Swept Away: A Krinar Story Read Free

pure terror, but he was already leading her through the opening. As soon as they stepped inside, she realized there was no more rain or wind.
    They were shielded by the bubble the god had created.

Chapter Four
    T he human girl was shaking so hard Arus thought she might pass out. He hated terrifying her like this, but he didn’t know any other way to get her out of the storm quickly. Her skin felt chilled as he held her pressed against his side, and he had no doubt the poor thing was cold.
    Cold and scared of technology she couldn’t possibly understand.
    Loosening his grip on her, Arus let her twist out of his embrace. It probably didn’t help that he was naked and hard, he thought wryly. He’d heard her gasp when her eyes landed on his erection earlier, and he had no doubt the evidence of his desire added to her nervousness. He had to calm her down, but first, he needed to make sure her health wouldn’t suffer from this storm.
    His computer was on his left wrist, so Arus lifted his arm and commanded, “Set the temperature to human comfort level.”
    He spoke in Krinar, and he could see the girl turning pale as the nanomachines went to work again, speeding up the air molecules around them to create warmth. He wished he could explain about force-field technology and microwaves, but her people knew so little about science that it would take him months to teach her just the basics.
    “I’m not going to hurt you,” he repeated instead, speaking her language. She didn’t look the least bit reassured, her eyes wide and panicky as she stared at him, and he realized there was nothing he could say to calm her down.
    He’d have to come up with another way to soothe her.
    Stepping toward the girl, Arus picked her up and sat down on the ground, holding her on his lap. She stiffened immediately, her hands pushing at him again, but he kept his grip gentle and nonthreatening, hoping she’d settle down when she saw he meant her no harm.
    “Everything is fine. You have nothing to fear,” he told her softly, stroking her hair as she kept trying to wriggle out of his hold. The feel of her ass moving on his lap was arousing him further, which wasn’t helping matters. Thankfully, after a couple of minutes, she seemed to exhaust herself and her struggles eased, letting him settle her more comfortably against him.
    “I’m Arus,” he said when she stilled completely and stared up at him, her chest heaving with rapid breathing. “What’s your name?”
    “Ares?” She tensed, her eyes growing wide again. “You’re the god of war?”
    “No. Ar-us, not Ar-es.” He repeated his name slower, letting her hear the difference. “I’m not the god of war, I promise you.”
    Her slender throat moved as she swallowed. “What kind of god are you, then?”
    “I’m not a god,” Arus said patiently. “I’m just a visitor from far away. Where I live, everybody can do what I do.”
    She stared at him, and Arus knew she didn’t believe him. Rather than waste energy trying to convince her, he asked again, “What’s your name?”
    The girl licked her lips in a nervous gesture. “I’m Delia.”
    “Delia.” Good. They were making progress. “Are you from nearby, Delia?”
    She nodded, still looking wary. “My village is to the east.”
    “Right, I thought so.” Arus kept his tone casual despite his growing hunger. He couldn’t see much of her body under her shapeless dress, but he could feel its soft, slender curves, and his gaze kept drifting down to the throbbing pulse at the base of her throat. Now that they were out of the rain, he could smell her delicate feminine scent, and his mouth watered as he imagined tasting her all over. With effort, he wrenched his thoughts away from sex. “What made you come out in the storm today?” he asked, forcing himself to carry on the conversation that seemed to be calming her.
    “I wanted to gather some mussels.” The girl—Delia—shifted on his lap, and he knew she had to feel his