Page 52 of Crash Landing
“Functional?” he snorted with amusement. “My own people explain it coldly enough. I don’t need you talking about it like it’s simple science. It’s not.”
“Isn’t it, though? We’re attracted to each other, but it’s not binding, right?”
“Unless you want it to be,” he narrowed his eyes. “We’re monogamous if that’s what you’re wondering about.”
“How can you be monogamous when you have a breeding problem? Shouldn’t you be spreading your…” I waved my hand toward his crotch tentatively, “seed as far as possible?”
That earned me a full-on guffaw. He threw his head back, his laughter echoing through the whole building.
“Myseed? If you’re trying to demean our relationship, please, by all means, keep using words like our lab techs do.”
“Our relationship? What is our relationship exactly?”
“That’s something we decide together.” He started to slowly make his way toward me. “You were very sweet and understanding before. Why are you on edge now?”
“I’m not on edge.” I did my best to wash the tension from my tone just to prove to myself I wasn’t lying and took a deep breath. “I’m not on edge. I just have questions.”
“So, ask your questions.”
“I can’t ask the next question,” I said, closing my eyes in frustration. Every time he spoke it sent a jolt of awareness south. It was infuriating. I didn’t feel in control of my body.
“Ask, Sam.”
“When does it stop?” I blurted out. “When do I stop wanting you? Is this normal?” I tugged on the material of my shirt to fan my skin with a soft breeze, but it barely helped. “Because I’ve never felt like this. I just… ugh, I needsomething.”
He stood there dumbfounded for a good few seconds before he simply smirked, flashing one of his fangs like a charming, lavender demon.
“I’m right here, Sam. Plenty willing to ease your needs.”
I thought about it. Images flashed before me of his naked body on top of mine. Our sweat-slickened skin grinding together. I could hear my moans of ecstasy and his strong breaths burning my neck as he kissed me.
But those were fantasies. Reality would be much different and I knew it.
“I have to do some of my logs if we’re leaving soon,” I said quickly. “I want as much data as I can get.”
Turning, I headed back up to the rooms to retrieve my datapad, hoping that Saleuk hadn’t noticed it was already dead. I hated leaving him like that. I confused myself with my words so I couldn’t imagine what it all sounded like to him. But I was flustered. Confused. Completely out of my element.
I drained myself going through plants and theories in my head. It was something to sink my mind into just to keep it off Saleuk and keeping it off Saleuk was so difficult that by the time night fell again, I was dead tired and ready to just sleep and be rid of it all for a few hours.
I’d changed into my makeshift dress made of thin cloth, which had proven much more comfortable than my tight leggings were in the humidity.
When I heard Saleuk’s footsteps outside my door, I looked up and saw him sliding his shirt off to get ready for rest. We hadn’t really crossed each other’s paths the entire day again and it was getting to me. I wanted some kind of closure when it came to the surge. Anything. He looked in on me expectantly and a wordless understanding spread between us.
I didn’t want to sleep alone, even if things with Saleuk were a big puzzle.
“Tomorrow, we hike up to a flat on the mountain. It’s where they’ll be able to retrieve us the easiest. The woods are too thick here for a proper landing.”
“How far?”
“I’d say a few miles if I calculated correctly. I’ll give you the coordinates tomorrow so you can put it into your navigator cuff.”
“Ok. So, we should get some sleep.”
He nodded. And then he waited. Finally, I got up, knowing I would eventually wander to his room at some point anyways, urges be damned. Saleuk stretched out on the bed with a groan, laying like he always did with one hand behind his head and one on his bare stomach. In the fading light, I could still see every inch of his masculine form and swallowed hard before moving toward the bed and lying down beside him.
“Rest well, al’fira,” he whispered. “Tomorrow, we will be leaving this place. You’ll need your energy.”
“It’s good we’re leaving, right?”
