The Girl From Nepal

"Jagati!"

She winced as she darted into the truck stop. It was quite obvious he was pissed. The startled cashier looked up as she ran by him, heading towards the back of the building.

"You can't go back there, Miss!" He stood as if to follow her. She ignored him and burst into the kitchen, startling the cook.

"What the hell? You can't come back here!" The gangly cook wiped his hands on his stained apron.

"Where's the back door?" She looked around the kitchen, desperate for an exit.

"What?" His face was wary.

"The back door. Where is it?" She pushed past him.

"There." He jerked his head to the right.

Nodding her thanks, she headed towards the door. She darted out it and around the corner and ran smack dab into six feet four inches of pissed off male.

"I ought to paddle your ass!" Bas picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" She struggled for breath. His hard shoulder knocked the wind out of her lungs.

Bas didn't answer as he headed towards the densely forested area behind the truck stop.

"Where

are

we going?" She wiggled in an attempt to slide off his shoulder.

"Stop it!" Smacking her on her rounded bottom, he continued on his chosen path. She went still as the sting from his slap translated into desire.

What the hell is wrong with me? I'm tempted to see if he'll do it again.

"Damn woman, you couldn't resist pushing could you? You had to run. I thought you were many things, chhetri but I never figured you for a coward."

"I'm not a coward!" Jagati smacked his back in frustration and felt tears well in her eyes.

"Really?" Hauling her off his shoulder, he held her with deceptive ease in front of him. Noting the tears in her eyes, he pulled her closer to him.

"I'm not!" Her stubborn words muffled by his chest.

"Hiding isn't going to change the fact you ran from me, Jagati. I've never hurt you and I've always done everything in my power to make you happy. Do you realize how much it hurt

me

when you left?" She saw the pain in his eyes, when she brought her gaze up to met his. Pain she'd never meant to put there.

"But you're a computer..."

"No, I'm not a computer, damn it!"

"Then what are you?" Disbelief colored her words.

"I had a life before being stuck in your father's damn computer!"

"What are you talking about?" Jagati took a step away from him and wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes wary.

"I don't know!" His movements were abrupt as he ran his hands through his long blond hair. "I've been having dreams about a time and place before I was imprisoned in the machine."

"Oh, Bas." She stepped forward and lifted her hand to touch him.

"Don't!" Jerking back from her out stretched hand, he glared at her. "I don't want your pity."

"It's not pity. You're my friend, Bas! I care about what happens to you. Why else do you think I ran?" She was fairly shouting at him now.

"Really? Could have fooled me." He turned away from her.

"Oh, no you don't!" Grabbing him by his arm, she yanked him around.

"Let go." He turned to her with an icy glare.

"No! You think I want to spend the rest of my life on the run? Damn it, Bas. I can't go back there and marry Anderson. But if I don't, he's going to continue to send men after me and I won't put you through that! I want you to be happy. Take the chance you've been given to find a life, if it's what you want."

The ice in Bas's eyes thawed. Lifting his hand, he cupped the side of her face.

"Bas?"

"I want a life. With you." His head lowered, and leaned in far enough to cover her lips with his. When his lips closed over hers, she stilled, obviously fighting the need to respond. As her lips softened under his, Jagati went limp.

I can't fight this anymore. One little taste won't hurt. Just one memory to take with me when I leave.

Bas's moan rumbled in his throat before he lifted and pressed her against the trunk of the nearest cedar tree. Tearing his mouth from hers, he drew a deep breath into his oxygen-deprived lungs. When he ground his aching cock against her mound, she wrapped her slender legs around his waist to pull him closer. The pleasure was like nothing else she'd ever experienced before.

I want him! I don't want to stop!

"Bas!" She tried to reach for his mouth but he tipped his head back exposing the column of his throat once more.

"Jagati,

chhetri

, we can't do this here."

"What?" The desire clouding her mind started to clear.

"Let me take you somewhere with a soft bed. I want to make love to you like you deserve and not up against a tree. Your first time should be special."

She stiffened in his arms. "You're assuming a lot here, Bas. I never said I was going to make love with you. A make-out session does not entitle you to access to my bed. Now, please put me down." Unwrapping her legs from around his lean hips, she tried to slide down his body.

"Why, so you can run away again?"

"Let go of me!"

When he continued to hold her tight, her temper exploded."

"Who died and made you boss? Let me go!" She smacked at his chest in frustration.

"I'm the chhetri, I am the protector of the Starklin and you!"

"What the hell are you talking about? You barely can keep up with me let alone protect this Starklin!"

Bas stood as if thunderstruck.

"No one ever has disrespected my abilities the way you have! You're one small woman! A woman who is fighting me tooth and nail, Jagati! I'm finding you have knack for pissing me off! You are my mate, my other half who will stand at

my

side for eternity! Your running off on me isn't doing anything other than prolonging the inevitable."

"We'll see about that!" she mumbled under her breath as he dragged her back to her sola-car.

"Yes, we will!"

* * * *

Kurlack stared at the woman in front of him as the water continued to pound on his shoulders. When she'd joined him in the shower, shock had still been roaring through his system. He couldn't believe he'd given into the ingrained practices of a 'pleasurer'.

Surely, my true nature hadn't been beaten down for so long I don't know how to make love without being submissive to my partner's needs?

"What's wrong, Aakil?" Sliding between him and the shower head, a soft moan escaped her as the hot water cascaded over her.

"I'm not submissive!" Jerking her to him he caused her to drop the bottle of cleanser she'd been pouring into her hand.

"I never said you were!" Samantha pressed her hands against his wet chest.

"You will submit to me!" Renewed desire flowed through him, hardening the very large member between his splayed thighs.

"What?" Shock filled her face just before he spun her around and pressed on her back, forcing her to bend over. Samantha groaned as her hands landed on the waist high seat positioned in the corner of the shower. A scream of pleasure flew from her mouth as he buried his cock deep inside her wet body.

* * * *

Lesaro Anderson stared at the couple in front of him. Samantha Liu stood rigidly before his desk with her ex-husband. They'd united against his quest to 'claim' their daughter.

"What do you mean Jagati is not mine?"

"I've spoken with my husband, Lesaro. He assures me Jagati ran because he made a deal with you. A deal so objectionable Jagati ran from it. She didn't want to marry you, Mr. Anderson. So, any deal you've made with Aakil is done. And without my permission, you know you can't legally marry her. So leave her alone. I want my daughter home." Samantha turned and left. When Kurlack turned to follow her, Lesaro stopped him.

"Aakil, you're going to let her talk to me this way? You assured me she wouldn't be a problem. You swore you'd get her to sign the affidavit to allow the marriage."

"Whatever deal you had with Aakil is done. Samantha is her own woman and I'm surprised he promised this to you. Leave her daughter alone."

"Why are you talking about yourself in third person, Aakil? You promised me!"

"Because I'm not Aakil. What I am is a man who will kill you if you do not leave Samantha and her daughter alone. Aside from that, do you really want to take on her protector? Whom ever you send after her will end up dead. Bas will protect her with his last breath. Do you want another's death on your conscience?"

"Do I look like I care? I'll have Jagati or else!"

"What is it with you humans? I'm supposed to say, or what, right?" Kurlack leaned over and placed his hands on Lesaro's desk, towering over the seated man.

"I'll go to the press about Bas. You know as well as I, placing a computer into a humanoid body without permission from the Genetics Council is against the law." Lesaro leaned back in his chair.

"So what?"

" You're bluffing. Your precious reputation means more to you than your daughter. You'll deal. I know you!" Lesaro knew how important his former partner's reputation was to him.

"You're threatening me with a dead man's reputation?" A burst of laughter escaped Kurlack's throat. Lesaro shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"Your answer Aakil? I assume you'll convince your 'ex' of the errors of her ways and find my future wife."

"I'm going to find Samantha's daughter for my reasons alone. You're no longer part of this equation. The only reason I came here today is because Samantha asked me to. Don't make the mistake of pushing me, Mr. Anderson. A Starklinian warrior is not a man you want to cross."

"Have you lost your mind, Aakil?"

"No, he didn't loose his mind, just his soul and I'm what's replaced him. The man you knew as Aakil is gone and I deal with problems much differently than he did. So, don't become a problem for me, Anderson, or I'll have to take care of you, permanently. Do you understand?"

* * * *

Bas watched as Jagati moaned softly in her sleep. Sitting on the edge of the other bed in the hotel room where they'd stopped for the night, he fought with the urge to crawl into her bed. He only wanted to hold her but knew he couldn't trust himself. She was his mate and his body was screaming for him to take what belonged to him. The need for closeness was tempting his hunger and he was afraid he would act on his desire for her. He was at a loss on what he should do. The flood of memories that swamped him earlier during their fight had nearly sent him to his knees. And when she'd scoffed at his chosen role as protector, he'd responded without any thought and shocked himself in the process.

How do I convince my mate, she's destined to be the completion of the Aathi Chhetri, and not have her run from me?

He was jerked from his thoughts when she kicked her blankets off and exposed her dusky skin to his gaze. Surging to his feet, he looked for an escape from his overwhelming desire. He either needed to take her, or find some other way to relieve the need which was slowly driving him mad. After their earlier encounter, he'd tried to keep his distance from her. He should surely have more control over this. It'd taken all his willpower to not take her earlier. As a

chhetri

, it wasn't in his nature to loose his cool. He was expected to be in control at all times, while others around him fell apart.

How did one small woman manage to crawl under my skin so quickly?

A long ago memory came to him, of he and his master...

He was sweaty and breathing hard from his master's last exercise. Kneeling in front of the alter beside his master, he fought to regain his breath.

"You were very good in training today, Chhetri. Your control of your sword and emotions are both excellent."

"Thank you, Master."

"I know you feel your control is an inner part of you. Today I tried to push you to the point you lost control. But alas I have failed, so this training exercise is a failure.

"Why so, Master?"

"Because you know how to handle yourself while in control, Bas'awn. What I was trying to teach was how to deal with loss of control."

"With all due respect, Master, why would I need to learn that?"

"Because no warrior can be in control all the time. Just remember that when it finally happens. You're a chhetri but you are still also a man..."

He swore when she moaned once more and rolled over. Confronted with the softly rounded globes of her ass, he squeezed the pillow he was holding. Tossing it aside, he made his way to the small bathroom, quietly shut the door behind him and met his reflection face to face. The floor-length mirror beside the sink showed him exactly how he must look in to Jagati when he was in the grip of his ardent desires for her.

It showed a heavily muscled man with shoulder length hair, whose golden eyes burned with desire. It gave them an inner glow, tempting all those within seeing range to want to be the person he desired. If that wasn't enough to scare off most normal woman, the thick, long erection tenting his boxers would give many a serious reason to pause.

Mumbling to himself, he jerked open the glass shower door and twisted the cold water on, then stepped into the shower letting the icy water drench his boxers. He shivered and waited impatiently for his desire to subside. It would take more than cold water, he realized when his erection remained rigid despite it's icy embrace.