Three Swords, One Heart

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An Excerpt From: THREE SWORDS, ONE HEART

Copyright ? N.J. WALTERS, 2007

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing,
Inc.

The
few remaining embers from the fire reignited, the flames reaching high into
the sky. Malik?s eyes shot open, all his senses
alert, but he perceived no danger. His heart pounded in his chest and his
breathing deepened. But it was a sense of anticipation that fired his
blood.

She
was here!

The
night seemed to part, allowing her to slide through the mists. Her rich,
dark brown hair flowed down to her slender waist. She was tall, strong and
proud as she strode forward. There was no hesitation in her step as she
tilted her chin and met his unwavering gaze. Her nose was straight, her
cheekbones high and he longed to touch her skin to see if it was as soft as
it appeared.

He
made no move toward her, not wanting to frighten her. Not that she seemed the
least bit afraid of him, he thought ruefully, but he didn?t want to take
any chances. Neither of them spoke as she stopped at the foot of his
bedroll. He flipped back the blanket, not the least surprised by the fact
that he was naked. He knew this was just another dream, but he didn?t care.
Malik wanted this unknown woman with a need so
deep it bordered on madness.

?What
is your name?? The sound of his voice surprised him. He?d never spoken to
her in his dreams before.

She
frowned slightly, furrowing her brow, as if she were as surprised by his
words as he was. She hesitated slightly but answered his question. ?Zarina.? Her voice was husky and deeper than he
expected. His groin tightened painfully as he repeated her name in his
head. Zarina. He would not forget it.

?Come.?
He held back the covers and made room for her next to him.

Again
she hesitated, and he sensed her mistrust of him. But he was patient and
would wait as long as it took to gain her trust. A rustling behind her had
her spinning around. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as she watched Kalis approach from the other side of the fire. Her
gaze shot back to Malik before returning to his
brother. He watched the long column of her neck ripple as she swallowed
hard.

?You
have nothing to fear from us.? It was imperative that she trust them. Deep
in his gut, Malik knew that trust was the key.

Kalis
was behind her now, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders as he leaned
down and kissed the side of her neck. She tilted her head to the side, allowing
him better access, moaning as his mouth slid upward toward her ear. ?Let us
pleasure you.?

Malik?s entire body was throbbing with need and a deep restlessness.
The compulsion to take this woman, to drive his cock into her waiting heat
and to mark her as his was overwhelming. She belonged to him and to Kalis.

His
brother nipped at Zarina?s ear, and she sucked in
a quick breath. Then Kalis stepped away and
tossed down a blanket next to his, stretching out his naked form upon it.
There was a space between the two of them just waiting for Zarina. They both stared up at her, awaiting her
decision.

She
licked her lips and Malik was unable to pull his
eyes away from her pink tongue as it traced the contours of her full mouth.
He was filled with the urge to taste those lips, to discover their shape
and their texture. And he would. Patience was the key and he was an
excellent hunter.

Slowly,
her hands went to her waist and she unbuckled her sword belt, laying it
carefully aside. Then she slipped her hands beneath her tunic and a moment
later her leggings fell to the ground. Carefully, she tugged off her short
boots and kicked the leather leggings aside. She drew in a deep breath as
her shaking fingers pulled on the laces of her tunic. The leather parted
and she drew it over her head, holding the garment in front of her. Her
eyes gleamed in the firelight in a combination of longing and fear.

He
held his hand out to her. ?Come.? He almost howled with pleasure when she
dropped the tunic, ignoring it as it fell to the hard ground at her feet.
Quite simply, she was the most beautiful creature he?d ever beheld in his
life.

?