“Does it allow you to read minds too?”
He rubbed the muscles of her calf, easing the tension from the injections almost instantly. “No, but you and I feel a lot of the same things.” His smile turned wicked. “I wonder what thoughts burn behind those soulful eyes, Desh’ra. Would they make you blush if I could read them?”
Her cheeks grew warm and she cursed him for triggering a reaction. “Maybe you should tell me more about this mating thing.” She caught his wrist when he would have moved up to her thighs. His gaze was knowing, and a blush crept up her neck.
“There is nothing to tell.”
This was getting ridiculous. She wanted him. Again. Her body already burned. Azros could easily become an addiction. “You don’t have to do this.”
He helped her down from the table. She turned her head from his kiss, but he brushed his lips against her cheek. A smile touched those sexy lips. “Do what?”
“Pretend to…you know.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
He ran a hand down her hair. “It’s a little late to be shy, don’t you think?”
“I just don’t think we need to pretend this is anything other than what it is.” Hard nipples brushed against his chest.
His fingers dug gently into her hair. She shivered in delicate reaction. “Which is what, exactly?” His lips burned a path across her jawline.
“Two people caught in a nearly impossible situation.” His teeth nipped at her throat, and she gasped.
“Ahh. I see.” His tongue soothed where teeth continued to torment. “So we should only do what is necessary to make it through this terrible ordeal.” An edge of anger threaded through his amusement. His fingertips dragged down her back.
“Yes. Of course. I’m glad you understand.”
“Oh I understand, all right.” She had a moment to see his intention before his mouth descended to hers. This wasn’t the gentle, passionate kiss from before. This was a fierce possession. His tongue plundered and stroked. Somehow her hands found their way to link behind his neck. His mouth slanted over hers, deepening the kiss and sending her senses reeling. Someone moaned, and he eased the kiss. Her hands slid down to his chest. They were both breathing hard. His arms held her steady against him, and she could feel the fierce pounding of his heart against her palm.
“Losing control terrifies you.”
She jerked away from his touch. “Don’t do this. I don’t need to be analyzed.” She stalked over to her clothes and dragged them on with jerky motions. “This is about sex!”
He crossed his arms and gave her a playful grin. “What if it’s more?”
“No. It can’t be. We don’t know anything about each other.” She glared at him with her hands on her hips. “Forgive me for not turning into a brainless twit. I have a life. A mission I need to get back to. I don’t have time for anything permanent.”
He stepped closer and she stood her ground. “Who said I was looking for something permanent?” She couldn’t read his expression, but didn’t trust the innocent smile he displayed.
“Aren’t you?” Self-doubt churned.
“Mating isn’t always permanent. This is my second one, did you know that?”
It wasn’t jealousy that eroded more of her confidence. You had to be invested in someone to be jealous of their past. She wasn’t. “What happened to the other mate?” This would be the point where he would tell her the Sheon had killed her.
“The urges left, and we went our separate ways. Of course, I was in the middle of the border wars at the time. So I had fighting to get back to. See.” He held out his hands. “No trap.”
Kendra breathed a small sigh of relief. No death marred his mating history. No ghost to compete with. “The border wars were pretty vicious.”
“Yes, and thankfully short-lived. It cut too much into the corporate bottom line.”
She nodded. Destiny’s arrival to the surface had been from the border war fallout. “So we understand each other then.”
“No pressure for a permanent arrangement. Just a week of intense sex. You can handle that, right?”
“I’m not interested in anything else.” He was grinning at her in a way that set her senses on hyperawareness.
“That’s good.” There was a dangerous glint to his eye.
Sex was as close to safe as she could get with this man. It would be all she could have. His thigh muscles bunched as though ready to spring. If she ran, he’d give chase. Why did that make her spine tingle in excitement? She edged around him to the door.
“How much longer until we move out?”
Her gaze was drawn to the lengthening bulge under his pants. Answering warmth tingled between her thighs. “Three hours until nightfall. We’ll move out then.” Her hand touched the door.
His gleaming fangs ratcheted her heart rate up a notch. “Whatever will we do with our time?” His hands lowered to his sides and clenched in anticipation. Muscles rippled across his chest.
She was definitely crazy. “There are some amazing hot springs deeper in the facility.”
“Think you’ll make it there before I catch you?” Sexual awareness crackled between them like lightning.
“I have the advantage of knowing this place like the back of my hand.”
“Oh?” He prowled closer. “Are you able to run?” His concerned expression touched a part of her she’d thought long dead.
“Easily.” She rolled up to the balls of her feet and made sure. No discomfort or tightening of the tendons and muscles. “The shots are always effective enough. I’ll be good for quite some time.”
“You should know I’m a very good hunter.”
“I’m no easy prey. You may find the tables turned.”
He laughed and gave her a knowing look. A shiver slid down her spine at the possessive way he watched her. Her lust was going to burn her alive.
Her mouth grew dry. “This is just sex.”
His smile was shy of dangerous, and a feral gleam shone in his eyes. “Just sex.” He braced his hands behind him on the exam table, and Kendra was distracted by the play of muscles across his chest. “Kendra. You should run.”
He didn’t have to tell her twice. She slammed the door out of her way and sprinted down the hall to the lounge. She spun around. Azros’ anticipatory smile was the last thing she saw before she palmed the door shut. She engaged the lock and laughed, turning on her heel and racing across the room. Excitement and anticipation added an edge of danger that sent her senses spiraling higher. The Valorian would be interesting to spar with.
There were several ways to the springs. She had no doubt he’d find his way there. The only thing she had to worry about was being caught. She hit the stairwell and raced down. Humidity blanketed the air as she continued to the lower caverns.
This was the second time she was letting the Valorian give chase. “You’re completely insane, St. Thomas.” She blew out a breath and palmed open the sub-floor door. It gave way with a puff of air pressure. The strong scents of combined minerals pressed against her in a humid wash. Sweat slickened her skin.
“Are you a strong hunter, Kendra?” His voice shocked her.
How did he get down here so fast? She dropped to a knee and scanned the hewn rock tunnel paths for signs of movement. Nothing. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She could feel it, the itch behind the eyes that told her she was being hunted. Really hunted. Kendra moved quickly from tunnel to tunnel, staying to the shadows.
“You have to use all of your senses Desh’ra.” He’d called her that once before. What did it mean? “The mating makes all of us more aware of our surroundings. Inhale deeply. Draw the scents in and let them roll around on your tongue.”
Kendra caught herself doing just that. She inhaled slowly, dragging the scents across her tongue.
“Think about each individual taste.” His voice was moving away and her heart beat a tad easier. “You will be able to track your prey by the strength of his scent alone.”
The sp
icy scent and taste of Azros wove lightly through the mineral flavor heavy in the air. Damn. He was right. She could pick the scents apart, but how close was he?
She moved again, using all her senses. Her hearing picked up the gurgle of the spring and the light splash of water lapping against stone, but no Azros. Her skin prickled. He was tracking her, and she knew it. Down to her soul.
Dammit. Where was he?
She reached the hot springs cavern and paused. There were four entrances. Two were easy to see and one was shadowed. Two of the closest pools were too shallow to jump into without damage. The one at the back, however, was deeper than them all. She grinned. All she had to do was make a run for it. The water was deep enough to take a full dive.
She kept her breathing even and braced against the wall. Her heart raced. She took another long inhalation. His scent was stronger here, but not powerful enough to make her think he was in the room. Yet. She exhaled and pushed off, running toward the water at a full run.
Water exploded from the pool in a force so great it splashed into her path. With a cry, she tried to stop, but her feet slipped on the wet stone. Her stomach lurched in anticipatory fear. Before she hit the ground, he was there, cushioning her fall, and rolling their bodies across the stone. With elbows bracing him above her, she could see the devilry glinting in his catlike eyes. Dark lashes lowered until his eyes gleamed. Wet hair curled enticingly close, and she could taste his lambyre like a rush of liquid sex. Her body arched against him. It took no time to realize he was naked, and even less for her body to respond.
He nuzzled her cheek. “I caught you. Now I get to keep you.”
He was burning alive to touch her again. His cock ached with the need to bury in her tight flesh.
“You caught me.” Her voice was husky, breathless. Damn if she didn’t look sexy when irritated. “No one moves that fast.” Her hair was a curtain of fire beneath them. He brushed a wet strand away from her cheek, and Azros inhaled her rich scent. The lambyre was becoming a part of her, changing her. His mouth watered for another taste. She would be richer, more addicting. He wondered if she knew it yet.
“I have always moved this fast.” He trapped her wrists above her head with one hand. Her eyes flared with lust. “So expressive. I love the way your eyes change when you’re irritated with wanting me.”
“My eyes are boring. Hazel. Nothing special.”
Surprise had him arching an eyebrow. “Nothing special? They’re like liquid silver when you’re on fire for me. Smoky-gray when you’re furious.” He nipped at her lips.
“And right now?”
“Right now you want me so bad you’ll beg me to come.”
Her cry of outrage triggered a laugh. She struggled, arching against him. He groaned. “Be easy on a man, Kendra. You’re already tempting me beyond sanity.” The curves of her breasts and hips against his body were killing him. He pressed his lips to her forehead and trailed kisses down her cheek to her jaw. Small, whispering moans came from her lips. “I can smell the sweet scent of your pussy. Your taste is addictive, decadent.”
She gasped and tugged against his hold. He could see confusion in her gaze. “No time to think, sweetheart.” His hand ran down her side to caress the underside of her breast. A calloused thumb brushed against the tip. Her nipple hardened against his skin and her breathing grew shallow.
He nuzzled her neck and scraped his teeth lightly down the skin. She shivered delicately. Oh how he loved her sweet spots.
“Your taste reminds me of summer rain.” He ground his cock against the vee of her thighs, and soothed the sweet spot at the base of her throat with his tongue.
“Imagine my mouth on your pussy, sucking on that sweet, little clit.” He bit the sensitive slope where neck met shoulder.
That did it. She became a little wildcat, jerking her legs from beneath him to wrap around his waist. Her mating change was an aphrodisiac, dragging him under her spell. He rocked his hips against hers. Fuck. His cock ached to bury in her wet heat, and the soft fabric of her pants only added to the building friction. She wrapped her legs tightly around him. The heat of her pussy soaked through the cloth to his dick. Her broken moan nearly undid him. Sweat formed on his already soaked skin.
“Use all your senses, Desh’ra. Tell me what you hear, what you feel. Taste how much I want you.”
She dragged in a shaky breath. Her gaze grew unfocused, and her pupils further dilated. “You taste of desert spice and heat.” She paused. “All this is new to me.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “There’s too much to take in. Everything is just…”
Emotion tightened in his chest. The extrasensory perception of his race had been a part of his heritage from birth. It never occurred to him that it would frighten anyone, much less someone like Kendra. Her strength was unparalleled if her records are anything to go by. Hell, he’d seen the steel core of her determination. Not many would have risked so much for a stranger. He hushed her and gently released her wrists. “It doesn’t have to overwhelm.”
He rolled over, pulling her against his chest. She surrounded him, tucking her face against his bare chest. “Please don’t hide your expressions from me.” He trailed his fingers down her cheek.
“I can smell everything around me. My skin is so alive that every touch sends pulses of intensity across my nerve endings.” She shivered against him.
He pulled her up until her head pillowed against his shoulder, cursing in his head. If he had just taken the time to really take in her scent, he would have noticed the strain of her emotions, the pungent aroma of her fear. It was there, just barely noticeable beneath the rich, feminine honey of her lust.
“It’s terrifying the first time you fall into a mating cycle.”
“First! How many am I going to go through?” She sounded panicked…and pissed. “I thought you said this wasn’t permanent.”
He laughed and hugged her to him, choosing to ignore her second statement. “Our people have a saying, ‘we mate as many as it takes to get it right’.” Her light laugh loosened that knot of emotion threatening to choke him. “The truth is, I don’t know.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ve never heard of a non-Valorian female being affected by the hormone. Are there some ties to the Valorian people in your bloodline?”
Her scent changed slightly, and he noticed a bit more fear coming through. “Not that I know of.” Her breath drifted across his chest. He set aside her reaction to puzzle over later.
“A Valorian doesn’t come into this change until the first mating. The elders call it extrasensory perception. Whatever it’s called, I remember it overwhelming me.” It chafed his pride to admit it, but he needed to let her know. Hell, he wished someone had explained it more thoroughly to him. Then things might not have turned out the way they had. His hands swept her hair to the side. He stroked her back in gentle caresses, wishing for bare skin instead of the cloth he was touching.
“Will this last?”
“For me, it did. But just imagine…” He touched her cheek and she tilted her head to gaze at him. The depth of emotion in her eyes touched his heart. She was such a treasure. “Think about all the advantages. No one would ever be able to sneak up on you again.”
Her eyes closed to slits, and he could see an edge that just might make this easier for her. For them both.
“How so?”
“I move quietly.”
She gave an unladylike snort. “More like sneak.”
He gave her a mock glare. “A Valorian Prime doesn’t sneak, he is a fierce hunter.”
“So you admit to stalking.” Her impish smile transformed her to a mischievous minx.
He arched an eyebrow. “As I was saying…when adrenaline is pumping, I move quietly because a soft scuff of my boot is like a ricochet in my ears. My sense of smell is so keen, I can tell where someone stands, any injuries they have, and what their base thoughts are.”
“What does smell have to do with thoughts?” She put her hand beneath her chin and watch
ed him with avid attention. His cock twitched, and her smile grew wicked. She wriggled enticingly against him.
He grabbed her ass to keep her still. “Quit that, you minx.”
Her smile, if anything, grew wider. “Please do continue.” He wasn’t buying the innocent expression she sported.
“Inhale deeply.”
She slowly drew in a breath and closed her eyes.
“By using taste and scent, you can determine my emotions, my body’s responses. Lust. Fear. Anger. Hatred. Love. Joy. Open your eyes for me.” He pulled her up until their eyes locked in a gaze. “What do I taste like?” He gripped his fingers in her hair. Pure pleasure echoed in her expression.
“Your scent gets stronger when you’re hard. You taste like liquid sex to me.”
He groaned, taking her lips in a kiss that shattered his thoughts. It was sweet and decadent. She nipped his bottom lip and tugged gently. Her tongue soothed and teased.
They broke the kiss and dragged in shaky breaths. He pressed his forehead to hers. “I love the way you taste.”
She nuzzled his cheek. “Same here.”
“Imagine, Kendra. Imagine the edge you would have over an enemy in hand-to-hand combat. Their anger, their fear, their lust for power would give them away before they could touch you.” It was that edge alone that had kept him alive this long.
Her hands clenched in fists against his chest. She cleared her throat. “Keep talking.”
“You could hear their movements on the sand, in the air. No one would ever be able to sneak up on you again.”
“So you keep saying, but this is still temporary.” Her lips lifted in a half-smile.
“Right.” He didn’t know why that irritated him. “Temporary.” He nipped at her lips. “Of course, you may get to keep some of these little side effects. We both lost our lust for one another after a time in my first mating. You never know—”
She growled and kissed him with a fierce passion that sent him reeling. So she didn’t like hearing about his previous mating, did she? Their tongues dueled for possession, stroking, teasing. She ended the kiss with a satisfied smile and he just stared up at her. Her hair was a curtain of fire around them. The silky length tumbled down her shoulders and back, curling against her skin and clothes where he’d splashed water earlier.
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