Saffron (6 page)

He glanced at her sharply. Her lids were lowered over those dark brown eyes. They flashed with flames then went back to brown. He was losing it. Seeing things that were not there.

“Are you trying to distract me from talking?” Kenric narrowed his eyes.

“Maybe. Is it working?” A devilish smile curled her full lips.

“Yes—” He cleared his throat. “But I want to know more about you.” Kenric tightened his fingers around her ankle.

“Why?”

He frowned, not having seen her lips actually move. Shrugging he replied, “Just curious.”

Saffron studied him with that same thoughtful look then said, “Ask your questions.”

He lowered his head, biting back a groan as she continued to play with herself. With two fingers, she opened so he could see. She plucked at her clit.

“Do you have to do that? I can’t think.” He grudgingly admitted.

“Not my problem. You can ask your questions as I do this, or just forget it and fuck me,” she said in that smoky voice that promised all manner of sin.

Kenric’s gaze was locked on her fingers, as they got wetter from her pussy. She plunged her three middle fingers in then out of her cunt, mimicking how he touched her there. Fucked her hard and deep. A gasp came from her. Her breath quickened. He squeezed and released her ankle.

Blowing out his breath, he tried to gather his scattered thoughts. “Where do you live when you’re not travelling for work?”

“I have homes in Colorado Springs, Taos, and Piedmont to name a few,” she replied, her voice husky.

“Colorado and New Mexico. I’m not sure where Piedmont is?”

“Piedmont is a town along the Canadian border.”

“Why do you have so many homes?” he asked.

“I like to change scenery. They each call to me in some way.”

Saffron withdrew her fingers and rubbed on her hooded clit then pushed her fingers back into her canal. Kenric groaned, gripping her leg. He continued to ask her questions as she fingered herself. Her voice deepened as she answered.

Saffron moaned, closing her eyes as she slid her fingers into her clenching pussy. At first, touching herself had started as a way to distract Kenric from his probing questions. The last two weeks had been a test of wills. Him sitting, as he had tonight, trying to pry answers out of her. Usually she could distract him with a touch or a quip but tonight, after hours of him glowering at her from across the room, she wanted him desperately. His possessiveness did funny things to her. Made her want him even more—although she would never admit to him that she felt the same way. She was thankful there were no other women here. If there had been, she didn’t think she could have prevented herself from zapping them somewhere else.

Since that night in the tent, she had decided to get her fill of him while keeping some space between them. That was becoming harder than she thought as each day passed. Keeping Kenric at a distance was proving to be a futile task. The man was meticulous with details when he worked. When he turned that intensity on her as he made love to her, it was devastating.

“How do you know Kade? How long have you known him?” Kenric’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

She moved her fingers deeper, shivering at how wet she was. She could not believe he was carrying on a conversation when she lay spread before him. Ready for his taking. Yes, his voice got deeper with each question. But he still seemed a little too in control while she was ready to attack him where he sat.

“I’ve known Kade for a long time. We met on another job. He’s a man that doesn’t take shit from anyone. And cares about those who work for him.”

“He is,” Kenric agreed.

Arching her back, Saffron rocked her hips against her fingers. Release was riding just out of her reach. A hard hand gripped hers, pulling her fingers out of her pussy. Startled, she snapped open her eyes. Kenric held her hand, locking his gaze on hers. He lowered his head, not releasing her from his look. Warm breath feathered her fingers then wet heat engulfed them when he sucked. Whimpering, Saffron shuddered. Kenric made a rough sound in his throat then leaned over her, blanketing her body. He thrust into her with no hesitation. Moaning wildly, she used her power to cut off the sound from anyone else outside the room.

“Scream for me… Saffron.” He rocked inside her in a hard demand.

She bit her lip, shaking her head.

“Give. Me. The. Sound,” he urged.

Saffron thrashed her head on the pillow as he rode her urgently. He pinned her down as he pushed into her. Saffron curled her fingers with his, lacing them together. Kenric made a rumbling sound that made the lion on her arm bristle. With a thought, she controlled her power and stopped it from being unleashed.

“
Saffron
.” That decadent whisper against the side of her face was her undoing.

“Fu…ck, Kenric. Take me… Plea…” She screamed continuously as he pumped into her.

Incoherently she babbled, not knowing what she was saying. He murmured to her, urging her on. She couldn’t even make out what he was saying. The pleasure came over her with a sharpness that took away her breath. Clenching her pussy, she locked her legs around him. Bucking, she thrashed uncontrollably. Kenric held her down as he powered into her, then groaned as he joined her in pleasure. He collapsed on top of her. She hugged him close, kissing the top of his forehead and murmuring to him in her native language.

“What are you saying?” Kenric tiredly asked.

Stiffening, Saffron realised she had been speaking to him in Egyptian and what she had said.

It is all right. Our souls are one. I’ve got you, my love.
She brushed aside the words as being just in the heat of the moment. She replied out loud, “You are heavy as hell and squishing me.”

“That’s what you get for taking my energy.” Kenric snorted in laughter.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Saffron smiled wickedly.

With a slight touch of infused power, she pushed his heavy weight off her and rolled him on to his back. Straddling him, she rocked forward, taking in his again hardened cock.

Kenric put his hand over his eyes and groaned. “You’re trying to kill me. Okay, I’m with you, but don’t be so loud.”

Saffron raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going to be the loud one. Besides, no one will hear unless I will it.”

Kenric lowered his arm and glanced at her sharply. “What do you mean by that?”

At his question, it dawned on Saffron what she had said and she cursed her wayward tongue. He was befuddling her, which wouldn’t do. She was a goddess and no human would have that sort of control over her. Putting her hand in the centre of his chest, she raised up then down onto him fast. Kenric lost the suspicious look as his eyes rolled back in his head and he groaned.

This is just sex. Amazing sex and that is all I will allow it to be.
With that vow she set out to make Kenric forget that he wanted to know anything else about her.

* * * *

 Saffron stared out at the passing landscape through the Jeep window. Her feet were propped against the dashboard. The silence between them was comfortable. Kenric had been in a strangely contemplative mood this morning. You would think after the night they’d had that he would at least have been more communicative. Instead he was quiet. Too quiet. It was disconcerting. He seemed to be watching her and trying to see into places she didn’t want anyone to see. His weird attitude hadn’t gone unnoticed. Shade and Flare had taken particular delight in probing him about what he was thinking. Kenric hadn’t taken the bait or replied—he’d just been silent.

She shifted, the uneasy feeling that had started when she’d woken sprawled on his large frame had increased as each moment passed. Not being comfortable in her own skin was unlike her. It was as if something had changed last night.

No, I am being foolish. Get your mind on what you are here to do.
The dig site came into view. Saffron reached out with her senses. In seconds she knew all was still well. Kenric parked. Hopping out of the Jeep, she strode towards the lift. Kenric matched her step for step. In moments they were on their way down into the shaft. Once below ground she followed him as he went about his day, taking samples and other things, although it wasn’t necessary. Kenric’s deep voice was behind her as she worked.

Saffron glanced at him. His strong body moved as he worked with the men. She was pleased to see that her subtle manoeuvring of the data had moved him away from the danger of creating a global incident with the plates. Kenric hadn’t believed her or let her see the maps but using her connection to the earth she had been able to steer them away from certain disaster. A weird sensation racked her. Saffron closed her eyes and focused on it. Making herself unseen, she headed deeper into the cavern. Following the pulse of discontent in the earth, she stopped in front of a wall. She flared out with her power she felt below the surface. Frowning she opened her eyes. The wall was tinted with the orange fire. It faded in moments.

“What have I told you about wandering away?” Kenric’s furious voice lashed out at her.

“I need to see your maps. Something is wrong,” Saffron said.

“What? There is nothing wrong. We are ahead of schedule and nothing has happened for weeks. You’re not going to fuck up my timeline, Saffron,” Kenric gritted out.

“Not here. At one of the other sites.” Saffron faced him.

The sight of his sweaty body made her thoughts scatter.

“How do you know that?” Kenric narrowed his eyes.

“I just do. I need the maps and you to take me there,” Saffron said.

“Look, I’ve put up with your subtle changing of how we are drilling. But this I draw the line at.”

“You knew!” Saffron couldn’t hide her surprise.

“Yes, I do. You might be the fuckin’ rock doc but I know where I set to go and how. I’m the drilling and blasting specialist and nothing changes without me saying so.”

Saffron was flabbergasted by his words. No one had swayed her from her path once it was set. Except for him. Kenric was like no man she had ever met. She couldn’t explain why. When she’d arrived she had been tempted to get rid of the entire team, which would have been preferable. But she had learned long ago to get all the facts before she sentenced anyone. After viewing how Kenric worked she had placed the responsibility for everything that went on at the site on his shoulders. The way he had been drilling, which abused what she did—protecting the earth—she would have sentenced him for, and erased him from the earth. Instead she had guided him to the right path. That he went along with it without saying a word was his saving grace
.
She had been thinking she was manoeuvring without his knowledge but he had known all the time. He actually was listening.

“I need to go to the other sites, Kenric.” She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his arm.

“You can see the maps and explain what the problem is. I will then decide if I will let you go. This is business. Don’t try to use sex to get your way,” Kenric snapped.

He turned and walked away. Saffron frowned then strode after him. She grabbed him and pulled him to a stop. Kenric glanced down at her hand on his arm then at her. Saffron jerked him around and released his arm. She pushed his chest moving him back against the rock wall.

“Is that what you think of me? That I’ve been using
sex
to get my way?” she demanded in disbelief.

“What else am I supposed to think? You keep me at arm’s length. A wall between us. I don’t even know much about you,” he said.

“You know about me. You questioned me last night.”

“And you—grudgingly—answered me. Now you’re using what we have to get your way. Let’s just keep it business since you obviously don’t want
personal connections
.” Kenric’s face was cold.

Saffron’s heart pounded at the look she hadn’t seen since that first day, long ago.

“Now I’m going back to work. Unless you have something business related to inform me of, Miss Eshe?”

Saffron released him.

“That’s what I thought. Now let’s get back to the rest of the crew. After all, we have only business to handle.” Kenric smiled an unpleasant grin
.

Saffron crowded him. “You’re wrong. We have a lot more than that.”

Chapter Five

Kenric’s face was expressionless and closed off. It was a look Saffron didn’t like seeing at all. He was pushing her to admit things she wasn’t even ready to admit to herself. Studying him, Saffron wondered how he had got under her skin so damn quickly.

“If this was
just business
I wouldn’t ask for your help. I would go around you. Hell, I’d go through you to get what I want done. It is because this
is personal
that I have not.” Saffron frowned, realising what she was saying.

It was indeed personal. Very personal. Something she had never allowed. Until now. She stepped back. Kenric put his hand on her waist, pulling her into his body. His intense eyes seemed to strip her bare. It was a feeling that she did not like at all. Saffron steeled herself. She was a goddess and no man would get the better of her. Kenric cupped her cheek with his other hand.

“This is personal to me too. Saffron, I love you.” Kenric’s deep voice resonated though her.

Saffron’s breath shuddered out of her. Closing her eyes she was undone by his declaration. No. It was not possible that this human could love her. Not so suddenly.

“I know we have much to learn about each other, that we haven’t known each other long, but I am sure about one thing—I want you in my life. Tell me you want the same.” His tone was demanding.

Saffron opened her lids, staring at him. The surety in his voice matched his expression.

“I want the same. Kenric, I love you. But be very sure of what you are asking. Will you be able to accept all that I am?”

Kenric didn’t hesitate. “I accept every ornery, argumentative inch of you”

“Wow. That’s so romantic,” she said dryly.

“Hey, you’ll have to accept me for all that I am too.” Kenric shrugged.