Chapter Five
There’d been more prints around the final camera which meant Chloe had spent the journey back to the village in a jubilant mood. Surely she had enough to make the documentary. Jim would be ecstatic.
“How about I buy you a beer to celebrate?” she said as they trudged into the village at nightfall.
“Kind of you, but I don’t drink beer.”
“Oh, yes, of course. Well, an iced water then?”
He chuckled. “That would be good.”
“Do you think…” She hesitated. “You know with the Shaman about, the chicken and …” She looked up at his face, now doused in shadows. “Will it be okay for me to go in there?”
“Yes. With me, no one, or anything, will hurt you.”
“Okay. If you’re sure.”
“More than sure. It’s a promise.”
The vehement tone of his voice made her feel as though she’d been wrapped in a warm security blanket. She couldn’t remember anyone being so determined about keeping her safe. It was a nice feeling, especially being so far from home and in such an alien environment.
When they reached the bar, Aaron pushed the rickety door open.
The smell of warm smoke, from tobacco and a fire in an empty oil drum, filled her nose.
The sound of men in conversation didn’t alter as they walked in, but still, Chloe couldn’t help a glance about, wondering if the Shaman was there. Would she recognize him without his strange face paint and his hood down? Perhaps he wasn’t from the local area at all.
Most of the men were familiar. The village had a tiny population, and although she didn’t know them all by name, she did know their faces. But in the corner, farthest from the fire, sat two men she definitely hadn’t seen before.
Aaron indicated for her to take a seat while he got drinks.
“Here, take this.” She handed him some money.
“Thanks.” He took it.
She was a little surprised, but shrugged it off. Instead, as she sat, her attention returned to the two strangers. They had a map spread out in front of them and one wore a furry hat which was cream-colored with black spots.
When Aaron sat next to her and placed their drinks down, she was still studying them.
He followed her line of sight. His body tensed and he sucked in a breath. “Damn it.”
“What’s the matter?” she asked, taking in the hard line of his jaw and the flash of displeasure in his eyes.
“Poachers.”
“What?” How the hell did he know?
“See his hat. It’s leopard.”
“Oh, God, no.” A sick feeling burned in her stomach. “Really?”
“Yes. Only poachers would dare to wear their crimes like a badge.”
“What can we do? Report them?”
He took a sip of his drink. “Yes, it will need to be made clear they’re here.”
Chloe swung her gaze around the room. “To the villagers?”
“No.” He shook his head and set his hands on the gnarled wood of the table, clenched his fists. “The leopards.”
“But how…?”
“At first light, I will leave warning scents and give a shout out.”
She held out her hands. “Aaron, what are you talking about?”
He bit on his bottom lip and cupped her chin. “It will all become clear. Please stop concerning yourself with details.”
“But I can’t get my head around the details.”
“Do you want to be mine?” He narrowed his eyes and a curl of hair fell over his cheek.
“Well … yes.”
“So trust me.”
“I do.”
He tipped his head and the lock of hair moved. “Trust me when I say what you think is strange, is perfectly normal here.”
“I’m trying.” She stroked her hand over his forearm. “But it’s a big ask when I’m trained to ask questions, investigate.”
“I accept this about you.” He released her chin and pressed his hand over his chest. “And I must ask you to accept things about me.”
“I do. I want to.” She didn’t know what it was she was supposed to be accepting.
“Come on, drink up.” He nodded at her beer. “I thought you wanted to check your footage.”
She took a few slugs, the malty liquid coating her tongue. “You’re right. I’m dying to see what set off the motion sensors. I’m hoping it’s something to brighten Jim’s mood when I tell him tomorrow.”
Aaron stood. He gave the poachers one last glance, hate flashing over his pupils, and then rested his hand at the small of her back.
She allowed him to steer her from the bar, and once in the open, down the small walkway to her room.
She opened the door and held it wide, inviting him in without words.
He took the invitation.
The place was small and functional. A bed, a chair and desk, and a wardrobe. There was a grate for a much-needed fire and a stack of logs replenished regularly by her landlord. A small room at the back held a toilet with an onerous flushing system and a shower which was little more than a trickle of lukewarm water.
After closing the door and drawing the thin curtains, Chloe quickly set to lighting the fire.
Aaron sat on the end of the bed, watching her.
“Not something I was particularly skilled at before I came here,” she confessed as the kindling caught. “But needs must.”
“You seem very proficient now.”
“I’m getting there.” She watched the flames lick upward and then added a small log. It would need tending over the next few hours, but that was okay.
Aaron slipped off his boots and set them by the desk. “Is this what you look at footage on?” He nodded at her laptop.
“Yes.” She reached for it, enjoying how he’d settled himself into her room. She hoped he’d stay the night, and be up for a repeat performance of their sexy time on the mountain.
She copied him and removed her boots, sat in the middle of the bed, the memory sticks from the cameras now in her hand. “Here goes.”
He moved in close. Again, heat radiated from him, much the same way as the fire’s warmth was hitting her.
“Let’s check the first one.” She slipped it in and clicked ‘open.’
The screen filled with the view of the mountains from a small flat space flanked by gray rocks.
“The sensor has been triggered eighteen times,” she said, pointing to the data in the corner of the screen. “But it won’t be all leopards.”
“Mmm…” he said, peering forward and his shoulder brushing hers.
For a moment, she wondered about forgetting the cameras and getting down and dirty and sweaty and naked with the hot man at her side. But the producer in her won out and she flicked through the images.
As she reached the last one, her heart sagged in disappointment. All that had been recorded were rabbits and a solitary musk deer. On two occasions, it wasn’t clear what had set off the sensor.
She switched to the second memory stick. This one had been turned on four times. Each one showed a pallas cat. Great, if they’d been what she was making a program about, but not so much when it was leopards she wanted.
“Right in the middle of pallas cat territory,” Aaron said.
“Yes, must be.”
Frustrated, but hopeful the third stick would offer more, Chloe switched them over.
“Now that’s much better,” she said, rubbing her hands together and grinning as a mother snow leopard and three cubs walked past the lens.
Aaron chuckled. “Cute, huh?”
“Very. But I bet the mother wouldn’t be if she came across us. Thank goodness for these cameras.”
Aaron stroked his hand down her hair. “Instinct is a powerful thing. Especially a mother’s.”
She turned to look at him.
He continued to caress her hair. “Do you desire offspring?”
“Maybe one day I’ll come off my contraceptive pill.”
He raised his eyebrows. “The sooner the better.”
“I take it that means you want a family.”
His attention left hers and he concentrated on the freeze frame of the cubs. “I have family. They’re beautiful.”
“You already have children?” She paused. “Don’t tell me you have a wife hidden away somewhere, too.”
“No, nothing of the sort.” He looked at her again. “There is only you.”
Was this another one of the things about him she had to let go? It was getting kind of hard to.
“Check the footage from the last camera.” He nodded at the screen.
“Okay.”
This one showed a single male leopard out in a storm. She knew it was male because of its size, and it came right up to the lens, sniffing and peering at it with its pale eyes.
A layer of snow covered its head, collecting around its ears. For several minutes, it stayed in shot, checking out the area and giving her numerous wonderful pieces of material to use.
“He’s beautiful,” she whispered when the animal finally disappeared from view on the last clip.
“You think so?” Aaron asked, taking the laptop and setting it on her desk.
“Yes, totally breathtaking.”
He looked at her and smiled, and then added another log to the fire. When he turned back to face her, he removed his top.
“And I think you’re beautiful, too,” she said, enjoying how his body almost glowed as it was caressed by the dancing shadows of the fire.
“As beautiful as a snow leopard?” he asked, crawling onto the bed.
“I…” She couldn’t compare the two. They were so different, but both equally majestic.
“It’s good you can’t answer that. The snow leopards need people in the world who are mesmerized by them. It will help keep them safe.” He leaned over her so she was forced to lie flat.
“Yes, I want to help them.”
“You already are.” He kissed her, the same deep, passionate kiss as he’d given her on the mountain.
She hooked her hands behind his neck and pulled him closer so their bodies were in alignment. Through clothing, his cock pressed against her mound.
She had a sudden urge to get up close and personal with his dick again. So with a shove, she pushed him to his back.
“What are you doing?” he asked, looking up at her as his head hit the pillow. Surprise washed over his face.
“You gonna let me have some fun?” she asked, waggling her eyebrows and reaching for his waistband.
“Will it be fun for me, too?”
“Of course.” She popped open the button. “If you like having your dick sucked, that is.”
His mouth fell open and he half sat, reaching for her wrist as he did so.
A shard of alarm went though her. He didn’t like blowjobs?
“What’s up?” she asked, stilling.
“I…” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“What don’t you know?”
“I mean, I’ve never…”
“You’ve never had a blowjob?”
Really?
“You blow?” He appeared slightly alarmed.
“No.” God, who was this wild sexy man, full of mystery and passion, but also infused with innocence? “Of course I won’t blow.” She tugged and he released her wrist. “Why don’t I show you?” She pressed him flat and was pleased when he stayed on his back. “Relax, enjoy. Most men would sell their soul for it.”
“I’m not your average male.”
“Don’t I know it?” She undid his pants and then wriggled them down to his thighs.
His erection released, hard and long, and she took it in her hand. “Close your eyes.” She slid down the bed so her face was level with his groin.
He did as instructed.
“Just feel.”
He blew out a long low breath, his chest deflating and his abdominal muscles tensing.
Watching his expression, she flicked out her tongue and licked the head.
“Oh fuck…” he muttered, his belly tensing further.
“Not yet.” She circled his glans, stroking the point of her tongue into the groove and then concentrating on his frenulum.
Again, he groaned. A low deep rumbling sound telling her he liked what he was experiencing.
Gently, she began to work his shaft within the clasp of her hand.
It was like satin on steel, and so damn hot. He grew more erect and his cock twitched.
She decided it was time to take him deep, show him for real there was no blowing involved, only a bit of sucking.
Stretching her mouth wide, she circled his head, then slowly, so slowly, dropped down so his shaft smoothed over her tongue and filled her mouth.
“Oh, gods above.” He rammed his fingers into her hair and coiled forward. “Chloe, mate, oh…”
Her pussy dampened, her nipples were tight. Hearing his pleasure was a massive turn on in itself.
She withdrew and balanced his glans on her bottom lip so she could caress his slit with her tongue.
Again he groaned, dropping back and releasing her hair as he did so.
She glanced up at him. His spine was arched, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and his eyes closed. He was gripping the wooden slats of the bamboo headboard and exposing his underarm hair.
Again she sank deep, taking him to the back of her throat. A strange growling sound erupted from him and a slick of pre-cum coated her tongue.
God, he’s close.
She quickly decided she wanted him to have the full experience. To come in her mouth. She was honored to be giving Aaron this pleasure for the first time.
She set up a relentless pace, using every trick in the book with her tongue and lips.
Soon he was bucking his hips to meet her. His fingers were clasped tight in her hair again, and he was gasping and moaning.
With her free hand, she cupped his balls and gently squeezed.
Then it was there. His orgasm rushed from him. Salty fluid filled her mouth and she swallowed it down quickly.
More came and his cock pulsed against her tongue.
“Chloe, oh, yes…”
His balls were packed tight, but still she held them and was rewarded with another shot of cum.
Finally he stilled. He released her hair and flopped back on the bed. The sound of his rapid breaths filled the room.
She let him fall from her mouth and caught his shaft in her hand. “You see, no blowing involved.”
He rested his forearm over his eyes and laid his opposite hand on his chest. “That was…”
“Awesome, incredible?”
“All of those and … wow, when can you do it again?”
“As soon as you’ve recovered.”
Suddenly he reached for her and dragged her up his body so she was on top of him. “It won’t take me long to recover. Not with you around.”