Something soft yet prickly tickled Lily’s cheek. She brushed it away, sleepily rolling to her back. The sensation returned, only on her lips. She murmured softly, annoyed by the disturbance. She’d been having the sweetest dream. She was stretched out on a beach, watching Arton swim. His naked body stretched and pulled, muscles rippling as he propelled himself through the clear green water.

“Wake up, love. Everyone’s waiting for you.”

She blinked repeatedly, loath to let go of the peaceful dream. He lay beside her, propped on one forearm, while he stroked her face with a lock of her long hair. “What time is it?”

“Five thirty, but there’s a complication. I need to speak with Stront and Jillian before you guys begin.”

Fully awake now, she sat up and stretched out her back. The vague ache between her thighs reminded her that their passion had been interrupted last night. Apparently, they didn’t have time to finish what they’d started either, so her neglected body would have to wait.

“I don’t know about you, but I need a shower,” he announced as he climbed off the bed.

Shower? As in get naked and soap up one’s body? She looked toward the door leading to the adjoining bathroom. It could be entered from the bedroom or the living room. And it had been surprisingly large. The room was long and narrow. There was at least ten feet between the shower stall and either of the doors.

“How is that going to work?” she asked.

He shrugged. “It’s probably best if we shower separately, being that we don’t have time to linger.”

“I agree, but how do we make that happen with a ten-foot leash connecting us?”

His features scrunched together and he shook his head. “I’m not ashamed of my body. Are you?”

“No, but I don’t make a habit of showering in front of men who...”

He stalked toward her as she spoke, a predatory gleam in his eyes. “Men who what? You know very well that we would be lovers if we hadn’t been interrupted right now. I’ve already seen your breasts. Your body is lovely. Now, stop being such a prude.” He slapped her on the ass to accent his point.

She laughed and headed for the bathroom. He was right, she was being ridiculous. This was the twenty-first century, for pity’s sake. If she wanted to get naked in front of an alien, no one would care. Certainly not said alien.

She undressed and put her uniform in the recycler. This had become a daily ritual. The Outcasts refused to make underwear for them, so most of the humans printed new uniforms each morning. The shower felt wonderful. The spray was super fine, but it spurted out from all over, wetting her entire body at once.

“I had a second vision last night.” The seriousness in his tone told her to pay attention.

She opened her eyes and looked at him. He’d stripped down to his jeans and sat on the closed commode, looking every bit as grim as he sounded. “Is that why you want to talk to them before we begin?”

He nodded. His gaze dipped to her breasts, then immediately returned to her face. The bottom half of the enclosure was frosted, so he couldn’t see any more than he’d already seen. She’d made sure her back was to him as she got in.

“What did you see?” she prompted when he didn’t offer an explanation on his own.

“I saw them forming the bond, so I suspect the warning won’t matter. Still, I have to try.”

“What else happened in the vision? Why do you consider it a warning?”

“Sorry. Can you turn back around? You’re very distracting like this.”

Pleased by his admission, she turned her back to him and activated the cleansing mist. The fresh-smelling foam was a shampoo, body wash, deodorant and moisturizer all in one.

“I saw Jillian wandering through the trees. She was clearly lost and terrified. She called out to Stront over and over.”

“That’s horrible, but I don’t see what it has to do with the transformation.”

“The leaves were green, not turquoise, so the images were symbolic not literal. She also asked what she’d done wrong and apologized for failing him.”

She quickly rinsed off the mist and smoothed her hair back from her face. He handed her a large towel as she opened the shower door. She wasn’t sure if she should wrap it around her body or contain her dripping hair. Seeing her quandary, he handed her a second towel.

“I’ve been so focused on the formula that I almost forgot about the guide.”

“What guide?”

“The volunteers back on Earth started calling it the Ghost Guide. I was fascinated by the stories, but my investigation into the accounts found no evidence that it actually existed. I’m pretty sure it’s a myth, a way for humans to explain sensations and experiences they don’t understand.”

“Well, what do the stories claim? What does this Ghost Guide do?”

“She or it, helps them figure out what needs to be done to free their mate’s magic. It always appeared to the female and the process for freeing the magic was different with each male. It all sounded very...surreal.”

“Why is this only coming up now?”

“I’m a scientist,” she objected. “I checked out their stories and offered a rational explanation. Can I help it if they all prefer the myth?”

“So you don’t think it’s an actual entity? There are more incorporeal beings than corporeal beings by far. Humans are just unaware of most of them.”

She hated it when he got all superior, so she just waved away the subject. “If you’re sure they’ll disregard the warning, should we even bring it up. I don’t want to compromise Jillian’s confidence. It might become a self-fulfilling prophesy.”

With a casualness she hadn’t quite mustered, he shed his jeans and stepped into the shower. She got one glimpse at his fabulous ass before his lower body was obscured by the frosted panels. Damn. She couldn’t fight back a guilty smile.

“I’m morally obligated to tell them what I saw. What they do with the information is up to them. I won’t interfere.”

As Arton feared, his warnings had no effect on the love-sick couple. They insisted that the program continue as planned and both Lily and Dr. Foran agreed. Preliminary scans established baseline readings for their vital signs. The injections were administered, and the couple went back to Stront’s cabin to indulge fully in bonding fever.

“Now only time will tell if we got it right,” Dr. Foran sounded wistful, so Lily only nodded.

* * *

“HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE to know if the transformation is successful?”

Lily pulled her gaze away from the diagram she’d been analyzing and looked at the overlord. He’d just entered the lab undetected. She still didn’t understand how a man that huge could move without a sound. “The first forty-eight hours are the most important, but we never declared a transformation stable for at least a week.”

He looked at the segmented wall display, then back at her. “Why aren’t you supervising them?” Today he was dressed in a khaki uniform just like most everyone else, but it did little to hinder the intensity of his presence.

“Jillian and Stront are in the grip of bonding fever.” She blushed hotly. “We’re monitoring their vital signs. If anything unexpected happens, I’ll beam them to sick bay.”

“‘Beam them to sick bay’?” His forehead crinkled for a moment, and then he laughed. “Star Trek, of course. All this must feel very strange to you.”

“Not as strange as it would have a few months ago. Interacting with the battle born sort of desensitized me.”

His only response was a thoughtful nod. Then he turned to Arton who was sitting on a stool nearby, looking bored and restless. “Torak’s preliminary scans identified a network of caverns not far from this location. There are no life signs, but he’s investigating more thoroughly.”

“Thanks.” Arton started to say something else, but Kage just shook his head and left the lab. “Stubborn fool,” Arton muttered once the overlord had gone.

She looked at Dr. Foran, but he was so engrossed in the holographic display of the couple’s vital signs that he’d missed the entire exchange.

“Is there a problem?” she asked.

He finally looked at her, his expression tense. “I’m not sure. Jillian’s pulse rate is borderline dangerous.”

“That’s not too surprising, all things considered.” Jillian was doubtlessly having the most intense sex of her young life, and Lily couldn’t help feeling envious. She’d been well on her way to a similar experience when Arton’s vision derailed the train.

“Still, I’m going to activate surveillance. If sex makes you uncomfortable, avert your gaze.”

Sex didn’t make her uncomfortable. Watching other people have sex made her uncomfortable. Still, she was a scientist, and she’d supervised more transformations than anyone here. Which, in all honesty, wasn’t saying that much.

Dr. Foran activated the surveillance feed in Stront’s cabin. Lily gasped and looked away, but it was too late. The image was seared on her memory. Jillian was sprawled sideways across the bunk, while Stront knelt on the bunk. Her slender legs draped his shoulders and his dark head was buried between her thighs.

“You’re right. She’s just enjoying herself.” Dr. Foran’s voice was filled with laughter.

She whipped her head around and glared at him. “You did that just to embarrass me. Didn’t you?”

“Who me?” He even managed to sound innocent, but his hazel eyes twinkled with mischief. Thankfully, he’d deactivated the surveillance feed, allowing the new couple some semblance of privacy.

She looked at Arton and blushed all over again. He was staring at her with such blatant hunger that it made her nipples tingle. “It will likely be hours before they come up for air,” she told Dr. Foran. “I think I’ll go stretch my legs.”

“Take your time,” Dr. Foran advised. “I’ll contact you if anything changes.”

Arton fell into step beside her as she reached the corridor outside main medical, not that he had much choice. The stupid tether bands were a real nuisance. Waking up in Arton’s arms had been wonderful. It felt intimate and safe, peaceful. But getting ready had been awkward at best. If they were lovers, she would have just joined him in the shower, problem solved. Instead, she’d been stuck in the utility room, pretending not to peek at his amazing body. As with everything, Arton refused to pretend. He sat on the closed commode, watching her silently. She’d kept her back turned as much as possible, but she could still feel his gaze moving all over her naked form.

They were stuck in a strange sort of limbo. She’d accepted that sleeping with him was inevitable. She wanted him too badly to resist him much longer. Still, she wanted answers to a few of her questions before she gave in.

“Let’s go outside,” she suggested. “I don’t know how you guys survive for months on end without the sun on your face. I would not make a good long-distance traveler.”

“You get used to it, eventually. I once went for three and a half years without setting foot on stationary ground.”

Shocked, she looked up at him. “Seriously?”

“We were in the middle of one of the bloodiest wars I every fought so the time actually passed quickly. Still, it felt good to disembark once it was over.”

“How many wars have you fought in?” She knew he was a mercenary. They all were. Still, it bothered her to picture him participating in actual warfare. He seemed too mystical for such brutality.

“Dozens, maybe hundreds.” He shrugged, but his indifference seemed forced. “I stopped counting a long time ago.” His dispassionate mask slammed into place as effective as a no trespassing sign.

She sighed softly. His unwillingness to share was frustrating. Besides, his cryptic claim only confused her. Dozens, maybe hundreds? How could that be? Even if he’d become a mercenary in his teens, which was unlikely, he couldn’t have been fighting wars for more than fifteen or twenty years. She looked at his chiseled profile and unlined skin. There was no way he was in his forties.

He’s not human! Her inner voice reminded. And Rodytes lived much longer than humans. It was amazing that after all the months working with the battle born, and another month here, she could still judge him by human standards.

They took a lift to deck one, meaning to exit the ship through one of the large common areas. The cafeteria/lounges on each of the twelve ships were a popular gathering spot for the females. Heads turned as Lily walked by with Arton. His silver-and-black hair made him easy to identify. Everyone knew the overlord’s “pet harbinger”. She’d never had the nerve to ask him, but he likely hated the nickname. She certainly would.

“Lily,” Sara called out, waving wildly. Lily waited while Sara wove her way through the crowded tables and joined them to one side of the wide center aisle. “How is Jillian? Please tell me they both survived the procedure.”

“The ‘procedure’ is simply a series of injections. We took baseline readings of their vital signs, gave them the injections and sent them to Stront’s cabin to do what nature has been urging them to do.”

Sara’s dark eyes narrowed and she tilted her head. “Then how do they transform into whatever they’re supposed to become?” Arton tried to disguise his laugh as a cough, but Sara wasn’t fooled. She turned on him, hands on hips, one of her favorite poses. “Don’t you laugh at me. I might not understand how it works, but at least I haven’t agreed to anything.” She shook her head, thick dark hair swishing around her shoulders. “I can’t believe how many of these fools want to go next, and they haven’t even heard if Jillian lived or died.”

“She was very much alive the last time we checked in on her.” Lily glanced at Arton and they shared a knowing smile.

“Good, then answer my question. If it’s not a surgical procedure, how are they transformed?”

There was plenty of information in the data base regarding transformation, but Lily had to admit that much of it was filled with medical terminology. She was a geneticist and she still struggled to understand parts of it. She was still trying to simplify the concepts in her mind when Arton moved closer to Sara.

“When a Rodyte male claims his mate he anchors what is known as a soul bond. It’s a connection between their minds that allows them to share thoughts and emotions. This process also triggers changes in his body and hers.”

Other women began to gather around, clearly interested in his explanation. Or were they just curious about him? Arton the Heretic was notorious.

Trying to relate it to something Sara already understood, Lily said, “Think of it as a second puberty. Their bodies receive hormones and genetic instructions that customize their bodies specifically for each other. This maximizes their chances of producing children and makes them even more appealing to each other.”

“Oh boy!” one of the onlookers cried. “I’m not sure mine could be any more appealing than he is already.” Laughter and whispered comments rippled through the rapidly growing crowd.

“Because their bodies are already changing,” Lily went on, not wanting them to lose sight of the original question. “We use the opportunity to engineer additional changes.” She started to explain that the targeted mutations created a genetic synchronization, radically decreasing the chances of rejection, then realized she was starting to sound like the database. “His DNA absorbs elements of hers and hers takes on elements of his. The changes are actually given to the female and she passes them to the male.”

“That’s all well and good, but how will we free their magic without the Ghost Guide?” A slender young woman with short auburn hair and semi-hostile eyes pushed her way to the front of the crowd. “My sister is on the Triumphant and she told me it can’t be done without a guide.”

Lily tensed. She’d fervently hoped none of these women had heard about the Ghost Guide. Myths could be dangerous when they disappointed their followers. “Your sister, like all the other volunteers, experienced a metaphysical realm that is unreachable to most humans. How does someone describe seeing a color no one else has ever seen? As instincts and impulses took over, they felt as if they were being guided by some unseen force. It’s not surprising that this compulsion was eventually personified. The ‘Ghost Guide’ is simply part of the transformation.”

The petulant redhead didn’t look convinced. “For Jillian’s sake, I hope you’re right.”

The crowd seemed reluctant to disperse, but Lily wasn’t sure what else to tell them. She gave Sara a quick hug. “I’ll let you know as soon as I learn anything new.”

Arton took Lily by the hand and led her off the ship. The sun felt wonderful on her face and her steps slowed. He didn’t rush her. She tilted her head back and just soaked in the warmth and freedom. A gentle breeze stirred the trees and carried the scent of some exotic flower. She smiled. Wasn’t everything exotic on an alien planet?

“That’s the second time it’s come up. Do we need to tell Kage about this Ghost Guide?” Arton asked once they started walking again.

“It’s a myth,” she insisted. “It’s overwhelming for humans to experience the things Rodytes take for granted. Like yesterday when you showed me that creature in the woods. It’s still hard for me to believe those images were real, much less that you put them inside my mind.”

“Karrons,” he muttered distractedly. “She called them karrons.”

She picked her way through the trees, fallen leaves crunching beneath her shoes. There was no path to follow and she had no real destination in mind. She just needed to be outside for a while. “Still thinking about your mysterious elves?”

“The vision was so intense. It’s hard to believe it was a random echo.”

“Maybe the karrons just wanted us to stop calling them creatures.” When he didn’t return her smile, she sighed. His mood had been dark and distracted ever since Stront and Jillian refused to take his warnings seriously. “The battle born do an in-depth orientation with every female before she’s accepted into the program. It sounds like we need to work up something similar.”

“I agree. I’ll mention it to Kage, but he’ll simply delegate it back to me, so I’ll start putting it together.” He finally looked at her. “It will give me something to do, other than watching you work.”

“I don’t understand why the overlord is being so stubborn.”

“If I’d marked you last night, it’s likely he would have disabled the bands. I still think his primary motivation is to ensure that we end up a couple.”

The Rodyte sense of smell was much more sensitive than that of a human. And male Rodytes were even more sensitive than females. They could identify each other by scent and immediately know when a female belonged to someone else. So they “marked” their females with their scent, announcing to other males that she was taken. Lily understood the concept. The details of how it was done, however, she’d never explored. On the Triumphant, she’d remained completely focused on work to avoid thoughts of Jakkin. And since her capture, she’d been too busy fighting with Arton to think about mating rituals.

If she asked Arton about it now, she was inviting a demonstration. The idea was tantalizing. However, now was not the time nor place. Rather than find herself bent over the nearest fallen tree, she let the subject drop. “I don’t know where I’m going. Can you get us back to the ship once my wanderlust runs its course?”

“I think I can manage,” he said with a secretive smile.

His ability to project his consciousness must come in handy in all sorts of situations.

They hiked for a while in silence. Lily enjoyed the mild exercise, while Arton seemed lost in thought. An insect buzzed toward Lily’s face, so she quickly waved it away. “Can you communicate telepathically?”

Most harbingers can.

He slipped the thought into her mind so skillfully that it took her a moment to realize he hadn’t spoken the words out loud. “Can you teach me how to do that?”

He shook his head. “Telepathy can’t be taught unless you’re born with the aptitude for it. If I reactivate the link I used yesterday, you could speak with me mind to mind. But it’s unlikely you’ll ever speak with others.”

She shook her head. “There’s that brutal honesty again. You really don’t like sugarcoating anything, do you?”

He brushed his knuckles against the side of her face while his gaze moved over her features. “You’re brilliant and accomplished, not to mention beautiful. Can’t you be satisfied with who you are?”

The criticism stung yet flattered at the same time. It was very confusing. “Isn’t everyone obsessed with the things they can’t have?”

“I’m obsessed with you.” He leaned down, clearly meaning to kiss her.

She turned her face away, too annoyed to enjoy his antics. “For now. Once you’ve had me, the novelty will fade and you’ll move on to your next obsession.”

His gaze narrowed and he put his hands on her hips, pulling her even closer. “You seem to know me so well. How many female ‘obsessions’ have there been in my life?”

Tipping her head way back, she boldly met his gaze. “How old are you?”

“How old do you think I am?”

She shrugged. “It’s hard to tell with a Rodyte.”

“That’s right. Rodytes have a longer lifespan than humans. We also age more slowly. I’m considerably older than you think I am. But my age wasn’t the issue. You made it sound as if I flit and flutter from one female to the next. How many males have you allowed into your bed?”

She didn’t want to talk about her lovers. Only one had been important to her, and that relationship had ended horribly. The others were pleasant distractions, and she’d barely noticed when they moved on. “Four.” She didn’t elaborate, and he didn’t press for details.

“I’ve shared pleasure with three females. I don’t think either of us qualifies as promiscuous.”

“I’m sorry.” She reached up and rested her hands on his chest. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“I’m not insulted. I’m frustrated by your opinion of me. You seem to doubt my interest, and I’m not sure why.” He raised one hand to her neck, curving his long fingers around her nape. “Have I failed to reveal how much I want you?”

She lowered her gaze to his chin, unable to speak candidly while his intense eyes bore into hers. “I don’t doubt your desire. I’m afraid I won’t be able to hold your interest.”

“Why?”

How did he manage to expose all her vulnerabilities while keeping his carefully guarded? “It has happened before, four times before.” She paused, making sure the meaning sank in. “I can attract men with no problem, but they never stay interested for long. I’m too ‘absorbed in my work’, too ‘emotionally distant’.” She quoted the two most common complaints.

“Then they are not truly committed to you. Any relationship takes effort and attention. If you found work more interesting than your male, he was not trying hard enough. These males were not worthy of you.”

Heat swept through her with intoxicating force. She couldn’t decide whether to shiver or cry. Her body decided for her. Tears blurred her vision and her lips trembled. She stubbornly blinked away the moisture and licked her lips. “I wish we were compatible,” she whispered, unable to suppress the thought.

“As do I.” The torment in his tone made her look into his eyes. He shifted his hand so he could stroke her lips with his thumb. “We cannot change our genetics, at least not enough to make us compatible. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t love each other, and be happy with each other.”

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Did he just use the L word? She swallowed hard. “Do you love me?” her whispered question was barely audible, and her heart was beating so hard she could feel it all over her body.

He laughed and the tension popped like a fragile soap bubble. “I’m not sure what I’m feeling for you. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Boy, could she relate. “If the pull is even stronger than this, it’s no wonder the others can’t resist their potential mates.”

Both his hands pushed into her hair and his mouth settled over hers. Her head was already back, but she tilted it to the side as well, finding a better angle for their mouths. His tongue teased her lips, darting and licking before surging forward to claim her taste. Then he filled her mouth and enflamed her senses with slow, deep strokes.

She trembled as pulse after pulse of need assailed her body. She wanted this, wanted him more than anything past or present. He might not express it often, but he clearly cared for her more deeply than she’d realized. Her clothes felt oppressive and her skin felt tight. She wanted to be naked and filled with him.

Anchoring her head with one hand, he skillfully opened the front of her uniform top with the other. He cupped one of her breasts and she sighed, needing the pressure of his warm palm. With both his hands occupied, hers were free to roam. She untucked his shirt and slipped her hands inside. His uniform was fitted, so there wasn’t much room until she followed his example and parted the front seam.

“We have to stop,” he whispered against her parted lips, but his hand moved to her other breast and teased the nipple. “I don’t want our first time to be on the forest floor.”

She quickly looked around and pointed to a rock formation about waist high and relatively level.

He growled and ripped off his shirt, draping it over the rock before he drew her toward it. “Someone could find us,” he warned.

“I don’t care.” She shrugged off her shirt and stood before him unashamed.

“Gods, woman, are you trying to kill me?” But he snatched her shirt off the ground and spread it on top of his. Then he grasped her waist and lifted her onto the rock.

She laughed, feeling rebellious and wonderfully naughty. “You should have taken my pants off first.”

He glowered playfully. “This is why females are only allowed to wear dresses on Rodymia.”

It had been the same on the battle born ships. “I was quite relieved when you guys disregarded that custom.”

“It wasn’t by choice. The only garments we can mass produce are the standard uniforms.” Clearly bored with the topic, he pulled off her shoes and unfastened her pants.

She lifted her hips, allowing him to pull her last garment off. Sunlight filtered through the trees, but it wasn’t half as hot as his gaze.

“You are so beautiful.” He placed his hands on her knees and gently guided her legs apart.

Heat crawled up her neck and spread across her face as he looked at her entire body. It wasn’t like she’d never been naked with a man before, but Arton was staring at her sex with obvious hunger. Excitement unfurled, fueled by her memory of Jillian and Stront. Was Arton remembering the scene? He knelt on the leaf-strew ground and she had her answer.

His hands moved to the underside of her knees and he spread her thighs even wider. She leaned back, bracing herself against the shirt-covered rock. She watched him closely, unable to look away despite her slight embarrassment. His expression was so intense, so serious.

He brushed one knee with his lips, and then the other. Tension coiled inside her, making her restless and hot. He continued his torturously slow ascent, alternating sides after only one kiss. Back and forth, higher and higher up her inner thighs. But when he finally reached his destination, he only pressed one kiss to her aching slit, then moved onto her belly.

An exasperated sigh escaped her and he looked up into her eyes. “What’s the matter, love?”

She shivered. There was that word again. “You’re teasing me.”

“I thought females enjoyed being teased before the actual joining.”

She dropped her head back and stared up at the sky. “You know damn well what you’re doing, or not doing.”

“Say it,” he urged. “Tell me what you want.”

She closed her eyes. “I want you to do what Stront was doing to Jillian.”

“I’m sure he did all sorts of things. You’ll have to be more specific.”

She never talked much during sex. Talking about the acts was more difficult than doing them in most cases. But Arton’s commanding tone—and the fact that he was camped out between her thighs—sent shivers down her spine. “I want your mouth on me.” He pressed his lips against her belly and playfully licked her skin. “Lower.” He moved down a millimeter and did it again. He knew she was embarrassed and apparently enjoyed her awkwardness. Stubbornness alone made her bold. “Push your tongue between my folds and find my clit.”

He kissed his way back to her slit, then did exactly what she’d instructed and nothing else.

“Please,” she cried. “Use your mouth to make me come.” It wouldn’t take much. She was teetering on the brink already.

His mouth pressed in closer and his tongue finally moved, circling the cluster of nerves until she moaned. The tension wound, compressing the invisible coil. Her thighs shook and she rocked her hips, unable to remain still.

The orgasm burst suddenly and she cried out. Hard spasms of sensation pulsed through her core, radiating out through her entire body. She came down slowly, breathless and dazed, but he didn’t raise his head. Instead, he shifted one of her legs to his shoulder so he could use his hand. He slipped two fingers into her core, triggering little aftershocks. Then his hand was sliding back and forth while his lips launched a new cycle of arousal.

She seldom came more than once and the few times she had, it had taken forever. “Arton,” she tugged on his hair. “I want you inside me.”

He ignored her, continuing the rhythmic slide of his fingers and careful suction of his lips. Left with no choice but surrender, she relaxed as best she could on a rock in the middle of a forest. He’d give up when he realized...but her body came alive again, responding as it never had before. The second orgasm built gradually, which made the sensations much more intense.

She dropped her head back again and closed her eyes, concentrating on the staggering sensations. He suddenly shifted her other leg to his back as well and lifted her hips toward his mouth. Then his fingers pulled out and his tongue slid in. The utterly carnal act pushed her over the edge. She cried out again, shaking violently as the second wave crested. He kept the spasms rippling, drawing every last shudder from her before finally raising his head. His face was wet, but he didn’t seem to care. His gaze bore into hers, silver phitons gleaming.

“I think I could live on your taste alone.” He licked his lips to accent his claim.

“You’re welcome to try. I’ll be happy to feed you anytime you like.”

He grinned, apparently pleased by her boldness.

With her legs still draped over his shoulders, he quickly unfastened his pants. Then he stood and her legs slipped down to the bend of his elbows.

She pushed up against the rock, wanting to see all of him.

“Shit,” he muttered, then quickly righted his pants. “Get dressed. There’s a problem with Jillian. As I feared, something went wrong.”