Tapestries 03 - Woven Dreams by N. J. Walters

frighten her enough to run.
    “No one will force you, Genny,” Garrik crooned. “We only want to make you happy, to bring you sexual satisfaction.”
    She stared at them as if they were both out of their minds. “I do not understand either of you.” With each word she spoke, she took a step away from them.
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    “You don’t need to decide right now.” Jarmon told the lie easily. In his mind there was nothing to decide. If they were not men enough to seduce her, then they deserved to be turned away from her bed. They would never force her. The very thought was abhorrent to him. But that did not mean they would not use every skill they possessed to convince her otherwise.
    Genny stopped and stared at him. Jarmon knew he’d thrown her off kilter once again. What did she think they were going to do, toss her down on the blankets and flip up her skirt? Perhaps she did. And while the idea had merit once she was used to them, it would never do for her first time with either one of them.
    “Come.” Jarmon sat back down and patted the ground next to him. “Sit and we will eat. The fish are cooked. You are hungry, aren’t you?” Her hand slipped to her belly and she licked her lips. Jarmon stifled a groan at the innocent enticement. “Food would be good.”
    He glanced over at Garrik and nodded. Both of them ignored her as they busied themselves with the fish. Gradually, she crept closer to them. No, not to them—to the food. Her eyes never left the cooked fish as she slowly lowered herself to the ground some distance away from them.
    Garrik pushed a large portion of the food in Genny’s direction. Sitting back, he picked up his own food and began to eat as he drew Jarmon into conversation.
    Knowing what Garrik was doing, he joined in. Both men chatted easily about their hunting trip and about what they might do tomorrow.
    Although neither man looked directly at Genny, both of them were very aware of her every move. She ate like a person who’d been half starved. When she finished the fish, she even licked the broad leaf that it had been served on before she caught herself.
    She tensed, but relaxed again when she thought they weren’t paying her any attention.
    Jarmon had saved a large portion of his own fish and casually pushed it toward her.
    He didn’t so much as glance in her direction as he kept up the congenial conversation with Garrik.
    He bit back a smile when she finally reached for it, pulling it close. She was like some untamed creature of the forest. They would not win her by force, but by gentleness and consideration.
    Food was just the first step. By the time they lay down for the evening, she would be well fed and relaxed. Ripe for seduction.
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Chapter Five
    Genny placed a hand on her stomach and sighed. She felt better than she had since she’d first began her frantic flight from her home. That was, she counted the days off in her head, seven days ago. At some moments, it seemed as if she’d run in the middle of the night just yesterday. At other times, it felt as if she’d been on the run forever.
    It was good to have a full belly for a change, but she could not afford to let down her guard for one single moment. She didn’t understand the Bakra brothers at all.
    They’d been nothing but kind to her since they’d stumbled upon her by the river. She felt heat creeping up her cheeks at the memory. They’d seen her half naked. No other man had seen her in such a state of undress.
    She wasn’t sure they bought her lie about the tapestry, but neither of them had disputed her outright. Not that she’d thought they would. This was Javara and women were scarce. Of course they would want to keep her.
    Perhaps she wouldn’t mind being kept by them…just for a short while.
    The errant thought made her stiffen. Where had that come from? She’d never imagined being married before, of sharing her life with several men. She’d never dared to consider it before, instinctually knowing what kind of men