Page 64 of Sohut's Protection

Instead, he stared out the small hole that formed the cave entrance and was doing something with his hands.

Now and then, he’d grunt and she couldn’t help but draw closer to see what he was doing.

Standing as far as she could manage while still being able to look over his shoulder, Cleo’s eyes widened.

He was using his blade to pry the jungle urchins from his skin and it looked painful.

Blood oozed from every spot where he managed to remove one of the things.

Guilt flooded through her as she watched him work.

When he finished prying the ones he could see from his arms, shoulders, and tail, he began reaching behind him to try to get the ones at his back.

Cleo squeezed her eyes shut for a second before her mouth moved.

“Let me help you…” She stepped forward before he could reply and closed her hand around the blade.

Rather, she closed her hand around his, for he was holding the blade.

It was the first time she’d willfully touched him and her heart sped up a bit.

Grout studied her face. “Help me? I’d be a mad jerkal to let you get your hand on my blade. You like to cut things.”

Cleo clenched her teeth to stop herself from retorting.

“I only want to help you. I’m being honest when I say I didn’t cut the vine. Now shut up and give me the knife.”

He studied her some more. “I sense no deception.”

“That’s because I’m telling the truth.”

For a few seconds, he just stared at her before his gaze moved to her hand still placed over his.

Slowly, beneath her fingers, she felt his hand loosen and soon the blade was in her hands.

Wordlessly, Cleo pressed her lips into a thin line as she took a deep breath.

Place the edge of the blade under one of the urchins, she tried to pry the thing out of his skin, but it was in deeper than she’d realized.

She’d have to touch him again to get some leverage to remove the darn thing.

Biting her lip, she rested her free hand on his shoulder and she was sure she felt the muscle underneath her hand go taut as if he was as painfully aware of her touch as she was aware of placing her hand there.

His skin felt warm, smooth, and not at all like human skin. It was firmer, yet didn’t feel hard, and she found she wanted to run her fingers along his shoulder just out of pure curiosity.

Touching him felt…nice.

She hadn’t had the pleasure of touching anyone else in so, so long. Even back on Earth, she’d been single for a long time.

Intimate touches that had been desired had been…scarce.

Uninvited intimate touches had been abundant.

Being a bartender had come with its downfalls.

Not that she was being intimate at the moment…

Shaking away her wandering thoughts, Cleo took a deep breath and positioned the knife beneath the urchin she was targeting once more.

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