to care for a female who probably had betrayed him, but he did, curse her cold little Bellatorian heart! He'd been lost from the first moment he'd seen her. For that reason and that reason alone, he'd try to ease her way as best he could. It changed nothing, but it was all he could do.
They made a pallet before the hearth. Though needless in the warm climate, in deference to Liane's modesty Karic left his breeches on. Until he'd the time to fashion a new loincloth from animal skins, the Bellatorian clothing would have to do. He settled onto the pallet and looked expectantly up at Liane.
She stood across the small hut beside the chest.
"Are you coming to bed, Liane? I'm tired and can't sleep until you're beside me."
"I need to change into my sleeping shift."
"Then go ahead and be done with it."
"Will you turn away while I do so?"
Karic propped himself up on an elbow. "No. Nakedness is nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, I've already seen you unclothed, bathing at the pool."
Liane colored fiercely. "So it wasn't just your imagination when we joined in the mind seek."
"No."
"I'd still like you to turn your head."
"And I said no."
She shifted uneasily, aware she was losing this battle. "You're not being fair."
"Who said I had to be?"
"A man of honor . . ."
With an exasperated sigh Karic rolled over on his back, pillowing his head in his hands. "Just be done with it, will you, Liane? I won't look." It was more than she'd dared hope. Liane quickly shed her gown and slipped on a brief sleeping shift. It barely came to her knees, and the thin fabric was worn nearly transparent with use. She'd never noticed that before. It had always been so comfortable and cool. That was all that had mattered in the privacy of her hut, but now it was only the next step from nakedness itself.
She hesitated, half-tempted to put back on her gown and be done with it, when Karic turned to look at her. His annoyance at her dragging out this affair burned in his eyes, but one glance at her sleeping shift quickly extinguished that. His gaze boldly raked over her, missing nothing from the rosy hue of nipple thrusting through the sheer fabric to the shadow at the junction of her thighs.
A dark flush suffused his striking features, and a fire, fiercely burning and bright, sprang to life in his eyes. Liane swallowed hard and walked over to the pallet. Her gaze never left his as she lowered herself down and pulled up the blanket.
"II am sorry to cause you trouble," she began, not knowing what else to say in the heated intensity of the moment. "I never meant"
"Don't say another word, Liane," Karic abruptly growled. "Go to sleep. Now. Before it's too late!"
He rolled over onto his side, his back toward her, leaving her trembling in the dying firelight.
True to her word Liane was up early, before the first rays of sol had even penetrated the forest's depths. Well aware that Karic's gaze was upon her from the first movement she made, she quickly slipped her gown over her sleeping shift and readied the fire for some baking. He rose, pulling on his tunic and tan-colored knee-high boots. Liane's eyes carefully avoided his as she gathered the ingredients for making bread.
"Do you have any boots and breeches?"
The strangeness of Karic's question stopped Liane in the process of measuring out the flour. She forced herself to meet his gaze, her brow crinkling in puzzlement.
"Yes, but what has that to do"
He strode over to her. "You'll need them for the journey. You're coming with me."
For the longest moment Liane just stared at him, as the reality of his words penetrated her mind. Then, with a quick movement, she flung the cup of flour into Karic's face.
"No!" she screamed and ran for the door.
The flour spewed into his eyes, blinding him. He rubbed it out as fast as he could, but Liane was already gone.
Karic shot out the door after her, confident she'd not elude him for long. He was a swift runner, one of the quickest of his people, and it
They made a pallet before the hearth. Though needless in the warm climate, in deference to Liane's modesty Karic left his breeches on. Until he'd the time to fashion a new loincloth from animal skins, the Bellatorian clothing would have to do. He settled onto the pallet and looked expectantly up at Liane.
She stood across the small hut beside the chest.
"Are you coming to bed, Liane? I'm tired and can't sleep until you're beside me."
"I need to change into my sleeping shift."
"Then go ahead and be done with it."
"Will you turn away while I do so?"
Karic propped himself up on an elbow. "No. Nakedness is nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, I've already seen you unclothed, bathing at the pool."
Liane colored fiercely. "So it wasn't just your imagination when we joined in the mind seek."
"No."
"I'd still like you to turn your head."
"And I said no."
She shifted uneasily, aware she was losing this battle. "You're not being fair."
"Who said I had to be?"
"A man of honor . . ."
With an exasperated sigh Karic rolled over on his back, pillowing his head in his hands. "Just be done with it, will you, Liane? I won't look." It was more than she'd dared hope. Liane quickly shed her gown and slipped on a brief sleeping shift. It barely came to her knees, and the thin fabric was worn nearly transparent with use. She'd never noticed that before. It had always been so comfortable and cool. That was all that had mattered in the privacy of her hut, but now it was only the next step from nakedness itself.
She hesitated, half-tempted to put back on her gown and be done with it, when Karic turned to look at her. His annoyance at her dragging out this affair burned in his eyes, but one glance at her sleeping shift quickly extinguished that. His gaze boldly raked over her, missing nothing from the rosy hue of nipple thrusting through the sheer fabric to the shadow at the junction of her thighs.
A dark flush suffused his striking features, and a fire, fiercely burning and bright, sprang to life in his eyes. Liane swallowed hard and walked over to the pallet. Her gaze never left his as she lowered herself down and pulled up the blanket.
"II am sorry to cause you trouble," she began, not knowing what else to say in the heated intensity of the moment. "I never meant"
"Don't say another word, Liane," Karic abruptly growled. "Go to sleep. Now. Before it's too late!"
He rolled over onto his side, his back toward her, leaving her trembling in the dying firelight.
True to her word Liane was up early, before the first rays of sol had even penetrated the forest's depths. Well aware that Karic's gaze was upon her from the first movement she made, she quickly slipped her gown over her sleeping shift and readied the fire for some baking. He rose, pulling on his tunic and tan-colored knee-high boots. Liane's eyes carefully avoided his as she gathered the ingredients for making bread.
"Do you have any boots and breeches?"
The strangeness of Karic's question stopped Liane in the process of measuring out the flour. She forced herself to meet his gaze, her brow crinkling in puzzlement.
"Yes, but what has that to do"
He strode over to her. "You'll need them for the journey. You're coming with me."
For the longest moment Liane just stared at him, as the reality of his words penetrated her mind. Then, with a quick movement, she flung the cup of flour into Karic's face.
"No!" she screamed and ran for the door.
The flour spewed into his eyes, blinding him. He rubbed it out as fast as he could, but Liane was already gone.
Karic shot out the door after her, confident she'd not elude him for long. He was a swift runner, one of the quickest of his people, and it
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