“Do not worry,” he said as he lay down behindher.“I am too tired to want anything but a good night’ssleep.”
She huffed as he slid in closer and reachedan arm around her, tucking her in tight.He prayed to the gods thathis body would not make a liar out of him as his cock nestled intothe firm heat of her round backside.If he became aroused, as hehad in the kraal, and she felt it, she would bolt.
“Was that Yago and Taweel I saw tucked up ina bedroll together?”he asked, needing to think about anythingother than the length of her pressed against him.
“It was.”
“Were they huddled together for warmth?”
“No,” she said.She shifted even closer, sothat Aleksi’s heart was hammering against her back.“They’relovers.”
“Are they now?”Aleksi chuckled.“Well, thatexplains the sounds I heard earlier, as well as a few lingeringglances from the worm after he arrived.”
She giggled, and it was the sweetest soundAleksi had ever heard.
“It seems he was jealous of me,” she said,“not you.”
Sahar woke cocooned by the length of Aleksi’sbody, his arm holding her tight to his broad chest, her backsidetucked into the warming heat of his front side and her legs twinedwith his.His breath tickled the hairs on her neck where his nosewas buried into her nape, but true to his word, he’d demandednothing of her but easy conversation until they had both driftedoff to sleep.
She shifted a little, trying to untangle herlegs from his.He mumbled something into her shoulder and tightenedhis arm around her, his legs tucking into the back of hers.Sheheld still for a moment, and then tried to move again, and feltsomething growing hard against her backside where there had onlybeen soft heat.Curse the man, he truly was a stallion.She flippedaround to face him, ready to accuse him of breaking his promise,and was surprised as his eyes opened and took a few moments tofocus on her.
“You were still asleep?”she asked.
He yawned and rubbed his nose and stubbledchin.“Apparently I was more tired than I thought.”
“Apparently,” she nudged his groin with herthigh, “you’re not as tired as you claim to be.”
“You can’t blame a man for his body’s naturalresponse,” he said.He chuckled at her glare, not at allapologetic.“It’s what happens when a man awakens, even if he isnot lying next to a woman as desirable as you.”
She licked her dry, swollen lips and touchedher fingers to her dirty, matted hair.“You think me desirable?”she asked, feeling about as desirable as the wash rag Aleksi hadused to tend her wounds, now hanging dry and stiff on the bushZolotoy was tied to.
He laughed, short and harsh, and his browneyes bore into hers.“I don’t chase after women, or kiss them, orpropose marriage to them, unless I find them desirable, youbeautiful, maddening creature.”
“Oh.”
His gaze focused on her mouth and a painedgrimace crossed his face before he gently tipped up her chin toclose her mouth.He let out a short, ragged breath.“We better getup,” he said, flipping his cloak off of them.
He stood, groaning a little as stiff jointspopped, and offered her his hand.Blushing at the obvious bulge inhis breeches, she reached up, and saw what looked like fresh teethmarks on the meaty edge of his palm.
“What happened to your hand?”she asked as hepulled her up.Her bruised knees creaked as she stood and turnedhis hand over to see what were obviously human teeth marks.“Whobit you?”
“A tigress.”
Sahar’s head snapped up and she felt a pullalong the side of her neck as she met his steady gaze.She shookher head, working out the kink and her confusion.“I bit you?”
“Last night,” he said, “after I cut you looseand you fainted.You woke up frightened and thrashing while we werehiding in the trees.”He gave her a cocky grin.“I had to keep youquiet somehow.”
She did not know whether to cuff him or kisshim.He’d saved her life.“I’m sorry I bit you.”
He shrugged.“A man can expect nothing lesswhen he tangles with a tigress.”He coughed and blew on his cuppedhands and went to his saddle bags and pulled out a linen square ofdried meat.“Here, my tigress,” he handed her a strip, “this willhave to satisfy your blood lust for now.”
She sat down and tore into the meat, herempty belly growling.She chewed the stringy meat then asked,“What’s your plan?”
“My plan,” Aleksi said, “now that I havegotten you safely away from those curs, is to keep you that waywhile staying a league behind Yago and Taweel.Close enough tofollow, yet far enough to remain unseen until the time comes tosteal Lasair and take the men alive, if possible.We’re less thanhalf a league from their camp,” he told her as she reached up toassess the mass of snarls and curls that had escaped her unkemptbraid.“We’ll wait here awhile to give them a head start.”
Nodding in agreement, Sahar winced, droppedher left arm and rubbed her shoulder.
“Here.”Aleksi sunk onto his knees behindher.“Let me.”He started at the bottom of her braid, gentlyuntangling the plaiting.“We will forage as we go,” he said,working his fingers up until the braid was undone.“Whatever wefind will supplement the dry goods I still have.No hunting orfishing, no fire until we have those curs collared and leashed.They got overconfident last night and lit a fire, which was how Ifound you in the dark.My bet is that they’ll do it again in anight or two, thinking we rode straight for your father’s palace.”He began to lightly rub his fingertips along her temples.Saharsighed.“We can bathe in the stream this morning, if you like.Ihave a tub of soap in my saddle bags.”
