As promised, I moved toward my table of herbs, facing away from her. I focused on the plants in front of me, looking them over. I checked the smell and potency of some of the medicinal tinctures that I’d prepared, testing to see if they’d steeped long enough to be ready for use.
While I worked, I also began keeping a list of the herbs I was running short of. I grew most of these plants out in my garden and harvested them as needed. But many of them required some degree of preparation. They could be made into teas or tinctures, salves, or simply dried and saved. Some of those took months to have ready, which meant that I liked to keep a careful inventory.
My eyes ran over the book next to the jars. It explained all that I needed to know about the various uses of my plants, and how to prepare them, reminding me of the ingredients I needed. I tried to focus on my research, but kept finding my mind drifting away, more interested in the sounds coming from behind me.
The gentle splashing of water told me that Claire had started her bath. By default, this meant that she was probably naked. I did my best to ignore that fact but couldn’t seem to put it out of my mind.
I had to admit that the human’s insistence on clothing did leave a bit more to the imagination. I couldn’t help but wonder what she looked like underneath all the layers. Everything I’d seen so far was attractive, but there was a lot that had never graced my eyes. Perhaps that tantalizing mystery was the reason for the clothes, after all. It brought a certain sense of intrigue.
I tried to concentrate once more on my book, resolving to give Claire the privacy that I’d promised her. But after I read the same paragraph three times, and realized I still had no idea what it said, I couldn’t resist any longer. I would take just one peek, just enough to sate my curiosity. Once that was out of the way, I’d surely be able to return to my work.
With any luck, she wouldn’t even notice.
I slowly began to turn my head, craning to see behind me. I tried to be as subtle as possible, not wanting to draw her attention. I kept telling myself that it was merely for educational purposes. I had learned much about humans during my time on Terra, but this could be the only time that I got to see what was hiding underneath their clothes.
It didn’t escape my attention that I’d never been particularly curious until now, with this woman in front of me. I’d seen plenty of human women from a distance, but she was the first to make me feel this pressing need to explore further. To take in every inch.
But I pushed that thought aside, more comfortable with telling myself that it was simply an idle interest in humans spurring me on. Even with that excuse in mind, I felt a slight twinge of guilt as I began to peek over my shoulder at her.
I caught a glimpse of the creamy skin of her bare shoulder, and there was no turning back. I couldn’t even feel guilty anymore. My mind had completely shut off, abandoning all thoughts of right or wrong. I was fixated on seeing more. Forgetting to be sneaky, I turned fully around to face her, taking in her magnificent body.
Her top half was completely exposed. She bent down to dip the washcloth in the water, giving me a perfect view of her ample breasts. She stood up, aware that I was watching her, and stared at me.
I couldn’t help but take a moment to look her over, wanting to remember the way she looked forever. She was absolute perfection. Her curvaceous hips contrasted her narrow waist, and the swell of her breasts made me long to touch them. Her skin looked smooth and tantalizingly soft, and her pink nipples stood out dramatically against the pale skin. Even the curve of her neck, accented by her hair pulled into a high ponytail, was enticing.
I finally managed to stop gawking, lifting my eyes to meet hers. As our eyes locked, I noticed two things. The first was that she wasn’t covering her nudity or hiding. She didn’t squeal and block my view with her hands, or grab one of the furs off the floor to cover herself. The second was how her eyes met mine, not with a reprimand for spying, but with a look that seemed almost excited.
She wanted me to look, I realized in amazement. And at that thought, my cock sprang into action. Despite the beauty of the woman before me, I had managed to control myself until now. But at the idea that she would share her naked form with me, my cock stiffened.
Her eyes dropped, watching my cock as it grew. Once more, I noticed that her reaction was not what I might have expected. She didn’t seem shy or bothered, but fascinated. I heard her quick intake of breath, and then she bit down gently on her bottom lip. By now, my member was rock hard, and happily giving her quite the show.
“Do you want me, little human?” I asked softly.
She tore her gaze away from my cock, flushing. She didn’t meet my eyes, instead looking off to the side, and silently shook her head no. But then she turned back, facing me to incredulously ask, “How would that even work? We’re not compatible.”
I glanced behind me, finding a particular jar of herbs, and held it up. “Yesterday, I told you that I could make you a special drink. It would help you heal faster, but there are side effects. I wouldn’t make it unless you understood and agreed.”
“Yes,” she replied slowly, remembering.
“This comes from my planet. It has healing properties, but it’s also a very potent aphrodisiac.”
She wrinkled her brow, absorbing my words. “Like a love potion? It would make me… you know, horny?”
She said the last part quietly, as though someone might overhear, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Yes. And not just that, but it can change your body. All you do is steep these herbs into a tea and drink it. Not only will you be stronger and healthier than ever, but your body will adapt to become compatible with my own.”
She stared at me in silence for a long time, her face looking both intrigued and dubious. “How do you know this?” she finally asked.
I turned to the table again, setting the jar aside for now. I began to flip through my book. When I found the page that I was searching for, I held it out to her.
“I’ve read about it. We have mated with other alien species in the distant past. It’s not common, but it’s well documented and known among my people. I personally believe that one of those species must have been yours. Your ancient myths and legends are too familiar with… well, centaurs, as you call them. That knowledge of my race had to have come from somewhere.”
She blinked at me and pondered this. “So, you’re saying that centuries ago, centaurs lived here on Earth?”
I shook my head, wanting to be clear. “I don’t have all the information. It isn’t a topic that I studied thoroughly on my home planet. It’s well researched, but not by myself. What I do know is that we traveled and mated with alien species, using this herbal tea. If you drink it, your body will absolutely be able to take mine, with no difficulty.” I cleared my throat. “And since humans know about our kind, I suspect they were one of those species. In other words, I don’t think you’d be the first.”
She stared at me in shock. Her dark eyes were as big as saucers, and I could not read the expression behind them.