Doubtful.
She’d have to find a hiding place, then. She moved with unpracticed stealth in the opposite direction from the one Tomis had gone, skirting the giant boulder, searching for any kind of hiding place. Another crop of large stones lay beyond, and she made her way toward those, praying they weren’t already inhabited by a being or beast.
She never found out because she stepped on some kind of trigger and giant metal cage dropped around her, its floor snapping up beneath her feet before it lifted back off the ground. Her heart shot up into her throat, choking her scream. Were the beings who set the trap around? Fists closing around the cool metal bars, she shook her prison but found it solid, not budging.
“Tomis!” she cried, cursing the fear in her voice. He was less threatening than the unknown trap-setter at the moment. She could always run away from him again later.
“Talia?” The note of alarm matched her own. Like a beautiful wild animal, Tomis appeared from around the boulder at top speed, his steps nearly silent despite his mass and velocity. He leaped a distance of nearly two lengths of her body onto the cage, causing it to swing on the tree branch where it hung.
He uttered a low curse and scaled the cage, shaking the structure when he landed on the roof. Another oath.
He vaulted to the ground, landed softly, and surveyed the cage. He slid beneath it and let out a low chuckle. “Don’t worry, starshine. They left a key.”
“Who left a key?”
“Probably the last Zandian inhabitants here. Before the genocide. It looks old. I looked around before you ran into your trouble. There’s no beings about. Doesn’t look like any have been here in a long time.”
He emerged with a curved piece of metal on a chain, which he stretched to the hinge on the floor of the cage and fit into a small slot. The bottom fell open, and she tumbled to the ground. He smiled and reached for her hand to help her to her feet. “It must have been for trapping beasts. Come on.”
She toddled forward on shaking legs. “Wh-what kind of beasts?”
His gaze swept the darkness around them. “Could be a number of animals.” His smile faded and brows went down. “What in the hell were you doing over here?”
“Nothing,” she answered quickly. “Simply checking this area for danger.”
Tomis’ eyes narrowed. “It is dishonorable for a Zandian to lie.” He closed his fingers around her wrist and yanked her forward, against his body. “And I’m fairly certain that was an untruth, little female. I believe punishment is in order.”
Her bottom tingled at the memory of his earlier slaps. But she feared punishment meant something far worse. Why then, did her nipples pucker as if he’d suggested something far more appealing? Something...sexual?
With a swift yank, he ripped his shirt from her head, leaving her stark naked, the way she’d been when he found her. Her body immediately responded, breasts growing heavy, pussy moistening.
Stars knew why she didn’t run. Simply stood there, waiting to see what he would do next. Her body hummed with possibility, with desire. Bottom clenched with the possibility of feeling his palm again.
He gripped her hand, the same way he had in the tunnels, and tugged her to the boulder, where he pulled them both to the ground. In a flash, he had her upended over his extended thighs, her ass presented.
She should have run.
Except nothing would make her miss finding out what happened next. What the huge warrior would do with a naked female sprawled across his lap.
He brought his hand down on her ass, and her enchantment with the situation immediately vanished.
“Ouch!”
“I know, sweet female. I intend to make it smart.” His large palm crashed down on the other cheek. He continued, picking up speed, spanking harder and faster with each passing moment.
She quickly deemed it enough and attempted to scramble away, but he held her tight with an arm clamped over her waist. No amount of wriggling or kicking could make him stop.
She kept her mouth shut at first, determined not to let him know how much it hurt, but he went on and on with no sign of stopping. Her bottom burned—she was certain her lavender skin had turned magenta.
“No more!” she cried, rolling her ass over his lap.
He responded by slapping the backs of her thighs, where the flesh was far more sensitive.
“Tomis, please! I’m sorry!” She hadn’t meant to apologize, but it tumbled out and seemed to do the trick, because the warrior stopped and ran his palm over her burning ass.
~.~
“I like it when you beg.” He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. But it was true. He enjoyed it far too much. He’d liked punishing her far more than he should have, too. Her beautiful ass turning rosy under his hand, her squirming hips pressing against his erection, the little gasps she made.