The roaring fire in the center of camp cast wide shadows and none of the others were sitting close enough to see us.My cock twitched at the thought of touching my mate again and I pulled her closer, letting my hand slide down until I was cupping her breast.
Taz jolted at my touch, and the noxious brew in her cup spilled out onto my lap.
"What are you doing?"she hissed.A glance at her face revealed that her pupils had darkened and I smirked.I may not have gentled her properly yesterday, but she still responded to me.
"Touching my mate," I answered, cupping her jaw with my other hand.
"Dargo," her tone was warning but she arched up into me when I kissed her and I pressed my luck.Slipping my tongue into her mouth, I groaned as she opened to me.
The smell of smoke and Taz filled my head, her scent had already changed to echo my own, a marking no male here could deny.The thought of my brothers' envy over my mate only stoked the embers of my desire and I shifted until we were laying on our sides, our legs tangled as we kissed.
The camp seemed to disappear around us as I reveled in her touch.The hesitant slide of her hands over my chest, the way her cool fingers traced the scars that I wore with pride, every sensation arrowing straight to my throbbing cock.
The taste of her mouth taunted me and I let my hands wander down her body, headed for the place I craved the most.My fingers breached her waistband and she pulled back with a gasp.
"Not here," she ordered, her eyes glassy and her face flushed.
"No one can see," I murmured, running my thumb from hip bone to hip bone, loving the way her belly shivered at the touch.
"But they can smell," she shot back.
I couldn't help but grin at that.
"Isn't that half the fun?"
"I'm serious, we're not having sex out in the open."
"That's not how you felt yest-"
Taz slapped a hand over my mouth."Not.Here."
I rolled to my feet and pulled her up after me.She yelped in surprise when I hauled her into my arms and started toward our tent.
The feel of her small body filled me with a warmth I’d never experienced before.In a few short days, Taz had become the most precious thing in my life.I loved her fire and her indomitable will, and though I knew she’d never be an easy female, I wouldn’t have her any other way.
Ducking into our small tent, I made a mental note to ask her if she wanted a better home.The cramped shelter was decent enough, but it didn’t compare to the tent I’d been raised in, and if we were ever blessed with young, we’d need more space.
Adak’s tent was closer to what I expected for a mated pair, enough room to keep the living space separate from the bed, and places to store a hoard of offerings for my mate.I felt a bittersweet pang that I had nothing to offer her in the way of gifts.
Before my capture, I’d accumulated quite a collection of trophies for my future mate.Perfectly tanned furs, polished eksine horns I’d spent days etching with designs, I’d even started working on an elaboratefiivas.A complicated decoration of colored twine, shimmering panes of glass and rare feathers to hang over our bed and add to as our family grew.
No doubt my entire hoard had been looted as soon as I was captured.I couldn’t mourn the loss too much.If I was still on my home planet, I’d have my gifts but no Taz.I could rebuild my hoard, but I wouldn’t have found my fiery mate if I’d never been enslaved.
I set Taz on her feet and lowered myself to our bed.She crooked a brow at me and slowly lifted her shirt over her head, baring her pale skin, so different in color to mine.
“Are you expecting a strip tease?”she asked, a small smile teasing at her mouth as I stared at her exposed breasts.Her nipples were already beaded, nearly taunting me from across the tent.
“Strip tease?”I asked, struggling to pay attention to her strange human words as she turned in a slow circle and hooked her thumbs in her waistband.
“Are there no turoch strippers?”
I cocked my head to the side, hoping she’d continue to disrobe, but enjoying the suspense as she slowly unbuttoned her unnaturally colored shorts.
“I don’t understand,” I admitted, wishing I had a better translator.Not understanding her human phrases made me feel slow, and I didn’t like the idea of my mate thinking me unintelligent.I was far from the most brilliant turoch, but my brain worked well enough.
“Females that take their clothes off for money,” she prompted, inching her shorts down a little.My mouth watered as she revealed a little more of her hips and I sucked in a deep breath, loving that I could smell her arousal stronger in the enclosed quarters.
“Money?”I asked, struggling to keep my mind on our stilted conversation.
