Page 15 of Gentle Giant

“I won’t say a word,” I said with a chuckle as I turned toward him. “Look, Brutus, I’m not mad at you for giving me the roots. You had no idea they would make me behave so… strangely. But I hope we can forget all about it. I didn’t mean the things I said, and I am absolutely mortified that I grabbed you and invited you to claim me. That wasn’t me talking. It was the roots.”

He leaned closer and placed a hand upon my thigh. I didn’t try to evade his touch. Despite my resolve to escape him, I couldn’t help but crave his nearness. I thought about how I’d awoken in his arms, so warm as he cuddled me to his huge, muscular, furry body. My cheeks grew hot, and I pressed my legs together when desire once again stirred in my center, heated pulses that I hoped would soon fade. The last thing I needed right now was him detecting the scent of my arousal.

“Does that mean you do not like my butt or my muscles?” His expression was a mask of seriousness that I had trouble reading. I couldn’t tell if he was upset or joking around. Did Sasquatches have a sense of humor?

I flushed and suddenly found breathing difficult. “Um, I…” Shit shit shit. What should I say? Should I lie and tell him I wasn’t physically attracted to him? I opened my mouth,preparing to do just that, when sadness abruptly fell over me at the prospect of hurting his feelings.

“Well?” he asked, and I thought I saw humor flickering in his eyes.

I drew in a long breath. “Uh, you have a very nice butt, Brutus, and you have, er, impressive muscles too,however, that does not mean I want to mate with you. Because I don’t want to mate with you, and I won’t be changing my mind. You should allow me to leave. Please.”

He started caressing my thigh, and I glanced down at his massive fingers. I flushed even hotter as a very, very inappropriate thought entered my mind. What would it be like if he stroked me between my thighs, if he dragged his large fingers through my wetness and perhaps pushed one inside? I resisted the urge to start fanning myself. Holy crap it was suddenly hot in here.

The humor in his eyes flickered brighter. Teasing. He was purposely teasing me. Touching me because he knew his caresses and nearness would get me all hot and bothered.

“If you truly don’t wish to mate with me, sweet human, why are you growing slick between your thighs?” His nostrils flared wide as he inhaled deeply. “Why is the scent of your arousal growing stronger by the moment? And why does your breath keep catching in your throat, and why do you keep flushing?”

Frustration simmered under my skin. Human dating culture had its downsides, but at least we didn’t go around telling prospective mates that we could detect their arousal. “Stop. Smelling. Me.” I pulled away from him and climbed off the bed, making sure my bathrobe was closed securely around me.

Likewise, Brutus rose from the bed, and he stood on the other side of it staring at me, his huge erect cock on full display. I tried very hard not to keep looking at it, but damn if I couldn’t help it. Every few seconds, my gaze drifted to hiscrotch, and each time I beheld the enormity of his manhood, I felt increasingly breathless and couldn’t prevent a fresh wave of heated pulses between my thighs.

“As I have already told you,” he said in a gentle tone, “I will not force myself upon you, sweet human. But I cannot help smelling your excitement. The slickness in your mating hole calls to me.”

“Pussy!” I whisper-shouted. “It’s called a pussy. Not a mating hole. Got it?”

A strange gleam filled his eyes. “Pussy,” he said slowly, as though he were tasting the word.

Oh, God.Tasting. What was wrong with me? Each thought that popped into my head seemed to be dirtier than the last. I needed to get out of the cavern. I needed some air.

“Can we go for a walk?” I asked. “In the forest? Please?”

I headed for the main cavern before he could reply.

Chapter 10

BRUTUS

I hurriedafter Hailey and grasped her hand as we exited my rooms. It was late morning, and the cavern was mostly deserted. At this time of day, my people were out catching fish and gathering food from the forest. We passed a few children who gawked openly at Hailey, and my heart warmed when she waved at them in greeting.

“This place is beautiful, and I can’t believe how bright it is.” She glanced at a thick patch of sun-moss. “Have your people really lived in this cavern for thousands of years?”

“Yes.” I guided her down the wide corridor that led to the open forest, thinking about how during the time of my great-great grandfather, our population had numbered in the thousands. That was, until a plague decimated our tribe, a plague that our healing energies couldn’t touch. Ever since then, our birth rates had slowed, a remnant of the sickness that passed from generation to generation. But though we no longernumbered in the thousands, we were strong, and we would continue to grow our strength.

“And where did your people come from originally? Before you lived in this cavern? Surely you aren’t from Earth.” She gave me an inquisitive look. “I mean, your people possess… magic, though I’m not sure that’s the right word. The powers you possess to help plants grow and heal the lands. And I’m pretty sure someone touched me to heal me when I was sick after eating the root. I remember someone touching my head and my stomach, and I don’t think it was you, but a female Montikaan.”

“The story of my people begins in these mountains,” I replied. “The Great Spirit touched the ground and my first ancestors sprouted from the soil. It is said there are also tribes of Montikaans in distant lands, across the oceans.”

“So, you aren’t an alien?” She shot me a curious glance. “You’re native to this planet?”

Alien. Planet. I couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of the words. “We are native to these lands, sweet human, if that is what you are asking.”

Finally, we exited the cavern, and I guided Hailey toward a secluded area near the river. In the distance, my people were busy going about their morning tasks. Females were weaving baskets and collecting fresh water, children scampered about searching for slugs and grasshoppers, and most of the males were fishing.

Delight filled me when I spotted a plump slug that was longer than my hand, and I scooped it up and presented it to Hailey. Her nose wrinkled and her eyes widened. She looked from me to the slug a few times and eventually cleared her throat, appearing uncertain.

“You haven’t eaten yet today,” I said. “Please, take it.”

“You eat banana slugs?” Her eyes widened further, and she tried to extract her hand from mine, but I didn’t release her. I still didn’t trust that she wouldn’t run off.

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