Page 98 of Sohut's Protection

“Not close enough,” he breathed down her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

Sohut took her skin between his teeth and flicked his tongue over it, causing her to inhale deeply.

One arm pressed against the wall beside her head while his other arm moved underneath her dress to caress her leg.

“I’d rip this off you if it didn’t mean you’d be walking naked…” he murmured, nibbling her skin as he did. “I don’t want those Torians looking at what’s mi—”

He stopped short and froze suddenly before he lifted his head to look her in the eyes.

There was shock in his as she studied him.

“What were you going to say?” Cleo wet her lips.

Sohut’s throat moved as he stared into her eyes, but he didn’t answer.

Instead, it was as if a switch flipped and he leaned from off the wall.

Cleo watched him move, a ball developing in her throat that prevented her from saying another word.

Because…she was pretty sure he was just about to say…that she was his.

23

“We should get you clean and comfortable. You deserve the rest.” Sohut stepped away from her and moved over to a circular indentation in the ground.

Confused, she watched him and for the first time, she noticed the room.

It was smaller than the room with the bed in it but large enough to hold both of them.

Off in the corner was one of those lanterns with what she was going to assume was alien fireflies. It lit the room in a warm glow.

Sohut crouched over the indentation in the ground and pulled out the stop from what looked like a wooden pipe. As soon as the stop was released, steamy water came pouring through.

“They have hot water here?!” Cleo moved forward, unable to believe what she was seeing.

She hadn’t taken a hot water bath in like…forever.

Sohut smiled as he moved to another side of the room and dug his hand into a bag that was placed there.

“They have more technology here than you would think. Torians can’t resist favors. If a Torian helps you, usually they ask for high-tech favors in return,” he said as he threw what looked like small pellets into the bath.

As the pellets hit the water, they fizzed and produced a sweet smell.

“All ready.” Sohut smiled again but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

He looked guarded…scared almost.

As he made to brush past her, she caught his shirt in her hand.

“Is everything all right?”

Sohut inhaled deeply and froze for a second. He wouldn’t face her.

“Sohut?” She didn’t know what to make of his sudden change in behavior. One moment he was saying he’d missed her and the next it was as if he couldn’t wait to escape her presence.

At the sound of his name, Sohut inhaled deeply before tilting his head to the ceiling and groaning.

His arms wrapped around her as he pulled her against him.

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