| |
THE TIGHTNESS IN SYNGE’S chest made it hard to breathe. He’d come too damned close to losing Ricka. He fought to gain control of his emotions. They were an unpleasant mixture of fear, anger, and relief. He didn’t stop moving or set her down until they’d reached the small clearing where he’d parked his transport. His pet bounded ahead of him, never straying far from view.
How had the bimmaton gotten inside the perimeter? There had to be a breach somewhere, and tomorrow he would spend the day searching for it. Right now, his main concern was the small female cradled in his arms.
Once they reached the vehicle, Mogran dropped to the ground and crouched on his belly. His ears remained perked and alert.
Synge pressed his hand against the sensor near the cargo entrance and released the lock. As soon as the door opened, the interior lights turned on. Stepping inside, he gently set her on the storage bench running along the right wall of the interior. “Stay.” She tensed, reminding him she didn’t respond to instruction in the same manner as Tarron women. Her determination to flee was proof enough he needed to handle her differently. He quickly amended his request. “Please.”
She nodded.
He stepped outside and walked around to the side door. Reaching inside, he pressed a button on the virtucom unit.
“Synge?” Teah’s image appeared on the screen, her voice laced with trepidation and concern. “Is she—”
“I found her, and she is unharmed.”
“Thank goodness.”
He rubbed the tight muscles in his neck. “It is late and too dark to return home. I will make camp here and be back in the morning.” Not returning to the dwelling was an excuse. He’d covered every portion of his property many times since his youth and could find his way home even without a transport. His reason for remaining in the seclusion of the jungle was simple. He wanted to spend more time alone with Ricka without any interference from his family. At some point, he needed to tell her about her friend. They also needed to discuss the fever burning through him and the role she played in helping rid him of it.
“Please take care.”
“I will.” He tapped another button, and the line disconnected. Reining in his frustration, he returned to the rear of the vehicle. He was relieved to see she hadn’t moved. She couldn’t have gone far, not without his pet intervening.
Ricka anxiously watched the shadowed tree line. “Are you sure we’re not in any danger out here?”
“Mogran will stay alert and let me know if anything poses a threat.” Synge opened an overhead storage compartment and pulled out one of his spare shirts, a med kit, dried food pouches, and several rectangular containers he kept filled with water for emergencies. He twisted off the lid and handed her the bottle. “Drink. You must be dehydrated.”
“Thank you.” She drained most of the liquid.
“Are you hungry?”
“Starving, actually.”
If he’d been alone, he would have dragged the bimmaton’s carcass out of the jungle, stripped away the fur, and roasted the meat over an open flame. The food pouches would have to suffice, because he refused to leave Ricka’s side. “I am afraid this is all I have. The taste is not great, but it provides good nourishment.” He ripped open the packet and held it out to her.
She stared at the tiny brown contents and grimaced with disgust. “Please tell me these aren’t dried worms.”
He laughed and knelt in front of her, opening the box containing medical supplies. “Processed fruits and meats. No worms. I promise.”
After pinching a small portion between her thumb and forefinger, she dropped it on her tongue. “I guess it’s not too bad.” She tossed another bite into her mouth and chewed.
Studying the scrapes on her face and arms, he felt partially to blame for the wounds she’d suffered. “May I see to your injuries?” He held up his hand to stop her from arguing. “I know you are capable of doing it yourself, but I would like to care for you. If you will let me.”
She smiled and held out her hand. “I would appreciate your help.”
He slowly untied the knot and unwrapped the material. “It is not too deep.” Carefully, he swiped her palm with an antiseptic wipe. She winced when he touched the skin closest to the cut. He rubbed his thumb across the underside of her wrist, trying to distract her.
After retrieving a thin silver tube, he popped off the lid and squeezed the purple gel onto his fingertip.
“What does this do?”
“It is a sealant. It has healing properties and will prevent contamination.” He rubbed it across the wound and around the middle of her palm. “Almost done.” Next, he fastened a healing cloth around her hand.
“Thank you.”
Some of the tears in her shirt were stained with spots of red. “I need to tend all your wounds to prevent infection. Will you allow me to examine under your shirt?” The thought of exposing more of her beautiful body made him hard. He shifted the kit in his lap to keep her from noticing. Seeing to her needs and gaining her trust far outweighed his own desires.
#
RICKA COULDN’T BELIEVE the sad condition of her shirt. Sliding down the tree had torn it in several places. She lifted her head and saw him examining the material with a mixture of concern and desire. Her breath hitched, and she shivered, the reaction causing a flutter in her belly. Her abdomen still throbbed from where she’d scraped against the tree when she’d been attacked by the bimmaton.
“I will not hurt you, but I will have to observe what I am doing,” he said and grinned.
She realized he was teasing her about the last time she lifted her shirt in front of him. Heat flushed along her cheeks when she remembered he hadn’t stopped staring at her then either. “Okay.” She reached for the hem of the overgrown top and pulled it over her head. Her chest had several scrapes and cuts. The worst ones were located on her breasts and abdomen above her belly button. Some of them already had bruising.
After extracting another antiseptic wipe, he tenderly wiped each of the scrapes, beginning with the lower ones and working his way up her chest. She bit back a whimper when his warm hand brushed against her skin and caused her nipples to tighten.
He handed her the clean shirt, then placed her discarded one along with the wipes and bloodied strip of fabric in a container and sealed it.
She pulled the shirt over her head. “I don’t suppose you have a bathroom hidden somewhere back here?” Her bladder was close to overflowing since she’d been too afraid to do anything about it after she got lost.
“No, you will need to leave camp to relieve yourself.”
“You want me to go back in there? What if there is another creature lurking around?”
“Mogran will go with you and make sure nothing bothers you. Unless you would like me to assist.”
Flashing her partially covered chest at him was one thing, but having him stand there while she relieved herself would be downright embarrassing. “Taking the big guy will be fine.”
“Good. I will stay here and finish preparing the camp for the night.” He helped her to the ground. “Do not wander far.”
Is he kidding? After what she’d been through today, there was no way she was letting him out of her sight. She scratched the cat’s head. “Come on, boy.”
Mogran lazily stretched his back and strolled toward the trees. Ricka nervously followed him, stopping when she heard strange noises. The cat seemed unconcerned, and she cast him a stern look. “Just so you know, I’m trusting you to keep anything from biting me in the ass.” He brushed against her before finding a spot to drop to his hind legs. She stepped behind the nearest tree, unzipped her pants and quickly took care of business.
By the time she returned, Synge had removed a small metal box and was tapping colored buttons along the top.
“What is that?” she asked.
“Motion sensor.”
“I thought you said Mogran will alert you if anything gets too close.”
“He will. This is an additional precaution. Nothing to worry about.”
Ricka had the feeling it was something more but let it go. She glanced around and frowned. “Where is your equipment? My father took me camping when I was a child, and he always had sleeping bags and a tent.” There was no way he could make her spend the night on the ground without any kind of protection.
“You are talking about a place to sleep, yes?” Synge reached into the cargo area and ran his hand over another sensor. The floor panel separated in the middle rolling to the sides and exposing a large padded surface. “I want you where I can keep you safe. We will sleep here. It is a little stiff but comfortable.”
“It’s perfect.” After spending an afternoon avoiding bugs and crawly things, she was glad not to be sleeping on the ground.
He unfastened his holster and set it on the ledge near the bed. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a set of cuffs.
“What are you planning to do with those?” She took a panicked step back. “You can’t keep forcing me to do things against my will. And I certainly don’t want to be used as bait.”
