A Warrior s Desire - By Pamela Palmer Page 0,38

truly doubt anything at this point.

"Positive."

The gaze that met his flashed with certainty, mirroring the tone of her voice.

"I know precisely where he is."

"That's good.

They may be able to track us, but now we can track them, too."

Still, as he considered their situation, he frowned.

"That fork in the road was well over a mile back."

"I know.

We can't go that way.

We're going to have to go through the mountain, now."

They looked at each other, silence stretching between them on a thin wire of tension.

"I'll get you water, Charlie.

I promise."

The earnest sincerity that flared in her eyes moved him.

He'd promised her he'd get her to safety.

Now she was doing the same.

The question was - could either of them succeed? She turned toward the wall, her thick hair sweeping over her shoulders.

"Ready? It's going to be bright."

With their pursuers more than a mile back, and trackable, there was no longer any need to hide the light.

Charlie braced himself for the blinding glow as Tarrys pressed her palms flat against the crystal wall.

Green light burst through the tunnel, releasing the scent of mushrooms.

"Provide, my Esria," she murmured, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I beg you, provide for these souls."

Almost at once, Charlie felt something change in the air and heard a hum, like that of electricity.

And the sound of... water.

Tarrys whirled toward him, her wide-eyed gaze plowing into him.

"Do you hear that?" Excitement flushed her face, filling him with raw hope and a nearly unbearable need to touch her.

"You did it."

He grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her hard.

Tarrys pulled back, her expression at once triumphant and uncertain.

"Let's see if I really produced anything useful before we celebrate."

She turned and he followed her toward the darkness beyond and the sound of trilling birds.

The unmistakable scent of water reached his nose, twisting his thirst into painful knots.

As they rounded the corner, Tarrys hit the wall with her palm and light erupted on a sight that brought her up short and nearly knocked him back on his heels.

Before them lay an oasis - a crystal rainbow of a room with a soaring ceiling, a tree that stood more than twenty feet tall and hung heavy with fruit, and a wide pool of clear water surrounded by thick gold-and-orange grass dotted with tiny pink flowers.

A miracle.

Charlie stepped forward, straightening with a sigh, able to stand upright for the first time since entering the mine.

He turned and grabbed Tarrys, lifting her and swinging her high as relief and gratitude burst from his pores like bubbles of champagne.

Tarrys's eyes glittered with moisture, her laughter ringing as sweetly as bells, echoing off the high crystal like chimes on Easter morning.

Charlie caught her against him and kissed her, claiming her smile, pressing his mouth to hers for one precious moment before releasing her.

As much as he needed her, he needed the water more.

The last thing he wanted was for this oasis to turn into a mirage before he ever got a sip.

"Drink," she urged, as if sharing his thought.

He lunged for the pool and sank to his knees beside its banks, scooping handful after handful of the cool water into his mouth.

His eyes glazed over as the precious wetness coated his tongue then slid coolly down his throat.

Never had anything tasted so good.

When he didn't think his stomach could hold another drop, he dunked his face, scrubbing the sweat and travel grit off his skin.

But when he looked up again, the sight that met his eyes had the breath catching in his throat.

Tarrys had stripped off her slave's gown and was wading into the water, perfectly, gloriously nude.

The blue-green light from the crystal below her feet illuminated that perfect body for him all over again.

His pulse skipped and began to race.

His blood heated and pooled between his legs.

"Where are the Esri? Are they moving yet?" Her gaze lifted and met his, something hot leaping between them.

"No.We're alone."

His heart thudded as he reached for the clasp of his cloak.
Chapter 14
As Tarrys met Charlie's heated gaze, she felt the desire arc between them, felt it in the tightening of her breasts and the flushing of her skin.

She watched as Charlie removed his cloak, pounding excitement warring with fluttering uncertainty inside her.

She hadn't meant to offer herself to him, had really only meant to take a much-needed bath until their gazes met, igniting a need that would not be ignored.

She wanted this, longing to share everything she was, everything she had, with this man - her newfound power, her joy, her love.

Charlie