A Warrior s Desire - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,29

space until he could almost imagine he was in the middle of a flower garden.

The smells burrowed into his pores, twisting his hunger until he thought he would die from the need to fill her.

With a sudden moan, her hands clamped hard against his head and she filled his ears with the sounds of impending release.

Her orgasm hit, washing over him like a warm wind that touched every inch of his flesh, nearly driving him to release.

She wrenched her mouth from his, threw her head back, and screamed with passion and relief as he buried his face in her neck, absorbing the feel of her inner muscles contracting hard around his fingers.

He was gasping, panting from reaction to one of the most amazing, most intense, sexual encounters of his life.

And he hadn't even come.

Slowly her body unbowed.

Reluctantly, he pulled his fingers out of her depths and lifted his head from her neck.

But as his cheek slid against hers, he felt the dampness of tears.

"Are you okay?" He wished he could see her face, but the crystal lights had gone out and they now lay in perfect darkness.

"Yes."

But the crack of her voice and the subtle shaking of her body told him otherwise.

She unhooked her arms from around his neck and turned away from him as much as she could with his leg still pinning her to the ground.

His heart contracted.

"Tarrys."

He felt helpless.

She wanted to get away from him, away from what had just happened, but he knew instinctively that if he let her curl into herself, he wouldn't know how to get her back.

So he eased off her and pulled her against him, her back to his chest, his arm hooked around her waist, pulling her tight.

"Tarrys, I know he controlled you.

I know he did this to you."

But his words had no effect.

Her body remained taut and shaking, and he knew she had to be crying.

She'd begged him to enter her.

Begged him.

And he'd refused.

Was that part of the problem? Did she think he hadn't wanted her? "Tarrys...I wanted to come inside you so badly I thought I was going to die from it.

But when I make love to you, it's going to be because we decide to.

You and me together.

Not because a son of a bitch Esri forced the need on you."

Charlie felt her soften ever so slightly and suspected he'd hit the source of her pain.

His rejection had hurt her.

Humiliated her.

And that's the last thing he'd meant to do.

He lifted his head and kissed her damp cheek.

"Taking you would have been like helping him rape you.

I couldn't do that to you.

I wouldn't do that to you.

You're my partner.

I would never do anything to risk hurting you like that."

Though she didn't respond, her shaking slowly subsided.

When she moved as if to roll onto her back, he released his tight hold on her, then rose onto his elbow, propping his head on his hand.

The move lit one of the crystals and he found her wiping the tears off her face to look up at him with pained, troubled eyes.

"I don't want you to mate with me...to make love to me," she said miserably.

Not exactly the words he'd longed to hear, especially considering he was hard as a rock for her and suspected he was likely to stay that way.

But he wasn't surprised, not after all the abuse she'd taken.

And he was suddenly, profoundly glad he hadn't taken advantage of her.

He released her waist and lifted his hand to stroke her cheek with his thumb.

"I'm attracted to you, Tarrys.

I can't help it.

And I probably can't stop it."

He cupped her face, forcing her to look at him, to see the truth in his eyes.

"But I'll never do anything you don't want me to.

Ever.

I promise you."

Her chin trembled and her mouth compressed with a misery that broke his heart.

Tears rolled from her eyes.

But she nodded and he leaned forward to lay a soft kiss on her temple.

"Rest. I'll keep watch."

Without saying anything, she turned and scooted back against him, gifting him with her trust.

Charlie pulled her tight, relief washing through him, a warmth growing deep in his chest.

He'd die before he let anyone hurt her again.

But a short time later, that terrible exhaustion slammed him like a wall of bricks.

"Tarrys...I've got to sleep.

I've got to tie you first, so he can't..." Struggling against a thick, body- numbing lethargy, he managed to retrieve his rope from his gear vest.

With slow, awkward movements, he tied her wrists together, looping the rope around himself to tie it