Page 7

Chapter

Seven

S amir observed Abby discreetly while simultaneously pointedly acting like he was not even looking at her. It was amusing to take note of her thoughts as they passed over her face. She was becoming increasingly easy to read. As far as he could tell she was busy glaring a hole through his head when not intently scrutinizing his home. Looking for another escape route as she aggressively chewed the meat he had offered. Of that much he had no doubt.

The corners of his mouth curled. She was turning out to be an entertaining companion. Thank the blessed and merciful gods that he had made the decision not to kill her. He glanced down at the candied nut in his hand, and he marveled at how like the almond she was. She desired to be hard and bitter like naturally grown almonds, capable of producing lethal cyanide, and yet it served as a remarkable and inspiring contrast to the candied honey coating them. Sweet and potentially deadly. It was addictive.

He popped the almond into his mouth as he regarded her, unnoticed, and smirked when she suddenly released a loud, annoyed sigh.

“How can you sit in here day after day?” she demanded. “I feel as if I’m about to go out of my mind with boredom.”

“Perhaps you would like a nut,” he offered, extending the candied almond to her.

She rolled her eyes in response, but her lips twitched reflexively, and he nearly purred at her unconscious response. How delightful. Her defenses were not quite as sound as she seemed to believe.

“That’s quite alright,” she replied. “I don’t think this situation calls for more nuts when I’m already feeling like I’m about to come one.” He regarded her blankly in confusion and her lips twitched again. “You know... a nutcase… crazy ,” she emphasized, making him chuckle.

“What an amusing idiom,” he purred. “But if you insist then I will be happy to eat your share.” He popped it into his mouth, aware of her eyes following the motion.

He smiled inwardly, onto her game. He knew she was hungry but other than eating a small amount of smoked meat, she seemed determined to refuse anything he offered her. Did she really believe that refusing sustenance would force him to release her? It was quite silly. Why should she not enjoy what he has to offer when she was held hostage there as his “guest.”

“Are you certain you do not want one?” he inquired in a velvet tone as he held another candied almond up between them. He held it between his claws so that it was more visible and he smiled when he watched her swallow in response. No matter that she hid behind her lies, she wanted it but was determined to suffer instead. He did not understand such masochism. “Rejecting my hospitality does nothing for your situation other than make you miserable. If you decline what I offer, then you merely go hungry and unsatisfied. I will not release you.”

Irritation flashed within her eyes, and he smirked inwardly to himself when her annoyance was quickly eclipsed by longing. She licked her lips, indecision in her eyes.

“I will not think less of you. What I have is yours, so I wish for you to enjoy it.”

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because her face darkened, rebellion brightening her eyes. She looked wild, unbreakable, and absolutely breath-taking. It inspired his need, not to conqueror her but to tame her into accepting him. She would be a glorious queen of his desert—if that was what he was looking for.

“I’m not… your… pet,” she hissed from between her gritted teeth.

He gave her an amused look. “Of course you are not. Manticores have little use for pets. You are a delightful captive guest whom I wish to treat well while I have you.”

“Keyword being captive,” she muttered but he could see that much of her ire had already fizzled away. She sighed heavily and gave the almond a disparaging look that such a sweet treat certainly did not deserve.

“I mean no offense,” he replied, his hand closing around the almond. “But if you truly do not want it?—”

“No, wait,” she said, her hand rising in the air between them. Her tongue swiped over her lips again, her gazed fixed on his hand. “Something sweet actually does sound good.”

Samir beamed in response and immediately opened his palm and extended his hand with the almond in it out to her. She plucked it from his hand, her fingertips briefly grazing the thick pads that covered his palm and fingers, sending a shiver through him. He showed no reaction, however, and merely smiled when she quickly put the candied almond in her mouth and began to chew, a look of pleasure filling her face.

“This changes nothing,” she said as she scrutinized him. He found her assertiveness charming. She was certainly making a point in informing him. “I’m not your willing captive.”

“Perish the thought. I would never imagine that you would,” he agreed pleasantly.

Her eyes narrowed on him briefly, but she nodded. “I’ve just decided that you are right and there is no point in refusing when I do not benefit from doing so. I cannot see it benefiting you either if I eat them. Not unless you are trying to fatten me up to devour me.”

“That is a possibility. I do imagine that I would enjoy leisurely devouring you. Tea?” he inquired as he poured mint green tea into a cup and gestured to it in offering to her.

She nodded, a scarlet blush racing across her cheeks. Picking up the cup, she brought it to her plush lips to sip from the rim. He pushed the bowl of almonds toward her with a smile.

“Please, have as much as you would like. I have plenty,” he added, gesturing to the large, lidded container that he had painstakingly filled from the sacks he had acquired.

Abby froze and lowered her teacup. “How full is that?”

He considered the jar curiously. “I have had it for a couple cycles of the moon now. I think it has dropped four fingers from the top,” he said, demonstrating with his own large, padded fingers.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “How did you acquire so much? Wait…” she groaned aloud, “please tell me that you didn’t acquire them from attacking a caravan as they say.”

“Why should I say that when it would be a lie?” he inquired curiously. “It is not like they did not scream in terror and abandon their wares when they saw me coming. No one was offering trade and a few tried to pierce me with their arrows as they hid like cowards. I never harmed them, merely took what I wanted and left.”

“Gods,” she groaned in dismay but quickly popped an almond into her mouth. “At least they are good. If you are going to terrorize humans and commit crimes against Veldala, at least it is for something decent.”

“Naturally,” he agreed with a satisfied purr, his eyes following every motion as she ate the candied nuts. “As I can provide much for myself, I would not take something of inferior quality.”

She nodded absently as she ate another nut. “Is that what you do in your free time, then? Track caravans.”

He lifted his hands in a shrug. “At times. You asked how I can sit here day after day, and the truth is that I usually do not once the sun begins to set. The caravans attract very little of my attention unless there is something specific that I want or need. The night, however, calls to me. It is made for prowling and enjoying and catching the subtle scents of the desert flowers of the desert during the rainy season before the heat reclaims the last of them.”

“Perhaps you can show me?” she suggested.

She leaned forward and smiled in a way that was far too beguiling. He wanted to both laugh and applaud her tenacity. She was still trying to trap him. He grinned back at her, noting that she did not flinch this time at the sight of his sharp teeth.

“Perhaps,” he purred. A look of excitement rose victoriously in her eyes, and he chuckled. “But not on this night.”

Frustration and disappointment darkened her gaze, but she did not act on it. Instead, she shoved another candied almond into her mouth and chewed it far more vigorously than it needed. His poor frustrated little kitten.

Chuckling to himself, Samir sipped on his own cup of tea and popped another nut into his mouth. He wondered just how long she was determined to extend this particular dance between them.

Watching should prove interesting.