Page 99 of Freedom Mine
Chapter Twenty-One
ALLI
“Incoming!” someone yelled from the longhouse. Alli was really starting to hate that word. It was never good news.
She rolled out of bed, threw clothing and boots on. Kayo was watching her, his arms behind his head as he lay back on the pillows. “Hi, gorgeous.”
“Incoming,” she said.
“I heard. Much prefer to watch you dress than rush to see a landglider pull up. Strike that. I’d rather watch youundress.”
She leaned over to give him a kiss and he pulled her on top of him. He had one hand on her ass and the other was caressing her back as he stared into her eyes.
“Last night was really nice,” she said, propping herself up on her hands. The way he was caressing her back was making it really hard to get out of bed.
“Just nice? Not spectacular, phenomenal, magical?”
“Yes, all of those and more.” She kissed him on the lips, intending it to be quick, but his tongue ran along her lips until she opened and then he was exploring her mouth with a sensuous tongue that nearly made her forget about the landglider outside. “What do I have to do to get you to release me?”
“Make me a promise.”
“A promise? Sure. What am I promising?”
“Never to forget this.”
She raised a brow in question.
“What it’s like being here, with me,” he explained.
She gave him a quick kiss on the lips then pulled away. “I can’t forget you. You’re my first, right?” She threw him a smile and finished tying her boots. “Are you coming outside?”
“In a second. I need to wait for my morning salute to go down unless you’re offering to take care of it for me.”
Her hand traveled to his groin. “You like tempting me, don’t you?”
“It has its ups and downs.” He grinned but gave her a slight smack on the behind as she headed for the door.
By the time Alli got outside, most of the men had assembled. She could read the suspicion on their faces as the landglider passed through the entry pylons. She understood their apprehension. Nothing good ever came of an unscheduled landglider arriving.
“Jace?” Liet asked.
“You’re good,” Jace replied, his face a mask of stone. “All of you are good,” he said, letting his gaze go from man to man, everyone except Alli. He wouldn’t meet her eyes.
Jace’s attention shifted to Kayo who stepped out of the house with only his pants and boots on. His shirt was in his hands and he hadn’t donned a single knife from what she could see. Granted, he’d given her the knife he usually strapped to his belt, but the knife he kept in his right boot was missing too. He said nothing to Jace, only pointed with his chin toward the landglider that had stopped.
Jace visiblygrowledand then went over to stand between the group and the landglider as an official and two guards stepped out.
Kayo slipped his arm around Alli’s waist. His warm breath caressed her ear as he whispered, “I regret nothing, Alli.”
Her eyes turned to Kayo who had his back to the approaching official and guards. He looked strong and determined as he took her cheeks in his hands, drawing her full attention away from the men heading their way. Dread filled her as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“What have you done, Kayo?”
“I’m proud of you. I guess I should have said that earlier, huh?”
“Kayo. . .” She couldn’t stop herself from shaking.
“Kayo Variz,” the Official said from a few feet away. “Show yourself.”
