Lily and the Lion by Honey Phillips

Chapter Six

Lily woke up nestled against something big and furry. A low, rhythmic purr vibrated against her back, and for a confused moment she wondered if the cat she had been feeding had crawled into bed with her. But then a massive arm tightened around her stomach and it all came rushing back. Her abduction, the perilous descent to the planet, and the big lion-like alien male who had found her.

Considering the way he was wrapped around her, he seemed to think he had established a claim on her. Should she be worried about it? Probably not, she decided. In her experience, that initial possessiveness never lasted. But for right now, he had fed her and protected her and seemed to be taking her somewhere—hopefully somewhere more civilized. The trick would be keeping him interested enough to help her, but not so interested that he wanted to hide her away in the jungle forever.

Her feminine charms seemed to be enough to hold his interest so far. Then again, given the size of the erection currently prodding against her backside, maybe he didn’t have a lot of experience with females. She was almost tempted to reach back and explore that thick length, but although he hadn’t attempted to force himself on her yet, she didn’t want to rouse the beast.

And it really did feel like a beast, she thought with a silent giggle and just the tiniest little experimental movement. The next thing she knew, she was flat on her back with Leo leaning down over her, blue eyes blazing. His broad shoulders completely blotted out the daylight seeping into the hollow, and her breath caught. She had forgotten just how big he was.

His mouth opened as if he was about to say something, but then he shut it again and shook his head, frustration clear on his face. His erection was wedged firmly between her legs and she felt a pulse of desire as he looked down at her. She followed his gaze and saw that her makeshift top had shifted during the night, exposing one of her breasts. Her nipple was taut, almost quivering from a strange combination of excitement and nerves. She wasn’t exactly afraid, but this was completely outside of her experience—even if it wasn’t the first time she had woken up with a virtual stranger in her bed.

But never an alien, she reminded herself, and almost laughed.

He tilted his head, still studying her, and the morning light caught glitters of gold in his wildly curling mane. Before she could second-guess herself, she reached up and wrapped a curl around her finger. She wasn’t quite sure what she’d expected—something coarser perhaps—but it was as silky as her own hair although there was so much more of it. She combed her fingers deeper into the thick strands, and he leaned into her touch. She felt the same low reverberation she had felt earlier all along her body and realized he was purring. The sensation was almost like a full-body vibrator, and she had the urge to press closer.

His eyes had shut while she played with his mane, but they snapped open now, the hunger in his gaze clearly visible.

Maybe you shouldn’t pet the big kitty, she told herself nervously, just as his head descended to her neck. He sniffed her there, breathing in her scent and sending a shiver across the sensitive nerve endings. And then he licked her, his tongue as warm and wet and rough as she remembered, and she almost moaned. Her neck had always been extraordinarily sensitive. His mouth trailed down her neck and across her chest, and she couldn’t prevent herself from crying out as that wonderful tongue curved around her taut nipple. She started to arch into his touch before she came to her senses.

“No.” She pushed against his shoulders, even though she had no chance of moving him unless he cooperated. To her vast relief, he lifted his head and looked down at her.

“No?” he asked.

He swiped his tongue across her distended rosy nipple again and she couldn’t prevent herself from quivering at the erotic sight.

“Yes. I mean no. No nipple licking.”

“Nipple,” he said thoughtfully and flicked the taut bud with a thick finger.

“Yes, that’s my nipple. No touching either.”

He tilted his head again, then bent down and fastened his mouth around her nipple and sucked. Oh my God. She felt the pull all the way down to her throbbing clit.

“No sucking either,” she managed to say, but even she didn’t find her voice convincing.

Nonetheless, he raised his head. He studied her face—which she suspected was bright red by now—with a degree of smug satisfaction that helped her ignore her demanding body.

“And I think that’s enough of the language lessons for this morning.”

She pushed at his shoulders again, trying to ignore just how good those big fur-covered muscles felt, but he ignored her, still studying her face. Before she could ask him to move, he bent down and brushed his lips against hers.

“Kiss,” he whispered against her mouth, and then he was gone.

Her body felt unexpectedly cold without that big heated presence on top of her, even though the air was as warm and humid as it had been the day before. Don’t be silly, she scolded herself and sat up. Leo was already outside on the branch and she hastily re-fastened her bandeau and went to join him.

Now that the sun was up, she could easily see how high they were in the trees and her stomach did a little flip. Careful to avoid looking down again, she took the cup-shaped leaf he offered her. The liquid from the night before tasted even better this morning, creating a satisfying warmth in her stomach.

“This is almost as good as coffee,” she told him with a smile, but then her lips trembled as the realization hit her. There would be no coffee in her future.

She’d never been hopelessly addicted to the beverage, but she’d always loved that first taste of coffee in the morning. Even if it was more likely to be watery hotel coffee or a cheap cup from the gas station than the rare splurge at Starbucks, it had always been a part of her life.

“I’m never going to have coffee again, am I?” she whispered.

The urge to cry made her eyes burn, but she had learned a long time ago that crying never really changed anything. She usually preferred to channel her sadness into anger. But then Leo stepped forward and put his arms around her, drawing her into the warmth of his body, and she couldn’t help herself. Her pent-up emotions burst out in a flood of tears, and she sobbed into his chest.

The flood didn’t last long, but she felt better when it was over, lighter somehow. She gave a last sniffle and scrubbed at her face with her hands before giving him a shaky smile.

“Sorry. I don’t usually give in to my emotions like them, but it’s been a rough few weeks.” A rough few years actually.

He opened his mouth, then shook his head, looking frustrated again. She gave his chest a reassuring pat.

“I know. It’s hard when you can’t communicate.”

His frustration turned to something that looked oddly like guilt, but it vanished so quickly she wasn’t sure that she had seen it. And really, she shouldn’t be expecting human expressions on an alien face. Even though she already felt as if she was beginning to understand him.

“What’s the plan for today?” she asked. “Are we going to your house?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. Fuck. The tree had been more comfortable than she expected, but it would be really nice to spend the night in an actual bed. If he even had a bed, of course…

“Two.” He held up two fingers.

“Do you mean two days? Two days to get to your house?”

He nodded, and she wondered once again what type of communication he’d had with people who spoke a language her translator could recognize.

“How do you know these words? Did someone teach you?”

For a moment she thought he wasn’t going to answer, and then a wicked look crossed his face.

“Teach.” He leaned closer and stroked his thumb across her nipple, leaving a trail of fire behind. “Nipple.”

“I don’t think you need any more of those lessons,” she said, torn between the urge to see what else she could teach him and the desire to wipe the smug look off of his face.

He simply grinned at her, his fangs glinting in the morning light. Then he bent down again, and she realized he was about to put her over his shoulder.

“Wait a minute,” she said quickly, stepping back. “Isn’t there another way you could carry me?”

He raised an eyebrow in an oddly human gesture.

“Maybe I could get on your back instead?”

He tilted his head, then shrugged and turned his back. Fortunately, he also bent down far enough that she could put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. He put a hand around her ankles as his tail curved around her waist, and he rose to a standing position. She immediately realized her mistake. The position pressed her against the broad expanse of his back, his hard muscles rubbing against her still taut nipples. Even worse, she could feel those muscles rippling against her swollen clit.

She started to ease back, about to tell him she had changed her mind, when he leapt into the air. Her arms and legs clenched even tighter around him as they seemed to hang in midair. He landed on a lower branch with an almost imperceptible thud, and then he was off again. The combination of adrenaline and the sheer physical stimulation where their bodies were pressed together overwhelmed her, and to her complete and utter shock, a small climax fluttered through her. She only prayed that Leo hadn’t noticed.