Naked Shorts (11 page)

“How about one last kiss?” she asked.

He spat. “I”d rather kiss a viper.”

She took a step closer, her breasts almost touching the bars.

“Not so close, mistress. He”ll hurt you,” the guard warned.

“No he won”t. He couldn”t hurt me. That was his downfall. Wasn”t it, Leif?” She gave him a come-hither look. Leif”s body reacted, and he hated her for it.

“What do you want that I haven”t already given you, witch?”

Selena dropped her voice so only he could hear her. “Between my breasts lies your

freedom.”

“What the -?”

Selena dropped her gaze to her ample bosom, and Leif couldn”t help but follow in the same direction. She tilted her body a little sideways and with it blocked his view of the guards at the end of the hallway completely.

“He still can”t resist my charms,” she said loudly, clearly for the benefit of the guards who laughed at her statement.

As she put her hands at her hips and pushed her cleavage higher, he glimpsed an object between her breasts. Leif gave a closer look, dipping his head toward her.

“See, even now all he wants is to pleasure me,” Selena continued to tell the guards.

There, between the gorgeous tits he”d feasted on earlier, lay a key. Could it be? He shot her a surprised look, and she answered it with a wink. A boulder the size of his father”s kingdom lifted off his shoulders: Selena hadn”t betrayed him. She”d used the commotion to procure a key so he and his men could escape.

Leif reached for the key, slipped it out of her cleavage and into his palm before he let the back of his fingers trail over her soft flesh.

“Well, I think I”ve lost interest in him. Let my sister have him.” Selena turned on her heels and walked away.

As soon as she”d left the prison and the guards had retired to their table in the entrance hall, Leif turned to his men behind him. Only six were with him in the same cell, but as the guards had walked him to it, he”d see several more cells, and they were only separated by narrow brick walls.

“We feared you were dead, Leif,” his trusted friend Bjorn whispered to him.

Leif put his hand on his friend”s shoulder. “Thank the Gods, no. But there”s no time to lose. They will enslave us if we stay here.”

“And how do you suggest we escape?”

Leif smiled and produced the key from his palm. “With a key.”

“That chit you arrived with - she wouldn”t have had anything to do with that?” Bjorn grinned.

“That chit will be my wife as soon as we are home. Now, have we lost anyone?”

Bjorn shook his head. “I don”t think so. But several men were wounded. I heard the guards say that they are in the infirmary. Including your brother.”

Shock cursed through Leif”s veins. “Gunnar is injured?” His mother would never forgive him if his little brother died.

“Badly, I heard.”

“We have to get to him and the others.”

“First things first,” Bjorn cautioned.

Through whispers they communicated with their cellmates, and one by one they

unlocked their cells, then handed the key to the next cell so those prisoners could do the same. A low whistle from the last cell was the sign that each cell was open.

They pushed their cell doors open at the same time and stormed out.

The guards didn”t know what hit them. While Leif and his men had no weapons, two

dozen men were more than enough to fight three armed women - even armed warrior women.

Within minutes, the three guards were relieved of their weapons and tied up.

Bjorn looked at one of the women and gave her an appreciative look. “Mind if I take one with me?” he asked Leif.

Leif merely shrugged his shoulders. “You”ll be responsible for her on the journey.”

As soon as the other men heard it, two of them claimed the remaining female guards.

“We have to find the infirmary,” Leif told his men and motioned them toward the door.

The moment they stepped out into the night, Leif sensed somebody pressed against the wall of the building. He jumped and leveled his dagger against the person”s neck.

“Leif,” the female voice whispered.

He instantly dropped the dagger and wrapped her into his arms. “Selena.” He kissed her fiercely. “Why did you turn against me in there? I don”t understand. That wasn”t our plan.”

“I had no choice. I knew as soon as the guard said they”d get my sister, there”d be no chance of escaping. I know her. She would have used my being a hostage to advance her own agenda. Aurora wouldn”t have let you free your men. It was the only way.”

“It was risky.”

Selena breathed deeply. “It worked.”

“It broke my heart thinking you”d betrayed me.”

“I”m sorry, but there was no time to warn you.”

“And the key? How did you get it? I saw clearly that the guard had it. You couldn”t have stolen it from her.”

Selena smiled. “That”s the advantage of being second in line for the throne. I knew where the extra key was kept.”

“Clever girl. Now, can you lead us to the infirmary?”

“This way. Quiet. There are guards as well.”

Leif and his two dozen men kept close to the shadows of the buildings as they followed Selena to the infirmary. The building was another low stone building with a thatched roof. Two female guards stood outside the entrance.

His men overwhelmed them without creating any undue noise.

Inside, several of Leif”s warriors were stretched out on pallets, and three women tended to their wounds. The women were unarmed and surrendered when they realized they were outnumbered.

When Leif found his brother Gunnar, relief washed through him, but the feeling was instantly replaced with worry. His little brother looked pale. Despite the smile on his face, Leif knew he was in pain. His midsection was wrapped in white linen, and a large blotch of blood had worked itself through the fabric on his left side. A sword had to have done this.

“Took you long enough, big brother,” he jested.

“Sorry, I had to fight off a few women first.”

Gunnar looked at Selena. “It appears you”ve not been able to fight them all off. Won”t you introduce me to the fiery redhead by your side?”

Leif took Selena”s hand. “Selena, this is my little brother, Gunnar. Gunnar, this is Selena.

She will be my wife.” Pride made his chest swell as he made his announcement to his brother.

“That”s good.”

Leif reached for Gunnar”s hand. “And now, we”re taking you home.”

Gunnar gave him a sad look and shook his head. “I won”t make it with my injury. I”ll have to take my chances here. Now go,” he urged him. “Take her and the men home to safety.

Then take our best warriors, and come back for me.”

“And until then? Don”t you realize what these women are doing to men here?”

Gunnar smiled. “I think I can handle a bunch of sex-crazed women for a few weeks.”

Leif knew his brother was right. His injury was too great to risk the rough journey. And while he was injured, surely Aurora could not use him the way she”d intended to use Leif. If they hurried back, they could save him from this fate.

Fighting this hostile clan of women now would be too dangerous. According to Selena the clan consisted of over five hundred warriors. Trying to fight them with only two dozen men would be suicide. They had to go back to bring reinforcements and come well-armed.

“I will come back for you, Gunnar.”

His brother nodded. “Of course you will, because mother will paddle your ass if you don”t.”

Leif embraced his brother.

In the meantime, his men had already helped gather the injured warriors fit enough for the journey. In addition to Gunnar, one other man had to stay back as he was too gravely injured for the trip.

With a last look at his little brother, Leif followed his men out the building and into freedom.

***

“Do you regret having left?”

She shook her head. For the first time in her life she felt happy. She was in the arms of a man who wanted her. What else could she ever wish for? “I have everything I want with you. I look forward to seeing your home. Will we be there soon?”

“We should reach land in two days. Soon, very soon. And then I have to go back with the warriors. But you will be safe.”

“I”ll come back with you.”

“No, you won”t. I don”t want to risk losing you.”

“I can be of help,” she insisted.

“We”ll talk about it later.” When he turned her in his arms and put his hand under her chin, Selena realized he was going to distract her from the subject. “Come, I have found a corner where we can be alone for a little while.”

She smiled up at him. No matter what Leif was going to do, she”d still go back with him and his warriors to help him free his brother. But for now, she”d play the obedient woman for him. It was a role that came easily, but not at the exclusion of everything else. “Are you trying to tell me that you”re planning on ravishing me?”

“Oh yes, ravishing will definitely be involved. As well as feasting. And loving.”

She giggled. “I guess I will have to submit since you”re a strong Norse warrior and I”m merely a woman.”

Leif laughed. “A woman who can wrap me around her little finger with merely a smile.

Don”t underestimate your power over me.” She had figured as much the moment he”d told her that she”d nearly broken his heart when he thought she”d betrayed him. And while she liked to feel his strength and power, she liked the fact that he was just as willing to give her all the power she could desire.

“But you are the one with all the power.”

“Physically, maybe. But you are the one who holds my heart. And without my heart, I”m only half a man,” he confessed.

“And you hold mine.” It was true. Even though she”d only set eyes on him a few days ago, he”d become the most important man in her life. She didn”t understand why - it didn”t matter. All that mattered was that he felt the same way she did.

Leif pulled her behind a wall of crates full with supplies. They were shielded from the curious eyes of the men on board the ship. “Selena?”

“Hmm?”

“Lift up your dress for me and bend over here, my love.”

Selena obeyed willingly and knew he would reward her handsomely for it: with loving caresses, kisses, and the ultimate pleasure of coming apart in his arms. And one day she would reward him in return: with a son or a daughter. And she would welcome either, for Leif had told her that no matter whether she”d gift him with a son or a daughter, he”d cherish either one as a gift from heaven.

THE END

GOLDDIGGER

by

Tina Folsom

On the Trail to California - Spring 1849

Charlotte dropped her chemise over her still wet body and felt it clinging to her, soaking up the moisture from her skin. The cool river water had invigorated her. And now the soft night breeze against her wet garment made her shiver slightly but not unpleasantly. She gazed up into the starry night as she quietly made her way back toward camp.

“And where do you think you”re going?” The all too familiar voice startled her, making her draw in a sharp breath.

Casually leaning against a tree was Luke, the bane of her current existence. Weeks earlier, she”d struck a bargain with him. In exchange for a rather large amount of money, he”d agreed to escort her to California. She would have gone on her own, but none of the wagon trains would accept a single woman, no matter how well stocked her wagon was.

Charlotte gave him only a passing glance, not even slowing her pace.

“Back to the wagon, not that it”s any of your business.”

Within a couple of seconds he cut off her route and planted himself squarely in front of her.

“Not like that, you”re not.” His voice sounded annoyed as his eyes gazed over her scantily clad body.

She was aware that she was not properly dressed for a lady, but it was night, and everybody in camp would be asleep. Nobody would see her - unless they were spying on her like Luke seemed to be doing.

“None of your concern.”

“Oh yes, it is. I”m not in the mood to peel every horny man in camp off you.”

“I don”t know what you mean.” Charlotte sidestepped him but only made one step before an iron grip on her arm stopped her.

“This is what I mean.” While Luke held her arm so she couldn”t escape, his other hand touched her breast through the wet fabric and played with her already hardened nipple. His touch was so electrifying, she was unable to move. A second later, his mouth seared her lips as if he wanted to brand her.

Unable to think straight, she let it happen, let him tempt her mouth open and slide his tongue inside. His kiss deepened as he invaded her, filled her with his warmth, with his demand, with his passion. He tasted of leather and something tempting, something raw. She inhaled his scent, taking it deep into her lungs, letting it fill her with a need she didn”t know she had.

As abruptly as he”d kissed her, he stopped and released her from his grip. Everything in her head was a blur.

“Go ahead, slap me,” Luke offered.

Charlotte gave him a startled look. She was probably crazy if she did what she wanted to do, but hell, she had run away from home to escape a profitable marriage, so she probably was crazy.

One more crazy act wouldn”t matter.

She raised her hand, snagged his shirt collar and pulled his face toward hers.

“Shut up!” she ordered him flatly and pressed her lips onto the mouth of the stunned looking Luke.

He couldn”t believe the turn of his luck, and for a few seconds didn”t dare respond in case Charlotte was about to kick him in the balls. When that proverbial kick didn”t happen, he wrapped his arms around her and took over the kiss. One hand fisted into her thick hair, holding her head close so she wouldn”t move away. Not that it was necessary, since she had pressed her almost naked body tightly to his and wrapped her arms around his neck.

His other hand slipped down to the small of her back, pressing her into him and then lower to the tempting swell of her ass. Touching her through the thin fabric was almost like touching her naked skin, but not quite. When he squeezed her, she moaned quietly into his open mouth.