Page 17

She swallowed hard. Damn, if she didn’t want to arch into him. He peeled the silk away a little, revealing a sliver of lace.

His nostrils flared, something like the gruff of a bear lodged in his throat—the sexiest sound she’d ever heard. Again he turned her. With one tug, the zip was up and he was rushing her to the door.

A sense of loss cocooned her heart, as if disappointment and yearning had taken up residence there. She forced a smile and let Nerx guide her across the common with his hand burning the base of her spine through the silk.

“Oh, you look so pretty.” Lily clapped.

“Why thank you, Lily,” Britt said and slid onto the bench beside her. “What’s for dinner?”

“Pizza,” she squealed.

Nerx was already ordering from the rehydrator, his back ramrod, his ass glorious in his military pants. Why hadn’t Britt noticed that before?

“Please, excuse me,” Edon said, abandoning them with a pained expression and a grumble.

“See. I do stink,” Britt said to Nerx when he placed a small pizza in front of Lily.

“I can smell you,” he whispered, holding her gaze.

Britt sniffed her shoulder. She was a little hot and sweaty but not so much that it would drive a man away. “I did shower.”

“No.” A sexy smile curled Nerx’s lips. “Your arousal.”

She gasped, snuck a glance at a distracted Lily, then said, “You can’t be serious.”

“Indeed. What would you like to eat?”

She shifted on the bench, trying to ease the burn between her thighs. No wonder these poor men were in pain. “Tagliatelle Alfredo, please.”

Again, he blessed her with the fine view of his ass before setting a deep bowl of pasta before her. He joined them moments later with a steak bathed in dark sauce.

“Yours looks yummy,” Lily said to Britt.

“I’m sure it is. Wanna try some?” She twirled a little on her fork and offered it to Lily.

Britt laughed when a piece of pasta slapped the girl on the chin. She smeared the sauce off and popped her thumb into her mouth. She hummed at the rich creamy flavor. So good . “Do you like it?”

Lily beamed. “I want that next, Nerxie.”

“Very well, minus susa ,” he said, though his gaze remained on Britt, watching as she spiraled pasta onto her fork and shoved it into her mouth.

“What are you eating?” She smirked as she said, “Nerxie.”

He stilled, his eyes glowed, then he focused on his plate. “Kreso meat with momaberry sauce.” When he met her gaze again, something intense pooled in the depths of his eyes.

Heat rushed to warm her cheeks, and she choked on her pasta. “Something to drink?” she said, leaping to reach the rehydrator.

“I will get it,” he said.

They slammed into each other. Without hesitation, he looped his arms around her and took the brunt when they bumped into the counter.

Pressed against his length, every one of his hard edges registered.

He was solid muscle with strength pouring off him.

She reacted on a visceral level; her thoughts faded, drowned by sexual urges.

Like seeing him shirtless yesterday, all bronze-skinned and glistening, his muscles rippling.

She’d swallowed her tongue, unable to say a word.

Forever, the sheer masculinity of him would be imprinted in her memories.

“Water, please,” she whispered when he righted her, his fingers skimming over her hips.

On shaking knees, she returned to Lily, who was her cheerful self, humming to the fourth pizza slice she nibbled on. He placed a small pink milkshake and a bottle of water on the table, then returned for a cup of pale-yellow liquid.

While sipping his beverage, he peered at Britt over the rim. His eyes promised something sensual. Not wanting to finish her water in case she forgot again how to chew, she picked at her meal, her appetite for food gone.

She tried to hide her trembling fingers while sipping from the bottle, but his sex-appeal rattled her. “Hopscotch tomorrow, right?” she asked Lily.

“Yes, please.” With boundless energy, Lily bounced, almost spilling the milkshake in her hand. Thankfully, she slid the shake onto the table before Britt had to lunge for it.

“Good, if Nerxie can spare Ziot.” Britt offered him an innocent smile.

“I will join you, minus cesu ,” he said, his voice hoarse.

“Yay,” Lily squealed, jumping off the bench to dance across the blue mat. She didn’t hide her yawn when she climbed up beside Britt minutes later.

“Hand in front of your mouth,” Britt said, tugging Lily against her.

She nodded even as she nuzzled into Britt’s side.

“I hear it’s quite a long journey to reach Etteria,” she said, then swallowed hard at the heated expression Nerx leveled on her.

She wanted to fan herself or empty the water bottle down her cleavage. She’d read somewhere that space was cold; well, she was far from it.

“Fourteen days.”

“And I used to complain when something took longer than fourteen minutes to drive to.” She smiled. “Aldur told me about your hair.” All right, she was desperate for safe topics. Especially when Nerx stared at her like he’d been doing since he’d seen her in this dress.

He caught his braid and unclipped it. “ Malia pado .”

She gaped when it began to unravel itself until it swayed around him as if he was underwater.

“It moves?” she whispered. Squeezing her eyes shut as if she was seeing things, she opened them to the same scene.

“It’s beautiful.” She caught a strand, then squeaked when it wrapped around her wrist like silk sashes caressing her.

His chuckle was husky. “It likes you.”

“Oh?” She arched a brow, meeting his gaze before hastily looking away. “How can you tell?”

“It is trying to draw you closer.” He cleared his throat. “To me.”

Yup, it was, tugging on her wrist as if to drag her across the table. Visions of his hair tying her hands and feet to the bedposts dried her throat and sent a spasm of pleasure to her core.

“ Malia pa ,” he said then waited as it rebraided itself. He caught the ends and clipped it.

“Um, thank you…for showing me.” She took a gulp of water.

“Come, it is time for bed.”

“What?” she gasped, a warm flutter exploding from her chest to much, much lower.

He scooped a sleeping Lily into his arms, his hands brushing parts of Britt in passing.

Alone in the common, she stared at the table.

Just like that, dinner was over. No goodnight kiss for her, but the ‘date’ had been a decent start.

Not once had they argued. She cleared the leftovers, tossing them into the waste receptable before heading to her quarters.

Once inside, she leaned against the door while kicking off her heels. Her efforts hadn’t gone unappreciated. Though, she doubted she’d be able to sleep anytime soon. With a cry, she spun on a heel and opened the door…to Nerx.

“Thank goodness. I…” She hitched a thumb at her back. “I need to be unzipped.”

He crossed the threshold, nudging her aside.

She offered him her back and waited. Nothing happened.

Peeking at him over her shoulder froze her in place.

A tsunami of need crashed against her resistance, crumbling it.

That intensity was still in his narrowed eyes. His nostrils flared, his jaw clenched.

He gripped her zip and ripped it down, cool air rushing across her shoulder blades.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, facing him.

“Wrong?” he rasped. “You in this garment, your undergarments, that footwear, and scenting of arousal while calling me Nerxie?” Each step he took pushed her back until she bumped her ass against a wall.

She grinned. “Yup, well, Nerxie has a nice ring to it.”

“Oh.” A wicked smile twitched his lips. “When I want you screaming it. Demanding I thrust harder, faster.”

She swallowed past the lump in her throat even as her cheeks burned. Okay, maybe testing his boundaries wasn’t such a good idea. He splayed his hands beside her ears, trapping her in the circle of his arms. His focus remained on her face, not once dipping to her cleavage.

“These dots fascinate me,” he said, before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

This close, his cologne filled her nose, warmed by his skin and smelling of wildflowers, damp soil, and apples.

She ached to feel him against her, to have his mouth on hers.

Unable to hold off any longer, she closed the distance, pinning her chest to his even as she gripped his braid and pulled, arching his throat.

He stiffened, but she was too gone to care.

She feathered a kiss along his Adam’s apple to under his jaw, the taste of his skin addictive.

He growled, lowered his arms and crushed her against him. “Do that again,” he demanded.

She did, then followed it with a sweep of her tongue.

He shuddered. “Britta, please…”

She dug her fingers into his pecs and hooked a leg over his thigh. “Kiss me, Nerxie.”

When he leaned back to slash his lips across hers, her senses sang. He didn’t hesitate to dominate her mouth. She couldn’t keep up, could only cave to his kissing abilities. Damn . Air? What was that? To hell with breathing.

Without breaking the kiss, he grasped her under a knee, his touch hot and potent.

With his other hand, he buried his fingers in her hair, his palm holding her cheek.

This was the stuff of romance covers. She clung to his biceps, bending into him to give him access to her neck when he broke the kiss and ran his soft lips to her earlobe.

He nipped her there, shooting bolts of sensations lower.

Her breasts swelled, aching for his exploration. She whimpered, unable to voice how desperate she wanted to be beneath him.

A vibration traveled along his forearm and into her cheek. He froze, groaned, then held his temple to hers while he fought for breath. “Alodon’s balls, what now?” He tightened his arms around her, grasping her across her bare back.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I have been summoned to the comm.”

“Is that bad?” She straightened, sliding her leg down his within his tight embrace.

“Let us hope not.” He huffed. “I do not want to leave you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” She cupped his jaw to run her thumb over his chin.

He flashed her a smile, dimpling his left cheek.

She blinked, dazzled by his beauty. No man had the right to look this good.

“Give me five minutes.” He released her and bolted for the door, then paused when it opened to toss her a heated look. “Do not change.”

She squealed when she was alone. This was insane.

They’d hated each other just yesterday, and now she was on the cusp of getting laid…

by her husband. She hurried to the bathroom to check her reflection then marvel at her flushed cheeks, sparkling and lust-filled eyes, kiss-swollen lips, and heaving breasts, thanks to her ragged breathing.

The dress gaped, flashing a little sky-blue lace. Nice.

She twisted, checking how amazing she looked from the side too. Best decision she ever made.

She chuckled, almost gleefully rubbing her palms together.