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Chapter Fourteen

MAYA

W hy am I kissing Volan? What has possibly overcome me? I don’t have time to get involved with this guy, do I? I have a quest to complete and…

Volan smirks at me, his full lips twisting in a grin that takes my breath away. A mischievous glint—no, a glow—ignites within his eyes.

This guy is up to something. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.

He stands up, water pooling from his body. I am entirely captivated by the way droplets curve across his muscular form, tracing each dip of his pecs and abs.

He’s revealing himself to me in his full glory. His hands go to his hips, and if I am not mistaken, he actually puffs out his chest. He’s practically posing for me, showing off his muscles right now like some teenager trying to impress a prospective girlfriend. All that’s left is the bicep curl and… there he goes.

I press my hand over my lips as I watch him flex his arms in front of me. It’s all I can do to not giggle. He’s acting like a teenager. To be honest, I feel like one. I don’t think a guy has ever actually acted like this in front of me, purposely trying to tease a grin to my face or impress me this way.

It makes me feel like I am the center of his world. It makes me feel…wanted.

“Impressive,” I tell him. “You are very… big.”

I slap my hand over my face. “I did not just say that! Not like that. I mean… I bet your muscles come in handy out here. Yes, that’s what I mean.”

Volan’s laughter drifts over me, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.

“No reason to be embarrassed,” he says with a smile. “I am very big.”

His fingers wrap around my wrists, tugging me toward him through the water. We’re both still fully dressed, the sodden fabric of my outfit feeling heavy and clinging. The weight of my slingshot and my thankfully waterproofed tablet weigh me down.

With infinitely gentle but persistent tugs, he pulls me close, until our bodies are practically grazing. One deep breath and my chest will touch his.

I should move away from him, put distance between us, yet a part of me wants to stay close to him. When was the last time I truly got held by someone who cared for me?

Does he actually care for me?

What is it about this guy that has me so on edge, so needy? The scientific part of my brain is already searching for answers. Perhaps his skin is putting out some sort of electrical response? A bit like how some animals can create bioluminescence through chemical reactions, or how some turtles can glow because of fluorescent proteins. Whatever it is, it’s affecting me whenever I am close by.

He turns abruptly and leaves me standing there, gaping at him.

Oh, dear. This guy is dancing around me, leaving me tied up and unable to focus. Of course, that thought just brings about visuals of Volan with some rope, and me at his mercy…

“I have a job to do. I have a job to do,” I repeat quietly to myself, trying to restart my brain. It’s overloaded with hormones right now and clearly not performing its job. That’s all it is - hormones.

With distance between us, my mind is a bit clearer. Not looking at Volan’s naked form certainly helps, even if he’s splashing about in a way that attracts my eye. As much as I try, I can’t help glancing in his direction, at the play of muscles over smooth skin…

“You were hurt,” I remark. I push through the water to his side, snatching up his arm. I remember the scamper latching onto him, blood dripping. My fingers rub over unblemished skin. Volan shivers at my touch, the only sign that I’m affecting him.

“It seems impossible that you heal this quickly. Did you use any medicine?” I ask him.

When Ariana came back to the village injured, she applied some kind of gel to her wounds, healing them in miraculous time. The kind of speed that you can only expect from fantasy stories, not real life. Twice now I’ve witnessed the impossible.

“I did not,” Volan replies. “When you’ve used the medicine enough, it becomes a part of you. Only in extreme circumstances do I need more. That was but a small cut.”

I snort at his admission of a small cut. I’d hate to see what he classifies as extreme.

“Why? How long do humans take to heal?” He asks.

“A wound like that… weeks, I’d guess,” I reply absently.

“Then from this moment on, I shall keep you even closer to my side,” Volan rasps, his breath fanning over my cheek as he leans in closer. “I vow that nothing will harm you, little halvi. On this, you can trust me.”

I meet his luminous gaze, wanting to believe I can trust him fully. He’s been true to his word thus far, guiding me through the perils of this planet. I reluctantly acknowledge I have little choice but to rely on him out here. But can I trust him? How much do I know about him, or his people? Everything, and I mean everything, I know about this planet at the moment is a lie. I need to get to that building, I need to know what Earth’s government is searching for.

As much as I fear the answer, I think I already know. It’s been right under my nose the whole time. I just need to confirm it.

I pinch my nose. How the hell am I going to complete my quest when I keep getting sidetracked by this hunk? Even now, my fingers stroke along his forearm, caressing the prominent veins and taut muscles that flex under my half-distracted ministrations.

Having Volan around is supposed to make this easier, safer, not harder…

And I am certainly making him harder. The giant object glaring between us really makes that obvious.

I need to focus. I can’t be distracted like this!

If I get him out of my system, will things just go back to normal? The normal me; the quiet girl that no one pays attention to, that doesn’t go on crazy wilderness adventures and definitely doesn’t lust after some male.

It’s a hypothesis worth testing.

First quest: save the colony.

Second quest: seduce Volan the alien.