Deeper than the Night - By Amanda Ashley Page 0,55
knew it was with the use of other tools from home that he had cut the windows into the mountain and fashioned the glass. No doubt other alien technology lit the entrance to the cavern.
The woods were beautiful at night. Hand in hand, they walked through the moon-dappled night until Alex found a tree he considered suitable. Kara watched in awe as he attached the object in his hand to the base of the tree.
Thirty minutes later, the tree was at their feet, cut into a dozen workable pieces. He shouldered the wood with ease and carried it up the hill, dumping it in the yard alongside the cavern.
Kara shook her head, amazed by his strength. He'd carried the load up the hill as though it weighed nothing at all, and he wasn't even breathing hard.
Alex turned to find her staring at him. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing." She grinned. "I was just thinking that I used to dream of Prince Charming carrying me away on a horse. Instead, my true love is a combination of the Highlander and Superman."
Alex grinned back at her. "Are you complaining?"
"Oh, no. I think it's wonderful. I mean, talk about a girl's fantasies coming to life."
He grunted in wry amusement. "Is that what I am? A fantasy?"
"No. You're the best reality I've ever known."
He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled her shoulder, and then, laughing softly, he raked his teeth along the side of her neck. If he was really a vampire, now would be the perfect time for a midnight snack.
"What's so funny?" Kara asked.
"Nothing. How about a bath?"
Kara drew back and frowned up at him. "Is that your subtle way of telling me I stink?"
Alex shook his head. "Maybe it's my not-so-subtle way of trying to get you out of your clothes."
"Oh." She slid her gaze from his, grateful for the darkness that hid the flush she felt climbing into her cheeks.
"That hot spring I mentioned isn't far from here." He reached into his pocket, withdrawing a bar of soap he'd picked up on their way out of the cavern. "Shall we?"
The spring was located within a copse of ancient pine trees and lacy ferns. It was like a fairy place, Kara mused. The water glistened like a pool of molten silver in the full light of the moon; the grass was soft beneath her feet.
For all that they had spent the previous night making love, she couldn't help feeling a little shy as they sat down at the edge of the pool.
Her heart began to pound erratically as Alex removed his shirt and reached for his belt buckle.
"Kara?"
"Hmmm?"
He gestured down the mountain. "Would you rather I waited for you down there?"
"No, it's just . . . no."
Sensing her uneasiness, he turned his back, peeled off his Levi's, and slid soundlessly into the pool.
"Why don't you wear underwear?" She clapped a hand over her mouth, but it was too late to call back the words.
Alex turned in the water, head cocked to one side as he regarded her.
"I didn't mean to ask that," she said, wishing she could disappear under a rock.
"You can ask me anything you wish. The people of ErAdona wear very little in the way of clothing. Our men usually wear loose shirts and trousers made of finely woven cloth. The women wear long gowns of a material similar to your silk. No one wears anything underneath." He made a vague gesture. "Even after two hundred years, it's a habit I find hard to break."
Kara nodded, mesmerized by the sight of him. The water caressed his broad shoulders. The moonlight shimmered in his hair. She could feel the heat of his gaze as he waited for her to join him. She took a deep breath. "Don't watch me." With a nod, Alex turned his back, but he didn't have to see her to know how she looked, what she was doing. He could hear the muted brush of cloth over her skin as she removed her sweater, her shoes and socks, her jeans. There was a faint whisper of nylon and lace as she slipped off her panties and bra, followed bya faint splash as she stepped into the water. A change in the wind carried her scent to his nostrils and he took a deep breath, inhaling her fragrance.
He moved to deeper water, then turned to face her, his breath catching in his throat as he saw her standing before him, clad in water and moonlight.