The Barbarian's Captive (32 page)

“I will not tell her I’m sorry, not ever! I hate her! She ruined my life!”

“So be it.” He bowed to Eva once again. “Excuse me, but this cannot wait.”

“By all means,” she said automatically, unsure what else to do. It wasn’t her place to interfere and lord knew the woman had coming whatever he might dish out.

“Wait!” Zalina squealed as the huge male easily put her in position. “No, Nayak, not here!”

“If you can be insulting and defiant here, you can take your punishment here as well.” He flipped her skirt onto her back, and took up a thin yardstick, bringing it down with a solid
thwack
across bare behind.

“Ouch!” she squealed. In the crowd, several heads turned their way.

Silly woman. Does she want an audience?

But Eva said nothing, watching as Nayak efficiently spanked and lectured simultaneously, much like Kerr. She figured mate-spanking classes were mandatory for all males in this world.

“You have no sense of decorum. But, by the Maker, you will learn some.”

A hum of appreciation rippled through the gathering behind her as he smacked the makeshift paddle again and again against her butt.

“Ow! I’m sorry. I’ll apologize.”

“Yes, you will. And will do so with a bright red and very sorry behind.”

His arm rose and fell unabated until she lay quiet beneath his restraining hand. By Eva’s count, it took no more than a dozen solid smacks. Unsympathetic to the woman who had practically tore her and Kerr apart in the worst possible way, she silently wished he had given her two dozen more. But Nayak either packed a punch with a paddle, or knew his mate well, because her attitude had definitely changed. The big man seemed satisfied as he bent over her back, whispering in her ear while he rubbed her bare, red bottom.

Whatever he said, she shook her head with a sniffle. He stood and stepped back, revealing her bright ass cheeks in their full glory for a moment. Before he lowered her hem and covered her, Eva saw something else in that sea of bright crimson skin. On one round cheek there was what could only be Nayak’s marking.

That meant that like her and Kerr, Zalina and Nayak were fated mates. She stood there, completely amazed by the unlikely pairing. Never in a million years would she have put those two Primarians together.

“Prima.” She jumped at the deep booming voice, and looked up at the huge man. He dipped his head. “My mate has something to say.”

Her eyes slid down to where Zalina waited on her knees, head bowed.

Immediately uncomfortable, Eva stepped back and ran into something hard and inflexible.

“What is going on here?” Kerr asked, his low voice humming in her ear.

“Princep,” Nayak said stiffly. “My sincere regrets. Zalina has a sharp tongue, and she insulted the prima. She was about to beg her forgiveness.”

“Please accept my apologies for speaking so rudely.” It didn’t appear that she planned anymore until her mate’s hand settled on the top of her head and he cleared his throat. Only then did she add, “It won’t happen again.”

Nayak glanced at Kerr, who she assumed nodded by the way he shifted slightly behind her. Next, the huge merchant looked down. Well over seven feet, he bowed yet again, which was beginning to make her uncomfortable. When he did it this time, his face came close, too close as he said, “My heartfelt apologies again, Kerr’s mate.”

It was all Eva could do not to recoil as a strong waft of onion swept over her face. But she didn’t, biting the inside of her cheek as she too nodded. Then she used a phrase Kerr had before, hoping to end this, “All is forgiven and we move on.”

“Thank you,” he murmured, casting a narrow-eyed gaze at his tearful mate.

“We must go, Nayak,” Kerr said as he steered her way. “I have urgent business.”

The distance of two booths was all she could manage before she started to giggle, by four she was laughing aloud, drawing attention.

“Eva, I never knew you were so bloodthirsty. Although in her case it is well justified.”

“Kerr,” Eva said in a hushed voice. “His breath, it was bad. And when he spanked her bare behind as if they weren’t in a crowded market, I saw that she carries his mark. That means
maes eternium
.”

“That’s right. What of it?”

“Bad breath forever. I can’t imagine a more fitting punishment for her crimes.” She giggled again, before gazing up at him. “Maybe I should send him a peppermint plant.”

His gleaming gaze met hers. “That is a kindness she doesn’t deserve.”

“You’re right. But I feel sorry for him, stuck with her, forever!”

“Nayak, despite his love of onions, which is legendary, is a good man. But he is strict. Mated to him, she won’t cause either of us any more trouble.”

She looked at him sharply, eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Did you…?”

“Eva, how could I have a hand in fate?”

He didn’t look at her as they threaded through the crowd of shoppers, and she couldn’t be sure of what that meant. Then she decided it didn’t matter how, just that it was.

“I guess we have the Maker to thank for that,” she said, beaming at him. “And for mating me with you.”

“I say that same prayer of thanks every day, sprite.” He stopped right there, in the middle of the bustle of market day, wrapping her up in a tight embrace and kissing her.

And his breath, as always, was sweet.

* * *

T
he late afternoon sunshine was warm on her face as she lay in the thick grass. She knew she should have gotten up and dressed for their upcoming dinner with Valkerr, or perhaps find Janus and go over the last minute details of a charity auction she was holding to raise money for several of the village schools. She had toured them and found they were sound academically, but had no fine arts programs, no outdoor play areas, and no gardens! Kerr had heard an earful about that when she returned and had put her in touch with the artisan who had designed the rooftop garden. They put together several playground designs and after she squeezed enough credits out of Kerr’s wealthy friends with the auction, she planned to have one built at each school. That was only one of the projects she had her fingers in.

Kerr had been right: charitable works, and demands from the people occupied much of her day while he was gone. The rest was spent researching in the hothouse at Jarlan’s prompting. To date, she’d found a half dozen alternative treatments that were impressive enough in symptom relief for the healer to order a mass planting.

Closing her eyes, she angled her face toward the twin suns, drinking in the relaxing heat and letting the drowsiness overtake her as she enjoyed a rare afternoon nap.

Something tickling her nose made her stir. She swatted at it, then refocused on sleep. It came back again a few moments later. With a nose twitch, she turned her head, but even then it didn’t stop. Frustrated at her interrupted sleep, she opened her eyes to identify the pest.

It was Kerr, his smiling face hovered above her, as did his hand which held the tickling culprit, a blue daisy.

“I called your name and you didn’t wake. So I improvised other measures.” He trailed the fragrant flower lightly down her nose and across her cheek. “Your nose is pink. How long have you been up here?”

She looked behind him, the twin pink suns had gone down, and the sky had turned a deep purple with a few stars already twinkling on the horizon. “A while apparently, but it felt so good to lounge in the sunshine, and the garden was so quiet.” She looked at him with eagerness. “How was your meeting?”

“Very interesting. Your president is an intelligent man. He and two other countries have agreed to meetings with our ambassadors. It is a promising start.”

“Things have deteriorated, I’m sure.”

“Yes, the situation is grim and leaves them few options. We are hailed as heroes by some, and invaders by others — which isn’t unexpected. The next few weeks will be crucial in negotiations. Hopefully, we can get more than three on board, but some are very suspicious, opposed to the very idea of outside help.”

“And if you can’t?”

“Then the future is grim for them, sadly.”

They fell silent, each lost in thought.

“Enough bad news. Your trip to Jarlan was productive?”

She grinned. “Very much so, and quite informative.”

“How so?”

“He and some of your top engineers have accessed the
Odyssey’s
files and by extension, Earth’s medical data banks, and have found everything they need to know about human females and childbirth.”

“That happened two months ago.”

“Yes, but they have developed some new tests. One is for pregnancy. Just like on Earth, a woman can pee on a stick and
voila
, she knows in only a few minutes if she is expecting.”

“That is good news, although waiting a day wasn’t extreme.”

“It is if you’re worrying you’re pregnant. But we can come back here tomorrow, same time, same place, for me to tell you my results.”

He ignored her baiting and focused on one fact. “You took a pregnancy test?”

“Yes. A brand new pee-on-the-stick kind. I also did the old one as part of a comparison test group for accuracy.”

His face fell. “Are you truly helping with his research? You don’t suspect you’re breeding?”

She wrinkled her nose. “I hate that word. Can’t you call it something else? Something less… clinical?”

“Eva,” he said sternly. “I’m not finding this roundabout discussion amusing.”

She giggled, beside herself with happiness. “I’m sorry, Kerr. I shouldn’t tease you about becoming a daddy.”

“Sprite, when?”

“In about six months you’ll be welcoming your first born.” She’d barely finished when he gathered her in his arms and rolled her on top of his chest. He slid one hand up to the back of her neck as the other moved low to splay wide across her bottom, then he drew her head down for a deep, heady kiss.

“Silly question, but are you happy?” she asked when he let her up for air.

“Ecstatic.”

“Me too, and if you meet me here tomorrow, same place, same time, I’ll tell you if it’s a boy or a girl. Jarlan figured out a pee test for that too.”

“Boy, girl, one of each, same gender twins, I don’t care. As long as the baby’s healthy.” His eyes were liquid gold as he stared up at her.

Her smile faded as she repeated, “Twins!”

He laughed, successfully disarming her with the joyful sound. “I love you, Eva. You —and the baby — make me very happy.”

Taking his face in her hands, she lowered her head and touched her lips gently to his. “I love you too, mate. And will love our son with all my heart.”

“A son,” he whispered.

“And an heir for Primaria.”

“Forget about Primaria. He is our
son
, a part of both you and me.”

“Kerr,” she sighed, tears of joy wetting her eyes.

He rolled her again, carefully, so not to squish her as he took the dominant position. Then he stripped her bare, right there in the garden and loved her breathless.

The End

Also By Maddie Taylor

Published by Blushing Books

The Gift

Surrender My Love

The Juniper Bride

(Also included in the Sons of Johnny Hastings Boxed Set)

Everything Christmas

(Also included in The Naughty List Boxed Set)

The Club Decadence Series:

Faithfully (Prequel)

Captain My Captain

You Said Forever

Little Light of Mine

Unbind My Heart

Second Time Lucky

What About Love

The Decadence LA Series:

Master My Love

The Decadence Night Series:

Hooked

French Kiss

Published By Stormy Night Publications

Gideon’s Redemption

Lanie’s Lessons

Innocence Enslaved

(with Melody Parks)

The Trail Master’s Bride

The Jackson Brothers Series

Marshal’s Law

Jackson’s Justice

Wild Wisteria

The Pleasure Bay Series

Dimitri’s Desire

(with Melody Parks)

Mastering Mariah

(with Morganna Williams)

The Sweet Series

Sweet Salvation

Sweet Surrender

From The Author

An author of erotic romance, Maddie is a lifelong reader who became a romance junkie as a teen with her first romance novel,
The Wolf and the Dove
by Kathleen Woodiwiss. From then on, she was hooked, and gobbled up everything she could get her hands on, whether contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi. If there was romance to be found between a strong alpha male, and a sassy, adventurous and ofttimes defiant yet loving woman, Maddie was all over it. As an author, she stays true to those themes writing steamy erotic romance, with a side of kink, and adding elements of intrigue, danger and suspense to her plots.