Page 20

20

Mounted

*Ren*

E very cell in my body prickled with flames, only this time, the fire didn’t bother me. It pulsed through my veins, the molten heat burrowing all the way to my core. I throbbed. I ached. The sensation at once thrilling and deeply unsatisfying, forcing me to move. My hips rocked, finding purchase in the dark.

God, that felt amazing … I rocked again and again, riding the wave of pleasure. But just as it edged toward the point of no return, a low moan echoed in my ears. One far too low and rumbly to ever come out of me.

What the hell?

I blinked my eyes open, wondering what had ruined my dream. It wasn’t the first time I’d awoken with a pillow crammed between my legs, my body working off some tension as I lingered between sleep and wakefulness.

Only I wasn’t in my bed back on the Verne . And that sure as shit wasn’t a pillow!

This time I wasn’t plastered to Jalen’s side. I’d not only sleepwalked into his bed—again—but I’d mounted him in my sleep. My heart pounded as I lay there frozen with my cheek pressed to his chest and his hard length between my thighs.

I scrambled off Jalen, cursing my rotten luck. Luckily, this time I wasn’t half-naked. And someone up above must’ve taken pity on me, because even with me stumbling off his lap, Jalen’s eyes stayed miraculously shut.

Once again, I retreated to the safety of the brightly lit morning jungle.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

One occurrence of sleepwalking I could almost understand. I’d been racked with those flashes of heat, so I was clearly crazed with a fever or something. But last night before bed, I’d swallowed one of the tablets Asani had given me and fell asleep feeling fine—on my own pallet. So why did I wake up mid-hump in his?

I dragged a few deep breaths into my lungs and waited for my hands to stop shaking. Then I slapped my neck and activated my comms implant, sending a call to the Verne .

Maybe Arda would know what to do. Hell, if I begged her nicely, I might even talk her into chancing a flight in the no-go zone to scoop me up. Assaulting unsuspecting aliens while they slept counted as an emergency, didn’t it?

Within moments, the comms connected. “Hello?”

“Arda?” My stomach dropped. Even with just that single word, I sensed something was off. “What’s wrong?”

She sighed deeply. “I fucked up, Ren… I lost Smudge.”

“Oh shit. How did that happen?” Lux had to be devastated. And judging by the way her voice warbled, Arda was too.

“I was working in the docking bay around sunset last night when I heard something scratching the hull. Smudge must’ve snuck in there without me realizing it. When I opened the hatch, she darted out and disappeared into the jungle.”

“God, I’m so sorry.” I wasn’t normally one for physical contact, but at that moment I wished more than anything I could’ve given her a hug. “She’s still out there?”

“Yes. It’s honestly been insane over here.” She sniffled. “Lux stormed out after her as soon as the sun went down and refused to come in. I’ve been up all night, worried sick about them both.”

My eyes widened. “Even with the dradhowlers?”

Arda’s voice broke. “Yeah. He just got back empty-handed. If the damn sun wasn’t out to kill him, he’d still be out there. Me and Kar are heading out now to take over the search.”

“You’ll find her. She’s gotta be out there somewhere.” The words felt like a lie as they left my lips. Smudge wasn’t a predator. She wouldn’t stand a chance against a dradhowler, or anything else that tried to eat her.

“I hope so.” Arda sniffled again. “I don’t know what Lux will do if we don’t find her. She’s his baby…”

I’d never had a pet of my own, but I’d seen how much Lux loved that ugly little critter. If they didn’t find her, he’d probably be depressed for months. “I’m so sorry. I wish I was there to help.”

“It’s all right. You’re already helping by handling this mission.” A humorless laugh escaped her. “You wanna know what’s the worst part of all this?”

“What?”

“The stupid scratching I heard. There was nothing out there when I looked. It was just another damn auditory hallucination.”

“Fucking hell…” Jalen had said she’d have flashbacks, but I never suspected they would lead to this.

“I’m just glad you’re out there and not me. I’d have gotten myself killed by now.”

My heart sank. Arda was depending on me. And here I was, ready to throw in the towel.

Arda cleared her throat. “How’s it on your end? Please tell me things are going better for you than they are over here.”

Here was my chance. I could spill everything. Beg her to come get me and for us to hightail it off this cursed planet. She’d do it. Just like when I’d begged her to speed away from Oraxis Station… but then she couldn’t go hunting for Smudge.

“I’m fine. I was only calling to check in. I even found an abandoned transport in the jungle that I’m close to repairing. If I can manage it, we might return before schedule.”

Arda exhaled, the sound laced with relief. “That’s fantastic, Ren! At least things are looking up for one of us.”

“They will for you too. You’ll find her. I know you will.” Honestly, I had a feeling she’d be shit out of luck, but she didn’t need to hear my doubts right now. Besides, Arda made a habit out of doing impossible things. If anyone had the tenacity to find an escaped critter in an unfamiliar jungle, it would be her.

“Thanks,” she answered brightly. Maybe my pep talk helped. “I better go. Smudge ain’t gonna find herself.”

“Good luck!”

I ended the call, feeling more embarrassed than I had when I’d made it. There was no chance of rescue now. Frankly, after hearing about Smudge’s disappearance, it made my problem seem insignificant.

So I woke up straddling a hot alien… At least I wasn’t alone in a jungle teeming with poisonous plants and predators ready to tear me to pieces.

I just had to put on my big girl panties—and come to think of it, my actual panties, which ought to be dry by now—and fix that rider.

With that decision fresh in my mind, I reentered the cave.

“There you are.” Jalen smiled. “I was about to look for you. Do you want some breakfast before we head out?” He gestured to a blanket laid out with fruit and haldi bread, picnic style.

“Um, sure. Thanks.” I gulped, advancing slowly. “Did you sleep okay?” My pulse raced, and I carefully examined his face. If he said anything about this morning, I might have to run off into the jungle too.

His smile didn’t slip in the slightest. “I did. I told you those burners do the trick. Bet you slept well too, huh?”

I bent and snagged a piece of bread. “Um, guess you could say so.”

Instead of sitting, Jalen strolled to the door.

“Where are you going?”

He turned back with a grin. “Just need a break in the trees before I eat. Be right back.”

At least he was acting normal. As the door slammed closed, I ducked behind the screen and slipped into my panties. By the time Jalen returned, I’d popped the rider’s hood and was hard at work.

A loud crunch made me flinch. I glanced over my shoulder and spotted him behind me, chewing on a fruit that looked like a mix between a mango and an apple. “Do you have to do that in my ear?”

“You still think you can fix that?” He took another loud bite, his eyes glittering as my scowl deepened.

“I don’t think I can.” I whipped back and continued the repairs. “I know I can.”

I expected him to put up a fuss. Or bark another order about how we need to go—now. But he just said, “I’ll start packing while you work.”

I forced his confusing about-face out of my mind and concentrated on the repairs. It was actually kind of funny, but in a way, I could credit Jalen for what I was currently trying. I’d come to a bit of an impasse last night, and I wasn’t sure what direction to take. Once I’d smoked that stolen joint, the answer appeared to me in a flash of inspiration.

Maybe I’d have thought of it without the weed, but maybe not. Either way, as I replaced the last part and slammed the hood closed, my skin thrummed with anticipation. Even before I climbed on the rider and started the engine, I knew it would work.

Jalen turned to watch, the sheet he’d laid out for breakfast half-folded in his hands.

I inhaled and pushed the ignition.

The engine kicked on, and the rider lifted about a foot off the ground, the steady pulse of the motor thrumming beneath me with a slight vibration. Since the rider was basically a motorcycle without the wheels, that sensation landed in a very distracting place.

Fuck… That’s gonna be hard to ignore.

I squirmed in place, but at the same time, a wide grin split my cheeks. I’d done it!

“Great work.” Jalen set the blanket down and strode closer. “There’s only one problem.”

I frowned. “What problem?”

“I think it will be a tight squeeze fitting us both on there.”

My breath caught in my throat as I glanced at the empty space behind me. Fuck… He was right. There was no way we were cramming on there without being plastered together the entire time.

I was about to spend the day with what was essentially a low-powered vibe rubbing against my crotch, with Jalen pressed indecently against me. And it wasn’t like I could back out now. Not after I’d spent hours of my life fixing the damn thing, and Jalen risked his skin to lug it inside the cave.

How the hell did I get myself into this mess?