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“Should we talk about what happened last night?”
The muscles in his back tensed, but then he shrugged a shoulder.
“I don’t believe it’s necessary. Your responsiveness surprised me. Delightfully so,” he added, shooting her a quick glance. “But I wasn’t prepared. I will not lose control again when we… practice.”
“Do you still think we should do that?”
“Of course. As you so convincingly argued last night, a married couple is expected to display that kind of behavior. To touch. To kiss.”
His eyes focused on her mouth as he spoke and she actually felt her body response to that heated look.
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “As long as you think it’s a good idea.”
He put a large scoop of eggs on a plate and brought it over to her, closing his hand over hers when she reached for it.
“Oh, I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think it’s a frustrating, tormenting, impossibly tempting idea. But I also think it’s necessary if I am to complete my… job.”
She stared up at him, unable to speak, but then Raja hopped up on her lap with a demanding squeak. Grateful for the interruption she smiled down at him.
“I guess someone else is ready for breakfast too.”
“Don’t give the rodent any of your eggs,” he ordered. “You need to eat. I’ll bring some for him.”
Her heart did a funny little flip as he quickly scrambled another egg, plated it, and put it on the ground in front of Raja. It flipped again when he stopped Raja up after breakfast, cradling the ball of fluff against his massive chest.
“I’ll take him down to the stream with me while you attend to your morning necessities. There’s more warm water if you want it.”
She made a quick trip to the woods, then was washed and ready when he returned with a very damp Raja, chittering indignantly.
“What did you do to him?” she demanded, snatching Raja away and hugging him to her chest as Celenk frowned at her.
“I didn’t do anything to him, but it turns out that the kedji enjoy the water. The rodent is simply annoyed because I wouldn’t let him swim around all day.”
“Did that mean old male stop you from having fun?” she crooned to the still chittering Raja.
“It doesn’t speak well of his intelligence if he’d prefer a stream to his current position,” Celenk murmured, looking at the kedji nestled between her breasts. “I certainly know which I would prefer.”
Her nipples immediately tightened under that intense blue gaze, but he’d already turned away to start breaking camp. He had everything packed away in a remarkably short time, then smiled at her.
“Your carriage awaits, my lady.”
Playing along, she dropped a mock curtsey.
“Thank you, kind sir,”
A shadow crossed his face.
“Not so kind, I’m afraid.”
He lifted her onto the seat before she could respond, then vaulted up after her. As they set off into the warm morning, his tail curled around her waist and she smiled.
Over the next week their days followed the same pattern. They drove for most of the day, although he would sometimes stop for a few hours during the hottest part of the day. Sometimes they followed a crude trail; other times they traveled across unbroken ground. Most of the area they traveled through consisted of low rolling hills sprinkled with wildflowers. He preferred to camp near one of the wooded copses that tended to nestle in the valleys between the hills. Most of them were next to a water source, either a creek or a stream or like yesterday, a good-sized river.
He’d taught her to fish there, smiling at her delight in catching what was probably the smallest fish in existence, and smiling even more when she insisted on throwing it back. Once he realized that she really was interested in learning his survival skills, he seemed to enjoy teaching her. And he was a good teacher, surprisingly patient and even-tempered.
Of course, she’d learned something else at the river as well - what he looked like naked.
It had been a long, hot day and once she’d caught her fish she gave the stretch of water a longing look.
