Johanna Lindsey - Warrior’s Woman

“Well, I thought it was a bluff,” Tedra said, smiling at her warrior. “Would you really make war on a whole planet for me, Challen?”

“Do you not know I would do anything for you, does it make you happy?”

“I-ah-think that’s my cue to be going,” Rourk said.

“Good-bye, babe,” Tedra said without looking at him, already crawling back into Challen’s lap.

“Have I said something to please you?” Challen asked, settling her back into her previous position.

“What gave you that idea?” she teased him. “By the way, Garr is letting me keep the Rover.”

“I thought the Rover was yours already.”

“No, Martha and I stole it. Now it’s mine, which means we can go anywhere in the universe. And World Discovery was my second career choice.”

“You will not miss being a Sec 1?”.

“I’ll always be a Sec 1, babe. I just won’t be working at it anymore. After all, there’s this barbarian I know who gets nervous when I think of fighting-other guys. Of course, he’s delighted if I want to fight him.”

Challen chuckled. “Best you remember what happens when you fight him.”

“All I can seem to remember just now is his very gentle way of making me cry defeat. Why do you do it that way?”

“Because it gives me pleasure to cover your body with mine, chemar. I see it gives you pleasure to know that.”

“Not at all.” She managed the aloof sound she was trying for, but just barely.

Challen grinned wickedly. “Woman, you lie. I can smell your heat.”

“You can not! Can you? Now that’s not fair, warrior. You give so little away, and I give too much.”

Challen shook his head. “And this displeases you? You wish to hear that you have captivated me, bewitched me?” He started taking off her robe. “You wish to hear that I am whole only when you are near, nothing when we are apart?” He got his bracs off without disturbing her position, but then he repositioned her. “You wish to hear how much I yearn to join with you, how much I need you?”

He entered her slowly, exquisitely, and Tedra couldn’t hear another thing. She melted around him. He melted into her. Fused, joined, without separation-his. Stars, how she loved him, and loved loving him. But he knew that, the beloved jerk. And he had a right to be arrogant and cocky, didn’t he? Look at him. Where in the universe was there another man like him? And he was all hers.

She stayed right where she was, even after her breathing returned to normal. She’d like to go to sleep like that, with him still inside her, his strong arms about her, his heart beating under her cheek. But she wasn’t tired. The day had been too exciting.

“That wasn’t fair of you, warrior. You did that to distract me, didn’t you, because you know what I’m fishing for, and you just won’t say it.”

“Perhaps if you tell me what you wish to hear, you will hear it.”

“I want to hear only that you love me.”

“But warriors do not love.”

“That, warrior, is worth a challenge!” she growled, coming up to glare at him.

But he caught her head in his hands, and his mouth fastened on hers before she could say any more. It was a kiss worth a thousand words, filled with all the passion they felt for each other.

And then she had her words, whispered against her lips. “Warriors do not love… they should not… but here is one who does. I love you, woman. My heart cries with how much I love you.”

“Oh, Challen!” Tedra cried.

He sighed. “This was to make you happy.”

“I am!” she wailed.

“As you were at the giving of the fembair ?”

“Yes!”

The warrior could only shake his head, grinning, but Martha was laughing her head off as the viewing screen behind them went blank.