her for a long time. His skin was still slightly damp and in her lust fevered brain he seemed to gleam in the reflected light of the fire like a mythical god.
All too quickly he pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and turned towards the sleeping platform. Zora squeezed her eyes shut quickly before he could see her looking at him. In the darkness she heard him shuffling about for a bit, then the swiffling sound of a sleeping bag told her that he was getting into bed. The platform sank a little as it took his weight when he lay down.
“Goodnight, Ms Matthews,” his deep timbre caressed her.
“Goodnight Captain,” she replied softly. She barely dared breathe. She was lying not three feet away from his imposing figure, close enough that she could almost reach out and touch him. She turned and faced the cabin wall as a torrent of conflicting emotions crashed through her. He was infuriating and overbearing, but at the same time he was really really incredibly good looking. In the darkness of the night, Zora finally allowed herself to consciously acknowledge what had been creeping around the edges of her thoughts for days. She was attracted to him, and the worst thing about that attraction was the fact that it actually made her behave even more badly than usual. She'd managed to take a terrible situation and make it worse by becoming besotted with the man who was her captor. What a fool she was, what a stupid, silly fool.
***
As sunlight began to gently filter through the curtain, Savage woke up with a start. Years of training had taught him to rise out of sleep instantly alert at the slightest hint of danger. On this occasion he'd been woken by something touching him, pushing against him. Reflexively he reached for his weapon, but before his fingers could curl around the grip he saw the source of the pressure pushing him off his bed roll and left the gun where it was.
His gentle assailant was none other than Zora, fast asleep and snuggled up to his side as close as she could be. She'd insisted on going to sleep as far away from him as possible on the other side of the platform so the fact that she'd abandoned her own bedroll and wriggled several feet in the night to be pressed up against him made him smile as he relaxed.
In the faint light of the morning, Savage watched her sleep. When she was unconscious her frown faded and her expression became sweet. He let her lay on him, smiling to himself when she growled in her sleep, nuzzled under his arm and started drooling on his chest. Even unconscious she was a demanding little witch. It would have been easy to get comfortable, even fall back to sleep with her weight there a pleasant reminder that it wasn't all shouting and misbehavior, but he couldn't allow himself that luxury. “Don't start playing happy families, Brett,” he muttered to himself.
Gently shifting over, he extracted himself from his sleeping bag and left Zora clutching his pillow fiercely. She barely stirred as he moved away and stoked the fire that had burned low in the grate all night long. He managed to put a pot of water on top of the wood burner and have it get close to boiling point before the activity woke her. As she emerged into consciousness she stirred and rolled over, groaning in protest.
“Morning,” he said pleasantly. “Want coffee?”
Zora sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Yes please,” she said in a surprisingly well mannered tone.
“Sugar? Milk?”
“Milk, no sugar thanks,” she said tiredly, pulling the bag up around herself as she sat cross legged on the platform. He was glad to see her sitting normally, her backside had taken considerable punishment of late. Though he was a believer in discipline, he didn't like to leave a woman unable to sit unless it was really necessary. When the coffee was ready he handed her a cup of the brew and they sat together in the silence of the early morning, each lost in their own thoughts.
He was aware that she was watching him warily.
All too quickly he pulled on a pair of boxer shorts and turned towards the sleeping platform. Zora squeezed her eyes shut quickly before he could see her looking at him. In the darkness she heard him shuffling about for a bit, then the swiffling sound of a sleeping bag told her that he was getting into bed. The platform sank a little as it took his weight when he lay down.
“Goodnight, Ms Matthews,” his deep timbre caressed her.
“Goodnight Captain,” she replied softly. She barely dared breathe. She was lying not three feet away from his imposing figure, close enough that she could almost reach out and touch him. She turned and faced the cabin wall as a torrent of conflicting emotions crashed through her. He was infuriating and overbearing, but at the same time he was really really incredibly good looking. In the darkness of the night, Zora finally allowed herself to consciously acknowledge what had been creeping around the edges of her thoughts for days. She was attracted to him, and the worst thing about that attraction was the fact that it actually made her behave even more badly than usual. She'd managed to take a terrible situation and make it worse by becoming besotted with the man who was her captor. What a fool she was, what a stupid, silly fool.
***
As sunlight began to gently filter through the curtain, Savage woke up with a start. Years of training had taught him to rise out of sleep instantly alert at the slightest hint of danger. On this occasion he'd been woken by something touching him, pushing against him. Reflexively he reached for his weapon, but before his fingers could curl around the grip he saw the source of the pressure pushing him off his bed roll and left the gun where it was.
His gentle assailant was none other than Zora, fast asleep and snuggled up to his side as close as she could be. She'd insisted on going to sleep as far away from him as possible on the other side of the platform so the fact that she'd abandoned her own bedroll and wriggled several feet in the night to be pressed up against him made him smile as he relaxed.
In the faint light of the morning, Savage watched her sleep. When she was unconscious her frown faded and her expression became sweet. He let her lay on him, smiling to himself when she growled in her sleep, nuzzled under his arm and started drooling on his chest. Even unconscious she was a demanding little witch. It would have been easy to get comfortable, even fall back to sleep with her weight there a pleasant reminder that it wasn't all shouting and misbehavior, but he couldn't allow himself that luxury. “Don't start playing happy families, Brett,” he muttered to himself.
Gently shifting over, he extracted himself from his sleeping bag and left Zora clutching his pillow fiercely. She barely stirred as he moved away and stoked the fire that had burned low in the grate all night long. He managed to put a pot of water on top of the wood burner and have it get close to boiling point before the activity woke her. As she emerged into consciousness she stirred and rolled over, groaning in protest.
“Morning,” he said pleasantly. “Want coffee?”
Zora sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Yes please,” she said in a surprisingly well mannered tone.
“Sugar? Milk?”
“Milk, no sugar thanks,” she said tiredly, pulling the bag up around herself as she sat cross legged on the platform. He was glad to see her sitting normally, her backside had taken considerable punishment of late. Though he was a believer in discipline, he didn't like to leave a woman unable to sit unless it was really necessary. When the coffee was ready he handed her a cup of the brew and they sat together in the silence of the early morning, each lost in their own thoughts.
He was aware that she was watching him warily.
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