Free A Hero's Bargain by Rayne Forrest Page B

everyone.”
    Jennica
laughed, the first truly gay laughter Saba had heard in such a long time it
brought tears to her eyes. She leaned closer to Jennica and spoke in
conspiratorial tones.
    “He’s a
very handsome man underneath the bruises.”
    Jennica
leaned over, touching her forehead to Saba’s. “They are all very handsome in
the dark.”
    “Should I
leave a candle burning?”
    “The
light from the hearth will be more than you want.”
    “Perhaps
I’ll allow the fire to burn out. He would be very, very handsome then.” They
both laughed, then, enjoying the shared humor of all women.
    “Ah,
Saba. I hope you know what you’re doing. He is not one of us. I hope he does
not disappoint you.” Jennica hugged her tightly. “And I hope he does not hurt
you. Be careful of him.”
    “I don’t
think he will hurt me. He had that chance this morning.”
    Jennica
pulled away. “What do you mean? What did he do?” Her eyes widened as Saba
blushed. “What did you do?”
    Saba
patted her blazing cheeks. “He kissed me. I enjoyed it very much. Then he let
me go in favor of more sleep. That does not seem the type of thing a male with
a mind to hurt a female would do.”
    “Listen
to me. It may be different when he is with you. Men often lose control in the
midst of passion. They can forget how strong they are.”
    Saba
nodded. She’d tended a few bruises, and even bites, for a few of the village
women.
    “I will
heed your advice. Truly. But I don’t fear him overmuch.”
    Jennica
rose and held her hand out to Saba. “Come on, then. We still have much to do
and we won’t get finished sitting here talking.”
    Saba took
her hand and allowed Jennica to pull her to her feet. Her aunt was right. Time
free from fear of the errol was precious. They shouldn’t waste it
discussing males.
    Even if
males were the most interesting topic they knew.
    * * * *
    Saba
returned to her little hut to find her door cracked open allowing the afternoon
sun to spill across her table. Ryder sat in a shaft of sunlight, loosely
wrapped in a blanket and sipping at a crock of ale. A pair of trousers and a
tunic were lying neatly folded on the table. He was staring past the hearth,
his eyes fixed at some spot she would never see. He looked so sad, her eyes
flooded with tears.
    Why shouldn’t
he look sad? He was stranded here. She understood that as well as he did. They
had no vessel in which to send him back to his home among the stars. It was all
lost to him unless another of his kind searched for him. Her gut instincts said
no one would.
    This man
might have family, might have had acquaintances, might even have been a man of
importance within his sphere, but she doubted it. The man before her was, by nature,
a loner. She didn’t know how she knew that, she just did, and she didn’t question
it.
    The truth
was he needed the Ramalho as much as they needed him.
    She
needed him.
    She’d
spoken truly to Jennica. The men of the village did not woo her. They assumed
she and Tyree would mate and he didn’t do a thing to discourage them from
thinking that. The women thought she was simply being difficult and would eventually
see the logic of selecting Tyree as a mate, but she wanted more.
    She
wanted what she felt standing here looking at Ryder. She wanted to look forward
to returning home and being swept up in a man’s arms. She wanted to see her
mate look at her and have that special light come into his eyes. She wanted to
know that even in a group of people there was one she had a special language
with.
    She’d
seen her parents together and seen the love, the laughter, the longing for each
other when they weren’t side-by-side. She’d not settle for less. Not yet.
    Ryder
turned his head, spying her.
    The
healer narrowed her eyes. The patient grinned.
    Ryder
lifted the mug. “Tyree stopped by.”
    “Obviously.”
He’d brought the clothing, too. Only a few of the men of the village would have
clothing that would fit Ryder, Tyree being the