The next day, Sarah started early. She rolled her ankle around experimentally, testing for any tweaks or twinges. It was as good as new. Better than new, actually. A scar she’d had on the side of her leg for as long as she could remember had disappeared, replaced with baby smooth skin.

Nyxant stoked the fire while she gathered wood from the edge of the jungle. She eyed the dense trees warily, on the lookout for anything ready to snatch her up. But she was able to return to camp unmolested, her arms piled high with wood.

“Do you like fish?” Nyxant asked. Today he wore the pants he’d landed in and had cloth draped over his shoulders in something almost resembling a cloak. The one thing their survival packs lacked were clothes.

“Of course.” She was already growing tired of the nutrition bars. If they were stuck here for long, she might sample the tree leaves just for a little flavor. And as of now, their fate was in the hands of Sky Chaser 4. She’d dropped the transmitter during her scuffle with the monster in the jungle. They had no way to communicate with anyone but each other.

Nyxant’s toes curled in the sand. He’d chosen to forgo shoes. He smiled at her response. “Good. I think I can rig up one of the tents to act as a net. Perhaps we’ll have a tasty dinner.”

He set to work on one of their spare tents while Sarah arranged a woodpile by the fire. They worked in companionable silence. And if Sarah’s eyes occasionally drifted over to study Nyxant’s rippling muscles as he worked, she had nothing to be ashamed about. After all, more than once she caught him looking at her.

After a few hours, he stood up and stretched. The movement caught her eye. Nyxant put his whole body into it, arms outstretched and back arched, showing his alien features off to perfection.

God, she wanted to lick every inch of him.

All morning, desire had been an uncomfortable companion, making her hyper-aware of her own body and the tightening of her muscles down to her core. The wicked question of whether they were physically compatible kept flittering through her head. Nyxant may not have looked completely human, but their differences didn’t seem so different right now.

And if human ingenuity was good for one thing, it was finding pleasure in the unknown.

As he headed out toward the water, she forced herself to look away and focus on the tasks that she’d set for herself. If she didn’t start working, she’d spend the entire day staring at Nyxant. And she really, really wanted to. But she couldn’t.

After finishing stacking up the wood, Sarah set about organizing their supplies. She had no idea how long they’d need to stay on Rex, and now she needed to tally up their food and medkits before they began to run low.

The job took longer than she thought. The sun beat down on her hard and sweat poured down her neck. She had no idea how much time had passed, but when she stood up, her muscles ached.

“I’m afraid my results have been less than fruitful.” Nyxant’s voice was close. She hadn’t realized that he was standing right behind her.

Sarah turned around and froze.

He was naked. Very, very naked.

And any questions she had about biological compatibility evaporated. One quick glance before she could force herself to look away told her all she needed to know. They’d fit.

She couldn’t keep her eyes from tracking up and down, drinking in every inch of him. Along the outer edges of his thighs she saw dark patterns in his skin where it thickened into a pointed ridge that ran from hip to knee. His legs and chest were dappled with darker purple spots, nearly black against his skin.

Before she could ogle him anymore, he wrapped a torn piece of cloth around his waist. “I’m sorry, my clothing got wet in the course of my endeavors.”

“Not a problem.” Her voice did not squeak when she said that. “So no fish?” she asked, desperate to change the subject.

“We can always try again tomorrow. I fear we now have an abundance of time.” Nyxant stepped closer and Sarah could smell the salt of the water that had sunk into his skin. “Though I do not regret that I have the freedom to spend it with you.”

Those blue eyes of his were trouble. If Sarah had been raised by a mother, she might have been warned about them. She wasn’t sinking into them; instead, she felt speared, held utterly captivated like prey.

His eyes darkened, clouding with wicked intent as he cupped her cheek and leaned in close. It was a chaste kiss, his lips pressed gently against hers. Sarah’s arms came up and wrapped loosely around his waist, her fingers gliding against his warm skin.

Her blood ran hot in her veins as his tongue traced the seam of her lips, begging for entrance. Sarah opened up to him, letting him explore her as she basked in the taste of him. Every caress was a revelation. Her skin prickled in awareness as his hands traced over the material of her jumpsuit, pressing down and feeling the outline of her curves.

Sarah arched up, practically purring as his hands traced lower, cupping her ass for a fleeting moment before he slid back up, leaving one hand on her waist and burying the other in her hair. She could feel the thickening length of his member under the makeshift kilt he wore, and she rubbed herself against him, grinding her hips against his.

Nyxant’s fingers curled against her scalp and he gasped at the sensation. He pulled her in tighter, his lips urgent against hers. He was like a drug, clouding her senses, sending her soaring and getting under her skin. If she let this get too far, she could become addicted to him.

She heard a rollicking crack coming from the water and wanted to ignore it, too caught up in Nyxant. But the thunder that followed made her step back. She looked out over the sea, expecting to see storm clouds billowing.

Instead she saw salvation. There was a small orbiter heading straight toward them.

Nyxant turned to take a look at where she stared. When he saw it, he cursed, the words untranslatable but the meaning clear. He jumped back and ran for his tent, grabbing his damp pants along the way.

Sarah stood frozen. She’d nearly resigned herself to being stuck on this planet. It was almost unbelievable that they had been found so quickly.

“Sarah, I—” Nyxant tried to tell her something, but the loud engines of the orbiter drowned him out.

In minutes, the orbiter had crossed the water to hover next to the escape vessel that had brought them to land. Judging by the sleek military design, this small ship wasn’t a part of the Sky Chaser fleet. Had they prevailed on a local planet to lend aid?

The hatch came down and Sarah knew her questions would be answered eventually. She smiled over at Nyxant, but his face was grim.

Six of Nyxant’s fellow warriors, Oscavians judging by their purple skin, marched out, guns at the ready. Two of the warriors pointed their weapons at her. On instinct, she raised her hands and froze.

What the hell? The words died in her throat before she could speak.

The head warrior ignored her and turned to Nyxant. They didn’t point their guns at him.

“My lord, are you alright?” he asked.

His lord?

They might have been saved, but Sarah was more confused than ever.