Saffron

by Taige Crenshaw

  She moved her fingers deeper, shivering at how wet she was. She could not believe he was carrying on a conversation when she lay spread before him. Ready for his taking. Yes, his voice got deeper with each question. But he still seemed a little too in control while she was ready to attack him where he sat.

  “I’ve known Kade for a long time. We met on another job. He’s a man that doesn’t take shit from anyone. And cares about those who work for him.”

  “He is,” Kenric agreed.

  Arching her back, Saffron rocked her hips against her fingers. Release was riding just out of her reach. A hard hand gripped hers, pulling her fingers out of her pussy. Startled, she snapped open her eyes. Kenric held her hand, locking his gaze on hers. He lowered his head, not releasing her from his look. Warm breath feathered her fingers then wet heat engulfed them when he sucked. Whimpering, Saffron shuddered. Kenric made a rough sound in his throat then leaned over her, blanketing her body. He thrust into her with no hesitation. Moaning wildly, she used her power to cut off the sound from anyone else outside the room.

  “Scream for me… Saffron.” He rocked inside her in a hard demand.

  She bit her lip, shaking her head.

  “Give. Me. The. Sound,” he urged.

  Saffron thrashed her head on the pillow as he rode her urgently. He pinned her down as he pushed into her. Saffron curled her fingers with his, lacing them together. Kenric made a rumbling sound that made the lion on her arm bristle. With a thought, she controlled her power and stopped it from being unleashed.

  “Saffron.” That decadent whisper against the side of her face was her undoing.

  “Fu…ck, Kenric. Take me… Plea…” She screamed continuously as he pumped into her.

  Incoherently she babbled, not knowing what she was saying. He murmured to her, urging her on. She couldn’t even make out what he was saying. The pleasure came over her with a sharpness that took away her breath. Clenching her pussy, she locked her legs around him. Bucking, she thrashed uncontrollably. Kenric held her down as he powered into her, then groaned as he joined her in pleasure. He collapsed on top of her. She hugged him close, kissing the top of his forehead and murmuring to him in her native language.

  “What are you saying?” Kenric tiredly asked.

  Stiffening, Saffron realised she had been speaking to him in Egyptian and what she had said.

  It is all right. Our souls are one. I’ve got you, my love. She brushed aside the words as being just in the heat of the moment. She replied out loud, “You are heavy as hell and squishing me.”

  “That’s what you get for taking my energy.” Kenric snorted in laughter.

  “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Saffron smiled wickedly.

  With a slight touch of infused power, she pushed his heavy weight off her and rolled him on to his back. Straddling him, she rocked forward, taking in his again hardened cock.

  Kenric put his hand over his eyes and groaned. “You’re trying to kill me. Okay, I’m with you, but don’t be so loud.”

  Saffron raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to be the loud one. Besides, no one will hear unless I will it.”

  Kenric lowered his arm and glanced at her sharply. “What do you mean by that?”

  At his question, it dawned on Saffron what she had said and she cursed her wayward tongue. He was befuddling her, which wouldn’t do. She was a goddess and no human would have that sort of control over her. Putting her hand in the centre of his chest, she raised up then down onto him fast. Kenric lost the suspicious look as his eyes rolled back in his head and he groaned.

  This is just sex. Amazing sex and that is all I will allow it to be. With that vow she set out to make Kenric forget that he wanted to know anything else about her.

  * * * *

  Saffron stared out at the passing landscape through the Jeep window. Her feet were propped against the dashboard. The silence between them was comfortable. Kenric had been in a strangely contemplative mood this morning. You would think after the night they’d had that he would at least have been more communicative. Instead he was quiet. Too quiet. It was disconcerting. He seemed to be watching her and trying to see into places she didn’t want anyone to see. His weird attitude hadn’t gone unnoticed. Shade and Flare had taken particular delight in probing him about what he was thinking. Kenric hadn’t taken the bait or replied—he’d just been silent.

  She shifted, the uneasy feeling that had started when she’d woken sprawled on his large frame had increased as each moment passed. Not being comfortable in her own skin was unlike her. It was as if something had changed last night.

  No, I am being foolish. Get your mind on what you are here to do. The dig site came into view. Saffron reached out with her senses. In seconds she knew all was still well. Kenric parked. Hopping out of the Jeep, she strode towards the lift. Kenric matched her step for step. In moments they were on their way down into the shaft. Once below ground she followed him as he went about his day, taking samples and other things, although it wasn’t necessary. Kenric’s deep voice was behind her as she worked.

  Saffron glanced at him. His strong body moved as he worked with the men. She was pleased to see that her subtle manoeuvring of the data had moved him away from the danger of creating a global incident with the plates. Kenric hadn’t believed her or let her see the maps but using her connection to the earth she had been able to steer them away from certain disaster. A weird sensation racked her. Saffron closed her eyes and focused on it. Making herself unseen, she headed deeper into the cavern. Following the pulse of discontent in the earth, she stopped in front of a wall. She flared out with her power she felt below the surface. Frowning she opened her eyes. The wall was tinted with the orange fire. It faded in moments.

  “What have I told you about wandering away?” Kenric’s furious voice lashed out at her.

  “I need to see your maps. Something is wrong,” Saffron said.

  “What? There is nothing wrong. We are ahead of schedule and nothing has happened for weeks. You’re not going to fuck up my timeline, Saffron,” Kenric gritted out.

  “Not here. At one of the other sites.” Saffron faced him.

  The sight of his sweaty body made her thoughts scatter.

  “How do you know that?” Kenric narrowed his eyes.

  “I just do. I need the maps and you to take me there,” Saffron said.

  “Look, I’ve put up with your subtle changing of how we are drilling. But this I draw the line at.”

  “You knew!” Saffron couldn’t hide her surprise.

  “Yes, I do. You might be the fuckin’ rock doc but I know where I set to go and how. I’m the drilling and blasting specialist and nothing changes without me saying so.”

  Saffron was flabbergasted by his words. No one had swayed her from her path once it was set. Except for him. Kenric was like no man she had ever met. She couldn’t explain why. When she’d arrived she had been tempted to get rid of the entire team, which would have been preferable. But she had learned long ago to get all the facts before she sentenced anyone. After viewing how Kenric worked she had placed the responsibility for everything that went on at the site on his shoulders. The way he had been drilling, which abused what she did—protecting the earth—she would have sentenced him for, and erased him from the earth. Instead she had guided him to the right path. That he went along with it without saying a word was his saving grace. She had been thinking she was manoeuvring without his knowledge but he had known all the time. He actually was listening.

  “I need to go to the other sites, Kenric.” She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his arm.

  “You can see the maps and explain what the problem is. I will then decide if I will let you go. This is business. Don’t try to use sex to get your way,” Kenric snapped.

  He turned and walked away. Saffron frowned then strode after him. She grabbed him and pulled him to a stop. Kenric glanced down at her hand on his arm then at her. Saffron jerked him around and released his arm. She pushed his
chest moving him back against the rock wall.

  “Is that what you think of me? That I’ve been using sex to get my way?” she demanded in disbelief.

  “What else am I supposed to think? You keep me at arm’s length. A wall between us. I don’t even know much about you,” he said.

  “You know about me. You questioned me last night.”

  “And you—grudgingly—answered me. Now you’re using what we have to get your way. Let’s just keep it business since you obviously don’t want personal connections.” Kenric’s face was cold.

  Saffron’s heart pounded at the look she hadn’t seen since that first day, long ago.

  “Now I’m going back to work. Unless you have something business related to inform me of, Miss Eshe?”

  Saffron released him.

  “That’s what I thought. Now let’s get back to the rest of the crew. After all, we have only business to handle.” Kenric smiled an unpleasant grin.

  Saffron crowded him. “You’re wrong. We have a lot more than that.”

  Chapter Five

  Kenric’s face was expressionless and closed off. It was a look Saffron didn’t like seeing at all. He was pushing her to admit things she wasn’t even ready to admit to herself. Studying him, Saffron wondered how he had got under her skin so damn quickly.

  “If this was just business I wouldn’t ask for your help. I would go around you. Hell, I’d go through you to get what I want done. It is because this is personal that I have not.” Saffron frowned, realising what she was saying.

  It was indeed personal. Very personal. Something she had never allowed. Until now. She stepped back. Kenric put his hand on her waist, pulling her into his body. His intense eyes seemed to strip her bare. It was a feeling that she did not like at all. Saffron steeled herself. She was a goddess and no man would get the better of her. Kenric cupped her cheek with his other hand.

  “This is personal to me too. Saffron, I love you.” Kenric’s deep voice resonated though her.

  Saffron’s breath shuddered out of her. Closing her eyes she was undone by his declaration. No. It was not possible that this human could love her. Not so suddenly.

  “I know we have much to learn about each other, that we haven’t known each other long, but I am sure about one thing—I want you in my life. Tell me you want the same.” His tone was demanding.

  Saffron opened her lids, staring at him. The surety in his voice matched his expression.

  “I want the same. Kenric, I love you. But be very sure of what you are asking. Will you be able to accept all that I am?”

  Kenric didn’t hesitate. “I accept every ornery, argumentative inch of you”

  “Wow. That’s so romantic,” she said dryly.

  “Hey, you’ll have to accept me for all that I am too.” Kenric shrugged.

  “I guess so.” Saffron chuckled.

  Kenric joined in then kissed her thoroughly. Saffron moaned, leaning into him.

  “Are we going to work or are you two going to neck all day?” Shade’s voice came from beside them.

  Saffron pulled back a bit, turning her head to meet Shade’s amused gaze. He leaned on the rock wall next to them.

  “Aw. Did you want a kiss too?” Saffron teased.

  “If he wants to lose his teeth,” Kenric growled.

  “You can try,” Shade said languidly.

  “Behave.” Saffron gave Kenric a quick peek, pulling away to face Shade. “Stop trying to get a rise out of Kenric.” Saffron walked away with Shade and they headed back to rejoin the others.

  “Boss man can handle it,” Shade said.

  “He can. But I like you and wouldn’t like to have to pick sides. I’d have to hurt you, and that would get messy.”

  Shade stared at her then laughed. “Yeah, that makes me so afraid. Do you see my goose bumps? Not. I don’t think you can hurt anyone.”

  Saffron didn’t correct his assumption. They got back to work. As she took samples, she could feel Kenric watching her. She didn’t look at him as she would be tempted to zap them somewhere to have her way with him. Kenric’s willingness to embrace all of her made her know when she told him who she was that he would be accepting of it.

  Reaching out with her senses to the other sites, Saffron’s eyes narrowed. The feeling that she’d had earlier was no longer there. Saffron focused on her work.

  * * * *

  “Here are the maps,” Kenric said.

  Saffron took them and spread them out on the desk. She was with him, Shade and Flare in the office. Confused, Saffron looked at the maps he had provided.

  “No. These aren’t the maps.”

  “Yes, they are.”

  Saffron straightened turning to him. “These don’t match the ones Kade gave me.”

  “What?” Kenric scowled.

  She lifted her bag, pulling the maps she had been given out of her tattered brown pack. Saffron spread them next to the ones Kenric had given her.

  “These are yours and these are mine. The ones I got from Kade. They are vastly different. Where the hell did you get these maps?” Saffron asked.

  “They came from the offices,” Kenric insisted.

  “Not possible.” Saffron glanced at the time. “It’s too late to call Kade now. We’ll talk to him tomorrow. But I need to go to the sites you have already drilled.”

  “We can’t go tonight. It would be fully dark by the time we got there. Since we’re not working there they have only minimal security. We’ll go at first light. Shade, arrange security for tomorrow,” Kenric said.

  Saffron didn’t listen as he made the plans. She reached out with her senses to the other sites to check if there was anything off, but she didn’t sense that there was. They could go in the morning. Saffron focused back on the men in the office. Kenric finished his orders to Shade and Flare then left.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Kenric scowled fiercely.

  “I don’t know. But we will get to the bottom of it. With the maps you had you would have definitely never gotten near what you were looking for. They would have led you to disaster,” Saffron said.

  “There better be a fucking good explanation for this,” Kenric grunted as he studied the differences in the maps.

  “Tomorrow we will have answers.” Saffron put her hand on his back.

  “Once we find out who messed up. Kade better not let me know who it was. They’re messing with my reputation. Fuckers.” Kenric turned to her.

  Saffron smiled at his fierceness. She slid her arms around him.

  “Let’s go to bed. We can work off some of that aggression,” she whispered against his lips.

  “Don’t know if that will work, but I’m willing to give it a shot.” Kenric kissed her.

  Saffron pulled away and gripped his hand and tugged him behind her. They hurried to their room. After closing and locking the door, Saffron turned to him. Kenric stood next to the bed. She crossed to him and stripped him of his clothing, then herself of her garments. With a push she toppled him to the bed. Kenric leant back on his elbows with a smirk on his face. Saffron used her foot to widen his legs. She dropped to her knees. Licking her lips she lowered her gaze to his erection. The tip glistened with wetness. Saffron licked her lips. Leaning forward, she swirled her tongue over the flared head. His essence tantalised her taste buds. He was musky, slightly sweet but also bitter. She wanted to take her time with him. With a swoop she went down on his cock.

  “Saffron!” Kenric shouted.

  She cut off the sound from everyone else. Slow would have to wait for another time. Now she was burning with desire and needed him to come. Suckling him urgently, she widened into an ‘O’, taking him to the back of her throat. Saffron purred at the back of her throat. Kenric’s fingers gripped her head and pumped into her mouth. Digging her fingers into his thighs, she moaned as she sucked him. His pre-cum filled her mouth. Swivelling her tongue, she bobbed her head, striving to get him off.

  Kenric babbled incoherently. With one hand she cupped his
sac, squeezing gently, then moved down to just behind it, pressing against the place there. Kenric bucked and his essence filled her mouth. Swallowing it down, Saffron revelled in it. She took it all then kept licking and sucking until he was hard again. Pulling off she stood and straddled him. Kenric sat up. He curled his arms around her, he gripped her shoulders. Saffron rocked forwards, taking him into her wetness. Kenric rested his forehead against hers as she rode him.

  “Kenric…” Saffron moaned.

  “Love you,” he whispered.

  “Love you,” Saffron retuned.

  Joy filled her as he moved in time with her. This marvellous man was hers and she was going to keep him. Moaning, Saffron enjoyed the fullness of his shaft rubbing against her inner walls.

  Kenric kissed her forehead. Saffron undulated her hips. Tightening his arms around her back, he thrust. Her wanton sound of pleasure made him shudder. Saffron was his.

  Earlier, when they had been in the tunnel and she had disappeared, his heart had seized as he’d imagined all sorts of things. Although he’d found her unharmed, the uneasiness he had woken up with had increased because she’d been so secretive about what she had been doing. Saffron might give herself to him physically, but he didn’t like not knowing where he stood with her. Last night she had answered his questions, yet he still felt that she still kept a part of herself hidden from him. It had made him silent and surly. Her request to go to the other sites, with her looking at him with that sexy look, had made him angry. Walking away had seemed best. At least until she had admitted that what they had was more than professional. Going on instinct, he had confessed what he felt. When she had said the words back it had made his knees weak. Them loving each other was what mattered. Everything else they would work out.

  Saffron tightened around him, scattering his thoughts. Kenric groaned. Her slickness coated his heated length. Her scent filled his senses. Saffron was one hell of a woman and she was his.

  “Kenric,” she said again in that sultry alto.