Page 11 of Risking Her Heart

And for her, I will destroy anyone who dares threaten her.

Decision made, I nod and then go to prepare the packs and the guster for riding.

6

KATARINA

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I say, struggling to stay upright on the back of the monstrous beast that is supposed to be my mount for this journey.

The monstrosity has spikes protruding every which way in the most inconvenient of places. The saddle is nestled between rows of them and I’m quite sure if I get bounced even a little too hard that I’ll be impaled. None of which covers the baleful look it gave me as I approached in the first place. There is no doubt in my head that it would just as soon eat me as let me ride on its back.

Zas’tu assures me it will be safe. I think he’s counting on the muzzle, but not telling me as much. I’ve heard the stories about these things. One thing that will probably never change is that we humans love to talk. Rumors fly around the remnants of the generation ship as if they are part and parcel of the air.

“Good?” Zas’tu asks, turning in his saddle.

The guster he is riding is even bigger than the one I’m on, but even so, Zas’tu seems certain. Self-assurance is attractive, as long as it doesn’t end with you being eaten. My mount shiftsunexpectedly and I’m swayed around, receiving a poke between the shoulder blades from one of the creature’s spikes.

“Uh, maybe?” I say wincing.

His smile forms and damn if it doesn’t melt my resistance to everything. It warms my heart, lifts my spirits, and really does make me feel like everything will be okay. Which is crazy. How does a smile affect me in that way?

It is a good smile. Crooked and the broken tooth, it’s real. He’s real.

Which may be the crux of things. I don’t think I’ve ever thought of it but there’s been an air of unreality to my life. Since the crash I can’t say it’s been dream-like, but bordering on nightmare-like wouldn’t be inappropriate.

Surviving what should have been impossible has left me feeling more than a bit disconnected. Almost wondering if maybe, just maybe, I didn’t survive, and all of this was some kind of imagining that my brain conjured rather than deal with the end. If so, though, it sure has gone on a long time.

Zas’tu cuts through that. He’s here. He’s real. Something about him that makes everything become solid and more there. Impossible to deny or to ignore. All in addition to the way my heart flutters when he smiles and my stomach churns and my lips tingle.

He taps the sides of his mount with his heels while pulling on the reins. It turns and lumbers closer until he is at my side. He looks me over with an assessing gaze. Reaching over, he grabs the edge of the saddle and tugs. I thought, for a moment, he was reaching for something a lot more intimate, and my cheeks are burning.

The saddle barely shifts under his tugging, but I’m acutely aware of the edge of his hand brushing my thigh. Even more aware of how close he is to my most intimate, most private of parts, and how much I really, really want him. I shift my gaze to stare straight ahead while he assesses the restraints of the saddle.

Gritting my teeth, I pray that the wetness forming doesn’t soak through my pants. Gods above, he must smell it. I can. The musky scent dominates my nose, overriding the odors of manure and the odd odor of the guster too. I clench my eyes shut and tighten my grip on the reins. Keep it under control. Don’t do something stupid.

When his lips brush against my neck I jump with the shock. He chuckles but doesn’t stop nuzzling my neck. Every inch of my skin tingles as if the nerves have come to life for the first time in my life.

I lean into him. It’s not a conscious decision but I want more. So much more. His tongue licks my skin, and I shudder. He nibbles my ear then whispers.

“Treasure.”

And just like that he’s gone. Pulling back, tugging the reins of his mount, and moving into the lead. I’m left hanging on the edge of a precipice. Ready for… all of it… and he’s leaving me like this. Wet, ready, so damn horny my head is a cloud full of desire.

I want to yell. Scream. Kick my mount into motion, leap from mine to his, and take him. He can’t leave me like this. How am I supposed to… my mount lurches and I sway back with the force of the motion. It falls into a steady gait behind Zas’tu’s mount.

I pull myself upright, trying to find the rhythm.

It’s not fair. He shouldn’t do that… now I want him even more.

7

ZAS’TU

My treasure. Her scent lingers in my nostrils. The taste of her skin teases my tongue. I let my thoughts wander as the guster carry us on our way.

The suns rise as we travel. She doesn’t complain. I wish I knew more of her language; I want to know her thoughts, but conversation is difficult. It’s fine though. Our communication can be physical. I will delight in exploring her body every bit as much as her mind.

When Estejan, the primary sun, reaches its apex, I guide my guster back to be at her side. Digging in the packs I retrieve some dried meat and offer it to her. She takes two pieces with a murmured ‘thank you’. Her skin is very red which I know can be a bad sign on the humans. They do not do well under the suns of Tajss.

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