Apparently I am super into dick.
I climb a rock, adjusting the two bags slung over my shoulder, grab my gathering bowl, and lean forward. I carefully move toward one of the bramble seed plants, wedging my hand inside the ring of brambles and brushing my fingers against the thick cluster of seeds in the center. With a few flicks of my fingers, the seeds loosen from their home and rain down into the bowl I'm holding underneath. Once I've gotten almost everything out of the plant, I extract my hand carefully, mindful of the brambles, and move farther down the cliff. I've been taught that you always leave a little, and to be careful not to hurt the plant itself. It's less about a meal today and more about ensuring there are plenty of meals in the future. I pour the bowl of seeds into my pouch and scan the rocks, looking for the next likely bramble seed plant.
As I do, my horny mind wanders to the newcomers.
I heard there were a few instant resonances between people, which makes me a little sad that I didn't get zapped. It'd be nice to have someone to belong to, though that's just the lonely, romantic side of me talking. The practical side tells me I'd probably get stuck with some asshole, and I should be glad I'm just as single this morning as I was last night. Single and ready to mingle—
"Ho!"
I nearly fall off the rock I'm perched atop. I drop the bowl, and it goes crashing to the ground. With a crack, it smashes into pieces and seeds scatter on the pebbled beach. "Fuck."
The newcomer jogs up, all smiles. "Did I startle you?"
"No, I just always fling things to the ground when people greet me," I grumble, my gaze glued to the rocks so I don't fall and shatter into large pieces just like the bowl did. When my feet plant on the ground, I breathe a sigh of relief and look over.
It's him.
Goliath.
If possible, he looks even sexier today than he did yesterday. He approaches me, all teasing grin and beard and stunning eyes. His long hair flutters in the wind, and he's wearing nothing but a loincloth and some boots. And lord have mercy, he is working that loincloth. It looks like it's filled to capacity. I'm such a tramp for even noticing, because my pulse starts fluttering decidedly south of the border once I do.
Naughty Bridget, naughty.
He bends down and picks up a piece of the bowl, offering it to me. "I did not mean to make you break this. My apologies."
I take it from him, a little skitter of pleasure going up my spine when our fingers brush. "It's all right. The bone stuff is pretty fragile. The other morning, I saw Liz break three cups in a row. It happens. That's why someone's always carving more." Annnnd great, now I'm running my mouth about dishware. I'm sure he's thrilled. "Are you looking for someone?" I ask, breathless.
His smile grows wider. "You."
"Oh." It's a blatant answer, and I'm both flustered and flattered. "I'm Bridget. Hi."
"B'shit," he agrees, pleased. "I am called A'tam."
I flinch at his mangling of my name. It shouldn't be a surprise, given that I've heard the sa-khui call me Bree-shit for weeks now. They can't pronounce a G to save their lives, and I have the unluckiest name of all time. "Bridget," I correct gently. "Nice to meet you, too."
He eyes me, as if proud of himself for finding me. There's a broad grin on his face, and it's both amusing and arrogant at the same time. I'm glad I spent a little time preening this morning. My hair's freshly washed and prettily braided with a pale strip of leather worked into the weave, and I'm wearing my nicer tunic. Flor helped me put a bit of charcoal on my lashes to darken them and she smoothed my eyebrows for me, since there's no mirror. Basically I'm about as good as a feral beach-girl on an ice planet can be.
It's clear A'tam finds no wrong in my appearance, though. His smile grows broader, and his gaze slides to my boobs.
Men will be men everywhere, I suppose. That's fine—I'm down for a little flirting.
I give him my best smile and eye him. "You just going around scaring everyone on the beach, then, A'tam?"
He laughs again, the sound bright and pleasant. "No, just you."
"Lucky me." I bend down and start to pick up the seeds mixed in with the sands. There's a few to be found, but mostly I just hate losing all that food. I know how hard it is to come by.
He kneels down and helps me. "I am sorry if I made you drop everything. I was just excited to see you."
A hot, dirty little squiggle of delight starts in my belly. "Me?"
"I saw you last night across the fire and thought you were beautiful." His voice is fervent and rich with desire, and it sends a little thrill through my body. "I knew you were my mate."
Er…this guy doesn't know the meaning of moving slow, it seems. I play it cool, though. "I'm pretty sure matings only happen when there's resonance, right? That's what I've been told."
"That is a true mating. You and I can pleasure mate until we resonate later."
I arch an eyebrow at him. "So confident."
He shrugs. "Why would I not be? You are everything I want in a mate."
"You don't know me." I'm flattered beyond all belief, but it's the truth. I just learned his name a whole minute ago.
"I will get to know you, then, and you will become my mate." He says this as if it's the most logical thing in the world. A'tam picks up one of the broken pieces of the bowl and holds it out to me. "What do you wish to know?"
My lips twitch with amusement. I'm flattered, of course, but I'm also a little shocked at his bluntness. "This is all very Tarzan of you, you know." When he cocks his head at the unfamiliar word, confused, I wave it off. "Never mind. I just…" I glance around, then get to my feet, gesturing at one of the vines growing out of the cliffs. "You can help me collect seeds."
"I will enjoy that," A'tam tells me. "No one will be better at collecting seeds than me."
"You're lucky you're pretty," I murmur. "Anyone else might not get away with all this."
He just grins at me. "So you do find me attractive?"
I give him an exasperated look. "Did you seek me out just so we could talk about how hot you are?"
"Of course not." He scoffs. "I wanted to learn your name, too."
I can't help it. I laugh. When he gives me an impish look, I decide I like him after all. He's brash and arrogant, but he also doesn't seem to take himself too seriously. Wrap that all up in a pretty package and I can already tell I'm going to fall hard. "Well," I say. "You've got my name now. Is that all you want to know about me?"
"Why do you not have a tail?" he returns immediately.
I laugh again. "Why do you think a tail is the default? What if I'm the normal one and you're the weirdo?"
"Bah. A tail is normal. Look at the creatures in the wild and tell me how many do not have tails." A'tam shakes his head, scanning the cliffs. "Show me where to get these seeds."
Mmm, excellent point. I move forward, adjusting the pouches I have slung like messenger bags against my hip. I point at the cliffs. "See the prickly-looking tufts?" When he nods and moves forward, I keep talking. "What we'll do is we have to carefully reach inside and…"