She paused at the base of the tree, listening.

Nothing. Romy put a slight weight on her ankle and winced. Last night's dash through the forest had set back her healing.

A warm body slid behind her as she made to turn. In an instant, one muscled arm clamped around her waist. She sucked in a terrified breath. He was too close to elbow, and her injured ankle couldn’t hold enough weight for her to kick out. Romy whipped both arms up above her and encircled his neck, intending to bend over far enough to break his hold.

Her plan backfired.

Using his other hand, the man took control of both her hands, encasing them in an iron clasp. Romy struggled against him, arms lifted awkwardly, forced to rise on her tip-toes from the pain in her wrists.

A voice rumbled in her ear. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

The Earth human spoke! “Get off me,” she ordered.

The man tightened his grip. “No.”

He spoke English. She was in an English-speaking country.

“Release me if you mean no harm.” She pulled at his grip.

“Why would I?” came the infuriating answer. “You’ll run.”

Oddly, his reply only served to sear away her galloping fear. Romy let her entire body go slack. “Well, who are you, then?”

The man's chest vibrated behind her. Was he . . . laughing at her? She threw her head back and caught him in the face. It didn’t crunch as she’d intended, but it was satisfying.

. . . Until she found herself flat on her back.

He straddled her hips, and no matter how she writhed, it was impossible to free herself. The man just watched her, in slight amusement.

Realising she wasn’t going anywhere, Romy gave up her struggle and took a good look at her attacker.

The tall man was tan with jet-black hair and the most incredible grey eyes. He was older than her, but just by a few years.

Her stomach flipped. The acid water. Was it finally taking effect?

“Who are you? Why are you here?”

“Saving you from a crocodile. Would have thought that obvious. What kind of fool washes without checking the water first?”

Romy gulped at the reminder while trying to process what he’d just said. “Crocodile?”

The man observed her, grey eyes turned flinty and hard. And the way he was staring while continuing to pin her down was really getting on her nerves.

She broke the quiet. “You didn’t tell me who you are. Are you an . . . Earth human?” Romy ground the words out.

His expression smoothed. “I crashed here five years ago.”

The air left Romy’s lungs. “W-what?”

He was from the Orbitos. That made her feel a lot better.

The man nodded. “Crashed. Been by myself.”