And the look in his eyes warmed her belly and made her ache for his touch, no matter if her logical mind might try to persuade her otherwise. This was visceral, illogical, and quite possibly having something to do with the enhancing pigments now bound to her body.

What the hell was that? Darla wondered, tamping down the growing wetness between her legs as she followed his muscular form. And what does it mean?

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Heydar moved at a slower pace the rest of that day, though Darla couldn’t be sure if it was because he was more injured than he was letting on or if it was for her benefit. In any case, they didn’t cover nearly as much ground as he had planned by the time night began to fall.

They would not make it to the downed ship today after all.

With that reality now obvious, Heydar had been scanning the terrain since well before the sun started to set, searching for a more secure and comfortable location to bed down for the night. While their prior campsite had been decent, another cold, frosty slumber in the open would not do either of them any favors.

Fortunately, just as the sun began to set, Lady Luck smiled upon them.

“There,” he said, pointing to a spot across a tiny creek just below the hillside they were on.

“Where?”

He stepped close, leaning against her back, his heat radiating against her body as he extended his arm over her shoulder, his breath hot in her ear. “Midway up the opposite bank,” he said. “Do you see it?”

Darla squinted her eyes against the last rays of the dying sun, but her vision seemed to have sharpened since they’d begun their quest. A few hundred meters up the rise from the water’s edge a spot on the rocks was darker than the surrounding area.

“Is that a cave?”

“Cave, cavern, we will find out when we reach it,” he said, pressing onward, gathering up wood as he walked. “Fill your arms,” he directed. “Branches about this size. I will carry the larger ones.”

By the time they had reached the creek their arms were laden with wood for their fire. Heydar quickly lashed much of it together and slung it over his shoulder, leaving their hands free to collect even more as they made their ascent to their makeshift shelter for the night.

The sun had fully set before they reached their destination, and they were forced to trek in the dark the last half hour. Heydar moved slowly and deliberately, clearly marking his steps so Darla could follow in them, the footing secure. Finally, they reached the spot they had seen from afar. Heydar signaled for her to wait, then drew his blades and stepped inside.

He came back out, knives lowered, a moment later. There was no sign of animals living in the space. It didn’t surprise him much when he realized this wasn’t a proper cave, but rather a cavern in the rocks that ended at a stone wall barely a dozen long paces in. It curved slightly, though, and that meant their fire would go unnoted unless someone was to venture extremely close to the opening.

He dumped the wood and gathered several rocks to create a fire ring to contain the embers as the flames burned down. The curvature of the rock would reflect the heat onto them while allowing the smoke to gently waft out far above them, leaving the air clean and breathable.

“I can do that,” Darla offered, piling the smaller kindling in a little teepee within the fire ring.

Heydar thought about objecting but held his tongue. “Very well,” he said, then began digging through his pack, removing meat he had already skewered as he walked when she hadn’t been watching. It was efficient of him, and they would eat sooner for his forethought.

“Hey, you want me to set those up?” she asked as he laid out the skewers and bits of fresh vegetables scavenged during their trek.

“You are my responsibility. I will feed you. You must save your energy,” he replied, holding his hand over the kindling until his magic ignited a small flame. “You did a good job with this. We will have a proper fire tonight.”

Heydar took the pelts and laid them out for them to use as bedding. Fortunately, he had given them a thorough wash in the stream that morning and they had dried nice and clean as the pair hiked. It wasn’t high thread count cotton, but it would do for their needs.

“Rest. I will prepare our meal,” he said, motioning for her to take a seat.

Darla obliged, sitting down and shedding her boots. The fresh air on her feet felt divine after the day’s trek, and the warmth of the fire was soothing on her bare skin. The smell of cooking meat and veggies soon filled the air as Heydar rotated the skewers over the flames. One by one he removed them and lay them on the broad, clean leaves they were using as plates.

He cooks, but does he clean? she wondered with an amused grin.

Heydar didn’t notice her mirth, tending the fire and preparing their food. A few minutes later he presented her with a substantial portion of food. No sense saving it if it might rot on their hike. And Darla was damn hungry.

The two of them made quick work of their meals, downing every last morsel then washing it down with fresh water from their supply.

The two sat quietly a while, digesting their food and letting the day’s aches and pains fade.

Darla lay back and looked up at the orange tinted stone illuminated by the flickering light. It was a cavern, the kind of place a caveman may have taken shelter in millions of years ago. But here she was, very much not a cavewoman, but rather a human stuck on a world far from home. But despite all the trials and tribulations, she was actually feeling at ease. Safe even. And she had this strange, stoic alien to thank for it.

They remained silent a while longer, listening to the fire crackle, watching shadows dance across the rocks. After a bit, Heydar leaned forward and gathered the leaves and scraps and threw them all onto the fire. It flared bright, engulfing them in an instant then settling back down to a comfortable blaze.

He moved to sit on one of the pelts and removed his boots, followed by his shirt. The alien moved gingerly as he pulled the garment over his head. The blood caked on his back was minimal considering what had hit him, but Darla gasped all the same.

“Oh my God! You’re hurt!”

“It is nothing.”

“You said you were okay.”

“I am okay.”

“No, you’re not,” she replied, grabbing her water skin and a piece of cloth from her pack. “This is my fault,” she said, moving close behind him. “Let me clean this up.”

“I said I am fine.”

“You won’t be fine if this gets infected. And if that happens, you know full well you’re way too big for me to carry.”

“I will not fall ill.”

“Can you be sure? Do you know that for a fact?”

“Well—”

“Look, I’m just trying to make up for what happened. Can you please just let me help you? It’s not a sign of weakness or anything to say yes.”

He opened his mouth, ready to retort, but stopped himself short. Heydar’s violet eyes almost glowed with the flickering firelight as he studied this unusual human woman. The most unlikely of companions on this journey.

“Very well,” he finally said, shifting so he was seated on the fur with his back to her.

Darla slid close to him, dampening the rag in her hand and gently drawing it across his shoulders. The heat he gave off was noticeable even this close to the fire, and the cool water soon warmed in the cloth as she wiped away the dried blood.

“Is that okay?”

“Mmm,” he nodded.

Darla scooted closer still, his heat radiating from his bare skin, penetrating her thin top and warming her hardening nipples. Tiny jolts shot through her body, her every nerve on fire. She poured more water on the cloth and wiped lower, her fingers tracing the defined muscles bulging underneath his radiant skin.