Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

T he sandals were a little awkward, but the cushioning was very welcome against the stony ground as they resumed their journey. Va'rik slowed his pace considerably, walking next to her rather than leading the way. Hammy hopped around their feet, sometimes darting ahead and sometimes falling behind to investigate an intriguing plant, but he always seemed to keep them in sight.

Now that she wasn't hurrying after Va'rik, she actually found herself enjoying the journey. The sun was warm but not unpleasantly hot, and as they climbed, more plants appeared, softening the harsh terrain. He pointed out a collection of small bushes, and she recognized their wide, pale blue leaves as the base of her sandals. A low, fuzzy yellow plant that grew beneath the bushes had provided the cushioning.

When they reached a grove of scraggly trees covered with small purple globes, he came to a halt, considering them thoughtfully. "I believe this fruit is edible."

He reached out and plucked one, biting into it before she could object. As soon as he took the bite, he shuddered violently and immediately spat it back out.

"Most unpleasant."

"Is it poisonous?" she asked worriedly.

He hesitated, his head tilting to one side, then shook his head. "No, merely unpleasant."

She looked regretfully at the remains of the fruit. Her stomach was beginning to remind her that it had been a long time since she had eaten. Not that I know exactly how long , she thought, and quickly decided she didn't want to consider the unknown period. The fact that she had been transported from her own bed to an alien planet without any knowledge that it was happening was still deeply disturbing.

As she looked down at Va'rik's discarded fruit, she saw a pale lavender interior beneath the thick purple outer shell and had a sudden inspiration.

"Can you get another one of those for me?" she asked him.

He immediately picked another fruit, but he hesitated before handing it to her. "Are you sure? I do not want you to experience the same sensation."

"I just want to try something." She took the fruit and used her thumbnail to dig into the thick outer casing, then pulled it back to reveal the soft inner flesh. Once she had peeled about a quarter of the fruit, she gave it a small, cautious lick. Delicious . It tasted somewhat like an apple, but with the soft texture of a banana. Her stomach gurgled happily as she took an actual bite.

Va'rik looked appalled when she smiled.

"You enjoy that taste?"

"I think it's only the outer skin that doesn't taste good. Try peeling it like this."

He looked skeptical, but he followed her instructions. He raised the peeled fruit to his mouth with all the enthusiasm of one of her third graders facing a stalk of broccoli. His cautious bite was even more tentative than hers had been, but then he closed his eyes and groaned happily.

"This is delicious," he said thickly as he devoured the rest of the fruit.

"We probably shouldn't eat too many until we know if they have any side effects, but we could pick some more to take with us."

He nodded, but he was looking at her rather than the tree.

"What—"

Before she could finish her question, he bent down and brushed his lips against hers. Firm and still damp from the juice, they pressed against her mouth with an unexpectedly sensual pleasure. Almost unconsciously, she started to lean into him, but then he drew back, leaving her staring up at him.

"Why did you do that?"

"To thank you for showing me the secret of the fruit."

His expression was as innocent as ever, but there was a definite hint of male satisfaction in the curve of his lips. Hmm. Was it possible that he wasn't as innocent as he appeared?

"You don't have to kiss someone every time you thank them," she said sternly.

"No?" he asked. "It seems a most enjoyable practice."

She shook her head and pointed at the tree. "Are you going to gather some more fruit?"

"Hedlar," he said as he turned to follow her instructions. "I have just remembered that they are called hedlar."

While he collected them, she sat down on one of the nearby rocks. Hammy looked up at her hopefully so she peeled another one of the hedlar and fed it to him.

"If you can remember the name of the fruit, does that mean your memory is coming back?"

Va'rik shook his head. "No, there are many gaps. I still don't know why I'm here. But sometimes when I see something, I know more about it."

He finished filling his bag with hedlar and came to sit next to her on the rock. "It is most disconcerting. I feel as if my mind is filled with locked doors and I do not know what is behind any of the doors until one of them opens. Trying to remember is… uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry. That must be really hard."

Without thinking, she patted his leg consolingly. Her hand looked impossibly small on the expanse of smooth purple skin, and she felt his muscles tense. She started to pull back, but before she could withdraw her hand, he placed his own on top of hers.

"It would be harder if I did not have your… companionship," he said softly.

Warmth flared in his eyes as he looked down at her. Suspecting that another thank you kiss was on the way, she jumped to her feet. "We should get going."

"You are always in a hurry," he observed mildly as he rose to join her.

"I have a life to get back to—and someone who's depending on me."

A noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl erupted from his throat. "Who is depending on you? Another male?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. Well, yes, I suppose in a way. He's a child."

"You have a child?"

He looked horrified, and his skin actually paled to an ashy lavender. Did he have a problem with children?

She crossed her arms and frowned at him. "He's one of my students, but I want to provide a home for him."

Some of his color returned. "He is not a biological child?"

"What difference does that make?" Offended by his obvious relief, she scowled. "He still needs me."

"But I need you too!" The words seemed to burst from his mouth before he turned and paced back towards the trees.

"Va'rik, you don't even know me," she snapped. "Now are you coming with me or not?"

He didn't respond, stalking off in the direction they had been traveling. She sighed and followed him. They hadn't traveled very far before he returned to her side.

"I apologize, Amanda."

She searched his face, but he appeared to be sincere. "Why does it bother you so much that I have to return to Earth?"

"Because I am sure that you were brought here for me. And yet, how can that be true if you have a duty to a child?"

It did seem highly coincidental that they had ended up so close together, especially since there was no one else around. "But you don't remember why you think this?"

He shook his head. "It is another door, and this one seems to be the most heavily guarded."

"Do you think that if you remember, you might know how I was brought here? And how I could get home?"

"It is possible," he said reluctantly. "I could try again tonight if you would like."

She had seen how much it pained him to try and remember, and his willingness to make the effort on her behalf touched her. Impulsively, she lifted his hand to her lips. This should be safe enough , she thought as she pressed a quick kiss to the back of his hand.

But his body still tensed and she saw the heavy weight of his cock start to expand as soon as her lips touched him. Oops.

"Is that another thank you kiss?" he asked stiffly.

"Yes. I appreciate the fact that you're willing to try and find answers for me."

"I would do anything for you." His sincerity made her uncomfortable, but before she could respond, a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "These thank you kisses can be given in different locations?"

"Umm, yes, I suppose so."

He looked down at her, his eyes gleaming speculatively. Her stomach quivered and her nipples tightened as she suddenly pictured all of the other places he could kiss her.

"I see," he said thoughtfully, and turned his attention back to their path.

They walked until well after noon, finally pausing when he found a trickle of water flowing from beneath a rock. They stopped to drink and eat more fruit. It was a pleasant little clearing, with a patch of low-growing vegetation around the spring. Hammy nibbled happily at the leaves while she relaxed back against a sun-warmed boulder.

"We could rest here for the night," Va'rik suggested.

She was tempted, especially when she stretched and felt the ache in her legs. This place was well suited as a campsite, especially with the spring, but when she checked the map, they hadn't covered much distance.

"If we keep going, do you think it will be hard to find another water source? We can carry some in my pot, but it won't be much."

He tilted his head as if listening to the internal voice again. "I do not think it will be difficult. There is more vegetation as we climb, and there should be more water as well."

"In that case, I'd like to keep going. We should have a few more hours of daylight, and it would be nice to make a little more progress."

This time he didn't question her desire to keep moving. He simply nodded and went to fill the water container before they set out again. They continued to wind their way slowly up through the hills until they reached a small plateau. Va'rik stopped and frowned at the landscape in front of them.

She followed his gaze but didn't see anything remarkable. The hills undulated out into the distance, their highest peaks only a short distance above them.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I do not know. The most direct route is up there along the ridgeline. But something is telling me that we should stay below it and take the longer way that curves around the hills."

"But you don't know why?"

He shook his head. "I do not have sufficient data. But since you desire to reach our destination as quickly as possible, it would be foolish to take an alternate route based on nothing more than a feeling."

Despite his words, he didn't resume walking.

She studied the terrain, considering the two options. Following the ridgeline did seem more appealing, not only because he had said it was the faster route, but because the way was clearer. If they followed the curve of the hills, they wouldn't be able to walk in a straight line because they would have to maneuver around the many boulders and patches of vegetation.

"I agree," she said. "Let's go along the ridgeline. I don't see anything to worry about."

But as they set forth, an unexplainable chill made her edge closer to his side.