He returned to their temporary shelter to find Jane sitting on the bed of leaves she had collected and staring thoughtfully across the water. The sun had almost set, shooting fiery rays of red and gold across the sparkling water, and turning the other bank into a mysterious wonderland.
“Do you think it’s any different on the other side?” she asked.
He shook his head. The jungle appeared to be the same on both sides, although the map indicated that the topography would change as they got further downriver.
“Is the whole planet like this? How much of it have you seen?”
She tilted her head and stared at him and once again he wondered if he should tell her that he was as much a stranger here as she. Unfortunately, while he now understood almost everything that she said, his ability to speak her language was minimal at best. How could he explain to her that he had been brought here too?
In the end, he simply shrugged and shook his head, fighting back his feelings of guilt. The first thing he needed to do once he had access to his own technology was to find her a translator. That thought made him freeze as he bent over his fire pit.
He knew that she assumed the location marked on the map was the way to return to her home. But she thought he was a native of this planet—she must know that if she returned to her own planet, she would be leaving him. And yet, although they had not traveled with any haste, they were still headed for that destination. Did she not care that they would be separated soon? His chest ached beneath the armored ridges and he rubbed it absently.
“Is something wrong?” Jayn’s concerned voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Noh.”
His voice came out harsher than he had intended, and she jumped, giving him a startled look. Guilt immediately washed over him, and he pulled her into his arms with an apologetic murmur. He had no right to feel betrayed at the thought of her leaving him when he intended to return to his own civilization. Although…
What if he didn’t have to leave her? What if he took her with him?
The Doturans tended to be an insular race, but it was certainly not unheard of for someone to mate outside their species. A smile curved his lips as he imagined her delight in the wonders of his civilization. He could hardly wait to take her… His thoughts ground to a halt. Take her where?
After his father had died and abandoned him, Taraxan had sold the family home—a home that no longer provided refuge. He lived aboard his ship or in military quarters when he was stationed on a planet. He couldn’t imagine that Jayn would enjoy either environment. Of course, he could give up his military commission but Doturan society was built around the military hierarchy. Pursuing any other path would mean a downgrade in both privilege and pay. Neither prospect bothered him for himself, but he intensely disliked the idea that he would not be able to provide for her in the way that she deserved.
“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” Jayn asked softly.
“Sahr-ee.”
She looked up at him, her eyes wide and trusting, and he couldn’t help kissing her. The thought of losing her gave the kiss an added urgency. Her passion flared to match his own, and he abandoned thoughts of the future as he drew her down onto the bed of soft leaves.
Chapter Ten
Jane watched sleepily as Tarax started a fire. Mr. Tiddles chittered amiably at her side, but she couldn’t drag her eyes away from Tarax.
Night had fallen while they made love, but it didn’t seem to bother him as he coaxed the wood to light. He was amazingly competent—there didn’t seem to be anything he couldn’t do, although she did wonder how he was going to create a boat without any tools. But if anyone could do it, he could.
The thought of crossing the river made her shiver, and it wasn’t simply fear of the journey. Each day they were getting closer and closer to the location on the map, and presumably to the opportunity for her to return home. The possibility no longer seemed quite as desirable as it had originally. After all, what did she have to return to?
She made a decent salary, but she worked long hours and she had little opportunity to spend the money she made. Since her mother died, she had no close relatives. No really close friends either for that matter. One of the reasons she stayed with Amanda, even though she could afford her own place, was because it gave her contact with another person.
But Earth was her home, and even though Tarax did his best to make her comfortable, she didn’t really want to spend the rest of her life in the jungle. Did she?
And what about him? Did he even have a home, she wondered as she watched him. He must have had a family at some point. Where were they now?
As if he felt her watching him, he looked up and their eyes met. There was a question in his eyes, but she didn’t know what it meant. She simply returned his gaze solemnly.
He finally gave her a half smile, then rose to his feet and came to join her. The firelight gleamed on his strong, muscled body, and he looked like some primordial warrior.
My warrior, she thought with a sudden fierce possessiveness. At least for now.
With the wide expanse of the river in front of them, the night sky was clearly visible for the first time. Millions of stars glittered in the heavens and she wondered if one of them represented her own sun. It was both frightening and oddly freeing to be so far away from everything she had ever known.
Tarax laid back on the leaves and pulled her down next to him, but he seemed content simply to hold
