Chapter Six
This is exactly what I need.
The next evening, Amy sat in the living room, in front of the roaring fire with some snacks. The logs snapped and popped, and she lounged in the leather captain’s chair with her feet propped up on a stool. The tension in her shoulders uncoiled, and she took a deep breath.
It was an excellent night to spend indoors.
Snowflakes batted against the windows, and the temperature had dipped down to forty below. The Great Room overlooked the wilderness outside. The pine trees were filled with snow, their branches drooping ever so slightly.
She’d gotten a lot accomplished today. Amy hadn’t thought of Faro in a couple of hours and hadn’t run into him, either. She was proud of her self-restraint.
After work, she’d gone straight up to her room and taken a long, hot shower, and then put on a pair of black yoga pants, a Supernatural T-shirt, and threw on a black cardigan, along with her slippers. She was hungry, but not enough to eat a proper meal. Amy decided to have S’mores instead. It wasn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but she didn’t care.
Tonight, Amy deserved a treat.
Before snuggling up in front of the fire, Amy had gone to the kitchen and made herself some hot chocolate from scratch, with whole milk. She’d taken a couple chocolate bars, and a package of graham crackers, along with the bag of marshmallows into the living room. Amy had grabbed extras, in case she had unexpected company. People had a way of finding her, no matter where she holed up in the house.
Technically, Amy could microwave the marshmallows, and they’d explode like little sugar bombs, but she liked the taste of them after they’d been toasted on an open fire. She didn’t have any twigs indoors, and the ones outside were frozen, so she used metal skewers, which worked fine. As she sat there, toasting marshmallows, Faro walked in from outside.
Oh no, here comes trouble.
He wore a leather jacket, along with his customary buckskins, and a linen tunic. He took off his snowy boots and set them in front of the heat register.
Faro drifted over and sank into the chair beside hers before removing his jacket and warming his hands.
“How was work?” she asked.
“Fine.”
Informative.
“I ran into Jude the other day, and he was grimy. What are you mining?”
He grimaced.
Ha! Gotcha.
“Who said we were mining anything?”
“Um, I just did. Pay attention.”
Faro didn’t reply.
“This is only an observation, but you don’t like talking about yourself, do you?”
“What gave you that impression?”
“Because you answer every freaking question with another of your own, like now.”
“Ah, so you noticed.”
“Hell yes, I noticed.”
Amy felt like stamping her foot. He’d once again avoided answering her, and now they were flirting, sort of. When it came to Faro, her mouth had a will of its own, in more ways than one.
“Your food’s on fire.” He nodded to the marshmallow on the end of her skewer. The side nearest the flames had gotten charbroiled, and she blew on it.
“What manner of creature did you impale?”
“It’s a marshmallow.” Hadn’t he seen one before?
Sometimes Faro acted like he was from a different planet. Even if he came from some Podunk town, he’d still know the basics, like what a marshmallow was.
“Interesting.” He squished one between two fingers.
“I think they’re made of sugar.” Actually, she didn’t know what the crap they were really made of.
Now that’s gonna bother me. Amy made a mental note to Google it.
“Here, roast one for yourself.” She grabbed another skewer, and poked a white blob onto it, before handing it to him.
He sniffed it experimentally, before placing it over the fire. Meanwhile, Amy loaded up a graham cracker for herself, with a couple of chocolate squares. She didn’t mind the burned marshmallow, it made the treat taste more authentic. Closing her eyes, she took a big bite, savoring the sweet taste of warm chocolate. When she glanced at Faro, he watched her, eyes alight.
The sexual tension curled between them.
All she could think about was getting closer. She needed to touch him, hold him. Amy wanted him more than she ever wanted any other man, although she’d only been with a handful, in high school and college. Her sexual experiences had been hit or miss, but Amy had a hunch Faro wouldn’t disappoint.
“You have a smudge on the corner of your mouth.” He swiped the mess away, and tasted his own thumb. Faro moaned, and the sound alone made her quiver.
“What do you think?”
“Delicious, but I’m still famished.”
Before she could protest, Faro tossed the skewer aside and he was on his feet, bending over her. This time, he sampled her mouth, instead of teasing her.
Amy was swept away.
The forgotten food tumbled to the floor, as he plundered her mouth. Their tongues met, and he kissed her, long and slow and sweet, exactly the way she’d wanted him to the other day.
Faro was worth the wait.
He threaded a hand through her hair, and tipped her chin back to give himself a better angle. Faro kissed her like no other man ever had, probably ever would, as if he knew exactly how she liked being touched, caressed.
When he pulled away, Amy was bereft. She needed more from him. In fact, Amy had the distinct feeling she’d never get enough of him.
It was a sobering realization.
Faro stood once more, a triumphant smile on his handsome face.
“Perchance you’ll allow me to taste your lips again, sweeting.” With a smirk, he swaggered away. “Until next time.”
Oh yeah, I’m in big trouble.
***
The high from Faro’s victory downstairs didn’t last long.
“What are you doing with this woman?” Mydon demanded. He was already waiting for Faro when he walked into the bedroom.
“Hello, Mydon, I’m so pleased to see you.”
Coaxing Amy into his bed was taking longer than he’d expected, so he’d decided to tempt her, tease her into giving in. His plan appeared to be working, too.
Evidently, even Mydon had noticed.
“I asked you a question, and I’d appreciate a forthright answer.” Mydon crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m flirting with her. Isn’t it obvious?” He threw himself on the bed.
His jaw clenched. “Watch yourself, brother. You can’t afford to get attached.”
“Do I ever?”
“There’s always a first time.”
“It’s nothing more than harmless bedsport, although I doubt you’re familiar with the concept.”
It was a lie.
Amy filled his thoughts, and his interest in her was far from casual. She spurred so much more than his lust. Her grief had been devastating, the well of sadness within her was deep, a plunge into darkness.
He’d never felt anything like it.
And when he wasn’t caught up in her grief, Faro was consumed with guilt. Amy’s life was in jeopardy, and she didn’t have a clue. He wanted to warn her.
I must’ve taken a leave of my senses. No woman had ever affected him like this, and he didn’t know what to make of it.
“We’re not here to amuse ourselves.”
“I’m well aware of our mission.” And the oath I took.
“I’m relieved to hear it. You can’t take her with us. She’s an earthly human, and she must live and die on this world like the rest of her people.”
“I so love our little talks, Mydon, I always feel better afterward.”
Faro hated bowing to authority, and he constantly butted heads with Mydon. They’d done so on the battlefield, as well as the barracks. Even though he saw the logic in Mydon’s position, Faro hated him for bringing it up.
“I don’t give a bloody damn about your feelings. For now, I won’t order you to stay away from the woman, but don’t test my patience.”
Mydon preferred corporal punishment as a means of control. He’d often said Faro had a thick skull, and he had a duty to knock some sense into it.
The Knights had a hierarchical system, and Mydon’s word was law. Any hint of discord in the ranks brought about a furious reprisal, and most of his brothers obeyed him without question. They followed the old ways, a military mindset.
“Understood.”
“One last thing. You’re cold, brother, cold as the frozen tundra of our home world. Never let the thaw come.”
“I don't allow myself to feel anything for women, you know that.” And yet, he had trouble even saying the words aloud.
“In the past, you haven’t, but I find you changed.” His expression was grave. “Tread carefully, Faro. If you come to love her, losing her might even drive you mad.”
A chill went down his spine. “Who said anything about love?”
“I’m merely making an observation.”
“Anything else?” He’d spent most of the day in the dark and drafty mine with his brothers, and he could use a break from them, especially Mydon.
“One more thing. Report to the shuttle tomorrow morning, Link needs your assistance.” He paused at the door. “These humans will all be gone soon. If it helps, think of them as ghosts.”
He nodded, and Mydon left, but his advice was of no use.
Until he met Amy, Earth’s fate had never bothered him.
When they’d taken on this mission, it had been abstract. Faro thought coming to this planet would be an adventure. After all, he was a hero, saving Iradia from certain disaster.
His brothers didn't seem troubled by the moral quagmire. Maybe because they could wall themselves off and couldn’t experience their pain and longings. True, he could shut out his feelings, but he never could block them completely. They were always there, on the periphery, pushing for entrance.
He hadn’t counted on getting attached to this place, and its people.
Well, one person, at least.
Faro thought of Amy far too often, and not merely in a sexual way, although, his body burned for hers. He had a high sex drive, and craved the physicality of mating. Some would say it was his Drake parentage, but it wasn’t true of all of his brothers. Faro loved losing himself in a woman.
With Amy, he wanted more. He’d glimpsed her pain, and her grief, and despite himself, Faro wanted to ease it.
Faro almost wished he hadn’t opened himself to Amy’s emotions. Now, he couldn’t resist sampling them. He wanted to linger in her mind, get to know her better. Her inner workings fascinated him, the way she saw and experienced the world. She was whip-smart, courageous, and all alone. Like him. Her loneliness called to him, like a beacon.
Faro was astonished no man on this planet had claimed her. He was sorely tempted to take her for his own, and not just for a night or two. If he weren’t so foolhardy, he’d forget all about her and move on, but somehow he couldn’t.
And she was drawn to him, too, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
Her heartbeat picked up when he walked into a room. He experienced her joy when they were together, and even worse, he felt the same way. For years, he’d shoved down those sensations, but they came bubbling to the surface around her, as though he had no will of his own. Almost as if she’d snuck past his defenses, or maybe he didn’t want any barriers between them.
Inexplicably, he could see into the heart of her, and yet, she was still a mystery. She perplexed him, and he doubted even spending a lifetime in her company would give him the answers he sought.
He wondered how she’d react if she discovered his secrets. She already thought him strange, but Amy had no idea how alien he truly was. Perhaps she’d turn from him if she knew the truth.
This obsession with her might be nothing more than a fanciful story he’d told himself, a fantasy, like the ones he’d read as a child about brave knights. Amy was simply his damsel in distress.
And yet, lying to her, even if by omission, felt wrong.