Authors: Aliyah Burke
“
I’ll be right
there.”
Christopher stared at him with
understanding. “Okay, see you inside.” He disappeared into the
darkened inner recess.
Dane knew Christopher understood he was
running from something, yet didn’t pry, and for that, Dane
respected him immensely. Dragging his hand over his face, he paced
back and forth. The beast within him stirred restlessly, chuffing
with anticipation, of something he didn’t quite know. With a deep
breath, he easily leaped up the steps and strode into the chaos
reigning in the building.
His gaze found her
immediately, and just as fast, he found himself without a breath.
His animal scented her. Almost like she were prey. No. Not prey.
Something else. Something more. So much more. But he knew.
He
knew.
It was
instinctual and emotional. Primeval and raw. Something he swore
wouldn’t ever happen to him. She was his mate.
Mine!
The wave of possessiveness
he’d experienced outside was nothing like the one that broadsided
him now. His knees shook, and he had to lock them so he remained on
his feet. He fought the longing to cry aloud and make it well known
that she belonged to
him
. His canines began to extend,
and he forced himself to retain control.
She stood at the far end of the building,
Christopher beside her with boxes of things set out before her.
Boxes parents were digging through and removing items to hand to
the many anxious children. Dane watched as she gave her full
attention to person after person who hugged her, adult and children
alike.
While she talked, he observed. Perhaps ogled
would be a better word. Skin the color of rich brown ochre covered
her curvaceous body. Wavy dark brown hair with coppery highlights
sat gathered up off her neck, a few wisps stuck to her face
courtesy of the heat. She wore a pale green tank top and dark,
dusty pants. He could smell her. Her scent—cinnamon, vanilla, and
soft apples—reached him. Lust raged through him.
Look at me!
The command went unanswered. Dane stepped
farther in the room, and her head lifted slowly, finally allowing
their gazes to meet. A pair of intoxicating brown eyes with flecks
of gold scattered through them stared at him. He was lost as her
eyes widened and languorously moved down his body and back up
again. Dane remained motionless, waiting until she finished her
perusal of him.
Solnyshko moyo. My sun.
But more than just that. She was his.
My mate.
Aida Roberts couldn’t
explain what it was that told her to look up, but she did. What
little moisture her mouth had vanished completely as she ingested
the sight standing near the entrance of the building.
Holy shit!
While she was
no stranger to attractive men, this one…made the rest of them fade
into nothingness.
His eyes snared hers from the moment she
looked up. Green-gold and tawny, they were full of intelligence,
and yet, she could sense some pain lingering in their depths, not
to mention possessiveness. Strong angles made up his handsome face,
and it was covered by golden tan skin. No facial hair. He had
shoulder-length black, jet-black, hair. The man’s entire body
looked muscled. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, and she longed
to trail her hands over him, exploring each ridge and crevice.
Shivering at her train of thought, Aida
continued her perusal. His light gray shirt molded to his torso,
sleeves hugging his biceps. He wore tight dark blue jeans that made
her think x-rated things. A wave of heat washed over her, and she
dragged her eyes back up his lethal body to find his gaze waiting
for hers.
Why do I feel like his dinner?
Ignoring the intense pounding of her heart,
Aida smiled at him and, with difficulty, tore her gaze from the
mouthwatering specimen to focus on something else. It didn’t work.
All too soon, she caught herself staring back in his direction. He
had moved to the wall and leaned against it lazily, appearing as if
he hadn’t a care in the world. Although his gaze moved around the
room and he interacted with others, she couldn’t help but feel he
watched her.
That man is ready for anything. I’d bet
everything I own, he knows exactly what’s going on around him.
“
Who’s the man by the far
wall, Christopher?” she asked with what she hoped was
nonchalance.
“
Him? That’s Dane. He’s
been here for about a month.”
“
Dane,” she murmured his
name, staring at him where he spoke to Lesedi. He lifted his
tawny-green-gold gaze from the young girl and stared at Aida.
Something deep, dark, and wild smoldered in his eyes as he watched
her. Aida shivered.
It’s like he heard
me.
“What’s he doing here?”
“
Helping out. He’s one of
the ones who helped finish the school. And before you ask, no, I
don’t think he’s with any specific organization. He’s just looking
for something, and who knows, he may find it here. Dane’s a good
man, Aida.”
Although she heard Christopher’s words, Aida
never took her gaze from the mesmerizing one who held her prisoner.
The spell between them broke when Lesedi tugged on his sleeve. A
smile—one it seemed only she was privy to—curved up his lips as he
returned his attention to the child before him. Aida shuddered.
Damn! Man’s hot anyway,
and then he goes and smiles.
Her body
thrummed with desire, and she swallowed hard.
Not what I’m here for.
Forcing her
attention back to Christopher, she nodded. “I’ll take your word for
it.”
“
Find out for yourself,”
Christopher said. “Here he comes.”
With a deep breath, Aida looked up, only to
be, again, blown away by the man who strode through the room toward
them. He moved with such effortlessness. Fighting the urge to lick
her lips when he stopped before them, she smiled instead.
“
Dane, I’d like you to
meet Aida Roberts. Aida, this is Dane Sidorov.” Christopher made
the introduction.
“
Nice to meet you, Mr.
Sidorov,” she said, holding out her hand.
Her heart skipped a few beats when his large
hand surrounded hers. His skin was callused and warm. Tremors
ricocheted through her at the simple touch. Every synapse in her
body flared as if electricity rocketed through her. She half
expected to see smoke curling from where they touched.
“
Dane, please. And the
pleasure is all mine, Ms. Roberts.”
His voice came out in a purr, and she fought
the urge to arch her back in ecstasy as his tone flowed over her.
It touched her in places she never envisioned a voice being able to
do so.
“
Aida,” she corrected,
trying not to stare at the way his lips moved when he spoke.
Get it together, Aida. He’s just a man.
It was a lie, and she knew it. Even when he’d
been across the room, she knew he wasn’t like the rest of the men
she’d met. There was this wildness about him she felt drawn
to.
He inclined his head slightly, still
retaining his hold upon her hand. “Aida.”
Her insides flipped and flopped as her name
rolled off his tongue. “Nice to meet you,” she said, well aware she
borderlined the babbling stage. He looked even more impressive up
close. His golden skin shone with a sheen of sweat, and the urge to
get even sweatier with him popped into her mind.
Get. A. Grip!
she admonished herself. Shockwaves beat through
her as one callused fingertip skimmed over the pulse in her wrist.
Jerking her gaze to his, she found it waiting for her. He blinked
once and gently released his hold.
“
It was a pleasure to meet
you, Aida. If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”
Turning his head, he nodded once. “Christopher.”
Aida watched him walk through the people,
noting again how smooth and powerful his movements were. He stopped
at the door and glanced over his shoulder at her, and that feeling
of being prey popped back into her head. She blinked, and he was
gone.
Damn!
“
Aida, come on now, focus
here. How much more is out there?”
Christopher’s voice snapped her from the
trance Dane had put her in. “Four more boxes. I’ll head back
tomorrow and grab the remainder of things I have. I couldn’t fit
them all in.”
Tearing her gaze from the door, she looked
at her friend. And immediately began comparing the two men.
Squeezing her eyes tight, she stopped the mental image of Dane
Sidorov from flashing before her. It took a bit of work, but Aida
managed to keep the visual of the handsome man at bay.
A while later, Aida sat on a desk her feet
propped up on the bench. The building sat in silence now, the kids
and their treasures long gone. Parents had gone off to keep an eye
on them and put things away of their own. Tilting her head back,
Aida glanced up at the thatched roof.
“
Man, I’m
tired.”
With a sigh, she jumped off the scarred
desktop and walked to the front door. To her left, she could see
the kids playing soccer off in a field, and to her right, she saw
path leading to the village huts. Aida wiped her hands off on her
pants and began heading toward the game.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
The noise caused her to
pause in her stride. Peering down a small trail, she paused as her
breath caught in her throat. Dane stood there chopping wood.
Oh my…damn!
He’d taken
off the tight shirt and wore only those blessedly-fit jeans. His
golden skin shone in the daylight, and as he swung the axe, the
muscles he owned rippled effortlessly. Her gaze trailed over the
defined arms, and she bit back a moan when he bent over to pick up
another piece.
Closing her eyes, Aida
fought for some control. When she dragged her eyelids back up
again, she found Dane staring at her. The axe rested with ease
against one shoulder, and she stared at his naked chest. She could
see the defined abdominals and pectorals he had.
I was right, not an ounce of fat.
A shudder of longing raced through
her.
The man didn’t say a word, just watched her
as intently as she watched him. Aida lowered her gaze to the ground
and drew it up slowly, starting at his black boots. Her mouth grew
dry as she inched up across the muscular legs encased in tight
jeans. Pants which did nothing to hide proof of his endowment.
Despite the heat of the day, goose bumps broke out along her skin.
He had lean hips and, above that, was his mouthwatering torso.
“
Hi,” she managed to
babble. “Didn’t mean to intrude.” Aida pointed her finger. “I was
just on my way to watch the kids.”
Her pulse skyrocketed when he set the axe on
the ground and moved toward her. Flowing like a predator hunting
his prey. She locked her knees to keep from collapsing. Dane
stopped in front of her, reached out with his hand to touch the one
she’d used to point with, and took one of his fingers to aim it in
the other direction.
“
That’s where the children
are and where you were headed.” His eyes held hers the entire time,
and the side of his mouth curved up in a slight grin, as if he knew
something she didn’t. “See you around, Aida.” Dane let go of her
hand and spun around, going back to the axe and the dead tree he
was chopping.
Struggling to calm her
heart rate, Aida allowed herself one last ogle of Dane before
making her feet take her away from him and on to where she’d set
out to go. Even once she watched the kids play, her mind couldn’t
let go of the image of Dane Sidorov in nothing but jeans and boots.
His dark hair, golden skin, muscular body. She shifted on the stump
she sat on, moisture flooding her pussy.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give for one hour with him.
“
Come play, Aida,” Tau
invited, snapping her mind back to the here and now.
“
Okay.”
She leaned down and
unlaced her boots, removed them and her socks and jumped up. Aida
got lost in the pure joy of playing football.
Soccer… Man, I can tell I haven’t been to the US in a
while.
During a break, she looked up and saw
Christopher standing along the side and next to him was Dane. The
men were talking but she would swear, again, that Dane watched her.
The next time she looked up, he was gone and only Christopher
remained. Aida played with the kids until her lungs burned and her
legs ached. Then, she cried off. Sitting on the stump again, this
time to put on her footwear, she smiled at Christopher when he
walked to her.
“
You looked great out
there,” he said with a grin.
“
Why weren’t you
playing?”
“
Would you believe I
didn’t want to show you up?” He batted his eyes at her.
Aida laughed. “Not for a second.” Footwear
secure, she got to her feet. “I’m hungry.”
“
Come on. Let me get some
food in you, at least to tide you until dinner. Big brouhaha
tonight.”
She grinned. Aida loved the big meals, the
family atmosphere. Being an only child, she loved watching the
interactions between larger families. And this village, well, all
the villages she visited were like family to her.
After dinner was over, Aida stood by her
off-white 1967 International Scout 800. With all the dirt and grime
on it, the color came across as more gray than anything. She
currently loaded the rest of the empty boxes back in.
“
Nice ride.” A silken
voice wove out of the dusk to settle around her.