Page 50 of Lost in Barbarian Space

They walked deeper into the tunnels.

“We need to find somewhere to rest and tend your wound,” he said.

“I can make it.”

The tunnel snaked lower, and the temperature increased from cold to cool. Her shivering stopped.

Soon, the tunnel opened into a small cavern. The walls were covered in a silver-blue moss that glowed with tiny pinpricks of light.

It looked like a fairy grotto in some ice queen’s castle. “Wow.”

“We have a similar plant on Markaria that grows in the north. It is infused with mites, an early version of the nanami.”

Honor studied the moss-like plant, touching it with her finger. “It’s bioluminescence.”

“Here.” He pointed to a large rock. “Let me see your leg.”

She moved over to him. Now that she was feeling warmer, the pain in her leg was much more noticeable. It was throbbing like hell. When she reached him, he gestured again, and she realized he wanted her to take her pants off.

“Are you trying to get me naked, warrior?”

“When I get you naked, you won’t need to ask me my intentions.” He looked at her. “Now let me look at your wound.”

She unfastened her enviro suit and pulled it off, then unfastened her cargo pants beneath. She tossed them over the rock. In just her shirt and panties, with goose bumps prickling her skin, she gingerly settled on her discarded pants. Now she could see her wound, and she winced. The gouge across her thigh looked bad.

Colm rummaged around in his pack and pulled out one of the basic first-aid kits. He opened it up and pulled out some antiseptic pads. He started cleaning her wound.

“How do you know your way around a first-aid kit so well? I wouldn’t have guessed you had them on Markaria?”

“We do now. Medical supplies and tech were the first things Aurina helped facilitate trade for.”

He took his time, working diligently to remove the blood and clean her wound. Soon, he pressed an adhesive bandage over it. Then he stroked her thigh. His warrior hands were callused, and they rasped against her skin. She shivered, and this time it had little to do with the cold. He stroked higher, moving to her inner thigh, his fingers moving in tiny circles. Little shivers of sensation worked their way through her body. He moved higher, teasing the edge of her black panties.

“I’m going to fuck you.”

“Oh?” Her voice was breathless. His voice vibrated with need.

His finger toyed with the edge of her panties, then it slipped under. “Not here. It isn’t safe yet. But I’ve had a taste of you. I want more.”

“Well, I want to fuck you, too.” She leaned in and nipped his bottom lip. “I don’t usually have time for men. They’re usually intimidated and idiots…I never expected a barbarian warrior to be like you.”

He moved his finger and it sank inside her. Honor moaned.

“I enjoy surprising you, my little warrior.”

“I’m not little.” Her voice was strangled. “Colm…”

“I regret I can’t fuck you here, Honor. The footprints outside have me wary. We need to move deeper into the tunnels, and find somewhere safer to hole up.”

That clever finger kept sliding inside her deeper and deeper. She fought back the small cries trying to escape her throat.

He leaned closer. “I want you safe.”

“Colm.”

He smiled. “Are you going to tend to my wound now?”

Trying to make coherent words while he was teasing her like this was difficult. “Your nanami will heal you, right?”