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But it’s not like I can go out and buy new clothes, so dirty clothes it is.
I gather up my wet underwear and socks and make my way back to the main chamber of the cave and spread out my soaking clothes on a nearby rock. I sink down on the soft pallet and watch as Draggar tends to a small fire he’s built in the center of the cave. A hole in the top of the cave lets the smoke out, while allowing a beam of daylight to filter through.
I really should get up and help, instead of letting him wait on me, but I cannot seem to make myself move from my spot. My tired muscles are relaxed from the bath.
Draggar in his satchel for a moment before he rises in one fluid, elegant motion, and I’m mesmerized by the ripple of his muscles as he crosses to me with bandages and the tin of green goo in his hands. He sinks down before me.
He murmurs, “Hold still.” His touch is gentle yet firm as he reaches for my feet, and I draw in a shaky breath.
As soon as his hands touch my skin, I’m done for, tingles shoot through me and head straight to my clit. I don’t know what it is about this big warrior, but he makes me seriously horny. And even worse, I think he might know it. The gold flecks have multiplied and nearly overtaken the silver of his eyes as he scoops up a big glob of the green goo.
Soaking in the hot spring helped a lot, but I still wince when he touches a particularly tender spot. He stops, and concern flashes in his eyes. His brow furrows. “Pain?”
“Just a little, but please don’t stop.” I admit, while shrugging and motioning for him to carry on, hoping he understands. He must get the gist because he returns his attention to my feet, carefully rubbing the goo over my feet with a deft touch. The cooling sensation is immediate, soothing my aches. Then, he quietly wraps the bandages around my feet before gently smoothing his hands over them as if he’s reluctant to stop touching me.
“You are well?” Draggar asks, his gaze meeting mine. The expression on his face is laced with a tender protectiveness that makes my heart flutter.
“Yeah. Thank you,” I reply with a smile, hoping that he can understand the gratitude in my tone even if he doesn’t catch the words.
He nods and then he’s gone, back to tend to the fire and finish setting up our temporary campsite. The sounds of him puttering around lull me and before I know it, I’m curled up on the fur with my head cushioned on my arm. My thoughts grow fuzzy, and I drift off.
Chapter 17
Haley
I wake up slowly to the scintillating smell of bacon.
Saliva fills my mouth and I smack my lips in anticipation. The scent is so familiar that for a moment or two, I think I’m back on Earth laying in my comfy childhood bed and my parents are making breakfast. They always made a big breakfast on the weekends, and then we would spend the rest of the day together doing something fun.
Then it all comes back to me in a torrent of memories. The abduction, the crash, the weird dinosaurs, Draggar, and I sit up with a start.
Draggar sits nearby cooking strips of the not-a-pig meat over the small fire. The strips sizzle and pop where they’re spread out on top of a flat rock. My stomach growls loudly in response to the smell drawing the big teal alien’s attention to me.
He chuckles and holds out one of the cooked strips of meat that he’s already plated up on one of the large leaves. I eagerly take it and bite into the juicy strip of not-bacon, groaning as the flavor explodes in my mouth.
“Oh my God, this is the best thing I’ve ever ate. Seriously, you should open a restaurant or something. I’d eat there every day.” I mumble around the mouthful of not-bacon.
I expected the taste to be similar to pork since it smells so much like bacon, but it’s not. It’s gamey with a slight vinegary taste that actually adds a nice balance to the smokiness, and it’s unlike anything I’ve eaten before. The texture is a little different and almost flaky like fish. No matter, it’s delicious and probably the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my entire life. Or maybe I just think it’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten because it is the first real food I’ve had in a long time.
Minutes pass with Draggar continuing to cook the meat and me finishing off another strip of the definitely-not-bacon. I unashamedly lick my fingers when I finish it, and he hands me another piece from the large, round leaf he’s using as a plate.
“What is this called? What kind of animal was it?” I wave the strip of meat at Draggar.
It takes a couple of attempts to get the meaning of my words across, but eventually, his silver eyes light with understanding and he answers my question. “It is scrof. There are many of the creatures on Laedirissae, but they are usually wily to a hunter’s skill. We were fortunate to stumble upon this one.” His mouth tilts up at one corner. “Not so fortunate for him, but he will replenish our empty ration bags and supply us with the nourishment needed for our journey.”
My eyes round in surprise. That’s the most the usually quiet alien has said to me at one time. Who knew he could be so chatty? After a moment of silence while I digest his words, I clear my throat.
“There’s a similar animal on Earth called a pig, but it’s not as big.” I tilt my head at him. “Or blue. And it doesn’t have a mohawk.”
I know he can’t understand me and any conversation we have is totally one-sided, but I like talking to the big guy. His silver eyes watch me so intently when I speak that even though he doesn’t understand English, I feel like he understands me.
Better than any guy I’ve met, honestly.
We spend the next little while with me asking what stuff is called and using hand gestures to get my questions across and Draggar answering as best he can. If the eager light in his eyes is anything to go by, he seems to be just as interested in hearing the words I use for items, and he repeats them after me every time. For a few moments, the strangeness of it all fades, replaced by the simple joy of sharing a meal together and enjoying each other’s company.
When we are finished eating and I finally sit back with a pleasantly full stomach, Draggar packs away the leftover meat in more of the waxy leaves. Then he gestures me over to the scrof hide and shows me what he has been working on while I was asleep.
The hide is stretched out flat on the ground, and it looks like he used something to scrape off the greasy residue from the inside of it leaving behind a large piece of supple leather. I feel a little guilty because it is obvious that Draggar didn’t get any rest while I wiled away the afternoon napping.
