Barbarian Lover (Ice Planet Barbarians #3)(23)

And I think about what he said earlier. About wanting to be with me no matter what. Heat pools through my body, and even though I’m utterly exhausted, I find my hands sliding lower to check if he’s wearing a loincloth after all.

My questing fingers encounter nothing but muscular, lean hip. Oh. So…there’s that. There’s no waistband. No leather. No nothing. Just me and big naked alien that I have to burrow against for warmth.

Gosh, it is so hard to be me sometimes.

Aehako leans in and brushes his lips against my forehead. “Your fingers are feeling playful. Are you not tired?” His voice is whisper-soft so the others can’t hear.

“I’m exhausted,” I tell him. I’m still curious, though. Can’t blame a girl. He’s big and warm and velvety and I can’t stop petting him.

“You should sleep.”

“I will.” Soon enough. I just want to explore him for a bit and keep touching. I’m addicted to the feel of his soft skin over all those hard muscles. I keep petting his stomach, because I’m not quite brave enough to go lower. Something brushes my arm and I gasp and pull back, scandalized. Was that his…

“Don’t be shy. You wanted to explore, then explore.” There’s a challenge in his voice, along with amusement.

That sounds an awful lot like a dare. I’m both outraged and fascinated. I shore up my courage and reach down. My hand encounters hard, hot flesh. A lot of it. I’m…not entirely sure that this is a normal size, but maybe it’s normal for aliens. I grip his cock in my hand, wrapping my fingers around him.

His hand immediately cups my face and his groan of delight is so soft. It’s just for me.

And I’m a little addicted to this. To his responses. I release him and slide my fingers up and down his length, exploring him with touches. I can feel veins, and there’s a thick set of ridges running along the top that reminds me of his brow. The head feels bigger than the rest and my fingers encounter slickness there. “Are you supposed to be wet?” I ask, a little scandalized.

“My seed cannot seem to stay inside when you touch me,” he murmurs, and his mouth traces my brows. “Your touch is too exciting.”

My touch? Me? I don’t think anyone has ever used the word ‘exciting’ to describe me, ever. I bite my lip and slide my hand lower, grazing new anatomy. Balls. The word seems like a silly one. Sac might be better. He’s hairless down here, the skin even softer than I imagined. I circle the thick base of his cock and my fingers brush up against…oh. That has to be his spur. It’s a hard, horn-type thing above his cock, about the size of my pinky finger. Such a weird, strange piece of anatomy. I wonder how it’s going to match up with my anatomy. I assume it can, since neither Georgie nor Liz has had any complaints. I stroke it with my fingers, and I can feel him tense against me. Ooh. An excited throb starts between my legs, and I press my thighs tight together. “What should I do?” I ask him.

He leans down and kisses my mouth gently. “You should stop.”

That…wasn’t what I wanted to hear. I pull away as if burned. “Did I do it wrong?”

“Not at all.” Aehako nips my mouth with his teeth, sending another pleasurable jolt through me. “I just have no idea how I’m going to explain to the others how my seed was sprayed all over the cave if you continue.”

A horrified giggle erupts from me, and Aehako’s hand covers my mouth.

“Quiet,” snarls Haeden from a few feet away.

Oh lordy. Aehako’s right. We should be quiet. Still, it’s hard to take my hands away from him and place them back on his nice, safe chest.

He must be feeling the same way, because he kisses me hard, and then releases me. “Sleep,” he murmurs. “You can explore more when we are alone.”

As I drift off to sleep, I think the idea’s one that has a lot of merit to it. I hope I dream of warm blue skin and spurs and fun things like that.





AEHAKO


Rousing myself from my furs the next morning is an ordeal. Not because I’m tired, but because Kira’s sweet form is curled against me, her small body pliant and pressed against mine. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to remain in one place so badly.

The other human is still asleep, though Haeden’s furs are empty. There is no connection between them, then. Not surprising – I think Haeden is even more remote than Raahosh. At least, he has been since he lost his mate before he could claim her. Who can say what that will do to a man’s heart?

I ease myself from the furs without waking Kira, and dress quietly before heading out to the mouth of the cave. Haeden is nearby, staring at something on a snowy crest. I join him, and he points at the snow.

“We’re not alone,” he says.

My hackles rise at the sight of the footprints in the unspoiled, thick snow. They’re not deep enough to be mine or Haeden’s, and the shape and size is wrong for human feet. But it’s clear that during the night we were visited by someone.

Or something.

I squat down next to him and touch the track. The snow is crusted, meaning that the track is several hours old. “I don’t recognize this creature,” I say to him, keeping my voice low so the humans will not hear it. “What has three toes like this?” The track itself is twice the size of my own foot, shaped into three long prongs for toes. I have three toes but…not like this. It’s curious.