Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

J ane kept glancing surreptitiously at her companion as they walked. So this was a native of the planet—and he was not at all what she had expected. She didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but she couldn't help wondering why he had shown up to rescue her. And why was he willing to take her to the location on the map? Didn't he have any friends or family?

She looked up again only to find him studying her in return with those odd golden eyes. When she blushed, he grinned at her and despite the white flash of fangs, it was a remarkably attractive grin. In fact, despite his differences, he was a remarkably attractive male. She had never been particularly attracted to athletic men, but here in the jungle those rippling muscles and his air of easy competence were very enticing.

She was so busy looking at him that she tripped over a half-hidden branch and stumbled to a stop. Tarax stopped as well, studying her thoughtfully before spreading out his arms as if to say take a good look. She found herself focusing on his chest where the ridges of muscle seemed to delineate the varying shades of his skin.

Curious, she started to stretch out her hand, but didn't quite have the courage to touch him. With an impatient sound he grabbed her hand and brought it firmly against his chest. His very hard chest. The ridges of muscle felt more like armor than skin, she realized as she explored his massive pectorals.

Could he actually be wearing some type of body suit, she wondered, but then her curious fingers reached his abdomen. Still impressively muscled, but with the warm firmness of skin rather than armor. Her fingers skated down the ladder of muscle, one, two, three… Good lord, he had at least an eight pack.

But then he made a muffled noise. Startled, she looked up to see that his face was rigid, his eyes closed. She couldn't possibly be hurting him, could she? She looked down again and… oh my.

The effect of her exploration was all too clear. He wasn't fully erect but his already impressive cock was definitely thicker, stirring even more beneath her gaze. But it wasn't just the size that had her staring. More ridges covered the surface, expanding as she watched.

She started to reach out a curious hand, then came to her senses and jumped back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you, um, excited. I was just curious. Thank you for letting me touch you, but maybe we should just get moving now…"

Her words died down in a flurry of embarrassment. He didn't respond, but when she dared to sneak a look at his face, he looked almost amused. Hmph. Not entirely sure she appreciated that reaction, she cast one more quick glance at that much too intriguing cock, lifted her chin, and turned to continue the journey. And promptly tripped over a vine.

Tarax caught her, of course, and for just a second his hands seemed to linger against her waist before he set her firmly on her feet. He took her hand and they started walking again.

She quickly realized how much easier traveling was with him along. He created a path through the undergrowth, held vines out of her way, and steadied her when she inevitably tripped over a hidden obstacle. She still thought it was odd that he wanted to hold her hand, but there was no denying that the strength of his grip gave her added confidence.

As the last rays of the sun began to slant through the trees, she started to wonder when, or even if, he was going to stop for the night. Even with his assistance, she was tired. Her legs ached and her feet hurt and she just wanted to sit down.

"Shouldn't we find somewhere to stop?" she asked. "I'm ready to take a break."

He looked down at her, but he didn't respond and he didn't slow his pace.

She tried again. "Look, I realize you must be at home here, but I'm not, and I'm not used to all this exercise. I'm very grateful that you agreed to take me to the place on the map, but I really think we should stop for the night."

When he still didn't come to a halt, she tried to disentangle her hand from his. That made him stop, although he didn't let go of her, and she realized there was no way she could escape his grip unless he chose to let her go.

"Can we stop?" She pointed at the ground. "For the night?" This time she pointed at the setting sun.

He tilted his head and studied her, so she tried some more sign language. Putting her hands together, one still cradled in his, she lifted them to her cheek and placed her head on them. Was that the universal sign for sleep?

He nodded, and she sighed with relief, but then he started walking again.

"No. I don't want to walk any further."

He came to a halt again and said something in his growled language.

"I have no idea what you're saying, but I'm tired and I want to stop for the night." Her voice broke on the last words as exhaustion and the events of the day caught up with her.

His face softened, then before she could react, he lifted her easily into his arms, cradling her like a baby against his hard chest. Both she and Mr. Tiddles let out a startled squeak, but Tarax just smiled down at her and started walking again. She wanted to protest, but he was obviously determined not to stop, and it was a huge relief just to be off her feet.

At first she held herself stiffly, trying to maintain some sense of dignity, but his steady pace and the warmth and comfort of his arms quickly overcame her reserve. With a tired sigh she nestled her head against his shoulder. Mr. Tiddles curled up in her arms, his own eyes closing.

If someone had told her a week ago that she could fall asleep while being carried through an alien jungle by a huge native, she would have laughed in their face. But as the shadows lengthened, she did just that, and it wasn't until Tarax shifted her position in his arms that she awoke.

He had her tucked firmly against his side, one arm under her ass while he used the other to… climb? Oh my God! She gasped and threw her arms around his neck when she realized they were already halfway up one of the enormous jungle trees. Mr. Tiddles squeaked a protest as she squeezed him between their bodies, and she reluctantly eased her grip.

Tarax rumbled something that might have been intended to be reassuring, but he sounded a little too amused for her liking.

"Dammit. Humans don't belong in trees," she muttered. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

To her relief, he came to a halt a moment later and settled down in the notch where one of the broad branches joined up with the trunk of the tree. He kept her cradled against him as he sat and she ended up in his lap – his completely naked lap. She was suddenly extremely conscious of the warm strength of his thighs beneath her and started to jump up, only to reconsider when she realized the branch wasn't wide enough for the two of them.

Tarax made that odd rumbling laugh again and pulled her back down. She squirmed uncomfortably, and he made another noise. This one did not sound amused, and she was suddenly aware of his cock stiffening beneath her. She froze, uneasily aware that if he intended to take advantage of her, she had absolutely no hope of fending him off. The heat of his body surrounded her, his arms held her firmly but gently, and her heart raced—but not entirely from fear.

He growled something else, a low rumble that was somehow reassuring as his arms tightened briefly in what felt like a hug. She held herself stiffly for a few more minutes, but although his cock was still huge and hard beneath her, he didn't do anything else, and she gradually relaxed.

Mr. Tiddles had climbed out of her arms when they first sat down and was now exploring their surroundings, chittering gently. She watched him sleepily, still exhausted from the long day.

Taraxan shifted position, wedging the length of his cock more firmly between her buttocks, and she bit her lip. But all he did was reach into his belt and withdraw a handful of fruit to hand to her.

It was the same pink fruit that had fallen around her earlier.

"Did you drop these for me when I stopped before?" she asked, twisting around to look up at him. "You were following me earlier, weren't you?" she added.

The knowledge didn't really upset her. As far as she could tell, he had been looking out for her, first by feeding her and then by coming to her rescue.

"Why didn't you let me know that you were there?"

Was he shy, she wondered. But looking up at that strong, competent face, regarding her with an amused look once more, she discarded that notion.

"Hmm. It can't have been because you thought that I was a danger to you. Were you just checking me out?"

That thought brought on a whole new series of worries. She had assumed that he had agreed to take her to the destination on the map, but what if he had something more nefarious in mind? She hadn't seen any other natives. Maybe females were scarce enough that he was happy to find one, even an alien one. She gave him a suspicious frown and he shook his head, fangs flashing in that surprisingly attractive smile, as if he knew what she was thinking.

He said something in his harsh language that she chose to believe was intended to reassure her. Then he took one of the pink fruits and lifted it to her mouth. She sighed and accepted it. It was just as delicious this evening as it had been earlier. She ate half of them before she felt guilty that she was taking all his supplies and offered one to him. He firmly shook his head, then grunted disapprovingly when she offered it to Mr. Tiddles. However, he didn't attempt to stop her as she fed several of them to her small companion.

Full darkness had fallen by the time she finished, and her eyes were getting heavy. She would have liked a warm washcloth and a toothbrush, but she was too sleepy to spare them more than a fleeting thought. Tarax tucked her against him as Mr. Tiddles rejoined them, and she didn't protest, tucking her head into his unexpectedly comfortable shoulder and drifting off to sleep.

Taraxan knew the moment that Jayn succumbed to her exhaustion and carefully adjusted her to ease the strain on his aching cock. He had not realized how tempting it would be to have her pressed against him. He had never had an issue controlling his arousal before, but he had not anticipated the delight of having her in his arms.

He was not a stranger to the female sex, but he had deliberately kept his previous encounters brief and formal. Although the Doturans had a history of all-consuming bonds between a male and female, he had long ago decided that it was not for him. He had no intention of succumbing to the weakness that had led to his father abandoning him by following his mother into death. His decision to avoid a mating bond had never been tested before, and yet…

Holding Jayn, protecting her and caring for her, fulfilled a part of him that he would have sworn did not exist. But it was a part that had no future. He would be returning to his planet and she would, no doubt, be returning to hers. This closeness that he felt to her was simply the result of being in a survival situation with a desirable female.

Very desirable, he thought with a silent groan as she moved in her sleep and her makeshift garment pulled away from her body. A full breast rubbed temptingly against his arm and he felt a pebbled nipple press against his skin. His hand ached to explore that tempting little peak and see how responsive it would be, but he forced himself to remain still. He had promised her he would not take advantage of her, and even though he knew she hadn't understood him, he had given his word. With a sigh, he rested his head against the trunk of the tree and prepared himself for a long, frustrating night.