Page 19 of Fall

Lenna was flushed and panting and in a strange, excited daze as shestared up at Rone.

Rone had taken her shoulders in his hands and was studying her closelyfrom head to foot, obviously checking to make sure she was all right.

“Good,” she gasped, wishing she had a better grasp of the language.“Good. Lenna no want Ugar.”

“No Ugar,” Rone muttered, his eyes finally returning to her face with astrange sort of urgency.

“Lenna no want Ugar,” she repeated, suddenly knowing exactly what shewanted to happen. She put a hand on his chest. “Lenna want Rone.”

Rone made a throaty sound and grew still for a moment, his eyes stilldevouring her face.

“Lenna want Rone,” she said again, stroking from his chest up to hisshoulder. Every part of him was big and hard and masculine.

He groaned low and long, and then he grabbed her, swinging her up intohis arms and carrying her toward the cave.

The rest of the tribe was still around the fire, eating and talking andcelebrating a great kill. But Rone carried Lenna into the cave and then to hisbed, laying her down on his pile of animal skins before moving above her.

He didn’t kiss her. She hadn’t seen anyone in the tribe really kiss.Instead, he rubbed his face against hers and then kept rubbing it down her bodyas he took off her clothes. His beard was thick and scratchy, and it felt toher like he was trying to cover her skin with his scent.

But it wasn’t unpleasant. At all. Her heart was racing wildly and shekept rocking and clutching at him as he moved down her body. When he’d rubbedhimself against every inch of her, he pulled apart her legs, kneeling betweenthem.

Ridiculously, she was aroused. Her pussy throbbed achingly as he staredhotly at her completely naked body.

She was panting loudly as he lifted his tunic and freed his cock. He wasbig and hard and obviously just as turned on as she was. He grabbed her by thebottom and lifted her up so she was aligned with his erection. Then he guidedhimself inside.

He fucked her like that, on his knees, completely in control of her body,and she gasped and shook and couldn’t tear her gaze away from his dark eyes ashe took her.

She didn’t come, but it was better than she ever could have imagined sexwith a caveman like this could have been. She couldn’t help but like how hisface tightened up as he got closer, how his hips accelerated almost helplessly,how he groaned in pleasure as he came inside her, how his body relaxedafterwards and he collapsed beside her, breathing just as hard as she was.

She still had a few months left on her yearly birth control treatment, soshe wouldn’t have to worry about getting pregnant yet.

After a minute, Rone moved over her again, rubbing his face against hercheek and neck again, this time more gently.

She stroked his long, tangled hair, feeling irrationally pleased withhim, with the whole situation.

He might be a grouchy, uncivilized, smelly caveman, but he washercaveman.

And she was now his mate.

Four

The nextmorning, Lenna woke up when Rone started to get out of bed.

She’d slept much more deeply than usual—partly because she was actuallywarm and partly because she genuinely felt safe, tucked between Rone and thewall of the cave.

She blinked several times, trying to clear her head, and she smiled whenthe first thing she saw was Rone’s hairy face and sober eyes peering down ather.

He actually smiled back, if she read his expression correctly beneath hisbeard.

He said something, but her brain was still too fuzzy to interpret it.

At her questioning look, he repeated, “Rone… mate.”

She sat up when she realized he was trying to confirm that she knew thesignificance of their having sex and sleeping together in his bed. “Yes. Ronemate.”

He nodded and exhaled, like he was relieved. Then he reached down, tookher arms, and pulled her to her feet. He scanned her body carefully, but hedidn’t seem to be ogling her. She wasn’t sure what he was looking at exactly.

He said something, but the only word she understood was the final one.“…winter.”

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