Chapter 5

When I took this job to help colonize a new alien world, I never imagined that aliens would actually be involved. I never thought a girl like me would ever get to interact with one, let alone see one from afar. And yet, there I was, being held in the arms of one of the most handsome aliens to possibly exist. And he was a complete softie. It was easy to tell the guy was interested in me. Few men went out of their way to impress a girl as much as Balroth did.

We hadn't known each other long, but already I felt safe in his arms. I liked it there. I liked him.

He rushed through the rain and hail to some destination. His upper body was bent over mine as he tried to shield me, taking the painful hits from the ice himself without hesitation. No one I knew would have done that for me.

Reaching up, I attempted to shield his head from the falling hail. I might have been enjoying this, but I wasn't heartless. He just grunted at me before jostling me in his arms so much that I was forced to grip his shirt. I knew he wouldn't drop me, but I was no slight weight, and holding onto him just felt more secure right then.

A shadow fell over us, and I blinked up at a solid rock ceiling. We had entered a cave. Why hadn't I thought of that? I was an idiot, panicking and running recklessly through the rain.

Balroth carefully lowered my feet to the ground, keeping an arm around me as he waited for me to get my balance. I leaned into him, grateful for the support but also enjoying his touch. Now that we were out of the storm, I felt chilled to the bone. Our clothes dripped water everywhere on the cave's dirt floor, running off us like a waterfall. Neither of us stepped away from each other.

Looking up at him, I caught him staring down at me from his height. This close to him, I realized just how tall he truly was. My head barely reached his chest. He felt larger than life. And I felt somehow smaller than I was.

"Thank you." I reached out and placed my hand over his chest. My fingers grazed the very edge of his leather vest, tracing the edge of the material.

Balroth looked down at me, a quizzical expression on his face. He couldn't understand me. I grinned. At least he didn't understand my words.

I looked firmly into his eyes as I reached up and cupped his cheeks. He didn't pull away from me, though his eyes widened. With infinite slowness, I pulled his face towards mine.

And kissed him.

At first, our lips gently brushed, feather-light. But he didn't stop there. After his initial shock, he pressed his lips more firmly against mine. He surprised me by taking control. His tongue lapped at the seam of my lips, pushing into my mouth with a gentle but persistent ferocity. His taste exploded through my mouth, an addictive blend of spicy and earthy.

I moaned. My response only egged him on. His arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me firmly against him with a tug and holding me so tight that I wouldn't be able to withdraw even if I tried. I didn't want to.

My nipples grew hard, the tips dug almost painfully into my bra. Squirming against him, I gasped at the delicious sensations produced by rubbing my chest against his. I needed more. I needed him.

And just as quickly as it started, he stopped.

I whimpered as he pulled away from me.

His nostrils flared, and a smug expression crossed his face. He knew exactly how he made me feel. My panting all but confirmed it. I pressed my body closer, feeling the thick bulge that pressed against my stomach. A sly smile spread across my lips. He could act as cocky as he wanted. The kiss affected him just as much as it did me. I was sure he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.

"Eve," he groaned my name, his voice guttural and deep.

I shivered at the absolute need I heard in his voice.

He narrowed his eyes. Much to my dismay, he stepped away from me. Instantly, I felt bereft. I was almost tempted to reach out and grab his tail to stop him from leaving. As he walked away from me, a chill settled over me. It wasn't all from the chilly air within the cave, either. I thought things were going well. I thought he had been enjoying the kiss as much as I had... so why did he just stop?

My cheeks burned as humiliation took hold. It was always the same old story. I just bet there was someone else, someone better.

He turned his attention to several bags he had stored against the cave wall. Within moments, he was stacking several logs together and starting a fire.

Hope, bitter hope, still rose in my chest. Maybe he was just setting the mood, helping me get comfortable. Maybe he wasn't dismissing me. But he turned to me with a serious expression, his eyebrows pinched so tight that a heavy crease formed between them.

Something was wrong, and I had a feeling that I wouldn't like what was about to happen.

He pulled something small out of his bag and held it out to me. A small box made from shiny metal.

My eyes went wide.

"Well, that looks more modern than I expected," I stated. Realizing just how that statement sounded, I blushed furiously and looked at Balroth with a shy smile. "Sorry, that's rude. It's just that you dress a bit... primitive. With your leather clothing and all."

Having seen Balroth carry his spear around so casually, dressed in what I could only describe as somewhat rough leathers, I had thought of him as somewhat of a native. As crazy as that concept could be, given that no sentient life should be on this planet. Nothing about the male looked like someone who lived and worked on a spaceship.

He waved the box at me, urging me to take it. I lifted it out of his hands gingerly, instinctively understanding that whatever this box held was something of great value. I just had no idea why he was showing it to me.

Spinning it around, I looked for some way to open it. It looked like a solid block, the seams all but invisible in the low light of the flickering fire.

"Eve."

I glanced at Balroth. Another shiver ran through me at the way he said my name. Just his voice alone affected me. My blush grew deeper at the memory of his lips pressed against mine. He took the small box from me, his fingers brushing mine. Such an innocent touch, yet I felt it all the way to my core. Even my nipples hardened in response, so stiff that they were probably visible through both my bra and shirt.

Balroth had other ideas. He fiddled with the box, twisting it this way and that. Suddenly, it slid open. Inside, nestled on a bed of foam, was a slice of metal. About the size of a grain of rice. No, smaller.

He pulled out a small knife from his waist, surprising me. What did he need that for? I gasped when he moved to cut himself behind his ear, and he looked at me sheepishly for a moment. He pretended to pick up the slice of metal and touched it behind his ear. Then he pointed to his lips and ears, repeatedly grunting words that I had no hopes of translating.

Oh. It made sense now. He made sense.

"Is that a translator?" I whispered the words, afraid to speak them aloud in case my hopes were dashed. "Will I be able to talk to you?"

He looked at me and grinned. His expression was one of victory and hope.