AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fine.” She raised her chin. “And I will keep the knife.”
“Excellent.” He reached over and tucked a wet lock of hair behind her ear, his finger tracing the delicate shell. “Darling.”
She shivered, her brows drawing together in the cutest frown as she glared at him. He wanted to kiss it away. In fact, he wanted to kiss every inch of her body, to make her beg for his touch, to make her cry out his name in pleasure. Soon enough, he promised himself, dropping his hand to the seat between them.
A ways up the canyon, they pulled off the main road and onto a ledge that led to a recessed pocket in the cliff side, as if a god had carved out a scoop of rock with a spoon. A secure place to ride out the storm. Sadly, it wasn’t an impressively comfortable bed in his palace, but it was dry and high enough they didn’t need to worry about flooding. Until the rain stopped and they could safely travel home to Tigros, it would have to do.
The driver carefully backed the rover in next to the other vehicles. He pressed a button and there was a whirring sound, then a hiss. A warm glow outside filtered through the tinted windows.
“All set, sir,” the guard said, nodding at Zarin in the rearview mirror before raising the privacy panel between them.
“What’s all set?” Seraiah asked, shivering in her damp clothes. She gave a surprised squeak when Iraj opened her door. “Where are we?”
“Please,” Zarin said, gesturing for her to exit. He slid out of the rover and hurried around to her side, putting a hand on the small of her back to guide her into their camp for the night.
One of the little indulgences he allowed himself was to outfit his primary rover with a tent. And not just any tent, either. One designed to set itself up with the press of a button and easily pack away in a thin, nearly invisible case on the vehicle’s roof. The large tent secured to the back of the rover and could expand to engulf the entire vehicle. The best part, in his opinion, was when the rover’s back seats lay flat, the space transformed into a comfortable bed. No sleeping on the ground.
He’d liked the set-up so much, he ordered similar models for the vehicles that traveled with him, though not as luxurious. This way, when aircraft were grounded because of storms or other inclement weather, he always had a comfortable place to sleep during a long trip. He’d always enjoyed being outdoors, and there was something so peaceful about camping, especially when one didn’t have to worry about being eaten by bugs or waking up with a stiff back from sleeping on the hard ground.
“Wow,” Seraiah said, ducking into his huge tent. She kicked off her other shoe, wincing as she put weight on her bad ankle, and wiggled her toes in the thick carpets laid over the hard ground. “This is quite the set-up you’ve got here.”
Camp lights cast a warm glow around the space, and fist-sized heaters chased away the chill. Piles of pillows and blankets made for cozy seating around a low table that held an artful feast of cured meats, fruits, and nuts, and a variety of cheeses. A selection of breads and crackers filled a long basket and a bottle of chilled wine, condensation dripping down its side, sat next to two crystal glasses.
“Well, I am king,” he said with a casual shrug. He shot a look at Iraj, who raised an eyebrow and made a shooing motion, pushing Zarin to get closer to Seraiah. His friend had obviously decided Zarin needed help to impress his mate and arranged this romantic scene. Though he didn’t need help, he’d take full advantage, nonetheless.
Seraiah poked an overstuffed striped pillow with her toe. “So you keep telling me.” She made a move to sit, but he caught her elbow before she did. A black eyebrow winged up towards her hairline. “What, you don’t want me sitting on your pretty things?”
“You may sit wherever your heart desires, darling,” he said, offering her the pair of pajamas sitting on the edge of the bed. “I merely thought you might prefer to do so in dry clothing. I wouldn’t want you to catch a chill.”
She snatched the pajamas from his hands and rubbed them against her cheek. “So soft,” she said with a little purr that made his palms sweat. She set the clothes down on the bumper of the rover and reached for the hem of her tank top. She paused and shot him a look. “Are you going to watch?”
“Are you offering?” he asked with a grin. At her dark glare, he jerked his head to Iraj and ducked into the adjoining tent. This one was sparse, with only two camp chairs and a lantern. “Report,” he said, keeping his voice low and his back towards the tent containing Seraiah, so he wasn’t tempted to steal a peak. That wouldn’t be gentlemanly. Not at all. Even though he wanted to watch her peel off those wet clothes with every fiber of his being.
“Storm looks to last most of the night.” As if in agreement, a streak of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a roll of thunder.
“No shield?” Zarin asked. He was surprised Iraj hadn’t set a protective shield around the campsite, considering their location.
Iraj grimaced. “Lightning struck right in front of us on our way up here. Must have fried the components.”
“Well, shit.” He wasn’t thrilled about Seraiah being here with no shield between her and the dangers that lurked in these mountains. Trolls, bandits, jaguonda, manticores, and other deadly creatures abounded. But his guard were the best. Iraj would handle whatever came their way.
“My thoughts exactly. But I’ve set up motion sensors along the perimeter, and both teams will be in the rovers on alert.” The whisper of a grin flickered across Iraj’s face. “Privacy screens up, of course.”
Zarin huffed out a low laugh. “Optimistic of you to think Seraiah’s going to fall into my arms after the day she’s had.”
“I have faith in you, sir.”
Would that everyone had such faith in him, he thought.
6
SERAIAH
She’d seriously consider marrying the man for more of these pajamas alone. They were by far the softest thing she’d ever put on her body. This particular pair, navy blue with pinstripes of gold, was too big for her or she’d definitely be sneaking them home. Maybe she would anyway. A souvenir from this wild experience.
She had to roll the sleeves so she could reach for the food without trailing the fabric through everything and twist up the waistband several times so they wouldn’t slide off. Zarin’s, of that she was positive. They smelled like him, earthy cedar and bright lemon wrapping around her with the same level of comfort as the pajamas themselves.
That innate sense of comfort the smell imparted reminded her of her parents’ first meeting. Her mother said it was scent that first drew her to Seraiah’s father. Something to think about.
