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Ayla hadn’t been paying very close attention to hiet to the fire, but when she looked up to take the cup, she nearly dropped it

“What happened to your face?” she said with equal parts of shock and concern

“What do you mean?” he asked, worried

“Your beard … it’s gone!”

The shock which had ave way to a smile “I shaved it off”

“Shaved?”

“Cut it off Close to the skin I usually do it in suets itchy when I’m hot and sweaty”

Ayla couldn’t resist She reached for his face to feel the srain, an incipient roughness; scratchy, like a lion’s tongue She recalled he had no beard when she first found hiot about it He see in a childlike way, but not as a rownjaw and the slight cleft of his firm chin

Her touch held hiht tracery of her fingertips with every nerve Though she had intended no erotic ientle curiosity, his response was froroin was so iht him by surprise

The way his eyes looked at her compelled a rush of desire to know him as a man, in spite of his almost too youthful appearance He moved to reach for her hand, to hold it to his face, but with an effort, she pulled it away, picked up the cup, and drank without tasting It washim She had a sudden vivid memory of the last time they had sat face to face near the fire and that look had co him She was afraid to look at hiain But her fingertips reled

Jondalar was distressed at his instant, alentle touch He couldn’t keep his eyes away fro down like that, she seeth at her core He thought of her as a beautiful blade of flint, perfect as it fell froes delicate and translucent, yet so hard and sharp that it could cut the toughest leather in one clean stroke

O Mother, she is so beautiful, he thought O Doni, Great Earth Mother, I want that woman I want her so much …

Suddenly he ju at her Then he remembered the meal he hadHe went to get the mammoth-hipbone platter she used

Ayla heard hiet up He had jumped up so abruptly, she was convinced he had suddenly been overco, and clenched her teeth trying to stop She could not face that again She wanted to tell him to leave so she would not have to see hih her eyes were closed, when he was in front of her again, and she held her breath

“Ayla?” He could see her shivering, even with the fire and her fur wrap “I thought it ot back, so I went ahead andfor us to eat Would you like some? If you’re not too tired?”

Had she heard hi a platter He put it down in front of her, then pulled up a mat and sat down beside her There was a hare, spitted and roasted, soiven her, and even some blueberries

“You … cooked this … for me?” Ayla said, incredulous

“I know it’s not as good as you would ht be bad luck to use the spear thrower yet, so I just used a spear It takes a different casting technique, and I wasn’t sure if all that practice with the throould spoil et Go ahead, eat”

Men of the Clan did not cook They could not—they had no memories for it She knew Jondalar was more versatile in his abilities, but it never occurred to her that he would cook; not when there was a woman around Even more than that he could, and that he did, was that he had thought of it in the first place In the Clan, even after she was allowed to hunt, she was still expected to perform her usual tasks It was so unexpected, so … considerate Her fears had been entirely unfounded, and she didn’t knohat to say She picked up a leg he had cut off and took a bite

“Is it all right?” he asked, a bit anxious