Sohut's Protection: A Sci-fi Alien Romance (Riv's Sanctuary Book 2) A.G. Wilde (best way to read an ebook TXT) 📖

But when her gaze met his, she didn’t see any of that.

The look in his eyes was the exact opposite.

And it shouldn’t…but it made an electric thrill shoot straight into her stomach and erupt like a firework in her belly.

12

She was the most beautiful creature that had ever walked on Hudo III.

Larn, female of her species who had turned up at the Sanctuary had been beautiful too…but Cluu…Clee-yo was…

Sohut turned from her and stuck his hand in his satchel, focusing on it instead as he searched for nothing in particular.

He’d first noticed that the mud she’d plastered over herself had washed away while they were still in the water and even now he couldn’t stop himself from staring.

She was pale, as the Goris had described, and that paleness contrasted against her eyes and hair.

Her hair was the color of zimsu flowers and her lips…delicate arches like the flower’s petals turned into a thin line when she’d realized he was staring.

Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath.

Mistake, for the scent of her filled his nose.

For a long time, he hadn’t had such a strong urge to indulge in his carnal desires.

Now, however…

Through the corner of his eye, he noticed Clee-yo shivered.

The water had been cool and with Hudo III’s star on the other side of the horizon, the warmth in the air wasn’t as strong as it usually was.

And her skin looked thin…

Without the mud covering it, he could see her life-blood in the vessels underneath—a concerning matter seeing that she’d been in the jungle alone.

“What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?” Her voice reached his ear and he realized he’d been staring at her exposed arm, frowning.

Blinking, he met her gaze.

What sort of destiny had led him here?

The more he stayed in the jungle, the more she became something that he hadn’t expected to encounter.

Clee-yo shivered again and that knocked him out of his ruminations.

“You need warmth.”

She seemed to stiffen, her neck stretching back a little as she eyed him and she looked so strange doing it that his eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement.

“We’re not sharing body heat…” Then her eyes widened. “Is that why you took your shirt off? … Shit, I forgot you can’t understand me.”

Her eyes widened some more. “Which girl that’s been alone for a whole year wouldn’t want a hot hunk plastered against them? I mean, thanks for the sentiment and all. But I don’t know you.”

Sohut had to look away so she couldn’t see the humor in his eyes.

He hadn’t been suggesting they share “body heat.” He had no idea what she meant by that anyway. There was no way to transfer heat of one’s body to another…at least not in his species. But now he was intrigued.

And she thought he was attractive? He’d return the compliment but that would give away the fact that he could understand her.

Fetching one of the sluu doughs from the satchel, he moved over to her, noticing her eyes were plastered on his chest before her cheeks took on a strange hue and she looked away, instead choosing to focus on the food in his hand.

“Do you want this?” He shook the sluu dough in his hand.

Her eyes narrowed immediately as if she was contemplating saying no. “Yes.” She nodded.

Unpacking the food slowly, she watched every move of his fingers.

“You only have four fingers…” she murmured, as if awed. “Four long, thick fingers…”

Her cheeks took on that funny hue again and she closed her eyes for a second, murmuring something about having no tact.

He had no idea what his fingers had to do with her tact, but something inside him was liking this little exchange between them.

Finally pulling the sluu dough from the packet, he moved close to her and her eyes grew wide, her gaze searching his face in alarm.

“Eat,” he pressed the sluu dough to her lips and for a second, she did nothing.

He knew she wanted to take a bite. Her throat was working.

She reminded him of his brother’s tevsi named Grot. As a pup, Grot had always been suspicious when anyone tried to feed him.

The similarity made him want to laugh.

Instead, he repeated, “Eat.”

Delicate zimsu-hued lips opened as the female bit into the sluu dough, wary eyes on him.

“I don’t like you,” she said as she chewed and his gaze met hers. “I don’t like you and your handsome face.”

A bubble of a chuckle lodged in his throat.

Begrudgingly, she took another bite. “I don’t like your stupidly good tasting food either.”

Holding the laughter back was hard, especially when her small pink tongue darted out to lick her lips as she took another bite of the same food she was saying she hated.

“I don’t like that you’re here.” She took another bite, her eyes rolling back a little as she chewed, the pure taste giving her such pleasure he could see it on her face. “Why did they have to send you, huh? I thought they’d given up trying to catch me.”

She took another bite. “God, this tastes so good.” She chewed. “Like, I was happy on my own, you know. But I guess they knew the weakness I didn’t even know I had. Turns out, it’s you.”

Her eyes narrowed on him again. “I couldn’t have fucking prepared for you.”

As she took the last bite, her lips brushed against his fingers and Sohut bit inside his cheek at the unexpected pleasure of that touch.

“If you’re poisoning me right now, I’m such an idiot for eating this.” She swallowed her last mouthful and attempted to glare at him. But her glare held no substance. Deep in her eyes, he knew she didn’t really hate him.

She was all talk and no bite.

Smiling at her, his gaze dropped to her hands.

“I’m going to remove the restraints now.”

The female licked her lips slowly as she watched him with suspicion in her eyes.

Reaching for her wrists, he paused.

“I’m going to release you now but if you