could. Finally he finished and turned his attention to Liane.
"Would you like your shift on or off when I wash you?"
"Neither!" She glared up at him with all the fierceness she possessed. "Don't you dare touch me!"
Karic shrugged. "Then have it your way. The shift comes off."
"No!" Liane backed away, frantically searching for some way out of her predicament, but there was none.
"No," she finally sighed, her shoulders drooping in defeat. "Please leave the shift on."
He was gentle with her, starting at her hair to accustom Liane to his touch. He could feel her gaze upon him as he worked, intently plucking the twigs and bits of leaves from her dark tresses before asking her to lower her head to rinse out the dirt. The long strands floated on the water like heavy, ebony silk. The feel of them, sliding through his fingers, was an experience like none Karic had ever known. His heart quickened in his chest.
When he was done Karic smoothed the damp tangles from her face, combing through the sodden locks with hands that had begun to tremble. He moved to her face and carefully washed away the dirt. His fingers lingered over her lips, outlining their rosy curves with soft, featherlike strokes, suddenly wishing his mouth was there instead. But never once did he look into her eyes.
Her arms, slim and graceful, felt like the petals of an arosa flower. Karic's breath came harder now, and he quickly turned her around to scrub her back. The sight of it, a sensuous undulation of bone and tender flesh, did nothing to ease the heat rising in his groin. Karic forced himself to go on.
He washed the dirt from her back, sliding his hands ever lower until they rounded the curve of her small buttocks. At his touch, she reflexively tightened. Karic thought he'd lose all control. With a supreme effort, he forced reason to return. He was here to wash her and nothing more, though he thought he'd go mad from the wanting.
She was pliant now beneath his hands, turning about to face him with only the slightest touch. Still, Karic wouldn't look at her. His fingers found the slim column of her throat, gently massaging it clean before slipping downward to her chest and the high, full swell of her breasts.
For the longest time he stared at her, fascinated by the impudent nipples straining against the thin, wet fabric. Her bosom rose and fell in an erratic fashion, the smooth, ivory skin flushed and gleaming. He felt his swollen arousal press hot and heavy against his belly. His hands moved lower still, slipping beneath her shift to ease it off her shoulders.
Liane inhaled a shuddering breath. "Karic . . . please, no."
He lifted his gaze. Liane's breath caught in her throat. His eyes had darkened to deepest jade, his pupils dilated with passion. But what captured her heart and sent it spinning was his look of hot, wild yearning. It was almost past the point of reason.
She didn't want to, her need for him so intense she could hardly bear it herself, but she had to put an end to this before it was too late. Instinctively, Liane knew her only chance was to quickly jolt him from it, and the best way was pain.
Liane swallowed back her self-disgust for the hurt she would cause. In spite of all that had happened she still cared for him and wanted him as badly as she knew he wanted her, but the preservation of her powers, her psychic healing skills most of all, was also important.
"That's enough, Karic," Liane began, forcing a self-satisfied smile onto her lips. "I've seen enough."
His eyes clouded with confusion, slowly banishing the mists of passion. "Enough? What are you talking about, Liane?"
"I've seen enough of your lovemaking. Cat Men techniques seem to vary little from other humanoid species."
He slowly pulled his hands from beneath her shift, as if still working through the implications of this latest twist in events. Karic's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying all this time you were studying me and my mating techniques?"
Liane forced herself to
"Would you like your shift on or off when I wash you?"
"Neither!" She glared up at him with all the fierceness she possessed. "Don't you dare touch me!"
Karic shrugged. "Then have it your way. The shift comes off."
"No!" Liane backed away, frantically searching for some way out of her predicament, but there was none.
"No," she finally sighed, her shoulders drooping in defeat. "Please leave the shift on."
He was gentle with her, starting at her hair to accustom Liane to his touch. He could feel her gaze upon him as he worked, intently plucking the twigs and bits of leaves from her dark tresses before asking her to lower her head to rinse out the dirt. The long strands floated on the water like heavy, ebony silk. The feel of them, sliding through his fingers, was an experience like none Karic had ever known. His heart quickened in his chest.
When he was done Karic smoothed the damp tangles from her face, combing through the sodden locks with hands that had begun to tremble. He moved to her face and carefully washed away the dirt. His fingers lingered over her lips, outlining their rosy curves with soft, featherlike strokes, suddenly wishing his mouth was there instead. But never once did he look into her eyes.
Her arms, slim and graceful, felt like the petals of an arosa flower. Karic's breath came harder now, and he quickly turned her around to scrub her back. The sight of it, a sensuous undulation of bone and tender flesh, did nothing to ease the heat rising in his groin. Karic forced himself to go on.
He washed the dirt from her back, sliding his hands ever lower until they rounded the curve of her small buttocks. At his touch, she reflexively tightened. Karic thought he'd lose all control. With a supreme effort, he forced reason to return. He was here to wash her and nothing more, though he thought he'd go mad from the wanting.
She was pliant now beneath his hands, turning about to face him with only the slightest touch. Still, Karic wouldn't look at her. His fingers found the slim column of her throat, gently massaging it clean before slipping downward to her chest and the high, full swell of her breasts.
For the longest time he stared at her, fascinated by the impudent nipples straining against the thin, wet fabric. Her bosom rose and fell in an erratic fashion, the smooth, ivory skin flushed and gleaming. He felt his swollen arousal press hot and heavy against his belly. His hands moved lower still, slipping beneath her shift to ease it off her shoulders.
Liane inhaled a shuddering breath. "Karic . . . please, no."
He lifted his gaze. Liane's breath caught in her throat. His eyes had darkened to deepest jade, his pupils dilated with passion. But what captured her heart and sent it spinning was his look of hot, wild yearning. It was almost past the point of reason.
She didn't want to, her need for him so intense she could hardly bear it herself, but she had to put an end to this before it was too late. Instinctively, Liane knew her only chance was to quickly jolt him from it, and the best way was pain.
Liane swallowed back her self-disgust for the hurt she would cause. In spite of all that had happened she still cared for him and wanted him as badly as she knew he wanted her, but the preservation of her powers, her psychic healing skills most of all, was also important.
"That's enough, Karic," Liane began, forcing a self-satisfied smile onto her lips. "I've seen enough."
His eyes clouded with confusion, slowly banishing the mists of passion. "Enough? What are you talking about, Liane?"
"I've seen enough of your lovemaking. Cat Men techniques seem to vary little from other humanoid species."
He slowly pulled his hands from beneath her shift, as if still working through the implications of this latest twist in events. Karic's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying all this time you were studying me and my mating techniques?"
Liane forced herself to
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