Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Epilogue

Author’s Note

Other Titles

About the Author

A Nude Attitude

Exposed to the Elements

Honey Phillips

Copyright © 2021 by Honey Phillips

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

Disclaimer

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or people, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover by Maria Spada Book Cover Design

Edited by Lindsay York at LY Publishing Services

Chapter One

“It’s time you were married,” Erica’s father announced from behind his massive desk. A big man, his suit custom tailored to hide the fact that muscle had long since turned to fat, he was the epitome of a successful lawyer. Every expensive detail of his imposing office shouted his credentials.

He made the statement the same way he said everything—as if there could be no possible doubt that he was correct. That confidence served him well when he appeared in court, but it had the opposite effect on her.

She stared at him in appalled horror. “Why would you say that? I’m not even dating anyone.”

“You could be.” His eyes traveled over her dismissively. “If you put some effort into making yourself attractive.”

Her nails dug into her palms. He meant if she spent hours on her hair and nails and makeup, like his fourth wife—the one who was the same age as Erica. He conveniently ignored the fact that she spent almost every waking hour working. For him.

Ignoring the familiar argument, she returned to his original statement. “Why do you want me to get married?”

“I need an heir. Someone to carry on this firm when I’m gone.”

Her teeth clenched. “What about me?”

He waved a dismissive hand. “I mean a male heir.”

“Then why don’t you get Melody to give you one?” she asked, keeping her voice level.

He frowned. “She has been a disappointment in that regard.”

Since Erica suspected that his young wife was taking birth control, she barely managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

“And anyway, despite her other faults, your mother was an intelligent woman. You come from good stock.”

The mention of her mother caused the familiar pang. She couldn’t really blame her mother for leaving, but she wished she’d been strong enough to fight for Erica to accompany her. Then again, her father’s wealth and power made him a formidable opponent. But Erica wasn’t about to give into this latest outrageous demand.

“I have no intention of getting married.”

“You will do as I say or that precious charity of yours will not receive one more penny of my money.”

She winced. The small facility devoted to rehabilitating wild animals was her one escape from work, the one place she could escape her father’s constant demands, and they were in desperate need of a new medical clinic. Her father paid her a decent salary—although far less than he would have paid a male employee—and she had little opportunity to spend it. But she didn’t have enough to cover the cost of the clinic.

“You promised me.”

His eyes gleamed triumphantly. “I thought that would get your attention. I’ve drawn up a list of acceptable candidates. I will allow you to choose one,” he added, gracious now that he had made his point.

“What if none of them want to marry me?”

“Turn down an opportunity to be part of the Cunningham empire? Of course they won’t.” He looked her over again. “But for God’s sake, get some decent clothes and make an effort to look like an attractive woman for once.”

A month later, Erica barely managed to make it into her apartment without slamming her latest suitor’s hand in the door. She leaned against the closed door, her knees shaking. For a moment there, she really thought that Ronald wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

As she turned away from the door, she saw her reflection in the entryway mirror and she shuddered. Her father had provided the dress—with strict orders that she wear it—and it would no doubt have looked stunning on Melody’s curves. On Erica, the long, straight silk slip only accentuated the size of her hips and the meagerness of her breasts. Even the color, a dark gold, gave her creamy skin a sallow hue.

“All of which only confirms that Ronald was more interested in Father’s money than in me,” she muttered.

With a tired sigh, she stripped off the jewels her father had also insisted she wear, unfastened her cloud of frizzy brown hair from the too-tight updo, and headed for bed.

The phone rang before she made it.

“How did it go?” her father demanded.

“It was terrible. Ronald practically raped me.”

To her horror, her father actually chuckled. “That’s a good sign. He must be interested.”

“No, it’s not a good sign. And I’m certainly not interested in anyone who won’t listen when I say no.”

She could almost hear him shrug over the phone. “That’s what makes him a good negotiator. I think he’s the best candidate yet.”

“I don’t, and I have no intention of seeing him again.”

“You will do as I say, my girl, or you can forget about your precious animals getting their new facility.”

He hung up before she could respond, leaving her staring at the phone in despair.

As much as it would break her heart not to be able to provide the funds for the new clinic, she couldn’t bear the thought of another date with Ronald. She shuddered at the thought of his hand closing painfully over her breast as he tried to force her lips apart. No.

Tomorrow, she would inform her father that she refused to go on any more of his arranged dates. And if he reacted as she expected, perhaps she would finally summon up the courage to quit. A smile actually curved her lips as she scrubbed her face and pulled on her comfortably worn nightshirt. She had hung on this long out of misplaced loyalty and a foolish desire to win his approval. She had to face the fact that it was never going to happen.

An unexpected sense of relief washed over her. Yes, it was time to leave. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. She would turn in her resignation, and then she would finally go on that vacation she had been postponing for the past five years. A little sun, a little sand, a few umbrella drinks…

She drifted off to sleep already envisioning the sound of the waves.

The slow susurrus of the waves filled her ears as she floated awake, and she smiled. Her dreams had been filled with visions of palm trees and sandy beaches, and she could still picture herself there.

Then a cool froth of water swept over her bare foot, and her eyes flew open.

She wasn’t dreaming. She was lying on a curve of pink beach while the remnants of a small wave retreated from her foot and rejoined a deep purple ocean.

Where the hell was she? She had never seen water that color before, let alone the long blue leaves that dripped from a palm-like tree.

She looked around frantically, half-expecting to see a camera hidden amidst the strange vegetation, but there was nothing. No one. She was completely alone.

Perhaps that should have bothered her more, but at least her father wasn’t part of this dream. Or Ronald.

And it had to be a dream, didn’t it? Even if the water rushing over her foot had felt as real as the sand beneath her butt. Her naked butt.

What had happened to her clothes?

“I know I said I wanted a vacation, but this wasn’t what I had in mind.” A hysterical giggle escaped her lips. “Where are the umbrella drinks? Where’s the cabana boy?”

As if in response to her words, a man—no, not a man—started to rise from the ocean. Gleaming blue-scaled skin, almost iridescent in the sunlight, covered a huge, muscular body. Nictitating membranes slid back to reveal a fiery silver gaze, fastened directly on her.

As he strode out of the water, she realized that he too was completely naked. A massive appendage hung heavily between his legs, and she could have sworn it started to grow as she looked. She yanked her gaze back to his face and saw him grin, revealing a mouth full of very sharp, white teeth. He lifted a hand containing a long wooden spear with a gleaming silver tip.

Oh, hell no. He was most definitely not a cabana boy, and she was getting out of here right now. With a squeak of dismay, she ran, praying he wouldn’t chase her.

Chapter Two

Well, now. Wasn’t that a delightful surprise?

A’rien grinned as the female jumped up and fled deeper into the interior of the island, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her lush white ass. He had always been an ass man, and hers looked absolutely perfect, round and full with a nice little jiggle. His cock, already at half-mast from seeing the rest of that pale slender body waiting for him on the beach, threatened to grow into a full erection.

Not now, he told himself. First, he needed to clean his catch and start it smoking. Then he would have to find her—which wouldn’t prove difficult on this small island—and see if she was susceptible to his charms as were most females.

Of course he suspected that was why he had wound up here in the first place, but it was considerably better than the other fate Lord Zalatai had planned for him…

“Food.” The guard slammed the metal tray down on the small shelf attached to one wall of the cell.

A’rien didn’t bother to move from his position sprawled carelessly on the hard metal bunk.

“What?” he asked mockingly. “No upgrade for my last meal?”

Kharuul shrugged, no trace of sympathy on his brutish face. “Eat or not, I don’t care. You’re not going to starve to death before tomorrow and cheat us out of an execution.”

The guard turned to walk out of the cell, then paused long enough to add a parting shot. “They’re not even going to televise it—they decided you weren’t important enough.”

He grinned and left, the door closing with a heavy thud behind him.

A’rien’s smile faded as soon as the door closed behind the male. For once, he didn’t have a scheme or a plan or even a wild hope of an escape. The guards might not be incorruptible, but they were loyal enough that it would take more credits than he had to overcome their scruples. The cell was fitted with a Soronzon lock, beyond his ability to override. And even assuming he could escape the cell, make his way out of the heavily fortified prison, and reach the town beyond, he wasn’t foolish enough to think that he could make it onto a ship. His only hope would be the desert that lay beyond the city walls, and a quick death by execution seemed preferable to a lingering one of thirst and predators. The reality of what awaited him tomorrow was inescapable.

It wasn’t the first time he had miscalculated an opponent’s intelligence, but it was going to have the most serious consequences. Allowing himself to be seduced by Lord Zalatai’s wife in order to gain the information he needed to steal the plans had been a fatal mistake. He hadn’t seen that her pretty, vapid manner hid a cunning greater than his own.

As soon as she realized they would be discovered, she had cheerfully thrown him to the wolves, and now he was festering in a cell, accused of killing her ladyship’s bodyguards. No one knew—or he suspected, cared—that Lord Zalatai had killed them himself in his first outrage at finding A’rien in his wife’s supposedly sacrosanct bedchamber.

Ignoring the tray of food, A’rien slumped down on his bunk. Would anyone—other than his creditors—even notice that he was gone? He’d been on his own since he was old enough to remember, never part of any community long enough to really become part of it. His few attempts had taught him that the only person he could trust was himself. Most of the time, as long as the credits were in tune, he managed to convince himself that that was enough. Tonight, he’d never felt more alone.

He searched for some happy memories, but all he found were fragments. Pulling a pile of credits across a crowded table, lifting off of a planet just before the authorities found him, a female’s naked back silhouetted against a window, a teasing whispered fragrance—all just moments in time.

But they were all he had, so they would have to do. He pulled them closer, trying to lose himself in the details, and sometime before the morning alarm, he fell asleep.

Even before his eyes opened, he heard the sound of the ocean. Goddess, he had missed that sound. Somehow, his adventures over the past few years had always revolved around dry, landlocked places—rich mining colonies like the one Lord Zalatai ruled, or the wealthy planetwide cities deep in the heart of the system.

Why could he hear it now? Was he dreaming?

He reluctantly opened his eyes, expecting to see bare metal walls. Instead, a tall tree dripping long strands of golden flowers shielded him from the sun rising into a brilliant blue sky.

What the fuck?

He sprang to his feet and realized he had been lying beneath a small grove of those trees at one end of a curving wedge of pink sand beach. But he wasn't interested in the land. His gaze focused on the wide expanse of deep purple ocean, a few lines of white froth capping the gentle waves. It stretched out into the distance, unending, and a fierce hunger filled him.

He knew the dangers of an unknown ocean, knew he should explore, test, evaluate, before entering, but he didn’t care. He ran for the water, diving beneath the surface as soon as it reached his waist.

Cool, salty liquid surrounded him, a little saltier than on his home planet of Taivan, but well within his tolerances. The gills on his neck expanded, taking in oxygen and filtering the taste of the surrounding water. The webs between his fingers and toes scooped through the water as he kicked, and the dorsal fin along his spine lifted into place.

He rolled and spun in sheer ecstasy, flying through the water as he explored. A small brightly colored fish swam by, and he caught it instinctively. He didn’t recognize the species but he didn’t hesitate to bite into the delicate white flesh, almost groaning with pleasure. If he’d been offered a choice, this would have been his choice for a last meal.

The thought sobered him, and he turned back towards the beach, easily retracing his path through the water. As happy as he was to have arrived here, he didn’t trust his luck. Was this part of some deeper plan? To make the return to his cell that much more torturous?

He wouldn’t have predicted that Lord Zalatai would be that devious, but his instincts certainly hadn’t been behaving recently.

With unaccustomed caution, he raised only his head above the surface, blinking the water from his eyes as he scanned the beach. It was as quiet and deserted as before. He could hear the soft buzz of insects and some rustling from the undergrowth. A small, brightly colored avian swooped through the trees, but there was nothing to indicate the presence of anything larger.

As he walked slowly out of the water and onto the sand, he noticed for the first time that he was naked. His ornately laced shirt and richly embroidered pants had disappeared during his transport to this place. No matter. While he appreciated a fine wardrobe as much as the next male, the cool rush of water past his bare skin was far superior to any item of clothing.

Still scanning for any sign of danger, he returned to where he had awoken. A roughly woven bag was half buried in the sand. He must have kicked it aside in his race for the water.

Only two items were within—a decent knife, almost as nice as the knives that were taken from him when he was arrested, and a sheet of flex plas, covered with symbols.

He gave it a puzzled frown, then noticed a small trident, the symbol of his people, in the lower corner of the sheet. The symbol was set on an irregular shape surrounded by swirls that reminds him of the ocean… The ocean.

It was some type of map.

He quickly found a second trident, located on the other side of what appeared to be a broad channel separating the island from the mainland. Next to the second symbol was a colored circle that could possibly indicate Taivan.

Was the map supposed to guide him there? He snorted. Even if he hadn’t been banned from the planet, he had no desire to return to the abject poverty and harsh memories of his childhood.

No, he thought, looking around at the beach and the ocean and the jungle behind him. This suited him just fine.

He started to discard the plastic, then changed his mind. It was possible that the island would not be capable of supporting life and he would need to leave. In addition, a lifetime of making do with little or nothing had taught him the most things could be utilized, even in ways for which they had not originally been intended. He dug a small hole beneath the tree where he had awakened and buried the sheet.

The knife, on the other hand, could be put to use at once.

By the time the sun set, he had verified that he was in fact on an island. The landmass on the map could be seen across the water on the far side of the island. It still held no attraction for him.

The island contained a source of fresh water not far from his beach and, in addition to the bounty of the ocean, there was a variety of small game in the interior. He had managed to capture a small rodent, roasting now over the fire he had—with considerable effort and some very creative swearing—managed to light.

The smell of roasting meat mingled with the freshness of the sea breeze, the trees swaying above his head as he watched the sun set over the ocean in a blaze of crimson and purple. A smile curved his lips. Perhaps there was a reward for the wicked after all.

Then he had emerged from his fishing trip into the ocean this morning and found a female on the beach. The gods had definitely decided to favor him. As he began to clean the fish and set it to smoke over a low fire, he couldn’t wait to investigate his unexpected gift

Chapter Three

Erica’s wild flight into the jungle didn’t last long. Sharp leaves and branches scratched at her exposed flesh, vines tangled her feet, and the rough ground abused her bare soles.

When she pushed through a particularly clingy bush and almost fell into a small stream, she stumbled to a halt. As her breathing slowed, she listened intently for any sign that she was being followed. Instead, all she could hear was the twitter of insects and an occasional rustle from the undergrowth.

She sank down on a moss-covered rock next to the stream and tried to regain her composure. Her body started to shake, and she wrapped her arms around herself as if she were chilly even though the warm air, redolent with the scent of flowers, was far from cold.

Where the hell was she?

The pink sand, the purple ocean, even the odd-looking trees—maybe she could have convinced herself that she had just ended up on some tropical island that she’d never heard of, but that man…

No, she thought again, definitely not a man. Although he was certainly male. Even without the massive appendage between his legs, that broad, muscular body was most definitely male.

And human men didn’t have blue, scaled skin, or silver eyes, and they didn’t breathe underwater.

The only logical conclusion she could reach was that she was no longer on earth. Somehow, she had been transported from her bed to this place, wherever it was. Had her fairy godmother been listening? She choked back a sudden laugh. Had someone really thought she wanted to get away badly enough to bring her to an alien planet?

It wasn’t until a tear dropped on her bare knee that she realized she was crying. As tempting as it was to give in to the emotion, a lifetime dealing with her father had taught her to face the problem first and then deal with the aftermath later.

She dipped her fingers into the stream, intending to wash her face, then hesitated. What if it wasn’t even water?

Lifting her damp fingers to her face, she took a cautious sniff, but she couldn’t detect anything unusual. Her fingers didn’t burn or itch, and with a slight shrug, she wiped her face.

In for a penny, in for a pound, she thought to herself, and gathered up a palm full of water. After a cautious sip didn’t have any ill effects, she drank thirstily. It tasted like water, cool and clear and just slightly floral, as if the perfume of the flowers filling the air had permeated the water as well.

Now what? Her stomach grumbled as if in response. How long had it been since she had eaten? Going to dinner with Ronald had destroyed her appetite, and she hadn’t touched her food the previous night. Was it the previous night? How long had it taken her to travel to this place?

Thoughts of wormholes and faster than light travel ran through her mind, but in the end, she dismissed them. However long it had actually been, it felt like it had been the previous night, and she was hungry.

The blue-scaled alien on the beach had been carrying fish she remembered now, and her stomach gurgled enthusiastically. The fact that he hadn’t attempted to follow her was a point in his favor. Perhaps he wasn’t as aggressive as he looked. Would he be willing to negotiate for some food? Not of course that she had anything to offer, other than her body. And that was definitely out of the question, she thought quickly, despite an unexpected flicker of what couldn’t possibly be interest in the thought of exploring that big muscular body.

What was she thinking? Even on Earth, she wasn’t the type of woman who was particularly interested in an impressive set of muscles. Maybe there was something in the water after all.

Or maybe it was something more primitive. On Earth, a strong, muscular body usually just meant a man spent a lot of time in the gym. Here, it could mean the difference between life and death.

Pushing the thought aside, she decided to try and return to the beach. If nothing else, maybe she could steal some food. It wouldn’t be her first choice, but then again, becoming a sex slave for an alien fish man wouldn’t be either.

As she started to rise to her feet, she heard a tiny whimper. It seemed to be coming from a small opening between two of the rocks edging the stream. Bending down, she peered into the gap and saw two purple eyes looking back at her.

She jumped back, slipped, and landed in the stream with a great splash of water. The water washed up between the rocks, and when it receded, a tiny body came with it.

Barely as large as her hand, the creature was covered with deep purple fur and had little feet that looked almost like paddles. Purple eyes blinked up at her as it gave an unmistakably distressed whimper.

“Oh no. You poor little thing.”

She instinctively reached forward and picked it up. It whimpered again, then nestled down into her hand, licking at her palm.

“You’re just a baby, aren’t you? Where’s your mama?”

Cradling it against her chest, she leaned forward and peered between the rocks. Nothing stirred in there.

From the enthusiastic way the baby was licking her fingers, she suspected it was hungry. Had the mother abandoned it? Should she just put it back?

The dark, muddy hole didn’t look very appealing.

The little creature found her thumb and started sucking on it, and somehow that seemed to decide the matter. She smoothed down the mud leading to the den before climbing out of the stream, still holding the baby. She could check back later to see if there were any signs of activity, but for now she would keep the baby with her.

But sucking on her finger wasn’t going to keep it happy for long. Based on the sleek fur, the shape of its paws, and the location of the den, it had to be a water animal. If she could obtain some fish from the blue alien, she’d give that a try.

Having a plan, and something else to worry about, restored some of her confidence. She headed back into the jungle with a more assured step.

Her steps were unfortunately easy to retrace—broken branches, torn vines, even a few drops of blood marked her path. And if she could find her way back so easily, no doubt the alien could have found her just as easily. The fact that he hadn’t also added to her confidence. Unless…

What if he spent most of his time in the water? What if he didn’t belong on land at all?

No, she decided. He stood upright on those two thickly muscled legs and walked with the confidence of someone who was no stranger to solid earth.

Her heart started to beat uncomfortably quickly as she neared the edge of the beach. She could see the ocean glimmering through the branches, but she couldn’t hear anything other than the low rush of the waves. Peering through the bushes, all she could see was an empty beach.

An odd mixture of relief and disappointment filled her as she scanned the pink sand. She had almost been looking forward to seeing the blue alien again. Purely out of curiosity, she told herself.

After waiting a few more minutes and seeing and hearing nothing except the wash of waves against the beach, she stepped out from behind a bush. A harsh squawk came from high above her, and she almost dove into the bushes again before she realized that a brightly colored flying creature was perched on a swaying branch at the top of one of the odd trees. It tilted its head, surveying her, then squawked again and flew off.

“That was most definitely not a bird,” she muttered to the baby.

Even though she had already reached the conclusion that she wasn’t on Earth, each additional confirmation still shocked her. The tears threatened again, but then the baby whimpered and she forced herself to concentrate on the more immediate needs of the present.

Keeping to the edge of the jungle, she walked quietly around the perimeter of the beach. At the far end, she finally found his footprints. Enormous footprints. When she placed her foot next to one, it was half the size. And there were other differences as well. It was lighter and flatter, with what looked like four toes splayed wide at the end.

The trail of prints led around a small point that hid whatever was on the other side. Her courage threatened to desert her, but then the wind shifted. She caught the smell of cooking, a combination of smoke and fish that made her stomach growl. The baby lifted its head and gave an excited little squeak.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m hungry too. But you have to be quiet until we know whether he’s friend or foe.”

She tucked the baby back against her chest, remembering as she did that she was still naked. Would that give him the wrong idea? Then again, he was naked as well, she thought with a little shiver of excitement. Perhaps it was natural to his culture.

His culture.

She suddenly realized that she had been assuming he was alone, but there could be a whole village of blue aliens on the other side of the point. Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, she stepped back into the undergrowth instead of continuing along the beach. As silently as possible, she made her way through the jungle instead.

Even without her earlier panic, it was difficult going. She had to keep a wary eye out for low-hanging branches and the ever-present vines, not to mention the roots that seemed to clutter the ground.

By the time she saw the ocean again, she was dirty, sweaty, and miserable. The only thing that kept her going was the smell of food.

A’rien heard the female approaching long before she reached his camp. She obviously had no woodcraft skills at all. Which did raise a question: just who was she and why was she here?

Obviously another criminal, he thought with a grin. Although surely someone with a criminal background could do a better job of remaining silent. The fleeting glimpse he had caught of her face had revealed startled brown eyes that looked remarkably innocent.

Not that the appearance of innocence was anything to go by, he thought grimly, remembering Lord Zalatai’s wife. Then again, he couldn’t imagine Lady Glichi fleeing into the jungle at the sight of a strange male. She would have immediately set to work bringing him into her service.

A branch cracked behind him, followed by a muffled gasp, and he fought back another smile. The little female either had a very low opinion of his powers of observation or no experience whatsoever in being stealthy. He suspected it was the latter.

A breeze swirled across the beach, bringing her fragrance with it, and he almost groaned with pleasure. Sweet, yes, but not the heavy sweetness of the flowers that filled the air. As light and clean as a spring tide.

He couldn’t wait to get better acquainted with the little female. But perhaps this time, he would let her come to him.

She’d made no move to reveal herself, and he was grudgingly impressed. Despite her lack of woodcraft, she wasn’t completely reckless. It was always best to observe the situation before committing oneself—not that he tended to follow that piece of advice.

Still, if she wanted to look, he would give her something to look at.

He rose to his feet, then stretched lazily, knowing the pose accentuated his physique. Bending over to pick up his harpoon, he made sure she could see the tight curve of his ass. He turned back towards the jungle, looking up into the trees as if he was scanning for an avian.

Was that another muffled gasp as she got a full look at the front of his body? The soft noise sent an unexpected lick of excitement through his body, and his cock jerked.

He suddenly wondered just which one of them was actually the tease. Whirling back around, he headed for the edge of the water, letting the waves wash over his feet and cool his suddenly heated flesh.

The bushes rustled behind him, and he turned back just in time to see that round white ass disappearing into the bushes again, along with his string of fish.

The little thief.

He burst into laughter, then went to retrieve his dinner.

Chapter Four

Erica fled back into the jungle, her pulse pounding so loudly she could barely hear the noise of her flight. She clutched the branch of fish in one hand and the baby with the other, praying that the alien wouldn’t follow her. He hadn’t followed her into the jungle before, and she could only hope he wouldn’t this time either.

She couldn’t believe she’d actually stolen his food. It was the first time in her life she had ever committed a crime. What would her father think? Hell, he would probably be proud of her. He had built his empire by defending criminals.

But only if they had the money to pay him. A poor, desperate woman stealing food would have been laughed out of his office.

She knew she should have asked the alien. She’d actually been considering it as she crouched there at the edge of the jungle watching him tend the fish. Until he stood up and she had gotten the full impact of his huge naked body only a few feet away from her.

And then he turned around, and she’d gotten an even closer look at that massive and most definitely not human cock. The surface had been covered with what looked like small spines, and when she had seen it twitch and start to fill, she panicked. If he decided to take advantage of her, she wouldn’t have been able to defend herself against him.

Thank goodness he turned away and headed for the water. An unexpected fit of recklessness had seized her, and she’d darted out of the bushes long enough to grab the branch of fish.

Her headlong flight took her deeper into the jungle, and once again she ran into a small stream. She came to a halt, gasping for breath.

Not the same stream, she decided, when she caught her breath enough to look around. This one was wider and deeper. A small clearing on the other side beckoned to her as she waded through the knee-deep stream into the clearing and collapsed to her knees.

“I don’t think I’m cut out for a life of crime,” she murmured to the baby. He was more interested in crawling across her body trying to get to the fish.

“Hold on. I’m going to feed you… Try a little bit first to make sure it doesn’t upset your stomach.”

She mashed up a small piece of the smoked fish and offered it to him on her finger. He swallowed it down easily and started rooting around for more. Hoping she was doing the right thing, she repeated the process until his frantic licking finally slowed. He settled back down in her hand, the round little bulge of his stomach filling her with satisfaction as he promptly went to sleep.

His fur had dried, and it was no longer a sleek, dark purple. Instead, it was a pale lavender blue. Periwinkle blue, she decided, then smiled. Periwinkle. It was the perfect name for him.

Now that he was taken care of, it was her turn. The delicious scent of the smoked fish had been making her mouth water, but she still hesitated before she lifted a piece to her mouth. What if it wasn’t fit for humans to eat? Had whoever brought her here considered that possibility?

Then again, the air was safe to breathe and the water was safe to drink. Hopefully, her fairy godmother had taken food into account as well. She took a cautious bite, then groaned with pleasure and abandoned caution.

She devoured two of the fish before her conscience reared its head. There had been seven fish on the branch. She and Periwinkle had taken care of three of them, but there were four remaining. Was it really fair that the male who had hunted for them and prepared them hadn’t had anything to eat?

Maybe if she took them back, he would see it as a peace offering. Then again, it would also leave her without any food. After debating with herself, she took one more fish and wrapped it in a leaf. If nothing else, she would be able to keep Periwinkle fed.

Snuggling the still sleeping Peri against her chest, she crossed the stream and retraced her steps back to the beach. Once again, her path was unmistakable. He really must not like the jungle, she thought, since he hadn’t followed her either time. The knowledge gave her a little extra confidence as she crouched in the bushes at the edge of his beach once more.

He had his back to her, and he was walking into the ocean. Now that he was a little further away, she could relax enough to appreciate the magnificent sight. If it wasn’t for the blue scales, he could have been a human man—an exceptionally large and muscular man—but as the water reached his waist, she saw the fin rising along his back and gulped. Definitely not human.

His head disappeared silently beneath the gentle waves. He had probably gone to hunt again, she thought guiltily, looking at what remained of the fish. So he really wouldn’t miss these, would he?

Yes, her conscience insisted. They belong to him.

Keeping a wary eye on the ocean, she crept out of the undergrowth and returned the branch of fish to its previous position before scurrying back undercover. Nothing disturbed the surface of the water, and she lingered, taking in the rest of his beach.

In addition to the fire pit, he had a low table that appeared to be made from branches tied together by knotted vines. More vines had been woven together to create a hammock that swung gently between two trees, and she regarded it enviously.

She hadn’t even considered where she was going to sleep tonight. Her previously unknown criminal instincts pointed out that she could just borrow the hammock while he was underwater, but she immediately rejected the idea. Food was a necessity; a comfortable place to sleep was not.

It didn’t look like a permanent residence, she decided, remembering her previous curiosity about whether or not he was alone. Maybe he was just on a fishing expedition. But he must have come from somewhere. The possibility of a civilization intrigued her, but she wanted to find out more about this one alien.

But first she wanted to go back and see if Peri’s mother had returned. Since the water was still quiet, she decided to walk around the point on the beach rather than fighting her way through the jungle.

A’rien’s head emerged from the water as soon as the little female headed back along the beach. He watched curiously, glad that he had decided to bide his time before confronting her about her theft.

Although he was most at home in the water, he was quite competent on land as well. He had no problem following her into the jungle when she fled with his fish. He had intended to retrieve them from her, possibly demanding a small forfeit for his trouble, but he’d been intrigued enough to watch and see what she did with them. He’d been shocked when he realized that she had a young animal with her and she had chosen to feed it first. From the way she subsequently devoured her own meal, it wasn’t due to lack of hunger on her part. It confirmed his initial impression: she was an innocent.

He had been even more shocked when she picked up the remaining fish and started back towards him. He barely made it to the beach before she reached it. He shook his head, still not believing that she had returned the uneaten portion. She clearly had no way to fend for herself, and yet she had given up her stolen food.

My little female is turning out to be more complicated than I imagined, he thought as he watched her walk away.

For once she wasn’t running from him and he took a long leisurely look. She didn’t belong to any species he recognized, but she was remarkably attractive. Long, slender limbs, those temptingly curved buttocks, a cloud of wavy brown hair that caught the light from the low slanting rays of the sun.

He shot a glance over his shoulder. Darkness would be falling before too long, and he found he didn’t like the thought of his little female alone in the dark. He hadn’t detected any signs of large predators on the island, but she seemed remarkably defenseless.

He followed her, swimming parallel to the beach so he could keep his eye on her as he began to come up with a plan.

Chapter Five

Erica made her way back through the jungle to the stream where she found Peri. Either she was getting better at navigating the undergrowth, or her clumsiness was starting to create a trail because it seemed easier this time. She reached the stream with only a few additional scratches.

The mud leading to the den was as smooth and untouched as it had been when she left. It didn’t look as though his mama was coming back. Her heart clenched in sympathy as she ran a finger down his small back. She knew what that was like.

He raised his head, sniffing the air, then started wiggling in her palm. Somewhat reluctantly, she put him down on the ground. He immediately headed for the water. She watched anxiously as he trotted into the stream, but it appeared that her theory that he was a water animal was correct. He splashed around happily for a few minutes, diving beneath the surface, then reappearing several feet away.

She sat down on the moss-covered rock that she had used before and watched him play. The feel of the soft moss against her bare skin reminded her once again that she was naked. She spared a fleeting thought for the large wardrobe in her apartment, but neither her practical work clothes or the dresses her father forced on her would have been particularly well-suited for this environment.

At least she didn’t need to worry about being cold. Although, it would be nice to have something to protect her bare feet until they toughened up. Wait a minute. Had she accepted the fact that she was going to be her long enough for that to happen?

Panic started to rise in her throat, and she forced the thought to the back of her mind.

She dipped her feet into the stream to let the cool water soothe the bruised soles, and Peri immediately came over to play with them. He put his little paws around her big toe and tried to tug her completely into the water. She laughed and shook her head. “It’s not really deep enough for me, sweetie.”

Since he was still clinging to her toe, she swished him gently back and forth in the water while he burbled happily. Then he went off to play more while she tried to decide what to do next.

The sun was sending slanting shadows through the branches and she realized it would soon be nightfall. The stream was pleasant enough but there was no real place to lay down. And as the shadows deepened, the jungle took on a mysterious and slightly frightening air. Even though she had yet to see any signs of large predators—unless you considered the big blue alien a threat—she really didn’t like the idea of spending the night here.

Peri finally got tired of playing and climbed out next to her, chirping impatiently until she picked him up. He hadn’t even glanced at the den that had been his previous home.

“I guess I’m your mama now, aren’t I?” she murmured as she unwrapped the remains of the smoked fish.

She fed him until he started to yawn, then he curled up on her thigh, put his tail over his nose, and went to sleep. She took a few bites of the fish, but she wanted to make sure she had enough to feed him the following day, so with a regretful sigh, she wrapped it back up.

Cradling him in one hand, she began the trek back towards the beach. The sun was sinking quickly now, but the sound of the waves helped to guide her.

The beach was deserted, and she decided that here was as good a place as any to set up camp for the night. She sat down with her back against one of what she had decided to call palm trees, even though its only resemblance to the Earth tree was its thin swaying trunk. The sun was sinking into the ocean in a fiery blaze of glory, sending a sparkling lavender path across the waves. It was beautiful, but it was also lonely, and she briefly wondered if her alien was watching the sunset as well.

Her alien. She snorted. Given her luck with men, it would definitely be better to stay away from him—and yet she couldn’t help thinking enviously of his snug little camp with his fire and his hammock.

If he can figure out how to do those things, then so can I, she thought resolutely.

As soon as the sun disappeared beneath the waves, darkness fell with shocking suddenness. The jungle was alive with noise—leaves rustling, insects twittering, and once or twice, a sudden loud squawk that made her jump.

The tree trunk prickled against her back, and the sand beneath her wasn’t as comfortable as she had hoped. The small scratches and cuts she had acquired earlier were a constant annoyance, and her bruised feet ached.

The strange calm that had enveloped her all day started to bleed away. Everything up until now had been so fantastically unrealistic that a large part of her had still been convinced that she was dreaming. But this—the reality of sore feet and itchy sand and stinging scratches—this wasn’t fantastic. This was all too real.

As the moon rose across the water, the knowledge of her situation settled into her bones. She wasn’t on Earth anymore. She didn’t know where she was. And she had no way to return to her previous life.

Peri made a soft snuffling noise in his sleep, and she gathered him up, clinging to his warm little body as tears dripped down her face.

Eventually, exhaustion took over and she drifted off to sleep. Dark images chased through her dreams, then her alien was there, fending off her attackers and gathering her close. He felt warm and solid, with a crisp, clean scent, and her lips curved into a smile as she settled into a deeper, more restful sleep.

A’rien smiled as his little female nestled closer to him. Her impossibly smooth skin felt like silk against his scales, and although the sensation had the inevitable effect on his cock, he also felt a surprising sense of protectiveness. She was so defenseless—no scales or fangs, and her cute little pink claws would never fend off a predator.

The little water creature she had tucked against her chest chittered softly, and he looked down to find it surveying him suspiciously through big purple eyes.

“Don’t worry, Pair-ee,” he promised, using the name she had chosen. “I have no intention of harming her.”

It was a foolish name, just as her attempt to care for the wild creature was foolish. His own attempt long ago had not turned out well—for him or the creature. But here there was no one to torment her or to harm the creature just to cause her pain, and he couldn’t bring himself to separate them.

He shook his head as he reluctantly placed her in his hammock. He had never felt the urge to simply hold a female before, but this wasn’t the time to indulge himself. He had things to do.

After he had followed her along the beach, spying on her from the ocean, he had started to follow her into the jungle. Then he noticed a rough woven bag, identical to his own, half-buried in the sand at the edge of the undergrowth.

Inside, he had found another map. Although this one used different symbols to denote both the female and her planet, it was clear that they would share a destination. He snorted. Not only did he have no intention of returning to Taivan, he certainly wasn’t going to send a desirable female away. The other item in the bag, a set of fishhooks, could prove to be useful. He appropriated them for himself, then buried the bag and the map beneath the sand once more.

Then he followed her trail and found her talking to Pair-ee. Her language was unfamiliar to him, but his translation implant was already beginning to process it. The upgraded device had cost him dearly, but the ability to interpret conversations he wasn’t supposed to understand had come in useful many times over the years.

He had intended to drive her towards the beach, and then to his campsite, but as he watched her play with the infant and then feed it so carefully, he found himself reluctant to bother her. The fact that she ate little herself was unexpectedly disturbing. As he began to consider ways to provide her with additional food, she climbed to her feet and started back towards the beach.

She had passed within a few inches of where he was concealed behind some shrubbery, close enough that he could have reached out and closed his hand around a soft white breast or filled both hands with the lush curves of her ass as he pulled her against him.

It was not the time, he reminded himself, turning his attention to the fact that she seemed to have no idea he was so close. He sighed. No survival instincts whatsoever. Who could have been foolish enough to abandon her here in this place?

Could she possibly have been a prisoner as well? Looking at that innocent face and considering her protective treatment of the infant, he found it highly unlikely. Unless perhaps she had been framed as well. Hmm.

He considered the idea as she settled down beneath the tree to watch the sunset. No doubt it was as beautiful as it had been the previous night, but tonight he found that he would rather watch her face.

Had she been framed? Was this whole setup some kind of test to allow wrongly convicted prisoners to earn their way to freedom?

He still had no intention of returning, but what if she wanted to return?

No, he thought firmly. She was his now.

A foreign feeling, one he suspected might be guilt, filled him as the darkness fell and moonlight glistened on her tears. But he had long ago learned the guilt was a useless emotion. You did what you had to do in order to survive and flourish. And he would flourish much more happily with her at his side. And in his bed.

But for once, he wasn’t going to rush headlong into a scheme. He had all the time in the world.

He should have left her under the tree, should have waited until she was hungry and lonely and desperate enough to come to him, but he couldn’t do it. When she finally settled into a restless sleep, he couldn’t resist picking her up and carrying her back to his camp.

Now, as he laid her gently in his hammock, a deep satisfaction filled him. Yes. This was where she belonged.

Chapter Six

Erica’s bed rocked gently beneath her, and she smiled, relaxing into the soothing rhythm. Still half asleep, it took longer than it should have for her to realize that her bed should not be rocking.

The events of the previous day flashed in her mind, and she automatically reached for Peri. His warm little body was no longer cradled in her arm. Her eyes flew open as she sat up, searching frantically for him.

It took a moment for her startled mind to process what she was seeing. She was no longer leaning against the tree on her beach. She was in the big blue alien’s camp…

The same big blue alien who was watching her from the other side of the fire, one eyebrow raised sardonically as he smirked at her.

He was turning something on a spit over the fire—something that was most definitely not fish—and her heart skipped a beat.

“Peri!”

A chattering noise came from the sand beneath the hammock, and then Peri was there, trying to climb up her leg with his sharp little paws. Too relieved to care, she reached down and picked him up, hugging him against her. As she did, she remembered once again that she was naked and alone with the alien.

Her gaze flew back to him as he stood. Good Lord he was huge. Even standing on the other side of the fire, he seemed to tower over her. He gave a leisurely stretch, just as he had done the day before when she had been spying on him, and despite her best intentions, her eyes automatically dropped to his cock before she snatched them away.

Yep, that too was just as big as she remembered. And still covered with those little spikes.

She gulped nervously, even as an unexpected rush of warmth turned her nipples hard behind her shielding arm. It was ridiculous—they were obviously physically incompatible.

He studied her in turn, and those unexpectedly sensual lips bowed in a slow smile. The heat in his eyes was all too clear, and she braced herself, preparing to make a run for it.

Then he spoke. He had a deep, sexy voice, but she had no idea what he was saying. She bit her lip as she stared back at him.

He sighed and shook his head. “Foo-dh,” he said slowly.

Wait. Had she heard him correctly? Was he speaking English?

“Food?” she repeated tentatively.

He nodded and pointed to her and Peri. “Stay.”

By the time she realized what he had said, he had already turned his admittedly fine back and headed for the ocean.

Still dumbstruck, she watched his dark head disappear beneath the waves without a backwards look. He didn’t seem to have any doubt she would obey his order.

“Screw that,” she muttered to Peri as she jumped to her feet. She didn’t like the fact that he had brought her to his camp—even if he had been nice enough to let her sleep in his hammock. She wasn’t going to stick around long enough to find out what payment he would expect.

And she certainly didn’t like the fact that he could apparently speak some English. Had he been the one responsible for bringing her here?

The primitive looking camp didn’t suggest that he had any such knowledge, but maybe this was all part of the setup. Whatever game he was playing, she didn’t want to find out.

With Peri still tucked in her arm, she headed back into the jungle. As she did, she spotted a crudely woven bag hanging from a low branch. Hmm. It would be a lot easier to make her way if both her hands were free.

Fighting back the pangs of her guilty conscience, she snagged it from the branch, then lifted it over her head and placed Peri inside. He didn’t seem to object, turning around a few times before settling down.

More of the smoked fish were hanging on a vine beneath one of the trees, and with a resigned shrug, she snagged a couple of them. If she was going to be a thief, she would prefer not to be a hungry one.

She cast a wistful glance at the fire, but she couldn’t think of any way to carry some of that with her. Her stomach fluttered with nerves, expecting to see that dark head rising from the ocean, and she decided not to stick around long enough to scavenge anything else.

Once a line of undergrowth shielded her from the beach, she paused, trying to decide the best course of action. So far, he hadn’t followed her into the jungle, but could she rely on that? The beach where she had landed was a little too close to him for comfort.

She thought back to their brief, one-sided conversation. The fact that he had managed a few words of English argued that perhaps there was some technology here after all. Yesterday, she had allowed herself to live in the present, but now, her practical nature reasserted itself. Someone or something had brought her here. While she still doubted that it was her primitive blue alien, he surely wasn’t the only resident of this planet. It was time to find out more.

“I can see why Big Blue stays out of the jungle,” she muttered to Peri an indeterminate amount of time later. Not only was it a constant fight with the sharp-edged leaves and the tangled vines, but it was also difficult to maintain any sense of direction. She couldn’t even see the sky clearly enough to use the sun for guidance.

Striking out at what she hoped was the correct angle to reach the shore again, she kept walking. By the time she emerged on another beach, the sun was high overhead and she was hot, tired, and annoyed.

She was also thirsty, and she hadn’t encountered another stream. Her decision to set out and explore suddenly seemed more foolish than brave.

The breeze from the ocean sent a cool draft over her skin as she stepped cautiously out of the shade. At least she hadn’t circled back—this was a brand-new location.

Here, the beach curved away in a long gentle arc to a rocky spit of land with waves crashing around its base. Out in the water, she could see another line of waves breaking on what must be an underground reef. Further along the beach, she saw what looked like the sparkle of water running out of the jungle.

Peri scrabbled around in the bag, trying to see over the side, and she laughed and lifted him free. “You want to know what’s going on, little one?”

He looked around eagerly, big purple eyes sparkling. A little tentatively, she lifted him to her shoulder, but he balanced there easily, one paw wrapped in her hair, as she set off for that promising gleam of water.

As she had hoped, a small stream emerged from the jungle at that point. She knelt to get a drink, and Peri leapt forward before she could stop him.

He burbled happily as he rolled in the water until his fur was slick and dark once more. She moved a little further upstream and took a grateful drink. At least water did not seem to be in short supply. If she only had a way to carry it…

Once her thirst was quenched, she settled back down on the sand and shared her stolen fish with Peri.

“I hope Big Blue isn’t angry about the fish.”

Peri didn’t share her concerns, eagerly wolfing down his share.

“And he did say something about food. Don’t you think that meant he was going to get us some?” A horrible thought intruded. “You don’t think he thought we were food, do you?”

No. From the way he looked at her, she didn’t think he intended to eat her.

At least not that way. The naughty thought popped up before she could stop it, along with the vision of those broad shoulders spreading her thighs as his dark head descended.

What was wrong with her?

Maybe it’s because I’m naked, she thought. Her body exposed to the warm tropical breeze, the heavy scent of flowers filling her head.

“I need some clothes,” she announced to Peri, but he wasn’t listening. His stomach full, he had ducked his head in the small stream, and was now curled sleepily in the warm sand. He looked so content she didn’t have the heart to disturb him, and really, what was the rush?

By now, Big Blue must be a long way behind us, she thought, suppressing a small pang of regret.

Settling down next to Peri, she tried to figure out how she was going to go about making some clothes, but after the long walk and their meal, the warmth of the sun settled over her like a blanket and she drifted off to sleep.

Somehow, A’rien wasn’t surprised when he emerged from the water and found his little female had disappeared. Again.

He had hoped that the promise of food would entice her to stay, but obviously, she was not so easily swayed.

“I should have tied her to the hammock,” he muttered. Even though the thought of her tied down so that he could pleasure her made his shaft stiffen, he wasn’t really disappointed that she had fled. A good chase simply worked up an appetite.

He grinned when he realized that she had stolen his bag and more of his fish. But she had only taken two fish. That wouldn’t be enough to feed her for long, especially if she insisted on giving most of it to Peri as he suspected she would.

Then again, he had no intention of letting her fend for herself. Grabbing his harpoon, he slipped into the jungle and followed her.

He sighed when he finally stepped out of the jungle and found his female asleep on the beach. She had set no warnings, no traps, and her pale, delectable body was easily visible against the sand. What kind of life had she led that she didn’t feel the need to guard herself?

His first impulse was to repeat his actions of the previous night and scoop her up and carry her back to his camp. But unlike the previous night, she was sleeping peacefully, and he knew if he carried her back, she would simply run away again.

No, perhaps it would be best to let her find out for herself that she would be better off with him. He would remain with her to make sure she did not run into danger, but he would stay out of sight.

Indulging himself, he ran a lingering glance over her soft body, then frowned. She had acquired more abrasions since this morning, in addition to the ones that already marked her skin.

He had intended to offer to heal them for her, and even now, his mouth watered at the thought of tasting her soft skin as he used the healing power of his saliva. But somehow, he did not think she would react well to waking up and finding him licking her wounds.

She had been saying something when he approached, and he ran the words through his translation implant. Ah, clothing.

While it would be a shame to cover that glorious body, it would help to protect her delicate skin. He had not bothered making clothing for himself, but there were resources aplenty.

Perhaps he could make something for her, and request a small favor in exchange—possibly the taste of those soft pink lips…

No.

Even though life had taught him nothing was ever given for free, he found the thought of asking her for payment unexpectedly distasteful. He did not want her to feel indebted to him.

But she had proven resourceful so far. Perhaps if he planted the idea in her head…

Keeping an eye on her, he started investigating the many vines that climbed through the trees. One in particular, a smooth pale blue vine that clung to the shady side of the larger trees, would be ideal for clothing.

Once he had gathered a sufficient supply, he carried them to the edge of the beach, a short distance away from where she slept. Peri’s head rose, studying him from those big purple eyes, and he decided she might not be as unprotected as he had assumed.

To his relief, the infant only watched as A’rien arranged the vines in a seemingly casual pile. He wove a few of them together in a loose cluster and hoped that would be enough for her to grasp his meaning.

He nodded at the still-watching animal, then stepped back into the jungle and waited for her to wake.

Chapter Seven

Erica awoke from a confused and disturbingly erotic dream of Big Blue watching her as she pleasured herself. Shaking her head, she sat up. Her few experiences with sex had been disappointing on the whole, and she had accepted the fact that she was just not particularly interested. So why on Earth—or wherever she was—would she suddenly start having erotic dreams? And about an alien, of all things?

Between the dream and the warmth of the sun, she felt hot and sticky and she gave the sparkling ocean a wistful glance. But she had never been a very good swimmer, and who knew what lurked beneath that placid surface?

Turning to the small stream instead, she gathered up as much as she could with her hands and splashed it over her face and body. Peri thought it was a wonderful game and did his best to splash her as well.

They played for a few minutes before she decided that if she was going to explore this place, she needed to keep moving. The rocky spur at the far end of the beach looked promising. If she could manage to climb it, it might give her a better perspective on her surroundings.

She reached down to collect Peri, intending to put him back in the carrying bag, but instead he skittered a short way up the beach, burbling at her.

“Are you trying to tell me you want to walk?”

She suspected he would wear out pretty quickly, but she couldn’t see any harm in letting him run around on his own. He had never shown any signs of wanting to abandon her.

To her surprise, instead of heading off down the beach, he dove for a heap of fallen vines half hidden beneath the undergrowth. Afraid that he might get caught in them, she followed him over.

The pile of pale blue strands felt unexpectedly soft against her fingers when she reached down to retrieve him. Some of them were already intertwined, almost braided, and it gave her a sudden inspiration.

“I wonder if I could use this to make a skirt or a top?”

Although she was tempted to try it out immediately, the sun was no longer high overhead and she knew how quickly night could fall. Gathering up the vines, she stuffed as many of them as she could in her bag and draped the rest around her neck. The silky strands falling down across her breasts felt unexpectedly erotic, and her nipples tightened.

“Maybe it’s something in the water,” she muttered.

Peri took a few steps up the beach, then turned to look over his shoulder at her, clearly impatient to get moving.

“All right, all right. I’m coming.”

The smooth sand on the edge of the water made for easier walking. Peri hopped in and out of the gentle waves that washed up on the beach, and the cool water soothed her aching feet.

In spite of everything, she felt oddly… happy. How long had it been since she was last free just to go for a walk, and in such a beautiful setting?

She kept glancing out across the water, half-expecting to see Big Blue rising from the waves. Not that I want to see him, she told herself firmly, even as memories of her dream flashed through her mind.

Despite the pleasure of her surroundings, her happiness began to wane as she tired. The distance to the rocky outcropping was much further than she anticipated. Peri’s energy gave out before they were halfway there, and she nestled him in the bag amongst the soft vines.

The sun was beginning to set up by the time they reached the base of the rocks, and she realized that the cliff was much taller than it had seemed from her initial position. No wonder it had taken so long to reach it.

It was also much steeper than she had realized, and she didn’t intend to try climbing it in the gathering darkness.

“I guess we’re camping here for the night,” she told Peri as she lifted him out of the bag.

He jumped down and began investigating the tide pools. A sharp crack made her look up in time to see him breaking the shell of a small sea creature with a rock. He eagerly devoured the inside, and she shuddered. It was probably the same as eating oysters, but there was a vast difference between neatly cleaned and opened shellfish on a bed of ice and a slimy yellow something pulled from a broken shell.

But Peri seemed content with his meal so she ate a few more bites of the smoked fish. Although she knew she should be grateful to have it, a change would definitely have been welcome. But not quite welcome enough for her to try one of the shellfish.

Since it wasn’t completely dark yet, she settled back against a mossy rock and tried to decide what to do with her vines. After finding a length that would circle her waist, she tried to find some shorter strands and soon realized how much she missed having a pair of scissors. Eventually, she managed to saw a long strand into shorter pieces by rubbing it back and forth across a sharp rock. After tying the shorter strands to the waist band, she began weaving the longer pieces in and out of the other strands. By the time complete darkness descended, she had created a very small front panel for her skirt.

The spot she had chosen to make camp was a shallow curve at the base of the cliff. It had seemed like a good choice in the light of day, but after dark, it was no longer so appealing.

All she could see in front of her was the water, and the constant rush of the waves obscured any other sound. The fact that she couldn’t see or hear anything—or anybody—that approached made her increasingly nervous. Although she tried to tell herself that meant no one could see her either, she found herself straining her ears for any trace of sound. It didn’t help that she also felt as if someone was watching her.

The rock against her back was hard and unforgiving, and she thought wistfully of the comfortable hammock in which she had spent the previous night.

“Perhaps I should have made a hammock instead of a skirt,” she muttered to herself as she shifted uncomfortably in the sand.

For the first time since she had arrived here, she felt cold. The rock surrounding her gleamed with moisture as a damp breeze drifted in from the ocean. She shivered and tried to arrange the remaining vines to cover as much of her body as possible. Peri snuggled close, his tail covering his face once more, and she envied his peaceful slumber.

She dozed fitfully throughout the night and greeted the first light of dawn with a sigh of relief. As much as she dreaded climbing the cliff, she didn’t want to spend another night on the beach.

Her movements woke Peri. He bounced happily back in the direction of the tide pools, while she tried to work up some enthusiasm for more smoked fish.

Instead of cracking open more of the shellfish, Peri picked up a round blue globe. She remembered that he had been eating one the previous morning, but how had it ended up here? When she followed him down the beach, she found several more just above the high tide line. They must have floated in on the waves.

She raised one cautiously to her nose and sniffed. Mmm. It smelled sweet and fruity, and her mouth watered.

Peri was still devouring his fruit—hopefully that meant it was safe. She took a small, cautious bite and groaned with pleasure. Delicious. The texture of the soft flesh reminded her of a plum, but it tasted more like a banana.

She forced herself to wait for an interminable minute, but she couldn’t detect any ill effects, and she eagerly devoured the rest of it. Her stomach gurgled as she surveyed the remaining fruit, but she reluctantly decided it would be best to make sure she didn’t suffer any delayed reaction before eating more.

Gathering up the remaining fruit, she returned to their resting place feeling more optimistic about the day. That was, until she looked up at the cliff face above her.

It was rocky rather than sheer, but she’d never had much of a head for heights, and it seemed dauntingly high.

“Maybe we should go a little further along the beach,” she told Peri. “It might not be as steep.”

He chittered up at her in what she chose to take as agreement, so she fastened her partial skirt around her waist and gathered up their belongings.

Boulders cluttered the base of the cliff where it thrust out into the sea, but she managed to pick her way through them. Peri scrambled over them with surprising ease, although he was often diverted by a barnacle clinging to the rock or a length of seaweed—all of which he promptly ate.

“I suppose that’s edible,” she said doubtfully, and tried nibbling on a small piece of seaweed. It tasted rather like salty, bitter spinach.

“I think I’ll stick to the fruit.” She handed the rest of the seaweed to Peri.

When they finally made it around the point, she discovered a small cove. Unfortunately, the rocks were even steeper here, but to her delight, a waterfall trickled down the face of the rock. The fresh water was a welcome relief, especially after her foray into eating seaweed. While Peri played in the stream, she ate another one of the fruits. Now that the sun was up and she’d had food and water, her optimism from the previous day began to return.

There had to be technology somewhere in this place, and she was going to find it. But in the meantime, she was going to treat this like a vacation. The vacation she should have taken years ago. Why had she been so desperate to seek the approval of a man who had never really cared about her? Had her father even realized that she was gone? Would he worry?

If he even cares at all, it will only be when he realizes how much work I did, she thought bitterly. A lump appeared in her throat, but she refused to give in to tears. Instead, she speculated about what she would find around the next point. A village perhaps, or even just a house would be nice. Although who would be living there? More big blue aliens?

Hopefully, they would be more civilized than her Big Blue.

She sat in the sun, speculating, letting her imagination come up with ever more improbable scenarios. Finally, she pushed herself to her feet and picked up Peri from where he was dozing against her thigh.

“Time to go.”

It wasn’t until she was halfway around the cove that she realized that the point for which she been heading had a froth of white around its base. She was sure that hadn’t been there before.

The tide. Of course, the tide was coming in. She gave a rueful sigh and adjusted Peri’s bag.

“So much for following the beach. Looks like it’s the jungle after all.”

She turned to retrace her steps and came to a sudden halt. The boulders she had climbed over to reach the cove were now half-covered with water. By the time she reached them, waves would be crashing against the bottom of the cliff.

Damn. That meant she would be trapped here until the tide turned. But even as she headed back to the waterfall, the width of the beach began to shrink. As her eyes traveled along the rock face, she saw what she had missed previously. The rocks at the base of the cliff were much darker than those further up. She was appalled to realize that the dark line high above her head must be the high watermark. The entire beach would soon be underwater.

Chapter Eight

A’rien swore as he returned to the beach and found that his female had disappeared again. He should never have left her, but after seeing her begin eating some of the fruit he’d left for her to find, he had headed back into the jungle.

The previous night had been as hard on him as he suspected it was on her. His satisfaction at seeing her utilize the vines had faded as night fell. She was so obviously uncomfortable in her makeshift camp that he’d started to retrieve her a dozen times. His heretofore undiscovered protective impulses waged war with his plan to entice her to stay with him. If he kept rescuing her, how would she ever understand how much better off she would be with him?

In the end, he had settled for keeping watch over her and providing her with food. However, he had no intention of spending another anxious night. She had picked up on the idea of weaving the vines into clothing readily enough. If he supplied the thicker vines that he had used to make his own hammock, he had no doubt that she would make the connection.

But when he emerged back onto the beach and realized she was gone, he forgot all about the hammock. Casting the vines aside, he raced over to where he had last seen her. Small footprints led down the beach towards the point. He followed them until the incoming tide covered them.

Fuck. If he remembered correctly from his explorations, the next cove would be underwater once the tide came in. Unless she had crossed it quickly enough…

He dove into the water, ignoring the current tugging at his body. His heart raced, but not from fear of the water.

As soon as he rounded the point and escaped the pounding surf, he surfaced, looking for her small figure. Water lapped at the base of the cliff, no trace of beach remaining, and he scanned the surface of the waves, looking for any sign of her. He was about to move on to the next beach when he thought to look up.

The roaring in his ears was louder than the pounding surf. She was halfway up the rocky cliff. Even as he watched, she tried to climb up a narrow ledge. Her foot slipped, and a shower of small rocks cascaded down into waves.

To hell with this.

He was retrieving her right now. Even if he did have to tie her down, she was never going off on her own again. His heart couldn’t take it.

Cutting through the water to the base of the rocks, he started to climb. The webs between his fingers and toes helped him find traction—a feature that had come in useful in his past adventures—but he had never been more grateful for that fact than he was now.

He climbed rapidly until he was just below her position, then paused as he considered the best approach. Although his instincts demanded that he retrieve her immediately, he could see her hands shaking and he didn’t want her to lose her precarious grip.

Pair-ee’s small head popped up from the bag she had positioned on her back. He looked down at A’rien and chittered.

“Please be still, Peri.” Her voice shook. “It won’t be much longer.”

She took another step, and her foot slipped again. This time, she lost her footing all together, and he watched in slow motion horror as she started to fall backwards off the cliff.

He abandoned his handholds and reached for her. All that mattered was stopping her fall. If he lost his balance as well, he hoped he would be able to use his body to cushion her fall into the water below.

His fingers brushed soft skin… slid… then tangled in her vine skirt. He gripped it desperately and hauled her towards him.

Then she was safe in his arms as he struggled to find his own balance, pressing back against the rock as he tightened his arms around her. She didn’t fight his grip as he managed to wedge himself deeper into the narrow ledge, clinging to him just as desperately.

“Thank the gods,” he muttered as he buried his face in her soft hair and waited for his pounding heart to slow.

At the sound of his voice, she looked up, her face pale with shock beneath the dirt acquired during her climb. Big brown eyes filled with tears and her lips trembled.

“You saved me. Saved us,” she added as Pair-ee climbed up on her shoulder. “Thank you.”

The translation implant enabled him to understand her words, but his tongue still struggled with the sounds of her language.

“Sayf,” he assured her, then frowned, still terrified at what had almost happened. “Shuhd hav stayd.”

To his surprise, she gave a shaky laugh. “I suppose so. But I was afraid you were going to eat me. Us.”

What? He thought back to what he’d said and groaned silently.

“Find foo-dh for yoo.” He lifted a gentle finger to her dirt-streaked face. “Nev-uhr huhrt.”

“I believe you.” She shifted her weight slightly as she spoke and dislodged a pebble. Her small hands grabbed for him as she tried to press even closer. “Please tell me you have a plan for getting us off this cliff.”

Not exactly—but that had never stopped him before.

He glanced down, judging the distance to the water. He had dived from greater heights, but the water at the base of the rock was relatively shallow. He wasn’t sure that he could both carry her safely and leap far enough away from the rock to reach deeper water.

“Kliem,” he said instead.

“I… I don’t know if I can.”

She took a firmer hold on his waist, as if she expected him to go off and leave her behind. Of course he wouldn’t, but he did like having her cling to him so willingly. His cock liked it too, stirring against the warmth of her skin.

Her body tensed as she looked up at him. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He forced himself to shrug casually. “Dayn-juhr.”

Although she was the real cause of his arousal, he suspected she would find his alternate explanation less threatening. Her body did relax slightly as she made a strange gesture with her eyes.

“Great. I’m stuck on a cliff with someone who gets off on danger,” she muttered.

“Awf?”

“Never mind.” She lifted her chin. “I suppose if we have to climb, we’d better get started.”

He tightened his arms in a brief hug, then leaned back to study the route. She squeaked and grabbed for him.

“Sayf,” he assured her, then gently loosened her arm from around his waist. Pair-ee was still sitting on her shoulder, and he urged the infant back down into the bag. The small creature gave him a suspicious look but went.

Fortunately, the surface of the rock was rough and uneven. There were plenty of hand and foot holds, even allowing for her limited reach. Putting his hand over hers, he showed her where to reach the first one. Her fingers trembled, but she grabbed it anyway.

“Brayv fee-mayl.”

Her lips curved at his praise and she clutched the surface with more confidence. One small movement at a time, they climbed the cliff. Her movements were slow and shaky, but he did his best to keep his body between her and the long drop, and that seemed to help. She froze once, but he put his arm around her and whispered encouragement in his own language until she was able to move again.

When they finally reached the top, he helped her over the rim. She took two shaky steps away from the edge, then turned and threw herself in his arms. Her whole body shook, her face wet where it was pressed against his chest. He held her just as tightly, his pulse still racing. It was far from the hardest climb he’d ever made—his escape down the sea wall of the Algar Fortress had been much more difficult—but his concern for her safety had left him thoroughly drained.

He stroked her shoulders until her sobs subsided, but as her breathing calmed, he became more aware of the silky skin beneath his hands, of the soft curves pressed against his body. His cock stirred, but he did his best to keep it under control. He didn’t want to frighten her.

When she leaned back to look up at him, he was sure she was going to push him away. Instead, she went up on her toes, tugged his head down, and kissed him.

Shocked, he froze, and she started to pull back. Oh, hell no.

His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her closer, exploring the incredible sweetness of her mouth. It was her turn to stiffen, but before he could force himself to release her, she kissed him back. Her soft little tongue met his eagerly, and he groaned into her mouth.

The hard points of her breasts branded his chest, and he reached down to cup her ass and lift her higher into his arms. But as his hand swept down her back, he brushed against the bag hanging there and Pair-ee squeaked loudly.

She jumped, then pulled away from him as he reluctantly let her go. Fiery pink colored her cheeks as she dropped her gaze, concentrating on retrieving the small animal from his nest.

He bit back a frustrated growl, although he couldn’t prevent himself from glaring at Pair-ee as she clutched the animal to her chest and kissed his small head. Those were supposed to be his kisses, dammit.

“I don’t believe we made it,” she murmured, still not looking at him.

“Sayf,” he reminded her.

“Yes, you kept me safe.” She gave him a quick smile, then frowned. “How come you can understand me?”

He hesitated, then tapped behind his ear. “Trans-lay-shuhn.”

“You have something in your head that translates languages? That’s not the kind of technology I would expect to find in a jungle.” Her embarrassment seemed to fade as she studied him thoughtfully. “You’re not from here either, are you?”

She was starting to get into an area he’d rather not discuss. He shook his head, then pointed to where Pair-ee was trying to wiggle out of her hands. The diversion was successful. She pressed another of his kisses to the soft fur, then let him down so he could explore.

She watched carefully to make sure Pair-ee didn’t head for the edge of the cliff, then lifted her gaze and looked out over the shimmering sea. “I suppose if you have to be stranded somewhere, there are worse places. It’s so beautiful here. That view almost makes the climb worthwhile.”

Her voice shook a little on the last words, but he was impressed at how quickly she had regained her composure. As much as he enjoyed having her cling to him, he didn’t want her to be afraid.

Playing along, he raised a skeptical eyebrow and she laughed.

“I said almost. But I did want to get to higher ground so I could see where we are.”

She turned her back on the cliff, looking out across the rest of the island where it sloped back down towards the sea. He watched as her shoulders sagged.

“It is an island, isn’t it?”

He nodded slowly, hating the disappointment on her face despite his own happiness with their situation.

“I don’t know why, but I’m not surprised. It was the first thing I thought when I woke up here.” She sighed. “I guess that means we’re stuck here.”

Yes. He managed to hide his satisfaction.

“Wait a minute!” Her eyes lit up with excitement. “Look! Isn’t that land over there?”

He went to join her, even though he already knew she had spotted the mainland.

“Yess,” he agreed.

“Could you swim there? Maybe look for help?”

“No. Too fahr.”

Probably. Unless the currents were in his favor. But he wasn’t about to leave her behind.

Blunt white teeth closed on her lower lip, still slightly swollen from their kiss. “Maybe we could build a boat?”

“Noh toolz.”

An unexpected feeling of guilt filled him as her face fell, but he firmly pushed it aside. There was nothing for him on the other side of the wide channel. Assuming she had been framed the same way that he had, there would be nothing for her either.

Unless she’s here for another reason…

No. He was sure she had been sent to him. It was just the two of them now.

Chapter Nine

Erica cast a wistful glance at the distant stretch of coastline, but she didn’t doubt Big Blue was right. If even he couldn’t swim that far, there was no way off the island. And her suggestion that they build a boat had come from hope rather than any actual knowledge of how to set about it. Her disappointment was tempered by the fact that she couldn’t see any signs of civilization over there either—no towns, no roads, not even the glint of light reflecting off a window.

Right now, the fact that she was still alive seemed a lot more important. Trying to climb that cliff had been the hardest thing she had ever done. When her foot slipped and she felt herself falling…

She shuddered and took a step closer to Big Blue. Thank God he had been there.

Although… why had he been there? She snuck a speculative look at him and found him smiling down at her. Heat bloomed in her cheeks, even though she wasn’t quite sure why she was blushing.

She did her best to ignore the sudden embarrassment and turned back to the view. From up here she could see that the island was shaped rather like a giant ear. The cliff continued along the flatter side, dropping down into the ocean in a series of increasingly sheer rock walls. The reef she had seen yesterday formed the upper curve of the ear, then a series of small coves curved down to meet the line of cliffs.

The interior was lush with greenery—or rather vegetation, since most of it was in shades of gold and blue rather than green—but she could also see a small purple lake cupped in the center of the island. Even from here it looked cool and refreshing, shimmering peacefully in the sunlight, and she gave it a wistful glance. Between the night on the beach and the climb, she felt dirty and bedraggled. A dip in a nice safe lake seemed like heaven right about now.

But she didn’t really want to leave Big Blue behind. From the moment he had come to her rescue, the fact that he was an alien ceased to matter. And when she kissed him…

She had been overwhelmed with relief and gratitude and it seemed only natural to press her lips against his. He had gone so still that for a brief second, she thought she had offended him. But then he had responded and she had been lost, swept away not only by his passion but by her own reaction. She could still feel the arousal simmering in her body. Her tongue instinctively swept across her lips, seeking the last, lingering taste of him…

Oh, for goodness’ sake. It was just a kiss.

Time to focus on more practical matters and stop acting like the giddy schoolgirl she had never been.

“I would like to go to that lake,” she said, shooting him a tentative look from under her lashes. “I know you don’t like the jungle, but I thought maybe you could come—”

“Yess,” he interrupted immediately. “I go.”

Relief flooded her. That was easier than she expected. Or maybe not…

“Were you following me?” The words escaped before she could reconsider them, but he only looked amused.

“Yess.”

“Why?”

His eyes gleamed silver as they swept over her body. During the terrifying climb, her state of undress had been the least of her worries, and when they kissed, she had relished being close to him. But now she was suddenly, burningly conscious of the fact that she was naked except for the ragged remnants of her skirt.

His gaze lingered on her breasts. She felt them tingle in response and knew if she looked down, her nipples would be hard. He didn’t seem to be the least bit bothered by the fact that she was dirty and sweaty, and his obvious appreciation caused a pulsing ache low in her stomach.

Her eyes dropped to his cock before she could stop herself, and she gulped. He definitely appreciated her half-naked state. His massive cock stirred, bristling with those scary looking spikes. But she had been pressed against his erection twice already, first on the cliff and then during their kiss. Nothing had pierced her skin and she realized that they must not be as sharp as they appeared.

Erica wondered what they would feel like, starting to lean towards him before she realized what she was doing.

Don’t be ridiculous, she scolded herself as she took a hasty step backwards instead. You don’t even know his name.

At least there was an easy solution to that problem.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“A’rien.” The name rippled off his tongue with the same accent that marked all his words, a deep rumble like water flowing over rocks.

“A’rien,” she repeated, and his eyes heated. “And I’m Erica,” she added quickly.

“A’reka.”

The sound of her name in that deep, accented voice sent another little pulse of desire through her system, but she did her best to ignore it as she went to retrieve Peri.

Only a few of the blue vines remained in her bag, and she gave them a wishful glance as she settled Peri back amongst them. She had discarded the other vines before beginning the climb.

“Looks like a half a skirt will have to do,” she muttered as she placed the bag back over her shoulder.

“Find mor.”

A’rien’s deep voice came from directly behind her and she jumped.

“Find more what?”

“Vienz.”

A sudden suspicion crossed her mind. “Did you find the others? And leave them for me?”

“Yess.”

“And the fruit that washed up this morning?”

He nodded, looking amused again, but she couldn’t blame him. She had been completely oblivious to the fact that he had been following her all along. Yesterday, she would have been terrified at the knowledge. Today, she found the thought unexpectedly comforting.

Even though he hadn’t answered her question about why he was following her, it was obvious he wanted her. But all he had done so far was help her. He certainly hadn’t tried to force himself on her—which gave him a considerable advantage over her last disastrous date.

“You said I was safe with you, right? You won’t hurt me?”

“Nev-uhr huhrt,” he repeated solemnly.

“Then let’s go find that lake.”

She soon discovered that traveling through the jungle with A’rien was completely different than traveling on her own. True, she wasn’t fleeing from him this time, but it was more than the lack of panic. He held branches out of her way, brushed aside the vines that would have tangled her feet, and led her along the smoothest path. The interior of the island didn’t seem to bother him at all.

Confident in his ability to guide them, she found herself paying more attention to him than to her surroundings. The way his muscles flexed as he swept aside a low-hanging branch. The smile that crossed his face when she exclaimed in delight over the cluster of sweet-smelling flowers he pointed out. The warmth of his hand against her skin as he helped her across a fallen trunk. The way his fingers seemed to linger…

By the time they reached their destination, she was flushed from more than the exertion of the walk. Arousal hummed beneath her skin, even as she stopped to take in the view.

The lake was nestled in a small hollow. Rock walls lush with plants curved along one side, and several streams of water trickled down the surface and into the water. Trees loomed around the other sides, giving the whole space a protected feel.

“It’s beautiful here.”

“Yess,” he agreed, but there was a distinct restraint in his voice. When she looked up at him, he was frowning.

“You don’t like it?”

“Too in-klohzd.”

“Maybe that’s why it feels safe,” she suggested.

He glanced down at her, and his face relaxed.

“Sayf wif mee.”

“I know I am,” she said softly, then quickly turned back to the water. “Do you think we could get in the water?”

She suddenly remembered how at home he was in the ocean. “I mean, if the fresh water isn’t a problem.”

“Noh prob-luhm,” he said firmly, then put his hand lightly on her back as he led her to the water.

His hand spanned most of her back, resting just above the curve of her buttocks. She found herself wishing it would slip lower and grasp the soft flesh, would pull her tightly against his hard body. Shocked at the thought—and her excitement at the idea—she moved away from him as soon as they reached the small, mossy shoreline. She bent over to release Peri from her bag, trying to act casual.

“Do you want to explore, Peri?”

He squeaked eagerly, immediately diving into the water and disappearing beneath the surface. She should have expected it, but she hadn’t realized he would move so quickly.

“Do you think he’ll be all right? There isn’t anything in there that will hurt him, is there?”

A’rien smiled at her. “Iz sayf. For both of yoo.”

A relieved sigh escaped her lips, followed by a smile as Peri resurfaced. His small head bobbed just above the water as he chittered at her.

“I think he wants me to go in.”

“Go ahead,” A’rien urged.

The mossy ground led into a sandy patch that sloped down as she waded deeper. The cool water felt wonderful as it soothed her flushed skin. Peri frolicked around her for a few minutes, then went off to explore some of the larger rocks that lined the shore.

A’rien swam further out into the lake, but she returned to shallower water to finish washing away the dirt. The process revealed the number of red marks covering her pale skin. Climbing the cliff had added more abrasions to the scratches she’d already received. She washed the small wounds as carefully as possible, trying not to wince.

A low growl made her jump, and she whirled around to find A’rien rising out of the water behind her. His eyes gleamed silver as they focused on her injuries, now clearly visible. Her stomach clenched as he grabbed her hand and lifted it to his mouth, running his tongue over her abraded palm. He was licking her blood?

Appalled, she tried to snatch her hand back but she might as well have tried to move a boulder.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, but she could hear her voice shake.

“I heal yoo.” He raised his head long enough to answer her, then resumed licking.

As his answer penetrated, she realized that her palm no longer hurt. The slow strokes of his tongue were starting to feel good instead. Very good. The tips of her breasts throbbed, and she didn’t need to glance down to know that her nipples had tightened into taut little peaks.

When he finally raised his mouth from her hand, she almost protested. His eyes traveled over her, pausing for just a second at her peaked nipples, and she realized he was checking for other wounds. Her stomach quivered as he gave an impatient grunt, then lifted her in his arms and carried her back to shore.

Before she had a chance to object, he settled her back in the soft moss and began to attend to every wound. The slight initial sting was soon replaced by a soothing warmth. Soothing—and sensual. By the time he finished with her arms, and started to move down to examine her legs, her body was slick with desire.

He came to a sudden halt when he reached her hips. The muscles in his big shoulders tensed as he raised his head and looked at her. He knew.

Chapter Ten

A’rien froze as the scent of Erica’s desire reached him. He had been so intent on attending to her wounds that he hadn’t noticed her response to his touch. Now he looked up to find her watching him, face flushed and eyes heavy. And her scent…

His head spun as a dizzying wave of desire washed over him. He wanted to spread her legs and find the source of that fragrance, to explore every tempting inch. But she had more wounds on her legs, and he needed to care for them first.

He began to work his way down one long, slender leg, carefully soothing each small injury, but he was no longer completely focused on his task. Instead, he was conscious of every quiver of her skin beneath his mouth. He heard her breath catch when he pressed his lips against the inside of her knee. He saw her back arch when he followed a scratch that curled around her thigh.

Even though his cock throbbed with increasing urgency, he took his time, slowly and sensually healing even the tiniest of abrasions. When he pressed a last kiss against the sole of her foot, he raised his head and looked at her.

Wide, dark eyes stared back at him, dazed with pleasure. She wet her lips, and the sight of her small, pink tongue sent a spike of remembered pleasure straight to his cock.

“I…” She hesitated. “Will you…”

He saw her struggle to find the words. Did she want him to stop? Before he could force himself to draw back, she reached for him.

That message was clear enough. He started kissing his way back up her legs, but it was not about healing this time. This time all he wanted to do was to bring her pleasure. By the time he reached her upper thigh, her body was shaking.

Her legs were parted just enough for him to glimpse the damp brown curls shielding her hidden folds. Impatient to explore, he pushed her thighs apart and she gasped. For a moment he thought he had been too rough, but then the scent of her arousal increased. Ah. She liked his hold on her.

He wedged his shoulders between her legs, spreading them even further apart, and her hands grasped his head, urging him closer.

He ran his tongue through her folds in one long, satisfying stroke. Another soft sound escaped her lips, and her thighs quivered. He held them open with a firm grasp, and this time he was close enough to see her response glistening on those delicate pink folds. He abandoned himself to the pleasure of exploration, noting every place that made her gasp or quiver.

When he probed her tight little channel, he could taste the rush of liquid easing his way. But the small nub of flesh at the top of her slit proved most satisfying. It stiffened beneath his touch as he first circled it gently, then sucked it deep into his mouth. Every muscle in her body seemed to tighten as she muttered an incoherent plea, and he carefully scraped his teeth across the heated flesh. She cried out, her body shaking so hard that she almost escaped his grip, and his hard-won control disappeared.

He had his cock at her entrance while she was still shuddering, but as the liquid heat of her arousal kissed the head of his cock, he looked down. His cock was swollen and throbbing, the dark blue a shockingly erotic contrast to her delicate pink flesh, but it was the difference in their sizes that made him pause. Even the broad head looked too big for her to take, and the frill of bayal that covered his shaft made it even larger. He had promised not to hurt her. How could he expect her small body to take him?

He changed the angle, sliding his length along her slickened flesh, instead of entering her. His bayal brushed across the swollen pearl of flesh that had triggered her pleasure, and she gasped. She tried to lift into his touch, but he gripped her hips, holding her in place, and felt the fresh rush of heat that eased his path as he rocked slowly back and forth across the small nub.

“A’rien, please.”

Her voice urged him on, but instead of increasing his pace, he bent his head and fastened his lips around her nipple, tugging gently. Her body shook beneath his and he sucked harder, his control beginning to fray once more. He moved faster, harder, and when she cried out, when he felt the flutter of her entrance where he was pressed against her, his own climax rushed over him, the hot flood of seed coating her flesh as he erupted.

His knees weakened, and he collapsed down over her, burying his head in her neck. How could one small female have this effect on him? He had never doubted that he could please her, but he hadn’t realized that her pleasure would affect him so strongly.

She pushed weakly at his shoulders, and he immediately shifted to the side.

“Did I huhrt you?” he asked, inspecting her anxiously. Her skin was flushed a soft shade of pink, her nipples a deeper color, and her delicate folds were swollen beneath the dark purple of his seed. His cock threatened to harden again at the tempting sight.

“Not at all.” Her lips curved in a sensuous smile. “But you weigh a ton.”

“I’m sorree, zenska.”

“Zenska?”

If his skin could change color the way hers did, he was sure that his cheeks would be deep purple. The term of endearment had escaped before he could prevent it.

“It meens fee-mayl.”

Beloved female, but she didn’t need to know that.

Dark eyes studied him, and he suddenly felt as if she could read his thoughts.

“Wawt-uhr,” he said quickly, and climbed to his feet. But even as he headed for the cool serenity of the lake, he suspected that nothing would wash away the change she had caused in him.

Erica stared after A’rien’s departing figure in shock. She had been prepared for a cocky smile, not an apology, and certainly not for him to leave. Her surprise turned to embarrassment as she remembered how wantonly she had encouraged him.

She had never reacted like that to a man, any man, but one big blue alien held her down and she melted into a puddle of arousal. A sticky puddle, she thought ruefully as she sat up. She needed another wash. A’rien had disappeared beneath the surface of the lake, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her.

This time when she slipped into the water, there was no lingering sting. She lifted her arm, examining it more closely. Only a few pink traces of the myriad scratches remained. He really had a magic tongue. In more ways than one…

Her cheeks heated at the ribald thought, but she couldn’t help smiling. She felt wonderful, in spite of A’rien’s abrupt departure. And it wasn’t as if he could go far. When he returned, they could talk.

In the meantime, she refused to worry about it.

She dipped under the surface long enough to wet her hair, and when she surfaced, Peri was chittering at her from over where the lake lapped against the rock wall. Guilt immediately filled her as she waded over to meet him.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I wasn’t paying any attention to you at all, was I?”

He gave her a pitiful look, blinking up at her. She laughed and scratched behind his tiny ears. He nestled into her hand, then turned and disappeared behind a curtain of vines.

“Are you playing hide and seek? What’s back there?”

She pushed the vines aside, expecting to see him peeking up at her, but instead she found a tall opening in the rock. “You found a cave. Aren’t you a clever boy?”

Curious about his discovery, she climbed up after him. The opening was almost as large as a full-size door, but the angle of the rock and the trailing vines had successfully concealed it. She ducked inside and found a surprisingly spacious cave. A crack higher in the wall let in some additional light, enough for her to see moss growing against one wall and Peri foraging for what looked like small snails clinging to the moss.

“I should have known food was involved.”

Despite the heat of the day, the air in the cave was cool and damp, and she shivered. “Come on, Peri, let’s go back outside. A’rien will be looking for us.”

Peri abandoned his snails and climbed into her arms. She had her hand on the curtain of vines when she heard A’rien call her name.

“A’reka!”

He sounded surprisingly frantic, and she quickly pushed the concealing vines aside.

“I’m over here.”

He was at the far side of the small lake, but he swung around instantly at her reply. He dove beneath the surface and reappeared in front of her with shocking speed. Whatever had driven him to leave her earlier didn’t seem to have affected his protectiveness.

“Wow, that was fast—”

“You are sayf?” he interrupted, joining her in the opening and running his hands frantically over her body.

“Yes, I’m fine. Peri was just showing me his cave.”

“Cave?” For the first time, he seemed to realize where they were as his gaze traveled back over her shoulder. Did he shudder?

Before she could decide, he lifted her and Peri into his arms and started back around the lake.

“Didn’t you want to see it?”

“No.” His voice was abrupt, but his hands were gentle on her skin.

“Why did you leave me?” The question popped out before she could stop it.

He sighed, and the lingering tension seemed to leave his muscles as he placed her gently back on the mossy shore.

“I swor not to huhrt yoo.”

Her heart gave a funny little skip. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“Yoo ahr vair-ee smawl,” he answered, somewhat obscurely.

“I’m not that small.”

His big hand briefly cupped her mound, sending a shocking streak of arousal straight to her core.

“Vair-ee smawl,” he repeated.

Oh. She remembered her excitement when she felt his massive cock at the entrance to her pussy, just before he pulled away and slid his shaft between her legs instead. Her disappointment had been forgotten in a haze of pleasure as the strange spikes that covered his cock massaged her clit like firm little fingers.

Would he have hurt her if he had entered her instead? She couldn’t resist a speculative glance at his cock, and it jerked under her scrutiny. Warmth filled her cheeks when she looked up to find him watching her.

“Women are designed to stretch,” she murmured, despite her embarrassment.

He groaned. “Doo naht tempt mee, zenska.”

Before she could respond, her stomach gave an embarrassingly loud gurgle.

“Tiem too eet,” he said firmly, and promptly disappeared into the trees. He returned a few minutes later, his hands filled with the blue fruit she had found on the beach. Or had she? She rather suspected he had left those for her as well.

He placed the fruit on a large, flat rock, then pulled her down onto his lap. He handed Peri one of the fruits and he attacked it as if he was starving.

“He’s always hungry,” she laughed.

“Then we will feed him. Now you.” He tore off a little of the fruit and pressed it to her lips.

Mmm. It was as sweet and juicy as she remembered, but having him feed it to her added a new level of pleasure to the experience. When he fed her another bite, she deliberately closed her mouth around his fingers and sucked gently.

Silver flared in his eyes.

His reaction to her was intoxicating. She didn’t feel like her father’s plain, unsatisfactory daughter. She felt alive and sensual and… in control.

Her hand drifted casually down across his chest until she touched the base of his cock.

“Zenska,” he groaned.

“Hush. You’re not hurting me. I’m just exploring.”

She stroked those deceptive little spikes. Despite their frightening appearance, they were firm rather than hard and they massaged her fingers. What would they feel like inside her? The thought made her empty pussy pulse, and she saw A’rien’s nostrils flare. Could he scent her arousal?

She gripped him more firmly, trying to close her hand around his shaft, but he was too big. Her fingers didn’t meet. Another ripple of excitement went down her spine.

“Maybe we could explore a little more,” she whispered. “See if my stretching theory is correct.”

Chapter Eleven

Erica felt A’rien’s cock jerk in her hand at her words, but then he carefully removed her hand.

“Naht the time.”

Perhaps he was right. Despite her undeniable attraction to him, they were still virtual strangers. Or were they? Even after such a short time in his company, she felt like she knew him. And if he turned to her right now, she would meet him eagerly.

The thought sent another spike of excitement through her body, and the tips of her breasts ached as they brushed against his chest.

Which reminded her that she was still more than half-naked.

“Do you think there are any more of those blue vines around here?”

“Yess. Why?”

“So I can finish making a skirt. And a top.”

His eyes dropped to her breasts, lingering there with an almost palpable heat.

“Naht nes-uh-sair-ee.”

“It is if you’re not going to take me up on my suggestion.” She pressed closer, deliberately rubbing against him.

For a moment, she thought he would take the bait, but then he sighed and reluctantly lifted her off his lap. “I will gather vienz.”

He was as good as his word, bringing her not only more of the pale blue ones, but a coarser pink variety and a slender golden type. In between trips, he helped as much as she let him, although she quickly found out that he would take over if she let him.

She finally smacked his hand as he reached for her latest effort.

“Stop that.”

He looked so startled that she laughed, and he shook his head, but sprawled next to her.

They talked idly as the afternoon wore on. By unspoken accord, neither one of them asked about the other’s past, but he let enough slip for her to realize that he had been abandoned as a child and left to raise himself in what seemed like horrendous conditions.

She suspected that she had revealed rather more about her life, or more specifically her father, than she intended. What would he think if he could see her now? She gave a choked giggle that sounded perilously close to a sob.

A’rien looked at her, his gaze disturbingly perceptive. “Are you hurting?”

There had been another side effect to their talks. His knowledge of English had increased rapidly. He still spoke with a deep accent, but she had no trouble understanding him.

“Maybe in here.” She touched her chest lightly, trying to smile.

“I have a cure for that.”

He flipped her on her back so quickly that she squeaked. Peri had been playing in the loose ends of the vines, but now he made a surprisingly human sound of disgust and wandered off.

“You chased Peri away,” she said breathlessly as A’rien pinned her hands to her sides.

She pushed against his grip to absolutely no effect, and a shiver of excitement rippled down her spine. She had no doubt at all that he would release her if she asked, but she didn’t ask.

“I don’t think your magic saliva can heal an aching heart,” she teased.

“I’ll just have to make sure that I cover as much of you as I can.”

And he proceeded to do just that. By the time he finally released her, she had lost track of how many times she had climaxed, but he had come at least twice as well, his seed covering her breasts and her pussy.

“Does your heart still hurt?” he asked. He was smiling, but she could see the question in his eyes.

“It’s too exhausted to hurt,” she said truthfully.

“Good.”

He carried her into the water and washed her gently, then the two of them played with Peri until the sun started descending.

He used some of her less successful efforts to dry her off, then picked her up and started walking.

“Wait a minute. What are you doing?”

“I’m taking you to the beach. To sleep.”

“But I don’t want to go to the beach.”

The memory of that narrow strip of sand disappearing as the tide washed in still horrified her. She much preferred the peaceful area by the lake.

He kept walking, paying no attention to her protests, and she knew she couldn’t stop him physically. What had been arousing during their encounter frustrated her now. She didn’t need anyone else controlling her life.

“Stop,” she demanded, thumping his chest with an ineffectual fist.

At least it got his attention. He stopped and frowned down at her.

“I don’t want to go back to the beach. I want to stay here.”

“The beach is better.”

“Not for me. I almost drowned today.”

He had started to resume his walk, but at her words, he paused. Finally, he sighed and let her down.

She took a tentative step back towards the lake, but he didn’t follow her. He wasn’t coming with her?

This is your choice, she reminded herself. She straightened her shoulders and gave him a firm nod.

“Thank you.”

They stared at each other, neither one moving, and the words popped out before she could stop them. “Maybe we’ll see each other tomorrow?”

“Yes,” he agreed, and she bit back a sigh of relief.

Then he turned and walked away. The sun was setting and the jungle suddenly seemed dark and forbidding, but she refused to scurry after him like a scared child. She patted Peri’s reassuring warmth and headed back to the lake.

Stubborn female, A’rien fumed as he marched back to the beach. After the afternoon they spent together, he had assumed she would be as eager as he was to spend the night together. But apparently that time hadn’t meant as much to her if she had balked simply because he wanted to return to his campsite.

How could she prefer the claustrophobic surroundings of the jungle to the freedom of the open sea?

Nothing about this day had turned out like he’d planned. Ever since he had rescued her, she’d kept him off balance. It had been so much simpler when he was guiding her actions from behind the scenes.

Fine. Let her spend the night by herself. He had no doubt that she would be doubly grateful to see him tomorrow, more willing to accommodate his needs.

But it hadn’t worked out so well the last time he had left her on her own. He shuddered again at the memory of seeing her clinging to the rock, of her body falling out into space.

His initial irritation faded and he came to a halt, trying to decide if he should return to her. She had a compassionate heart—too compassionate—and if he explained how much he needed the sea to remind him that he was free…

No. He wouldn’t make himself vulnerable to her.

He remembered his previous scheme to frighten her into his arms but immediately discarded it. The thought of fear on that beautiful face horrified him. He sighed.

Even though she was being stubborn and unreasonable, he would take care of her.

Once again, the rocking of her bed woke Erica. But this time she knew why it was rocking and she scowled. Damn A’rien. Even if spending the night alone in the jungle had been a lot less comfortable and a lot scarier than she anticipated, he still had no right to carry her back to—

Her indignation came to an abrupt halt when she opened her eyes and saw that she was still next to the lake. A’rien had tied the hammock between two of the trees on the edge of the water. A fresh supply of fruit waited on the rock they had used as a table the previous day.

Unexpected tears filled her eyes. How could she stay mad at him after this?

Peri chittered sleepily, disturbed by her movements, then his head popped up and he spotted the fruit. He leapt happily to the ground and went to investigate.

She followed him more slowly, stopping to wash her face in the lake.

The fruit was as delicious as it had been the day before, but she didn’t have much of an appetite. She kept remembering A’rien holding her in his lap, feeding her bites of food, kissing her neck…

She was thinking about him so intently that when she looked up and saw him standing at the edge of the clearing, his face set in a stern mask, she almost thought her imagination had conjured him up. But the big blue body was real and she flew across the clearing to meet him. Flinging her arms around his neck, she kissed him.

For a fraction of a second, he didn’t respond, then he returned the kiss, invading her mouth with frantic urgency. When he finally raised his head, the sternness had disappeared and the familiar laughter was back in his eyes.

“Thank you, A’rien. For the hammock. For the fruit. For listening…”

“I did not like being away from you.”

“I didn’t like it either.” she admitted, her eyes dropping to his chest. “Why did you insist on going back to the beach?”

A pulse quivered in his neck, and she thought he wasn’t going to answer her.

“The ocean reminds me that I am free,” he said at last. “This is too… confining.”

Her eyes flew to his face. He looked stiff and uncomfortable, but she wholeheartedly believed he was telling her the truth.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He gave a half-shrug, and this time, he didn’t elaborate.

Because it made him vulnerable, she suspected. But he deserved a reward for his honesty.

“You didn’t seem to mind it yesterday,” she said casually as she let her hand drift down across acres of muscled chest. “Maybe that’s because I was distracting you.”

His breath caught as she reached his cock, running her fingers over those wonderful little spikes. She brushed her hand across them, delighting in the way they responded to her touch.

A mixture of excitement and nerves turned her nipples to aching points as she dropped to her knees in front of him. Even though the little nubs had felt wonderful against her, she wasn’t quite sure how they would feel in her mouth. But she was determined to try.

She leaned closer and ran her tongue the length of his shaft. Mmm. That wasn’t bad at all. He tasted delicious, clean and fresh and just the tiniest bit salty, and she took another lick.

“A’reka,” he groaned, and his hand tangled in her hair.

Oh, she liked that. Heat slickened her thighs as she closed her mouth around the head of his cock and his grip tightened. She couldn’t take much of him, but she concentrated on giving him as much pleasure as she could, licking and sucking enthusiastically as her hands worked the rest of his length.

His grip tightened, sending a sharp spark of excitement straight to her clit.

“Touch yourself,” he demanded, and she obeyed.

Her fingers worked frantically at her swollen bud as she tried to take in more of him. He groaned again, and she felt him grow impossibly harder in her mouth. A flood of hot, salty liquid filled her mouth just as her own climax washed over her. She spluttered, and he immediately released her, stroking her hair gently as she swallowed and tried to catch her breath.

As soon as she smiled up at him, he dropped down next to her and pulled her onto his lap. She nestled against his chest and sighed with contentment.

“I missed you last night,” she admitted.

“I missed you too.” His voice sounded oddly stiff. “Do you really wish to live here? I could… try.”

Her heart gave a funny little skip. After his earlier confession, she suspected how much it had cost him to make the offer.

“No. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would—because you weren’t here.” She looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s go back to the beach.”

She caught a glimpse of relief washing over his face, but then he was kissing her and that was all that mattered.

Chapter Twelve

Together, they walked back to the beach, Peri frolicking around their feet. As they emerged onto the sand, she had to admit it was a gorgeous view. The blue palm trees framed the shimmering purple ocean that stretched into infinity. She could see why he felt free when he was here.

“I have something to show you,” he said, then guided her past a low bush.

He had started building a low platform of poles from the bamboo like plants, lashed together with vines.

“What’s this?”

“The start of a house—if you would like it here. It won’t flood, but I can still see the water.”

“You did all of this last night?”

“Yes,” he said stiffly. “I could not sleep.”

Her eyes filled with tears and she flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

He picked her up and stepped up on the platform with her. A thick woven mat already covered one corner, and he carried her over to it. As he put her down, she realized that the branches had been cut back to frame a view of the water.

“This is beautiful,” she said, as he sat down next to her. “You picked the perfect spot.”

Peri scrambled up after them, exploring the space before settling down in a sunny spot and pulling his tail over his nose.

She laughed. “Even Peri approves.”

“I’m more concerned with your approval,” he said solemnly, his eyes flaring silver.

“Well, I approve.”

“Good.” His hand traced along the edge of her skimpy top.

Her nipples responded, the taut peaks pushing through the woven vines.

“Oops. I guess I didn’t make that tight enough,” she said breathlessly.

“I think it’s just right.” His thumb moved slowly back and forth across the exposed nubs. Somehow, it was even more erotic than if she’d been naked in front of him.

“I was thinking about what you said.”

“What was that?” She had a hard time concentrating on his words, more interested in that slow, tantalizing touch.

“That a female’s body is designed to stretch.” He whispered the words against her ear, and she shivered.

His hand moved away from her breast and she almost protested, but then he slid it under her skirt, making circles on her inner thigh until he was grazing her flesh with each touch. A small trickle of arousal escaped and his eyes gleamed.

“You like this.”

“Yes. I’d like it even more if you stopped teasing me.”

The words had barely left her mouth before he had her on her back, her skirt rolled up, and a thick finger plunged into her with shocking suddenness. An equally sudden climax rolled over her, leaving her limp and quivering.

He growled approvingly as wetness bathed his finger. “Do you want more?”

“Yes.”

He added a second finger, more slowly this time, working past her resistance as he watched her face.

“That’s two,” he murmured when both fingers were deep inside. “Another?”

She already felt full, but his cock was so much larger.

“Yes.”

The third finger stretched her to her limits, but the aching pressure slowly transformed into a shocking pleasure. His thumb tapped lightly against her clit, and her channel quivered as she slipped slowly and inevitably into a second climax.

He pulled his fingers free, leaving an aching emptiness, and brought them to his mouth, licking the gleaming surface. “I think you’re ready.”

A’rien strained to keep his body under control as he rose over A’reka’s slender figure. Pearls of seed dripped from his swollen, aching cock. He had never been so hard, so ready, but he was determined not to hurt her.

He gripped her wrists together with one hand and raised them over her head. Pink flushed her cheeks and traveled down across her tempting little breasts. Holding her in place, he used the other to guide his cock to her small entrance.

Despite the wet kiss of heat that greeted him, despite his attempt to prepare her, her body resisted at first. He was about to draw back when she pushed her hips up with a sharp thrust and he slipped inside. By the gods. He had never felt anything so exquisite. His body hovered on the verge of climax just from that hot, tight clasp around the sensitive head.

Her hips jerked up again, and the first of his bayal entered her. Her eyes widened and she gasped, but it wasn’t pain on her face.

“That feels…”

“Good?”

“Oh, yes. Like you’re touching all of me.”

He pushed forward just as she moved again, and he went deeper than he intended. Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip.

“Stop moving,” he growled. “You will take me slowly.”

“I can’t help it.”

“Then I will help you.”

Now that his cock was lodged inside her tight little channel, he shifted his grip, holding her hip firmly as he slowly pushed his way deeper. Her body quivered as she fought to take him, his own muscles just as tight from the effort of holding back. Her channel fluttered around him, a fresh rush of heat easing his way as he sank the final few inches.

His breath came in harsh pants as he forced himself to hold still, to wait for her, but her channel continued to milk his cock in long, pulsing waves. Soft cries escaped her lips as she wiggled against him. For a terrified moment, he thought she was trying to evade him, but then he realized she was urging him on. The last shred of control vanished. He thrust blindly, lost to everything but the feel of her body, the sound of her voice, the climax that roared up his spine and erupted in long, heated surges, and left him limp and drained.

He came back to himself as her hand gently stroked his back. He raised his head to look at her. Her eyes were wet with tears, but her smile was radiant.

“A’rien,” she whispered, and the sound of his name on her lips sent one last pulse through his aching cock before he bent down and kissed her.

Erica melted into A’rien’s kiss, still overwhelmed with sensation. Those marvelous spines had found every sensitive spot inside her body. It had even felt as if they were stroking her clit from the inside. He slowly pulled free, and she quivered the whole time as aftershocks rolled through her body. She felt him respond, felt him start to swell inside her again, and her body reacted, despite the lingering ache. He hesitated, but before she could decide if she could handle a second time, he slipped free.

“You could be the death of me, zenska,” he murmured ruefully. “And I would die a happy male.”

His words created an unexpected sense of panic. Even though she knew he was joking, the thought of losing him terrified her.

“You’re not supposed to talk about death after sex.”

She tried to keep her voice light, but she suspected she wasn’t entirely successful. He bent his head and kissed her again, so tenderly that fresh tears sprang to her eyes.

“I’m sorry, zenska. I lost control at the end.”

“I was never in control,” she admitted. “But I don’t care. That was amazing.”

“Does that mean you would consider doing it again?”

“You’d better believe it.” She started to roll towards him, then winced. “But perhaps not right away.”

“I was too rough.”

“No, you weren’t. You were perfect.”

She wasn’t sure that he completely believed her, but his body relaxed and he tucked her against his side.

The soft sounds of the jungle filled the air, with the rush of the waves a constant backdrop. The lush scent of flowers mixed with the fresh breeze from the sea, and she was half-asleep when he spoke, his voice oddly hesitant.

“What did you do… before?”

She almost hated to admit it—were lawyers as universally disliked as they were on Earth? “My father had a law firm. I worked for him.”

“You were involved with the law?” He rolled over and looked at her. “How did you end up here?”

“I have absolutely no idea. I went to sleep in my bed and woke up on the beach.” She smiled ruefully. “I almost thought it was magic at first. I’d been dreaming about taking a tropical vacation.”

His muscles had stiffened and she frowned up at him. “Is something wrong? How did you get here?”

“I was in… trouble.” He eased her gently to one side, then stood up and began pacing back and forth on the small platform, “When I woke up here, I thought I had been granted a second chance.”

“A second chance,” she said thoughtfully. “Maybe so. I wouldn’t have said I was in trouble, but then again, I wasn’t very happy.”

Had she even realized just how unhappy? In spite of everything, being here felt like being free.

“You don’t wish to return?”

He looked strangely anxious, and she smiled at him.

“It’s not really an option, is it? And being here definitely has its compensations. Come back to bed.”

For a second, he hesitated, but before she could ask him what was wrong, he laid down next to her and pulled her into his arms. She expected him to kiss her, but instead he stared up at the sky overhead.

“What kind of trouble?” she asked softly.

“I was accused of killing two guards.”

That was a little more trouble than she was expecting. “Did you do it?”

“No.” He lifted up on one elbow and looked down at her. “But I have not led a virtuous life.”

“What did you do?”

“Whatever I needed to do to survive.”

There was a world of pain behind those words, and she reached up and stroked his cheek. He turned his head to kiss her palm, then made an obvious attempt to push aside his unusual seriousness.

“But that’s all in the past now.”

“It’s a second chance,” she agreed.

He started kissing his way down her arm, and then there was no more conversation.

A’rien lay awake long after A’reka settled into a satisfied sleep. His initial assumption had been wrong. She hadn’t been sent here because she was framed. She wasn’t even a criminal. Instead, she was a representative of the law. He shook his head.

But if she hadn’t been sent here because of past misdeeds, why was she here? Should he show her the map and tell her that there might be a way back to her planet?

But then she shifted in her sleep, her soft curves nestling against his side.

No, he decided, ignoring the unaccustomed feeling of guilt. She had said she wasn’t happy in her world. But she would be happy here. He would make sure of it.

Chapter Thirteen

Erica handed the last tree frond up to A’rien and gave a satisfied nod as he tied it in place. Over the past month, they had done a lot of work to create their home, but with the constant mild temperatures, a roof had been low on the list of priorities. Then, three nights ago, the evening deluges had begun. Neither A’rien nor Peri minded the soaking, but she had been miserable. A’rien had immediately decided that he needed to cover their sleeping area with a roof.

He really is the sweetest male, she thought affectionately as he gave her a triumphant smile and leapt easily down to the ground.

“That should do it,” he announced.

He put his arms around her as they both studied the completed structure. He had extended his original pole platform to create a larger space, all of it topped with woven mats. One side of the small structure served as their dining room, complete with a rough table and cushions made from woven vines and stuffed with dried vegetation. A much larger cushion filled a lashed-together pole frame to form their bed. Her growing collection of woven vine clothing was folded neatly in one of the baskets she had learned to make. The new roof gave it all a finished look.

“It’s really starting to look like a proper home,” she said happily. “All we need are a few books.”

She felt his arms tense, the same way they did every time she made a reference to something from her previous life. Turning in his arms, she smiled up at him. “I was just teasing. You find a way to provide everything we need.”

And it was true. The open fire pit had been replaced with a permanent structure built from rocks he had carefully assembled and mortared together. Her contribution was the somewhat crooked baked clay pots.

He also made sure they had an ample supply of food, so much so that she had started drying or smoking the excess. He was even experimenting with using the hollow trunks of the bamboo-like plant to supply running water.

She did occasionally feel a fleeting regret for the things she had taken for granted in her old life—books, coffee, flush toilets—but being here with A’rien more than compensated for those small losses.

Erica occasionally wondered if she would always feel this way, but then A’rien would put his arm around her or look down at her the way he was looking at her now, silver eyes hungry, and her doubts would disappear.

As if in response to her thoughts, he bent his head and kissed her, his mouth urgent, demanding. She met him with equal passion, rubbing the hardened peaks of her breasts against his massive chest. He groaned in her mouth and lifted her so that she was poised against his shaft. His spikes send prickles of pleasure through her clit as he deliberately dragged her up and down the small projections.

“Is this what you want?” he growled. “Or should I make you wait until I have you at my mercy?”

Her body quivered at the idea. They had made love in almost every conceivable position—and she had enjoyed every one of them—but being held down and exposed to him was by far her favorite.

“I don’t want to wait,” she gasped.

He laughed, and his lips trailed along her jaw before descending to the sensitive cord of her neck. He found the exact spot that sent a streak of excitement straight to her needy clit and scraped his teeth lightly across it. She tried to wiggle impatiently, even though she knew she wasn’t going anywhere unless he let her.

Before she could insist that he let her move, Peri chittered demandingly. She looked over her shoulder and saw that he had dragged a leafy branch, at least three times as large as his small body, to their feet. He sat back on his haunches and looked up at them, repeating his demand.

“I think he wants to help,” she laughed.

“He would have been more helpful if he had waited another five minutes,” A’rien grumbled as he let her slide down his body, making sure that she felt each teasing nub on his stiff cock. “But maybe he has the right idea. I don’t like the look of those clouds. It looks like you’ll have to wait after all, zenska.”

Her clit still felt swollen and demanding, and her body ached with frustrated desire as she frowned up at him. “What clouds?”

He turned her to face the sea, but the feel of his big hands on her still sensitized skin distracted her, and it took a moment before she understood what she was seeing. For the first time since they had arrived, whitecaps topped the ocean waves. Dark clouds loomed heavy on the horizon over the restless seas.

“Is that a storm?”

“Looks like it. It may pass us by, but it’s best to be prepared.”

Peri chittered in seeming agreement and nudged his branch towards them.

“Thank you, little one,” A’rien said solemnly as he reached down and picked it up, then climbed one of the poles supporting the roof and tucked it into the other branches. God, she loved him.

The thought stopped her in her tracks, as happiness flooded her. Of course she loved him. She suspected the knowledge had been floating in her mind for a while now, even if she hadn’t said it aloud. Neither had he, but it was there in everything he did to care for her.

She should tell him, she thought, but perhaps not while he was staring out across the water with a worried frown.

“What do we need to do to get ready?” she asked instead.

He gestured at their small larder. “Why don’t you take the food to the cave so it doesn’t get blown around?”

A’rien hated the cave, but the cool environment was perfect for storing their supplies and she kept it well-stocked.

“All right. What are you going to do?”

“Tie down everything I can,” he said absently, still studying the horizon.

“I’m sure everything will be fine.”

She gave him a cheerful smile and set to work. She wasn’t really looking forward to getting soaked again, but she would dry out. It was only a storm, after all.

By the time she had transferred all of their food supplies to the cave, she was beginning to suspect that A’rien had reason to be worried. The wind had picked up with each journey, and when she returned to their camp the last time, it was swirling wildly through the trees, whipping the branches to and fro. She shivered and went to join A’rien, once more standing and looking out over the sea. The waves were larger now, crashing onto the beach and sending spray shooting up almost to the edge of the trees.

“Do you still think it might miss us?” she asked hopefully.

“No.” He turned to look at their house just as one of his carefully tied branches ripped free of the roof. “We can’t stay here.”

“But there isn’t any place else.”

“The cave,” he said firmly, but she could hear the dread in his voice. “You will be protected there.”

“And you,” she insisted, and he nodded reluctantly.

He handed her bag to her as Peri came scampering over, and she settled him inside. He was almost too big for it now, but he nestled down happily, only his nose poking over the edge.

A’rien put his arm around her to protect her from the wind as they returned to the lake. The wind buffeted them constantly, howling through the trees. Even the surface of the lake had small whitecaps racing across it when they arrived. He helped her into the cave, then stood hesitantly at the opening, watching the jungle.

She didn’t want to insist that he join her, but when a branch flew past, hitting the rocks with a harsh crack, she went and placed a gentle hand on his back.

“Come inside,” she whispered.

The tension in his back increased, and he didn’t move.

“Please, A’rien. I need you with me.”

As she suspected, that finally made him turn, duck his head, and step inside the cave. His breath came in harsh pants as she drew him down against the wall and climbed into his lap. His arms immediately tightened around her waist, and she suspected it was for his comfort as much as hers.

“Look up there,” she suggested, pointing at the crack that allowed a small amount of light into the cave. “You can still see the storm.”

Even that relief disappeared as the skies grew darker. The noise of the wind increased until it sounded like a freight train barreling towards them. She wasn’t exactly afraid—the cave should protect them—but the power of the storm made her aware of just how small and insignificant she was compared to its might.

The cave was almost completely dark now, but she didn’t know if it was from the storm or if night had fallen. Rain gusted in through the small crack, and lake water lapped at the entrance to the cave. A loud thud shook the cave and she squeaked, grabbing A’rien’s arms.

“What was that?”

“A tree falling, I think. It won’t be the only one.”

His voice was strained, distracting her from her own fears, and she turned in his arms so she could press a kiss against his neck. His skin was damp with sweat, his muscles rigid. Her heart ached for him.

“But we’re safe here,” she whispered. “And we’re together. That’s all that matters.”

Peri wiggled out of his bag and pushed his head insistently against A’rien’s hand until he stroked the soft fur.

“Together,” A’rien agreed, and the three of them huddled together while the storm raged on.

The wind finally dropped just before the sun rose. Relief swept over A’rien as the pale light of pre-dawn became visible through the small crack. He immediately rose to his feet.

“I’m going to see how much damage the storm caused.”

“We’re going with you.” A’reka lifted Peri to his familiar perch on her shoulder and came to join him.

“Perhaps you should wait here.” He already feared what he would find.

“No. I want to know.”

“Very well.” He dipped his head in reluctant agreement, then sighed with relief as he left the cave.

A’reka’s presence had made it possible for him to endure the cramped quarters during the storm, but it had been a long, hard night. He finally felt as if he could breathe again.

A’reka gasped as she followed him out. The extent of the destruction was immediately obvious. The surface of the small lake was almost invisible beneath the clutter of leaves and branches that covered it. Many of the trees were missing branches or even their entire upper half. Several had fallen, their roots exposed like bones lying on the soil. An unnatural stillness lay over the island.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she whispered. “Have you?”

“Once, long ago. A storm laid waste to the town where I was born.” The warren of ancient buildings where he and the other street rats lived had been completely destroyed.

“Do you think our… our house survived?”

“I don’t know,” he said truthfully. “Perhaps. The winds can strike randomly.”

She bit her lip but didn’t respond, and together they made their way through the woods. It took three times as long as usual, their trail half-buried beneath leafy debris and frequently blocked by fallen limbs. If it hadn’t been for the sound of the waves, he wouldn’t even have realized they had reached their camp.

Everything was gone.

One lone pole remained in the ruins of what had been their house. The roof he had so carefully constructed to keep her dry was gone. Even the stone firepit was cracked and broken, crumbled beneath a massive branch.

A’reka’s hand clenched in his, and he looked down to see tears glistening on her cheeks. But then, as he had seen her do so many times before when faced with a problem, she straightened her shoulders.

“We’ll just have to rebuild, that’s all. And it will be easier this time—look how much building material we’ll have.” She gestured at the downed trees, but he saw her hand tremble.

The guilt that had tormented him for the past month returned, slamming into him with new strength. He had been able to keep her safe from the storm—this time—but what if it happened again? And how could he expect to make a life with her when everything they built could be so easily destroyed?

He had to face the truth. He didn’t have the tools or the resources to build anything more permanent. If another storm came, she would be left without shelter once again. Without even a bed in which to sleep.

Because he loved her, he had to let her go. For her sake. The map had indicated a way home for her. It was time to use it.

“It is a lot of building material,” he agreed, his heart breaking. “But not to build another house. We’re going to build a boat.”

“A boat? But why?”

“I don’t think you—we—are safe here.”

“It was just one storm.”

“So far. What if this isn’t just the beginning of the rainy season? What if it is the beginning of the season of storms?”

“We haven’t seen any signs of previous storms,” she protested.

“We weren’t looking. Things grow quickly here. And even if it only comes once a year, or once every few years, this will always be the result.” He looked around at the destruction. “I cannot prevent this from happening.”

He hated the way her face paled at his words, but she finally nodded. “Where will we go?”

“The mainland.”

“You said it was too far.”

I lied.

But he couldn’t bring himself to admit his fault so bluntly. “I did not want to leave. I thought we could be happy here.”

A crease formed between her brows. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Do you know what’s over there?”

“I’ve never been there.” That part at least was true.

“But?”

“When I woke up here, I found what I think was a map. I think it was telling me that there is a location on the mainland that might be a way off this planet.”

“And now you want to leave it? Leave me? Because of a storm?”

“Never,” he said quickly, pulling her into his arms. He took a deep breath. “But you had a map too.”

“What? I never saw a map.”

“I know. But you had a bag, just like mine. And it contained a map.”

She pushed against his chest, and as much as he hated to let her go, he released her.

“You never told me.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t want to leave. And I didn’t want you to leave either.” He stepped towards her, his heart aching, but she backed away from him.

“I thought you were happy here,” he pleaded.

“I was. But you didn’t trust me enough to give me a choice. You’re as bad as my father.”

His chest ached even more at her words. She had told him enough about her parent to make him realize how badly he had hurt her.

“A’reka.”

“Don’t.” She took another step back, but the distance in her eyes was far worse than the physical distance she put between them. “Just tell me what we need to do to get off this island.”

Chapter Fourteen

Erica watched as A’rien dragged their makeshift boat down to the waterline, doing her best to hide her churning emotions. The sun was barely above the horizon, but he had told her the winds and the current would be in their favor then.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

No, a part of her wanted to cry. They had been so happy here on the island.

But it had been based on a lie, she reminded herself. She’d been given no choice.

“I’m ready.”

She did her best to sound confident, but her hands shook as she stepped into the small vessel. A’rien had spent the last week slowly burning and scraping away the insides of one of the fallen trees to create a rough canoe. Long poles were lashed to the front and rear, with smaller logs attached to them to create outriggers. He had told her they would make the canoe more stable, but the whole thing looked disturbingly small and flimsy compared to the wide expanse of water separating them from the distant shore.

At least it’s calm, she thought hopefully as she settled into the narrow opening. The supplies they were taking with them were also packed tightly into the small space. Peri poked his head up out of her bag, watching with wide eyes as A’rien pushed the boat away from the shore, and then jumped in behind her. The tide was going out, carrying them away from the beach, and another pang of sadness washed over her.

“Are you going to raise the sail?” she asked, fighting back a sudden urge to cry.

While he had been building the boat, she had been occupied with creating the triangular sail, weaving the vines as tightly as possible so that it would catch the wind.

“As soon as we clear the headland,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin.

His big body was pressed against her back, closer than he had been since he had told her the truth. He had strung a hammock for her, but he hadn’t attempted to join her. At first, she hadn’t wanted him to, still feeling angry and betrayed, but as the week wore on, she missed him more and more.

She knew he missed her too. She saw how he watched her when he thought she wasn’t looking, his face wistful. She had almost gone to him last night, but in the end, she had talked herself out of it. They were leaving more than the island. If what he suspected was correct, they would be leaving the entire planet, each returning to their own worlds. It was best to make a clean break.

Her eyes stung, but she convinced herself it was from the salt in the stiffening breeze.

The canoe floated easily on the water, and as they cleared the last point of land, he raised the sail. The boat leapt forward, flying before the wind. Despite her sorrow, it was an exhilarating feeling and she found herself smiling. She turned to look at him over her shoulder, and their eyes met. She saw the same pleasure in his eyes, and for one moment, they were together again.

But then a shadow fell over his face, and she remembered that they were traveling to different futures. She turned away from him, the wind chilling the tears on her cheeks.

In one of their brief conversations prior to their departure, he had told her that he hoped to reach the mainland by midday. But as the sun rose ever higher, the distant shore didn’t seem to grow any closer.

“Is something wrong?” she finally asked.

“No—well, perhaps. I had hoped that the wind would carry us across but the current is too strong. We’re moving parallel to the coast.”

The palms of her hands turned clammy. “You mean we won’t make the mainland?”

Did that mean that they would keep sailing until they died of thirst or exhaustion?

“No, I don’t mean that. The tide should turn soon. With any luck, it will carry us ashore.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Then I’ll find another way. Don’t worry, zenska. You are safe with me.”

Bitter words leapt to her tongue, but in the end, she remained silent. He had kept her safe, even if it had been for his benefit more than hers.

No, that wasn’t fair. He had kept the truth from her, but he had cared for her and protected her in every other way.

“I know I am,” she said softly, and heard his breath catch.

It didn’t change anything, but she felt lighter for having said it.

The sun continued to creep across the sky as she kept her eyes on the mainland. Was it getting closer or was it just her imagination?

“Is it working?” she asked.

“Yes, but not quickly enough.” A’rien let the sail drop and put his arms around her. “The wind is shifting, and I don’t have enough control to go against it.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m going to have to tow the boat ashore.”

“What?” She whirled around to find herself face to face with him.

“It will be fine, zenska. My body is built for the water.”

“But you said the currents were too strong. Or was that not true either?”

She saw the hurt flash across his face before he answered her. “It would have been true if we were still at the island. But we are more than halfway across and I will be moving with the tide.”

“I don’t want you to leave me,” she admitted. Not now. Not ever.

“I won’t be leaving you. I’ll be right here.”

He brushed a kiss across her lips, then slipped into the water in one quick, easy motion. The boat barely rocked. He surfaced long enough to take hold of a rope and smiled up at her.

“I need to travel underwater to lessen the resistance, but I’m still with you, zenska.”

He disappeared again before she could respond. Her gaze focused on that single length of vine as it tautened and she felt the boat respond. She was afraid to look away, afraid that the line would go slack and he would be gone. When she finally dragged her eyes away long enough to check their distance to the mainland, she thought—no, she was sure—that they were closer.

A’rien continued to swim and pull, and more of the shoreline came into view. She could pick out individual trees now and see that the land sloped gently upwards. Not much further.

Something flickered in the corner of her eye, and she turned her head in time to see an enormous tentacle curl across one of the outriggers. The whole canoe started to tilt in that direction, and for a terrifying moment, she thought she would be dragged under. Then the vines holding the log in place snapped, and the boat sprang back upright as the outrigger disappeared beneath the waves.

A’rien? Where was he?

Her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she saw that the towing rope had gone slack. She searched frantically for some sign of him. Instead, she saw the tentacle reappear, curling around the other log. Once again, the boat began to tilt in that direction, and this time the vines held. She was going to be dragged under.

Peri trembled as she lifted him out of the bag, but at least if he was free, he had a chance of making the shore.

A dark head appeared next to the boat and a knife flashed, cutting the outrigger free. A’rien! He was alive!

Tears poured down her cheeks as she reached for him, but he grabbed the rope again and started to swim, pulling what was left of the boat behind him with incredible speed.

The shore was almost within reach, waves starting to build beneath them, when their forward motion stopped. She turned around to see a tentacle slithering across the back of the canoe.

A’rien pulled harder, but he couldn’t pull the canoe free from that monstrous arm. The rope went slack as he swam back to her.

“You have to swim for it, zenska,” he urged, just as another tentacle covered the bow of the canoe.

She grabbed Peri as A’rien pulled them into the water, fighting against her rising panic. Then something slithered around her ankle and dragged her under.

She caught a terrifying glimpse of a yawning mouth in the depths below, and then she was free, choking down air as she resurfaced. A’rien surfaced next to her, his blade dark with blood.

“Go,” he ordered, then dove under the water again.

The water started to churn, but she couldn’t see anything, couldn’t think of any way to help him. Peri tugged at her, and she choked back a sob and followed him.

She kicked frantically, constantly expecting to feel something dragging her under, but nothing stopped her headlong progress. As her panic subsided, she tried to stop and look for A’rien, but the waves picked her up and threw her onto the beach.

Peri nudged her, urging her further away from the water, but she refused to leave, scanning the water for any sign of A’rien. The waves continued to crash onto the beach, but beyond them, the surface remained calm and undisturbed.

“Please let him be all right,” she prayed, even as her eyes burned and tears mingled with the saltwater on her cheeks.

Peri squeaked and tugged her hand, but she ignored him until he gave her thumb a quick nip.

She turned to yell at him and saw why he’d been trying to get her attention. A big blue figure was sprawled out in the sand further down the beach. He didn’t move as she raced towards him, and her heart thudded painfully against her chest as she flung herself down next to him.

His hair was tangled and matted, blood streaked the side of his face, and he had a nasty gash down one arm, but when she put her hand cautiously on his cheek, his eyes fluttered open.

“You’re alive,” she sobbed.

The faintest trace of his cocky grin curved his lips.

“Alive,” he agreed in a hoarse whisper. “And you’re safe.”

“Thanks to you.” Her mouth trembled. “I love you, A’rien.”

His good arm lifted to brush away her tears. “I know. I love you too, A’reka.”

Chapter Fifteen

A’rien smiled as A’reka nestled closer to him in her sleep. They had both been too exhausted to do more than seek the shelter of a boulder far above the waterline. She had cried over his wounds, told him she loved him, and finally drifted off to sleep, Peri curled in her lap.

His arm ached and his head throbbed, but he couldn’t sleep.

Despite his relief that his female was at his side and that she loved him, he wondered if anything had really changed. Could he keep her safe on this primitive planet?

At least he’d managed to save her from the monster in the sea. He had never been more terrified than when it had dragged her under the water. He had attacked it without any hope of killing it, only of diverting it enough to prevent it from going after A’reka. But for once his luck held and he’d managed to sink his blade deep into its eye. He didn’t think it was a killing blow, but when he pulled the blade free, it released him and sank back into the depths.

But now what? He looked out across the deceptively tranquil water, searching for the island far in the distance. He could never risk returning there, but he had felt more at home there than he ever had anywhere else.

“I miss the island,” A’reka said sleepily, echoing his thoughts. “I’m sorry we left.”

“So am I, but it was the right decision.” He hesitated, the words sticking in his throat. “Do you still want to find the location on the map?”

“What?” She sat up and glared at him. “Weren’t you paying attention earlier? I love you, you big dope, and I have no intention of leaving you.”

Relief flooded him as he pulled her back down in his arms. “I was just checking.”

She snorted but settled against him. “Although maybe we should still head in that direction.”

Dammit, there went his pulse again. “Why?”

“If it’s a place with enough technology to send people between planets, maybe it has something we can scavenge.”

“My little thief.”

She shrugged. “Now that we’ve decided to stay, we might as well be as comfortable as possible. Do you still know how to find it?”

“It should be easy enough. We’ll head down the coast until we reach a river, then turn inland.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Her hand trailed across his chest, and he caught the familiar scent of her arousal.

“Are you in a lot of pain?” she whispered.

“Yes,” he said solemnly, hiding his smile.

Her hand stilled, but he urged it back into motion. “But not there.”

“No?” He heard the laughter in her voice as she caught on to the game. “What about here?”

Soft lips closed around his earlobe and tugged gently. He felt the pull all the way to his cock.

“Not there.”

“Hmm.” She carefully straddled his lap, watching his face as she did. “What about this? Is this okay?”

“It would be better if you were closer.”

She wiggled closer, close enough that he could feel her hot little cunt against the base of his cock. He automatically reached for her, forgetting his wounded arm, and hissed.

The laughter on her face died away, and she started to climb off of him. He grabbed her with his good arm and pulled her back down.

“That part doesn’t hurt,” he assured her.

“Are you sure? You don’t want me to kiss it and make it better?”

“Humans have healing saliva as well?” Why had she never mentioned that before?

“No, it’s just an expression.” She bent down and kissed the tip of his cock, then grinned at him. “Doesn’t that feel better?”

“Definitely. But it could feel even better.”

As she started to lean over again, he stopped her, urging her up on her knees instead. Her body hovered just above the head of his cock, then descended with excruciating slowness. If both arms had been working, he would have taken control, but this time he waited as patiently as possible as she slowly worked her way down his shaft until her tight, silky channel surrounded him.

“Tell me if this hurts,” she whispered.

“It only hurts when you stop moving.”

Despite his encouragement, she moved with excruciatingly pleasurable slowness, raising and lowering her body in long, rolling waves. Her face flushed, and her nipples tightened into hard little peaks as she hovered on the edge of climax, her movements growing increasingly frantic.

“Help me,” she gasped, once more poised over the head of his cock.

To hell with his wounded arm. His female needed him.

Ignoring the spike of pain, he seized her hips and slammed her down over him in one hard thrust. She cried out, her body impossibly tight around his as her convulsing channel sent his own climax roaring through him.

She sagged forward against his chest. His wounded arm ached but he had no regrets. He put his good arm around her and finally fell asleep, smiling.

It took them a week to travel up the coast and find the river, but Erica didn’t care. The mainland wasn’t as lush as their island, but A’rien proved as capable at providing for her as he had been on the island. Peri seemed equally happy to explore the new territory—and just as capable at finding food. They walked until they were tired, the distance increasing as A’rien’s strength returned, then stopped to rest and eat. And they spent each night wrapped in each other’s arms.

They arrived at the mouth of the river just after noon, but A’rien decided to make camp for the night and she didn’t protest. She knew the thought of approaching the mysterious location on the map made him nervous, and she couldn’t claim she was entirely comfortable with the idea, but it would be so much easier on him if they could scavenge a few tools.

He made love to her that night with an almost desperate intensity, until she was limp with exhaustion and happiness. The faint pleasant ache between her legs the next day kept her in a low state of arousal all day. She could hardly wait until they made camp that night.

The landscape had changed from the rather rocky shore to a wide stretch of grassy plain, but A’rien didn’t stop until they reached the edge of the jungle that flanked one side of the grasslands.

“It’s too exposed along there,” he told her. “I feel more comfortable amongst the trees.”

“This looks like a good spot,” she agreed.

He kissed her and went to collect water from the river while she foraged for food. As always, Peri found it first and she laughed as she followed him to a bush ripe with clusters of pink fruit.

“You’re an excellent food detective, Peri.”

He chittered agreeably, then suddenly froze. His small body stiffened, and he actually bared his teeth.

“What on earth’s the matter?”

Her mouth went dry as she followed his glare. An alien male stood there, staring at her. A big green almost naked alien.

“Who are you?” he demanded, and it took her shocked brain much longer than it should have to process the fact that he was speaking English.

“I… I’m Erica,” she stuttered as she started to back away. Was he the one who had brought them here?

He certainly didn’t look as if he possessed any advanced technology, although there was a long, sharp knife thrust through the belt that was his only clothing.

She jerked her eyes away and took another step back.

“Where did you come from?”

“Earth?” she squeaked.

Peri snarled again as the stranger frowned, but then A’rien was there, crouched in front of her with his hand on his own knife. An almost identical knife…

The two males growled at each other, but her brain was finally starting to work.

“Wait a minute.” She grabbed A’rien’s arm before he got any closer to the other male. To her immense relief, the other male also paused. “He speaks English.”

“I don’t care.”

“You should. What if he was sent here just like we were?”

That got his attention. He still glared at the green alien, but he was no longer poised to attack.

“Do you have a human female?” A’rien barked.

“That is none of your business, stranger.”

The arrogance in his voice made A’rien bristle, but before he could respond, a pretty, plump, obviously human woman with long dark hair came flying into the clearing.

“What’s going on? I thought I heard voices. Oh.”

Startled blue eyes met Erica’s before the green alien pushed her gently behind him. “Not now, Jane.”

“Jane? I’m Erica,” she called around A’rien, who had also moved in front of her.

“Oh my God, I’m so glad to meet you.” The small dark head kept trying to peer around the alien’s big green chest, and he kept blocking her.

Erica started to laugh. Both males looked shocked, but some of the tension leached out of the clearing.

“A’rien, it’s fine,” she said soothingly. “I would really like to talk to Jane.”

“And I want to talk to you too,” the other woman yelled. “Cut it out, Tarax.”

“Cut what out?” he asked, his hand dropping to his knife.

It shouldn’t have been funny, but she couldn’t help laughing again, and A’rien finally relaxed.

“She is human also?” he asked.

“Yes, I am,” Jane answered, as Tarax finally stopped blocking her.

She immediately rushed over and hugged Erica. Startled, but not displeased, she returned the hug, only to realize that the other woman wasn’t simply plump. She was pregnant.

Someone had taken a pregnant woman? Hundreds of questions rushed through her mind, but after a quick glance at the stern green alien, she decided they would wait until she had a chance to be alone with the other woman.

“I’m so happy to see you.” Jane beamed up at her, tears sparkling on her lashes. “We thought there might be others, but we weren’t sure.”

“We had maps indicating a location close to here,” A’rien interjected.

The other couple exchanged a quick glance.

“Are you intending to return to your planets?” Tarax asked, his voice carefully neutral.

“No!” They both spoke at once as A’rien grabbed her hand.

“But we thought maybe there was some technology there we could use,” Erica added.

“I see.” He actually sounded faintly approving.

“It’s too late to go there tonight. Why don’t you come spend the night with us?” Jane asked eagerly. “Then we can take you there tomorrow.”

A’rien opened his mouth, but she spoke first. “That sounds lovely.”

Chapter Sixteen

A’rien sighed but didn’t protest as A’reka accepted the other human female’s invitation. Her mate was a Doturan, a race of honorable if somewhat pompous warriors, and they should be safe enough.

The two females chattered eagerly as he and the male stalked silently behind them. Peri had climbed up on his shoulder, keeping an obviously suspicious eye on the strange male, and he gave him an approving pat.

A well-built wooden house waited at the end of the trail. Jane led the way up to the wide veranda, still talking.

A’rien followed more slowly, unexpectedly jealous—not so much for the actual house but that Tarax had been able to provide his female with a comfortable home. One that would not blow down in the next storm.

“The location on the map—does it contain tools?” he asked.

“Yes.” Tarax shot him a quick glance, then sighed. “And you may have the use of the ones I have as well. I cannot claim ownership, since they were scavenged from the site.”

“What is this site?”

“A lab of some sort, although I do not recognize the technology.” Tarax hesitated. “They threatened to separate us the first time we went, but I am no longer convinced that was their true intention. No one has bothered us since.”

A’rien strode to the edge of the veranda, his hands clenching on the polished wooden rail. “Why do you think we were brought here?”

Tarax sighed again. “I don’t know. I thought it was a test of some kind, but I am no longer sure of that either. It seems more like some kind of… experiment.”

“But what kind? And why?”

The other male shook his head. “Who knows? But I found my mate as a result so I don’t truly care.”

“I’m going to show Erica our bathroom,” Jane called from the doorway as she swept A’reka inside.

His mate rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling.

“I suspect they will be occupied for some time.” Tarax gave him a speculative look. “Do you enjoy training?”

“Not particularly, but it has proven useful from time to time.”

Tarax laughed and clapped him on the back hard enough to have jolted a lesser male. “Then let’s see what you know.”

Quite a few things that an upright warrior might not know.

He could hear A’reka laughing inside the house. Satisfied that his mate was happy, he grinned and followed Tarax.

Before beginning the tour, Jane introduced Erica to Mr. Tiddles, a small, fluffy pink creature that looked like a cross between a cat and a monkey. Peri had remained with A’rien, but she hoped the two animals would get along.

Erica was suitably impressed by the bathroom—with a working toilet! —and the big, comfortable bedroom. She was busy dreaming up plans for her own house when Jane threw open another door.

“And this is going to be the baby’s room. It’s not completely finished, but you and A’rien can stay here.”

“It’s perfect,” Erica said sincerely. “We’ve been sleeping on the ground for the past week.”

A’rien did his best to make her comfortable, but she missed their hammock, not to mention their bed cushion.

Jane winced sympathetically. “I know what that’s like, and I don’t miss it at all.”

Pregnant and sleeping on the ground? Erica shuddered. All of her previous questions rushed back. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“Are you upset about the father of the baby?”

Jane frowned at her. “I don’t understand. Why would I be? I love Tarax.”

“Tarax?” The world wheeled around Erica’s head.

“Of course. Who else would it be? In case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t exactly a heavily populated planet.”

“But I thought…”

Jane stared at her, then nodded slowly. “I see. You thought I was already pregnant when I arrived?”

“Yes. We’re so different from the males. I didn’t think it would be possible to have a baby.”

“It surprised me too.” The other woman’s lips curved in a soft smile. “I thought there was something wrong with me. Tarax practically had to carry me to the lab to get the scan.”

“But if you and he…” She fought to keep her voice steady. “Do you think that means that A’rien and I could also have a baby?”

“I don’t see why not.” Jane studied her face. “Do you want that?”

“Yes, oh yes.” Her eyes filled with tears at the thought. “I’d love to have a real family. My daughter would always know that I loved her unconditionally.”

“And A’rien?”

“I don’t think he knows anything about having a family,” she said slowly. “He’s an orphan. He’s always been on his own.”

“Then you’ll just have to teach him.” Jane led her back out into the main room and started making tea, before shooting Erica a speculative look. “How long have you been here?”

“I’m not really sure. Maybe six weeks?”

“I’m not trying to pry, but have you had your period?”

“No, I—” The implication of Jane’s question hit her like a lightning bolt. “Do you think I’m already pregnant?”

“I don’t know. Being in a different environment, going through everything you’ve been through, it might simply be that you’re late.” Jane hesitated. “But it didn’t take us very long…”

Pregnant. Her hand dropped automatically to her stomach.

“And the building you told me about has a medical scanner?”

“Yes. You’d know right away.”

“I want to go there in the morning,” she decided. “Alone.”

“You don’t want A’rien to go with you?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t want him to be disappointed—or to be upset because I’m upset.”

Jane smiled a little ruefully. “They really don’t like it when we’re unhappy. Just leave it all to me.”

A’rien awoke to find Pair-ee patting his face with anxious little noises. He immediately reached for A’reka, only to find that she was no longer in their bed.

“Where did she go, Pair-ee?” he asked, swinging to his feet with a groan as the aftereffects of Tarax’s homemade liquor made their presence known.

Their training bout had been remarkably even. He had managed to surprise the other male several times, although Tarax’s more disciplined approach had won out just as frequently. The male had been pleased enough that he produced the liquor after their meal.

A’reka hadn’t sampled any of it—obviously a wise decision—so perhaps she had simply woken up earlier and left him to sleep. Although he was surprised she hadn’t taken Pair-ee with her. The little creature scratched at the door, obviously distressed.

“All right. Let’s go find her.”

He pulled on the loose shorts Tarax had given him, lifted Pair-ee onto his shoulder, and left the bedroom.

Jane and Tarax were standing on the balcony, Tarax’s arms cupped around the swell of her stomach, and A’rien had to suppress a quick pang of envy. He had been blessed to find A’reka; it would be pushing his notoriously uneven luck to wish for more. But the image of a little girl with A’reka’s eyes danced through his head before he pushed it firmly aside.

He gave a discreet cough to alert the two to his presence. “Good morning.”

Jane jumped, although Tarax showed no sign of surprise. A’rien suspected he had been aware of A’rien as soon as he joined them.

“Good morning.” Jane gave him a quick smile, then headed for her kitchen, talking rapidly. “Would you like some breakfast? I’ve been experimenting with pancakes, and I think they’ve turned out very well.”

“I’m sure they’re delicious,” he said politely, even though the term hadn’t translated. “But I wish to find my mate. Is she using your bathing room?”

Jane shot a quick glance at Tarax, her hands twisting together. “Umm…”

“Your mate isn’t here. She went to the lab.”

What? An almost physical agony lanced through him. She had told him she loved him. He had been so sure that she was going to stay.

“She left me?” The words came out as a harsh whisper.

“No. She just went to the lab to—” Tarax’s words cut off as Jane put a hand on his arm.

“She just went to see it,” Jane said quickly, but A’rien could tell that she was hiding something.

“What aren’t you telling me?” he growled.

Tarax stepped in front of his mate, his face hardening. “You do not talk to her that way.”

Part of him knew that it wasn’t the female’s fault, but he was too frantic to care. “How could you let her go? And by herself?”

Nightmarish images of A’reka injured and alone only added to his desperation.

“It is not far. And there are no predators in this area.” Tarax still sounded annoyed, but his face had softened slightly. “She will be be fine.”

“Would you have let your mate go alone?” he snapped, already heading for the steps. “I’m going after her.”

He heard Jane protesting, but words alone had no power over him and Tarax made no attempt to stop him from leaving.

Pair-ee chittered anxiously on his shoulder, seeming to echo A’rien’s concerns, and his presence only added to A’rien’s doubts. Why wouldn’t she have taken the little creature with her if she was truly planning to stay? What if she had decided to return to the safety of her own planet after all? He believed that she hadn’t been happy there, but her life must have been much easier.

He reached up to steady Pair-ee as his pace increased, practically running through the fringes of the forest and out onto the wide expanse of the grasslands. He spotted her immediately. She had almost reached the white building, but if he ran, he could still intercept her, could stop her from entering, could stop her from leaving him, could make her stay…

He came to an abrupt halt. Yes, he could stop her physically, but that wouldn’t make her want to stay, wouldn’t make her happy to be with him. And her happiness was what mattered. He had to let her choose her own path, even if that path would lead her away from him.

All of his instincts urged him to go after her, but he didn’t move, his eyes glued to that distant figure. When she entered the building, his legs gave out and he collapsed down into the grass, rubbing his aching chest.

Pair-ee whimpered.

“I know, little one. But Jane said she was only going to explore. We just have to have faith that she will return.”

Faith had never worked before. He’d had to work and scheme and seize everything he had ever wanted, but this time there was nothing he could do except wait.

Time dripped by, and with every passing second his hope faded. But he waited, his eyes fixed on the door through which she had disappeared, refusing to look away. The ache in his chest grew, and his eyes burned.

The door opened, and A’reka stepped out.

He was racing towards her before he even realized he was moving, Pair-ee clutched to his chest as he sped through the long grass.

She looked up when she heard him coming, a pleased smile crossing her face.

He snatched her into his arms, his relief too great for words, while Pair-ee chittered happily before snuggling against her neck.

“You didn’t leave me,” he said at last.

She frowned up at him. “Leave you? Of course, I didn’t leave you. I love you.”

“Jane said you just wanted to explore, but I thought… When you went inside, I thought you had decided to return to your world.”

“You saw me go in? And you didn’t try and stop me?”

“No. It was your decision.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “Thank you.”

“Jane was right? You really did just want to explore? Why didn’t you wait for me to go with you?”

“When Jane and Tarax went together, the building tried to separate them. I didn’t want that to happen.” She took a deep breath. “But it was more than that. I wanted to use the medical scanner.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” He started to lift her into his arms, already determined to carry her back inside.

“Nothing’s wrong. You can put me down.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’m pregnant, A’rien. We’re going to have a baby.”

His knees gave out for a second time, but he kept her tucked safely in his arms as he dropped to the ground.

“A baby?”

“Yes.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Isn’t it wonderful?”

“The most wonderful news ever.”

He would never again have any reason to complain about his luck. Filled with renewed strength, he rose to his feet, carrying her with him.

She laughed and hugged his neck. “Where are you taking me?”

“To find a place for our new home. I intend to make sure that you and our daughter want for nothing.”

“As long as we have you, we don’t need anything else.”

Epilogue

Six weeks later…

Erica hummed happily as she put the finishing touches on the table. A’rien was out hunting with Tarax today, and she wanted to surprise him when he returned. She loved the sturdy new home he had built for them, but she knew they both missed their island house.

After a long discussion, they had decided not to return to the shore but to build closer to Tarax and Jane. Since he didn’t have an ocean to look out at, they had chosen a site on a bluff overlooking the wide river. He liked to sit on the veranda and watch the river rushing by below, but it wasn’t the same.

With a little help from Jane and Tarax, she had done her best to recreate the island feel. Flowering vines draped the window openings, and a pot of heavily salted water simmered on the stove, mimicking the scent of the sea. Tarax had rigged up a paddle fan that turned slowly overhead to create a gentle breeze.

She lit the small oil lamps they had made, nervously tugged at her outfit, and sat down to wait for him.

“I think there’s another storm coming,” A’rien said as he walked through the door. “We’d better—”

His words came to a halt as he looked around. As always, his eyes went to her first, flaring silver as he saw the silky vines draped across her body. They were only loosely woven, revealing tantalizing glimpses of her breasts and stomach and ass as she approached him.

“What is this?”

His voice sounded hoarse, and she smiled up at him, then twirled slowly, knowing the vines would reveal even more as they floated away from her body.

Peri rushed out of the bedroom to greet him, and A’rien bent down to pet him, his eyes never leaving her.

Fortunately, she was prepared. She pulled out one of Peri’s favorite treats and handed it to him. He squeaked happily and dragged it off to his basket.

“Do you think that will work with a baby?” she asked, laughing.

“No,” he said immediately. “But we will take advantage of every moment we can find.”

“Will we?”

“What do you mean?”

She took a deep breath. “I know we’ve been busy building the house and everything, and of course the baby is going to change things, but I miss the way we were on the island.”

It wasn’t that he neglected her in any way, but he was so careful with her now…

“How were we?” he asked, but the heat in his eyes increased.

“Wild,” she whispered.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. He grabbed both of her wrists in one big hand and held them behind her back. The position thrust her increasingly large and sensitive breasts forward and he cupped one with his other hand, kneading the swelling flesh with a firm grasp before his mouth captured her nipple, sucking it deep into his mouth.

Oh, yes. This was what she had missed.

He tugged harder on the sensitive nipple, then switched to her other breast, still holding her helpless to his touch and adding to her excitement. Her body spiraled higher and she suspected she could come from this alone, but then he lifted his head.

“Don’t stop!” she cried.

“I’m not going to stop. But I have other plans, zenska.”

A’rien lifted A’reka into his arms, delighted in the way she writhed impatiently against him. Kissing every part of him she could reach. He had plans for that tempting little mouth, but they could wait. He had held himself firmly in check for the past two months, wary of her condition, but he had missed these times as much as she had.

Their big bed was the perfect height for what he had in mind, and he bent her over it. The vine parted, revealing the tempting white curves of her luscious ass.

He placed a pillow beneath her stomach and checked to make sure that she was comfortable.

“You will let me know if you are not comfortable,” he ordered.

“I’m not comfortable. I ache for you.”

She pushed her hips back impatiently and he laughed, then grabbed her hands again. He slid his free hand between her thighs, growling approvingly at the slickness that met his fingers. He circled the heated pearl of her desire, then thrust a finger into her channel. Her walls fluttered around him and he knew she was on the verge of climax.

“Not yet.”

Normally he would have waited, stretched her gently, but this wasn’t what either of them needed tonight. He released her wrists and grasped her hips instead, then slid inside in one long thrust. As eager as she was, her body wasn’t quite ready and he had to work his way into the impossibly tight channel. His bayal moved inside her, and she shuddered and came, not once but twice, easing his way until at last he could move freely. He thrust blindly, faster, harder, losing himself in the pleasure of her body and the sound of her voice calling his name in a breathless whisper. White light flashed behind his eyes, and the blood thundered in his ears as he came in a torrent of helpless pleasure.

“I think you brought the storm, A’rien.” Her voice was heavy with satisfaction despite the laughter.

“Storm?”

The room flared white again, and he finally realized that it was lightning. He had forgotten all about the storm.

“I have to go close the shutters.”

She waved a limp hand. “Go ahead. I’ll wait right here.”

Her body quivered as he pulled out, and he paused long enough to lift her into the bed and press a quick kiss to the small swell of her stomach.

“Good. I still have plans for you.”

Her answering smile was so seductive that he almost abandoned the shutters, but then a gust of windy rain swept through the room and his mate did not like to get wet. He kissed her again and went to protect his family.

A very long time later, long after A’reka had fallen into a contented sleep, A’rien lay awake listening to the storm. It howled round the outside, but the walls were strong and the roof would hold. He had provided her with a home that would not fail, just as he would not fail her.

“I won’t fail you either, little one,” he whispered as his hand cupped her stomach.

He had a mate, a home, a family. He was indeed the luckiest of males.

***

Once again, I was correct. Va’rik’at’char made no attempt to conceal his triumph as he sent a message to his fellow scientist through his neural network.

You cheated. You upgraded the male’s translation implant. La’tok’at’bron did not sound pleased.

A harmless enough modification. It did not escape my notice that you engaged the translation function in the healing pools.

There was a noticeable hesitation before La’tok’at’bron responded. As you say, a harmless modification.

Va’rik’at’char wished he had the ability to smile.

But once again, the subjects did not complete the final test, La’tok’at’bron continued.

We agreed that it was not necessary. They chose to remain together.

I suppose.

And the male you chose for this test formed a mate bond, despite his somewhat reprehensible past.

I suppose, La’tok’at’bron repeated.

Va’rik’at’char did his best to control his frustration—a sensation he should not be experiencing. He was beginning to suspect that these experiments were altering his own thought processes. The sooner they were completed, the better.

It is time to take the next step. He sent the message with the full weight of his authority behind it.

There is one more test case to explore, La’tok’at’bron insisted.

Which is?

Although this male showed no inclination towards a mate bond, he had not actively rejected one.

And you wish to choose a male who has made that choice?

Yes.

And what of the human female if he rejects her?

Another perceptible hesitation.

I had not considered that, La’tok’at’bron finally admitted.

We might need to intervene, Va’rik’at’char warned.

La’tok’at’bron’s response sounded almost shocked. It is against the parameters we have been set. We are to observe only.

La’tok’at’bron was correct, yet with each experiment it became more difficult to see the females in danger. So far, the males had always prevented damage, but if the male did not feel the bond, if he refused to care for the female…

If you will agree that we may bring the experiment to a conclusion if the female is in danger, then I will agree to this last trial.

Very well. La’tok’at’bron didn’t hesitate.

As La’tok’at’bron began his preparations, Va’rik’at’char made a silent resolution.

This would be the last experiment. One way or the other, he would make sure of it.

Author’s Note

Thank you so much for reading A Nude Attitude! A slightly different hero this time, but - in my opinion - just as appealing. I do love a male redeemed by the love of a good woman! We are gradually melting into spring here, but we have had enough cooler days that I was happy to escape to a tropical island!

Whether you enjoyed the story or not, it would mean the world to me if you left an honest review on Amazon – reviews are one of the best ways to help other readers find my books!

As always, I have to thank my readers for joining me on these adventures! Your support and encouragement make it possible for me to keep writing these books.

And, as always, a special thanks to my beta team – Janet S, Nancy V, and Kitty S. Your thoughts and comments are incredibly helpful!

And there are more adventures in store for the unlikely couples who are the victims(?) of these experiments! Coming up next – The Buff Beast!

Can Mina survive the icy cold of an alien winter? And melt the heart of the hardened alien warrior who rescues her?

Click here to order The Buff Beast!

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Other Titles

Exposed to the Elements

The Naked Alien

The Bare Essentials

A Nude Attitude

The Buff Beast

The Alien Abduction Series

Anna and the Alien

Beth and the Barbarian

Cam and the Conqueror

Deb and the Demon

Ella and the Emperor

Faith and the Fighter

Greta and the Gargoyle

Hanna and the Hitman

Izzie and the Icebeast

Joan and the Juggernaut

The Alien Invasion Series

Alien Selection

Alien Conquest

Alien Prisoner

Alien Breeder

Alien Alliance

Alien Hope

Standalones

Jackie and the Giant – A Cosmic Fairy Tale

Krampus and the Crone – A ScFi Holiday Tale

Cyborgs on Mars

High Plains Cyborg

The Good, the Bad, and the Cyborg

A Fistful of Cyborg

A Few Cyborgs More

The Magnificent Cyborg

The Outlaw Cyborg

Treasured by the Alien with Bex McLynn

Mama and the Alien Warrior

A Son for the Alien Warrior

Daughter of the Alien Warrior

A Family for the Alien Warrior

About the Author

Honey Phillips writes steamy science fiction stories about hot alien warriors and the human women they can’t resist. From abductions to invasions, the ride might be rough, but the end always satisfies.

Honey wrote and illustrated her first book at the tender age of five. Her writing has improved since then. Her drawing skills, unfortunately, have not. She loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, and drinking champagne – not necessarily in that order.

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