Chapter Five

     Dolph stood at the large window, watching the stars stream by
wrapped in the velvet blackness of space.  The silver chalice filled with
mead that he held in his hand went unnoticed.  He didn't really feel like
drinking.  Dolph snarled, one side of his lip raising to reveal perfect white
teeth.  What he truly felt like doing was strangling the life from the contrary
bitch in his room!  The gall of the woman, calling Vikings stupid.  Thieves,
perhaps, but never stupid.  Lazy?  Every man was lazy on occasion. 
Vikings no more than most.  The woman was daft.
     Easing into a deeply padded chair, Dolph took a swallow of the
warm mead.  It went down smooth and easy, sending its warmth to caress
his tense muscles and bring him a bit of relief from the strain of dealing
with that woman.  Perhaps he should just take her again.  Dolph smiled at
that idea, thinking that it definitely had merit.  She was a nice piece to bed.
     He took several deep swallows of mead, letting his head drop back
into the chair so he could better see the stars.  His eyes took on a dreamy
faraway glaze as the mead worked its magic, his loins beginning to stir
lazily.  How much better might their lovemaking be if she were willing?  He
remembered the fire in her eyes when she was angry.  The flare of her
nostrils, the silver veil of her fine hair flying about her body as she
punctuated her words with her hands.  Ah, yes, she would be a wanton
hellion in bed.  Dolph frowned.  If he could ever get her there of her own
free will.
     Suddenly, Dolph slammed the chalice down on the table beside his
chair.  Was he not a Viking, master of all?  How could one little American
girl resist him if he set his mind to winning her?  Dolph made a sound of
contempt.  Never had a woman been able to resist him for long.  If he
wanted a wench, he took her, pleasured her, and she would want him again
and again.
     He dropped his shame-filled gaze to his own booted feet.  'Not
when you take them like some rutting animal,' he mentally chastised
himself.  True, he had not been at his best.  But the woman had provoked
him, sending him into a rage so that he had lost all control.  She should
have known better than to defy him when he had told her that he planned to
have her.  His lust had already been stirred, his anger easily fueling it to
explosion.
     He remembered his mother telling him how different things were
where she came from.  How women told men when they would make love. 
How men kept their emotions inside, letting them out only rarely.  She had
also admitted that those same pent-up emotions often made men ill in their
body and mind.  How men who had never raised their voice suddenly
started shooting strangers on the street.  Even as a child, Dolph could see
the foolishness of their customs.  Anger, lust, love, even grief - these were
things a man felt.  Why should he hide them as though they were something
of which to be ashamed?
     When he was ten he had felt that he was old enough to start thinking
about taking a bride.  His mother had smiled, then warned him that if he
chose an American bride, as he had said he might, there would be many
things that she would have to learn.  They would both have to make many
adjustments to be happy.
     With a child's pride, Dolph had puffed his chest and, resting his
hands on his slim hips, told his mother that the woman would have
adjustments to make.  He was a Viking and Vikings did not make
adjustments for women.  His mother had just shaken her head the way she
always did when Dolph acted like his father.  She knew it was useless to try
to argue the matter.  She had laid her soft palm along one of his cheeks and
kissed the other.  She told him that he would see when the time came.
     Dolph smiled a slightly sad smile.  He wished his lovely mother
were here to see his bride.  Perhaps she would have some useful
suggestions as to how to make the girl see reason.  He didn't wish to terrify
her into submission.  Remembering the fire of her anger, Dolph's smile
widened and his face glowed with pride.  His woman wouldn't terrify easily,
if at all.  So how was he to make her submit?  He could make her his
prisoner forever, but by Viking law, she had to agree to be his wife.  At this
moment the likelihood of that was nonexistent.
     Tossing back his head, Dolph drained the last of the mead in one
long swallow, then stood and strode toward his room.  His stride was
confident and full of purpose.  Whatever was necessary to make her desire
him, within reason, he would do.  He had chosen the silver haired beauty
and, by all the gods, he would have her for his own!

     Candy sat in the bedroom chair, mentally reviewing the last week of
her life.  Talk about rotten!  She'd lost her best friend, fianc‚, and possibly
her mind, all in one short week.  Not to mention being kidnapped and
raped.  It just wasn't fair!
     After several minutes of feeling sorry for herself, she shook her
head in disgust, determined to clear those thoughts from her mind. 
Becoming increasingly depressed wasn't going to help her.  She needed to
do something, find a way out of this predicament.
     She stood and surveyed the room for about the hundredth time. 
Nothing had changed since the last time, no escape route had magically
appeared.  As much as she hated to admit it, she was stuck.  At least
temporarily.  She would just have to make the most of it.  With that in
mind, she faced the door as it whooshed open.
     Dolph stood in the doorway, his large frame bathed in the soft,
warm glow of the hall lights.  He took up most of the space usually reserved
for the door.  Candy looked into his face and was again struck by his
handsome features.  His golden mane was slightly disheveled, a stray lock
having fallen forward to brush his forehead.  His expression was one of
determination, his square chin held high, his lips slightly pursed.  The look
in his eyes was carefully guarded, nearly blank.
     He had opened his black jumpsuit nearly to the waist, exposing the
thick golden fur and smooth skin of his chest.  He stood with his legs
braced apart, as though he hadn't been too sure of his welcome.  He
remained in the doorway for several seconds, gauging the temper of the
woman before him.
     Candy's gaze brazenly roamed over his body, taking in the taut
muscles rippling beneath the smooth black material.  Against her will, her
eyes were drawn to the bulge at the junction of his legs.  He was in a very
good mood, judging by the extra strain on the material in that area.  His
thighs were as large as small tree trunks, tapering nicely to equally powerful
calves.  His boots, starting just below the knee, fit nearly as tightly as his
jumpsuit.  His feet were as big as one would expect, considering his height. 
Candy smiled and blushed a little as she remembered seeing him naked.  If
this Viking were any indication, that old wives' tale about the size of certain
other parts of the anatomy being reflected in the size of a man's feet had
some truth to it.
     Raising her eyes to meet his, Candy realized that he hadn't taken a
breath since she had started her perusal of his physique.  Now he inhaled
deeply, expanding his chest to its full magnificent proportions.  He was one
hunk of a man!
     Dolph stepped into the room and the door closed behind him. 
Candy decided that now would be as good a time as any to try to get on
better footing with this barbarian.  She kept her voice level, businesslike.
     "I'm sorry I lost my temper and insulted you.  I really want answers
to my questions."
     She did her best to look into his eyes as she spoke, although it
became increasingly difficult as his eyes darkened, his blinking slowing
sensually, and his face lost its tension.
     "If you would be so kind as to supply them, I will try to hold my
comments down.  Please."
     She motioned for him to sit in the chair.  He smilingly obliged,
intrigued by this new mood of hers.  Guessing at this woman's next move
could become a full-time hobby, one he didn't think he'd mind pursuing.
     Candy sat on the bed, keeping her back straight, her arms at her
sides and her hands clasped together in her lap.  She intended to get her
answers, all of them, before she lost her temper again even if she had to tear
her own hands off.  She dropped her gaze to her lap and asked quietly,
"what is going to happen to me?"
     Dolph was surprised by the tug he felt on his heart.  Her words were
soft, tinged with the sound of fear.  He wanted to take her in his arms and
comfort her.  Since Vikings do as they please, he stood, moved to the bed
and sat beside her.  In one smooth, easy move, he lifted her and pulled her
onto his lap before she could voice a protest.
     Candy raised startled eyes to his.  He smiled and wrapped his strong
arms around her back, gently encouraging her to lean against his chest.  She
wasn't at all sure what he expected of her, what was going on in his mind
now, but she found the warmth of his skin against her cheek pleasant.  And
the sound of his heart steadily beating in her ear was strangely comforting. 
Unconsciously, she snuggled into his embrace.  His deep voice seemed to
come from within his great chest.  With his chin resting lightly on the top of
her head, she could feel his breath softly caressing her hair as he spoke.
     "You needn't fear me, little one.  Granted, I am fierce when
angered.  I know of few Viking warriors who are sweet-tempered.  But I
have no desire to hurt you.  Just the opposite, sweetling.  I wish to make
you my wife, to give you many strong children to raise."
     His voice became softer, taking on a husky, sexy quality.
     "I want to give you pleasure, beautiful lady.  I want to hear you
scream my name in ecstasy."
     Candy felt a shiver run down her spine and settle somewhere south
of her belly button.  His hands were caressing her bare back above the
sheet.  She could feel his chest expand as his breathing became more
labored with his building passion.  With slight apprehension she realized
that the hard lump that was pressing against the back of her thigh had begun
to throb.  She sensed that she had better steer the conversation back to
answering her questions or it was going to become more physical and less
informative.  A tiny part of her thought that she wouldn't really mind that so
much, but her logical self wanted to keep him talking while he was in the
mood.  She leaned back a little so that she could look at his face.
     "Why me?"
     Dolph smiled somewhat sheepishly and shrugged.
     "I wanted someone from the area my mother came from.  I had
allotted five days to this quest.  Today was the fifth day.  I examined several
others, but none stirred my blood as you do.  I'm glad the gods chose to
smile on me today."
     A smart aleck comment about God frowning on her came to
Candy's mind, but she held her tongue.
     "What did you do, just wait for damsels in distress to come into
your range, or what?"
     Dolph pulled her soft cheek to rest against his chest once again.  He
didn't want her to get angry, he was so enjoying her softer mood.  But he
had said that he would answer her questions.  Maybe being held against his
body would affect her mind enough to keep her from losing her temper. 
After all, she should be feeling the effect of having him so near by now.
     "Your cars are easily disabled from our ship."  He felt her stiffen,
then, with a sigh, relax.  "When we spotted your car, we took readings as to
what was inside.  Your readings were in the desirable range, so we stopped
your car and I watched you as you walked down the road.  I liked what I
saw.  After a closer look, I chose you."
     As before, he sounded as though he were honoring her.  Candy
sighed and gave her head a little shake.  Holding her temper was becoming
easier.  She was starting to see things from his point of view, Heaven help
her.  He had been raised to see himself as an all-powerful being.  Taught
that stealing, even people, was a respectable thing to do.  His own mother
had probably been booty, for Heaven's sake!  Telling him how wrong he
was would be a waste of time, he would never see it her way.  She needed
to understand his culture if she were ever going to get back home.  If she
were going to survive.
     Dolph felt her sigh and his expression turned smug.  She was finally
realizing what a great honor he had bestowed upon her.  There were many
women throughout the universe that would gladly have given up all they
had to become his bride.  He was considered very desirable as a Viking
husband.  There would no doubt be many broken hearts when news of his
marriage spread.  Ah, well.  They would recover.  Besides, Viking custom
permitted more than one wife, should the need arise.
     Looking down at the silver-veiled beauty in his arms, Dolph shook
his head slightly.  He knew that he would never want another.  He let his
hands slide beneath the sheet on her back, feeling the smooth curve of
alabaster skin at her hip.  She held tightly to the front of the sheet, keeping
it covering her breasts.  Dolph was glad of that.  He knew if he caught a
glimpse of those pink-tipped mounds, his control would become very
difficult to maintain.  Even now, he was throbbing as though he'd not had a
woman for days.  This wench stirred him as no other.
     "What will happen to my car?  Am I going to end up one of those
mysteries?  'Abandoned car found by roadside, owner wanders off into
desert to be eaten by rabid wolves.'"
     Dolph chuckled.
     "Vikings are thieves, remember?  We brought your car on board.  It
has been torn apart for scrap by now.  To your world, you have
disappeared without a trace."
     His voice took on a concerned quality that surprised Candy.
     "Do you have a family, someone who will be worried?"
     Candy thought about her father.  She hadn't seen or spoken to him
for seven years, not since her mother's funeral.  He hadn't come, hadn't
even sent flowers.  They had been divorced since Candy was twelve, but
she didn't think that absolved him of the duty of coming to her funeral.  He
should have come if only to comfort Candy.  She had called him and told
him that if he couldn't have the common decency to say goodbye to the
woman who had given him fifteen years of her life, he was not a man she
cared to call 'father'.  Then she had hung up the phone and cried for hours.
     She gave a proud little shake of her head.  Her voice raised and she
became more animated as she explained.
     "I disowned my father because he's an uncaring, insensitive slime-
ball.  My best friend isn't anymore.  And I hope my fianc‚, who isn't my
fianc‚ anymore because my best friend is my ex-best friend, steps on some
long-forgotten land mine in Europe, where we were going for our
honeymoon, but he'll probably take her now 'cause he had to pay in
advance and he's a cheapskate, and gets his precious dick blown off!"
     Dolph's voice reflected his perplexed state.
     "Does that mean no?"
     Dolph's confused expression was priceless.  Candy burst into
laughter.
     "Yes, that means no.  So, do you guys have some kind of wedding
ceremony, or do you just say 'You wife, me husband', and be done with it?"
     Dolph narrowed his eyes in mock irritation, then smiled.
     "We have a bonding ceremony.  You and I shall have ours as soon
as this battle is won."
     Candy sat forward and gaped at him.
     "Battle, what battle?"
     Dolph tried not to notice how the sheet was sinking, the top of one
rosy nipple peeking out.  His voice showed the strain.
     "The battle we are on our way to fight.  We have been hired by one
side of a civil war.  The other side has only their own soldiers.  It will be a
quick victory."
     "And what happens to me if you don't come back?"
     Dolph's lips rose in a soft sensuous smile.  He ran his thumb over
her bottom lip, sending little shivers throughout her body.
     "I am pleased to see that you are concerned for me."
     "I don't want to be left in this little room to starve to death and be
eaten by a mini-Siamese!"
     Dolph laughed, realizing that she was very proud and not yet willing
to admit her affection for him, though he was certain that her heart was
already his.
     "I will be back, little one, have no fear."
     She arched a brow in consternation.  He chuckled.
     "If I do not return, one of my men will take care of you.  I will see
that you are safe, my beautiful lady of starfire.  Candy..."
     He was leaning toward her, his hand on the back of her head,
holding her captive to his desire.  Prisoner or not, barbarian or not, at this
moment Candy didn't care, she wanted him to kiss her, wanted to feel his
lips crushing hers.  He stopped within a breath of her lips, his whisper
caressing her face and making her want more.
     "You are ill-named, kitten.  You are no bit of sugar to satisfy a
man's appetite for but a moment.  You are a being of fire.  You set a man's
soul ablaze with your temper and your perfect body, like the lights of the
gods set the night afire.  Star.  That is what I will call you.  That is what I
will whisper in your ear as I take you to heights the likes of which you have
only dreamed.  That is what I will yell when I find my release inside your
beautiful body.  Star."
     The way he said it made it sound like the most beautiful word in the
English language.  His hand wrapped tightly in her silken hair as he brought
his lips down upon hers in a kiss filled with passion, a kiss like no other
Candy had ever experienced.  His lips caressed, demanded, possessed - and
yet they also gave.  So much passion came to her in that one kiss that
Candy felt overwhelmed.  And afraid.  Afraid that she was losing herself,
giving herself to this Viking.  Afraid that was exactly what she wanted to
do.
     He ran his tongue along her lips, encouraging her to allow him
entrance.  Candy knew that once she willingly let him inside of her in any
way, she would be lost.  Sighing with pleasure, she parted her lips.
     An incessant beeping sounded somewhere.  Candy thought it might
have been an alarm going off in her mind until Dolph pulled his lips from
hers with a muttered curse.  He pulled her to him and held her against his
chest for a minute, breathing deeply of her hair, memorizing her scent. 
Then he lifted her off of his lap and sat her back on the bed.  She raised
lust-brightened eyes to his in question.
     "I must go.  Have no fear, my Star, I will return."
     He caressed her cheek with one fingertip.  Then, before she could
get her head back together enough to say anything, he was gone.