Finally, pulling herself away from the window, she
pulled a training bag from the corner to start her workout.
Hand–to–hand combat always made her feel
primal, the main reason she loved it so much.
Within minutes, her training suit clung to her body, the
lightweight material not constricting her movements at all.
Perspiration covered her from head to toe, her once
tied–back hair hanging wet and loose around her. Her
muscles thrived under the workout, coming alive once again.
Heavy breathing behind her caught her off guard. She
flipped away, landing in a fighting stance facing the
intruder.
Taio stood in the doorway, watching. He gave a curt nod
her way, the acknowledgement doing nothing to make her feel
relaxed.
"You have good skills, Eva." He hooked his thumbs in the
waist of his pants and leaned on the doorway.
Her name never sounded better.
"Thank you." She relaxed and straightened, her eyes
still watching him. This was his first time speaking to her
since their ill–fated first encounter.
She didn't dare move closer, especially since she still
didn't know his intentions. She didn't move away either,
fearing he would view that as a sign of weakness. So she
stood her ground, her body betraying her in the worst way.
Her heart sped up a little and her breathing became more
labored. Now she found her nipples hardening as her name
rolled off his tongue.
I know trouble when I see it.
Eva willed her body to fight against whatever "mojo" he
was throwing at her.
Taio walked into the room and took a sword off a rack on
the wall. He began flexing it, testing its weight. The
gesture caused his arm and chest muscles to ripple with
each movement.
Jesus.
"Who taught you fighting moves?" he asked.
"My sensei, he lived back home."
"Earth," he said as a statement, rather than a question.
"Yes, Earth. Ann Arbor, Michigan, more specifically."
She eyed the weapons on the wall. She was trained to use
various fighting weapons—sais, kamas, knives,
nunchakus, bo staffs and swords. She could show him a thing
a two.
She walked over to the rack and took another sword off
the wall.
Shit!
It weighed a ton! No wonder he smirked when she picked
it up. Even though she strained to hold it in both hands,
she made sure not to let him know. She would give anything
to smack that look right off his face. Instead, she
concentrated hard on not dropping the sword. She wouldn't
give him the satisfaction. She dared not try to maneuver it
as he had.
"A male taught you?" He sounded surprised.
"Yes. Thirteen Earth years of training." Taio laughed
and shook his head in disbelief. "It's not unusual on my
planet," she said. "A male can teach a female how to fight
or even a female can teach a male."
He laughed harder and shook his head. "There could never
be such a thing on my world."
She turned away. "I earned a black belt, first Dan in
Kyokushin Karate. On Earth I'm considered to be a great
fighter."
"Your people did not fare well in the war against the
Loconuist. The fighting techniques of your species mean
nothing to me."
Ouch.
If the sword in her hands wasn't so heavy, she would
have swung it at him.
Asshole.
"We didn't know how to fight them. We'd never
encountered aliens before."
"Then it is good that I will take care of you from now
on."
Her head snapped around. "I don't need you to take care
of me."
"You were captured by the Loconuist and the Tresdonians
almost killed you."
She shrugged. "But they didn't."
He smirked. "Because I saved you."
"Thanks, but I can take care of myself."
"It doesn't matter. You are my responsibility now. You
are my slave."
Her eyes, squinting and cold, fixed on his. "Ship told
me those assholes on that planet gave me to you. I think
you got cheated. I'm not a slave. Not yours or anyone
else's."
"If this arrangement does not suit you, I could turn the
vessel around and give you back to the Tresdonians." He
turned from her and put the heavy sword back on the wall
rack.
Her heart began pounding in her chest. He
wouldn't... "No. I'm not going back there." She held her
sword tightly in her grasp.
"Then you are my slave." He stalked slowly toward her.
His eyes locked on hers.
"No." She backed away from him.
This cannot happen.
"You are mine." He took another step toward her. "You
will need to get used to the idea."
"Never."
He stopped his advancement. They stood facing each
other. Her breathing came out in deep and heavy breaths.
Her heart thumped in her chest.
Abruptly, he turned and walked from the room. She
blinked at the empty doorway. The cold surface of the wall
was against her back. She held the sword close to her
chest, shielding her body. She stayed there until her arms
shook from the sword's weight.
She was no one's slave.