Mari's Mistake - Ruby Dixon Page 0,6

was a tiny fort, I felt safer. Like I could control the world around me as long as it was that small area. I guess coming back here has made me revert, because now all I want to do is hide in small spaces and calm down. It just…helps me think. I know that's weird, but I swear it's just me trying to self-soothe. You understand, right?"

He glances up at me and points his knife at my other leg. "Es sa?"

"Yeah, sure, why not." I shrug. "Good talk. Glad we got this out in the open."

He grunts and moves to my other side, cutting through the meticulous leather stitching on my borrowed clothing. I don't want to think about how many hours of work he's destroying. I'll make it up to whoever gave me these pants. Somehow. Provided I get back.

"So you and I are mates," I murmur, watching as he settles in next to my other leg and decimates my pants with a knife. He could just, you know, ask me to take them off, but maybe he feels this is better? Who can say. "I'm kind of regretting resonance. Not because of you. It's nothing against you. I don't know you. It's just…you're going to want a nice, strong, bold mate and I'm a hider." I glance down his long, lean body and notice the, um, large equipment lying against one thigh. "You, my friend, are clearly not a hider. Though if you are still a grow-er at this point, we might have a problem if you rearrange my insides."

"Eh?" He glances up at me again. "Es sa?"

I shrug again. What does he expect me to say? "It's nothing. I'm just talking about your penis." I put a hand to the side of my mouth as if confiding a secret. "I don't know if you've noticed, but it's huge. Also I think I might be suffering from sunstroke. That's why I'm saying all this stupid stuff, right? Is it possible to get sunstroke from those pinprick suns? It's just…lord, it's hot." I pluck at the heavy collar of my tunic. "No wonder you're naked. It probably feels a lot better."

He grunts as if in agreement and knifes through the last knot on my pants, then tugs on the material like I'm a big baby that can't pull her own pants off. The moment he does, my lower half is exposed to the air and I shiver. Yes, the breeze feels good, but I'm not prepared for how I feel around this stranger, being pantsless.

I'm also not prepared for him to pause and stare at the dark triangle of curls between my thighs. He stops his work completely and I can feel my face heating in a blush. I steal another glance at his enormous equipment, and yeah, he's hairless, his private area as bare as any porn star, and his rather large sac a fascinatingly deep shade of blue. His cock's also swelling, his khui humming urgently, and there's that odd spur thing on top that someone mentioned.

"That's an awful lot to take in," I tell him as our eyes meet. "And that's not me making a pun on your size. Though I probably should, because you are an awful lot."

He rumbles something, his long hair sliding over one shoulder, and then reaches between my legs and gently pets my mound, his fingers stroking lightly.

I suck in a breath, shocked at his bold touch…but I don't pull away. "Um…so you just did that. And I should really tell you no." But my cootie is going a mile a minute. "I know we're media naranjas as my mother would say—two halves of a whole—but can we get to know each other first?" I tap my chest. "My name is Marisol. Me llamo Marisol." I tap again, because that might be too many words for him. "Marisol."

He reaches down and strokes my pussy again. "M'rsl?"

"No, that's not Marisol. I am." A horrified little giggle escapes my throat. "Please, please don't call my pussy Marisol." I tap my chest. "Marisol." I point downstairs. "Pussy. Or concha if you're feeling so inclined, but let's stick to one language for now."

His hot gaze moves over my face again. He reaches forward with his hand and taps me on the chest, right where I did. "M'rsl."

"Close enough." I nod approval, and then reach out hesitantly and tap his chest. "Who are you?"

"T'chai." His voice is all rumbly and deep when he says it, and