Do Or Die [Nuworld 4] (42 page)

flaps to keep out unwanted guests—or was it to keep her in?

“What were you doing out there, Meah?” Andru reached out and took her

shoulder, turning her around to face him. Her hair flew wildly around her. Even bound

behind her neck, it fell easily to her waist and was black as the night sky. He quickly

wrapped his fingers through the silky locks and couldn’t help but wonder what it

would look like to have that hair fall over her naked body. There was no reason to

undress her the first time he took her. He didn’t want to enjoy her then, but he sure

wanted to now.

“I was, um, there…something happened,” she stammered.

“Something happened?” He ran his hand down her black hair, brushing the hard

nipple underneath the thin black nightshirt she wore. He stopped at the bottom of the

lock then brought it up to his mouth and nose, all the while watching her.

Meah shuddered when he brushed her nipple and looked around the room as if

searching for the answer to his question among his things. But then she simply looked

up and met his eyes. Andru was shocked when he realized he was looking at Meah for

the first time…the real Meah. Gone was the guard she kept up. Gone was the hatred

that swam in her eyes when she glared at him. She didn’t look like she was ready to

attack him for touching her. Her expression was blank, her stare void of emotion. The

woman didn’t look happy, sad or scared. She just stared at him.

“My lady, what’s happened to you?” He took her arms and pulled her into him,

lifting her off the ground and carrying her to his bed where he sat her down

comfortably on the thick blankets.

She said nothing at first as he sat down beside her. He pulled her hair back to look

into her face and saw that still she simply stared, this time at the floor.

“I’m not sure what it was.” It seemed as if she spoke to herself and her gaze didn’t

move.

“You’re not making any sense, lady.” He twisted her so she faced him and then

pulled her to him, stroking her hair so her head leaned back and her eyes met his.

“What are you not sure about?”

“I’m not sure what happened. One minute I was sitting on my bed and then I was

outside. I just don’t know…” Her voice faded off and she stared into his eyes as if he

could explain it to her.

Andru couldn’t believe how innocent she looked…innocent and full of wonder.

Here she carried his child for over two cycles now, yet she was pure and full of

confusion over emotions that slowly added color to her cheeks. Obviously, she was as

affected by her stunt on the glider earlier today as he was. He hadn’t been able to get

the feel of her body out of his mind ever since she’d turned and twisted in front of him.

He wanted her so desperately that he knew if he saw her again he’d take her without

hesitation.

So he’d stayed away from her tent. It hadn’t been too hard, he’d had plenty to keep

him busy trying to access the files on that landlink they’d brought back. But then he

heard the confrontation outside his tent and heard her voice. She wouldn’t admit that

she’d come to him, but he would accept that for now. All that mattered was that she

was here.

He lowered his mouth to hers and gently brushed their lips together. She didn’t

pull away and so he did it again, kissing her gently. She opened her mouth and gasped

and he took what was offered, this time tasting her tongue with his. She felt so soft next

to him and although she didn’t move into him, she still didn’t pull away. He cupped

her cheek with his hand then slid it down to her shoulder, then cupped her breast

perfectly into his hand. He ached with the softness of her and massaged gently as the

fire burned within him.

Meah gasped. What was he doing to her? No! Not again! She released a loud

guttural sound and jumped freely from him and off that incredibly large bed.

“How dare you!” she screamed and turned to the door. She had to talk to Ana or

find Tara. “I can’t believe you are so hardhearted—so cruel,” she muttered and worked

to untie the knots Andru secured.

“I tied those for a reason.” Andru’s voice was no more than a raspy growl. His hand

clamped to her shoulder and spun her around so severely her hair slapped at his bare

chest.

“No! Don’t. Let go of me.” Meah’s hair flew wildly as she spun her body violently

away from Andru. He finally let her go and she went sprawling across the room. She

shoved her hair blindly out of her way and climbed from all fours to a pouncing

position. “What makes you think you have the right to treat me like this?”

Andru ran his hand through his hair and forcibly appeared to be calming himself

down. “Why did you come here, Meah?”

“I didn’t come here. You brought me here. I tried to go see Ana…but she, um,

sounded like she was busy.”

“At least somebody is,” he grumbled, and she glared at him.

She pulled her hair together as she stood slowly. She felt dizzy for a moment and

reached blindly for something to hold on to. Carefully, Andru approached her, holding

one arm out, hand palm up. She overcame her dizziness quickly and backed away from

him. She hit the side of his bed with her foot and fell down on it. Panicking, she jumped

up quickly only to fall directly into him. He caught her easily and helped her balance

herself.

“Don’t touch me,” she sneered. “I came over here to talk to someone about a dream,

but it wasn’t really a dream because my pants were on and my hair was in a knot and I

did that in the dream. So it couldn’t have been a dream.” She paused, took a quick

breath and continued. “There were people in my dream and when other people said

their names I knew who they were but I’d never seen them before.” Her quick high-

pitched tone dropped now to almost a whisper. “I wanted to ask Ana or Tara to

describe these people to me and…and to help me…help me to understand what it all

meant.”

Meah dropped her head into her hands and started crying. It was a full-fledged cry,

her shoulders shook and she plopped onto his bed and held her head in her hands. Her

hair fell around her and Andru saw all of the little girl that was still in her. His heart

went out to her. She’d had a vision. That’s what she’d just described and she was

terrified from it and came looking for someone—not him—to talk to about it. He’d

misinterpreted her actions completely, and probably just set himself further away from

her than he’d ever been. Damn.

Well, there was no way he could just stand there and let her cry. He’d dug his own

grave, he might as well lie in it. He walked over to her and kneeled in front of her. She

braced her body, but he placed his hands on her knees and her elbows anyway.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” He could speak the gentle loving tone. He’d dealt with

Ana more times than he cared to remember when she’d thrown her fits. “And I wasn’t

going to hurt you a few minutes ago. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to

do.”

His last words had the impact he wanted. Her expression changed and she studied

his face to determine if he spoke the truth. He didn’t move a muscle. His hands

remained on her knees and he willed himself not to stroke her even with one finger. A

calm, albeit still slightly leery, expression appeared in her eyes and she relaxed her

body with a sigh. He smiled but forced his hands to be still. The heat from her body

scorched him.

“The dog-woman came to me and woke me up,” she whispered, sounding drained.

“She told me to put my pants on and come outside with her. When I walked out of the

tent, I wasn’t in the Runner camp anymore.”

Meah bit her lip and straightened, willing herself to look him in the eyes. Andru

noticed a glow in them that hadn’t been there a second ago. She sucked in her breath

way too quickly and then a dark crimson spread across her cheeks. Her gaze darted

down to his bare chest and then back up to his lips, before she looked down quickly.

Andru had seen more than one woman look at him like that before. He had done it.

Meah wanted him.

“I’d really like to tell everyone at once,” she whispered.

She jumped when he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. Then he stood

and walked over to his comm.

“Ana.” Then a few seconds later. “Gilroy.”

He growled when there was no answer. “I’m going to go get them. Tara went back

to the town with a small group of soldiers to look for some discs we may not have

noticed earlier. You stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Meah stood up and wiped her face with her hands. “No. I’ll go to their tent. You’re

not keeping me here.”

He’d had about enough. He pointed his finger at her but then balled it into a fist

and raised it above his head in frustration. “I am being as patient as I can be with you.

I’ve apologized for hurting you and have assured you more than is required of any man

that I won’t hurt you again. But I tell you right now, my lady, to remember your place.

I’m heir to Gothman. You’re in a Gothman camp and, above and beyond all that, you’re

carrying our child, and you’re my claim.” It was all he could do not to raise his voice to

a full-fledged roar. He walked over to her slowly and determinedly. Enough of playing

nice, he was going with his gut. When he stood directly in front of her—too damned

close—he put his thumb under her chin and raised her head so he could see her.

“My beautiful lady, I swear to you, if you leave this tent, I will stalk you down,

throw you over my shoulder and physically carry you back here.”

She looked at him, stunned. He took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss her

gently on her lips before turning and walking over to the flaps, untying them and

disappearing into the darkness.

Ana hurried into the tent in front of Gilroy and Andru. Meah sat on Andru’s bed

with one of his blankets wrapped around her. Her hair was wild around her head and

Ana imagined that she probably looked very much the same. She plopped down on the

bed next to Meah and wrapped her arms around her.

“Andru told us you had a vision that scared you pretty badly. Are you okay?” She

stroked Meah’s hair away from her face and could see how pale she was.

“I’m okay. But I think we need to turn around and go home. Something terrible is

going to happen.” She focused on Ana as she spoke and then attempted a weak smile.

“I must look awful.”

Ana smiled. “Don’t worry how you look. You look tired, that’s all. Tell us about

your vision.”

And she did. Gilroy and Andru stood over the bed staring at the two women. Ana