He never knew...
She touched him as if she never wanted him to stop.
His cock throbbed, feeling ready to explode. One of his fists curled into the grass beside her head before he did something he’d really regret--like touching her. Touching her in ways they both craved.
Her tongue stroked his, wet, soft, and eager. She made a soft, needy noise in the back of her throat and her body pressed up into his like an undulating wave. Her breasts crushed against his chest, the pebbles of her nipples scraping him through their shirts. His hips jerked with a needy thrust.
He broke away, stumbled back away from her as his chest pumped hard. Her eyes were fogged with passion as she looked at him. Her cheeks were flushed, lips wet and swollen. Her chest rose and fell in fast waves, straining her breasts against her shirt.
His emotions teetered all over the place. He had to find some semblance of control before he went right back over to her and finished what had started. Just the thought sent his gaze between her thighs. Her hips jerked in response as if she felt his touch there and he nearly groaned. So badly did he want to feel her soft femininity. He clenched his hands as if to keep his fingers from wanting to dip into her jeans and feel her soft sex. How wet was she? How hot? Would she burn against him? Another shudder wracked through him.
He couldn’t touch her though, he wouldn’t.
So he said the one thing he knew would work. “Don’t ever touch me again.”
Hurt flashed across her face and he hated himself for putting it there. Then, just as quickly, anger surged and she jerked to a stand. “You kissed me.”
His jaw popped he held it so tightly. “Come on.” He strode past her. He had no other choice. He had to ignore her or else he might do something irrevocably stupid. He hid the tremble in his hands by curling them into fists.
He had about two seconds of peace before she stormed beside him marching like she was taking her anger out on the grass. “You are un-fucking-believable. I mean really. You are such an ass.”
“Watch your tongue, Abbigail,” he warned. He’d only take so much of her insults.
“Watch your tongue, Abbigail,” she mimicked in a high voice. She darted a lethal gaze at him. “You watch it, demon. With how I feel right now you don’t want to piss me off.”
He almost laughed, actually. “And just what do you think you could possibly do to me.”
No sooner had she sucked in a deep breath did he feel the warmth of her magic surrounding him. He realized he’d made a mistake just as he went flying through the air. Air rushed past him, blowing hair in his face. His stomach felt like it was kissing his spine. Surprise kept him from responding, or at least that’s what he told himself. He landed on the grass some fifteen feet away feeling as though he’d just been run over by a horse.
He jumped to a stand ready to exact retribution, but she squared her shoulders and spread her feet looking ready to fight. Her eyes glowed dimly from the magic running through her veins. She looked so small yet stood as a warrior ready to battle at the front lines. She looked more beautiful than ever.
His anger fled as swiftly as it came. His lips twitched again and he stifled a laugh. The emotion felt so odd he didn’t know how to hide it.
“Glad to see you’re improving on your skills.”
With that, he turned and continued south.
Her soft growl brought a full smile to his mouth.
Chapter Ten
Abby didn’t know how she managed not to freeze her butt off during the night, but she slept surprisingly well. She’d asked Alrik to build a fire and he’d refused, said it’d leave them vulnerable. She didn’t get that and when she pressed him, he shook his head in a condescending way then explained that: “If we leave a fire lit it only brings dangerous eyes to our position while we rest unaware.”
Well he may have a point but she didn’t like the idea of another freezing cold night without a blanket. However, now that she thought about it, she woke up warm and comfortable each morning. Strange.
Not to mention she needed new clothes badly. She’d give almost anything to have a pair of fresh jeans, a shirt, and a warm jacket. Scrubbing her clothes in streams and lakes worked only so much.
Alrik was already up and moving around when she got up but she figured he hadn’t been up long. The strange light in the sky, not a sun but a bright enough light that looked as if it always had a hazy fog covering it, just broke into the sky.
Abby stretched the sore muscles in her body. She was getting more of a workout with all the hiking than she’d had in a long time. She could already feel her stomach slimming some. Normally she might be happy that she’d slimmed down, but in this case it made her jeans bag on her and without any replacement clothes it just served to remind her how much she needed to be home.
Alrik set a packet of cooked, dried meat on the ground then announced, “I’ll be back.”
A flicker of panic instantly swept through her. He was leaving her? He’d never said any such thing before. When he started walking into the woods, underneath a high-rise cliff on their left, she hollered out to him.
“Where are you going?”
He kept walking for a few steps then seemed to debate with himself before he stopped and turned back. Her breath squeezed tight in her throat, her entire body caught fire just having him look at her. All because of that kiss. She swore his masculine, sexy taste still filled her mouth. It surprised her, but if he came to her right now and took her mouth she’d gladly give in.
Not once in her whole life had she ever been kissed like that. It was as if kissing her had been the most pleasurable act in his life, as if he couldn’t get enough, and as if it took every ounce of willpower in his entire body not take her body. And she’d felt the same. She hadn’t wanted it to ended, not even for a second.
A shiver quivered down her spine. Her breasts pulled tight and her nipples hardened. She gulped but hoped, and didn’t hope, that he would notice.
His dark eyes caught hers and she swore—he knew. He knew every sensual thought she just had because he’d had it too.
“I’m going to the lake to bathe.” He voice sounded even deeper than normal.
Her eyebrows flew up.
As if sensing where her thoughts were leading her he jabbed a finger in her direction. “You will not follow me, Abbigail. You will stay here and eat until I return. If anything seems amiss, cry out and I’ll be here.”
Abby looked around in dismay. A stream of cool water trickled down over the rocky cliff above and flowed down southwards, bubbling over rocks and crags. He told her it all poured out into the Drego lake, but a thick expanse of forest kept it from view.
This forest looked different from the ones she’d seen before. There were many bushes and shrubs colored dark yellow like mustard, bright yellow like a cheery tulip, and a beautiful dark cherry red. Some were as tall as her waist and others even taller than she was. They fit amidst the thick trunked trees creating a beautiful, earthy juxtaposition. Their leaves were heart shaped but elongated and thinner with the ends coming to a point. They brought a smile to Abby’s face with their earthly beauty.
Alrik followed her gaze and he scowled. “And do not touch anything. Some of these plants are dangerous to the touch.”
Abby’s smile died. The forest just went from a pretty little garden she might explore to something dangerous. She took in the beautiful shrubbery one last time. Looks like she wouldn’t be going in there without her little guide after all. Sighing, she took a seat on a rock that had a smooth flat surface.
“Fine, I’ll wait here.” She popped her chin up on her fist and gave him her bored expression. She was trying to play it bored, but truth be told she didn’t like the idea of being here alone. The crazy demon was all she had in this strange world, and she needed him as much as he did her.