Page 22 of Infala: Her Alien Protector
“Yes, I am. But my clothes are too wet to be of any protection. And as for modesty, I am not particularly shy by nature.”
Maria struggled not to let her gaze drift to the distracting beast dangling there.Clearly not.
“And there are none to see even if I were. So go warm yourself by the fire and drink a gel pack. People often forget to hydrate in this sort of situation, but water on your outside does not equate to hydration on your inside. I will be back as quickly as I can.”
With that he stepped out into the downpour, ignoring the cold and wet, the fire highlighting his chiseled ass and sculpted shoulders as the rain made them glisten, showing off his physique better than he could have done if he’d planned it. Then he was gone into the squall, swallowed up by the pounding rain.
She sat there quietly, listening to the sounds of the storm,counting between flashes and booms as they grew closer together.
He’ll be okay. He knows what he’s doing. He’ll keep me safe.
Incredibly, she realized that she wasn’t just convincing herself of anything. She really believed what she’d told herself, and it wasn’t just that he’d saved her, though that played a part in it too. But more than just that, she feltsecurewith him. It was hard to put into words, but despite his alleged reputation he seemed so embarrassed about, he had been nothing but a gentleman the entire time. And given her vulnerability and reliance on him, it was quite pronounced how he hadnotmade the slightest attempt to take advantage of the situation. It was something she had learned not to expect of most men.
Zepharos, it seemed, was not like other men.
That’s for sure,she thought, intrusive visions of his magnificent body invading her thoughts, stirring a little flutter in her chest.
It had been a long, long time since anyone had treated her so good. And yet here she was, stranded on an alien world, thrust into a life-or-death situation against her will, and then this marvelous man happened into her world, snatching her from despair and actually giving her hope.
She was warming up now, and not just from the fire, a steady glow beginning to smolder in her belly. It flared anew when Zepharos finally strode in from the rain, a large leaf folded to carry a considerable haul of berries. He was carrying them at waist level, allowing Maria’s peripheral vision to marvel at his length without staring outright. She was very aware of her nipples hardening despite the fire’s warmth.
“Here, eat,” he said, placing the bounty in front of her like some ancient offering to a pagan goddess. “Oh, and I found some Galangus tubers as well. They’re a Dotharian seeding crop. Fantastic for energy. Took a little digging, but the rain did all thewashing for me. I’ll put them on the fire. They cook quite rapidly, so it looks like we’ll have a hot meal after all.”
He moved across from her and squatted down to work, the flames blocking her view of his distracting bits. He put the tubers on the fire and sat back to dry off and watch them cook.
“Zeph?”
“Yeah?”
“What did you mean by Dotharian seeding crop?”
“Ah, right. I sometimes forget this is all so new to you. So, the Dotharians are overseers of thousands of systems and countless worlds, right?”
“I got that part.”
“Okay, good. So, the thing is, they decided a long time ago that within their realm no one should ever go hungry for want of food. Like, even the most impoverished person has the right to sustenance.”
“Very considerate of them.”
“It is, truly. And to that end they sent specially selected crops, chosen for nutritional profile and ease of growth and had them seeded on all suitable planets within their realm.”
“All of them? Even the uninhabited ones?”
“Yes, even the uninhabited ones, because sometimes life throws us a surprise. More than a few wayward ships have become stranded for a time, and it is those crops that kept the crews from starving.”
“I wish we could get over our petty arguments back home to do something good for the whole of society like that. But sadly, I suppose we just aren’t as evolved as your Dotharians.”
His smile faltered. “They do a lot of good, don’t get me wrong, but they are also a bit extreme about some things. Take the runes, for example. Not possessing them is a capital offense. Same goes for theft of medical supplies. There are more, but youdon’t need an exhaustive list. The point is, there is always a darker side, even to the most benevolent seeming of rulers.”
“As long as they leave us alone, I’m fine with whatever weird rules they want.”
Zepharos chuckled, but a slight look of concern creased his brow. It was removed a moment later when he pulled the steaming tubers from the fire.
“Watch your hands. Don’t burn yourself.”
“Like you just did?”
“Ialmostburned myself,” he replied with a laugh. “Big difference.”
