It was Ajos all right, but he looked…he looked like he’d been through hell and back.
His skin was damp, but something told her it was his own perspiration and not just the rain that had caused that.
Not only that, but the protrusions on the side of his head were completely red.
He looked like he was in pain but there was such intense focus in his eyes, it was like looking into the eyes of a tiger.
“Ajos?”
His gaze found hers and Kerena’s mouth opened in shock.
Completely black. Not even one gold fleck was in that darkness.
“I’ll get you out,” he said, before his head disappeared and she heard some shuffling above.
Kerena paced a little.
A part of her was scared to be close to him again and another part of her…
That other part of her was…excited.
Memory of the contact of his pelvis against hers…the feel of his tongue against her skin…Ajos appeared again and lowered himself over the edge of the hole, almost so his entire upper body was hanging down. He was upside down, his back to the roots, and one of his legs was secured by something she couldn’t see.
He stretched his spear toward her with the dangerous end facing his way.
“Can you reach it?”
Kerena gulped. She wasn’t even sure if she should touch him.
His warning kept repeating in her mind.
She had no choice, though, so she eyed the distance.
She’d have to jump, but she could definitely reach.
“I can,” she said, tying her dress around her waist. She was moving toward the handle of the spear when her gaze landed on one of the strange flowers.
She hesitated for a second before she plucked the thing and stuffed it into the band her dress had created.
“Ready?” Flattening her feet, she crouched to give herself more upward momentum and pushed off the ground with her legs.
Up she went and she almost missed the spear but managed to grab on to it with one hand.
The muscles in that arm began screaming immediately and she flailed a little, stretching hard with the other hand to grab hold of the stick.
“You can do it, Keh-reh-nah.”
She appreciated the confidence, but her entire body begged to differ. She began to slip, unable to hold her weight with the one hand, and with a loud cry, she made one last effort to grab hold of the stick with the other hand.
She did it. Her palm closed around the wood and she held on tight, taking a second to let the jittery feeling of relief flood through her.
“Can you climb up?”
“Not sure, but I have to try.” Now it was her voice that sounded strained. Her arms felt like string cheese. There was absolutely no strength in them. But as she said to him, she had to try. Glancing upward, she met Ajos’ dark gaze, and another shiver went through her, this time not because of the cold, but because of what she saw in his eyes. One thing at a time, Kerena. Deal with one thing at a time. “I will help you.” Ajos grimaced and began pulling the spear toward him.
Slowly but surely, she was lifted and Kerena forced the muscles in her arms to keep steady.
With much effort, she lifted one hand to grasp farther along the spear. Together, they could do this.
She was looking down as she was pulled up and only when the spear stopped moving did she look up again.
Air went into her nose in a sharp intake. Her face dangerously close to his.
Ajos seemed frozen as he stared down at her, and this close, his eyes were utterly terrifying.
“Ajos?”
Her voice must have lit something in his mind because, for just a moment, his pupils contracted a little so she could see a ring of gold at the edges.
“Keh-reh-nah,” he said in that way that seemed to caress every syllable. “Your garments…”
“Oh…about that…” She’d forgotten she was only in her underwear. Her only thought had been about getting out of her plant prison.
A growl rumbled from within him and now it was her time to freeze, her gaze moving over his face.
The sound made another shiver go through her.
But she wasn’t terrified.
She should be.
He himself had warned her that she’d need to run.
“You will have to climb over me,” he growled before squeezing his eyes shut. When he looked back at her, they’d gone even darker, if that was even possible. “You must do it quickly.”
Noted.
Grasping his shirt, she pulled herself upward.
It was much easier to do since he wasn't as slippery as the roots and was easier to hold on to than his spear. Soon her upper body was almost aligned with his and she smiled.
She could almost see over the edge of the hole now. Just a little more…
That’s when a groan so strong it made his entire body shudder vibrated through him. It was so powerful, she swayed a little on his chest.
Looking down, her eyes widened as she realized just why he’d reacted that way.
Her crotch was right over his head and, not realizing it, she’d cause him to bury his nose right in the center of her panties.
Ajos groaned again as he inhaled deeply.
He shuddered so hard, she almost slipped, and she realized that if she didn’t hurry, they both risked ending up in the hole.
Pushing forward, she grasped whatever she could, and something pulsed underneath her hand.
Oh shit.
Ajos groaned again and Kerena’s hand flew off him so fast, she almost fell backward.
That hadn’t been his leg she’d grabbed. “Hurry,” Ajos groaned. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she pushed forward, closing the distance between her and the edge, and climbed out of the hole.
She took a moment to release a triumphant breath before she turned and shone the light down into the hole.
Ajos swung hard and slammed his spear into the wall. Using the weapon as leverage, he hoisted himself on it as he folded his body and reached for the top of the hole.
He did it
