Challenging Saber by S. E. Smith Page A

was evident by the permanent lines around his mouth and the shadows under his eyes.
    Taylor knew the physical therapy was helping him. Every morning she would bring him breakfast and sit with him, chatting about her classes, what she was learning, and anything else she could think of until he finished. Then, she would start working on his leg.
    He had balked at first, but she had persisted, refusing to leave until he did it. The first year afterward had been a trial. Saber had refused to do the physical therapy the healers had ordered. It took a while, but she discovered the reason was that the bone was not healing properly and it was excruciating.
    She glanced down at the ground. She was almost there. Saber lived off the beaten path, almost thirty kilometers outside the town of Trivas. She was surprised the road leading to it hadn’t been renamed Taylor Way. She had definitely made the journey enough times over the years to have it renamed after her.
    She and Saber had worked on the place before his injuries. Of course, he hadn’t been able to work on it the first year while he was in the hospital. She had spent most of her time with him there, until his release. After his discharge, it had taken almost six months before he would finally restart the work that needed to be done. He had withdrawn into the house and tried to become a hermit. Unfortunately for him, Taylor was just as determined that he rejoin the land of the living, even if it meant she had to pull him back into it kicking and screaming. Eventually, they began working on the construction of the house again.
    She decided it had been good therapy for both of them. It had helped them work through the changes in their lives and given her the direction she needed to make her career choice of being a Physical Therapist with a focus in Developmental Research. She wanted to help those with extensive injuries like Hunter and Saber.
    Now, after five years and her persistence, it was almost complete… with a few additions of garden trolls, gnomes, and other incentives whenever he was being a bonehead to her. It had become a running joke with them; he makes her mad, she creates something straight out of a Halloween movie to get back.
    Or I change the color of the house on him when he isn’t looking, she thought with a mischievous grin.
    “Okay,” Taylor breathed out the breath she was holding. “I hope tonight goes well. The big oaf better not start cheering when I tell him my news, otherwise he might need to be in traction again.”
    She guided the transport over the trees and gently touched down in the front courtyard. She shut down the engine and unclipped the straps. Opening the door, she grabbed her backpack before sliding out. She shut the door and walked around the transport just as the front door opened.
    Her heart skipped and she felt the familiar warmth spread through her. The desire for him had grown hotter and stronger the older she got, and right about now, she was ready to rip Saber’s clothes off and have her wicked way with him. She just needed to figure out a way to do it since he was a good head and a half taller than her.
    “Hey,” she said with an easy smile.
    “It’s late,” Saber replied bluntly. “I thought you’d finally taken the hint and decided not to come.”
    Taylor walked up the steps to the house and patted Saber on the chest as she walked by him. “Ha-ha. You have the coolest sense of humor,” she remarked with a mischievous grin. “Did I ever mention that I find that incredibly sexy?”
    Saber’s moody expression flashed to one of pure panic before he covered it with the mask he thought hid his true feelings. What he didn’t realize was that Taylor could see the little nerve in his jaw pulsing. Once she had him under her, or over, whichever way he wanted to start, she might tell him about it.
    “You know I don’t like you returning to Hunter and Jesse’s house after dark,” he grumbled, following her into the house and