he instantly resented. He wasn’t about to give in to his feral craving to taste her, possess her, have her for his own—if the only reason was to satisfy the part of his nature that was a born conqueror.
She licked her lips, moistening them, her glassy eyes fixed on his mouth.
“Kat?”
She tried to say something, and he grew even closer, bringing his ear nearer to her mouth so he could hear her words. Her lips, soft from his washing, and her cheek and then her silky skin touched his ear. He quickly lifted his head and stared at her. Her gaze met his briefly before it settled on his mouth again.
“Kat, can you understand me?”
She slipped her hand down to his cheek and tried to lift her head but was unable.
“What are you trying to do?” he asked.
She murmured something that he couldn’t make out. He leaned down to hear her, and again he felt the soft press of her lips against his ear. She couldn’t have meant to kiss him. He had just gotten too close to her. Or she was just delirious. Her hand gripped his hair but not hard, not considering how weak she was. She couldn’t want him to kiss her. He wished he could give Kat a kiss and take away her sickness.
He ground his teeth. He was already too attached to her, had been ever since he’d first found her in the jungle that fateful day.
She closed her eyes, either too tired to keep them open or in resignation.
He touched her forehead with the fingertips of his free hand, thought her fever was breaking, and closed his own eyes, silently giving thanks.
And then he did what he knew he shouldn’t. He brushed her lips with the barest of kisses. Her fingers tightened on his in response, as if signifying that he’d done what she’d needed him to do most of all. But then she let go and was again lost to him.
In some dark part of his predator’s soul, he felt torn. The tentative bond they’d shared was swept away as the rain fell in a steady torrent. All he could do was watch her and hope she would wake again soon and rejoin their world. But to what? He would have to return her to the one that he and Maya truly weren’t part of.
Then he’d lose her—for good.
Chapter 6
Kat was still pale and alternating between chills and sweating for another day. The incessant drums were beating night and day, never letting up. Maya imagined that the hunter-gatherers, led by their shaman in the jungle, were offering healing powers to make Kat well. At least that’s what Maya envisioned, hoping some of the shaman’s magic would suffuse the rain forest and aid with Kat’s recovery.
Connor was driving her nuts as he either paced or hovered over Kat. This morning, he had seemed different somehow, as if something had passed between him and Kat the day before, but he wouldn’t tell her what had happened.
He had barely spoken to Maya, and she was glad that he had never moved Kat around so he could see the backs of her legs. Whenever he took off into the jungle to hunt for their meals, Maya applied more ointment to the angry-looking scratch marks on the back of Kat’s leg.
Maya hadn’t had a chance yet to check on the scratches today. She had been busy building a fire in their cookstove, then washing Kat’s shirt and bra and panties in the rain, and finally drying them over the stove. She had to smile at Kat’s choice of undergarments—leopard print. Jaguar was better, of course, but leopard was similar and acceptable.
She scooped the dry clothes up and was getting ready to take them to Connor’s bed to help Kat into them when she heard Kat whisper, “Maya?”
Startled, Maya dropped the shirt, bra, and panties on a chair and rushed over to Kat. “What’s wrong, Kat?”
“I’m ready to rejoin the living.” Kat was clutching the bedcover to her naked body, her skin glistening with perspiration, her green eyes clear for the first time since she’d gotten sick.
With joy and relief, Maya smiled at the woman whose face appeared tired and gaunt, her eyes huge,
She licked her lips, moistening them, her glassy eyes fixed on his mouth.
“Kat?”
She tried to say something, and he grew even closer, bringing his ear nearer to her mouth so he could hear her words. Her lips, soft from his washing, and her cheek and then her silky skin touched his ear. He quickly lifted his head and stared at her. Her gaze met his briefly before it settled on his mouth again.
“Kat, can you understand me?”
She slipped her hand down to his cheek and tried to lift her head but was unable.
“What are you trying to do?” he asked.
She murmured something that he couldn’t make out. He leaned down to hear her, and again he felt the soft press of her lips against his ear. She couldn’t have meant to kiss him. He had just gotten too close to her. Or she was just delirious. Her hand gripped his hair but not hard, not considering how weak she was. She couldn’t want him to kiss her. He wished he could give Kat a kiss and take away her sickness.
He ground his teeth. He was already too attached to her, had been ever since he’d first found her in the jungle that fateful day.
She closed her eyes, either too tired to keep them open or in resignation.
He touched her forehead with the fingertips of his free hand, thought her fever was breaking, and closed his own eyes, silently giving thanks.
And then he did what he knew he shouldn’t. He brushed her lips with the barest of kisses. Her fingers tightened on his in response, as if signifying that he’d done what she’d needed him to do most of all. But then she let go and was again lost to him.
In some dark part of his predator’s soul, he felt torn. The tentative bond they’d shared was swept away as the rain fell in a steady torrent. All he could do was watch her and hope she would wake again soon and rejoin their world. But to what? He would have to return her to the one that he and Maya truly weren’t part of.
Then he’d lose her—for good.
Chapter 6
Kat was still pale and alternating between chills and sweating for another day. The incessant drums were beating night and day, never letting up. Maya imagined that the hunter-gatherers, led by their shaman in the jungle, were offering healing powers to make Kat well. At least that’s what Maya envisioned, hoping some of the shaman’s magic would suffuse the rain forest and aid with Kat’s recovery.
Connor was driving her nuts as he either paced or hovered over Kat. This morning, he had seemed different somehow, as if something had passed between him and Kat the day before, but he wouldn’t tell her what had happened.
He had barely spoken to Maya, and she was glad that he had never moved Kat around so he could see the backs of her legs. Whenever he took off into the jungle to hunt for their meals, Maya applied more ointment to the angry-looking scratch marks on the back of Kat’s leg.
Maya hadn’t had a chance yet to check on the scratches today. She had been busy building a fire in their cookstove, then washing Kat’s shirt and bra and panties in the rain, and finally drying them over the stove. She had to smile at Kat’s choice of undergarments—leopard print. Jaguar was better, of course, but leopard was similar and acceptable.
She scooped the dry clothes up and was getting ready to take them to Connor’s bed to help Kat into them when she heard Kat whisper, “Maya?”
Startled, Maya dropped the shirt, bra, and panties on a chair and rushed over to Kat. “What’s wrong, Kat?”
“I’m ready to rejoin the living.” Kat was clutching the bedcover to her naked body, her skin glistening with perspiration, her green eyes clear for the first time since she’d gotten sick.
With joy and relief, Maya smiled at the woman whose face appeared tired and gaunt, her eyes huge,
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