Page 26 of Tempted By the Alien Warrior

“Oh,” I manage. My voice comes out thin and breathy, and I cringe the moment it leaves my lips.

He cocks his head and his eyes narrow as he studies my face as if I’ve just done something fascinating. “Humans are odd creatures,” he murmurs with a shake of his head.

I roll away from him and lurch to my feet, doing my best to look casual, like I didn’t just wake up wet and needy from a dream about him.

What the hell is wrong with me?

This isn’t normal. I mean, okay, he’s attractive. In that broody, hypermasculine way. And I don’t mind admitting that. Yeah, his body is ridiculously ripped, and there’s something about his deep, growly voice that sends an involuntary shiver through me every time he speaks.

But come on. This is not the time. I don’t know if it would ever be a good time, but especially not now. I need to focus. Onsurviving. On finding Lily. Not on lusting after the guy I broke out of jail. I need to keep it together. For her, if not for myself.

I drag in a deep breath, trying to clear my head, and that’s when I notice the air feels heavier. Then I hear it—a low, distant rumble that is more vibration than a sound at first.

The jungle around us is still half-shrouded in shadow, but even in the dimness, the sky beyond the trees looks wrong. Like it’s off somehow.

A wall of storm clouds looms on the horizon, and every breath is laced with the kind of electric tension that makes the hairs on my arms stand up. The jungle feels unnaturally still, like even the animals are holding their breath.

Another deep rumble rolls through the trees.

Vrok is already on his feet, crouched near the stream, and his sharp eyes are fixed on the horizon like he’s reading some invisible message written in the sky.

“A storm’s coming,” he says without looking at me.

“Do you think it’ll hit us?”

He nods once. “It will. Sooner than I’d like.”

I glance at the sky again, unease curling in my stomach. The gray storm clouds seem to grow darker with each passing second.

“What do we do?” I ask.

He rises to his full height, his expression grim. “We need to move quickly. Dania will carry us.”

At her name, the massive creature lifts her head from where she was grazing, and her ears flick forward in acknowledgment. Vrok grabs the saddle from a nearby boulder and secures it with smooth, practiced ease, murmuring something low and soothing as he works.

I focus on his hands and try to ignore the way my body still hums fromthatdream.

“What about the anurois’ nesting grounds?” I ask as I gather my satchel. “Will we still reach it today?”

“Not if the storm slows us down,” he replies, tightening a strap with a sharp pull. “But we won’t reach anything if we’re struck by lightning or swept away by rising waters.”

He’s right, of course, but the thought of not getting there today grates at me. Every second we’re not searching for Lily feels like failure.

Vrok glances over his shoulder, as if he can feel the frustration radiating off me. His gaze meets mine, and for a split second, there’s something gentler in his eyes. “I know you’re eager to find her, and we will.”

I nod once and shove a pouch of trail mix into my satchel and sling it over my shoulder. By the time I cross the clearing, he’s finished adjusting the saddle and is giving Dania a final once-over.

Then he turns toward me and gestures to Dania. “Come.”

That single word, spoken in that commanding, gravelly voice, sends a shiver down my spine. My legs move before my brain catches up, like my body has decided we obey him now.

Vrok steps in close enough his scent surrounds me. His hands settle firmly at my hips, and my breath catches. Then, he lifts me up with infuriating ease, like I weigh nothing at all, and places me on top of Dania. My heart thunders as I settle into the saddle, trying to ignore the rush of heat that shot straight to my center as soon as he touched me.

Vrok climbs up behind me in one fluid motion. His powerful thighs slide into place on either side of mine, caging me in. The heat of his bare chest presses into my back, searing straight through the fabric of my dress. I freeze.

And the only thing I can think of is… I am in so much trouble.

I sit up a little straighter, pretending like I'm not acutely aware of every inch of his body pressing into mine. His armsbrush against my sides as he adjusts the reins, and a shiver bolts down my spine before I can stop it.

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