Morning came too quickly for them both. As dawn rolled itself awake throughout the Saagernon, the commander immediately came alert and gently nudged Casina.
"Come on. We have to get an early start. To take advantage of the light."
Groggy from sleep, Casina turned mischievously, her eyes still closed, and snuggled closer against him. Her hand instinctively smoothed its way over his medallion, under his vest, and across his large pectoral muscle.
"No," she murmured. "I'm too comfortable."
He smiled with pleasure at this side of her, his heart warming at her childlike behavior. If only she'd lay aside her nasty attitude toward him and stay like this always.
"Casina," he said softly, running his hand over her silky hair. "Please get up. We have to find food and water. And it's important I get a signal on my d'lab'r. My men will be worried about our disappearance."
At this, her eyes whipped open, as she suddenly remembered where she was and against whom she was laying. Quickly thrusting herself away, she blinked up at him in embarrassment.
"Oh! I'm sorry, Commander," she said, her face reddening. "I...forgot for a moment...where we are."
"It's all right," he said. "How did you sleep?"
She paused to consider this, stretching and arching her back a bit. "Actually, I feel better than expected. And my headache seems to have gone away."
"Glad to...hear it," he said, his voice catching in his throat as he riveted his eyes to her chest, puffed out enticingly as she arched her back. Swallowing nervously, he quickly shifted his glance from her large breasts to scan the area below. "Um, it seems safe. Do you think you can manage to climb down?"
She frowned and gave a loud sigh. "If not, I'll have to spend the rest of the day up here with the monkeys." Grinning, she raised impish eyes to his, unaware of how gorgeous she looked just then, with her long, white-gold hair flowing haphazardly about her shoulders and her cheeks rosy from sleep. His breath caught as she met and held his gaze, the longest he believed she had ever looked him directly in the eye. At least without smacking him, he thought, smiling to himself.
He almost kissed her then, but stopped himself, uncertain of how she would react. Instead, to counteract his desires, he put a hand to the tree and pushed himself to a standing position, drawing her up with him. He offered her a hand, which she accepted, so she could begin her descent.
Once both were safely on the ground, each sought a few minutes of privacy since it had been a long, uncomfortable night in the tree. Only a short while later, Casina gave a squeal of alarm and came dashing out from the thicket, colliding with him as he hurried to see what the trouble was. Trembling, she clutched his arms, panic on her face.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
"There's a...gigantic...spider! He was watching me and started coming at me." She dropped her petrified gaze to the ground. "I h-hate...s-spiders," she admitted.
"Well, you're safe now. Next time, I'll secure the area before you venture into it. I should have done that to begin with. Sorry."
Satisfied, Casina nodded, still shaking as she recalled how close the creature had been to biting her in the buttocks. Her gaze remained focused on the ground, and the commander had to literally pry her hands from his arms.
Putting a hand to her chin, he lifted her eyes to his. "Are you all right to move on?"
"Y-Yes. I'm all right now," she said, gulping in embarrassment and giving him some space. "I'm sorry for being such a 'fraidy cat. Considering my previous behavior, I'm sure this isn't what you expected from me."
"Matlen spiders can extend to ten feet wide here and can paralyze a person with one bite. They are extremely dangerous, and you have every right to be afraid, Casina."
"This one actually had a face, and it seemed as though he was smiling at me as he got closer." Sensing her fear, he caught her to him, hugging her and rubbing her back.
"I won't let anything harm you, I promise. Now, come."
Ten minutes later found them once more making their way through the lower canopy of the rainforest. The sun's light barely penetrated it, yet the sound of forest inhabitants becoming active around them was heard from every direction. Bird songs unlike anything Casina had ever heard before filled the air, and she paused occasionally to see which bird was singing so beautifully. He allowed her this, enjoying the way her blue-violet eyes sparkled as she peered up at the trees with such wonder.
"It really is lovely here," she commented, as they resumed their trek. At one point, she almost collided with him again when he suddenly halted in his tracks. "What's wrong?"
"Listen."
She paused uncertainly, cocking her head slightly. "I don't hear anything. Just birds and--"
"Rushing water. Up ahead." Taking her hand, he led her through a tangle of vines, his pace a bit more hurried than before.
"Wait, I hear it. Oh, Commander! Why don't we--" But again he stopped. Only this time she was unable to prevent herself from stepping on his heel. "Oh!" she gasped, stepping back. Her hands flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Commander." Her eyes flew to his as she stared up at him with dismay, afraid she had angered him.
"I think we can forego the formalities, don't you?" he said.
"What do you mean?"
"Call me Uri."
"Uri?"
"That is my name. Just don't call me that around my men."
"Um, okay." She stared at him a moment, wondering why he might be angry over something so trivial. Then her eyes widened perceptibly. Was this the same Uri that Mrovia had threatened her with
that time?
She stared after him with curiosity as he turned and plowed through the shrubs and thick hanging vines, until the noise of flowing water increased. Moments later, they found what they had been seeking. A large, circular body of water, complete with a streaming waterfall cascading down over the rocky ledges above and into the pool below.
"Wow," Casina said, a wide smile on her face. "It's so blue, so pretty. And inviting." She lifted her head to inhale the scent of earthy dampness caused by the misty spray of the waterfall.
"Oh..."
"We can't drink the water here, but I'll get some lianas. We can drink the water those contain. It might be a little bitter, but it's better than the contaminated water."
They made their way to the edge, to stand in the wet, sandy dirt bordering the pool.
"It's so hot. Do you think it would be okay to cool off in the water, if it isn't too dangerous?"
Uri rose up to peer down at the water, hands planted on his hips as he considered the notion. His dark eyes scanned the area as he considered the safety of a brief swim.
"I could use some refreshment myself." He turned to her. "Do you wish to go first while I get some lianas?"
"If I take my clothes off, you won't look, will you?" Casina bit her lip in consternation, eager yet filled with uncertainty.
He studied her a moment, running his gaze from her feet to her head, his lips curling at the idea of seeing her in the altogether.
"As much as I like the idea of seeing you like that, you'll have to leave your clothes on, I'm afraid. We don't want anything getting into your skin. And be sure not to swallow any water. Keep your mouth closed. Parasites and other things can cause a lot of health problems."
"All...All right. I hadn't thought of that."
A moment later, he watched as she carefully entered the pool. Her creamy white flesh reflected in the ripples of the pool, and his gaze was drawn to the mounds of her firm, young breasts outlined through her wet clothing. He felt his groin react as he observed her and instantly wondered if he should have permitted this.
Frowning, he turned to go in search of liana vines, glad he had something to distract him from his male thoughts toward her. He returned about fifteen minutes later with an armful of the thick, woody vines he had managed to cut.
"How's the water?" he asked, peering at her as he bent over to carefully lay aside the vines for later drinking purposes.
She threw her head back ecstatically. "Wonderful," she breathed. "I could stay here all day."
"Well, don't count on that happening." He glanced at his d'lab'r. "I still don't have a signal. We have to keep moving. But I'll allow you a few more minutes."
* * * *
Smiling with happiness, Casina moved back and forth in the water before ducking her head beneath. She came up with a satisfied expression.
"This feels incredible," she gloated at him, playfully splashing him, forgetting how much she despised the alien. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.
"You're tempting me to join you, Miss Brandon. I was going to wait, but since you want to play..."
"You wouldn't, would you?" she said, suddenly aware that she had inadvertently flirted with him.
"Are you daring me to join you? So we can play?"
"I...um..."
* * * *
But Uri wasn't one to resist a dare from a female, Zarconian or otherwise. He stepped forward, purposely removing his d'lab'r as he stared at her. He sensed her sudden panic as he carefully set it aside, but he wasn't about to let this one go. She had tried his patience long enough.
"You're not really going to--" Then she gave a shriek of consternation when he plowed noisily into the water and made toward her. Realizing what she had done to entice him, she turned away, swimming frantically to the other side of the pool. Huddling near the base of the waterfall, she was afraid to turn around.
"There's nowhere to run," he said, moving toward her. And he was right. There was no place to go now except behind the wide cascade of water. He was fast and so much bigger than she was. She backed farther away, until the water rained down on her head. He came at her with determination, all power and muscles and heady sexuality.
"Eep!" she squeaked, just as he reached through the torrents of water, grabbed her, and pushed her head underwater. But he immediately released her and swam away, curious as to her method of retaliation. He laughed when she came up spluttering and wiping water from her eyes. She pursed her lips but surprised him by remaining where she was, as if daring him to repeat that move.
He stared at her a moment longer, then slowly swam toward her again. "You're right. This feels incredible." Then, when he got close enough, he leaned back, lifted his foot, and splayed a huge gust of cold water into her face before fleeing the area.
"Oh!" she shrieked angrily, coughing and spluttering, trying not to swallow whatever might be in the water. This time, she left her haven of safety, moving slowly through the falls, then circled around the basin, avoiding him so she could climb out. But he sensed her intent and blocked her path. He grinned as she crossed her arms over her sodden chest, in an effort to protect herself and her dignity.
"You would tempt any man to sin, Miss Brandon," he said, definite meaning in his words. "Any man. Or should I say, any alien male."
Gaping at this, she slowly moved away, swimming back toward the waterfall. She had apparently felt safe behind it. She rinsed herself off again, then she found her footing there, on a slated ledge, and turned to peer behind her. Her expression was one of pure shock at seeing him standing just on the other side of the falls. Even through the pounding stream, he could see the look of surprise on her face.
But now he was serious. Whether she realized it or not, the most beautiful, most saucy, and most enchanting woman he had ever met was standing before him, like an open invitation. He inched toward her, through the waterfall, pleased that she was making no effort to escape. He felt the cold, hammering wetness on his body as he made his way through it. He ducked his head, briefly closing his eyes as the water pummeled him. Once through, he met her stunned look, her expression now one of panic and uncertainty. But he wasn't about to change his mind and move away. Instead, he unconsciously raised his arms to push back his long, wet hair, squeezing it and allowing it to drip down his back. His muscles rippled at the movement, and he could tell how mesmerized Casina was by his actions. Then, to her further dismay, he reached out a tentative hand to her arm and gently drew her to him, ignoring her sharp intake of breath at his boldness.
"Casina," he said, all formality gone, his tone a hypnotic blend of velvet and silk. He came closer, his other hand rising to caress her face, just before his lips claimed hers with incredible tenderness. She made a mewling sound deep in her throat as he brought her against him, kissing her more ardently than before. This time, instead of fighting him, her hands fell away from her own body, to touch his thickly-muscled forearms. Apparently eager to explore his alien physique, she slowly slid her hands along them, all the way to his powerful shoulders, as if secretly awed by his strength and physical perfection.
* * * *
Their kiss deepened, but Uri knew he was on dangerous ground. To do more than kiss her was out of the question.
Reluctantly forcing himself away, he gazed at her a moment, pleased by the look of pleasure on her face. Her eyes remained closed awhile longer, her hands still on his shoulders. But when she realized his withdrawal, she snapped back into awareness, blinking up at him in consternation.
He made no apologies. He merely stepped back. Then he turned to move through the cascade, to plunge beneath the water for one last moment of refreshment. When he broke the surface to emerge, it was to see Casina already on the shore, hurriedly trying to make herself presentable. To make sure she hadn't picked up anything in the water, she had stood under the falls awhile, just to make sure.
Meanwhile, as she did so, Uri had managed to snag four or five fish from the water, a skill he had learned as a boy. He tossed the fish into some weeds while he, too, rinsed himself off under the waterfalls. When he finally emerged from the water, like some masterful demigod, Casina had to cover her eyes and turn away in embarrassment. His clothes were soaked through and were more skin tight than before. Chuckling at her reaction to him, Uri then proceeded to find a convenient spot to build a fire and prepare the fish that were still flopping around in the weeds. The fire and the heat of the day would also help dry the two of them off a bit.
Later, when they were sated, their thirst quenched, and they were once more on their way to procure a signal, neither brought up the matter of their kiss. Believing Casina preferred it that way, Uri acted as if it had never happened. As did she.