Page 18 of On a Barbarian World

Her chest bumped into his, their bare skin separated by the thinnest sheet. He pulled her off her feet so she dangled a few inches off the ground, and their faces were close. Her heart began to pound. “So, how about a warrior’s shake?”

“You are not a warrior.”

She wrinkled her nose. “A clasp, then?”

“Traditionally, that is only for our elders. You are not my elder.”

Hmm. “I don’t kiss strange men, barbarian. Especially not strange, alien, barbarian men.”

“Then we have no deal.”

Aurina’s mouth dropped open. “That’s unreasonable!”

“A kiss. It only has to be quick—” his voice lowered “—if that is what you prefer.”

With her heart racing and her skin flushed by his presence, she wasn’t sure what she wanted. She’d just crash-landed on a strange planet, and she suspected that however delicious this man, if she gave him an inch, he’d take a stellar mile. He had “used to giving orders” stamped all over his broad physique.

“Fine.” She leaned up and pressed a quick, close-mouthed kiss to his firm lips.

Oh. She got the barest hint of his taste. The barest feel of those well-shaped lips.

He smiled at her and set her back on her feet.

Dammit. She wanted more. She brushed her hair off her flushed face and saw his lips twitch. The damn barbarian knew it.

“I will take you to your ship, my sweet skyflyer. But first, I have a dispute to deal with.” He scowled. “It cannot wait.”

“I’ll come with you.” She didn’t want him to change his mind, or worse, forget about her. “Ah…I need some clothes first. I don’t think I should parade through your house wearing a sheet.”

His gaze turned hard. “You are not permitted outside of these rooms in a sheet.”

“Barbarian, enough with the orders. I just said I don’t want to do that. No need to cause an argument when we want the same thing.”

“Women do not argue with me.”

“Yes, I can see that.”

His gaze narrowed. “Most men don’t argue with me, either.”

“They’re probably too afraid of that brooding persona of yours.”

He reached out and fingered the edge of the sheet. “You are not afraid of me, are you?”

His tough, callused fingertips brushed her bare shoulder. Aurina shivered. No pretty-boy hands here. These were battle-hardened hands, used to holding a sword. She wondered how they’d feel on other parts of her. She somehow forced her brain to function. “No, I’m not afraid of you. I’m used to bossy, over-protective men who like to give orders.”

He stared at her bare shoulders. “I do not want to see this amazing skin covered by fabric. It is too beautiful.”

“I think you have beautiful skin.” The words just popped out of her mouth. “Ah…I mean, in other parts of the galaxy, people would pay a lot of e-creds to have the metallic-bronze sheen your skin has. Mine would be considered boring.”

“You are not boring, Aurina Phoenix.”

His words shivered through her. She shook herself. “Ah, so…clothes?”

“I had things brought for you.” He strode over to a curtained-off area, and yanked the fabric back. Inside, she saw shelves containing more of his leather trousers and shelves with different types of gauntlets, armbands, and belts. On the other side, several swords and daggers hung on the wall.

“Wow,” she murmured, moving closer.

He grabbed up some scraps of leather. “These are for you. I’ve had them altered to fit your form. Our women are…shaped a little differently.”