A Warrior s Desire - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,16

make a good team.

As he bent to pluck an arrow from the grass beside the stream, an odd sense of calm settled over him.

Accepting her as his partner somehow soothed the ragged sense of chaos that had ridden him since he'd arrived in this place.

He was a highly trained, skilled warrior used to being thrown into situations that were out of his control.

But always with a team.

Never alone.

And the situations had been based in a world he understood.

A world where the grass and flowers grew where they were planted and invisible animals didn't attack from thin air.

His skills had been honed in that world, not this.

Esria was unlike any place he'd ever imagined.

Alone, he'd be lost.

With Tarrys at his side, he might just stand a chance.

Assuming he could get his growing attraction under control.

Tarrys had risked her freedom to come after him.

She threw her heart into everything she did.

Everything he knew about her told him the woman didn't do casual.

Neither did he when it concerned his missions.

But when it came to relationships? He didn't do serious.

A combination that could only end badly, especially now that he'd come to the conclusion he needed her bow arm, her knowledge, and her cool head.

Now that he was committed to keeping her by his side for at least another month.

He closed his eyes, trying to shut her out of his senses.

She was making hash of his brain.

Having her as a partner might help keep him alive, but at what cost? All he could think of was touching her.

Kissing her.

Yeah, if he didn't cool it with the lustful thoughts, they were both going to be in trouble.

She was already wreaking havoc on his concentration.

And if this continued, he was going to wind up hurting her.

She didn't deserve that.

And he didn't need an armed and skilled warrior wishing him dead.

Tarrys woke and looked around, noting the russet night sky.

For a moment, she was disoriented until her gaze caught on Charlie leaning against the tree beside her, lines of exhaustion on his face.

A faint smile warmed his eyes when he saw her.

"How are you feeling?" "Fine."

She sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with her knuckles.

"I feel rested."

"Good.

I've been practicing with my bow."

He gave her a tired grin.

"If we're ever attacked by trees, I'm your man.

As long as they don't move."

She smiled softly.

"You need to sleep."

"I do."

He yawned heavily.

"I leave it to you to watch for ghost cats or whatever else we need to beware of."

Tarrys nodded.

"Sleep well, Charlie Rand."

As he lay down, the flowers spread before him, offering him a bed.

He settled onto the blanket of pink and closed his eyes.

Almost at once, his breathing turned deep and even.

She watched him for long minutes, taking advantage of the opportunity to drink her fill as her gaze roamed the strong bone structure of his face, admiring the way his expression softened in sleep.

Her heart beat a quick, strong rhythm as pleasure and warmth thrummed through her blood.

Yes, he was beautiful to look at, but he was equally beautiful on the inside.

A strong man, yet a good man.

And he'd absolutely stolen her heart.

Forcing her gaze from the man lying beside her, she scanned the small woods that concealed them for any sign of movement.

Since trimors rarely attacked at night, her bigger concern was that they might be caught by a wandering Esri.

She stretched her limbs, anxious to get moving again now that she was rested, but Charlie needed the same chance to sleep that he'd afforded her.

He'd felt guilty, she knew, for pushing her so hard and had insisted they stop the moment they'd found a patch of woods thick enough to conceal them.

It was odd to have someone worry about her.

Nice, in a way, but uncomfortable, too, because she feared that his guilty feelings and concern for her could cause him to do things that weren't in his own best interest.

Or the interest of his world.

He was a man who protected others, putting their needs before his own.

Only such a man would have undertaken this journey in the first place, selflessly risking his life to try to save his world.

She was here to help him succeed in that mission, not to cause him to fail out of his misguided belief that he now needed to protect her.

Something moved in her chest, something warm and full, as she remembered the look in his eyes as he'd bent over her, the worry creasing his forehead, as she'd lain immobile.

He should have left her there and continued on.

Instead