Premonitions

by Le aha Vaughn

  "Sure, if you've finish looking.” His shoulders shook slightly.

  "Oh,” she scoffed. “Just eat it up. So what you have the body of a well put together piece of meat. Don't bug me about it.” She turned hot, scurrying off.

  Eriq tried hard to hide the smile that threatened to break through. The way that she looked at him had his soul on fire, but he restrained himself. Let her look. The more she did the more she would lower her guard. Eriq ... 3 Nah'Dara ... 2. The tables were turning. Soon she would not be able to resist him at all.

  Chapter 17

  Finished, the shelter looked great. It was slightly shielded by a canopy of trees. In the rear, it faced away from the direction of the lagoon. The setting sun washed the small area in golden sunlight. It was beautiful.

  Nah'Dara looked at the small cottage built with nothing but the hull of the ship and beamed with pride. They had worked hard through the most part of the day, briefly stopping to pick some of nearby the fruit to eat. The large red fruit was juicy at first bite. It left a river of sweet nectar down her chin that she childishly wiped away with the back of her hand.

  As they sat enjoying their break, he told her about his planet, his culture.

  "What is it like on Altaria?"

  His eyes danced in the light of the sun. She watched the corner of his mouth hike up into a sexy half smile.

  "Altaria is a lush fertile planet even after the wars. There are several cultures, merchants, farmers, and the military. During the time of the planting and harvest, we have a ceremony welcoming the change in the seasons. All the cultures come together to help plant and gather the wheat.

  "Everyone? Even the children?"

  Eriq nodded. “Especially them. They help the elders place the seed watering them while the older children help the elders till the soil."

  Togetherness. It touched her.

  "Do the children ever play around?"

  "Of course. When they are not with their mentors, they are able to explore the colony."

  His lips spread into a beautiful smile. His eye twinkled like diamonds. “When I was little, I never wanted to help with the harvest or the planting.” He chuckled. “I always hid in the storage chambers until the end of the day. Other than hiding, I was always getting into trouble."

  Nah'Dara laughed, picturing little Eriq, bright silver eyes and unruly black hair, running carefree causing trouble.

  "Goodness, I bet you were a handful."

  He laughed. “So I've been told. I bet you were a handful, too"

  "Yeah, kind of, but I was worse after my parents died.” Somehow, her heart did not hurt as much talking about it with him. “I remember the time when I first moved in with my uncle. I was so hurt and angry that it took up most of the staff's time in calming me down. So that's why Theora didn't like me. Hell, she still doesn't."

  Eriq laughed. “I kind of guessed that. She was actually happy when you left."

  "I figured. That's typical Theora. You know she locked me in the lavatory a month after I first moved there."

  "Really? I can't see you getting locked in anything.” He sent her a playful wink. She stuck out her tongue.

  "Anyway, Theora thought it would be loads of fun to lock me in the lavatory on the night of one of our many galas. I stayed in there for a while trying to pry the door open. I got tire of that quickly and tried to dismantle the inside keypad itself. I had wires everywhere. It took them weeks to get that keypad back together."

  "So how did you get out?"

  "That's the funny part. I used the curtains, tied them together, and climbed out of the window. On the way down, I ripped my gown on a branch next to the castle tearing it up the back."

  Eriq bowed over in laughter barely able to breath. To tell the truth, she had to laugh herself. Mentally seeing a picture of her walking into the grand hall with the back of her dress ripped up to her butt was just as funny now as it was then.

  He calmed enough to talk. “I hope you got her back. She would have been asking for it."

  Nah'Dara smiled devilishly. “I did. Put green Sylon gel in her shampoo dispenser. She had stiff green hair for three days."

  "Spirit, I never did anything like that to my brothers and sisters."

  Suddenly she wanted to know everything about his family. “You must come from a big family."

  Eriq smiled with pride and nodded. “I have 5 brothers and 3 sisters."

  Her lipped dropped open. “You have what? Your parents must have been rabbits."

  He laughed. “In Whetloh, it was normal to have large families. Everyone helped each other. No one really went without. My father was a merchant who traded clothing material for spices or other things to help the family. Sometimes I thought there would not be enough of anything to go around, but father always made do."

  She could not believe how many siblings he had, with him being the youngest of them all. “Where did you fit in all of it?"

  "I was the seventh child. Grethor, Myron, Halon, twin girls Aalan and Ialan, Serion, Bren, Daqwyn, and me. I was in constant trouble. Bren and I were very much like you and Kiana, partners in crime. Grethor, Myron and Halon helped father in the market; the twins helped mother until they found mates and left home. Bren and I were always in trouble, but Daqwyn was too small to do anything."

  Wait a minute. He said ‘was.’ Something was not right. Images of the fire and the dead bodies filled her mind. “You said ‘was', Eriq. Did something happen to them?"

  His smile fell from his face. His eyes darkened. “They were killed."

  "Killed? Oh, Eriq. I'm sorry."

  "Don't be. It was a long time ago during the last war.” Nevertheless, it still did not change the fact that she felt a wall suddenly erected around him. It made her wonder, had he been married? Did he have children?

  "Were you married before?"

  He looked at her, his eyes suddenly changing to silver unreadable eyes. The light and laughter gone, replaced with a layer of ice.

  Open mouth, insert foot.

  "Did I say something wrong?” He looked as if she had socked him in the stomach.

  Eriq sighed as he ran his hand through his dark hair. He closed his eyes, for a moment she felt a wall begin to erect around him. “I don't think it's a good idea to talk about that.” He stood taking her fruit rind from her hands.

  So he had been married before. Where was she now? She was probably at home waiting with the little kid cooking his dinner. Wait, he was a king of sorts with her being his queen. The woman did not need to cook. All the little woman needed to do was lay in the bed naked and waiting.

  Nah'Dara felt the spike of jealousy not bothering to hide it. She shrank back slightly. “Why? Afraid I might be jealous of the other woman?” She chuckled as she watched his retreating back. She quickly stilled herself when he turned around showing the fire in his eyes. She stepped away from him.

  "I'm sorry. I should be more considerate."

  "Yes, you should. In my culture, we don't speak about things like that.” He turned his back to her and walked away. She was knocked back again. They had bonded again. She had to go and say something stupid. Her mother had told her to keep her open opinions to herself. Now, as she looked at his retreating back, she wondered how in the world she was going to get out of this.

  Nah'Dara stayed at the cottage for a while sitting on her cot deep in thought. Why was he so testy about his ex? She wondered if she was pretty. If she had bigger boobs than his ex did, or if she was even skinnier than she was.

  Although, she never actually been jealous before, the evil green bitch reared her ugly head. Didn't she have a right to know who was sitting on pedestal number one? She should knock the woman off. She would never play second. Never. She did not know anything about the woman but she already she hated her. Did they have any children? Did he love her, if so how much? Nah'Dara wanted to know all she could about her. But how could she compete with the first wife?

  She never had children. After she was captured, brutally u
sed, she did not think she could. She was far from skinny. She looked back at her large rump sighing. It was still there, no matter how hard she thought she felt lighter, it was still hanging around her hips. Her mind slipped into what he actually liked in a woman. He looked like the type that liked tall skinny women with little fingers to wrap around his thick...

  She slapped herself mentally. She had to get her mind off him. She was not supposed to like him. The more time that she spent in his company, the more she liked what she saw. She had to apologize. She really did not mean to pry. Ok, she did, but she did not expect him to get so touchy about it.

  Leaving the safety of her cot, she walked out of the cottage. She looked around for Eriq, but there was not any sign of him as she walked along a small pathway he created to easily get back and forth between the lagoon and cave.

  If it was up to her, she should know about all the ex-whatever's to see the competition. She was a selfish and jealous woman when it came to something that was hers.

  Mine, her feminine prowess growled possessively. The logical seemed to battle the illogical.

  He isn't mine. He doesn't even like me.

  Her other side would not hear any of it. Mine.

  Nah'Dara was deep in thought when she nearly burst through the bushes that surrounded the lagoon. She stopped suddenly as the splashing of water filled her ears. She pulled back the bushes just enough to see Eriq swimming in the lagoon. His naked body glistened in the evening sun. Spirit, he was down right edible. His taunt muscles moving fluidly with each stroke as he sliced the water. He was a fast swimmer briefly showing off his sexy butt as he disappeared below the water.

  Her mouth was hanging open again. This time she was foaming at the mouth. How could someone look so sinful? He made the water, which she knew it was still cool from the morning, look as if it were a warm bath. She felt the tempting pull on her to get in. Her skin felt clingy, and after the day's work, she could use a cool dip.

  She started through, when she met his eyes. Deep, haunting grey, full of pain, they turned to her pushing her back. She stilled. Never had she felt so much pain, such misery. She felt his underlying rage, barely skimming the surface in same eyes she saw from the image of him in her dream.

  She backed away as a yellow streak of cowardice ran down her back. What could have caused him so much pain? Who is this woman? She wanted to know, but the image of those eyes burned in her brain staying there. She let it go. If he wanted to tell her, he would have. She would just have to wait for it.

  * * * *

  They ate a dinner of red fruit and a something furry that he had killed on his way back through the forest in silence. The coolness of the night and the dark way Eriq looked at her had her cowering beside the fire with her meal. Nah'Dara watched him from over the rim of her fruit rind tentatively. What would she say to him? What could she say to him? Obviously, she offended him in some way asking if he was married. Maybe it was taboo. Or maybe he did not want to talk at all.

  The fire had cast an eerie look over his face making his features look dark and brooding, deep in thought. Eriq had built the fire cooking the meal in silence. His meal finished, he tossed the discarded bone into the fire.

  She preferred not to see him like this. She liked him talking or better yet arguing with her, and would even allow his warm hands to roam over her body. Something she craved. His lips possessed hers in a way that had her weak at the knees. This side of Eriq she could do without. It pained her to see him in such a detached way. She should talk to him putting an end to his quiet state.

  Confidence surged to life inside her. Placing her fruit rind on the ground, Nah'Dara went to him. When he looked at her with his deep grey eyes, she stilled herself. Eriq regarded her briefly before turning back to the fire.

  "I don't feel like fighting right now.” Immediately, guilt surged through her. Is that all that they did? Her mind went back to all the times they had been in each other's company. He was right. All they did was fight.

  "I didn't come to fight.” She felt the bitter anger inside him through their connection; the rage boiled below the surface. She swallowed her fear; pushing it back just enough to sit beside him on a log near the fire. “I've come to talk to you."

  Eriq watched her intently through lowered lids. Nah'Dara was scared of him, but instead of running, she sat next to him. He never bothered to try to hide the rage from her. She needed to know what she was getting into by sitting next to him. There had been nothing but cold in his heart ever since the death of Mireya. No matter how hard he tried not to dwell on it, the thoughts of her would hit him sending him into a fit of anger and rage.

  She sat in silence for a time before speaking. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry as deep as I did. It was just that I wanted to know all of you. What your people are like, the place that you lived, the food that you eat. What you did as a child. I was just curious."

  "It tends to run away from you.” Chuckling softly, He looked at her, but he knew there was no humor in his eyes.

  "I guess it does."

  Since Nah'Dara, the fits of anger and dreams had eased on that part, only to start another. His body wanted her, craved her. He wanted to see her under him. When he had sensed her watching him in the lagoon, he turned over, showing his erection as he took his thick length in his hands. There had been many times, he had handled his sexual urges himself. Now was no different. He wanted her. He needed to feel her body next to his. He longed to feel those large breasts in his hands, as she straddled over him as he pushed himself inside her.

  Her eyes turned to him then, large green filled with something he had not seen in her at all. Compassion. She took her hand gently placing it along side of his face. Her warm palm caressed his skin causing him to shiver. The movement was so gentle, so innocent. It caused his heart to open a fraction.

  "I never wanted to hurt you."

  * * * *

  His lips called to her. His body called to hers in a way not imaginable. Nah'Dara covered his lips with her own, tasting him, loving the feel of his soft warm lips on hers. She did not know what compelled her, but she went with it. It felt right to do so. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip too shy to push it into his mouth. Oh how she was tempted.

  Eriq did not move his lips. Immediately she thought that she had done something wrong. She moved as if to pull away, but he caught her upper arms in a tight grip. He did not hurt her but she was aware that he could snap her in two with the power of those hands if he so choose.

  He looked at her with his pain-filled eyes so powerful she felt it in her soul. Nah'Dara's heart twisted. She wanted to ease all of it, no matter what it was. To make it go away for a while.

  "When you are ready to tell me, you will.” She gently pulled away from him. He let her. She stood on shaky legs walking into the small cottage. Every cell in her body had come alive wanting him to the point that if she had not pulled away, she would have gladly stripped and bent over for him. The feel of being in his arms called to her so strongly, she wanted to run back to kiss him all over again, but she would not. She lay down on her cot trying to push the heated thoughts from her mind. She closed her eyes willing sleep to come, but her body felt so alive and alert that she did not think that it was going to come.

  * * * *

  Eriq sat in front of the fire in shock. She had kissed him but he did not move. Her first real move towards him but he was not able to do anything. He did not want to show her all the passion that welled up inside him. He was hard, he knew. He could tell by the sudden pain that throbbed and ached. He wanted to be inside her more now than ever. He was going to finish this game. She would know the next time that she kissed a man to finish what she started.

  After a while, he rose from the log, heading strait for the cottage. Darkness met him, but through it, he heard the faint huff of her breathing. She was curled up on one of the cots with the blanket pulled up to her chin. Ms. Prude was in for a rude awakening. Lying on the other cot facing her, Eriq focused on
her mental wave gently pushing into her mind. It was so much easier while she was a sleep with her mind open for him to see.

  His beautiful little woman was standing in the charred fields of his home world. His constant nightmare she shared with him feeling her fear and anguish of the dead. He pushed past it all to reach her. Closing off his rage, he decided to reach her to change the dream.

  Across the charred field, Nah'Dara saw Eriq standing before her, darkly handsome. His being shimmered into existence through the smoky haze. He watched her intently with passion burning in those dark grey eyes.

  Eriq?

  He acknowledged her with a nod of the head before he stalked after her.

  "I am tired of waiting, Nahni. I have been patient long enough for you to come to me. Now, I am coming for you."

  In other times, she would have run, but who could run form someone that harnessed such strong sexual energy? Fear racked her automatically, but she squashed it. Nah'Dara didn't move as he towered over her. His dark grey eyes intimidated her to the fullest intent, arms rippled, tensing. She swallowed. Maybe it was a good idea to run.

  "I wanted you too,” she panted, more than a little turned on. And to think, she hadn't even looked at a halo-novel in the past week.

  Eriq's eyes burned into hers as he dropped the katana to the ground. It disappeared on contact. He encircled an arm around her pulling her into his hard body. He crushed his lips to hers desperately destroying all thoughts of running. His kiss bruised her lips with a hard, unrelenting force that left her breathless.

  He trailed his lips down her neck past the hollows of her throat. She moaned in pleasure. Closing her eyes, she ran her finger through his silken hair. He viciously ripped away the rags that cover her breasts in swift move. She didn't dare stop him and didn't care. Less clothes more skin.

  Eriq captured one breast in his hands feeling its weight before taking the swollen dark nipple into his mouth. She nearly collapsed as she felt his warm tongue lick, his teeth nipping, and shooting fire through her. Spirit, it felt so real, she thought, her mind spinning dizzily.