Lion Man's Captive, Kaitlyn O'Connor [top fiction books of all time .txt] 📗

upin. She’d only explored one possibility—well, sort of fixated onit. The problem was, as certain as she was that her life could welldepend on figuring it out, it was a puzzle that seemed beyond herability to sort into any kind of order.

She was very much afraidthat she was leaning more and more toward trusting Aidan, though,trying to come up with reasons why she should, because sheneeded him forsurvival.

Exhausted, emotionally and physically,she dozed off almost before she’d finished eating and swallowing.Aidan nudged her again and handed her the water pouch. That revivedher a little, but she discovered she’d reached the point where shedidn’t want to try to fight sleep. She wanted to embraceit.

Aidan said something. She was sure hewas trying to get her up and moving again, but she ignored him,shifting in an attempt to find a more comfortable position tosleep. “I’m tired,” she muttered. “Just a little nap,ok?”

He bumped her again, rousing herslightly, but when she realized he was curling up next to her, shedrifted off once more, huddling a little closer to the warmth heexuded.

Aidan didn’t actuallyintend to doze off. He wasn’t certain how he had. The hard surfacewas damned uncomfortable and he was chilly without his jacket—tosay nothing of the fact that curling around Anya for warmth madehim far too aware of her sexually to be particularly comfortable.He did doze off, however. Waking a little later with a jolt ofconsternation, he checked his wrist computer. It was a relief todiscover that the nap had been a brief one, but it didn’tparticularly ease his conscience. “We haveto keep moving. Time isn’t on our side,” hemurmured as he shook Anya awake.

She groaned, trying tosnuggle closer as he tried to ease away from her. The effect washarder to dismiss that time. His body reacted on a purely primallevel. The urge to ignore everything beyond her effect on him wasstrong, so strong it made him dizzy. Gritting his teeth resolutely,he gripped her small shoulder and pushed her gently away.“We have to get that thing and get to myship. The gods only know what’s happening up there, but I guaranteeit isn’t pretty.”

Anya had roused enough by that time tobegin to feel the beginnings of embarrassment. It wouldn’t havebeen so bad if she could’ve pretended she was clinging to him as apretext to seduce him to her will. She’d been too far gone—and shewas certain he knew it—to salvage her pride in that way,though.

Straightening, she struggled with herdiscomfort and the aftereffects of fatigue and too little sleepwhile the alien got up, turning in first one direction and thenanother as he studied the device on his wrist with frowningintensity. “Ned go dat vay,” he said finally, frustration evidentin his voice as he studied the pipe that lay before them, neitherend of which seemed to be pointing in the desireddirection.

She didn’t like the way hewas studying the situation. It seemed to her that hemight be consideringfinding a way to the surface. Well! If he was he could damned surecount her out! No way in hell was she going back out there with thethings roaming around that she’d seen!

If that wasn’t distressingenough, it was really unfortunate that his choice of words hadstruck a chord. She needed to go! All he’d had to say was ‘ned go’ and rightstraight her bladder had begun to complain!

What the hell was she going to do aboutthat?

She was still struggling to figure thatout—or blank her mind to the need—when he stepped away from her,unfastened his trousers and dragged this huge thing out that lookeda lot like a dick—except bigger! She gaped at it, feeling heatblast into her cheeks when he began to urinate.

Almost worse than the factthat she’d followed him—naturally enough since she didn’t know whatthe hell he was doing!—was the effect him emptying his bladder hadon her bladder.

Realizing that was the end of anypossibility of control, she hurried away and squatted with her backto him to relieve herself.

It felt absolutely orgasmic! She hadn’trealized just how desperate she was.

Well, great while it lasted. Damp whenit was over. Cap that with the fact that the asshole had come tostand over her and it just made her day!

“Go?”

She sent him a drop deadlook as she straightened. She thought he looked amused, but shetold herself it must be just her imagination. His mouthdid curve upward slightlyat the corners, making him seem to be on the verge of smiling allthe time. It heightened the feline appearance and gave him apleasant sort of expression except when he was pissed off. Thenthat shadow of a smile made him look all the more unnerving, kindof demonic, to her mind.

If he was amused it didn’t last long,though. He set off at a pace Anya had trouble keeping up with. Theimpression was that he was making up for time lost while theyrested. Anya just couldn’t figure out what the sense of urgencydenoted.

It struck her, though, as soon as thatpopped into her mind that she’d felt that from the beginning. Hewasn’t just running in a random flight to find a safe harbor. Hehad a goal and a purpose and apparently a timeline.

“Where are we going?” sheasked a little breathlessly as she hurried to catch up tohim.

He glanced at the wrist thing when shespoke and then shook his head. Not enough data to respond. Hewasn’t even sure that the computer had translated her question, butthe tone certainly suggested a question. “Go-ning were ting.” Hestopped, frowning and finally just used his hand to simulatesomething falling.

Anya frowned, trying to put thattogether and then felt a surge of excitement. “Yourship?”

He looked completelybaffled so she tried some pantomime herself. She wasn’t sure if hegot it or not. Just about the time she began to think he wasgetting the idea, though, it occurred to her that she was an idiotfor jumping to that conclusion. Surely he’d left his ship somewherearound where she found him? She’d heard something crash close by. Of coursethat might have been another of those things.

She saw that he was shaking his head,but then he frowned and stopped moving.

“Shit! You’re right!That’s what comes from being