Jessica washed and dressed in the clothes left for her by Califar. The luxurious smell of almond-scented soap and the clean, crisp texture of the cotton blouse, in a small way, made her feel less like a victim.

She slid the tip of her tongue over her clean teeth and savored the pristine smoothness. The comforting familiarity of mint-flavored toothpaste impressed her as both trivial, and monumental. With the shampoo and small jar of water available, she'd managed to remove ten days of sweat and grime from her hair. Without conditioner, she now faced the inevitable tangles that plagued victims with naturally curly hair. Sitting cross-legged on the small cot, she picked up the brush and began to work the knots from her hair. In the morning's heat, the strands dried quickly, shaping themselves into swirling copper ringlets.

The ordinary task relaxed her body, but her thoughts raced in circles with the speed of a supercollider. The panic she'd felt on awakening and finding herself alone, convinced of Califar's abandonment, still upset her. But she could feel some of her usual tenacity returning, a trait that she'd used to equal the odds on many tough occasions in the past.

Reason and circumstance told her he wouldn't bother to come for her and then just walk away. If he did, who could blame him? A man of his pride and position would not be pleased to have a crybaby-woman clinging like an extra appendage to his leg. She cringed with the return of the humiliating memory.

The object of her thoughts broke through the door as if it were a barricade. Startled, she stiffened and studied the man blocking the light by the mere bulk of his frame. He lingered, as if having entered by mistake, and glared at her with intense displeasure. Could she look as bad as his scowl indicated? She measured his steps as he shut the door and advanced toward her.

"You are looking improved. How do you feel?"

His words were solicitous enough; however, the tone had an edge of reckoning. The man was a walking contradiction, an illogical puzzle, and a source of pending disaster. Not knowing how he intended to affect her life, she could only hope he had a merciful gene somewhere in his DNA.

"Better, thanks for the clothes and things," she managed to answer with clarity.

"It is Prince Davar you should thank. He is responsible for the arrangements. The Princess provided the personal items, of course."

"Am I to thank you for nothing, then?"

He cocked an eyebrow, and with an exasperated shake of his head, accented his words with undisguised mockery.

"Believe me, Miss Heathly, as the day progresses you will not be so eager to thank me for my intervention."

The man was a sinkhole of complexity and one she was tired of falling into. "Look, I was just trying to show some gratitude. As I'm sure my conduct last night revealed; I'm not exactly a tower of unshakable nerve right now. In truth, I'm terrified and want out of this place as quickly as possible. I'd thank the devil himself if he could accomplish that. No comparison intended," she added.

His scowl deepened the lines around his eyes as his mouth curved with a diabolical sneer. "I believe you Americans have a saying; better the devil you know..."

Thrown off balance by the heightened degree of antagonism, Jessica stood and circled the cot to stand on the other side. "I don't want to expend my energy in verbal combat with you."

"But you cannot help yourself, can you? Your contentious nature has always made it so between us." He glared at her, frowning.

"Can't you, for once, talk to me without your ever-present disapproval? I need to know what is going to happen next. How do I get out of here?" A scream of frustration threatened to rise in her throat.

Califar pivoted and walked across the room. He easily slipped out of his outer robe and headpiece, laying them neatly across a small chest against the far wall. She didn't know why he was taking so long to answer her question, but she'd give him another minute or two, just for the sake of peace.

With his back to her, she took advantage of the unobserved moment to study him. Less than ten hours ago, she'd been exposed to his half-naked perfection; and now, he was just as devastating.

Fitted, black pants tucked into calf-high boots emphasized the muscular thickness of his powerful legs. His loose-fitting tunic did nothing to disguise the solid strength of shoulders, too perfect for any woman's peace of mind. She judged him to be in his early 40's, certainly a man in his prime. 

With his swarthy skin, exotic dark eyes, and hair, he embodied the dangers indicative of darkness and the unknown. Yet, there was magnetism, a gravity of sorts about him. Her fanciful mind had often thought that, should she weaken for even a moment, she would be drawn into his orbit never to escape.

He turned and centered the full impact of his authoritative stare on her. She could almost feel the rasp of his gaze as it lingered on her mouth. He was probably wondering how best to gag her. His controlled, almost friendly voice sent warning shivers up her spine.

"The camp's leader has consented to your release. The final negotiations are to conclude later this evening. If everything goes as planned, I will remove you from this place."

Jessica shook with elation and hope. She could taste the sweet satisfaction of freedom. Relief weakened her knees. Staggering to the cot, she sat and folded her arms around her middle. With her head thrown back, she squeezed her eyes shut and dreamed of home.

"Do not celebrate too quickly."

The pragmatic words burst her euphoric bubble. Could the man not allow her even a moment's reprieve?

"You said I was free."

"I did not use the term free. I said you were to be released to me if the final deal was completed."

"Why are you nit-picking words? Let's just do whatever they want and get out of here."

"As usual, you rush in without thought of consequence. You have not asked what will be required of you. I assure you, the price may be more than you are willing to pay."

"I've been kept tied in a sweltering tent for ten days, given only enough food and water to keep me alive and threatened at every turn." She paused and swallowed the scream she wanted to vent. "I was forced to witness the execution of the three people who were abducted with me, two men, and a young woman. Every minute of every hour since then, I've waited to be next." She lifted her chin and pierced him with an unapologetic glare. "There is nothing I wouldn't do to get out of this place."

He didn't flinch under her onslaught of words. To the contrary, he seemed intent on testing the full extent of her resolve.

"Are you absolutely sure? No matter the cost, you are willing to pay it, without question?"

Sick of his grilling, she shouted her answer at him.

"Yes!"

He turned from her and began to pace the ten or twelve feet from one side of the room to the other. Now what, she wondered? He was making her nerves sizzle with tension. Maybe she should have dug a little deeper before jumping off the deep end, as he'd implied. Did it really matter? Her only way out was through him. He probably thought she was too weak to stand up to whatever was ahead. Well, he was wrong. She jumped up from the cot and positioned herself in his path.

His 6'2" stature topped her by six inches. Halting his stride, he stared down at her, a questioning frown crinkling the sides of his eyes. She launched forth her testimonial before he could sidestep her roadblock.

"Look, I promise I can handle any situation that will get us out of here alive. There is no need to worry about me. I'm not scared anymore, just tell me what comes next and I'll do it."

He sucked in a deep, slow breath, unclenched his fists, and spoke to her in a gentle voice that did more to erode her resolve than his anger.

"You will have to be completely obedient to my wishes without question or argument. You need to put your very life into my hands. Can you do those things?"

"Yes."

Two strong hands cupped her cheeks. Fire-raising sparks ignited throughout her body. He lifted her face, exposing her to his interrogating eyes.

"I will ask you one last time. Be very sure of your answer. There will be no going back, only forward. Do you consent to be one with me?"

That was an odd way of putting it, she thought. Hadn't she just agreed to unequivocal cooperation? He confounded her at every turn. In fact, he was adding to her fear with all this unnecessary drama. It wasn't as if he'd be forever responsible for her.

"Don't you think you're being a little bit overdramatic? Look, if it will help, I'll add an oath." Placing her right hand over her heart, she added. "I solemnly vow to everything. As for being one with you, for what it's worth, you've got it! Okay? I'm yours to command, lead on."

"You consider our agreement to be sealed?"

The word sealed coming from his tightened lips sounded like an oath of his own. She wanted to put some distance between them and end his enigmatic questions. Attempting to break contact with him, she tried removing his hands from her face, but he would not allow it.

"You are the hardest man on earth to agree with. Consider my capitulation signed, sealed, and delivered. Good gosh! What more do you want?"

The change in his manner was instant as he removed his hands from her. In a blink of an eye, he changed from interrogator to commander.

"You will be thoroughly sure of my wants sooner than you think. Now, I suggest you take the opportunity to rest. I will return for you shortly and we will complete this union."

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ANOTHER REASON TO 'TIP' ME A COFFEE—So I can quit worrying about coffee and quickly finish Califar and Jessica's story!  

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