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Was she trying to be provocative? Did she realize what the thought of a long morning in bed with her did to him? Perhaps even a morning would not be enough. Perhaps it would take much longer to explore that sweet body, to sate himself on her taste and scent and delicious softness…
He was so lost in the thought that it took him a moment to realize she had asked him a question.
“What did you ask me?”
“I want to know what was going on between you and S’kal. You never answered me the first time.”
The taste of her flesh had driven the question from his mind, but the reminder made him frown.
“It is… complicated. He is a member of our squad so I would have no hesitation in trusting my life to him and have done so in the past.”
“But…”
“S’kal has a brother who can be… dangerous, but S’kal’s loyalty is to him above all else. It has been a source of conflict between us in the past.”
“That doesn’t explain why you acted so oddly tonight. Why don’t you trust him?”
Trust. It had come hard for him since his parents’ death and while he had learned to trust his squad, that life was no more. And of his fellow warriors, S’kal was the only one likely to be a rival for her affections. Temel was too focused on his project, Naffon too impetuous, and Kalpar had never shown any interest in a female. But S’kal liked females and females liked him. His familiar greeting to Mary had only reinforced that belief - and he did not like it.
“Trust must be earned,” he said briefly as her house appeared and he reluctantly reined in the horse. “You should get some rest.”
He dismounted, then reached up and lifted her to the ground but didn’t immediately release her. She looked up at him, her eyes grey in the moonlight. Her scent rose to his nose, sweet and almost unbearably tempting.
“I suppose I should thank you for your help today.”
The words sounded reluctant, but her voice was soft and slightly breathless.
“I do not want your thanks,” he said gruffly.
“What do you want, Borgaz?”
What did he want? For years, the war and his duties to his fellow warriors had given him purpose. With the end of the fighting, that purpose had been taken from him. He’d yet to discover anything to replace it, except perhaps something he could not have.
“It is time for you to enter your dwelling.”
The sudden snap to his voice made her jerk back and he swore softly under his breath as he released her. She was not a soldier and he had no right to speak to her so brusquely. He struggled for the right words to apologize as he followed her up to the repaired porch. The wind rustled in the trees, and something screeched in the distance. She shivered, looking out into the night.
“I had forgotten what it was like at night here.”
“If you are afraid, you could return to the main house.”
As soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake. Her back straightened as she gave him an outraged look.
“I’m not afraid.”
“Of course not, fojii.”
“What does that mean anyway?” she asked crossly.
“It is a small animal from my home world. Its fur bristles when it is angry.”
Unable to resist, he stroked his hand across the soft silk of her hair and ran her braid through his fingers. He tugged, very lightly, so that she lifted her face to him as her sweet scent deepened. Was she aroused? He tightened his grip a little more and her lips parted, gleaming softly in the moonlight.
“That doesn’t sound very flattering,” she whispered.
“On the contrary. It is small but very appealing.” He wrapped the thick braid around his hand, holding her in place as he bent towards her. “Appealing enough to attract dangerous predators.”
His voice was more of a growl now and he heard the uncertainty in her response.
