Page 32 of The Alien Warrior's Mate

Sara ogled his broad shoulders and muscular torso.

Goodness. He was hot.

That leathery blue skin should be weird, but it wasn’t. Not anymore. She knew what it was to stand out because of the color of her skin. Sara lived in a town where she’d been one of five black people. The color of her skin did not define her. All that mattered was the weight of someone’s character and Korben had proven himself to be a loyal protector.

He was patient.

Tender.

Sweet.

And hot.

So hot.

Her eyes slipped down his ripped abs.

So… so hot.

Okay. She’d just admit it. She was into him.

Sara licked her lips and absently tried to scratch again.

Shouldshe be having these thoughts?

No.

Could she stop it?

No.

Just then, Korben grunted and sliced at a thick veil of interwoven greenery. It looked almost like a shimmery spider web but in a strange shade of magenta. As he worked, he revealed the entrance of a narrow passage.

They climbed off Enthara and Korben allowed the broken dinosaur to transform into her travel case setting. Sara winced. The damage to the metal beast had been pretty bad. Would Enthara be able to retake her normal form?

Korben gently wheeled the metal box into the dark tunnel. Though she couldn’t see ahead of her, Sara didn’t fear anything that might be hidden in here. Apart from her general concern for Enthara, her heart was totally at ease.

ShetrustedKorben. At this point, he’d given her no reason to be afraid. He’d proven that he would protect her to his own detriment. Of course she’d feel at peace.

Korben left her for a moment to reapply the vines that she now saw was an intricately woven tapestry. The door was fashioned to look like it wasn’t there.Interesting.

As Korben guided them into the light, she saw a small oasis with water trickling down a mini waterfall. The sky peeked through the leaves of thick, matted blue alien trees. The beauty of the flowers in bloom and the still, pure blue water took her breath away.

The lake looked denser and darker than the water back on earth—not a chlorine-pool blue but more of a mixture of the ocean’s turquoise and a dull green lake.

Korben approached her and gently undid the ropes, moving carefully so the material didn’t burn her as it released. The tenderness and care he showed as he unwrapped her was a sharp contrast to the other aliens who’d tied her up and hauled her around yesterday.

Korben pointed to the water and then slapped both his arms, indicating that she should bathe. Excitement washed over her. Sara really hoped Korben was right about the lake being safe because she wassoready to clean up.

Her tunic was stained with blood—some hers and some of the lion guards’. There was dirt beneath her fingers and her curls were shot. Thankfully, the air on this planet wasn’t too humid, but her hair had been begging for moisture since yesterday.

Sara dashed to the edge of the water but skidded to a stop just before diving in. Sticking her toe out, she dipped it into the clear surface. It wasn’t too cold.

She sat at the edge and cupped her hands to pour it over her arms. The soothing feeling almost made her hiss through her teeth. It was working! The itching was going away.

A smile teetering on her lips, Sara took another step. Now the water was lapping at her ankles. Once again, she bent and poured the water on her irritated skin. Everywhere the droplets ran, she felt a little better.

An answering splash sounded behind her. She whirled around and saw Korben getting into the water. His eyes weren’t on her as he was focusing on his own bath. Her heart thundered when she saw that he had taken off his pants and he was taking his time washing himself.

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