thought she was reasonably fit from cooking and working long
hours in the restaurants. Not so. Every part of her body ached and she couldn’t
wait to have a proper meal. This fruit stuff wasn’t very filling.
“How do you know where you’re going?”
“I don’t. We’re heading to the east, which
is toward the resort.”
“Tell me the truth. How many solar days
will it take us to reach the resort?”
Saber slowed and glanced at her over his
shoulder. “Four. Maybe five.”
He wasn’t lying. She read the truth in his
face. Her shoulders drooped momentarily before she gave herself a stern
lecture. She’d spent her childhood in the market. She’d clawed her way into a
successful business. She could handle a few more solar days with Saber Mitchell.
If she didn’t give in to impulse and murder
him first.
If she lost the restaurants because of him…
Eva forced her mind away from her problems,
the bloody ticking timepiece in her brain that was counting down the
nanoseconds to disaster.
She ground her teeth and concentrated on
Bluebird walking in front of her. The bird waggled its tail feathers with each
step—a sort of a cute twitch. Her gaze wandered and settled on Saber’s butt.
She jolted, scowled, looked away. She
didn’t need to see the firm flex of his muscles.
Bluebird released a shrill squawk, and
Saber cursed.
“We need to hide. It’s those damn birds
again.” Saber grasped her upper arm and propelled her toward the shelter of a
large tree. When she tripped, her scooped her into his arms and sprinted the
rest of the way.
“Thanks.” The word was clipped and held not
a shred of real sentiment.
“You’re welcome.”
He was laughing at her. “It’s your fault
I’m in this mess,” she snapped. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in the
middle of nowhere, half naked and starving with a big-ass bird wanting to snack
on me.”
The humor disappeared from his face as they
reached the tree. “I’m sorry.”
Above them the large bird screeched.
Bluebird honked, a low call of distress, and Eva stooped to pet him. “It’s okay,
fella. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
“He’d taste good roasted over a fire.”
“That’s not funny.”
“We need to find food. You can’t afford to
lose any more weight.”
“My weight needn’t concern you,” she said
in a frosty voice. “I think the bird has gone now. Can we get moving?”
Saber checked the skies. “Of course. There
are some fruit trees at the end of the valley.”
“Which way do we go once we leave the
valley?”
“We continue east.”
No hesitation. Yes, she thought he was
telling the truth. But she didn’t trust Saber, and began forming her own plan.
He didn’t have her best interests in mind, and he still hadn’t told her
why he’d kidnapped her. While she was certain the Dearbhorgaills were involved,
he hadn’t confessed. Not yet.
No, she couldn’t trust him. And she didn’t
have to stick with him either. At the first opportunity, she’d strike out on
her own once more.
“How did you find me?” she asked, feigning
nonchalance.
He slid another glance over his shoulder
and grinned before turning his attention back to the path. “I followed your
trail. Once I caught your scent, it was easy to find you.”
“I see.” She wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t
make the same mistake again.
Chapter Seven
Something was up with Eva. He couldn’t put
his finger on the what, but she was too quiet, had been too biddable for the
last two days.
They’d covered a lot of ground, more than
he’d expected they would. Another two days trekking and they’d reach the
resort, or at least one of the small towns on the coast where he was positive
they’d find transport.
Not much longer to seduce her to his way of
thinking.
At least she was sleeping close to him
during the nights, even though she said it was to keep warm. He breathed in her
scent, fresh and green after they’d bathed at
hours in the restaurants. Not so. Every part of her body ached and she couldn’t
wait to have a proper meal. This fruit stuff wasn’t very filling.
“How do you know where you’re going?”
“I don’t. We’re heading to the east, which
is toward the resort.”
“Tell me the truth. How many solar days
will it take us to reach the resort?”
Saber slowed and glanced at her over his
shoulder. “Four. Maybe five.”
He wasn’t lying. She read the truth in his
face. Her shoulders drooped momentarily before she gave herself a stern
lecture. She’d spent her childhood in the market. She’d clawed her way into a
successful business. She could handle a few more solar days with Saber Mitchell.
If she didn’t give in to impulse and murder
him first.
If she lost the restaurants because of him…
Eva forced her mind away from her problems,
the bloody ticking timepiece in her brain that was counting down the
nanoseconds to disaster.
She ground her teeth and concentrated on
Bluebird walking in front of her. The bird waggled its tail feathers with each
step—a sort of a cute twitch. Her gaze wandered and settled on Saber’s butt.
She jolted, scowled, looked away. She
didn’t need to see the firm flex of his muscles.
Bluebird released a shrill squawk, and
Saber cursed.
“We need to hide. It’s those damn birds
again.” Saber grasped her upper arm and propelled her toward the shelter of a
large tree. When she tripped, her scooped her into his arms and sprinted the
rest of the way.
“Thanks.” The word was clipped and held not
a shred of real sentiment.
“You’re welcome.”
He was laughing at her. “It’s your fault
I’m in this mess,” she snapped. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be in the
middle of nowhere, half naked and starving with a big-ass bird wanting to snack
on me.”
The humor disappeared from his face as they
reached the tree. “I’m sorry.”
Above them the large bird screeched.
Bluebird honked, a low call of distress, and Eva stooped to pet him. “It’s okay,
fella. We’re not going to let anything happen to you.”
“He’d taste good roasted over a fire.”
“That’s not funny.”
“We need to find food. You can’t afford to
lose any more weight.”
“My weight needn’t concern you,” she said
in a frosty voice. “I think the bird has gone now. Can we get moving?”
Saber checked the skies. “Of course. There
are some fruit trees at the end of the valley.”
“Which way do we go once we leave the
valley?”
“We continue east.”
No hesitation. Yes, she thought he was
telling the truth. But she didn’t trust Saber, and began forming her own plan.
He didn’t have her best interests in mind, and he still hadn’t told her
why he’d kidnapped her. While she was certain the Dearbhorgaills were involved,
he hadn’t confessed. Not yet.
No, she couldn’t trust him. And she didn’t
have to stick with him either. At the first opportunity, she’d strike out on
her own once more.
“How did you find me?” she asked, feigning
nonchalance.
He slid another glance over his shoulder
and grinned before turning his attention back to the path. “I followed your
trail. Once I caught your scent, it was easy to find you.”
“I see.” She wasn’t stupid. She wouldn’t
make the same mistake again.
Chapter Seven
Something was up with Eva. He couldn’t put
his finger on the what, but she was too quiet, had been too biddable for the
last two days.
They’d covered a lot of ground, more than
he’d expected they would. Another two days trekking and they’d reach the
resort, or at least one of the small towns on the coast where he was positive
they’d find transport.
Not much longer to seduce her to his way of
thinking.
At least she was sleeping close to him
during the nights, even though she said it was to keep warm. He breathed in her
scent, fresh and green after they’d bathed at
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