Alien Shield, page 10
It would be easy – so easy – to slip a sharp claw beneath the straps of the chest garment she wore, and then again through the skimpy bit of cloth around her hips, and destroy them.
But perhaps I would not have to destroy them. I did not like the thought of destroying anything that was hers.
“Will you not take these underthings off, first? They will get soaked,” I rasped.
I was testing myself – my strength and will. Having her completely unclothed before me may have been too great a temptation, even for a patient and hardy warrior like me. But I wrestled with myself. My good sense told me to keep her as covered as possible, as far away as possible. The thick, lusty love of the mate bond told me to tear it all off of her. Now.
“It’s alright. They’ll dry quickly outside,” Zerena said. I caught a slight tremor that swept across her frame.
“Are you cold?” I asked, knowing that sometimes the human women shook when the temperatures were too low for them. It did not seem very cold in this cave, especially with the heated steam coming from the water. I came slightly closer, my chest and abdomen brushing the painfully silken skin of her back, instinct urging me to keep her warm.
“No. I’m not cold,” Zerena whispered. And yet there it was again. That shiver dancing through her muscles. Being so close, I felt it this time. A tremulous skitter across my hide. I angled my pelvis backwards as my erection jerked so that my cock would not press upon her. I wanted to press my cock upon her. And inside her. More badly than I’d ever wanted anything. But I would not surprise her with such a thing now, without warning in the darkness.
“You should get in if you still wish to,” I growled, hoping she’d move away from me and doubly hoping she’d stay. But I watched her hair bounce as she moved her head up and down in that distinctly human affirmative way. And then, finally, she was walking away from me, picking carefully over the slick stones. She stopped at the hot spring’s edge, dipping one of her many tiny toes into the water.
“Perfect temperature,” she sighed before plunging her whole foot into the spring. I watched in perverse fascination as she moved, unable to tear my eyes away. But perhaps this was not too forward of me. Perhaps this was not offensive. After all, she was the one who had removed all her own clothing. And she had not asked me to turn away.
I was not sure what would have been worse. This temptation before me, so powerful it made my jaw crack and my cock pound. Or not seeing her at all, letting my imagination run wild.
But I knew, as her luscious body disappeared under the surface leaving only her head above the water, that nothing my imagination could produce would be as lovely as what was before me now. Even still partially clothed, even in the dark of this cave. Even obscured now by the water as she was, she was my most perfect dream come true.
“This is amazing!” she cried, spinning slowly in the water and turning to face me. Her arms swished just under the surface of the steaming pool, creating rippling movement outward. Her head bobbed as she walked across the stone at the bottom of the spring, exploring. Evidently, she found a place at the other end where she could sit, as the bobbing of her head and the swishing of her arms came to a stop. She sighed, leaning back against the rock, her head, neck, collarbone and shoulders visible now. Even from this distance, I could see the rivulets of water tonguing her skin.
I’d always hated water.
Now I hated it even more for touching her while I was not.
I picked up my ablik sharpening stone and I walked around the side of the hot spring until I was beside her. I crouched next to her, then sat, settling myself on a low stone and watching her from above. Her soft brown hair had turned much darker from the moisture – almost as dark as my own, though much shorter and finer than mine. Moisture pooled in perfect, glittering beads along her slim brows and the bridge of her nose. There was even a streak of shining moisture on her lower lip that had me burying a bark of irritation.
In order to distract myself, once again, I began sharpening my blade.
Zerena’s rhythmic, contented breathing created a perfect rhythm for the back and forth grind of the stone. It was so good just to sit with her like this, even though I wanted more. I’d sit at her side, quiet and in comfort, forever if I could.
“So, I feel like I’m slacking on my work,” she said suddenly, tipping her head back to look at me.
“How so?” I asked, keeping my eyes on my own work. No one would dare be able to tell me I was slacking. Certainly not. Not even with this beauty before me.
“Because I was supposed to be studying the Sea Sand biology and now I’m just relaxing in an alien hot tub! I’m one step away from drinking on the job!”
“You do not drink fluids during the day in your world?” I knew the climes she came from were not as hot as ours. But even so, it seemed that a creature who produced sweat and tears like she did would need to imbibe fluid throughout the day, no matter where she was.
“Oh, no, I mean drinking alcohol. It’s... How do I explain it... It’s like an herbal thing? Medicine? I mean it’s like medicine because it has physical effects on you after drinking it. But it can also make you sick.”
My frown deepened.
“So is it medicine? Or poison?”
She laughed, and my eyes were drawn to the rise and fall of her chest below the surface.
“It can be either, depending on the dosage.” She got quiet then, murmuring more to herself than to me, “I wonder if we could create a Zaphrinax cocktail. Ferment something... I bet Kat...” She trailed off, looking out across the surface of the spring. Then she tipped her head back once more. Her throat glistened. My tongues lashed at my fangs, wanting to emerge and stroke down that pale and pulsing column.
“Well, anyway. I should still try to be productive while I’m here. Like you are,” she said. She pulled her head upwards and forwards, then swivelled on the unseen stone she was perched upon in the water so that she was facing me. She rested an elbow on the rock at her side, balancing the side of her face upon her hand. “Is it alright if I ask you some questions?”
“Of course,” I replied. I tried desperately to ignore the way the tops of her breasts were now visible to me in her new position. One of the soaking straps of her chest garment had slipped down her shoulder. My sight stars trailed it hungrily. Curse me, I felt like a young warrior. Not the hardened man I had become, living and fighting through so many ages. She made me feel so much. A crash of youthful jubilance and lusty affection inside me every time she cocked her head and flashed her small teeth in a smile.
She was cocking her head at me now, tipping it to the side as she put more weight upon her hand and elbow.
“So, let’s see... What kind of organs are you packing in there? I assume you’re probably pretty similar to humans. One heart, two lungs, that sort of thing?”
“This sounds correct,” I said slowly. I did not tell her that I now considered myself to have two hearts – hers and mine.
But then again, she had not yet given me her heart. So perhaps she was correct after all.
“One heart. Two lungs,” I acknowledged, feeling strangely put out by the assertion. I ignored the feeling, pressing on and trying to give her all I could. “I’ve seen men injured in battle. When their abdomens are split, they lose ropes of innards.”
“Intestines. Yup. Us too,” she said, smiling. “Not so different after all.”
She still felt very different from me. Not in a bad way. I would not change a thing about her. But she was different. No tail, no claws, small low little ears. Singular sight stars.
And she did not feel the mate bond.
True, I did not wish to change anything about her. And yet, I could not help but wonder what would be happening right now if she could feel the pull of the mate bond as I did. It was unlikely that we’d be seated here like this discussing innards and organs. The only organ she’d be asking me about would probably be my cock. A cock that was currently pulsating with a fierceness I did not even know it capable of.
Maybe she will ask me about my cock. She is studying my entire life-form, after all. Maybe she will want to see it, maybe even need to touch it...
The thought was a breathtaking one, making my chest seize up. I grunted, forcing myself to breathe through that image. I could not decide if I was so desperate for her that I would accept her touch even if only in her biologist’s role, or if I would eschew such a thing because it would not be the loving touch of a mate. As much as I wanted her, it would probably be the latter. I didn’t think I’d be able to stand her intimate touch upon me without telling her the entire truth first. Baldor’s words about giving her all the necessary information echoed in my mind. He was right. It would not be fair to enter into an intimate situation with Zerena without her knowing everything.
So I would have to make do with stroking my own cock for a little while longer yet.
Not that I could do that right now. She was looking at me. Luckily her gaze was upon my face and my blade obscured my groin. But even a quiet and subtle warrior such as myself could not get away with grasping my cock unnoticed right in front of her. I’d already seen how observant Zerena was, how intelligent. And it would take neither someone observant nor someone intelligent to figure out just what, exactly, I was doing with my fist pumping beneath my loincloth.
Agony.
“I have a question for you now, if you don’t mind,” I grumbled, pressing the flat of my blade harder against my swollen tip.
“Oh!” Zerena looked surprised, but she smiled at me. Cursed sands – that smile, her scent, that skin, her eyes... the unrelenting throbbing of my cock. It was making me bold. Impatient. Something I was not used to.
I leaned forward so that my face was directly above hers, watching her drenched lashes shimmer as her eyes widened.
“If you could have any male in this settlement for your mate. Any warrior at all...” Her little mouth fell open and she blinked rapidly at my words, but I continued. I’d started this now. And I would not be able to find any peace until I saw it through. I took a rasping breath, then growled, “Who would you choose?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Serena
Wait, what? Excuse me? Was that a trick question? A prank? I stared into Xyan’s face. Even with the lack of light, I could see the hard, serious stone mask of his expression. He didn’t look like he was joking or playing a prank. Hell, the guy was so serious I couldn’t see him ever trying to play a prank on anyone. And frankly, as a fairly clumsy human already prone to embarrassing myself, I appreciated that about him. Immensely.
“Why do you ask?” I blustered, trying to buy myself some time. Not because I needed time to come up with the answer – I didn’t. The answer to his question was one and the same as who had asked the question. It would be Xyan I chose, hands down. And not just because I was insanely attracted to him. But because everything I’d seen from him so far had shown him to be a thoughtful, steady, intelligent, and generous person. The kind of person I’d want to be around no matter what he looked like.
Although his looks certainly didn’t hurt.
“It is merely something that I need to know,” he ground out, his voice unusually low and tense.
“Merely something you need to know,” I scoffed, repeating his words in disbelief. “Merely!”
He was going to upset my whole equilibrium for a “merely?”
Was this some attempt at flirtation? He seemed way too growly and tense to be flirty, though. Did Sea Sand guys even flirt at all? Good lord, I was way out of my depth here. I couldn’t get a read on this situation for the life of me.
Now trying to buy myself some space as well as some time, I scooted to the edge of the natural stone bench I’d been sitting on.
I underestimated the slickness of the stone. With a cry, I slipped off the edge, plunging into the water.
I didn’t have time to even try to get my feet under me. A huge splash exploded next to me then two huge, strong hands gripped my arms, pulling me upwards and out of the water. I gasped, blinking rapidly as water ran down my face and into my eyes. I realized that my feet still weren’t on the rocky ground. Xyan’s grip had shifted – the metal bars of Xyan’s arms were locked against my waist, holding me up against him. Experimentally, I kicked my feet a little. Nope, nothing. No contact. He was holding my entire body weight up so that my feet didn’t even reach the ground.
Where there was contact, though? My entire torso against his. My stomach and breasts pressed into his hard front as I finally blinked enough water out of my eyes to meet his gaze again.
“Are you alright?” Xyan asked urgently.
“Yes, thanks. I probably would have been alright without you jumping in, just so you know. But I appreciate it all the same, especially since you don’t like water.” Growing up near the ocean in Newfoundland, I’d learned to swim before I’d learned to walk. And I didn’t think that little tumble I just took would have caused any damage. I didn’t fall hard enough to hit my head or anything like that. So there really was no reason for Xyan to jump in and come to my rescue...
But why did it feel so nice that he did?
“I believe in your strength,” Xyan said slowly. I watched a bead of water track between his dark brows, down the flat bridge of his nose, to his full mouth. Even after the water rolled down to his chin, my gaze stayed locked on his lips as he spoke again.
“But all the same, I will always be there to lend my strength to yours. To protect you.”
“Got it,” I said slowly, not sure how else to respond.
Even though Xyan was holding me steady, the position was getting slightly awkward. It would be much better if I wrapped my legs around his waist. That thought sent a hammer of desire straight to my clit, making me throb.
Before I lost my nerve, I just went ahead and fucking did it. I swished my legs up through the water, clamping my inner thighs against his sides, letting my feet dangle in the water behind his back. I held my breath slightly, pussy pounding, waiting for any reaction. Not that I was expecting him to back me up against the side of the spring and start ravaging me or anything (not that I would have minded that at this point) but it definitely felt like a big step, a sign, showing him I was interested. And if he didn’t appreciate the gesture, I could try to play it off as trying to get a better grip on him in the water.
Well, it seemed like he didn’t exactly appreciate my gesture after all. As my burning thighs pressed into his waist, he made an oddly choked grunting sound. My crotch was flush against his abdomen, and I felt that sound as much as heard it – felt the rumble of it in his body, felt the tightening of his abs grinding against the soaked fabric of my thin cotton panties.
The next thing I felt was my ass being deposited back on the stone I’d been sitting on just a moment before. I let out a shaky breath, my whole body tingling as Xyan gripped my waist, making sure I was stable on my seat before pulling away.
Well, I guess I played that all wrong... Jocelyn was definitely way off base with everything she’d said. I bit at my lip as Xyan vaulted out of the water and seated himself back where he’d been before. He reached for his blade again, as if about to start sharpening it once more, but I shook my head at him.
“No, let’s just go,” I said, trying to keep my voice from cracking. There was absolutely no reason for me to be feeling so dejected right now. Making a move had been a gamble, I knew that. And it wasn’t even that much a move, anyway. It wasn’t like I’d declared my love for him and gotten shot down or something. Xyan probably just wanted to make sure I hadn’t inhaled a bunch of water or hit my head when he’d been holding on to me. Once he saw I was strong enough to latch onto him with my legs with the force of an angry toddler, he’d obviously realized I was OK and had put me back down.
So the burn of shame rocketing through my veins in time with my heartbeat and the ache or rejection in my throat were wildly displaced.
Didn’t mean I didn’t feel them, though.
“You are finished in the spring already?” Xyan asked.
“Yes,” I said. Xyan had his hands reaching for me without hesitation but I waved them away.
“It’s OK, I got it,” I said brightly, trying to mask the churn of emotions inside me. Xyan froze, his clawed hands outstretched, as I clambered out of the water. He probably thinks I’m going to fall over again. No way. I’ll make sure I don’t need his help now. Especially not if it’s some kind of burden on him...
The way he tensed up when my legs settled around his waist came back into my brain with a vengeance, making me grit my teeth in embarrassment.
Xyan was kind. I knew he was. That’s probably why he’d been helping me all this time. And I’d gone and bungled things. Gone and over-stepped his kindness with my inappropriate human crush on him. God, what if he was like... saving himself for whenever he got a mate? What if he had absolutely no interest in anyone until that happened?
What if he had absolutely no interest in me?
Fuck, that thought hurt. It had me hurrying away from Xyan and slipping into my clothing as quickly as possible. The drag of the fabric against my damp skin slowed me down, making me swear under my breath.
“Is all well?” Xyan asked, making me jump. The silent warrior had, at some point during my frantic dressing/depressing inner-monologue, come right up behind me.
“Yes! Of course!” I replied with false cheer. “Thanks so much for everything.”
“No thanks are required,” he said. God, why was he so perfect? So cool and smooth with a voice like sand and smoke. So generous and sweet and not-at-all-awkward. If somebody bottled some of that Xyan essence up, they’d make a killing selling it...
