Redeeming Factors (Revised)

by James R. Lane

  The shroud of her hair as well as the thick carpet muffled her voice, yet he could hear a distinct tremble in it. “This is how our m-males prefer us to r-receive them when…when t-they—”

  “HOLD it!” he barked, making her jump like she’d been struck with a whip. “Sit up, S’leen. Now.” She sat up, rocking back on her heels, an openly frightened look on her face he suspected wasn’t entirely due to the commanding tone of his voice. “You’ve flirted, you’ve teased, you’ve vamped and you’ve all but raped me.” He swiveled around on the floor to sit facing her in a more-comfortable cross-legged position.

  He reached out and took her delicate, trembling hands, saying in a much softer voice, “But it’s all been an act, hasn’t it? Despite the jokes we humans make about rabbits screwing every chance they get, I know that H’kaah society frowns on what we humans call ‘pre-marital sex’.” She looked even more frightened. “And since Patrons is careful to bring only unattached H’kaah here for these jobs, that means most, if not all of the females I met today are virgins.” By this time her whole body was trembling, and she looked like she wanted to run and hide from what he was saying. “Am I right, S’leen? Hmmm?”

  Tears began welling up in her beautiful eyes, and she eventually said, “Y-yes—but it was NOT an act! I really DO want you, Jack. All children have fantasies, and even as I became an adult I never dreamed I would actually m-meet someone so powerful, yet so kind and…and gentle.”

  She blinked and sniffed, and Ross fished a handkerchief from the hip pocket of his shorts and said, “Wipe, then blow, and sometime real soon you’re gonna learn how to wash all these snot rags you’re using.” He smiled warmly at her and was pleased to see a momentary smile in response. “C’mon, let’s get up off the floor and act like we both have some sense.” He stood, then pulled her to her feet. She was still trembling all over, still very unhappy.

  “But—”

  “‘But’ what?” he said.

  “We…we did not—You did not—”

  “What? Screw you ‘till your ears fell off?” She looked

  shocked, then hung her head. He gently folded her into his arms, but even as he tenderly stroked her hair she continued trembling. “Getting upset about this isn’t helping things, S’leen. We’re forming a very unusual, very special relationship, and you need to give serious thought to what you really want out of it. For now, though, let’s get comfortable on the couch and see if we can get you to quit shaking.”

  They stretched out once again on the oversize sofa, but this time Ross prepared to cover them both with a light cotton blanket he took from an ottoman’s storage area. “The sun’s almost down and it’s getting cool in here. Your fur, along with the blanket’s insulation and the heat from my body should do the trick.” He suddenly smiled, then said, “Stay where you are; I want to get out of these,” and while she watched in wide-eyed amazement he quickly skinned out of his t-shirt and shorts, leaving only a pair of low-cut white briefs between his skin and the world.

  In the dim light her acute vision picked out numerous skin imperfections on his torso that she suddenly realized were scars—lots of scars.

  “Always wondered how rabbit fur would feel against my tender pink body,” he said with a grin, “and this is as good a time as any to find out.” Quickly reclaiming his position on the edge of the couch he spread the lightweight blanket over them both. “Maximum contact works best, so snuggle up close and make sure your legs are up against mine.”

  “And then what?” she hesitantly asked, perplexed.

  “And then you relax. We’re not playing games, S’leen, and you’re NOT going to shove a knee into my bladder again. What you ARE going to do is lie there and calm down; as for me, I plan to take a nap.” Since the room was lit only by fading sunlight and what little light spilled from the kitchen and stairway, he quit talking, freed his left arm from under her head and closed his eyes.

  And went to sleep.

  * * *

  The evening progressed into night and over the next hour S’leen did as she was told. Ross hadn’t lied when he said he planned to nap, and within minutes his steady breathing told her he was, in fact, asleep. A short time later he began snoring quietly. It took a while before she recovered from her emotional roller coaster, but eventually her trembling subsided. Ross’ solid, secure presence helped, and his suggestion that she think about what she wanted out of their relationship helped, too.

  She was young, and like most of her species, actually quite timid. She had been well educated on her homeworld, but she was beginning to understand that in the interstellar scope of things her education had massive gaps. It finally sunk in that she was a long way from home, and completely at the mercy of creatures that EAT the flesh of other species.

  She started trembling again.

  Ross turned slightly toward her in his sleep and buried his face in the area between her shoulder and neck, his warm, garlic-scented breath ruffling her fur. That simple, unconscious demonstration of absolute trust amazed her, and she found it had an immediate calming effect. Ross’ bare throat lay only inches from her large, sharp rabbit-like front teeth, yet he appeared totally at ease. Either he was crazy—which she sincerely doubted—or he actually understood her turmoil better than she did herself. S’leen suddenly realized that her affection for this nearly hairless alien male was growing with leaps and bounds.

  Then Ross farted like a horse, and while still asleep, tried to turn onto his right side—and proceeded to roll right off the couch.

  “UNGH!” and an intense stream of invective followed the thud of his impact on the carpet, but it subsided as S’leen’s ringing peals of helpless laughter quickly tempered his indignant outrage at winding up on the floor. In moments he, too, found the absurdity in the situation and snarled in mock anger, “You enjoyed that, didn’t you, fuzzybutt?” She answered him with even more laughter. He squinted at his watch in the faint light spilling from the kitchen, then activated the timepiece’s internal light. “Christ! It’s only eight-thirty.” He peered at his giggling companion up on the couch, then propped his arms and upper body on the edge of the seat cushion next to her. “Well? Got yourself sorted out yet?”

  She was sitting cross-legged on the couch, and she grinned down at him, her teeth startling white in the gloom. “I have been foolish about a lot of things, Jack, but agreeing to be your companion was not one of them. Here it is, our first day and already we have, as your people say, ‘slept together’— yet I am still a virgin.” She gently laughed and, reaching down, cradled his smiling face in her hands. “While our kind do not ‘kiss’ in the manner of your people it is something I might want to investigate.”

  “Right now the main thing you need to ‘investigate’,” he said wryly, “is your bedroom, since we still need to get you unpacked and settled in.” The look on her face prompted him to add, “I made room in there for your things several days ago. Whether you SLEEP there or not is entirely up to you.” That seemed to satisfy her for the moment so they got to their feet, Ross turned off the light in the kitchen and they headed upstairs.

  Ross let her go ahead of him. He really enjoyed the view.

  * * *

  Once in her room it didn’t take long to unpack her modest possessions. She had several of the lightweight satin two-piece outfits like she had worn home from Patrons. They came in various colors and with dainty sandals to match, and she also had a couple of one-piece filmy nightgowns. Personal hygiene items made up a small part of her inventory, and she had brought a small supply of necessary vitamin and mineral supplements. As part of the service, Patrons would supply her with more of them as needed.

  “I understand that scrubbing your pelt with soap as often as we humans wash our smelly hides would lead to all kinds of problems,” Ross stated. “Still, I don’t want this house stinking like a rabbit hutch, and I don’t want you getting ‘skunky’ on me.” The last was said while she was arranging items in a drawer, and when she wheeled around to laun
ch an indignant retort at him she found him grinning and already ducking anything she might throw at him. “Gotcha!” he laughed.

  “Jack, that was rude!” she wailed. “I bathe when needed and brush my fur every day! These,” and she held up several bottles and plastic bags, “are oils and herbs that—”

  “Peace, S’leen! I was KIDDING, fur pity’s sake! I know just how fastidious you H’kaah are; I’ve been to your homeworld, remember?” When he saw that she wasn’t going to brain him with anything he cautiously stepped closer to her, then performed an exaggerated Oriental bow.

  Lightning-quick, she stepped to his left side and, using one of her powerful legs, swept his feet out from under him. Ross dropped like a rock, landing flat on his belly. S’leen pounced on him to sit straddle on his back, but she was careful to avoid jabbing him with her knees and elbows.

  “Uncle,” came the carpet-muffled voice from under her.

  “What? I don’t understand.”

  “I give up,” Ross wheezed. “You win both the round and the match. I’m tired of getting pounded into the floor. Any more of this and I won’t be able to move tomorrow.”

  She climbed off his back and quickly danced out of his reach. This time, though, he didn’t try anything. Groaning, he slowly got up from the floor, blood dribbling from his mouth.

  “Yiii!” she squealed, leaping to help him.

  “S’awright,” he muttered, fending off her offers of help. “Just bit my lip when I hit the floor. No big deal.”

  “Jack, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

  “Hey, it’s OK!” He grinned in a lopsided, ghastly way, his teeth stained red like he had been dining on raw meat. The visual effect looked so predator-like S’leen suddenly had to fight back an instinctive urge to run.

  Ross saw that matters were about to take another bad turn so he stepped up his efforts to soothe her. “This is nothing compared to the injuries I got while I was in the military,” he stated casually. “Hell, I sometimes get banged up worse than this playing basketball with my friends.” He stepped into the bathroom that connected two of the three smaller bedrooms and washed the wound, then sprayed it with antiseptic. “See, just a cut and it’ll heal in a day or so.”

  S’leen still looked apprehensive but Ross brushed off her concerns, saying, “You’re making a big issue out of nothing, Dear. If this is the worst I get while roughhousing with you I’ll consider myself lucky.

  “But now,” and he held out a hand and gently folded her trembling form into a warm embrace, his powerful hands caressing her head and massaging her tense shoulders and neck, “I’m going to bed.” As her fearful trembling subsided he slowly glided his right hand down her sleek back. When it reached her tail he continued the motion, gently stroking it. She rose up on her toes and reverse-arched her back, which simultaneously pressed her flat belly and firm breasts against him while presenting her derriere for further attention.

  In time her anxiety was forgotten as more pleasurable feelings gained the upper hand, and they eventually moved out of her room and into his. As he turned off the lights he muttered, “Something tells me I’m gonna be hurting a lot worse in the morning.”

  Chapter 3

  *Rocky Road*

  Soft chimes brought Jack Ross out of a deep, satiated sleep. He listened for a moment, then manfully croaked, “Alarm clock—OFF!” The melodious tones obediently squelched their insistent noise and Ross cheerfully bounced out of bed to greet the new day.

  Like hell he did!

  Every muscle in his body cursed him. Muttering darkly, he in turn swore at everything he could think of, including the daylight streaming past the breeze-billowed window curtains. Still, putting off the inevitable would solve nothing so he resisted the temptation to simply ignore the morning’s call and go back to sleep. Ross dutifully commanded his tired, battered body to rise to the occasion.

  And when it failed to heed the order he commanded it again. And again. And once more.

  Being battered, bruised and thoroughly spent, it steadfastly refused to do much more than shiver in the cool morning air.

  “S’leen!” he tried to bellow, but it came out more like a whimper. “Where—?” Then he realized the lumpy sheet next to his cold, naked body was something more than a pile of fabric. The sheet moved slightly, then moved again in a more determined fashion. Eventually a honey-gold furred arm worked its way out to freedom from the FAR end of the pile. Moments later something resembling a large, honey-gold rabbit’s foot poked out from the NEAR end of the pile, narrowly missing his head.

  “Hey! Knock it off before you knock my HEAD off!”

  A muffled, unintelligible chitter-squeak sounded from the nether end of the bed, then it became equally muffled English. “Jack? Where are you? Where am I—?“

  “Christ, S’leen, you’ve made yourself a nest in the bed sheet.” In a display of questionable judgment he reached over and started pulling and tugging on various parts of the sheet. “Quit kicking! You’re gonna tear my head off with one of those big mud mashers of yours. Just let me get you untangled and—GOD but it hurts when I move!”

  After a period of additional invective and struggling he finally unwrapped her like a big, plush-toy Christmas present. She appeared momentarily disoriented, then squinted at the morning light streaming through the billowing curtains. A few seconds later she yawned and stretched, lithe like a big cat. During this display Ross watched her in silence, admiring her feminine curves and shapes and noting the obvious differences that separated her from a human female. He finally decided, a faint smile softening his worn features, that his morning aches and pains had been well worth it.

  But after waiting patiently for her to take notice of him he finally understood the coy game she was playing. At that point he grabbed the foot nearest his head and bit one of the big, furry toes.

  She screamed like a dying rabbit and tried desperately to rescue her imperiled toe, but he had anticipated her reaction and held on bulldog-tight for two long seconds. When it looked like Ross was in danger of losing his teeth he released the impressive, claw-tipped digit and quickly scooted himself out of harm’s way.

  “Ignore me at your peril!” he yelled over her outraged squealing, then grinned evilly while she made a show of inspecting her insulted appendage. After determining that there was no permanent damage she snarled at him, drawing back her lips to reveal an impressive set of teeth, complete with rabbit-like front ones, but he countered her snarl with one of his own. “Don’t threaten me with your dental work, Dear,” he growled menacingly. “I have a full set of my own, and I know LOTS of places you’d rather I not use them.”

  They held the tableau for a few more seconds, then both broke into cheerful laughter. “While your teeth are small,” she said with a smile, “I fear they are capable of inflicting substantial damage.”

  “Mankind didn’t become rulers of this dirtball by being timid,” he stated, “and countless trophy heads sporting fangs far nastier than ours adorn our walls.” He clacked his human-puny teeth at her.

  S’leen crawled across the king-size bed to where he was now propped up on a couple of pillows, tightly cocooned like an encapsulated moth in a light blanket he had retrieved from the floor. “I’m freezing!” he griped. “I forgot to shut the windows before we went to bed.”

  “Would you like me to warm you?” she asked with a coquettish smile. “Hmmm, a nice fur coat would probably do the trick, all right. Think I could borrow yours?” She deftly unwrapped his blanket and said, “Shall we see if it fits?”

  * * *

  It was mid-morning before they came downstairs to eat breakfast. Ross was showered and shaved, and had on a clean pair of khaki Dockers, a flowered sports shirt and his deck shoes, minus socks; S’leen simply wore her fur, freshly cleaned and conditioned with the mildly fragrant herbs she loved.

  He wanted a big plate of steak and eggs, but in deference to his breakfast partner he made due with coffee and a bowl of Wheaties in skim milk. Aft
er all, he wryly thought, the previous night’s performance proved he was still a ‘champion’. S’leen enjoyed a large orange, two slices of cantaloupe and a cup of hot, sweet tea, refusing to try Ross’ coffee. Most alien species turned their assorted noses up at the roasted bean beverage, one of mankind’s favorite indulgences.

  When through eating, Ross portioned out a small handful of multicolored pills, dutifully washing them down with more coffee. “Vitamins and nutritional supplements, Dear,” he explained. “But if last night’s any indication I’m afraid I’ll have to double my daily dosage of ‘powdered goat gonad’; otherwise you’ll wear me out before our contract expires.”

  The joke went completely over her head, but having to explain it didn’t, as he’d feared, completely ruin the effect. In fact, she took him seriously at first, her eyes widening in shock at the idea of someone ingesting such a substance for any reason. When he could no longer hold a straight face she suddenly caught on to the absurdity. Ross was unmercifully pelted with orange peels and melon rinds. Her aim was quite accurate, too.

  * * *

  Late morning found the pair strolling the estate’s grounds and enjoying the balmy Florida springtime weather. Seeing the H’kaah’s look of wonderment with each new detail of his small corner of Paradise made Ross proud of the hard work and money he’d invested in both his home and its newest resident.

  But after a time he frowned, saying, “You like it here now, but what happens when the temperature reaches the mid— to upper-nineties? Earth-native rabbits don’t perspire to help shed heat, which means you’re going to stay hot most of the time. Also, we have lots of bugs in this sub-tropical region, S’leen, and every wild rabbit I’ve, uh, seen had more than its share of ‘unwelcome passengers’.”