by Bianca D’Arc
Grady Prime was one of a kind. If she ever got the chance to make love to him, she wasn’t sure she would survive the encounter. Not if this kiss was anything to go by. She could very well just spontaneously combust and float away on the wind, never to be seen again. But what a way to go.
His presence was nearly overwhelming. At the same time she felt protected, even cherished. He gave as much as he took and she could tell from the gentle way he handled her, he was being very careful not to hurt her in any way. He was almost too careful, as some big men were prone to be around her. In her father’s dojo, big guys had often made the mistake of treating her like a China doll just once before she’d taught them otherwise.
She’d relish the chance to teach Grady the same—in the bedroom, however, not the dojo. She didn’t want to fight with him. She wanted more than anything, to feel his strength as he slid home into her needy, greedy body.
It was that shocking thought that finally penetrated the sensual fog surrounding her. Gina pulled away and Grady Prime let her go after only a moment’s hesitation. He didn’t let her go far. His arms remained loosely around her as he sought her gaze, concern in his.
“Should I apologize?”
The uncertainty in his tone touched her. She knew he wasn’t used to having feelings and probably had little experience with the minefield of emotion involved in male-female interactions at the best of times.
This was the worst of times. She was leaving soon. She had no time to spare for an involvement like this. She shouldn’t start anything with him, knowing she was leaving. It wouldn’t be fair to either one of them.
“No, Grady. It’s I who should be apologizing to you. I shouldn’t have let it go this far. It’s not right.”
“It feels very right to have you in my arms, Gina. I have been with many women, but none have ever touched me as you do.”
She wasn’t sure she liked hearing the part about him being with many women before her, but she did like the sincerity of that last bit. Still, she was probably just a novelty to him, now that he had shiny new emotions to try out.
She backed away and he let her go, albeit reluctantly.
“You heard the Patriarch. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow,” she said with finality. “My mission is a long-term one. I won’t be back this way anytime soon and I doubt out paths will cross again for a long time—if ever. It wouldn’t be right to start something I can’t finish. I hope you understand. Otherwise…” She had to pause to collect herself.
She was this close to saying to hell with it and dragging him off the path into the loamy forest. She was that hot for him. That desperate. And the thought of it scared her. She was barely in control here and that was never a good thing for a woman who’d trained her entire life to be in control at all times.
“Otherwise—” She tried again. “I’d enjoy getting to know you better, Grady. You’re an attractive man. In fact, you’re the first man I’ve been this attracted to in a long time, but circumstances are against us right now. I’m sorry.”
“No sorrier than I am, Gina. I know you don’t realize the significance yet, but you could very well be my Resonance Mate. That’s a precious thing among Alvians. Among humans, too, if my observations prove correct. We could be each other’s perfect match. Are you willing to give that up before we’ve even discovered the truth of it?”
His words shocked her. She hadn’t been thinking beyond a roll in the proverbial hay. Maybe a few. He sounded serious and almost possessive. While one part of her perversely liked it, the rest of her was jamming on the mental brakes.
She’d only just met the man. She found him attractive. That didn’t mean she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. For all she knew, he could be a rat bastard, though she didn’t really think so. Still, she’d been proven wrong about people before. Most notably the men she’d traveled with those first few weeks in the wilderness who’d turned out to be no better than animals.
“I have no choice, Grady.” She tried to stand firm. “I’m leaving soon.” The hurt in his eyes made her cut him some slack. “In human relationships it’s usual to take time to get to know a person before declaring that you want them to be your permanent mate.”
“I didn’t say we were mates, just that we could be. We Hum. Everyone but you heard the evidence of that at dinner. If I’d had a tuned crystal handy a few minutes ago I’d bet anything we could have passed the other tests as well, but now…” He looked so forlorn she wanted to hug him.
“How about this? If, after my mission is completed, you want to try this again, I’ll submit to your tests. All you have to do is send a message through Sinclair Prime. He’ll be sure to get it to me, if I’m back among the Brotherhood by that time.”
“Compromise?” Grady Prime looked at her with those startling blue eyes. He was getting better at hiding his emotions behind that stoic façade, but she could sense turmoil within him.
“It’s all I can give you.” She wished it could be otherwise. Unfortunately they both had duties to attend to.
Grady watched her for a long moment then surprised her by pulling her close against his body in a lightning move that left her gasping. His gaze bore into her as he looked down into her eyes. His jaw was clamped so tight, a muscle ticked in agitation.
“You can give me one other thing, Gina.”
“What’s that?” Her whispery voice sounded weak to her own ears.
“Tomorrow. You can give me some of your time tomorrow so that we can get to know each other better before you have to leave. I know we both have duties and no doubt you also have preparations to make, but you must have to eat at some point. Share those meals—and whatever time you have to spare—with me.”
It was clear he wanted her company almost desperately and that was heady stuff to a woman who hadn’t been courted in far too long. If she was being honest with herself, she would admit she also wanted to spend more time with Grady Prime. He intrigued her. Giving in to temptation, she nodded.
“I think I can do that.”
The smile that stretched his lips and lit his eyes stole her breath as well. His head descended and once more she was lost in his kiss.
It was a very long time before they came up for air and her head was swimming, her eyes refused to completely focus and her knees were weak when he moved slightly back. His arms supported her for which she was grateful. She didn’t think she could stand on her own at the moment.
“You’re the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met, Gina.”
“You’re not so ordinary yourself, Grady Prime.” She smiled at him, loving the way his casual strength made her feel feminine. It had been too long since a man had made her feel this way.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Grady Prime was waiting for her when she stepped outside the guest quarters she’d been assigned. He’d left her at the door last night with lingering kisses that had left her head spinning long after he’d gone.
She’d lain in bed, butterflies in her tummy and a dopey smile on her face for almost an hour, reliving the way he’d made her feel. Never had she experienced such a feeling outside the steamy dreams she’d had a few weeks before. She’d known after that last dream that one of the men on her path would be Alvian. She’d also thought he’d have emotions—strange as that had seemed at the time—and sure enough, here he was.
Grady Prime was prime all right. A prime example of Alvian manhood. One of the best of the best of their soldier stock. Big, brawny, sleekly muscled and masterful in the best sense of the word. He’d rocked her world with a few kisses.
And heaven help her, she wanted more.
She couldn’t hold back the eager grin that lit her face when she found him waiting for her. She walked right up to him, a bounce in her step as she leaned up and gave him a peck on the cheek.
The little kiss caught him off guard, she could tell, but he was quick to respond. His strong arms came around her, drawing her close as he gave her a much deeper kiss that involved
his sexy mouth, lips and tongue. When he pulled back, long minutes later, the forest beyond his shoulder tilted wildly in her vision. He was that potent.
“Good morning,” she said breathlessly as his eyes lit with amusement.
“The best possible morning, to be sure.” He let her go by small degrees until she was standing on her own wobbly legs. “Do you have time to join me for breakfast?”
She turned and took his arm as they began walking toward the mess.
“Indeed I do. But I wonder what the rest of my brethren will make of us sitting together?”
The thought had occurred to her late in the night as she lay awake replaying their moonlit kisses. Would her fellows in the Zxerah Brotherhood approve of her relationship—such as it was—with Grady Prime? Would the Patriarch approve? And if they didn’t, what should she do? She wanted this stolen time with him before she left on her mission the next morning. She wanted to feel this feeling for just a little while longer.
“I can handle it if you can. And I’ll be right by your side, Gina. Let them look all they want. Without emotion, they will never understand what draws us together. If we feel anything for them, it should be pity.” Grady squeezed her fingers reassuringly.
“Do you really pity those who can’t feel?” His response would tell her just how far he’d come from the emotionless Prime he’d been most of his life.
He sighed heavily as his steps slowed. “I pity myself for having spent so many years not feeling as I do now. I pity all beings who question but can never understand the answer, even when it’s staring them in the face.”
She gave his arm a final squeeze before letting go and opening the door to the communal mess. “You’re a good man, Grady Prime.”
He followed her inside and together they went to gather their meal.
“You make me a better man, Gina. Being around you inspires me to be better than I was yesterday. You’re a good influence.”
His words, spoken low so that only she could hear, made her feel warm inside. They spent the next few minutes gathering food from the cafeteria-style setup. Armed with full trays, they sought a place to sit at one of the long tables arranged in rows around the room. This early in the morning, only a few were occupied by early risers or those coming off night duty.
“After breakfast I must work on my investigation. I will probably be free to eat lunch around noon. Will you join me? Or can you spend some time with me later today?”
She loved the way he couldn’t quite hide his eagerness. He was so new to emotion, he had a kind of eager puppy quality to him. At the same time, she realized he was somewhat fragile. Lack of understanding could cause him to misinterpret and bruise his sensitive feelings. She had to remember that and be careful of him. Hurting this beautiful soul was the last thing in the world she wanted to do.
“I’ll meet you here for lunch,” she agreed, marveling at the grin that passed over his face. “And I can meet you for dinner as well. I should be through with my preparations by sundown. There isn’t much left to do here. I was expecting to leave, just not this soon.”
“Will you be gone long?”
She was glad to see he knew enough not to ask her where she was going. “A few weeks, if all goes well. Maybe longer. I don’t really know. As long as it takes to either accomplish my goal or fail utterly.”
He laughed at her graveyard humor, warming her with his easy camaraderie. She’d missed this kind of thing. Sure, the humans among the Zxerah were the next thing to siblings, but they’d all walked hard roads to become members of the Brotherhood. Grady Prime had been through hell too, but it seemed to affect him less. He appeared to revel in each newfound feeling and his delight in the simplest of things was contagious. It just plain felt good to be around him.
On more than one level. He made her feel feminine and almost…pretty. She hadn’t been supermodel material, even in her youth. She was short and sturdy. Muscled from her pursuit of Olympic gold and her need for survival ever since, she had an athlete’s body and a plain face. Neither ugly nor gorgeous, she was used to men admiring her martial arts skills, but not the kind of fascination she saw in Grady Prime’s eyes. He made her feel beautiful.
“Then your mission is like mine.” His words brought her back to the conversation as he scraped his plate with his fork. “It’ll take as long as it takes. Though I assume the Council will reel me in at some point if I don’t show results. Until then, I have some freedom.”
“What will they do with you?”
It suddenly occurred to her that he was an experimental subject. In all likelihood he’d been sprung for a mission and might have to go back to being a prisoner of the medical establishment after it was over. She didn’t want that for him. It made her realize that every moment away from the city and the doctors who wanted to study him like a lab rat was precious. He might never have this kind of freedom again.
“I’m not sure really. There was a small group of test subjects in my clinical trial. I suppose it depends on how well we do as a group. If the rest show the ability to live normally in Alvian society, perhaps we will be given some modicum of freedom.”
“What if they can’t adjust?”
“Then I suppose we will continue to be closely monitored. Perhaps for the rest of our lives.”
Gina sat back in her chair, raising her eyebrows as she pondered his words. “That’s no way to live, Grady.”
“I concur. Which is why I’m giving great consideration to the words of your Patriarch. If nothing changes, I have few options. If, however, other events prove the usefulness or necessity of expanding the experiment, the options for me and my group of test subjects could change drastically.”
“Oh, Grady, I hope you’re right. The Patriarch is the best of men, but he plays a deep game. None of us really knows for sure what his ultimate goals are. I can tell you that I believe he’s on the right path to help both your people and mine live together peacefully, once certain issues are settled. I don’t kid myself that it’ll be easy. In fact, I think this is going to be one of the hardest things either of our races has ever attempted. I believe in my heart that it’s worth it. Whatever the cost.”
Grady reached across the table and took her hand. She felt the stares of the Alvians seated closest to them as they touched. She knew they were hearing some kind of Hum, and she wished for a moment she could hear it too. She only felt the electric effect of his skin on hers, his emotions bleeding through her small empathic ability. He was worried, elated, hopeful and tense, just as she was.
“I’m grateful I met you, Gina, even though we’re both dedicated to other missions just now.”
“I could have wished for better timing, but I’m glad we met too. You’re the first Alvian I’ve ever met who can truly feel, and I hope you won’t be the last.” She kept her voice low so that only Grady Prime could hear her fervent hopes for the future.
He clutched her hand, his strong fingers applying light pressure to her knuckles and palm. “With any luck, I’m just the first of many, if not all. You give me hope for…many things, Gina. Hope for my people. Hope for yours. And hope for…us.”
“Us?”
“You and me, Gina. We could be mates. Don’t tell me that thought doesn’t intrigue you. Even now, every Alvian in here can hear us Humming when we touch.” His smile was temptation itself and meant just for her. His eyes drew her in until they were alone in the crowded room, the only air in the little bubble that surrounded them. At least that’s the way it felt to her.
A commotion at the door burst the intimate atmosphere. Mara Prime had arrived for breakfast with a contingent of his personal staff, and he was heading directly for them. Gina tugged on her hand, but Grady Prime seemed reluctant to let her go as he looked over to the door, his mouth hardening into a grim line as he saw the scientist drawing closer.
Mara Prime approached, his aides fanning out behind him like a cape. He was an old man—one of the few Alvians who actually looked old to Gina’s eyes. He regarde
d them with one eyebrow raised in mild inquiry.
Grady looked from the scientist to Gina, squeezing her hand once before letting go and turning his gaze back to Mara Prime. The elder’s eyes widened fractionally as the tingling that must have signified the Hum ceased.
“An interesting development.” Mara Prime nodded in greeting as he peremptorily pulled out a chair at the long table. “May we sit with you?”
There was no polite way to refuse, as Mara Prime had no doubt intended. He took a seat next to Grady, across from Gina, as his entourage ranged themselves around the table. Two young scientists flanked Gina and more sat across from her, next to Grady. She shot him a look that held both her amusement and consternation at these developments and she knew Grady understood when a ghost of a smile touched his lips, just briefly.
The rest of the meal was spent being questioned—none too subtly—by Mara Prime and his subordinates. The geneticist had been told that Ronin Prime required Breed servants to attend him wherever he went. Gina was one of Ronin Prime’s pets, as Mara Prime had been heard to call the human Zxerah adoptees, since the Patriarch allowed no interference with them whatsoever.
It wasn’t the most enjoyable half hour Gina had ever spent, but she did marvel at Grady’s ability to answer questions without saying much at all. He confounded the scientific team in such a polite and roundabout way, they couldn’t object. He had a way of drawing them off target and leading them directly where he wanted them conversationally. It was a talent she admired, a skill she had never mastered. Grady could have taught lessons on the old bait and switch. She had to give him credit.
While Grady was occupied with the scientists and their questions, Gina ate steadily. Finishing her breakfast, she was grateful to have an excuse to leave the crowded table and the probing, invasive conversation the scientists seemed to think was acceptable. In her book, it was downright rude. Then again, she wasn’t Alvian. Thank goodness.
