Several of the Amazons had allowed the folds to trail from the shoulder to beneath one breast, but thus far Fari hadn’t gone entirely native.
A good thing, since the sight of her when she’d stepped out of their quarters wearing the thin, dark red silk had nearly sucked all the breath from Caleb’s lungs.
She’d found it among the items packed inside the saddlebags that had time-traveled with them.
A heavy gold broach held the gown in place at her shoulder.
Around her waist she wore a braided rope, the tasseled ends of which featured gold charms in the shapes of a wolf, a bear and a fish.
But nothing shone as brightly as the excitement in her eyes as she’d lifted her skirt to show him the pretty sandals completing the outfit.
“Didn’t you play dress-up as a little girl?” Caleb had asked.
“One of my favorite things to do. I once dressed in a sheet like a Roman toga. This is much prettier.” Fari gave him a sideways glance. “Not so bad yourself, cowboy.”
He’d grimaced and stared down at his own plain knee-length, blue robe. “Easy access,” he drawled.
Laughter bubbled up. “Just remember to keep near. I’ll pretend the drink got to me and get frisky.”
He chuckled.
A blush had painted her lightly bronzed cheeks. “That’ll be our excuse to leave early. We need to get to the queen’s chambers.” Fari had pulled on his robe to force him to bend toward her. “And I’m not wearing any underwear, slave. Anything comes loose…”
“Oh, I’ll stay close, darlin’. No one’s seein’ what I’ve been playin’ with.”
Even now, while she mingled with the women, he scanned the crowd, looking for the man on the dock, the one who might be Centaurian.
Fari moved away, but Caleb kept her in sight. When a sultry laugh rang out, he turned in time to see one of Theseus’s randy men grab an Amazon’s breast. Fari was right. This wasn’t a shy bunch. Social mores were very different here.
When one woman passed him, flirting from beneath her lashes, he gave her a smile that froze when her hand drifted over his crotch. His gaze shot to Fari and he raised a brow, asking silently, What are you going to do about it? He was curious to see whether she’d accept the challenge.
She scowled before striding over to him. “I saw that,” she whispered, sliding her hand into the crook of his elbow. Her fingers pinched him hard. “You shouldn’t have encouraged her,” she said more loudly.” Remember, you belong to me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he whispered into her ear as he drew her closer, grinning at her possessiveness. She let him pull her in, snuggling her butt against him. Something was different about her tonight.
More relaxed with him, she let him ease her closer, allowed his hands to smooth down her sides and cup her hips.
“That’s good,” she said. “We can slip away in a little while if you keep that up.”
Oh, he’d have no problem doing that. He pushed his cock against her backside and felt her shiver.
“That robe hides a multitude of sins,” she groaned.
“It’s no sin, sweetheart.”
From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Hippolyta leading Theseus through the crowd.
The queen made a beeline for Fari. “I’m disappointed I couldn’t join the women this morning,” she said, smiling. “But I hear you have much to share with us. I hope you will both be staying.” Her gaze shifted to Caleb, her gaze hungrily spanning his shoulders, then rising to meet his. She arched a brow. “Are you so devoted, Celt?”
“Completely, my queen.”
“Such a shame.” Hippolyta sniffed and moved on, followed by Theseus, who gave Caleb a deadly glare.
“I wonder if Theseus’s man is really a Centaurian or whether he just craves the belt for himself,” Caleb said, bending toward Fari’s ear. He licked her lobe and nibbled there until her head canted.
She sighed, her hands covering his on her hips. “Good point. I may be imagining monsters where there are only greedy Greeks.”
Gazing over her shoulder, he could see her nipples beading against the silk. “Think we could leave now and not be missed?”
A shrill laugh sounded as one of the Greeks loosened an Amazon’s robe, and it tumbled to the floor, leaving her nude.
Unabashed, the woman whirled and wrapped her arms around the man’s neck.
Laughter rose, and Fari’s breath caught. She turned inside Caleb’s arms. “I think now is good.”
He noted that her skin was flushed and her eyes sparkled. He grasped her buttocks, lifted her to her toes and kissed her until they were both breathless.
She pushed against his chest. “I think that will do it,” she said, panting.
“Not even close,” he muttered.
Her smile was sultry as she gazed up at him. “Hold that thought. Mission first.”
But when the mission was complete, they’d be through. They would activate their cuffs and be transported back to the time jump laboratory, once again lieutenant and noncomm. They’d both be on planes bound for opposite ends of Iraq..
His hands tightened and he bent again.
“Caleb?”
He closed his eyes. “Mission first,” he said, nodding, wishing she felt even a fraction of the confusing emotions roiling inside him. If she did, she wouldn’t be so eager to see this end.
Chapter Five
Leaving behind the raucous party in the hall, Fari pulled Caleb by his hand as they sped toward the steps leading to the second floor.
“Wait,” she said, drawing him into a shadowed corner. Then she reached inside herself, conjuring a vision of herself and Caleb hurrying down the corridor toward their room, should anyone be looking.
“Damn eerie,” he whispered beside her. “Hey! I look pretty good from the back, too.”
She snorted and turned to let him see her roll her eyes. Then they rushed up the steps while she flared again, blocking them from sight.
As they approached Hippolyta’s chamber, Caleb’s fingers wrapped around Fari’s wrist.
Seeing his alert expression, she felt a shiver of dread slide down her spine. “What do you see?” she whispered.
“We’re not the only ones here.” He jerked his chin toward the door, to indicate that someone was inside the queen’s chamber.
They both reached for the curved blades they’d strapped to their legs. Then Caleb pushed her back and entered the room.
On his heels and fuming, Fari entered in turn, going right when he went left, throwing a flare to hide them from the man rifling through a trunk beside the queen’s large, four-poster bed, tossing jeweled necklaces and silky robes behind him. It was the same Greek Fari had encountered at the dock.
Behind the filmy curtain of her flare, they crept closer, but Caleb’s next step made a floorboard creak.
The man at the chest whirled, an ornate golden belt in his hands. His gaze narrowed as if he was trying to penetrate her visual shield.
The very thought shocked Fari. No one had ever detected it before. Suddenly, she felt a force battering her, and she raised her hands, punching at the air to hold the flare in place. But it was weakening, shredding around her and Caleb.
Dagger raised, Caleb leaped past the shield, launching himself toward the Centaurian. But the man just grinned and placed his hands around the amulet at the center of the belt.
His body shimmered, glowed, and then winked out—along with the belt. Which answered the lingering question of whether the belt held any special powers.
“Dammit,” Caleb said, stopping his forward momentum with a hand against the far wall.
Next, footsteps sounded outside the door. Caleb and Fari shared a charged glance. If they were caught, there’d be nothing left to do but activate their cuffs, the mission compromised.
She motioned for him to stand beside the door as it opened, creating a quick flare to melt them into the plastered wall. Fari held her breath, her fingers gripping Caleb’s forearm.
Theseus walked in backward, laughing, with Hippolyta waltzing after him. But when she glanced up, she shoved the Greek aside and stormed to her chest.
“Guards!” she screamed.
Amazons rushed into the room, crowding around the queen.
Hippolyta’s features formed a fierce scowl. “My belt’s been stolen. Lock the doors of the palace. Send sentries to the gates. If he knows how to use it—”
“How can you be sure it was a man?” Theseus asked.
Hippolyta�
�s eyes flashed. “You’re right. The new girl. I saw her leave minutes ago with her Celt. Find them.”
Fari grabbed Caleb’s arm and pulled him behind her. They fled down the stairs and along the corridor, hearing footsteps stomping behind them. They made it to their door before the guards turned the corner.
Inside the room, Fari ripped off her gown. Caleb tore away his robe. Then they both dived for the bed.
When the door swung back, slamming hard against the wall, and guards charged inside, Fari crawled off the mattress, breathless, but hoping they interpreted it for another reason.
Hippolyta swept inside. Her gaze went from Fari to Caleb. She stalked closer to the bed and threw off his covering.
Caleb opened his arms.
Fari glanced behind her and cursed, but needn’t have bothered. Caleb sported an impressive erection. His gaze followed the monarch’s eyes downward, and then he gave her a thin, one-sided smile before placing his hands behind his head as though it was an everyday occurrence to be rousted out of a bed during lovemaking.
“What’s happened, my queen?” Fari asked.
Hippolyta’s head swung toward her. “All Amazons are gathering in the hall.”
Fari, though nude, crossed an arm over her waist and bowed. “I’ll dress and be there momentarily.”
The guards and the queen backed out of the room. The door closed.
Fari turned to eye Caleb. “Do you suppose we were saved by a hard-on?”
Caleb winked. “I’ve been this way all evening. It was that damn gown and the thought of easy access….”
Fari snorted and shook her head. “Let’s get to the hall. All hell’s breaking loose, and we need to be in front of it.” She slipped his tunic and trousers from a peg and tossed them at him, then quickly started dressing in her own warrior’s gear. “I guess we know the artifact is the real thing.”
“But did it allow him to flare, like you do? Or did he actually…”
“Teleport?” Fari sighed. “Hell if I know, but he sure seemed to understand exactly how to use it.”
“So he’s our Centaurian. But without his navigator’s headband, or he would have used it to get back to his ship rather than activating the belt. He can’t leave without it. I doubt he’d have it stashed very far from here.”