Page 127

Just one night. They could have that. She could enjoy all of it, and that would be enough. It would. It would have to be.

He blew out a breath. “Good. I—” He closed his mouth, his brows scrunching before smoothing back out. “Good. I’m glad.”

“Me too,” she agreed, even if her heart already hurt at the inevitable future they faced come morning.

Aivey rose off him, and his cock slipped from her with a wet pop. His release slid down her thighs, some dripping to the floor with an embarrassing splat. Her cheeks flamed.Fucking stars.She should have thought of that after their first time together.

A nervous laugh bubbled from her. “I guess I should get cleaned up.”

Baxian rose as well, his attention firmly fixed on her and not the mess. The full weight of his regard made her legs wobbly, or perhaps that was the after-effects of her release. Maybe both.

“Care to share a shower?” He arched a brow and extended a hand to her. “Or we could do that after we go again.”

“Again?” For the second time in as many minutes, his questions left her almost speechless. “Twice more, you mean?” Damn. If he wanted to, she’d surely try, even if it left her exhausted and unable to walk the next day.

He chuckled. “After a reproductive release, it takes a few days for my body to reset itself fully. A Vraks male can continue to enjoy their partner until then without worrying about being left unfulfilled.”

“Oh.” A thrill raced through her blood. “Well, that’s a nice perk.” She took his hand, and his fingers closed around hers.

“It is indeed.” He drew her hand to his mouth and licked at the back of it. A Vraks custom or claim? She had no idea, but it had her pulse thrumming between her legs again nonetheless. “Shall we?”

chapterseven

They sharedanother tryst in the shower before climbing into bed together. Baxian held her with his chest to her back, and though they likely didn’t slumber long, Aivey couldn’t remember waking quite so refreshed…or aroused given that she woke to Baxian stroking his fingers over her clit.

Not long after they both found release again, Aivey’s comm bracelet vibrated with the reminder to meet her friends back at their hotel. Their time together really was at an end. Aivey excused herself, slipped out of bed, grabbed her discarded clothes from the night before, and hurried off to the bathroom. Cleaning herself and dawning her clothing was easy. Smoothing out her mussed hair was…fine. It would do. Wrangling in the tears that burned at the corners of her eyes? That was the hard part.

You just met him, for fuck’s sake,she scolded herself. No one came to Incandescence looking for more than a little fun. That was all she had been looking for. But then, she never expected someone like Baxian. He was just too…everything. One in a million, and she’d certainly looked.

Walking out and never seeing him again was inevitable, but the thought pained her more than she ever expected.Good job catching feels in the sex club, Aivey.

She should have just turned and run right back out of the bar last night the first time her gut told her to. Hook-ups never ended well for her. Didn’t she know that by now? How silly she’d been to think this time in this place would be different. Everything would have been easier if she’d just stayed at the hotel. She never would have met him.

But then…She never would have met him.And the thought of that, of erasing the moments they spent together and the knowledge there was a male out there like him, hurt worse than the thought of leaving.

So Aivey washed her face, pulled in a deep breath, let it out, and strode back out into the main room.

Baxian had donned his pants and sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands, that silvery hair spilling like a waterfall around him. The moment she entered, he lifted his head and whatever expression had been on his face shifted into something completely neutral.

“I…” Aivey’s tongue was suddenly thick in her mouth. Her chest fucking ached and she hadn’t even said goodbye yet. She sucked in another steadying breath.Just get it out, Aivey.“I have to go soon,” she said so quickly it was almost one word. “My friends and I are leaving today,” she continued a little more slowly, “and I’ll be late to checkout and might miss our transport if I don’t head back.”

“I understand,” he replied, expressionless.

She licked her lips, drinking in the sight of him one last time. “I enjoyed our time together.”

Say something. Ask me to stay.Even if she couldn’t, she wanted that, she needed…something.

“As did I.”

Silence followed his words, hanging so heavy in the air it nearly drowned her.

Fuck, well, okay then.Aivey turned on her heel and headed for the door. She’d nearly reached it when a strong hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her to a halt. She whirled and nearly smacked right into Baxian.

“Aivey.” Her name was a broken rasp on his lips. His bare chest rose and fell. The hunger still lingering in his gaze nearly brought a whimper to her lips.

“I know you have to leave, but I want to give you this first.” He dropped her wrist and pulled out a small silver card from his pocket. “It’s my private comms card. It has my information across all the galactic channels, so you can reach me from wherever.” He ran his other hand through his hair and looked away. “If you want to, that is.”

Her mouth parted. Stars above, was he nervous? She blinked at him, her breath coming short and fast as her pulse hammered against her ribs. She could barely tear her gaze away from that little card. Reachable anywhere in the galaxy no matter the distance? That kind of comm required payment each use, and he offered it to her? A way to reach him literally any time anywhere?