All the while, those vivid green eyes never left her, but surprisingly she didn’t feel fear. Curiosity. Puzzlement. Yes. But if he’d intended to kill her, she figured he wouldn’t have attempted to save her from the bird.
“Stop staring. It’s rude. Besides, it’s your fault I’m stuck in the middle of the forest in a ripped nightgown.” Standing around wouldn’t save her ass, and he obviously didn’t intend to add to the conversation.
Eva glanced both ways, slapping at a red bug that landed on her bare arm. The forest appeared thinner to the right. While she could see the sense of sticking to the trees in case the birds returned, she’d end up covered in bites and scratched to pieces trying to force a path through the thick wall of plants. Better to take the easy way and keep checking for hovering birds.
Eva forced her aching muscles to action and headed to the right, picking her trail through the heavy undergrowth. She stumbled and limped over the rough terrain but at least it was progress. Way better than crying “woe is me” and waiting for rescue.
“Where the devil are you going?”
Eva halted, turned around. The cat-man had changed forms again and now stood in front of her. Naked. Every single striking inch of him. Her gaze hit his wide chest, bulky yet very touchable. Unaccountably, heat rushed to her cheeks. He bore a mass of sculpted muscles on his tan upper body. The enticing definition extended down his torso, a muscular ladder tempting her to touch. Preferably with her mouth. Lower still, his hips were narrow and his cock…
She blinked and ripped her gaze away.
“Enjoying the sights?” His gravelly voice held a hint of challenge.
A shiver zapped her, becoming a blaze as it shot south. Her mind went on a holiday—a byproduct of thumping to the ground. It had to be. That was the only explanation for her girlie reaction. It was all too easy to imagine him whispering in her ear, his hot breath misting across the whorls as he murmured sexual suggestions.
Whoa! She was getting way ahead of herself. But heck, his cock—it was growing before her eyes.
Flying Finnian bats.
His soft laugh jolted her, stopped her from toppling deeper into disturbing territory. She gasped, the sharp intake of air whistling through her teeth, and she jumped back several paces, away from temptation.
But her gaze continued to drift. She was looking at it again. But touching would be plain stupid. There was a term for women who fell for their kidnappers.
He caught her staring again, chuckled louder, and the joyous sound reminded her of Pryce. Her husband had possessed a great laugh, one that invited everyone to join in with the joke.
No! Focus, you ludicrous lady lump. It didn’t matter how pretty he was, how much she craved physical contact or how her mind taunted her with the idea of having sex with him. He’d kidnapped her, was likely on the payroll of the Dearbhorgaills.
Casey had assured her that sex with one of the gorgeous resort employees would leave her relaxed, battle-ready and in the perfect mindset to kick Lady Almeda Dearbhorgaill’s ass. When she saw her friend again, she’d tell her she had been mistaken. Eva felt weak-willed and puny, and that was from only thinking about touching.
“I know how to use it.” His words were a seductive whisper, implicit with promise. His dark brows rose, the tilt of his grin full of challenge. Gamboling griffins, one look at him told her he’d be happy to demonstrate how his equipment worked.
“I’m sure you do.” She aimed for dry and dismissive. “And maybe, if we were back at the resort in a nice comfy sleep-bed, I’d consider playing with you. But right now, every muscle in my body is screaming foul. I want a bath and clean clothes. Medi-serum on my cuts and scrapes. Then I’m gonna contact the authorities and press charges against the idiot who kidnapped me from my cozy room. Was it you?”
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
“For the love of St. Bridget, why?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
As she’d thought. The dastardly Dearbhorgaill duo hated her guts, hated her success, hated that she dared to remain in the same city and rub their aristocratic noses in her achievements. “I’ll pay you more to let me go. I’m a wealthy woman. I can afford to double your fee. Besides, my friend will have raised the alarm by now. She’ll be searching for me.”
“We need to get moving. You’re walking the wrong way. We need to go that way.” He made a jerking motion with his thumb.
Eva had seen that expression before—one of male smugness and supreme confidence. She didn’t waste her breath and turned away from him to limp in the direction she’d chosen. This was an island. She’d keep moving, maybe find a river or stream. Eventually she’d arrive at the coast or maybe she’d come across a settlement, where she’d offer payment to anyone who could get her off this island and away from the crazy cat-man.
Casey had said the island was a large one. A pity she hadn’t bothered listening to the facts and figures her friend had spouted, but she’d been busy trying to sort out the menus and arrange staff to cover her absence.
She halted to ask, “How long will it take to get back to the resort?”
“It’s a big island.”
She flinched when a golden long-tailed animal shrieked and leaped from one tree branch to another in front of them. The creature seemed more curious than ferocious, and her pulse rate slowed from crazy fast to something resembling normal. She slid her gaze back to him. “But other people live here, right?”
“I haven’t met them.”
Something in his tone, his expression, sent a surge of fear through Eva. “Give me an estimate. A few hours to get to the resort?”
“Did you see the ravine we flew over?”
“I was too busy screaming.” She needed to get back to Dalcon soon. A few solar days at most. “How long? A solar day?”
He shrugged and picked up his trews. Hellfire harriers, his ass was just as luscious as his front side. She tore her stare away and studied her toes. Much, much safer. She was finding it difficult to concentrate with the visual distraction. No doubt part of the Dearbhorgaills’ plan.
“How long? Tell me.”
He avoided her gaze. “A good while, especially if we run into problems.” He pulled on his clothes, cursed a little when he slid his feet into his boots. “Why do you think we should go this way? It’s in the opposite direction from the resort.”
“You said there’s a ravine. The jungle looks thicker that way.” She gestured. “There don’t appear to be any paths and we don’t have tools. That reason enough for you, cat-man?”
“Saber.”
“Good. Now I know the name of my kidnapper. Time’s a wastin’.” Eva limped down the path, the rocks and twigs on the ground hard on her bare feet. Her ribs ached, her legs felt weak, but she forced her limbs to move. She had to get off the island. It had taken long, long solar months to maneuver her in-laws toward her trap. This might be her one chance to expose them as liars and cheats.
Murderers.
Footsteps sounded behind her, the snap of a stick forcing a tiny eek of alarm from her throat. Her hand covered her thudding heart as she whirled to stare at him.
“Here, put these on. They might protect your feet. You can take my shirt too.” He thrust the clothing at her, his features impassive.
Grateful, she accepted the shirt and pulled it over her head. She hopped on one foot and attempted to pull on the socks. Saber steadied her until her feet were covered, then stepped back, giving her space and a semblance of control. She eyed him with suspicion. “Thanks.”
Kind of weird thanking a kidnapper but good manners never hurt.
“Let me go first.” Saber pushed past and strode in the direction she’d chosen. Eva stared after him, scowling. He slowed, glanced over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”
A raucous howl echoed in the distance, and Eva scurried to catch up. Going off alone in this wilderness didn’t strike her as a good idea. She’d wait until they hit the coast or returned to the resort befo
re unleashing her wrath. After that she’d head straight for the spaceport and resume her normal life on Dalcon.
Sighing, Eva followed Saber through the jungle. She climbed over tree branches. She squeezed past bushes. She winced when sharp thorns clawed at her bare legs. Periodically, the jungle canopy thinned before becoming dense again. Birds—small ones in jewel-bright colors—flitted through the treetops, their squawks ear-piercing as they squabbled over the fat red fruits growing high above their heads.
“How much farther?” Eva asked.
He sent her a withering look and kept walking, placing one foot in front of the other.
Eva had lost track of time since they’d been walking for hours. Hours. She thought of her in-laws, and with each step her fury built. Her battle with them had started because Pryce had dared to do something of his own instead of coasting through life on his parents’ expensive coattails. They’d viewed it as shameful, a slight, and after discouragement and admonishments hadn’t worked, they’d disowned him.
Disowned him for trying to be his own man.
What sort of parent did that? Oh wait. Hers obviously weren’t stellar either, since they’d dumped her as a baby. But neither had they faked affection they hadn’t felt. Her parents—in their own way—had at least been honest about their dislike for her. Pryce’s parents still pretended they loved him, but Eva knew otherwise.
She knew they’d paid an assassin to murder their son.
Tears—livid and painful—shrouded her sight, blurred the bright blue plants while the pain streaking up her legs with each stomp grounded her again, made her determined to see this battle through. Let them do their worst. Kidnappers. Assassins. Bah! They didn’t scare her. She’d get her revenge even if she had to return in an incorporeal form to wreak havoc in their luxurious mansion on Titled Hill.
Light streamed through the canopy ahead and she blinked until her eyes became used to the brightness. At least picking her way along the almost nonexistent path was easier than trudging through the full jungle. Unfortunately, it also gave her a better view of Saber’s ass.
Her foot caught on a concealed stick and she cursed, furious at herself for not watching where she was going.
Kidnapper. Kidnapper. Kidnapper!
She picked herself up and continued trudging after that tight, muscular ass. She’d pretend it was one of those teaser-treats they’d started using in the hell-horse races—an incentive to get the hell-horses moving and racing each other.
A crash sounded in the distance, the echo rolling across the sky and vibrating through the ground beneath her feet. She came to an abrupt halt, eyes scanning the sky. What the heck was that? Another creature? A mythical dragon?
The thunderous noise repeated again, much closer now. A bright flash of light lit the pink sky with flashes of deep rose and scarlet.
“Rain,” Saber said. “We need to find shelter.”
“That’s thunder?”
“Yep.”
Drops of rain started to beat down on the leaves, bouncing off to strike her limbs. Steam sizzled from the hot ground, making the air thick and hard to breathe.
Saber grasped her forearm and propelled her under the shelter of a tree.
She dug in her heels. “Isn’t it dangerous to stand under trees during a storm?” She had a vague recollection of some expert on the vids going on about safety during solar and land storms.
“You want to waltz out into a clearing where the birds might spot us, then you go right ahead.”
“If they were smart birds, they’d go to their nests or wherever they hang out and keep dry,” Eva snapped.
Saber’s fingers bit into her upper arm, forced her to move. The rain made everything slippery and the footing treacherous.
“Stop rushing me.” This was a nightmare, a bad dream, and she’d wake up soon. Everything would be back to normal. She’d be back in her flagship restaurant, training a new chef and steering clear of her in-laws.
“Have you thought about other animals? Predators? Did you notice the prints along the way? The broken branches?”
Holy Finnian bats. “Predators,” she whispered, the word torn away in the splatter of the rain against the leaves. “I was born in the city, lived there my entire life,” Eva raised her voice, her tone a smidge above freezing point. “I know city things. If I’d wanted to traipse around the jungle wearing socks and a shirt, I’d have made sure to include a scary-animal training course in my repertoire.”
The loud crashes continued overhead. The sky darkened to a deep crimson and water started spilling from the sky in hard, icy drops. The clammy humidity dissipated, replaced by cold and wet. The water seeped through her socks, her shirt and through the remnants of her expensive nightgown. It drenched her hair until every lock plastered against her scalp.
Saber kept walking and she traipsed after him, each step an exercise in torment. He stopped without warning, and she plowed into the back of him. His body was as hard as a rock.
“Ow,” she muttered. “What now?”
He pointed at a rocky face, which had an opening. “Shelter,” he said. “We can wait out the rest of the storm in there.”
“What if there’s already an occupant?”
“Then we’ll square off and the winner will take possession.”
“Ha-ha,” Eva said.
“Wait here.”
Eva opened her mouth to argue then snapped it shut. If he wanted to act the hero, let him. She sank to the ground, more exhausted than she’d ever felt after working a full day at one of the restaurants.
A touch on her shoulder shot fear through her. She scrambled back, throwing up her arms in a defensive manner.
“Steady,” Saber said. “It’s me. The cave’s clear. We can shelter in there.”
With a tired nod, Eva clambered to her feet and limped after the sure-footed Saber. The cave held a gamey scent and her steps faltered. Her nose wrinkled and she adjusted her breathing, so she took in air through her mouth. “Are you sure it’s safe in here? What if the owner returns?”
“The scent is a few weeks old.”
“I’m glad I wasn’t here with the beastie then. It must’ve really stunk.” Eva sank to the ground again, shoulders slumped as she peered out of the mouth of the cave. The rain was so heavy there were already tiny rivulets of water rushing to fill dips in the ground.
The thud of a boot against rock jerked her head around. Saber was busy taking off his boots. She didn’t say anything until he peeled out of his trews.
Her hands slapped across her eyes. “What are you doing?”
Chapter Four
Eva Henry was a curious mixture of brave and smart, practical and quirky. She tempted him, made him ponder the sensuality shimmering beneath her protective shell.
Saber grinned, saw her arrested look as she peeked through spread fingers and felt his mouth widen to a full-out smile.
“What are you doing?” she repeated and raised her chin.
“You’re beginning to sound like one of those birds.” At least he’d managed to contact the resort. He’d worried his com wouldn’t work way out here, but now Felix knew not to worry or bother sending out search parties. And as it turned out, his brother was happy Saber had flown off with Eva because he already had his eye on someone else.
A chuckle escaped. Felix was keeping things close, not saying much, but Saber had heard his brother’s happiness. His plan was working.
“Very funny. I told you I’m not interested in sex.”
“What makes you think I am? And you came to a resort that caters to feminine fantasies. How does that work?” Felix told him that Eva hadn’t entered the reality suites or paired up with any of the male employees. That pleased him.
She snorted. “All men are interested in sex.”
It was his turn to grunt. “You might as well tell me. We have plenty of time.”
She aimed a glare at him. “I don’t want to chitchat. I want to go home.”
Saber finished peelin
g off his wet trousers and hung them on a rock. She watched him the entire time with a half-fascinated, half-wary expression that tickled his funny bone. “You should take off your clothes too.”
“No.”
“It was a suggestion for your benefit,” he said. “But if you want to freeze that’s fine with me.” Saber found a place to settle near her, facing the entrance in case any beast decided to wander into the cave. He found his gaze continually drawn to the woman. She’d started to shiver, and he hated to see her suffer.
“Tell me about the resort,” she said. “Who owns the place?”
“My family,” Saber said.
“A family-run fantasy resort? Sounds a little odd.”
Saber hesitated then went with gut instinct. They might be misrepresenting the resort to a handful of women, but he’d give Eva as much honesty as possible. “I won the resort in a poker game on Dalcon. The place was run-down. Not worth much. We needed a home and decided to check it out. My mother was the first one to see the possibilities and we went from there,” Saber said, navigating between truth and reality.
She cocked her head and even in the dim light her expression blazed with curiosity. “How big is your family? Won’t they be worried about you?”
“Of course they will. Felix—he’s the oldest brother after me—will organize a search party. We won’t be out here long.” Just long enough to engage your interest.
“I saw you when I first arrived at the resort. You were with a group of men.”
“My brothers. I have four brothers and one sister. Felix, Leo, Sly, Joe and Scarlett. My mother keeps the family records and we’re all named after ancestors.”
“From?”
“Earth. We came from a country town called Middlemarch on the South Island of New Zealand.”
“Earth? That’s a long way from Tiraq.”
Saber shrugged, not offering more. Her shivers increased to short, sharp vibrations that rippled through her delicate frame. The woman couldn’t be more different from Lori if she tried, with her small build and blonde hair. Her serious air. The way she lifted her chin in silent challenge.
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