Page 71 of Border Control

“No lav-en-der,” he breathes.

“Do you want more?”

“Yes.”

“Then say so. ‘Laura, I want more, please.’”

He curls down, lowering his head to mine. “Law-rah,” he says, voice steady and low. “I want more, please.”

Goosebumps pebble my skin. “Very well,” I say, but I squeak a little. I clear my throat to retain my dignity. He’s the one who’s supposed to be getting hot and bothered, not me.

But this is doing it for me, too.

Laying my hand on his chest, I marvel at the contrast: pale peach against dark purple. His scales harden to indigo from his breast to his shoulder at first, then lighten to lilac and pink, rippling outward from my fingers.

I run my hand over the scales, and he inhales sharply. Is he reacting to my touch alone, or because he doesn’t know what to expect?

‘It’s you,’he says in my head. ‘I can hear what you’re going to do next.’

“Well, that’s no fun.”

A bead of sweat rolls down his cheeks as they push up into a brief smile.‘We do have a contract. I will teach you in return for… this. If you don’t want me to hear what you intend to do next, you will have to shield.’

“How do I do that?” I run my hands over his chest, lingering on his stiff nipples.

A moan rolls up the connection between us.‘I… I will teach you. Please.’

I pull back, and he pants, eyes still closed.

‘All Bases shield to protect their Apex from their emotional state. It involves pulling in and locking down, letting nothing escape. It prevents leakage of thoughts as well.’

I mentally whisper to him,‘What does that feel like?’

‘Quiet. Alone. Cold.’

He doesn’t paint the best picture, but then again he’s used to a peanut gallery to all his deepest thoughts.

He bites his lip. It’s delicious.‘Not all of them. An experienced Base can hold back the most private musings and sensations.’

‘And what’s that like?’

His cheeks flush. ‘Like holding in an emission when you’re stimulated beyond endurance.’

An emission…‘An orgasm?’

‘Yes. That’s the human term for it.’

Holding in an orgasm, hm? I’ve been on the edge before—holding it there as long as I can before I go too far and it fizzles out.

Taking a deep breath, I try thinking,Quiet, cold, alone.

Dom shakes his head, the silk winking in the dim light.‘Pretend you want to hide inside a small shelter. You will need to bend double to get in. The shelter walls are made of betrillium, the strongest metal in the universe, the same substance as my veralash handle.’

I glance at the cold metal tube at his hip, his alien whip thing. I can't picture a room of it, it's too strange.

He shifts, chains clinking behind him.‘Perhaps a room you are familiar with would work better. One you can lock.’

‘My apartment, maybe?’Few people come there. I step inside my office and shut the door.‘How’s that?’