Lord Darius didnat have to look. Head already memorized her face, her figure, even though her curves were hidden tantalizingly beneath her thin shift, and he suddenly realized she drove him to feelings he hadnat experienced before. This Tara was unlike any woman head ever seen. He was a trained warrior, the leader of all Gothman, skilled at controlling his feelings, his emotions. But what he saw before him was a challenge. A challenge he meant to overcome. This had to be the Runner who had escaped them in the foresta"he could feel it in his guta"and he would prove itain time.

He covered his lapse in conversation by clearing his throat, then he answered his mama, aIam looking at her, I am.a Darius smiled, and decided it was time to start proving his theory as to who this woman really was. aCome with me, woman. Iall take you for a ride on a motorcycle.a aDarius!a Hilda protested. aI would thinkawe were just startinga"a aAh, your housework can wait woman, it can.a Darius put his hands on Taraas shoulders and quickly escorted her to the back door.

Tara almost turned on him when he grabbed her shoulder. Winters of training had her ready to defend against such a touch. Her body tightened before she could think, and she had to consciously make the effort to relax. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the lord. Big mistake. Powerful gray eyes were devouring her, and she couldnat look away.

Up until that moment, Tara had worried she had given herself away by almost reacting in a hostile manner to the lordas touch. As she met his gaze, however, she realized that discovering her ident.i.ty wasnat what was going through the lordas thoughts at all. Instead, Tara saw unbridled pa.s.sion. She turned back around and stepped through the door. Fresh air helped clear Taraas thoughts, which enabled her to focus on the matter at hand.

As they walked through the yard, Lord Darius took his hand from her shoulder, and she stepped to the side a bit, giving herself a broader view of the man and his actions. He was very, very tall, and even broader through the shoulders. His golden hair capped his head in curls and she had the sudden urge to run her fingers through their softness.

aIave something to show you, I do.a Darius walked in the direction of his bike, which was parked next to the shed. The very same shed which harbored her bike!

Tara fought the urge to rush forward and throw open the doors to check on her beloved cycle. Instead, she took the time to appraise his motorcycle. It was much larger than her bike, and was of Gothman style with its long narrow seat that came up in the back. She could tell it was not designed for speed. Instead it was large and st.u.r.dya"obviously made to handle the rough terrain it traveled each day.

Instead of showing her his motorcycle, Darius opened the shed door.

aLook at this, if you will, my Lady.a He walked into the shed and pointed. aHave you ever seen anything like it?a aBoth are very nice. Are they yours?a Tara noticed the shed wasnat locked when he pulled the door open.

aItas a Runneras bike, it is.a Darius sounded proud as he ran his hand over the bike that Tara had cared for lovingly all these winters.

aCan we ride it?a aAh, I wish we could, I do.a Darius looked at her. aIt has some kind of lock on it. I havenat figured out how to start it yet, but I will. You can believe me on that one.a aI do believe you.a Tara stroked her bike. She was glad to see it wasnat damaged during its ride on the truck. It didnat appear tampered with either. Her eyes did a mental inspection as she fought the urge to squat next to it and rea.s.sure herself that all was still in working order.

aLetas go.a Darius walked out of the shed and shut the door after her.

Reluctantly she followed him to his bike. Tara turned to face the Gothman cycle and stifled a gasp when large hands encircled her waist and lifted her onto the bike.

aGoodness, girl, youare heavier than you look, you are. Youare quite the thin one, Iad think youad be light as a feather, but every muscle of yours is built up like a manas.a He looked at her with deep gray eyes, so unlike any eyes shead ever seen before. They held her captive although she tried to look away. His hands still stayed around her waist, and Tara wriggled from the unaccustomed sensations his nearness was causing. When he dropped his hands to his sides, she almost wished he would put them back.

aIave worked hard all my life.a Tara finally forced her gaze to the ground.

aIad like to hear about that life sometime, I would,a he spoke as he eased onto the bike in front of her.

Tara stifled a gasp as the smooth leather of his pants rubbed her inner thighs. The man didnat offer her a lot of room behind him, and her body was forced up against his backside. Her legs spread wide to accommodate him, which caused her dress to slide up, exposing a fair amount of leg. The position left her feeling incredible vulnerable, and she wasnat sure she liked that feeling. At the same time, being smashed up against this virile manas backside sent a rush of heat through her that she couldnat deny. Shead never been aroused while exposed in such a way before. She didnat have time to sit and evaluate her conflicting emotions however.

aHold on tight, my Lady.a Lord Darius started the bike and took off quicklyavery quickly.

Taraas inner thighs locked against him, while her arms tried to squeeze the life from his chest.

He grinned and knew he would enjoy the mission of exposing this Runner. And yes, she had to be the Runner. Any Gothman woman would have fallen off the bike and landed flat on her back from his sudden acceleration. Yet shead remained glued to him as his bike left the ground to fly over the uneven, rocky ground.

If Tara hadnat been an expert rider, he would have killed her right there on the spot.

She wondered for a moment if that wasnat what he had in mind. Her instincts took over as he raced over the first hill. She stayed close to his body, moving as he did, keeping her head down. Taut muscles rippled underneath her hands, and she fought not to stroke his chest.

They moved faster than she antic.i.p.ated, almost as if racing into battle. The wind slapped her hair against her face and, when she tried to look up, made her eyes water. Lord Darius raced over the hills and around the rocks. She wrapped her hands tightly around his body and held on with all the skill that her many winters of riding had taught her.

After a half hour, Lord Darius slowed the bike and stopped. They were at the base of a very rocky hill, and a gutted path disappeared into the pines leading up the hillside.

Tara allowed her hands to move slowly down Dariusa chest until she rested them on either side of his waist. His body was as fine tuned as the machine they sat on. She imagined him an incredible warrioraand an incredible lover. But she couldnat focus on that at the moment. A test of her abilities was at play here, and she planned to do her fair share of testing in return.

aYouave been on a bike before, that much is true. I daresay you could ride one if you were so inclined.

Lord Darius turned his head, and she could feel his breath on her face. Her chin grazed his shoulder as she decided not to respond. A Runner wouldnat lie.

aGood thing then, are you ready for a climb?a aI think so,a Tara said quietly, but she was thoroughly excited about the fact that they were not through with the ride.

aWrap those arms around tight now.a He didnat go as fast this time. He took the rocky path slowly and the bike groaned under their weight as he guided it up the forbidding path.

She didnat need to hold on to him for this climb. Head already sensed her expertise as a rider. But Darius wouldnat deny enjoying the female body pressed against him. When she obliged, and wrapped her arms around his waist once again, he offered a boyish grin that he was happy she couldnat see. No woman had stirred him like this before. Not only did he want her body, for some reason he had a desire to know her reactions to his world.

aIam going to show you my secret hideout. Iave been coming here since I was a boy, I have. I hope you wonat think less of me if I say I like to escape from ruling this land once in a while.a *

aNo, my Lord, I wonat think that.a Tara also watched the road, if you could call the jagged path that. She didnat have to ride so close to him now and was able to focus more on her surroundings. While she didnat need to wrap her arms around him, holding on to this ma.s.s of power felt good, so she indulged herself.

He skillfully navigated the bike around each rock and protrusion without any instruction from her, although she did have to bite her tongue a time or two. Eventually, the path led them to a clearing on the side of the hill.

It was a small shady area of gra.s.s, completely surrounded by pine trees and hidden from the world. aOh, itas beautiful,a she said without thinking.

Tara again ran her hands down the side of his chest, and adjusted her legs, feeling him all the way from her inner thighs up to her crotch. This man overwhelmed every sensation she had.

And she knew then he would not make a good enemy. Not only was his physical strength twice that of hers, his body distracted her beyond what it should. Fire rushed through her wherever she touched him, the heat from his body tormenting her senses. Beyond that, his strength, the natural warrior blood that ran through him, his ability to connect what was around hima"all of it attracted her to him more than it should. For no matter what, this man was her enemy.

Lord Darius stopped the bike and cut the engine. This time, Tara flipped her leg over the bike and hopped off before he could help her. She twisted and shook her hips to adjust her dress, and knew Darius watched. She turned to see his eyes on her rear end and felt a sense of power.

aSo, when did you first ride on a motorcycle? I bet you can drive one, canat you?a She sensed him watching her, those powerful gray eyes never leaving her while she walked across the small patch of gra.s.s to a large rock and sat down on it. Tara wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling the material of her dress so that she felt less exposed and looked at him as he climbed off his bike. He suspected her of something, of that there was no doubt. Did Darius know her true identify and simply toyed with her? There had to be a way to find out.

Tara had to be careful, very careful. If he killed her, Patha would have his revenge. If she killed him, it would start a war. Her instincts never failed her when caution was called for. This man could be a threat to her, but for some reason she felt no fear, nor had she since she met him.

By the look in his eyes it didnat appear that he had murder on his mind. His gaze was incredibly seductive yet, at the same time, very dangerous. She smiled at him and decided to take his comment as a joke. aCertainly I couldnat drive a motorcycle as big as that one.a Tara attempted a shy smile, as she had seen some of the Gothman women do, and then asked out of curiosity, aWhy did you bring me up here?a aI want to know you better. Iave seen your response to menas advances, and I sure donat want to be made the fool.a Tara looked down at the ground quickly, realizing he was talking about the actions shead taken against his guard during her previous visit.

He walked over and sat down on the rock next to her. He didnat hesitate but put one arm around her back and rested his hand on her shoulder.

Taraas entire body tightened from his forwardness, and the urge to elbow him in the gut was almost as strong as the urge to turn and kiss him before he kissed her. These warring emotions clouded her ability to think clearly. She doubted many people ever told the man no. Be careful, her inner thoughts warned, be very careful.

He pointed at the hill across from them with his other hand. aThereas a cliff up that way. You have to climb to it, but you can see all of Gothman from up there. That, my lady, is my favorite place of all.a Darius pointed to some rocks further up the hill. aAre you up for the climb?a aI donat think I could do that, my Lord.a Now he was trying to test her abilities, and she felt safe to say a Gothman woman did very little rock climbing. aI would tear my dress for sure.a aOf course.a Lord Darius leaned against the wall of rock behind them and stared at her. His hand moved from her shoulder to rub the center of her back. aYouare very beautiful, Tara, you are. I know for a fact thereas not a lady in all of Gothman that comes close to your looks.a He smiled and reached to stroke her hair softly. aI canat help but wonder if youad attack me if I tried to kiss you.a Darius looked at her, seeming amused at the thought. aAnd the way that body of yours is fine-tuned, I wouldnat be surprised if youad have some luck at it.a Tara turned to look at him, but didnat answer. The thought of attacking him if he tried to kiss her brought a rush of warmth between her legs. His face was inches from hers and those gray eyes seemed capable of owning her every thought. She fought a grin when she imagined challenging him.

He must have noticed her slight change in expression because his eyebrows rose, as if antic.i.p.ating her answer.

He did suspect her. She felt certain at that moment that shead betrayed every secret she had by meeting his gaze. He would own her every thought if she didnat pull her eyes from his. He was reaching deep for her very soul.

She fought for control of her thoughts with every ounce of power she possessed. Just because the man suggested sensuality didnat mean she had to submit. He was accustomed to pa.s.sive women and at that very moment she forgot all about the role she was supposed to be playing. She realized her defiance would probably prove an ugly taste for him. But the lord would throw her on the ground and have his way with her right here and now, unless she took charge of the situation.

Pa.s.sive, be pa.s.sive.

The voice in her head warned her against striking him, or worse yet, taking the initiative herself and having her way with him. Both thoughts entered her mind almost at the same time, although her rational side warned that she had to play the part of a Gothman woman, or risk giving her true ident.i.ty away.

Tara studied Lord Darius, with those incredible gray eyes. The sunlight added color to his blond curls, some of them pale as corn silk, while others were darker than gold. His hair bordered a smooth face, shy of a small scar that interrupted an otherwise perfect jawline. She curled her hands into fists to prevent herself from reaching up to touch that scar, and trace it just to see if it would alter his expression. He had no wrinkles, no worry lines, nothing to indicate he was consumed or tortured by thought. His features were perfect.

Tara realized she had to face those dark gray eyes, otherwise she would have no indication of what he might do next. They defied the warrior in her to take a stand and put action to his words. She suspected Darius found her fighting him in lovemaking an appealing thought. That realization brought the heat in her tormented body to a boiling point. Self-control was her only weapon here.

aWould you have me fight you, my Lord?a she whispered the words and tried to remain still.

His lips parted, and he dropped his gaze to her mouth. aNo woman has ever tried to stop me before.a aAnd you think I would have some success at it?a His chuckle forced his Adamas apple up and down, and sent chills through her heated body. aIam thinking you are like no other woman.a The laughter in his eyes when he returned her gaze was almost her undoing. She wanted to pounce on him, to slap him for his pompous att.i.tude, and to kiss him just to show him she could overpower his supposed omnipotence.

aBut no, my Lady, you would not be successful at it.a Tara jumped to her feet. She stood over him with her hands still balled in fists at her sides. Every bit of sense she had, along with winters of training to understand all types of attacks, prepared her to take the offensive. She towered over Darius, planting her feet firmly on the ground, and inhaling deeply to clear her thoughts.

aYou think you could have me as you please, simply because you desire it?a Tara felt her desire shift to fury. The change of mood helped her to think clearly, so she worked to feed the anger.

aThere is no doubt, my Lady.a aAnd if I donat wish it?a aMy lady,a Lord Darius whispered, almost growled. aYou do wish it.a Tara had never met a man more s.e.xually sure of himself. He excited her while consuming her with outrage. She stared at him.

Darius appeared to relax under her study, and then crossed his arms across that broad chest. Her eyes watched the rope-like muscles twitch under his tanned forearm. He seemed at ease, as if allowing her time to accept the inevitable.

Tara narrowed her eyes. aYou will not rape me,a she hissed.

Darius laughed, and she took a step backwards. aMy lady, Iam thinking that wonat be necessary.a Darius straightened his legs, stretching them so that long corded muscles rippled underneath the brown leather of his pants.

She found herself standing between those long, powerful legs and realized he had needed to rearrange his position to allow room for his growing arousal. Tara stared at the hardened length now visible under the material below his belt. Beyond a doubt, she had never met a more pompous, self-righteous, and incredibly s.e.xy man as the one who now seemed to surround her with his aura.

Tara turned to create distance, and Darius bent one leg, blocking her path. She didnat jump around him, or stumble over him, but merely stopped. aIs this how you take every lady who catches your eye, my Lord?a aIave never waited this long before, no.a Darius sounded amused. aBut then any other la.s.s would have submitted by now.a Tara almost said she wasnat any other la.s.s. Those would have been her exact words to any other man, but Lord Darius wasnat any other man. No man had ever stimulated her emotions like this before, much less one who kept her guessing at the same time. Tara had a feeling she could enjoy this man, and that it would be a long time before she grew bored.

aDo they fall at your feet? Or do they simply strip in front of you?a Tara asked as she continued to stare at the leg blocking her path.

aHas it crossed your mind to do either?a Tara sensed Dariusa movement and turned as he leaned forward. aNo,a she stated, unable to do more as one large hand interlocked fingers with her smaller hand. Tara didnat oppose the touch, but studied his hand, which now held hers. Blond hairs tickled the tips of her fingers, while the rough heat from his grasp sent warmth up her arm at an amazing speed.

aIall teach you to submit, I will.a Darius didnat make the statement as a threat, but spoke the words gently, as a papa willing to show the child a new stunt.

When he pulled her to him, the only thing crossing Taraas mind was that likewise, she would teach him manners. The intensity of his gaze, those gray eyes, so unique in color, watching her while he brought her face to his, gave her the impression teaching him anything would be quite the ch.o.r.e. Stubborn and powerful, determined and ruthless, she saw the good and the bad while he watched her.

She wanted to look away, anything to distract her so she could keep her thoughts straight. But d.a.m.nit if she didnat want to taste him and learn the source of the heat that flooded through her with just his touch.

His arms wrapped her into him, almost crushing her in their grip. And then he kissed her.

Tara couldnat stop herself. Placing her arms on his shoulders, then grabbing hair on either side of his head, she returned the kiss with an aggression she didnat know she possessed.

He slid her off the rock and onto the ground. His strength made her wild. All attempts to conceal her ident.i.ty escaped her, a thick fog of l.u.s.t consuming her senses. His body was strong, powerful, and dangerous. It excited her more than anything had before. Submission was forgotten. She found herself fighting to strip the pants away from the treasure that would be hers.

He was huge, hardened to stone. It was hard to move while she stared at his magnificence.

She climbed on and forced the penetration herself as he pulled her dress from her body. She felt him slide in deeply as he grasped to control the moment.

He pulled back as she rocked forward and then he lunged powerfully, almost choking her with the depth he reached.

She collapsed on him and before she could recover and clear the overwhelming desire to submit to him, his powerful arms wrapped around her body and he lunged again. Fighting to regain control, she dug her fingers into his chest and pushed, hard, forcing his body down. As his grip around her intensified, she took advantage of the preoccupation and thrust her hips down on him, consuming every inch of him inside of her, tightening around him, suffocating all life out of him. She had, at last, achieved control over him.

A m.u.f.fled grunt, deep within him, rose to a howl as she forced his o.r.g.a.s.m. Then, not willing to let him experience ecstasy without her, she thrust again and leaped to meet the intensity of his climax. Her muscles tightened, holding him inside her, while he stretched and filled her. Closing her eyes, she rode the waves of pa.s.sion that rushed through her. Where she had tried to show the upper hand, she had instead received the privilege of being f.u.c.ked good and hard, allowing her one o.r.g.a.s.m and leaving her wanting more.

This was not lovemaking. There had been no foreplay. Pure and simply, it was a struggle of powers. A ruthless, dominating nation taking on another, equally powerful and equally dangerous. Through the act of s.e.x, theyad tried to conquer each othera"and failed. If theyad attempted to keep the act purely physical, playing the part of a skilled warrior, and not allowing emotions to interferea"again, they both failed.

Slowly, his grip around her eased. He sat up, still inside her, and stared deeply into that place head just experienced. There couldnat possibly be another woman like Tara on Nuworld. s.e.x had always been an act of pleasure, sometimes necessary, sometimes simply to amuse himself. It had never occurred to him how the pleasure could intensify with a willing, enthused partner. Darius enjoyed s.e.x as a predatory act. Sometimes the look of fear, or submissive antic.i.p.ation, excited him enough to pursue a lady who caught his eye. Tara had offered him neither, yet she had brought him to a hardened boil like none before.

What was it about this woman?

Intelligence mixed with her beauty in a way Darius hadnat thought possible. She wore the two qualities in a way that drew him. He wanted to know her. It dawned on Darius at that moment that he had never really cared to know any woman before Tara. Women served a purpose, but one of them wasnat companionship. Tara made him want to learn more about what she thought, what ticked behind those sapphire eyes.

But there was something else. Darius wanted to make Tara his. This woman was no Gothman, but she was on his land, acting the part of a Gothman. There was mystery behind her, but that didnat bother him. All knowledge of her would be his in time. What fascinated him was the desire to possess her.

aHow do you feel about the fact that with one word I could have you rule this land at my side?a Darius whispered into her ear.

aYou know nothing about me. I may make a lousy ruler.a She returned his gaze, snagging her fingers in his hair and then pulling them free. aI would think something like that should be a mutual decision, my Lord.a She pushed herself off of him and looked around until she spotted her dress.

aIam not surprised youad answer like that, my Lady.a He wasnat daunted by her boldness. aYouare not like any la.s.s Iave met and Iave known a few, that much is true. Theyare always polite and submissive, of course, and they say only what they think I want to hear, they do. You think for yourself. I like that. Why are you like that, Tara?a aI guess I donat see why women have to be less than men.a She looked at him quickly, as if checking his face for a reaction.

He didnat respond but instead, got up and picked up the pants Tara had managed to pull off him. Showing this woman how to submit would be more pleasure than he thought possible.

Tara couldnat help noticing that he appeared as if he could go another round. She liked that quality in a man. But there was more than his s.e.xuality that impressed her. Darius appeared interested in her, but Tara didnat fool herself into believing his curiosity was drawn by affection.

She knew better.

Darius questioned her nature because he needed confirmation she was a Runner. His tactics were far more impressive than capture and torture. Tara also felt this approach showed that he might possibly consider the fact that she wasnat the enemy.

Gothman and Runners might have a bad history, but that history didnat affect her. In fact, Tara wasnat sure if there was reason for the two nations of people to despise each other. Ignorance had made them enemies. Tara wondered if knowledge could make them friends.

Tara pulled her dress over her head then twisted around until it hung properly. She walked to his motorcycle, a.s.suming he wasnat pleased by her last comment and would probably take her back to the house. The man wanted her compliance.

Any Gothman woman would do well to be claimed by the Lord of Gothman.

But Tara wasnat Gothman, and he couldnat offer her anything that she wasnat able to obtain on her own. She guessed that since she didnat dance in appreciation to his suggestion, she had offended him, and possibly bruised that mighty ego.

aThe Gothman culture has been the way it is for hundreds of winters, it has.a Darius b.u.t.toned his pants.

She turned and then walked back to him. aCultures can change, donat you think?a Darius wasnat looking at her face.

She wondered if he even heard her when he didnat answer. He seemed more intent on studying her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. aAnd who better to start a change but the leader of the land? Iave never known a man like you.a Tara ran her hands up his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart under muscles that rippled from her touch. aGothman is powerful, and that power comes from you. You alone could alter the state of women, and no one would stop you.a She watched her hands caress his chest, feeling the ironclad strength as well as his heat. The scent of their s.e.x was intoxicating, her insides swelling, pulsating, aching for him to be inside her again.

Darius lifted her chin with one finger.

Those gray eyes captivated her. Did she see amus.e.m.e.nt?