Beth and the Barbarian Page 3

  The words came out without conscious thought and she didn’t know who was more startled. Her eyes flew to his face and he looked as shocked as she felt.

  “No, I know I can’t. I’m sorry; I don’t know what I was thinking. Of course I can’t go with you. I know you’re not from Earth. I’m sure you have places you need to go. But I’m so lonely and you make me feel so safe and—” She knew she was babbling but she couldn’t seem to stop the words tumbling out of her mouth until she realized that he was shaking his head. “What? Are you saying that I can’t go? Or that I can’t stay.”

  He gestured around the cabin and shook his head.

  “I can’t stay here?” A totally irrational sense of relief filled her and she sagged against him. “So I can go with you?” He hesitated and she was suddenly afraid again but he merely frowned and nodded somewhat reluctantly. Smiling up at him, she put her arms as far around his enormous body as she could reach and hugged him. His muscles turned to stone beneath her grasp, but she simply inhaled his wonderful scent and snuggled closer. For one brief second, he curved his arm around her shoulders and then he was pulling her loose with surprisingly gentle fingers.

  Frowning, he looked down at her clothes and pointed to her feet. She started to move across to the armoire but the floor was still littered with shards of glass. Fortunately, it was safety glass or the pieces falling from the skylight would have ripped her open but it was still uncomfortable to bare feet. With a low growl, he picked her up and carried her across the floor. Her shoes were tumbled together in the base of the armoire and yielding to a sudden impish impulse, she pointed to her favorite pair of black high-heeled sandals. He looked from the sexy heels to her bare feet and his eyes turned molten silver.

  Hmm, so even alien men liked heels? Beth had a sudden vision of herself, naked in those heels in front of him, and her nipples instantly tightened. He obviously noticed and the glow in his eyes intensified. She started to melt against him but he had already turned back to the jumbled collection of shoes. He picked out a sensible pair of sneakers and slipped them on to her feet.

  Once she had shoes on, he released her. She immediately missed the warmth of his body, but she meekly followed him out of the cabin and down the steps. Within a few paces it was apparent that she had misjudged her strength. Her knees were rubbery and each step took an enormous effort, but she bit her lip and kept walking, determined not to ask for help. Her companion had moved slightly ahead but he turned back as soon as she began to drop behind. He took one look at her white face and had her back up in his arms before she could move another inch.

  This time he carried her cradled against the broad expanse of his chest and Beth sighed and nestled close, burying her face in his neck. He felt so good—warm and strong—and if she had just had a little more energy, she would have explored the sculpted muscles rippling against her skin. Instead, her eyes were drifting closed. She was half asleep when he stopped in front of an empty clearing.

  He pulled out something ridiculously like a television remote and pressed a button. The air shimmered and then a spaceship appeared between the trees. It was vaguely triangular, with a pointed nose and a sleek shape that suggested speed even when resting quietly in the clearing. He pressed another button and a doorway opened in the upper section, a ladder descending to the ground. He looked at her and then at the ladder, sighed, and placed her gently over his shoulder before he climbed up.

  The inside of the cabin was dim and she was barely aware of her surroundings as he laid her on a soft surface. He moved away and she tried to protest but he was back before she could summon the strength. There was a tiny sting in her neck and she was vaguely aware that he was pulling off her shoes before exhaustion took her and carried her off into darkness.

  Dragar looked at the female lying on his bunk and tried to make sense of his conflicting emotions. The bunk was sized for a Sardoran warrior and she looked tiny and helpless. His protective impulses flared, but then she murmured something and stretched in her sleep and the heavy top she was wearing slid up, revealing a strip of pale bare skin and lust immediately consumed him. Giving in to the impulse, he gently removed her outer layer of clothing, leaving her clad only in the pink silk he had selected. She murmured again as he stripped her, but the sedative he had given her kept her unconscious. He stroked the silky expanse of her long, bare legs, his fingers playing at the edge of her panties as he remembered the pale, gold curls nestled between her legs. He stroked over the soft fabric and felt her immediate response. He leaned closer, breathing in her delectable fragrance as it intensified.

  And then he straightened up and cursed himself for a fool. Sooner or later she was going to come to her senses and get over her inexplicable trust. When she did, she would be frightened at best, repulsed at worst, and he did not want to do anything that would add to either emotion. He tried to force himself into a state of clinical detachment as he applied healing gel to her wounds. Pulling a blanket up over her tempting body, he swung down the ladder and used the remote to hide the ship once more. He was reluctant to leave her unprotected, but this was the safest place she could be right now.

  He knew where the Serigali ship had landed and he moved quickly through the woods in that direction. As he had hoped, the lone guard was on the ground, pacing the clearing and looking bored. Dragar slit his throat before the guard even knew he was there. The ship was open and he hauled the guard inside. He didn’t have time for more than a cursory examination but he made a copy of the log files before setting the ship for silent self-destruct. In the morning, there would be nothing left but a mysterious pile of ashes.

  Impatient to get back to his little female, he hauled the two bodies from the lake up to the ruined cabin. The bodies were heavy but had to be disposed of with the rest of their pack. Stacking them with the others, he sprinkled accelerant around the room. The resulting fire would be highly localized but burn hot enough to incinerate the evidence of any alien presence. He retrieved the paintings of the Place of Judgment and the other one that gave him an odd sense of familiarity. After a brief hesitation, he also added another abstract in tones of pink and gold. Art supplies were scattered across the floor, mostly destroyed, but one sketchbook was intact and he took that, along with a packet of charcoal. The last thing he took on the way out the door was the black heels.

  By the time he returned to his ship, Dragar was feeling the strain of the past few hours but he was unwilling to linger on this planet any longer. Dawn was approaching and the chance of discovery increasing. Leaving the shields on, he lifted the ship to just above the tree line, checking to make sure that nothing remained of the cabin or the Serigali ship. Satisfied that there were completely destroyed, he headed into space.

  Rubbing a tired hand over his face, he glanced back at the peacefully sleeping female. What the hell was he going to do with her? By Imperial edict, he should have disposed of her, but he hadn’t spent the last hours defending her only to terminate her life now—and he knew that he was absolutely incapable of such an act. He could also sell her into slavery or retain her as his personal slave but neither prospect appealed to him, although a brief fantasy of her kneeling at his feet in a slave garment had his cock stiffening immediately.

  Sighing, he set the auto-pilot for Sardor Two, soon to be the new home for his people. His Chief had a human mate and he was sure they would take this female into their home. He instinctively opposed the idea of her in another warrior’s home but he firmly pushed the objection aside. It would be best for her, and if she was with Jakkar and Anna, at least he could see her occasionally.

  She was still curled into his bunk and he longed to climb in next to her and take her in his arms, but refused to allow himself to succumb to the yearning. Distracting himself from the sight of her appealing body, he rummaged through his supplies until he found a translator bug to slip into her ear. Finally, he lowered the top bunk and lifted her onto it. He forced his arms to let go when, even in her sleep, she sighed and snuggled
against him. He normally slept naked but his earlier reasons for remaining clothed still applied and he kept his uniform on as he climbed into his bunk. He couldn’t resist rubbing his head against the spot where she had been sleeping and letting her fragrance soak into him. His cock jerked violently in instantaneous response. Five days alone in a ship with a woman that he shouldn’t touch. A sardonic smile twisted his lips. If nothing else, this trip would do wonders for his self-discipline.

  Sometime later, he awoke to the sound of small muffled sobs from the upper bunk. He stood up immediately, leaning over the trembling body and stroking her hair. “Shh, little one.”

  Her eyes were still closed but as soon as he touched her, she flung her arms around his neck. He tried to pull back but she clung fiercely. So much for self-discipline. With a muffled curse, he pulled her into his arms and lowered them both into the bottom bunk. She immediately curled her body into his, tears still trickling from under closed eyelashes, and he stroked her hair until her breathing slowed and they both slept.

  Chapter Four

  Beth woke up completely surrounded by warm, hard male. Her aches and pains had disappeared while she slept, although she had a vague memory of crying in the night and then being safe in his arms. Now his head was buried in her neck. One warm arm covered her stomach and his hand was curved firmly around her breast. His leg enclosed hers and she could feel a very definite erection pressing against her hip. Mmm. She wiggled a tiny fraction and it jerked in response. Her nipple immediately tightened against his palm and a throbbing ache started low in her belly.

  Rational Beth was screaming that she was crazy. She was on an alien spaceship with an enormous alien—mmm, definitely enormous—and her entire life had just been irrevocably altered. She knew that rational Beth was right, and she also knew that the trauma of the previous day was not going to go away immediately, but right now, she felt safe and warm and undeniably aroused—again. Which was rather amazing in itself—men had simply never interested her. However, as soon as this man touched her, her sex drive suddenly appeared. The memory of her behavior in the shower made her blush, but it had been incredibly satisfying. Maybe she was only turned on by aliens? The thought amused her and she bit back a giggle as she considered her options.

  The obvious solution was to wake him up and encourage him to take advantage of her nearly naked body; however, considering his reluctance of the night before, and the fact that he was still wearing that annoying uniform, she wasn’t really sure that that would work. Of course, if she got him worked up enough before he was fully awake…

  Moving as little as possible, she slid her top out from under his hand until he was grasping her naked breast. The feel of his rough, warm palm sent a shiver down her spine and she arched into his hand. His fingers tightened instinctively and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning with pleasure. Her pussy pulsed in response and she could feel her panties starting to dampen.

  She paused for a moment but he was still breathing evenly into her neck so she worked one hand into the fraction of space between their bodies until she could wrap her fingers around his erection. Well, almost wrap her fingers around his erection. His cock was a massive throbbing bar, much too big to enclose with her hand. Excitement, and a pleasurable hint of fear, coursed through her veins and she could feel her heart start to speed up. She stroked as much of the long hard length as she could, relishing each responsive jerk, but the awkward position limited her movement and she wanted more.

  Carefully, she investigated his waistband, sighing in relief when she encountered a familiar fastening. Apparently, buttons were universal. She slipped the top button free. The broad head of his cock immediately pressed against her fingers and she stroked her thumb across the slippery surface. His wild musky scent intensified and he growled against her neck. She froze but he didn’t move and she carefully worked another button free. With each button, more and more of his steely length filled her hand and her pussy started to pulse in slow, demanding throbs.

  Once more, her thumb stroked across the head and he growled again. His hand tightened on her breast, clamping down on her nipple with a demanding pressure that had her pressing into his hand. She muffled a moan, still not sure if he was awake, and then he rolled on top of her. His mostly uncovered cock pressed between her legs and slid against the damp silk of her wet panties, sending waves of pleasure coursing through her system. He lowered his head and she just had time to see that his eyes were still closed before his mouth closed over hers. He tasted so good, warm and male and wild, and she moaned into his mouth. His hips rocked his cock against her throbbing core and she wrapped her legs around him, angling her body to increase the pressure. His fingers still tormented her breast, pinching the tight peak with a pressure that should have been painful but only added to her excitement. He rocked harder, faster, and she exploded, a soft cry tearing from her throat. Almost simultaneously, she felt him shudder and press harder against her willing body and then jets of hot liquid were covering her stomach and breasts before he collapsed into her arms.

  Sighing with pleasure, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed kisses into his neck. She knew the minute he woke up enough to realize what had happened. Every muscle in his body hardened and he raised his head to stare down at her with eyes that were wide awake. They were still liquid silver from arousal but white sparks started to appear as he looked down at her, her top up around her neck, his cum coating her body, and his cock filling the unfastened opening of his pants.

  “Good morning.” She smiled and tried to lift her head for a kiss but he pushed himself upright, off of her and off of the bed. He backed away, buttoning his pants with angry hands.

  “What the hell were you doing?”

  “What was I doing? There were two of us in this bed.”

  “But one of us certainly didn’t go to bed with his pants undone.”

  “Maybe you were hot,” she suggested a little weakly, suddenly feeling guilty. “Hey, how come I understand you?”

  “I put a translator bug in your ear. Don’t change the subject.”

  Beth sat up and pulled down her tank, her pleasant afterglow evaporating in the face of his anger. The feeling of guilt intensified and all of a sudden she wanted to cry.

  He cursed and knelt on the floor in front of her, cupping his hand around her cheek to look into her dejected face.

  “Little one, you can’t play this game. It’s too dangerous. I don’t know why you want me but I’m not the right one for you.”

  She raised her chin and stared back at him. “Isn’t that my decision?”

  “No,” he growled, and returned to towering over her but she saw the flicker of silver in his eyes and her confidence returned. He could try and deny it but she knew what she wanted—and she knew that he wanted it as well. She was just going to have to find out why he was so resistant.

  Tacitly letting the subject drop, she rose to her feet and offered her hand.

  “Hi, I’m Beth Hudson. Nice to meet you.”

  He looked at her hand, then her innocent expression, then roared with laughter. As he laughed, she caught a glimpse of sharp white teeth and over-sized canines that bore a close resemblance to fangs. Rational Beth pointed out that she should be afraid but she only relaxed into the sound of his laughter and grinned at him. A smile still curved his lips when he grasped her outstretched hand. The scars down his face pulled at one side of his mouth, twisting the smile and giving it a sardonic edge.

  “I’m Dragar, of the Clan—”

  He hesitated and she prompted, “Clan?”

  “Clan Leijona.”

  There was a note of sorrow in his voice and his smile had disappeared, but she didn’t pursue the subject. Instead, she looked around the small cabin. “So this is what a spaceship looks like?”

  Like the ship, the room was triangular, with a rounded apex filled with instrument panels. In the apex, two chairs were surrounded by the semi-circular console. The back wall contained the bunk they
had been sharing, flanked by tall cabinets. An airlock on one wall presumably led outside and on the other, a ladder rested above a sealed hatchway. The rest of the walls were filled with metal cabinets. Everything was in soft shades of gray, even the rubbery floor surface and it was curiously soothing.

  “This is pretty much it. The engines, life support systems, and a small cargo hold are below.” He opened the door to one of the tall cabinets next to the bed. “This is the san—the sanitary facility.”

  She peered in but it was simply a tall empty cabinet. “You’re kidding right?”

  He laughed again and the low rumble sent pleasant shivers up her spine. She could get used to that sound. Reaching past her, he showed her a row of small buttons. One caused a toilet to emerge and the other gave access to a tiny wash basin.

  “What does this one do?” She reached in and pressed the third button before he could speak and a flood of warm liquid poured down over her head. Spluttering, she jerked back and rammed straight into his hard body. He caught her automatically, his laughter dying as she pressed against him. She wiggled a little and felt his immediate response before he growled and stepped back. Feeling triumphant—he definitely wanted her just as badly as she wanted him—she ignored his withdrawal.

  “I suppose since I’m already wet, I might as well take a shower. Are there any towels?”

  “That button is for drying.” He pointed to it and then handed her a small, white cloth. “For cleansing. Also, the sanitary liquid is not for drinking—keep your mouth closed. If you can.”

  Had he just made a joke? She narrowed her eyes at him and was rewarded by the slight twist of his lips. Swinging her hips a little too emphatically, she stepped into the small room.

  Dragar stared at the closed door, trying to suppress images of Beth’s naked body soaking wet. When she had inadvertently started the flow of water, she had spluttered like a half-drowned linae and looked completely adorable. But as she had stepped back into him, all he noticed was the soft warmth of her body and how her wet top was almost translucent. Adjusting his suddenly aching cock, he cast a longing look at the tumbled bunk, still not believing that she had seduced him in his sleep. Her fragrance had haunted his dreams and it had been so easy to believe he was dreaming when he felt her soft warm body under his, his shaft sliding against the warm, wet haven between her thighs. And the sight of his seed streaking her pale body was unbelievably erotic. He had wanted to rub it into her skin, marking her as his own, and only his shock had pulled him away.