Hannah's Hero - Ruby Dixon Page 0,64

“Tell me the words I should not use again.”

“What?” He’s not making sense, and I want him to get right back to kissing me.

“The words that made you run away last time,” he says, holding my wrist and extending my bare arm so he can press hot kisses all down the length of it. God help me, that is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Everything he does is mouth-wateringly sexy and I am so hot for him that I can’t even stand it.

“I don’t think there’s a single word you can say that would make me say ‘no’ in this moment,” I tell him. “I want you.”

His eyes gleam with satisfaction and then he has a hand in my hair, holding me to him as he takes my lips in another brutally delicious kiss. I moan into his mouth, so hot it feels as if I’m going to orgasm just at the next sweep of his tongue—

When a loud, terrible screech echoes through the cavern. No, not the cavern, I realize when it happens again and we jerk apart in surprise. It’s outside.

“Old Grandfather,” J’shel breathes, going still against me.

“Okay, those words might actually be the ones to make me say ‘no,’” I half-heartedly joke. “What are you talking about? What was that sound?”

“Wait here,” he insists, jumping to his feet so quickly that I’m dumped onto the blankets and he nearly stabs me in the eye with his dick as he gets up.

“What is it?” I ask again. “What’s going on?”

I get to my feet but he immediately grabs my arms, an intense look on his face. “Stay here. Stay right here, H’nah. Do not go outside, no matter what. Do you understand?”

“Okay,” I breathe, startled at his vehemence. I’m growing worried. “Should I be scared? Because I’m getting scared.”

He pulls me against him and gives me a fierce, hard kiss. “I will let nothing happen to you,” he vows. “But you must stay right here.” And before I can protest or ask any more questions, J’shel moves to the edge of the ledge and drops down. “T’shen!”

14

J’SHEL

It is impossible, but only one sky-claw can shake the very mountains with the rumble of his roar. Somehow, Old Grandfather, a creature mentioned in stories around campfires to scare young hunters, has come here to this land. My body runs cold with fear for what this means for my H’nah. For my people.

Old Grandfather cannot be killed. He is too strong, too old, too mean.

And he is here. My head spins with the realization.

“T’shen!” I bellow out, climbing toward the pool where he and his mate frolicked last night.

Even as I climb down, I see the other hunter emerging. He pulls on his leggings, one boot on a foot, spear tucked under his arm as he stumbles out to meet me. Hidden behind the leaves of thick vines, I see his mate throwing on clothing. T’shen looks up at me with concern. “What was that sound?”

“Something you and I must check out,” I say. “Your female should stay here.”

His expression grows serious and he nods at me. He hitches his leggings to his waist, murmurs something to his mate, and then grabs the shaft of his spear between his teeth and begins to climb up to where I am.

I turn around and head back up, to the ledge where H’nah waits, a dozen questions in her eyes. I move to her side and take my spear and knife from their spot at our small encampment. I do not like that we are on the same level as the cave entrance. I should have taken H’nah up to a higher spot in the cave, to one of the lips that hang above. I knew she did not like heights, though, and so we stayed where we were. Now it feels unsafe.

“Is everything all right?” H’nah asks, worry in her eyes.

“T’shen and I will go outside and see if it is what I think it is,” I say, even as another fierce bellow shakes the cavern and the leaves shiver around us. “You must stay here,” I tell her. She opens her mouth to speak and I shake my head, cutting her off. “I know you wish to be in control, H’nah, but I am telling you that if I see you come out of that cave, I will spank your pink bottom like a naughty kit.”

Her jaw drops as she stares at me.

“I mean it,” I growl. I am terrified she