she moved forward with determined steps. Saka, on the other hand, complained bitterly at first, but the heat wilted her down and she eventually lapsed into silence. Issar assisted Taliane, his arm around her waist despite the narrowness of the tunnel as he half-carried her. Joan’s hand remained tucked in his, but he could tell she was tiring, weariness in every line of her body. He would have carried her, but there just wasn’t room in the narrow passageway.
“There should be a water station up ahead,” Rummel said, his voice hoarse, and Varga realized he wasn’t quite as unaffected as he seemed to be.
The next interval seemed to drag interminably, the knowledge that relief awaited them making each step that much more painful, but at last they rounded the corner and saw water trickling down the wall and into a small basin.
Saka gave a harsh cry and rushed over to the basin, lapping frantically at the liquid. He would have pushed her aside, but Joan shook her head. To his frustration, she waited until each of the other females had taken a drink before she took her turn.
She frowned as she lifted her head. “I thought it was water but it doesn’t taste like water.”
Fuck. He hadn’t considered the possibility that the substance might not be tolerable for humans. He took a cautious sip, then sighed with relief.
“It’s water. It tastes different because of the minerals in the cave walls.”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t taste bad. I just wasn’t expecting it.”
Issar settled down against the wall and pulled Taliane onto his lap. “We should rest while we have the opportunity,” he said.
Varga suspected that the Asing didn’t need rest any more than he did, but the others in their small group were obviously exhausted. He urged Joan to sit, then pulled Rummel aside.
“How much further?”
“About twice this distance.” The small male frowned. “But the next water station isn’t until close to the end. I wish we had some way to carry it with us.”
The need to be on their way was a constant warning in his head, but he wasn’t sure that the females had recovered enough. Taliane was asleep in Issar’s arms, Saka was curled into a ball on the floor, her eyes closed, and even Polly’s body had slumped against the wall. Joan’s eyes were half-closed, but when she saw him watching her, she made a valiant attempt to climb to her feet. He shook his head and sat down next to her, gathering her into his arms.
Despite the circumstances, it was immensely satisfying to have her in his arms again. The memory of their time together flashed in his head, and his cock responded. Joan wiggled against it, then looked up at him, her eyes wide.
“Now?” she whispered.
He lowered his head and breathed in her ear, delighting in the way she quivered against him. “Always.”
Her eyelids drooped, but this time he thought it was from desire rather than exhaustion. As he gathered her closer, he caught the sweet scent of her arousal. Looking around the cave in the dim glow of the emergency lighting, he realized that everyone else appeared to be asleep. Even George had his head buried beneath his tail.
“You must be very quiet,” he murmured, and before she could respond, he slipped his hand inside the open front of her coveralls. She had lowered the fastening due to the heat, and he had no problem reaching her luscious breast and circling her nipple. The taut peak hardened even further at his touch, stabbing against his palm. He longed to take the tempting morsel in his mouth, but he did not want to expose any more of her body. Instead, he concentrated on the tight little bud, rolling and pulling until she started to squirm in his arms.
“Quiet,” he repeated and she nodded, arching impatiently into his touch.
He removed his hand and saw her bite back a frustrated cry. With deliberate slowness he moved to the other breast and repeated the treatment until it too was swollen and throbbing against his hand.
“Varga…” she whispered urgently.
After another look around to make sure that everyone’s eyes were still closed, he let his hand descend further, skating over the soft curve of her stomach until he reached her damp curls. Not just damp, he realized as he explored. Her delightful little cunt was dripping, slippery with her desire. He slid a thick finger through her folds, and she turned her head, burying her soft cry against his chest.
Then her