Free Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck Page B

poetry then do it. But
don’t
burn it.”
    “Fine! I’ll agree not to burn it, if you agree to leave me alone for the rest of this trip.”
    “
Fine!
And incidentally, I don’t understand how I could have believed you were a warm, affectionate, and tenderhearted person! You’re obviously as prickly as a porcupine. Any man who comes close to you will end up with a face full of quills!”
    “That’s right! A girl needs to have
some
defenses from the men who want to devour her for lunch. Especially when those men are wild tigers on the prowl looking for trouble.”
    He narrowed his eyes, grabbed my hand, and nipped the inside of my wrist lightly before kissing it, though I could tell it caused him pain.
    “You haven’t seen just how wild I can be,
subhaga jadugarni
.”
    I rubbed his kiss off dramatically. “What does that mean?”
    “It means … ‘lovely witch.’”
    “Flattery gets you nowhere, and a backhanded compliment gets you less than nowhere. I’m well versed in your verbal tricks.”
    He smiled mischievously, snickered, and dropped his gaze deliberately to my lips. “They must get me
somewhere
, or you wouldn’t have a journal full of poems.”
    “Don’t you have something to chase?”
    “Sure. I’ll give you a head start.”
    I glared at him. “Not in this lifetime, pal.”
    He folded his arms across his chest and grinned at me.
    “Don’t do that. It just makes me angrier.”
    I’d lied. Ren’s smile didn’t make me angrier. In fact, it was the opposite. It made me miss him. I felt sadness creep in around the edges, cooling my wrath down to a simmer.
    “You never called me that one before.”
    “What?
Subhaga
? Did I have other nicknames for you?”
    I paused and answered slowly, “Yes.”
    “What did I call you?” He tilted his head and appraised me in a mocking way. “I
probably
called you stubborn, close-minded, irritable, impatient—”
    The unquenchable rage returned in a mighty blaze and burned so hot it bubbled over. I wanted to hurt him. “That’s it!” I pressed my hands against his chest and shoved as hard as I could but he was immovable and just laughed at my puny efforts, so I gave him a little zap.
    “Ow! Alright, kitten, you show me your claws, and I’ll show you mine.” He pressed both of my hands against my hips, trapping them. I was mashed up against his chest, and his arms moved to become iron bands around my body. He kissed my neck and murmured softly, “I
knew
you couldn’t wait to get your hands on me.”
    I gasped in outrage. “You … you … deserter!”
    “If by deserter, you’re asking if I’ll have you for dessert, I’d consider it. Of course, I’d have to sweeten you up a bit first.” He laughed as he kissed my neck again.
    I pushed myself away from him, quivering with frustration—
at least,
I think it was frustration.
I was seriously considering shooting enough voltage through his body to make his hair stand on end and wipe the infuriatingly smug smile off his face when Kishan crashed through the trees.
    “What’s all the yelling about?” Kishan asked.
    “Would you please tell your sorry excuse for a brother that I’m not talking to him anymore?”
    Kishan grinned. “No problem. She’s not talking to you anymore.” He laughed. “I’d been worried you two were getting along
too
well. I should have known better.”
    Ren’s smile faltered. He frowned at his brother and narrowed his eyes at me. “Not talking to you is fine because at least that means I won’t have to listen.” With a sarcastic bow he added, “And with nothing else to say, I’ll gladly accept your terms of surrender.”
    “I’m not surrendering
anything
, oh, Prince of the Battle of the Five Horses. And it’s
fine
with me, because I don’t expect you to listen to me anyway!”
    “That was
Champion
at the Battle of the
Hundred
Horses!”
    “Fine! Then why don’t you gallop on back to the Jeep,
Champion
?”
    “
Fine!
Then I will!”
    I spat with barely