SnaredbySaber Read online

  “I bet they had fun informing you of the fact.”

  Eva recalled the smug, superior expressions on their upper-class faces and cringed. It hadn’t been her best day. “The second loan payment is due next solar week. If I don’t make the payment, I’ll lose everything. Pryce worked so hard for those restaurants. All his sacrifices will be wasted.”

  “You worked hard too.”

  She shot Saber a swift glance. “I owed him.” But it was the truth, she realized. She’d put all her energies into Pryce’s vision. She’d discovered she had a head for business, the killer instincts that made for success—except when she’d signed that loan document. But she’d been worried, out of her mind with grief. She still missed Pryce. His intelligent mind. His ready smile and good humor. His friendship and the way he listened to everything she said.

  “I’ll make sure you get to Dalcon,” Saber said. “Two or three days should see us back at the resort. We’ll fly to Dalcon and take care of your business. Do you have the money to make the payment?”

  Eva chewed on her lip and considered lying. No. She’d tell him everything. “I have the money, but when I knew I was leaving Dalcon for a few days, I…I set a trap. The Dearbhorgaills have done everything possible to disrupt restaurant operations. My staff members quit without warning, my stock shipments go missing. We have break-ins. So many problems.”

  “Do you think your trap will work?”

  “I hope so. It’s not long until the third and final payment is also due. With all the disruptions it might prove difficult to make the payment.”

  “And if you can establish the Dearbhorgaills are behind the problems?”

  “It might make a difference. As long as the law and judge aren’t in the Dearbhorgaills’ pocket.”

  “I think we can work around that,” Saber said. “They won’t expect you to have allies. Go to sleep now. We have a couple of long days ahead of us.” He pressed a kiss to her temple even as her eyes fluttered closed.

  He believes me. That was her last thought as she tumbled into sleep.

  * * * * *

  “Wake up, kitten.”

  “Saber?”

  “I’m here. Are you ready to go? How are you feeling?”

  Eva stirred, pushing to her feet. The skin on her arms and legs was still faintly pink and a little sensitive, but other than that, she felt fine. “I was lucky you came.”

  Instead of answering, he leaned over, closing the distance between them to press his lips to hers. A slow, sensual nibble later, she sighed. Frying fungus, he was good at kissing. Of their own volition, her hands curled around his neck, fingers tangling in his black hair to hold him in position.

  He lifted his head, stared at her with his green eyes, then he confounded her by pressing his forehead to hers and rubbing their noses together. The tender action made her heart pitter-patter and she issued a lustful sigh. They didn’t have time—she knew it—but she wanted him with an intensity that wouldn’t stop.

  “We’d better go,” he repeated. He pulled back but reached for her hand, curled her fingers in his and started walking.

  She followed, reveling in the intimacy, so innocent, yet it made her heart race, her blood roar like a Salim banshee. Her breasts tingled and a whoosh of sensations converged in her pussy. She’d never felt that for Pryce.

  An arrow of guilt struck center-front. Her grip tightened on his fingers and he cast a quick look in her direction.

  “Something wrong? Do you need me to carry you?”

  “No, I’m fine.” The man kept giving. He hadn’t lost his temper with her even though, in hindsight, she’d behaved stupidly and put them both in danger.

  The jungle around them was alive with sounds and life. She caught the occasional flicker of tiny furry creatures dangling from upper branches and others swinging from tree to tree. A group of golden-colored birds with bright-red beaks squabbled over meg-fruits, a type of spicy fruit with white flesh. She yanked on Saber’s hand and grabbed a couple. Along with appeasing her hunger, they’d freshen her mouth. She hadn’t considered the state of her breath when she’d kissed Saber earlier. Too shocked by the emotions coursing through her mind and body.

  “These taste good. Lucky I’m with a food expert. I wouldn’t have known which were safe to eat.”

  “I believe a lot of the fruit on Dalcon is imported from Tiraq.”

  “Is it now? Maybe we should look at growing fruit as well as vegetables. Could you help us with that?”

  “Of course,” Eva said, her ready reply shocking her. Dalcon was her home, the sole refuge she’d ever known. Apart from a quick break after she’d married Pryce, she hadn’t left Dalcon until Casey surprised her with this holiday.

  Saber’s smile was white and bright against his tan, his obvious approval lighting his green eyes. She gazed at his handsome face, and it dawned on her that he hadn’t sprouted whiskers since they’d been away.

  “You don’t have a beard.”

  “It’s a shapeshifter thing. We don’t grow hair on our faces.”

  “Or other places.” She made a quick gesture with her hand in the direction of his groin.

  His grin turned toothy. “I didn’t think you’d noticed.”

  “I noticed.”

  He came to a halt by a pool of water. “This is it. I’ve checked it for nasties. There’s nothing in there to harm you, not even any of those fish.” His eyes twinkled. “Anything else you want to ask?”

  “Do your women have litters?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Multiple births aren’t uncommon. Mostly twins and occasionally triplets, but never more than that.”

  “And are they like you?”

  “All shifter offspring are born with the ability to shift. In recent years, not all have survived the first shift—at least they didn’t until we discovered diet plays a big part in making sure the right hormones are present.”

  Eva nodded, wanting to ask more questions but deciding to leave her queries until they stopped for the night again. During the day, they needed to go as fast as they could.

  As if he could read her thoughts, he said, “We’d better have our swim and get moving. Want me to wash your back?”

  Her gaze narrowed. Washing backs led to other things. “I thought you were in a hurry. We are in a hurry.”

  “We can spare an extra ten minutes. A quickie,” he added, humor lurking in his pretty eyes.

  He hadn’t smiled much when she’d first seen him. A shame when he wore smiles and grins with such a rakish air.

  “Take off your shirt.”

  “What’s left of it,” she murmured, already following his order.

  “I’m enjoying the glimpses of your breasts.”

  “Oh.” A compliment. She wasn’t sure what to do with it. She threw the shirt into the water, but left her socks hanging over a bush.

  Saber dived into the pool and surfaced, droplets of water sparkling on his face. “Feels good.”

  It did, the water cool against her skin. She sighed and started washing herself. Such a pretty spot with the morning solar light and the tiny clearing, the sparkle of the jade-green water. It would be so easy to laze away the hours here.

  Saber splashed, attracting her attention. “Come here,” he said. “I promised to wash your back.”

  “You could fuck me too.”

  Her blunt words appeared to startle him.

  “Maybe you were expecting a battle to get me to agree? I’m past that now,” she explained. “You make me feel good. Sometimes very, very good.”

  He rubbed his chin. “Very, very good, huh? I’ll strive for excellent.”

  She laughed, more at herself than him—because in that moment, she realized she was falling for him. This constant upheaval of her emotions—

  No!

  She didn’t love him. She couldn’t. It wasn’t possible, not when her life was on Dalcon and his was here on Tiraq.

  “Eva? Kitten?” His gaze was quizzical.

  “Nothing.” S
he wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed closer. His cock thrust out, ready to take her, ready to give her the pleasure she’d come to crave.

  She wrapped her legs around his waist, opened herself to his touch, and he didn’t disappoint her. Nimble fingers delved, rubbed, teased.

  “Does that hurt?”

  “No, my legs were the worst. I kept trying to jump out of the pot.”

  “Good job,” he said. “Never make it easy for the enemy. Never give up. Never say die.”

  “We think the same way.”

  “We do,” he said, the cocksure smirk one of male victory.

  “Rub me right there,” she demanded.

  His finger slid over her clit, a smooth massage, her hot flesh a contrast to the temperature of the water surrounding their bodies.

  “What about here?” He slipped a finger inside her and rubbed a bit of flesh. She shuddered, closed her eyes, cried out and came instantly around his finger.

  “Beautiful,” Saber said.

  She opened her eyes to find him smiling at her.

  “Let’s do that again before we get moving.” He held her tightly while piercing her with his cock.

  He stretched her in a delightful way, filling then cradling her body while he did all the work. He drove up, thrusting and retreating. So, so good. Perfect. The threads of pleasure started to wind through her body again, twisting and turning until they knit into a huge ball. She reached down to touch her achy flesh and rubbed hard.

  “Good, kitten. Take what you need.”

  Her finger froze. She hadn’t even considered what he might think. She was so used to taking care of herself that she naturally—

  “Don’t stop,” he ordered. “I enjoy watching you, feeling your fingers against my cock.”

  “B-but…”

  “Nothing you do is wrong, kitten. Touch me, touch yourself,” he whispered, his breath hot against her neck.

  He received pleasure from being with her, and she…she liked him way too much for peace of mind. A recipe for a freakin’ fungus of a disaster.

  His thrusts were faster now. Harder. He groaned, the sounds close to a catlike purr. He kissed her skin, lightly nipped at the spot where shoulder met neck.

  His teeth. They seemed sharper, longer…

  “Ready to come for me, kitten?”

  Eva rubbed her clit furiously, the stirrings of pleasure pushed to prominence by his sexy voice. Frying fungus, she loved his voice, his body.

  She exploded, her fingers digging into his shoulder for purchase as he slammed into her. Once, twice. On the third hard plunge, he stayed planted deep, and she felt the contractions of his cock as he came.

  Saber lowered his head and kissed her. Their lips brushed in lazy unison. A slow and thorough kiss that she felt clear to her toes.

  “We’d better head out.”

  She sighed inwardly. “I’ll just give my shirt a quick scrub before I put it back on.”

  A short while later, Saber rubbed the gooey plant substance on the worst spots on her arms, legs and feet, then she dressed—as much as one could in a shirt and socks—and they set out on another long, exhausting walk.

  * * * * *

  The next day followed in a similar fashion. They walked and walked and walked, the only variable being the scenery and the colors of the plants and creatures. Bluebird followed them, sometimes going off to graze but always returning to spend the night by their side.

  During the highest heat of the day, they rested and had slow, sweaty sex. They ate different types of fruit and once, Saber left her to go hunting for meat. She didn’t partake of the feast.

  Now evening was drawing in once more and they were looking for a safe place to spend the night.

  “Are those buildings?” Eva asked, pointing at a hill.

  Saber looked in the direction she indicated. “Looks like ruins. Maybe a deserted village. Want to check it out?”

  “It might work for tonight’s camp.”

  Nodding agreeably, Saber reached for her hand and headed for the hill.

  “It does look deserted,” Eva said once they stood in the middle of the ruins. “I wonder what happened to the residents.”

  “Maybe the birds got them. The plains would make for easy hunting.”

  “Don’t tell me that.”

  “Don’t worry.” Saber studied the plains below and pointed to a sliver of jade green in the distance. “Look. That’s the coast. We’re almost there. If we leave early tomorrow, we should manage to reach it before the thermals make it easier for the birds to fly. We’ll get you back to Dalcon.”

  In the face of such confidence, she wasn’t going to argue. He hadn’t failed her yet. “Thank you,” Eva said.

  “Now—which one?” He gestured to the buildings, many of which were collapsed by trees or had bushes growing inside them.

  She and Saber wandered around the different dwellings then rounded a corner. One building stood in the center of what would have once been an open square. Now a profusion of colorful flowers filled the space around it, but the building appeared intact.

  “That’s weird. Stay here while I check it out.”

  Bluebird honked, one of an inquiring nature.

  “I don’t know,” Eva said. “Oh look. There’s an opal tree. The fruit is so expensive. She picked several before returning to the spot where Saber had left her.

  His face sported a frown upon his return.

  “Is it terrible inside?”

  “No. Come and see.”

  He took her hand—a habit she was coming to enjoy—and led her around the building and inside.

  “It smells as if the owners have been gone for a while.”

  Eva gaped at the luxurious ruby syn-silk fabric covering the low sleep-bed, the gold and ruby pillows, a tray of food and drink, the cool cube with its solar light indicating it was on and cooling the contents. A hot cube. A nook in which to eat.

  This was so much like the poor-girl dreams she used to have when she slept rough on the streets, before she started working at the restaurant in the market.

  There was even a small med-box. Maybe she could apply healing salve to her myriads cuts, bruises and burns. She opened a door and found a luxurious cleansing room and another offshoot, which appeared full of clothes. Some glamorous and others more practical. And footwear!

  “It has a sanitizer! And clothes. Clothes that would fit me! Do you think these people would have transport? We could pay them to take us to the resort. I wonder where they are.”

  “I checked on the other buildings. They’re all ruins. Derelict.”

  “Do you think the residents will return tonight?”

  “There’s no scent trail—either in or out of the building. It’s as if someone put the stuff here and transported back out with a travel-beam.”

  “What about inside? Is there a scent here or maybe in the cleansing room?”

  “Nothing.”

  Eva stared at him, her frown echoing his scowl. “That’s a little peculiar. What should we do?” A part of her realized she was asking his advice instead of acting independently, as was her normal manner.

  Saber’s brows rose, almost as if he were reading her mind. He gave her a quick flash of grin and her lower belly—and her pussy—pulled tight. Whether in alarm or desire, she decided she wouldn’t examine her response too closely.

  “What do you want to do?” he asked in a silky voice.

  Chapter Nine

  Eva didn’t break his gaze. “I want to strip off what’s left of this shirt, the socks and jump into their sanitizer. Once I’m squeaky clean, I’ll treat my injuries and eat some of their food and drink. Then, tomorrow, if our gracious hosts haven’t returned, I suggest we leave an IOU for the hospitality. Now you.”

  “I’m up for your plan, as long as it includes bed and some hot sex.” Saber smiled again, the green color of his eyes so pretty in his masculine face, she stared harder. It was like dropping into freefall.

  Sexy and brutal. A
little scary.

  Liberating.

  A laugh started to build deep in her gut. It exploded from her throat in a sound of pure joy. “Last one in the sanitizer is a rotten stink egg.” She sprinted for the cleansing room, and once she was through the door, she flung off her shirt and stooped to roll off her socks. They landed with a thud on the tiled floor.

  Saber was right behind her, his boots already hitting the floor. He grabbed her by the shoulders before she slipped into the sanitizer and hauled her around to face him. His eyes were even greener than normal, and she giggled—actually giggled—the carefree sound astonishing her. She ceased her struggles and let him draw her close. He licked a slow line down her neck, his tongue rough against her tender skin. He licked his way back up, stopping near her ear. “A cat loves to stalk its prey,” he whispered.

  His hot breath sent a shudder through her. She wasn’t sure how to take his murmured words. A threat? A promise? “Is that a good thing?”

  “It is if there’s sex involved.” He used his finger to tip up her chin and placed a gentle kiss on her upturned lips. “Do you trust me, Eva? Will there be sex?”

  “Yes.” Heat bloomed in her cheeks when she realized she hadn’t hesitated.

  Saber reached past her to power up the sanitizer. “In you go.” He gave her a gentle shunt and crowded in behind her before closing the door of the unit.

  “I don’t think—”

  Saber’s mouth came down on hers. This time his kiss was hard, almost savage. His arms were tight around her, and she felt the pressure of his hard length against her belly. His tongue slid into her mouth and dueled with hers. He ravaged her mouth, his hands wandering, teasing, a little groping and lots of stroking while the sanitizer performed its wash, rinse and dry cycles.

  When he opened the door to the unit and let them out, she felt sparkly clean and her knees were acting up. She staggered, and Saber chuckled.

  “Food, I think.” He plucked her off her feet and carried her over to the platform sleep-bed in the other room. “But there’s something else we need to deal with first.”

  “What?” Eva pushed her befuddled mind, gave it a swift mental kick to help it reset. Clear as Dalcon mud. “Oh, you mean the medi-box. It’s over there.”