Saffron (5 page)

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Where do you think I went? Floated away, leaving nothing but the shell of my body beside you?”

He didn’t respond immediately, just stared at her. Then he was before her—he moved so fast she barely saw him move. He captured her by the shoulders and he drew her in close.

“If it could be done, I’d not put it past you to do it. Go before I strip you bare, Saffron, and fuck you until neither of us can lift a finger. I can’t seem to think about anything else when I’m around you.”

She did as he asked and left. She found Flare and told him to point her in the direction of where they usually prepared the evening meal. It was a while later when Kenric came out of the tent. He’d not changed and she could see dried blood on him from the men he’d helped move. Their eyes held for a charged moment before he snapped his head around and strode off.

The meal was strained—the men, saddened by the loss of their friends, ate with unease and sorrow. As the moon rose high above the wild land, men took positions around the camp to stand guard from any threat—animal or man.

She cleaned up and headed for her tent where she saw two bedrolls on cots. Kenric must have set the things up before he left. All her stuff was on one rack and his the other. She waved her hand and the light came on. Only then did she realise that she’d have to be more careful if Kenric was staying in the tent with her.

Meddling humans.
She glanced to the door and not seeing anyone near dressed herself in a pair of loose shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt. She sank cross-legged onto the cot, surrounded by her maps. Moments later the flap opened and Kenric entered. He flicked a dismissive glance over her before making his way to his cot.

She wasn’t sure she liked that, but let it go. Pencil in one hand, she kept her head down and focused on the papers before her. Taking one more chance, she put in her music without moving, having it trail down her back from her ears so he wouldn’t have been able to see it anyway.

After a bit, a balled-up piece of paper landed in the middle of her maps. She looked up to find him staring expectantly at her. She cocked a brow at him.

“Yes?”

“Why are you ignoring my questions?”

She made a big production of removing an ear bud. “I didn’t hear them. What do you need answers to?”

“Where’d you go to school?”

“Around.”

His ice-blue gaze sharpened. “Around where?”

Staring at him with a haughty look she said, “Mr Annson, if you wish to know my credentials, contact Mr Grimmel. They were enough for him—that’s all you need know.”

“Don’t look down your nose at me, darlin’. That highbrow act won’t work with me. Especially after I’ve had my cock so deep inside you I could feel your heartbeat.”

Tingling set off across her body and she fought not to shift or let him know that his comment had had any type of effect on her.

“A momentary lapse of judgement on my part, for sure,” she bit off.

A tic appeared in his jaw. “Really? Is that what you need to call it to feel better about yourself? A lapse of judgement?” His eyes darkened and grew stormy.

Her heartbeat kicked up a few notches and she swallowed to get a bit of moisture in her mouth. There was an urge to squeeze her legs together and try to stop the throbbing in her loins. Her pussy was slick with her juices as it readied for him.

Damn him! The one man in the cosmos who can make me feel I’m out of my league.

Refusing to show any of her inner turmoil to his seeking gaze, she lifted a shoulder in an indolent motion. “I could call it many things but that would mean I’d given it thought. Which I haven’t.”

Liar!
Her subconscious hollered.

“Is that a fact,” he stated in a toneless voice.

“Nothing but.”

He whipped off his shirt and her mouth went dry all over again. Her pulse thundered in her ears when his boots and pants followed soon after. She clenched her hands to keep from reaching out to him, craving the feel of his skin beneath hers.

“What are you doing?” she managed to ask.

Kenric removed his boxers and her eyes honed in on his shaft. Her pussy creamed at the memory of him filling her.

“Giving you another momentary lapse of judgement.”

He swiped her maps off the bed with a single sweep of his arm. He stood nose to nose with her, he glaring down into her eyes. She was surrounded by the masculine scent of his skin—it made her want to arch her back and purr.

“Is that a fact?”

“Nothing but,” he whispered as he turned the lamp off, shrouding the tent in darkness.

Then his mouth was on hers and she surrendered with a sigh of pleasure.

Chapter Four

In the inky darkness, Kenric couldn’t see a thing, but all his other senses had become heightened. He divested her of her clothing, flinging it away. Smoothing his hands over her skin, he revelled in the satiny softness of her flesh. Her fresh, light scent mixed with the fragrance of her arousal. Saffron’s moan sounded loud in the silence. She moved against his frame. Her long legs slid along his back as she rocked against his hard shaft. Groaning, he countered her movement, gritting his teeth at the feel of her lush wetness against his cock.

Moving back he ran his hand down her leg. The muscles felt wonderful against his fingertips. He went all the way down to her ankle. Coldness against his fingers made him frown. He traced it around her ankle, feeling the links and a weird shape. It was some sort of jewellery. He hadn’t noticed it before.

“Are you going to continue feeling up my anklet or get on with it?” Her raspy alto was much deeper than her usual tone.

Kenric shuddered. It teased along his senses. Ignoring her request to get on with it, he continued his exploration, fingering the ankle pendant, trying to discern what it could be. Moving on, he smoothed his hand up down her other leg. Her light shivers and moans egged him on.

“
Kenric
.”

The need in that smoky voice made him break. Leaning forward over her, he impaled her in one hard thrust. Saffron’s breath hitched and she whimpered. Her wetness took him in. Kenric plunged into her fast, moving against her. He hissed at the bite of her nails on his back. The fierceness and possessiveness of her hold made something he didn’t want to acknowledge fill him. He undulated his hips. She clenched around him.

“Kenr—”

He kissed her, cutting off the sounds. The idea of it travelling for the others to hear made him furious. The sounds she made were his and only his to hear.

I need to get her alone. Make her scream for me.
Even as he thought of it, he knew in this circumstance that it would not be possible. The lack of privacy had never bothered him before.

What are you doing to me Saffron? I’ve never minded my duty…job before
.
Angry with himself he pulled her hands from his shoulders and pinned them to the mattress. He moved faster and more urgently. Although he could not see her face filled with passion or the lowered lids over her dark brown eyes, it was etched in his memory from the last time he’d had her. Another soft, breathy sound signalled she was close. Her inner walls tightened around him and she moaned into his mouth. Swallowing the sound down, Kenric felt his balls tighten. He thrust and pulled back.

“
Saffron
!” he cried.

He collapsed against her. Saffron’s arms curled around him and she kissed the top of his head. He stiffened, surprised at the gesture, then relaxed against her. In the back of his mind he knew this was a bad idea, but he was powerless to stop. After some time he rolled off and arranged them so that her back was against his chest. He slid his leg between Saffron’s thighs, opening her. He rubbed his fingers along her pussy, revealing the wetness that was him and her combined. Cupping his hand over her, he listened to the sounds of the camp beyond the tent.

“Do you expect me to sleep with your fingers all up in me?” Saffron’s question was more curious than anything else.

“Yup,” he replied.

He moved his fingers deeper, smiling in the darkness at the catch of her breath. Saffron would have to get used to it. For as long as she was here, she was his. And he’d have her anyway he wanted her. Sleep with her as he wished.

“This is mine.” He squeezed where his fingers were imbedded.

“I belong to no man.” Saffron snorted.

“While you are here, you belong to me. Don’t test me on this, Saffron,” Kenric growled in warning.

Saffron was stiff and silent. Slowly she relaxed back into him. Kenric inhaled her scent, pulling it in as much as he could. He didn’t know how long they had but he was not going to waste it.

 * * * *

Kenric absently listened as he was filled in on what was going on at the site. His attention was on Saffron. She was talking again with Shade and Flare. For some reason, no matter where they were, they gravitated towards her and she them. It was irritating.

But she’s going to bed with you.
That at least was true. For the last two weeks she had been there they’d had wild, uncontrollable sex then slept together. And that was about all they’d done. A small, bitter smile curled his lips. Any time he asked any questions about her personally, Saffron was adept at deflecting it. He didn’t know much more about her than when she’d arrived. It was frustrating. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her laughing with Flare and Shade. She said something then stood and walked out of the room.

“See you tomorrow,” Kenric said and, not waiting for a response, he headed for the door.

“In a hurry, Boss?” Shade sounded very amused.

“Needs his beauty sleep,” Flare added.

Kenric didn’t even spare them a look or a reply. He went down the hall, answering the various greetings from the men returning from the site but not slowing. At his room he opened the door and strode in. Scowling at the empty area, he turned on his heel and went back out. He pushed open the door of the bunk next door. Spotting the woman who was driving him nuts, Kenric walked over to her. Saffron was dressed for sleep, in another set of loose shorts and the sleeveless T-shirt she preferred when going to bed. Maps were spread out on the bed around her.

“Since you spend the night here anyway, I moved your things here.” Saffron didn’t look up as she spoke.

Kenric put his hands on his hips, studying her bent head. Her loose hair blocked the view of her face. Saffron kept making notations on her maps. Kenric wasn’t sure what her moving his things meant. It pissed him off that she had done so without consulting him, yet on the other hand he was pleased that she was accepting of them sleeping together. Not saying anything, he gathered some clothing and went to wash up. Re-entering, he noted that she’d lowered the lights and was already lying down under the covers, her back to him. He undressed then scooted to rest his back against the wall. He pulled her feet from under the covers and placed them in his lap.

Tracing the anklet there, he studied the entwined chain then put his finger under the oblong pendant on it. He ran his finger over the slightly raised design. It was exactly like the tattoo on her upper arm—a male lion holding a flower in its mouth, standing on a row of symbols with a snake sitting at each end of the markings. He marvelled again at the amazingly intricate detail on the small piece of jewellery. Saffron turned on to her back. He glanced at her and she pushed the covers off to reveal her nakedness. Kenric’s gaze was drawn to the tattoo for a moment as it seemed to glow and he swore the creature moved to look at him. He blinked then frowned at the tattoo, which now just looked like a design on skin.

“You seem to have a thing for my feet,” Saffron said in that low, intimate tone she used when relaxed and ready for bed.

One he was never tired of hearing. It was his second favourite sound of her voice, the first being when he was buried deep inside her and she screamed his name. His semi-erect shaft went rock hard. Saffron made a small sound of pleasure in her throat. It went directly to his cock, making pre-cum leak out of the tip. Kenric blew out a breath. He needed to keep focused.

“What do these symbols on your ankle pendant mean?” he asked.

“Talking is overrated. Come to bed.” It was a siren call.

Once, he had given in every time she’d tried to sway his attention from any questions about her. Kenric clenched his fist, praying for strength to resist.

“Not this time. I want an answer. Why won’t you tell me anything about you? Is it so hard to just tell me what this pendant says?” His frustration bubbled over in his voice.

Saffron tensed, studying him with calm, brown eyes. Seeming to come to a decision she relaxed.

“It’s a cartouche, not a pendant,” she replied.

“Cartouche?”

“It’s basically an amulet that has my name in Egyptian hieroglyphs with a design…that is…close to me.” Saffron had an unfathomable look on her face.

“Just like your tattoo.”

“Yes. It is who I am.” Saffron petted her arm.

Kenric was mesmerised by it. She stroked her long, slender fingers against the skin lovingly. A rumbling purr reverted in his mind.

“What is that?” Frowning, he glanced around.

“What? I don’t hear anything.” Saffron sounded amused.

He returned his attention to her. She had tucked her left hand behind her head and was watching him. He dropped his gaze to her right one that rested against her belly. As he watched, she moved her hand from her stomach and over her front. She widened her legs, putting one behind his back. He rose up, resting against it as she settled, not taking his gaze from where her hand was heading. She sank her fingers into her wetness. The glistening lips of her pussy made his mouth water for a taste. Kenric gripped her ankle. The warmth of the anklet pressed against his palm.

“I…want to know more about you, Saffron,” he said hoarsely.

Her hand paused in its ministrations…then continued.

“Then ask what you wish, Kenric Annson, but be sure you want the answer.” There was a warning undertone to her words.