Pleased, feeling just a little absurdly flustered, she dimpled. “I had a good teacher.”
With a wicked wink, he dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose, managing to make it somehow sweet and enticing all at once. “Why thank you, my love, but don’t underestimate your own passionate responses.”
“Mmmm.”
Stepping back, he pulled up his pants, settling the band around his waist.
She felt the loss of his body between her thighs almost immediately and sighed mentally. Then she noted his gaze on her chest, the smirk curving his lips.
Glancing down, she saw her bare breasts, nipples deep pink from his mouth. Just a little mortified, she quickly fumbled behind her, locating the bodice and quickly pulling it up and around her.
He watched in amusement as she tried to replace the rawhide laceing at the same time trying to hold the edges of the vest together over her breasts. “Why, lass, are you blushing?”
“No.”
“Your cheeks are red.”
“Exertion.” She muttered a curse when the rawhide lace slipped from her fingers.
“Allow me.” Lips twitching in amusement, he took the rawhide lace from her trembling fingers and deftly laced the bodice.
The long fingers brushing against her skin just elicited more little sparks, and she bit her lip at the scorching path he left behind. Finally he was finished, and it was with a mixture of relief and regret that she watched him tie the lacing deftly.
“Thank you.” Feeling more confident now that she was clothed, she glanced up.
Darvk had a wicked gleam in his eyes, and there was no doubt in her mind that he knew how he affected her. He reinforced that fact by leaning on outstretched arms, resting one palm down on the outside of her right thigh, while his other palm rested on the table between her thighs dangerously near her nakedness. In fact, the tips of his fingers touched her sensitive flesh, making her belly drop clean away.
Just one light touch and heat was flooding her again. “Darvk!”
“Aye?” he asked innocently.
“Take your hand away from…from…”
“From what?”
“My...you know!”
“Oh.” He looked down at his hand that was half under her skirt. “This hand?”
“Yes!”
“You didn’t mind it there before.”
Her eyes narrowed at the big oaf’s teasing.
Chuckling, he straightened, picked her up with ease and set her feet on the floor. Bending down, he retrieved her underclothes from the floor and held them up with one arched brow. “Yours, I presume?”
She almost snatched them from his hand. “You should know. You took them off me.”
“Would you like me to put them back on?”
“I can manage.”
He laughed, slipping an arm about her waist and pulling her up against him to brush his lips across hers. “Ah, lass, ‘tis so good to have you back with me.”
“Missed having someone to tease?”
“Witch.” He swatted her bottom lightly.
“Oh, I see. Missed having someone to hit.”
Strong hands slid down to cup her buttocks. “And hold.”
There went that delicious roll deep in her belly again. She swayed against him. He lowered his head to kiss her and she raised her face to his - and froze.
Voices were in the corridor and coming closer.
“Oh, no.” Horrified, she stared at Darvk.
Raising a finger to his lips, he moved quietly over to the door and pressed his ear to it.
Hurriedly, she yanked on her underclothes and moved to stand behind him, pressing her own ear to the door.
The voices belonged to Morgan and Connie. She groaned inwardly as the voices came to a stop near the door.
“What’s this cabin?” She heard Connie ask.
“The store room,” Morgan answered. “Would you care to see it?”
“What’s in there?’
“Nothing, really. It’s hardly ever used.”
Darvk glanced over his shoulder at Tenia, laughter in his eyes. She gave him a shove and mouthed ‘Beast!’. He grabbed hold of her hand.
“There’s no point looking in there then, is there?” Connie asked.
Darvk squeezed Tenia’s hand.
“‘Tis private,” Morgan stated.
“For what? Storing things in?”
“Actually, you’re right. This corridor is private enough.”
“I don’t understa-” Abruptly the question was cut off.
Tenia raised her eyebrows questioningly at Darvk, who grinned. When she frowned in puzzlement, his eyes dropped suggestively to her mouth and her own widened in realization.
Morgan was kissing Connie! Any second she expected to hear him hit the wall when she hit him, but silence continued, followed by a soft sigh and whisper.
“I must find Tenia,” Connie said huskily.
“She’s safe with Darvk somewhere.” Morgan’s voice was moving away.
“As safe as I am with you?” Amusement laced her tone.
Their voices faded away and Darvk turned to Tenia.
“I don’t believe it,” she said.
“He’s man, she’s wench, what’s not to believe?” He chucked her lovingly under the chin. “Come on, let’s go outside so that she can find you.”
Walking over to the table to retrieve his vest, he ran his fingers over it before pulling it on. Returning to her side, he took her hand and said huskily, “This vest will always remind me of you, lass.”
She closed her eyes and groaned. He chuckled.
Chapter 14
Due to the strong wind blowing through the forest and the threat of rain, the Reekas met with the traders in the dining cabin of the trading ship. Some of the warriors sat at the table while others stood, and the Daamens did the same.
This there were fifteen, and Darvk wondered how many more there were. The silent question was in the glance Maverk shot his way.
Reya unfolded the map and laid it in the centre of the table. “These are the plans of the Inka Empire fortress.”
“How did you get hold of this?” Darvk studied the carefully drawn plans.
She ignored the question. “Shari resides in an area near the conference room. This tunnel leads into that room via the soldiers’ quarters.”
“What’s the tunnel used for?”
“Soldiers use it to leave and return to the fortress.”
“It leads straight to the soldiers’ quarters, or one room, actually,” Serena added.
Tenia pointed to the room. “This sleeps six soldiers and according to the map scale, the other rooms are no bigger, so presumably they all sleep the same number.”
“It doesn’t say on the plan how many soldiers to a room.” Darvk mused. “How do you know the number is six?”
“Because we saw- ouch!”
Tenia’s warning kick to the ankle was too late. Darvk’s head snapped up, his glare pinning her to the spot.
The wench had the gall to try to pretend nothing had happened, even going so far as to look at her sister, gesturing her to continue.
“You what?” Darvk all but bellowed. “You got close enough to see them?”
“Now calm down,” Tenia began.
“You were in those tunnels, weren’t you?” Just the thought of how close she’d been to the very men ready to kill her had his hands knotting into fists. That didn’t help the other realisation. “You got shot by those soldiers!”
“Not them. They didn’t see us.”
“We got shot on Pendow.” Serena tried to be helpful.
“You would’ve got worse if you’d been caught while in the tunnel.” His jaw clenched.
Maverk nudged him and Darvk glanced around, for the first time noticing the wariness in the warriors eyeing him; all except Reya, Connie and Tenia. Connie was watching him with open amusement, Reya without expression, Tenia in annoyance.
“How are we to find the truth if we’re too
afraid to investigate any information that comes our way?” Tenia asked tightly.
“’Twas foolhardy.” He was surprised his teeth didn’t snap in his head, they were clenched so tight. “You were both right under the fortress of the very man who wants you all dead.”
“Correct. We were right where he least expected us to be, and we found the information we sought.”
“Damn it, Tenia-”
“I’m not fighting with you about this,” she interrupted. “We got this, we checked it out, we got back, and we have the information we need. It was never going to be easy, Darvk.”
They glared at each other.
Damn it, why did she have to be right about that? It galled him no end, but at the end of everything, every quarrel over this, it came back to the same thing. They were warriors used to doing things their way.
He had to bloody accept it if he was going to be included in their plans.
Didn’t have to like it.
He sucked in a deep breath, nostrils flaring with the effort to keep his tongue between his teeth.
Dana made a sound of disgust. “Are we going to be forever arguing with these traders?”
“Forever is a long time, sweetheart.” Garret smiled at her from across the table and she snorted.
“Back to the plans,” Reya said.
Darvk gave Tenia one last dark look, which she completely ignored - the little witch - and turned his attention back to the map.
“There are fifty of these rooms so that is approximately three hundred soldiers,” Reya continued. “Shari’s Dragon soldiers, of which there are thirty, have their rooms near his bedroom, here.” She pointed to the map.
“There aren’t enough of us to attack three hundred and thirty soldiers,” Maverk stated.
“We know.”
“You have other allies?”
“Our plan isn't to fight the soldiers, but to take Shari.”
The traders looked at each other.
“By going through the conference room via the tunnel?” Maverk queried.
“Yes.”
He stroked his upper lip thoughtfully. “You mean to kill him?”
“Kidnap him,” Tenia corrected. “And force the truth from him.”
“How are you going to do that?”
“Any way we can,” she replied calmly.
“Any way,” Reya repeated.
Darvk regarded the map. “You’ll have to get past the Dragon soldiers.”
“It’ll be night. Most of them will be asleep.”
“There’ll be guards on his door.”
“We’ll kill them.”
What else had he expected, coming from Reya? He glanced around at the other warriors and saw the same ruthless light in their eyes.
Tenia’s gaze never wavered from his.
A chill went through him. He’d seen the Reekas fight but the realization really hit him now, as he looked at the beautiful faces, each one set as they planned an attack on the Inka Empire leader. An attack that could very well end with them all dead; every single one of the Reeka warriors that went on this dangerous mission.
Including Tenia. Just the thought made him sick.
“How many go on this mission?” He folded his arms.
“About eight.”
“It’s suicidal. There must be another way.”
“Asking him nicely to tell us won’t work,” Dana said sarcastically.
“We could go there as we are - traders,” Maverk suggested. “Find out what we can.”
“What about us?”
“You can wait safely here.”
“No.” Reya shook her head. “This is our fight.”
“And if you lose?”
“It’s still our fight.”
“You’ll be dead!”
“So be it.”
“That answer isn’t good enough,” Maverk replied hotly.
“It’s the best you’ll get. We’re not staying behind.”
Tenia nodded in agreement. “We go, and soon.”
“’Tis not a good idea.” Darvk frowned.
“It’s the quickest way. We go in and take Shari.”
Morgan tugged thoughtfully on his goatee. “Can’t we combine both ideas? We go in a couple of days ahead of the lasses, find out what we can and contact them.”
Connie pursed her lips thoughtfully. “You go in first and we wait on the outskirts?”
“That could work,” Darvk conceded reluctantly. “But I still don’t like the idea of you lasses being in the heart of the enemy.”
“We won’t be alone,” Tenia said. “You can wear communicators and we’ll have the receivers. That way we’ll hear your information and we’ll contact you to inform you of our readiness to move.”
“How are you going to inform us? Are the communicators two-way?” He didn’t like the sound of this latest development.
“One way only. What you’ll wear are tiny pins that are almost unseeable. We’ll hear whatever the wearer says and the person he talks to. Show them, Mya.”
Mya upended a small bag carefully onto the table and tiny, minuscule circles appeared.
Maverk stared at them incredulously. “Where can we put them that they won’t be lost? I can hardly bloody see them!”
“That’s the idea,” Reya said.
Picking up one of the minute communicators, Tenia turned to Borga standing beside her and carefully placed it on the bottom of his earring. It was so tiny that it blended in with the silver hoop, appearing as just a tiny bump.
“Excellent.” Connie nodded approvingly.
“How does it stay on without moving or dropping off?” Cam asked curiously.
“It automatically attaches to whatever you press it to. You can all wear one on your earrings and whomever has the receiver to the communicator you wear will hear you.”
“So you’ll all hear different things?” Maverk queried.
“Yes. For example, if Connie has the receiver to Morgan’s communicator, she’ll hear what goes on near him. This way we can receive all information, not just a few pieces.”
“What if their signal is picked up by the Inka sensors?”
“They’ve been desensitized,” Tenia replied.
“How?”
Reya waved that away. “Anything else you need to know?”
These stubborn wenches were going to be the death of him, Darvk decided. “As a matter of fact, aye. How will we know your plans?”
“We’ll arrange a meeting place and time.”
Oh, he really didn’t like this plan. “Risky.”
“It’s the only way. A two-way communicator will be picked up by the sensors.”
Damn it. But he couldn’t see another way, not without alienating the warriors and especially Tenia. He asked for her trust, promised he’d work with them, and this plan…he didn’t have to like it, he just had to follow it and be ready to help the warriors at a second’s notice.
He sighed. “When do we leave?”
He still didn’t bloody like it.
Gratitude in her eyes, Tenia mouthed thank you.
He nodded.
In fact, he bloody hated the plan.
~ * ~
No amount of cajoling and arguing in private could sway Tenia’s determination. It didn’t stop him trying.
The result of his persistence was zilch.
The traders and Reekas separated, Darvk not without a whole lot of misgivings and one last sweet night spent with Tenia.
A week later the Daamen trade ship carrying the traders docked near the Inka Empire’s Fortress
Shari was delighted when the Daamen traders contacted him asking for permission to land. Four of his Dragon soldiers met them in the docking bay, escorting Darvk and Maverk to Shari’s personal quarters.
When they entered the luxuriously decorated room, he was sitting in his throne-like chair and gesturing to them.
“Sit, sit!” He waved them to the two red and gold chairs before him. “I’m pleased that you chose
to grace us with your presence.”
Resisting the impulse to grab the bastard and force him to reveal the truth - that’d only end up with him dead, Daamen at war with the Inka Empire, and a whole lot of bloodshed - Darvk swallowed his fury and relaxed back in the chair, greeting Shari pleasantly. “I’m honoured that you’d have us.”
“My pleasure. How goes the trading?”
“Well enough.” He nodded his thanks to the soldier who handed him a goblet of wine.
The badge on his right pocket proclaimed him to be one of the Dragon soldiers. He handed a goblet to Maverk, then he bowed to Shari and resumed his stance by the open door, his feet together and his arms straight by his sides as he stood face forward.
“I’ve noticed the badge on some of your soldiers.” Maverk took a sip of wine, managing quite nicely to hide his preference for ale. “But some of the others don’t have it?”
Shari nodded. “They’re my private Dragon soldiers, they serve and guard me personally.”
“I see. You have a lot of soldiers, it seems.”
“We’re an Empire, my friend. Many races feel threatened by us.”
“I can imagine.” Darvk studied him, noting the jewelled rings that adorned the pale hand. “I’ve seen your soldiers on the edge of the Outlaw Sector.”
Steepling his fingers, the Inka Empire leader gave a dramatic sigh. “We try to curb the outlaw activity where we can, but the Sector is so huge and no one really knows friend from foe in there.”
“Aye, that is true.” He took an experimental sip of the wine, hiding a grimace at the sharp, tart taste. “But surely they have other soldiers and peacekeepers to do that? Those who dwell near or in the outskirts?”
Shari’s gaze grew speculative.
Realising he was asking too much, not wanting to arouse the Inka’s suspicions, Darvk added, “I have no doubt they appreciate the help.”
“Soldiers from any section have the right to fight outlaws when they come upon them.”
Darvk noticed Maverk studying Shari as the leader settled back in his chair, and he wondered how either of them could have missed seeing the similarity to Reya in the cold, green gaze.
He surprised the traders by inviting them to share the evening meal, a bonus Darvk hadn’t foreseen.
In the lavish dining room he glanced up at the serving woman who set the plate of food before him, his gaze narrowing on the dark bruise and healing cut that marred her cheek. It showed faintly through the veil she wore across her lower face. Without meeting his eyes, she turned away to serve his friend.
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