She sighed and came up beside him. She was much shorter than Arianna. She didn’t even reach his shoulders. Damn. Why was he even thinking these crazy ideas?

“What? I don’t even see any water.”

He pointed south. “It’s there.”

Her gaze narrowed on the distant landscape and then she shrugged. “I don’t see it.” She sighed even louder. “We have to walk all that way. That has to be, like, ten miles.”

“At least.”

She groaned and his lips twitched. He quickly schooled the emotion before she saw it. This was new for him—finding humor in something. He hadn’t felt that in...a long time. He couldn’t even remember the last time because not even Arianna had made him laugh.

“Fine, let’s go before I lose my motivation.”

She started down the hill without him. He followed behind; his gaze locked on a part of her he really shouldn’t be looking at, but couldn’t help himself. The way her pants fit her was almost indecent. Shahoulin women wore long, beautiful dresses that complimented their beauty. Abbigail, a mere human, managed to stir desire wearing nothing but tight pants that cupped her in ways that made his palms itch to feel for himself.

So wrapped up in his baser thoughts was he that he didn’t react for a long second when her foot slipped on a rock. Alrik snapped out of it as her scream ripped through the air and she started tumbling down the hill.

“Abbigail!”

He charged down the hill, his heart pounding in his throat. Something intense and terrifying filled him. He reached her just as she rolled to a stop at the bottom of the hill. She lay on her stomach facing away from him, her arms bent under her, and her legs squeezed together.

He turned her over and her eyes squinted up at him in pain.

“Ow, that one hurt.” Her lips pinched together as her brow furrowed.

He knelt beside her, his hands touching her everywhere. “Where are you hurt?” She stiffened, but he didn’t realize it. That intense feeling still held him in its tight grip.

Her voice came out breathless. “Didn’t hurt anything new except maybe my ego. A few rocks just jabbed into my bruises.”

He lifted her shirt up ignoring her squeal of protest to inspect her bruise. A part of him expected to find blood there, but her skin was intact just colored in an ugly way. Relief filled him and he collapsed over her, burying his head in her hair. A wild staccato beat pounded in his chest. He’d only ever felt that feeling once before he realized, when Arianna stepped in front of him to take the blow that would have ended his life.

“Alrik?” she asked hesitantly.

He pulled back and found her face a mask of confusion. Something changed inside of him then. Now with the panic passing, he realized he had her practically in his arms. His gaze dropped to her mouth; soft pink lips that were pouty and full. His gut clenched and what happened next he was lost to.

He slanted his lips across hers and gave in to the need inside him. The first touch was like being zapped with an electrical charge. Every ounce of his body burned, roaring at him to take more, take all that she’d give, and then take even more. She was soft and warm, her lips delicate in a way that brought out the animal inside him.

He held back the beast and savored the press of her lips but his body strained to keep it caged.

Soft, pliable lips pressed gently against his as his mouth fluttered across hers. His cock was a mighty weight between his legs, roaring at him to have her hand curl around the shaft.

Then she pressed back against him and he snapped. A shiver tore down his spine.

A feral growl sounded, surprising him. The sound came from him, from the need he’d buried deep inside of himself. As her soft lips kissed him back he did something wild and utterly stupid. He did something he’d wanted to do since he met her and thrust his tongue deep.

The sweet taste of her flooded his senses, firing his already yearning body. Then she surprised him. Her hands swept into his hair, clenching his head to her as if she didn’t want him to move.

Oh god. The way she touched him. She made sexy little noises in the back of her throat and the way her tongue met his in a wet sweep brought the need in him shooting down his spine to his cock.

He never thought...

He never knew...

She touched him as if she never wanted him to stop.

His cock throbbed, feeling ready to explode. One of his fists curled into the grass beside her head before he did something he’d really regret--like touching her. Touching her in ways they both craved.

Her tongue stroked his, wet, soft, and eager. She made a soft, needy noise in the back of her throat and her body pressed up into his like an undulating wave. Her breasts crushed against his chest, the pebbles of her nipples scraping him through their shirts. His hips jerked with a needy thrust.

He broke away, stumbled back away from her as his chest pumped hard. Her eyes were fogged with passion as she looked at him. Her cheeks were flushed, lips wet and swollen. Her chest rose and fell in fast waves, straining her breasts against her shirt.

His emotions teetered all over the place. He had to find some semblance of control before he went right back over to her and finished what had started. Just the thought sent his gaze between her thighs. Her hips jerked in response as if she felt his touch there and he nearly groaned. So badly did he want to feel her soft femininity. He clenched his hands as if to keep his fingers from wanting to dip into her jeans and feel her soft sex. How wet was she? How hot? Would she burn against him? Another shudder wracked through him.

 He couldn’t touch her though, he wouldn’t.

So he said the one thing he knew would work. “Don’t ever touch me again.”

Hurt flashed across her face and he hated himself for putting it there. Then, just as quickly, anger surged and she jerked to a stand. “You kissed me.”

His jaw popped he held it so tightly. “Come on.” He strode past her. He had no other choice. He had to ignore her or else he might do something irrevocably stupid. He hid the tremble in his hands by curling them into fists.

He had about two seconds of peace before she stormed beside him marching like she was taking her anger out on the grass. “You are un-fucking-believable. I mean really. You are such an ass.”

“Watch your tongue, Abbigail,” he warned. He’d only take so much of her insults.

“Watch your tongue, Abbigail,” she mimicked in a high voice. She darted a lethal gaze at him. “You watch it, demon. With how I feel right now you don’t want to piss me off.”

He almost laughed, actually. “And just what do you think you could possibly do to me.”

No sooner had she sucked in a deep breath did he feel the warmth of her magic surrounding him. He realized he’d made a mistake just as he went flying through the air. Air rushed past him, blowing hair in his face. His stomach felt like it was kissing his spine. Surprise kept him from responding, or at least that’s what he told himself. He landed on the grass some fifteen feet away feeling as though he’d just been run over by a horse.

He jumped to a stand ready to exact retribution, but she squared her shoulders and spread her feet looking ready to fight. Her eyes glowed dimly from the magic running through her veins. She looked so small yet stood as a warrior ready to battle at the front lines. She looked more beautiful than ever.

His anger fled as swiftly as it came. His lips twitched again and he stifled a laugh. The emotion felt so odd he didn’t know how to hide it.

“Glad to see you’re improving on your skills.”

With that, he turned and continued south.

Her soft growl brought a full smile to his mouth.

Abby didn’t know how she managed not to freeze her butt off during the night, but she slept surprisingly well. She’d asked Alrik to build a fire and he’d refused, said it’d leave them vulnerable. She didn’t get that and when she pressed him, he shook his head in a condescending way then explained that: “If we leave a fire lit it only brings dangerous eyes to our position while we rest unaware.”