A/N: This is just a short chapter, but it's one of my favorites. It wasn't a part of my original outline, it just kind of wrote itself. When that happens, I like to say that the characters took over, and that's usually a good thing!

XXXXXX

Rey wasn't sure what woke her the next morning, but she immediately became aware that her position hadn't changed much from the night before, and for that she was glad. She shifted ever so slightly, very aware that Poe's arm had moved up from where he had placed it last night and his hand was very close to her breast, his curled fingers just brushing the inner curve. If he moved those fingers just a bit…

A loud huffing sound caught her attention, and her eyes shot open. In the grey light of the early morning, she could see what was making the short, sharp roaring noise. An adult male jaguar was on the other side of their fire pit, watching them with large golden eyes. Rey's mouth opened in astonishment and she felt her heart start to thump wildly in her chest. She felt Poe's fingers move, but not how she had envisioned them moving before opening her eyes. His hand moved down under her breasts and she felt him place his palm firmly against her ribcage, almost as if he was holding her steady. She knew then that he was awake and watching the big cat just as she was.

The jaguar huffed a few more times, then padded over to sniff at Rey's pack. Her eyes roamed the huge feline, one of the strongest, most dangerous of all wild animals. His feet had to be as big as her hand, if not bigger. And those canine teeth? She didn't even want to imagine what damage they could do to her. Yet, she wasn't so much afraid as simply excited. The adrenaline pouring through her was almost overpowering. She heard Poe's whisper in her ear. "He's just checking things out. He's not hunting."

Rey swallowed and nodded ever so slightly. The cat continued to move about the clearing, glancing at them every so often. He moved toward the spring, hunkering down to reach the water, and she watched in fascination as he drank. Just like her domestic cats back home, his tongue curled backward as he lapped up the water rather than forward like a dog. He suddenly sat up, his attention toward the jungle he had come from. More huffing came from the trees and Rey felt her heart stutter. Another one? But the sounds didn't come closer and the male, giving them one more annoyed glance, bounded off toward the cry.

Rey released the breath she just realized she had been holding. She turned her face up to look at Poe, who had lifted his upper body so he could look down at her. The look of awe on his face must have mirrored hers. "Off to join his mate, I'm assuming," he whispered.

She smiled. "That was amazing," she said softly. He smiled back, but the smile began to fade and his eyes seemed to darken as he continued looking at her. She met his gaze, challenging him. He accepted her challenge, dipping his head down to take her lips with his own. She responded by bringing her hand up to cup the back of his head, threading her fingers through his thick hair. The adrenaline pumping through her found an outlet as she eagerly met his tongue with her own.

Good God, the man could kiss. He didn't just use his lips and tongue, but his whole mouth. She felt as if he was trying to swallow her whole, and she was perfectly okay with that. He shifted and leaned over her, pushing her onto her back, and the hand that had been resting on her ribcage finally did what she had been hoping it would do since she woke up. He cupped her breast with it, his large hand completely enveloping the small mound of sensitive flesh. She arched her back, pushing up into his touch and moaned into his mouth.

He pulled away, gasping for air, and she realized that his eyes looked as dark as they did because his pupils were blown wide open. She had read about that, and wondered if her own eyes had dilated with desire. He looked at her for a moment, then his head dipped down and those lips found her neck. His beard tickled, and she smiled as she lifted her chin, offering him more skin to suck and lick. She felt moisture pool between her legs and gasped. Never had anything other than her own imagination caused such a reaction. She swallowed, and pushed lightly on his shoulder. "Poe?" she breathed.

Somehow, he heard her. He lifted his head, his eyes hooded and provocative, focusing on her.

"I…" she started. She took a deep breath. "I've never done this before."

He looked at her for a long while, almost as if he couldn't comprehend what she had said, but soon he was blinking rapidly, as if he was waking up from a dream. "Never?" he whispered incredulously.

She licked her lips and shook her head. "Never." Then she amended her statement. "I mean, not with someone." She felt her face heat at that admission. She was definitely going to have to go to confession when she got home.

Poe pushed himself up a bit more on the one arm that wasn't touching her. He tilted his head at her. "How?" he asked, his voice still disbelieving. "How can a woman as beautiful and perfect as you be untouched?"

She felt her face heat even more at his compliments. She bit her lip and shrugged. "It's a long story?"

He huffed a laugh, then looked off in the direction the jaguar had gone. He swallowed, then he pushed himself off of her, untangling the blanket that had been covering them as he jumped gracefully to his feet. Rey felt bereft as the heat and weight of his body left her. She lay there for a while, listening as he moved over to the firepit and started fiddling with it. She sat up slowly and looked at him. He seemed to be thinking hard as he squatted down, poking at the ashes with a stick.

He looked at her intently, then stood suddenly and moved over to his pack, pulling out his GPS. He looked at it, then looked back at her. "How about we eat a cold breakfast this morning so we can get moving ASAP?"

Rey swallowed. Well, that answered that. "Okay." But she wasn't going to leave it at that. "Why?"

"There's a place I know not too far up ahead. Miguel and his father showed it to me around the same time they showed me the cave, but I've never been back to this spot. It's less than a day's hike from Ajara, but it's secluded. Secret." His look became intense. "It'll be a good place to rest up before we get to Ajara and whatever awaits us there." The corner of his mouth curled up and one eyebrow raised suggestively. "You'll love it."

Rey began to wonder if he hadn't really changed the subject after all. If this 'secret' place was meant for more than resting. Don't get your hopes up, Rey, she told herself. She nodded to him.

"Let's go."

XXXXXX