Page 11 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

Emma licked her lips. After riding this mechanical beast all the way across the planet with Lans, she should have gotten used to it by now, but the sight of the large dinosaur still made her antsy.

“Hey,” she whispered.

The zapten bent its head toward her. She patted it nervously, pressing her hand against the spikes attached to the top of its head and straying away from the sharp points.

“Think you could just fuse to me so we can skip this whole training thing?”

“The exoskeleton won’t protect you if you don’t know how to use it,” a voice said.

She startled and jumped around.

Lans strode toward her, sunshine bouncing against his rugged jaw and his hulking chest covered in tattoos. He stopped close in front of her, dark eyes drilling holes into her face. “I don’t think you should go.”

Her hackles rose almost instinctually. More than anything, Emma longed to wipe that smugness from his face. “Well, it’s a good thing your opinion means crap to me.”

Instead of answering, Lans grabbed her by the elbows and swept her around in a fluid movement that felt almost like a dance. Except his hand ended up at the base of her throat and his lips brushed against her ear. “First lesson is focus. At any point, your enemies can use your inattentiveness against you.”

She squirmed. “We’re going in with the exoskeleton. Just show me how to point and shoot a gun and we’ll call it a day.”

“Neh.” He pulled her closer.

His body was hard against hers. Warm. Firm.

She licked her lips. “Then what? You’ll teach me hand-to-hand combat?”

“I will teach you to survive.” Lans body rubbed against hers and she gasped when she felt him pressing up against her rear.

He pulled back quickly, scowl firmly in place.

Her eyes dripped down to his pants to confirm what she’d felt, but Lans gripped her chin and forced her head back up. “Emma.”

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

“Focus.”

Her body tightened as she stared at him. Suddenly, that instruction seemed far more difficult than it should have been.

Five

Lans

His blasted bodycould not contain itself around Emma. She tempted him by simply breathing. Moving. Glaring. Why did his heras thump and his venas run hot around her?

The pants she wore clung to her body, highlighting every one of her curves and making it hard to concentrate. Her hair flowed freely in her face, tangling in front of eyes so devastating, they could be mistaken for Juverian crystals.

This training had become a lesson in self-restraint. Lans had not accounted for the way his body always responded when she was close. His mating instincts roared with need every time her softness brushed against his hardness. Her fragrance was soft and sweet, pulling him closer to her without him realizing it.

Despite how infuriating she was to him, his desire could not be tucked away.

Lans kept his distance as he began his training.

As long as he did not touch her, he would be safe.

Keeping his frown in place, he analyzed Eema’s movements. “Again.”

“How many times will I have to do this?” She spun, her gaze fixing on him. “I’ve been learning your alien martial arts for hours.”

“It is calledtrasdezand it is the most basic training that all Plutonian warriors receive.”