Free Tiger of Talmare by Nina Croft Page B

in her ear.
     
    "Make me feel better," she repeated almost automatically.
     
    Darla gave her a disgusted look. "Who's forgotten the bit about eating babies now?"
     
    Zach went rigid behind her. "One last time," he said very slowly. "I did not eat any babies. I did not eat anybody. Okay?"
     
    "If you say so. Right, I'll be off then."
     
    "Actually," Zach said, "there is one thing you can do."
     
    "Yes?"
     
    He held up his wrists. "Take these fucking cuffs off!"
     
    Darla glanced at Mel.
     
    "Spoilsport," Mel muttered. "I had big plans for those cuffs." Zach gave her a look, and she shrugged. "Oh, take them off him. He'll only moan otherwise."
     
    Darla stepped into the room. She took the activator from her pocket and a small silver key from the key ring on her belt. The key slipped into a small hole on the side of the right bracelet, and she twisted.
     
    The cuffs sprang open. Zach removed them and handed them to Darla. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a patient to treat." He followed her to the door, closing it behind her, before turning back to Mel. "Now, where were we?" He crossed the room slowly. "Turn around." His voice was low, husky, delicious.
     
    Mel turned.
     
    For a moment, his hands rested on her hips, then he slipped his fingers into the waistband of her pants, so cool against her burning skin. The material stuck slightly to the wound, and he tugged until they came free.
     
    Finally, they were down and pooled around her ankles.
     
    "Now isn't that pretty," Zach purred from behind her.
     
    She started to turn, but he held her in place.
     
    "No," he said. "Rest your hands on the bed and lean over."
     
    She wasn't sure she liked the sound of that.
     
    Or maybe she liked it too much. She was feeling a little confused, which wasn't like her at all. It must be the injury affecting her brain.
     
    Maybe she'd better do as she was told.
     
    She rested with her eyes closed. Didn't move as Zach's fingers stroked gently across her heated flesh. The lightest of touches. "I've marked you," he murmured.
     
    "Well, don't sound so pleased about it."
     
    He didn't respond. Instead, he moved away to rummage in one of the cabinets lining the room.
     
    "Now, hold still," he said. "I'm going to spray on some local, and I don't want to numb more than I have to. I'd hate to cut off all feeling to the area."
     
    "Just hurry up and do it. I'm in agony here."
     
    "Shh," he crooned. "Tiger will make the pain go away."
     
    "I should bloody think so since he caused it in the first place." Leila spoke from the doorway, and Zach went instantly still. He swore. "I'm sure I locked that door."
     
    "Yeah, well, there are no locked doors on this ship. Right, Mel?"
     
    Mel thought for a moment; here she was, pants around her ankles, arse on fire. She twisted her head around so she could look Leila in the face. "Actually, wrong. Bugger off, and lock the door behind you."
     
    Leila shrugged. "I just wanted to check you're okay. Darla said she wasn't sure."
     
    "Darla's a troublemaker."
     
    "Actually, she's jealous. I'll be off then." She paused in the doorway. "Just be careful," she said to Mel. "Because, I tell you, there's some pretty kinky stuff going on inside his head."
     
    "Will you stay out of my fucking head?" Zach snarled.
     
    Leila ignored him. "And whatever you do, don't let him get his hands on those cuffs." She shook her head, blond hair swinging. "Seriously kinky."
     
    A low growl rumbled in Zach's throat. Leila just smiled, waggled her fingers and left.
     
    As the door slid closed behind her, Mel sighed. "How kinky?"
     
    "Wait and see. Now hold still."
     
    Mel held still. The effect was instantaneous, the cool spray taking the pain away. "Ooh, that's lovely," she sighed.
     
    "And I haven't even started yet."
     
    Next came some sort of cream, Zach stroked it over the burns, but she couldn't feel a thing. It was sheer bliss.
     
    "I'm not going to put a dressing on as this stuff works best if the wounds