Primal Touch

by Amber Jacobs

  “S-sure.”

  Ashley couldn’t help but make a note of how Leandra’s breathing caught in her throat, but after a long moment she felt her relax and timidly return the embrace.

  “Great.” Ashley wriggled her lower body more firmly into her companion’s warmth. She could almost taste the heavy scent that was unique to Leandra: a distinctive combination of moist earth and wild musk that Ashley knew she was growing addicted to. “Will you be able to sleep with me like this?”

  Leandra appeared to consider the question seriously. “I don’t know. I haven’t tried for a long time. I slept with Shar-Ranjana while she was younger, but since then, no one. I should drift off, though. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Okay.” Ashley yawned and closed her eyes, feeling safe and relaxed in Leandra’s presence. “You’ll let me know if I’m annoying you, right?”

  “I will.” From somewhere deep in Leandra’s chest came the vibrating sound of contented purring. “Sweet dreams.”

  “Mmm…night,” Ashley was already half asleep, wrapping her arms tightly around the painted body next to her and pulling them close together. With Leandra’s fingers threading gently through her hair and the rhythm of her breathing lulling her senses toward sleep, Ashley’s drifting mind began replaying the day’s events over. Already the experience of meeting Shar-Ranjana and her cubs had taken on a dreamlike quality, the way such experiences often do.

  Ashley’s final semi-conscious thought was to hope that her dreams wouldn’t decide to explore more erotic territory and accidentally betray her growing attraction.

  The next morning, Ashley roused slowly from a refreshing sleep, her senses taking a moment to fully acknowledge her position. There was a moment of disorientation when she felt the unusual sensation of another person beside—and in some places, under—her, but as soon as she remembered where she was, she happily snuggled against her companion.

  “Are you awake?” the familiar raspy voice asked softly.

  “Mmm.” Ashley moaned and shook her head. “Not if it means I have to get up.”

  Low vibrations shivered through Leandra’s body as she chuckled. “Fine.” A hand reached up and fingered a strand of her hair. “I guess it won’t hurt us to sleep in.”

  “Good.” Ashley cracked an eyelid open and looked up at Leandra’s face. “If I weren’t here, you’d be out and about already, wouldn’t you?”

  “If you weren’t here, I’d probably have been out hunting through the night, so right now I’d be resting or bathing. During the day, I usually only hunt people, unless I need meat.”

  “Oh.” Ashley chewed her lower lip thoughtfully for a moment. “Tigers like to swim, don’t they?”

  “Uh huh.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yep.” Leandra shifted slightly to better accommodate Ashley lying half on top of her. “It’s a good way to cool down during the hotter parts of the day. You’ll like this waterfall I go to. It’s really secluded, and there are all these overhanging ferns and palms.”

  “Sounds nice.” Ashley yawned and stretched a little, letting her body wake more fully. “You don’t have coffee by any chance, do you?”

  Leandra shook her head. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay.” Ashley thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you ever miss all those little luxuries? It must be four years since you last had pizza, or chocolate, or beer.”

  “You get used to it after a while, like anything else. Honestly, I haven’t even thought about that stuff much since I came here.” She grinned, and added, “I think the thing that was hardest to get used to was the lack of…shall we say, personal companionship.”

  Ashley almost swallowed her tongue. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t actually think about it a whole lot, but my body still got antsy, if you know what I mean. Before, I used sex to relieve tension and to distract me from thinking about anything too hard. It took a while for me to get adjusted to using all my energy for survival, rather than pleasure.”

  Leandra had an honest, blunt way of talking about herself that Ashley had never experienced before. It was refreshing, in a strange way, and she found it easy to respond in kind. “It’s been a while for me too,” she admitted. “My job isn’t exactly conducive to building a relationship, so…” She trailed off, and grinned rakishly. “It didn’t take me long to find ways of keeping myself happy, though.”

  Leandra returned the grin and drawled, “I bet.” When their eyes met, Ashley couldn’t help but wonder whether the sparkle in those sapphire eyes might be construed as flirtatious. But then Leandra gave her a pat on the hip and rolled her off to her side, saying “All right, that’s enough sleep time. Lots to do today, so we need to get moving.”

  Ashley grumbled, but followed her tall companion’s example by sitting up and stretching. While Leandra went rummaging through her supplies, Ashley moved to the cold ashes in the fire pit, rubbing sleep from her eyes. In the back of her mind, however, she couldn’t help but be curious about the way Leandra had ended their brief conversation.

  Not much for girl-talk, huh, Jungle Jane? Why is that, when you’re so open about everything else? Ashley grinned as she started building a small fire, wanting very much to read more into her friend’s behavior than she thought was really there.

  After breakfast, which consisted of wild-grain porridge and dried fruit, Leandra took a couple of leather pouches from her supplies and led the way out of the cave. She promised it was only a short hike around the mountain to the waterfall, though she cautioned that the way was difficult and sometimes treacherous. Trudging up a steep slope littered with loose shale, Ashley blew her bangs out of her eyes and readily accepted Leandra’s hand when she offered it to help steady her balance. When the trail became too thickly overgrown with creeper vines and brambles, Leandra led the way forward on her hands and knees, encouraging a reluctant Ashley to follow. Ashley uttered a string of colorful curses after setting her hand down on a sharp thorn, wondering as she sucked her palm if it might be better to turn back.

  When they reached their destination, however, she was glad she’d stuck with it.

  At thirty feet high, the waterfall wasn’t as large as some Ashley had seen, but the plunge over dozens of jutting rocks broke the curtain of water into a series of spectacular chains that sprayed iridescent rainbows into the air in all directions. The thundering cascade drove itself hard into a deep pool of clear, emerald water, which streamed lazily away to the south over ranks of boulders. Gigantic tree ferns and majestic palms swept their fronds out over the waters, smaller plants clinging precariously to the rock face of the fall itself, adding color to the mottled browns and greys of the stone. In the canopy above, a riot of brilliantly colored birds squawked and screeched, obviously nesting close to the abundant water supply.

  Gazing at the breathtaking sight, Ashley found herself smiling. “It’s beautiful.”

  Leandra looked pleased. “Yes, and it’s very private too. Not many of the larger animals can get down here. They usually water either above or below the fall itself. See over there?” She pointed to a chunk of orange rock near the base of the precipice. “That’s the stuff I use to mix my paint. Come, I’ll show you.”

  For the next hour, Leandra showed her around the area, demonstrating how she crushed the soft rock into a powder, which she then mixed with animal fat from one of the pouches and water from the stream to create a thick, orange paste. Other rocks yielded white and brown shades, and the two of them mixed paint until Leandra judged she had sufficient quantities to cover her body. She laid the various wooden bowls on a convenient flat rock and reached for the laces of her top.

  “You ready for a swim?”

  “Sure… I guess.” Ashley flushed deep crimson as Leandra casually slipped out of her garments and tossed them next to the paint-filled bowls, then leaned forward to grab a lump of raw soap from the other pouch.
With her attraction growing stronger by the hour, it was impossible for Ashley to keep her eyes from wandering over Leandra’s toned figure. She stared helplessly for a few seconds at the painted breasts before her gaze dropped lower, journeying over defined abdominal muscles to the thatch of dark hair that lay between those powerful thighs. When Leandra turned and waded out into the pool, Ashley was treated to a perfect view of firm buttocks and a slight swagger that nearly gave her palpitations. Her fingers toyed reluctantly with the hem of her own shirt, as she watched Leandra swim out to the center of the pool, a little envious of her companion’s complete lack of abashment or self-consciousness.

  She’s not shy, I’ll give her that. Ashley wished she had that kind of boldness and lack of inhibition. She didn’t mind being naked outdoors when she was alone—traveling to remote locations instilled a certain degree of practicality in a person—but Ashley had never been one to go skinny-dipping with others. Deciding on a compromise that would let her maintain at least some sense of modesty, she stripped down to bra and panties and then waded out toward the middle of the chilly pool.

  Leandra made no comment beyond a deliciously raised eyebrow in response to the undergarments. Ashley shrugged and blushed. “I didn’t bring a suit,” she explained diffidently.

  Leandra laughed. “I didn’t say anything.” Diving under the water, she resurfaced next to Ashley and threw her wet and tangled hair back over her shoulder. “But you really don’t need to be shy. I mean, it’s just us here, right?”

  “I know, but…”

  Leandra grinned. “You have a nice body, Ashley. You’re fit and healthy. You shouldn’t be afraid to show that off.”

  “Hey, it’s not like I’m a prude or anything,” Ashley defended, wanting to poke her friend in the ribs but thinking better of it. Secretly though, she was flattered by Leandra’s assessment. She thinks I’m attractive! That’s a good start.

  “Uh huh.” Leandra’s playful gaze dropped to where the water lapped at Ashley’s cleavage. “No reason you should be,” she said, and swam over to a shallower section of the pool, where she started scrubbing herself with the coarse lump of soap. A generous lather formed, coloring orange, then darkening to brown. As the dusty paint washed away into the pool, pale skin was revealed beneath.

  Ashley was surprised by how pale Leandra was without the markings. I guess it makes sense though, she thought. After all, the paint must keep her from being exposed to much sunlight. Still, as Leandra ducked under the water and shook herself vigorously, Ashley couldn’t help but find the change in her appearance somewhat curious.

  Wet sapphire eyes blinked at her happily, and Leandra flashed a toothy grin as she swept her wild mane of dripping hair from her face. She stood in the shallow water, raising herself above the pool and spreading her arms in a simple display. “What do you think?”

  Given permission, Ashley let her eyes wander everywhere. Delicious! was her first reaction, but she decided not to give so candid an opinion. “I kind of thought you’d be more tanned,” she offered. “You know, to go with the dark hair and all.”

  Leandra inspected her arms. “That’s what I get for being nocturnal, I guess.”

  “It’s funny,” Ashley observed. “When I first saw you, I thought you looked really weird. All the paint and the claws and the wild hair. But now, I don’t even notice those things. To tell the truth, it’s a little weirder seeing you like this.”

  “The woman beneath the paint, huh?” Leandra lowered herself back into the water once more and swam out into the deeper part of the pool where Ashley was. “It’s all me though, regardless of how I look.”

  “I know.” Ashley flashed a playful smirk, then swept her arm along the surface of the water, splashing her companion full in the face. Leandra growled menacingly, but Ashley laughed and repeated her action. Predatory blue eyes locked with mischievous brown for a split second, before both women started pushing water at one another, alternately laughing and cursing. Their voices were swallowed by the thunder of the fall and the cries of the birds that flitted about the treetops.

  The two swam and played in the crystalline waters until they grew tired, then waded back to the shore. Ashley dried herself off with her shorts, but Leandra just shook herself like a dog, spraying droplets all over the place. Ashley giggled and raised an arm to ward off the deluge, grinning at her friend, who made no move to reach for her own clothes. Completely at ease with her nakedness, Leandra instead picked up the small bowl containing the orange paste. Stirring the contents with her fingertip, she began drawing a series of lines over her body in a ritual she’d obviously practiced hundreds of times before.

  Ashley tugged her shirt on over her damp head, then sat on a rock and watched the process with fascination. Stamping down the desire to focus more heavily on Leandra’s tempting breasts, she watched curiously as the jungle-woman slowly spread the paint over her sides, across her ribcage, back, and neck, and down her legs and arms. Switching to the pale white paint, Leandra then proceeded to fill in the exposed areas of her chest, under her arms, and finally along her inner thighs. With confident motions, she blurred the two tones until they merged correctly, giving her an accurate reproduction of a tiger’s coloring. When she was satisfied with her work, she stood with arms spread away from her body, face turned to the sun overhead.

  “I have to let the first coat dry before I add the stripes,” she explained. “I do my face last, since it requires a little more patience and care.”

  Ashley was amazed at the overall effect. “Do you need any help?”

  For a moment, she feared Leandra had caught her overeager tone, and Ashley held her breath a long moment until Leandra gave her a crooked, difficult-to-read smile and said, “Sure, if you’d like. You can do my back. You remember the design, right?”

  Ashley nodded quickly, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of being allowed to run her hands over her friend’s body without any guilt. When Leandra decided the chalky paint had dried sufficiently, she picked up the bowl that contained the chocolate brown paste and beckoned Ashley over. Cracks appeared in the smooth paint covering her body when she moved, and a few flakes chipped off, but the overall effect wasn’t damaged.

  As Ashley took the proffered bowl, Leandra pulled her tangled hair over her shoulder and presented her exposed back. Ashley swallowed hard and dipped a finger into the grainy paste, noticing several old scars that were faintly visible beneath the tawny orange paint. She realized after a moment that they were the marks of Shar-Tushar’s claws. With infinite care, she drew a thick, tapering line along Leandra’s lower ribcage. Encouraged by the approving grunt from her companion, she proceeded to fill in more stripes in a deliberate pattern until Leandra’s back was correctly covered. Lost in her work, Ashley continued down until her finger was tracing tantalizingly close to Leandra’s backside. When she received no comment or protest, she knelt on the ground and proceeded to apply stripes to the backs of the firm thighs and buttocks, her breath growing a little shallower as she committed every detail of the body before her to memory.

  Leandra was standing very still, face tilted up to the sky with her eyes closed, as Ashley painted a tapering line along her upper thigh. Ashley was a little disappointed to note that she wasn’t purring. She had completed half of Leandra’s left leg before the tall woman moved to assist her. Soon, Leandra was covering her chest in chocolate brown stripes. They worked in silent concert until Leandra’s body was properly decorated.

  Standing on somewhat shaky legs, Ashley looked up into clear, sapphire eyes that seemed strangely darker than usual. Without a word, she reached for the other bowls and handed them to Leandra. When all that remained was her face, Leandra accommodatingly stepped onto a lower rock so they could stand eye-to-eye. Taking this as consent to continue, Ashley began to gently cover Leandra’s features with the paint, carefully rubbing the fine, grainy paste across her friend’s high cheekbones. Leandra showed h
er where to add the paler tones, and before long, Ashley was reaching for the third bowl, ready to paint the tiger mask pattern that had become so familiar to her these last few days.

  There was, she considered, tracing fine lines around piercing eyes, something extremely erotic about the whole process of painting Leandra. It was so intimate, so physical. While she applied gently tapering short lines across the dark cheeks, Ashley was conscious of those intense eyes watching her, unblinking. She found her own eyes skipping constantly to Leandra’s full lips, feeling the magnetic pull of this woman’s allure draw her closer. She wanted to press her own lips against those that she traced with trembling fingers.

  And then, before she quite realized it was happening, Ashley found herself fulfilling that desire.

  Her eyes closed, and she moaned helplessly as she kissed Leandra with the lightest of touches. The smell of earth and water and musk filled her senses, and her hands drifted away, their task forgotten. For a timeless instant, Ashley lost herself in the sensation of heat against her lips. Then her eyes snapped open suddenly, and she withdrew, flustered and embarrassed.

  Leandra’s expression was one of surprise and uncertainty; her whole body was frozen, like a startled deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. Ashley felt a moment of pure panic lance through her, felt her heart leap into her throat as she realized what she’d done.

  “Oh, God!” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry!” Ashley backed away from Leandra, wishing more than anything she could have these last few minutes back to do over again. But what was done was done, she knew, and the stunned look in Leandra’s eyes brought cold fear, as Ashley realized that her momentary lapse into fantasy may have just destroyed their friendship. “I didn’t mean to…I mean, I shouldn’t have done…” Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. She stood helplessly for several seconds by the water’s edge, then turned and fled into the forest without another word.