Excerpt from "Far after Gold" by Jen Black

Flane grasped her arm and marched her out of the hall. He walked with such long strides it was a struggle for her to keep up, and she was breathless by the time he steered her through fishing nets and baskets that littered the boards of the jetty. Flane shoved her down onto an overturned barrel, propped one booted foot against an upended bucket, leaned his forearm across his knee and glared at her. “What have you done?”

Water lapped gently beneath them. Gulls swooped and called above their heads. The urge to laugh had long since disappeared. Emer coughed, and looked down at her hands. “Well, I had to defend myself.”

“Go on.”

Emer ran a hand through her hair in a habitual nervous gesture and found she couldn’t because it was still skewered into a bun. Fiddling thoughtlessly, she plucked the skewer free and her hair tumbled down her back. Twirling the skewer ceaselessly between her fingers, she spoke quickly, anxious to get the confession over. “Gamell grabbed me on the stepping stones. His hands—he touched me—he—” She hesitated. “It was revolting!” She spat the words out. “If that’s what men do to women I want none of it!”

“So what happened?”

“I wriggled free,” she muttered. “We both nearly fell in. I kicked him, and he did.” She looked up. “Fall in, I mean.” She stared up at Flane. “Are you so very cross with me?”

His blue eyes blazed over her. For a moment she was scared, really scared that he might beat her. Then she noticed his struggle to restrain his mouth and it finally dawned on her that he was trying not to laugh. She had been frightened for nothing.

“You are causing me a great deal of trouble,” he said, letting his mouth curve into a smile.

“I’m so sorry about that.”

A muscle at the side of his mouth flickered, but his brows twitched in surprise. “Sarcasm is hardly good for someone in your position.”

“My position?” Emer jumped to her feet. “You put me in this position! I didn’t ask to be here. I didn’t throw myself at you!”

“I know that!” He frowned along the jetty as if seeking inspiration. “What did you mean just now?”

Emer’s brows knitted together. “When?”

“Just now. You said, if that’s what men do to women I want none of it!”

“Oh.” A seagull landed neatly on top of a post, folded its wings and squawked at its fellows. “It was so disgusting,” she said in a small voice. “His hands—all over me.” She shuddered. “I don’t know how any woman can enjoy that sort of thing.”

“I’m sure women don’t enjoy Gamell, and he’s never had a pretty woman like you. Not in the last ten years that I can remember, at least.” Emer looked up into his amused blue eyes. “He’s not typical of men. Don’t think that.”

“Is he jealous of you?”

He shrugged. “Never thought about it. Could be. Just stay out of his way.”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t think I’d want to be anywhere near him?”

“Emer, it isn’t a case of what you want. Give Gamell half a chance and he’ll take what he wants.”

“So my life must be restricted because he—”

“You need to protect yourself.”

“Give me a knife and I’ll protect myself!”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“How can I protect myself if you won’t give me a knife?”

“Here. Protect yourself.” He handed her his own wicked blade. Startled, she took it. It was heavier than she thought it would be. She held it in front of her like a candle.

“Now attack me.”

“I can’t attack you.”

“But you think you can attack Gamell?”

“Well—”

He grasped her waist so fast she gasped. His hands slid down, clamped her buttocks and dragged her tight against him. “Now, what would you do if I were Gamell? That’s not much good, is it?” He nodded at the knife held upright in her hand, the hilt resting on his chest.

Emer gulped and swallowed hard, shocked at the sensations caused by being so close to him. Determination flashed through her face, but before she could tilt the knife against his throat, he grasped the wrist that held it. In vain she tried to inflict an injury on him, but he held her off so easily it was laughable.

He was grinning, damn him, and she could not move.

“Do you get the point?” His blue eyes sparkled with wicked enjoyment of her helplessness.