Page 3 of Surrender
Talia stared into a pair of deep-blue eyes that looked as startled as she was, set in a face with a square jaw and cheekbones that could have been chiseled from stone. Like her, he wore a hooded traveling cloak that hid the rest of his head and body. He stared at her in silence, as though trying to decide what to do with her.
“I swear I’m not going to hurt you. Will you be quiet?”
She nodded.
He took his hand away from her mouth. “I thought we’d moved everyone to the fortress. How did you manage to get left behind?”
She stared up at her captor. He towered over her. Dark circles under his eyes and a rough stubble on his jawline said he hadn’t taken time for grooming or even sleep in days. Whoever he was, the man dressed and spoke like one of the locals. Adrenaline poured through her veins, flipped fear into anger.
“I wasn’t left behind,” she snapped. “And you didn’t get everyone. I saw a woman a few streets back held at knifepoint, forced to do unspeakable things. I’m heading for the palace, and I have no need of your help. Why don’t you let go of me and rescue her instead – if the thug who grabbed her hasn’t slit her throat.”
She saw a flash of pain in his eyes. The image her words had invoked must have hit him hard. Talia took advantage of the moment and shoved him away with all her might.
It was like trying to dislodge a tree trunk rooted to the ground. He didn’t even rock back on his heels.
The oaf had the audacity to press his body closer to hers. He leaned forward, and his lips brushed her ear. “I wish I could. Unfortunately, I dare not take that risk. Besides, you’ve just demonstrated how able you are to fend off an attacker all by yourself. Maybe you’d be willing to lead one of our teams?”
He had a point. For all her bravado, she’d be unable to defend herself if every adversary was as strong as this man. Stung by the truth in his sarcasm, Talia lifted her chin and glared at him. “Making a jest as a time like this? I’m sure you fancy yourself a witty conversationalist,” she replied, her tone as frosty as the night air. Part of her mind registered the fact that she’d stopped shivering. Despite her anger, she was grateful for the warmth of his body.
“I’ve been told I have a way with words.” He cocked an eyebrow. “It’s one of my many talents.” He shifted slightly, pressed the bulge in his trousers against her.
Talia froze. How could any civilized person respond sexually in the midst of this carnage? The man was a savage, no different from those who’d attacked his city.
The stranger’s steel-blue eyes bored into hers. The bulge between his legs seemed to grow harder. Talia’s mind flew back to the assault she’d witnessed, the rigid penis jutting out of the attacker’s loincloth. It was the first one she’d ever seen, shockingly large. From the feel of it, this one was even bigger. She’d never touched a real penis, never felt the heat of one. A bolt of lust rocked her. Shocked, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Banishing him from her sight didn’t make him disappear. She could still feel his body against hers. When she opened her eyes, the stranger’s face held the ghost of an arrogant grin, as though he’d read her mind. “Much as I’m enjoying this little interlude, I have to call an end to it for now.”
He reached down. She thought he was about to caress her cheek. Talia closed her eyes again, anticipating how it would feel. Instead, he drew the hood of her cloak back over her head. Her eyes flew open, and she swallowed a pang of disappointment.
“Follow me.” There it was again, that undercurrent of arrogance. Whoever this man was, he was accustomed to people doing his bidding without question.
“Where are you going? And why should I go with you?”
He bit off another oath. “I don’t have time to submit to an interrogation. It’s not safe for either of us out here. It’s only by the favor of the gods that we haven’t been discovered. Now, come along. I’ll answer all your questions later.”
Talia glared at him. “How do I know I’m any better off with you than taking my chances out there?” She waved a hand at the empty street.
“Well, for one thing, I haven’t ravaged you.” He gave her an insolent head-to-toe inspection, as though he could see right through the shapeless cloak. “Yet.”
She shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from the cold. In their short time together, the stranger had aroused feelings she’d never before experienced – wicked thoughts, images of forbidden erotic acts. She’d been warned before coming here to avoid close contact with the Gadolinians. Told that intimate exposure to this ancient race of humans could awaken long-dormant crude sexual cravings.
For centuries, Earth dwellers had controlled their base animalistic urges from puberty on with regularly spaced minimal doses of synthetic hormones to suppress the production of natural ones. Life was calm and rational, not disturbed by the uncontrolled surges of estrogen and testosterone that had caused humans to behave shamefully in the past. Modern marriages were based not on sexual attraction but on compatibility, mutual respect, and shared goals. It was unthinkable for a husband or wife to intrude on the private gratification sessions of a spouse.
But opening the star portals had reintroduced the concept of physical love between humans to Earth. Recently, the Federation had cracked down on rebellious young people who kissed and hugged publicly in defiance of the law. Talia had seen several couples locked in passionate embraces while fully clothed. But she’d never experienced that kind of contact. And though she’d heard of fellatio, until today she’d never seen it performed, not even in the most explicit gratification holograms.
Her head reeled from the exposure to raw violence and sexual stimulation. She needed a place where she could be alone to regain calm and rationality. The stranger claimed she’d be safe with him. But being near him frightened her on a primal level.
Talia decided she’d seize the first opportunity to get away from him and make her way to the palace alone.
He watched as she processed her thoughts. “Let’s go,” he finally snapped, not waiting for her assent.
Talia bit off a retort. She’d let him think she was acquiescing. He’d be less likely to watch her every move, and she’d have a better chance of escaping him.
He motioned for her to fall in behind him, and they crept down the dark passage. At the intersection of the next street he paused, listening for any sign of the invaders before taking her hand.
His fingers wrapped around her cold ones. Warm. Strong. Uncomfortable with more physical contact, she tried to pull her hand away. He tightened his grip. Not a crushing hold. But enough to let her know he was in control, that she could be pinned against another wall if she didn’t cooperate.
He nodded toward the street and dashed across the open expanse to take cover in another narrow passageway with her in tow. Once there, he kept going. His long legs covered the ground in an easy lope.