Charlotte Boyett-Compo- WIND VERSE- Hunger's Harmattan by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

it takes energy.”
    She fingered the material that was soft and
pliable. “That is a handy trick, Reaper,” she laughed.
    “Don’t call me that,” he asked, and when
she met his gaze, she could see he meant it.
    “All right, ehemann ,” she said.
    Ailyn asked her what that meant.
    “It means ‘husband’ in the Amazeen
language,” she said, “and since Joinings are very rare on my world—almost
non-existent—it is a term of honor whereby a warrioress relinquishes some of
her freedom to mate with a male.”
    His smile was as bright as the sun and he
strode to her, lifted her into his arms and swung her around. “How do you say ‘wife’
in Amazeen?” he asked.
    “Oh no,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s
an ugly-sounding word and I much prefer ionúin .”
    He lowered his head to claim her lips and
the kiss he gave her made her toes curl again. It was a promise of things to
come and her entire body practically melted into his arms. When he released her
mouth, he winked at her like a little boy.
    “Let’s go play,” he said, and started
toward the chamber entrance with her.
    “Are you going to carry me all the way to
the village?” she asked.
    “All the way to the stream perhaps,” he
said. “It’s a long way to the village, ionúin, and you are no
lightweight.” He shifted her against him—tossing her up in the air as though
she weighed no more than a feather.
    Her arms were laced around his neck. “Now
you insult me, ehemann ,” she said. “I might decide to flirt with the men
in the village.”
    “You do so at their peril, wench,” he
growled as he carried her out of the cave and into the moonlight.
    The jungle was still but insects were
making noises she’d never heard before. There was a sweet scent in the air,
which he told her was jasmine. As he strode purposefully toward the meandering
stream with its waters silver-shot from the full moon overhead, he told her
about his desire to swim the length of the stream one day.
    “It winds down past the village and into
what the people of Theristes call the painted desert where it empties into a
wadi at the base. I’ve walked there but next time, I’d like to swim.”
    “I am curious about something, Ailyn,” she
said as he lowered her to the ground.
    “What?” he asked. He was haphazardly
braiding his long hair. He frowned. “Would you cut this for me when we go back
to the cave?”
    “No,” she stated emphatically then
continued speaking as though that matter was settled. “Why do you keep to
yourself up here? Didn’t you get enough solitude when you were on
Riezell-Nine?”
    “But it gets in the gods-be-damned way, ionúin,” he complained.
    “If you cut yours, I’ll cut mine.”
    “No!” he nearly shouted. “You’ll do no such
thing! I love your hair.” He reached out to touch it in the moonlight. The glow
from the heavenly body overhead seemed to catch in her white tresses and gave
her a mystical look that turned his cock hard as stone.
    “Then don’t mention cutting yours again,”
she warned. She tugged on his braid. “I find it very sexy.” Before he could
argue anymore, she ran out into the stream, laughing.
    Ailyn watched her backstroking her way
through the water and closed his eyes.
    “ Ehemann !” she protested as she felt
her clothing vanish.
    He opened his eyes and grinned at her. “You
don’t need them in there,” he said then dropped his breechclout to dive in
after her.
    She whooped and struck out in the stream,
swimming as fast as she could but she was no match for him even if it had been
over twenty years since he’d been an aquatic champion. He easily overtook her
and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her up against his naked body, his
hard cock sliding between her legs so she was straddling that powerful rod.
    “When it is safe to thrust into you, ionúin,” he said, “you are going to make me one very happy man.”
    He was supporting them in the water, his
powerful legs scissoring