CH 19 - Unexpected Guest

Karen’s first awareness of waking was the gentle protests of her body. Movement required effort. She heard a scramble of activity close by and opened her eyes to see Logan’s worried face hovering over her, brushing strands of hair back from her face.

“Karen, can you hear me? Are you alright?”

She blinked at him and considered the question. Am I alright?

Every part of her felt tender, especially between her legs. It was a strange, but not uncomfortable sensation. Quite the opposite in fact. For the first time ever, the gnawing, ever-present lust of her damnation had been ... satisfied? No, that word was too weak.

Beaten to a pulp with an orgasm hammer, she decided.

“You’re smiling.” Logan breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m going to take that as a good sign.”

He helped her to sit up. “What happened?” she asked.

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

Karen blinked a few times and struggled to focus. She could see the worry in his eyes and something else ... guilt? Memory of their wild encounter returned and with it, recollection of her efforts to encourage his very enthusiastic response.

“Did I pass out?” she asked.

Logan looked shaken. “Yes, you did. We were having sex, we both came and then ... you blacked out. A moment later you started to convulse like you were having a seizure! It was terrifying and there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it. Thankfully, it didn’t last long and you seemed to settle down. That was hours ago. You have been unconscious ever since, until just now.”

“I am so relieved to see you awake!” He reached out as if to touch her hand, then hesitated. “I am so sorry. I honestly don’t know how this happened. Did I hurt you?”

“I ... no, you didn’t,” Karen replied, then laughed. “Not at all.” She smiled. “I liked it. A lot.”

“I honestly have no ideas what came over me,” he scowled.

At his stricken expression, Karen reached out to squeeze his hand and offer a sweet smile. “It’s fine. You know I would do anything for you. You can have my body anytime you want it. Any way you want. I adore having you inside me.”

Leaning back, Karen rubbed her belly and sighed. “Truth be told, I feel amazing! My skin feels all tingly. I can still feel your seed inside of me. It’s still warm!”

“Still warm? he asked. “How? That was hours ago.”

Karen smiled and shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t care. It feels good. That’s all that matters to me.”

The next moment caught them entirely by surprise, all three of them.

A man walked around a corner and into the orange, crystal light. In his open palm was a golf ball-sized shard of crystal glowing with a dim, beige-colored light. He was naked, thin, pale, middle-aged, and otherwise thoroughly unremarkable looking. Dirty, blonde hair barely covered his scalp in wispy, strands. His eyes, a pale brown, flew wide open as his gaze swept across Logan’s camp sight and on them. He stared at Logan. The man’s mouth fell open in shock.

He began to back away. “Oh! I am so sorry. There isn’t supposed to be anyone ... I didn’t realize...”

Logan leaped to his feet, slinging the scabbard from his sword blade and pointing it at the intruder. Somehow, the man’s eyes got even bigger as terror painted his features in lines of near panic.

“Stop!” Logan barked. “Don’t move. You so much as breathe wrong and I will cut you in half.”

The man obeyed and staggered to a sudden halt, holding his hands up in surrender. “I meant no harm! I thought the cavern empty and was just passing through to the outside. Please don’t hurt me!”

Karen watched the scene play out, torn between conflicting emotions. A cold trickle of fear crawled down her spine at having an intruder in their shelter. At the same time, a pulsing warmth radiated from her core to look at Logan standing there, half-naked and all burnished muscle. Armed and fearless in his determination to keep her safe from a hostile world.

“Passing through from where?” he demanded in his deep, sexy growl.

The stranger licked his lips and glanced back the way he had come but offered no answer.

Logan nodded. “From deeper in the caves then. You didn’t think anyone would be here and I have been here for more than a week. That means you live back there, doesn’t it?”

Karen could not help but admire Logan’s quick mind. Almost as much as she appreciated his other attributes. She watched as the man reluctantly nodded.

Logan considered, then reached down for the scabbard and sheathed the sword. “Alright then. You don’t look like a threat, so let’s sit down and start again like civilized people. My name is Logan.”

Logan eased down to a sitting position and gestured for the other man to do the same. Karen sat to one side, silently observing. The air was charged with tension. The newcomer looked ready to flee at a moment’s notice. As if he expected Logan to sprout fangs and claws.