Twelve

Drav took my hand and led me further up the river where the waterfall crashed down.  Other men swam in the churning waters.  I waited for Drav to dive in and join them, but he didn’t.  He turned to me with an intense look in his eyes.

The roar of the water filled my ears until he leaned in and said four little words that sent a bolt of panic and desire through me.

“Take your clothes off.”

I jerked back and looked into his eyes to see if he was serious.  Raw determination lit his gaze, and he reached down to tug at the tie holding up his pants.  My gaze followed, and my mouth went dry when the material pooled around his ankles.  Completely unashamed of his nudity, he stood still and let me stare at his massive erection.  My face heated, but for the life of me, I couldn’t bring myself to look away for several long seconds.

When I finally did, he kicked his pants aside with an indifference that didn’t match the stark hunger in his eyes.  He reached out, this time to tug at the hem of my shirt.

“Why?” I managed to croak.

He trailed his fingers along the side of my neck.

“So I can look at you and touch your softness.”

I shivered and swallowed hard, wanting that too, more than I thought possible.

Someone moved in the water behind him, reminding me that we had an audience.  I stepped back, and he shadowed me, denying me the distance I needed to think clearly.

“W-what about everyone else?  I don’t want them watching and getting ideas.”

Drav turned his head, glancing on the few men washing in the water, then at the men who had followed us.

“Go.  Mya wants to bathe in private.”

“What?” I squeaked.

Drav’s gaze pinned me as the men left the water.  I tried again to put some space between us, but he followed me, step for step, until he reached out and gripped my waist and pulled flush to his torso.  Anchored against him, I felt his desire.  He lifted my hand and placed it around his neck.  Heart beating rapidly, I held still as he lowered his head and tenderly kissed my bottom lip.  Just that small contact made my knees weaken and reminded me of the kiss before the fight.  I wanted that again.  Badly.

Just enough sanity remained to discourage the idea.  If I fully gave in to him, would he ever take me home?  But he wasn’t asking for everything.  Just a kiss…

Drav’s heat radiated from his bare skin, warming me.  Enticing me to lift my lips more fully to his.

Someone called out a few words and laughed.  I turned my head away and saw the retreating backs of several bare-assed men.

“Bathe with me, Mya,” Drav said against my ear. “I will teach you what plants to use for washing.”

I exhaled shakily.

“If it’s all right with you, I’d rather just sit here and wait until you’re done.” My voice shook as I spoke, a sign of how much he tempted the hell out of me.

He pulled back and frowned slightly, but stepped away.  The corded muscles of his back and tight ass held my attention as he walked to the water’s edge.  I tore my gaze from his fluid dive into the pool and saw all the men had left us.  No one even lingered at the distant tournament grounds.  No witnesses if I really did want to bathe.  No witnesses but Drav.

Indecision had me turning back to the water.  As if anticipating my uncertainty, I found him watching me from where he swam in the middle of the pool.

“Last time I got near some water, a fish tried to eat my face,” I said loud enough for him to hear.

“There are no fish in these waters.  I will keep you safe.”

I shook my head and sat on the edge.  A few sure strokes brought him close to me.

“Are you afraid of the water?” he asked.

“No.  I can swim and normal fish don’t really bother me.”

“Are you afraid of me?”

“No.”

“Then why won’t you bathe with me?”

He had me there.

“I don’t know.  I guess I am afraid.  But I’m not sure what I’m afraid of,” I said, not wanting to put into words my concern about him keeping me down here forever.

He nodded slightly then swam to the far edge to pluck a few leaves from one of the plants.  While he rubbed them between his hands, I considered my hesitation.  The thought of cleaning up did appeal to me.  I hadn’t showered since we’d left the cabin.  Undoubtedly, I smelled.  And, some of the blood that had coated Drav now clung to my clothes.  So why not hop in?  It wasn’t like I was overly shy.  I’d walked around the dorm halls in a t-shirt and underwear for Pete’s sake.  What was my problem?

I glanced across the pool at the big, grey guy soaping his broad, chiseled chest and knew my problem lay with how much I really didn’t want to wear anything if I joined him.

“Screw it,” I mumbled, toeing off my shoes.  I peeled off my socks, and with a quick glance over my shoulder, I stripped down to my panties.  Before he could notice, I jumped into the water.

The chilly temperature hit me like a fist, and I came up gasping and squealing.  Drav’s warm arms immediately wrapped around me, and I clung to the only source of heat.

“Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, concern clipping his words.

“Yes!  This is f-fucking cold!” I attempted to wipe water from my face as I wrapped my legs around his waist.  He held me close and rubbed my back as I shook.

“Why would anyone bathe in this?”

His lips skimmed my neck in a very pleasant way.  Yet, as much as he’d interested me outside of the water, the temperature had helped cool that.

“I’m not trying to play hard to get or anything, but if I stay in this water too long, I might end up with hypothermia.  Can you show me how to wash so we can get out?”

His immediate alarm assured me he understood.  Keeping his hold on me, he swam to the other side then started crushing leaves again.  His body heat made the water barely tolerable, so I continued to cling to him while he washed my hair for me.  When it came time to rinse, I hesitated, not wanting to submerge again.  However, it didn’t feel as shocking the second time, which worried me.

Hating to give up my only source of warmth, I moved out of his arms enough to remove my underwear and finished washing in a hurry.

“Drav,” a voice called.

I froze and stared at Drav with wide, panicked eyes.  The water lapped at my collarbones, covering me.  But I couldn’t stay in the water much longer.  With an arm looped around Drav’s neck for support, I turned to look at the opposite bank.

Molev stood there with my shirt pressed to his nose.

“Oh, c-come on,” I stuttered.  However, I got over my annoyance rather quickly when I saw he held a clean shirt in his other hand.

“I’m d-done,” I said to Drav.

He crossed the pool of water with me wrapped around him.

“Mya would like you to turn around.  Looking at her without clothes makes her uncomfortable,” Drav said before I could.

I pressed a quick kiss to his jaw in appreciation while Molev turned around without complaint.  Drav lifted me out of the water and set me on the bank.  The warmer air made the shivering worse and without Drav’s hand, I wouldn’t have been able to stand.  His gaze swept over me, and I didn’t miss the irony of what he’d just said to Molev.  Drav’s gaze no longer made me uncomfortable, though.  Besides, I looked my fill, too.  The water had done nothing to wither his desire for me.

Ignoring his heated expression, I gestured at the clean shirt in Molev’s hand.

“Can I wear that?”

The man said something in their language.

“He brought it for you,” Drav said.

“Thank you,” I said, plucking the shirt from his fingers.

Molev began talking again, his tone conversational, unlike when I’d heard him at the tree.

“Can you tell me what he’s saying?” I asked Drav just before I tugged the shirt on over my wet skin.  The soft, dry material fell to my knees, giving me enough cover that I tossed my wet underwear to my pile of dirty clothes.

Drav made no move to dress or hide what the water hadn’t cooled.

“He heard what happened at the meal and came to congratulate me,” he said, translating. “He also wanted to see you without clothes.”

“Not happening,” I muttered, gathering up my things.

Molev turned around and waved at the dirty garments while speaking.

“Leave them,” Drav said. “Grio and Limar will wash them.”

I dropped the pile again.  If someone else wanted to wash my stuff, fine by me.  I just wanted to get warm.

“Please tell me you have blankets hidden around here somewhere.”

“We do,” Drav said. “May I carry you back?”

“Please.”

He had me up in his arms, but thankfully didn’t run.  The wind on my wet hair would have made my chill worse.  Molev fell into step beside Drav.  While they walked, they talked.  Mostly Molev asked questions that Drav answered with descriptions of the surface.  However, when he said no animals existed above, I had to correct him.

“They exist.  They just ran off when the earthquakes happened.  I’m not sure where they went.  Actually, we did see that normal dog, remember?” I said, looking up at Drav. “And it isn’t just my world, it’s our world.  Yours and mine.  The crystal showed me that you had all come from the surface, too.  Your own people trapped you down here and took your memories.  If you came up to the surface and let my people get to know you, I think you’d like it up there.”

Molev grunted but said nothing.  At the base of the tree, he waved us off and I closed my eyes.  Tucking my face against Drav, I waited for the breeze to stop.

“We’re here, Mya.”

I opened my eyes and looked around in surprise.  The burl had my bag but looked nothing like it had previously.  Numerous crystal lanterns lay scattered about the room, giving everything a pretty, soft glow.  And everything included a mound of cloth stacked on the bed.

“What is that?” I asked.

“The material we use to make our clothes.  It’s all we have that is close to blankets.”

“You don’t use blankets?”

“No.”

Damn.

“Let me know who I need to thank for bringing them here.”

“Probably Kerr.  While we were traveling, he noticed you became cold easily.”

I owed Kerr big time.  Without waiting for an invitation, I walked over to the bed and burrowed in under half the pieces, using the bottom half as a cushion.  Still shivering, I looked up at Drav and lifted the covers.

“You joining me?”

He smiled and climbed in next to me.  His body heat, and his hands gently rubbing my arms, helped warm me.  In the soft light, we stared at each other.  I wanted him to kiss me again.  A lot.  And that troubled me.

“I thought you’d be all over me after I gave you permission,” I said.

“I want to, but you look sad.  I don’t want you to take your permission away.”

“I won’t.  I’m just…I don’t know where this is going to go,” I said. “Not right now, this moment, but in the long run.  My people are afraid of you guys now.  Of you, the hellhounds, and the infected.  People in fear do stupid things.  They don’t think.  And that scares me as much as it scares you.  But not enough to hide away forever.”

I sighed and snuggled in against his chest.

“I don’t want to stay down here,” I said, softly. “I want to go back to the surface with you.  Both our kinds belong up there.  But, what if my people see you and try hurting you again?  I don’t want you hurt.  And I don’t want you hurting any of them.  We’re not like you.  When you rip off our heads, that’s it.  That’s the end.”

I pulled back and looked into his eyes as I said what was really on my mind.

“That ache you feel?  I feel it, too.  More each day.  And I think that ache is going to cause us both problems.”

“We will face any problems together,” he said. “I will keep you safe.”

He pressed his lips to mine, a gentle kiss, then tucked me more securely against his bare chest.

“Rest, Mya.  We will talk more when you wake.”

Snuggling close, I closed my eyes and let his warmth lull me.  I wasn’t quite asleep when he whispered,“Do I still have permission to touch you?”

“Yes,” I said softly.

His hand crept under my shirt, and he lay his palm against my breast.  It felt hot compared to my skin and oh so good.

“Thank you for asking.”

“Thank you for saying yes.”

*    *    *    *

I woke with a headache and groaned.  The murmur of masculine voices nearby quieted.

“Are you hungry?” Drav asked.

When I lifted my head, I saw he’d dressed.  He and Molev stood on the far side of the room next to my bag.

“No, I’m okay.  What’s going on?” I asked, feeling oddly exposed.  I tugged the covers more securely around my waist as I sat up.  It was weird knowing they’d been having a conversation in here while I still slept.

“Molev has suggested that we go to Lacus.”

“What’s Lacus, and why do we need to go?”

“It is like an ocean but not so big.  We don’t need to go.  He thought you might enjoy seeing it.”

“A lake?”

“Yes,” Drav said with a smile.

“Where is it?”

“Outside of the city.  Only one rest away if I carry you.”

Outside of the city meant hellhound lands.  But it also meant we would be that much closer to the surface tunnels.  With the men being told to return, we might run into some who had news about up top.  I hoped the bombings had stopped.

It wasn’t only the thought of news that had me considering.  A trip anywhere would mean more alone time with Drav.  After giving him permission to touch me, I really wanted more time together.

“What would we be doing at this lake?”

“Noodling,” Drav said with a smile, making my heart thump just a little harder because he’d remembered.

Molev glanced at Drav with confusion, and I snorted.

“Molev also said that by the time we return from the lake, the rest of the men should be back with information.  If we went, you would not be bothered by the new men, and I can teach you how we fish.”

I’d already decided it was a good idea, but knowing it would get me away from the sniffing, stares, and attempts to see what lay beneath my clothes sealed the deal.

“It would be just me and you?” I asked, just to be sure.

“Yes.”

“Wouldn’t that be too dangerous?”

“I will keep you safe, Mya.  We will only travel the lit caverns.”

I nodded.

“Okay.  Well, I need my clothes.” I looked at my bag sitting near their feet.  Drav picked it up and handed it to me.  However, neither of them seemed ready to leave once I had new clothes out.  I looked at them expectantly and arched a brow.

Drav grunted.

“Do you wish for us to turn around?”

“Yes.”

Molev did without hesitation, but Drav moved a little bit slower.  Poor guy.  I told him he had permission then made him turn away.  I’d need to explain that permission only worked when we were alone.

After changing in record time, I told them it was okay to look again then shouldered my bag.

“Leave that, Mya,” Drav said gently. “We need to travel light, and we will find food on the way.”

“Oh.” It made sense since Drav had to carry me.  But, I hesitated to just leave the bag in his doorless hut.  I didn’t want anything to happen to it while we were away.  It had my phone, my life line to contacting Ryan when we got back to the surface.

“Mya?”

“I’m being silly, but will my bag be safe here?” Drav had said stealing was forbidden, but I needed their word.

“Yes, it is safe.  No one will use our room.”

“Okay.” Setting the bag on the bed, I went to him. “Let’s go noodling.”