Chapter 13

Kara woke up to find H'zim's head between her legs, licking slow, tantalizing circles around her clit. Her body was already quivering and when he added a little gentle suction, she flew headlong into a long, rolling climax. He gave her another long, slow lick, then raised his head and smiled at her.

"Good morning."

The warmth and pleasure from his touch lingered, her body still humming from the aftershocks, and she reached for him. He caught her hand and kissed her fingers but then he rose to his feet, his massive frame towering over her.

She realized he was already dressed and gave him a confused look.

"Come back to bed," she whispered, her voice husky from sleep and pleasure.

He shook his head, his eyes flashing with a mixture of desire and regret.

"I'm afraid not. I have work to do."

"Work? What time is it?"

"It's morning," He smiled at her. "You slept all night."

She sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist, and his eyes went immediately to her breasts but he didn't come any closer. She didn't remember falling asleep last night and she didn't remember him getting out of bed, but the morning light was streaming through the windows.

"I brought you coffee," he added, holding out a steaming mug.

She sighed happily as she took the mug from him, the aroma filling her senses. She took a sip, feeling the warmth spread through her chest.

"Thank you."

He leaned down, his lips brushing against hers in a gentle kiss, and she could taste herself on his lips.

"Take it easy today, okay?" he whispered. "I have to get to work."

She nodded, still feeling a little dazed as he turned and headed out the door. She watched him go, admiring the broad expanse of his back, the way his muscles rippled beneath his shirt as he moved.

A sense of contentment washed over her as she took another sip of her coffee, feeling the caffeine start to kick in. She had never felt so…safe, so cared for, in her life. But something niggled at her and she eventually realized what was bothering her. He hadn't let her touch him - not last night and not this morning.

She set her coffee down, her mind replaying the night before. He'd initiated every kiss, every caress, and when she'd tried to reciprocate, he'd pulled away. It was as if he was afraid of her touching him, of her getting too close.

And this morning… While she couldn't argue that there was work to be done - there was always work to be done - she started to wonder if he was using it as an excuse. Was he still holding back?

As much as her body hummed with contentment and as much as she'd enjoyed his touch, lovemaking was supposed to be mutual. Lovemaking. Her breath caught in her throat as the realization swept over her. Oh no. She'd gone and fallen in love with the prickly impossible male.

And I have no idea how he feels.

She thought he cared for her - at least as much as he would allow himself to care - but she knew his past still had a grip on him. She'd noticed he never discussed the future except in the vaguest terms, and she had the uneasy feeling he intended to do something stupid.

She finished her coffee, savoring the last drops before setting the cup down, then climbed out of bed. She took a quick bath to wash away the lingering fatigue and stickiness from the night before, then pulled on her work clothes. As she did, she gave her yellow dress a fond smile. It has certainly been worth all those nights of sewing.

Now to find out what was going on in H'zim's complicated brain.

She found him in the barn, tinkering with the mechanical wagon. As she approached, he manipulated the controls, and the machine came to life with a soft whir. He looked up, catching her gaze, and a hint of a smile played on his lips.

"It works."

"I can see that. But what's holding it together? Fairy dust and magic?"

He smiled, his face relaxed, and she wondered if she'd been worrying about nothing.

"Perhaps. But now that it's working, I'm going to town," he added. "I can finally get those supplies we need."

She'd known all along that that was his intention but now that the moment had arrived, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. Was he going to face danger? Was he really just going for supplies? Was he going to leave her behind?

The thought of being abandoned again made her heart race and she grabbed for his arm.

"Wait, don't go!"

He covered her hand with his, his touch gentle.

"I won't be gone long, only as long as it takes to get everything we need. I'll be back well before dusk."

"Dusk?" she whispered. "You're going to be gone all day."

Tears welled up on her eyes as fear and uncertainty threatened to overcome her. H'zim's expression softened further, and he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I'll be back, Kara," he repeated, his voice low and soothing. "Trust me."

"I… I do," she whispered, and somehow she managed to smile.

With one last glance at her, he drove off down the road, leaving her standing alone by the barn. She had spent months here by herself but now that she had grown used to his company, the silence pressed in on her ominously.

Pull yourself together, she told herself. Find something to do to keep busy.

Unfortunately none of her usual chores really distracted her. She was distractedly weeding her garden when she caught a glimpse of a large green figure approaching the barn out of the corner of her eye. He was back! Relief swept over her so fast she felt dizzy and she had to take a few deep breaths before she jumped to her feet.

She hadn't heard the wagon. Had it broken down already? He isn't going to be happy about that, she thought gaily as she rushed over to the barn.

"Did your fairy dust fail?" she teased as she approached.

The male in front of her turned around and it took her a shocked moment to realize it wasn't H'zim. A stranger, a very large and muscular stranger, was staring at her.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "Where is my brother?"

"B-brother? Are you S'kal?"

"Of course I am. Where's H'zim?"

"He went to town."

"Town?" S'kal frowned at her, clearly suspicious. "He said he wanted to be alone."

"Things have changed," she said helplessly.

S'kal stared at her a moment longer, then he started to laugh.

"Apparently so." He looked past her at the neat garden, and the laundry hanging on the line, and the fields they'd cleared and shook his head. "You've done a lot of work."

"We have," she agreed, then belatedly remembered her manners. "I'm Kara. Would you like some coffee? Or tea? And I made a pie but I was a little distracted so it's browner than it was supposed to be."

"I…" She suspected he'd been about to refuse, but his face softened as he looked at her. "All right. Do you know when H'zim will be back?"

"He said as soon as possible, but that it might take most of the day. The wagon doesn't move very quickly."

S'kal nodded thoughtfully as he followed her into the kitchen, watching as she poured coffee and cut two generous slices of pie.

"I suppose it might, depending on what he intends to get." He shook his head again as he looked around the kitchen. "I didn't expect this either. My brother was never very good at keeping things neat and tidy."

She gave him an eager look, thrilled to learn more about H'zim, but first…

"Not that I mean to be rude, but why are you here? H'zim said you weren't going to come visit him for a month."

He sighed.

"This isn't exactly a social call. I was worried because I heard he was chasing people away from the surrounding property and I was afraid that being out here alone might be getting to him."

Oh. A giggle escaped as she remembered the previous afternoon. She'd been behind him at that point and she'd heard the interchange between the two males and seen H'zim stomp away just before she'd run into a tiny, pretty woman by the well.

"That's kind of my fault, I'm afraid. We were playing a game and he was a little frustrated. And maybe worried about me," she added guiltily.

S'kal gave her a stunned look.

"A game? H'zim?"

She shrugged helplessly, not really sure how to explain, and he burst into laughter. She couldn't resist smiling back but her heart ached a little. If only H'zim could laugh so easily.

"I think you'd better tell me everything," S'kal said when he stopped laughing.

She nodded and went to refill the coffee pot.

"In that case, I think we're going to need some more coffee."