nod. "And why else? I'm a scientist. I take advantage of all opportunities."
He frowned with cold fury. "I don't believe you."
She faltered for a fleeting instant and knew he read it in her eyes. Kill it now, she silently cried, or you're lost.
Her eyes widened in feigned disbelief. "But surely you didn't think I found you attractive? You're a Cat Man, after all. I'd never mate outside my species."
Karic savagely pulled her to him. One hand tightened across her back, flattening her breasts against the hard planes of his chest. The other hand clasped her buttocks, pressing her belly into the still turgid swelling of his manhood.
"And what makes you think I care what you want or don't want?" he snarled.
Before she could protest, his mouth covered hers, hard, angry and cruelly ravishing.
----
Chapter 4
Too stunned by the ferocity of his action, Liane stood motionless in his arms. Not until Karic's hand moved from her back to tear open the front of her shift did she rouse from her shock. She kicked, squirmed and bucked against him, but did little to deter the head lowering to her breasts, a head seemingly insensitive to pain as his mouth captured a delicate nipple.
Liane gasped, as much from outrage as from the unexpected sensations his touch sent roaring through her body. She fought back against the traitorous response. This was not the man she thought she'd known.
"Let me go!" she screamed. "Curse you, let me go! You disgust me!"
Karic lifted his head, a hard light flaring in his eyes. "It doesn't change anything."
She stared up at him with tearful eyes, desperate- ly clinging to the image of that other man, the man she'd begun to care for. "Youyou'd rape me then? Force me against my will?"
He exhaled a shuddering breath, a vestige of control beginning to replace his anger. "You were going back with me even before your mind seek, Liane. That sol I saw you in this pool, I intended to return and take you to my people. We need breeding females. If I don't mate with you, some other Cat Man will."
Karic smiled grimly at her look of horror. "Yes, I suppose it is disgusting, but you have your people to thank for forcing us to this." He stepped back from her, replacing the torn edges of her shift together as best he could. "But if I'm not to your liking . . ."
"And is that supposed to be a choice?"
His head snapped up. "I'm sorry. There don't seem to be many choices these days for any of us. It's the best I can do."
The harsh pain in his voice only goaded Liane further. "How very kind ," she said silkily, "but I'll die before I let you or any of your friends rape me."
"You won't escape me that easily," Karic rasped, his grip tightening painfully on her arms. "I'll make sure of that."
Defiance burned in her eyes. "Will you now? We'll just see, won't we?"
Utter exhaustion flooded Karic. Now, not only would he have to drag her along, fighting him all the way, but he'd have to sharpen his vigilance to keep Liane from harming herself. By the three moons of Agrica, why had he told her his plans?
He knew he'd made it sound vile, that threat of offering her to the young males of his lair, but her wordsimplying that she found his race loathesome and couldn't bear the thought of mating with one such as hehurt. He had thought he knew her, thought she saw him as a man rather than some half-animal. He'd been wrong.
"Come along." Karic stepped aside and began to lead her out of the water. "The sol draws on, and we've a journey to begin. One way or another, you're still going with me."
Liane allowed him to drag her along, content to wait until a more favorable opportunity to escape presented itself. She'd seen the shadow of weariness in his eyes. Karic was not yet as strong as he'd like her to believe. There'd be time, perhaps even this nocte.
They returned to the hut and dressed in silence, Liane donning a pair of tan breeches and forest green tunic, which she fastened with a narrow domare hide belt. On her feet, she
He frowned with cold fury. "I don't believe you."
She faltered for a fleeting instant and knew he read it in her eyes. Kill it now, she silently cried, or you're lost.
Her eyes widened in feigned disbelief. "But surely you didn't think I found you attractive? You're a Cat Man, after all. I'd never mate outside my species."
Karic savagely pulled her to him. One hand tightened across her back, flattening her breasts against the hard planes of his chest. The other hand clasped her buttocks, pressing her belly into the still turgid swelling of his manhood.
"And what makes you think I care what you want or don't want?" he snarled.
Before she could protest, his mouth covered hers, hard, angry and cruelly ravishing.
----
Chapter 4
Too stunned by the ferocity of his action, Liane stood motionless in his arms. Not until Karic's hand moved from her back to tear open the front of her shift did she rouse from her shock. She kicked, squirmed and bucked against him, but did little to deter the head lowering to her breasts, a head seemingly insensitive to pain as his mouth captured a delicate nipple.
Liane gasped, as much from outrage as from the unexpected sensations his touch sent roaring through her body. She fought back against the traitorous response. This was not the man she thought she'd known.
"Let me go!" she screamed. "Curse you, let me go! You disgust me!"
Karic lifted his head, a hard light flaring in his eyes. "It doesn't change anything."
She stared up at him with tearful eyes, desperate- ly clinging to the image of that other man, the man she'd begun to care for. "Youyou'd rape me then? Force me against my will?"
He exhaled a shuddering breath, a vestige of control beginning to replace his anger. "You were going back with me even before your mind seek, Liane. That sol I saw you in this pool, I intended to return and take you to my people. We need breeding females. If I don't mate with you, some other Cat Man will."
Karic smiled grimly at her look of horror. "Yes, I suppose it is disgusting, but you have your people to thank for forcing us to this." He stepped back from her, replacing the torn edges of her shift together as best he could. "But if I'm not to your liking . . ."
"And is that supposed to be a choice?"
His head snapped up. "I'm sorry. There don't seem to be many choices these days for any of us. It's the best I can do."
The harsh pain in his voice only goaded Liane further. "How very kind ," she said silkily, "but I'll die before I let you or any of your friends rape me."
"You won't escape me that easily," Karic rasped, his grip tightening painfully on her arms. "I'll make sure of that."
Defiance burned in her eyes. "Will you now? We'll just see, won't we?"
Utter exhaustion flooded Karic. Now, not only would he have to drag her along, fighting him all the way, but he'd have to sharpen his vigilance to keep Liane from harming herself. By the three moons of Agrica, why had he told her his plans?
He knew he'd made it sound vile, that threat of offering her to the young males of his lair, but her wordsimplying that she found his race loathesome and couldn't bear the thought of mating with one such as hehurt. He had thought he knew her, thought she saw him as a man rather than some half-animal. He'd been wrong.
"Come along." Karic stepped aside and began to lead her out of the water. "The sol draws on, and we've a journey to begin. One way or another, you're still going with me."
Liane allowed him to drag her along, content to wait until a more favorable opportunity to escape presented itself. She'd seen the shadow of weariness in his eyes. Karic was not yet as strong as he'd like her to believe. There'd be time, perhaps even this nocte.
They returned to the hut and dressed in silence, Liane donning a pair of tan breeches and forest green tunic, which she fastened with a narrow domare hide belt. On her feet, she