Page 17 of Keeping Freya (Warriors of Arracate #3)

T’Rak

S leep eluded me last night after Fr’Ya went to bed.

Trust is building between us, and our shared intimacy showed me that.

Such a gift. I spent the entire night thinking of what to do next.

I do not want to pressure her, but if there is an inkling of hope that she will accept me and our bond, I will take it.

I consider myself a good male, but I cannot think straight when it comes to her.

She is all I ever wanted and all I will ever need.

When I enter the training center, her scent almost knocks me off my feet. She is working up a sweat already, which enhances her earthy essence.

She turns when she hears me enter.

“Hi!” she says, and her chest heaves. “Did you sleep well?”

I arch a brow and grunt. Maybe she slept easily; she sure is good-tempered today.

“Mind your form.” I walk up to her and position her in front of the punching bags, lifting her upper arms in front of her. “Always protect your face. ”

She huffs but does as I say, and we continue training like we have in the past days: physical in the morning and target practice in the afternoon.

Target practice is torture. I step in behind her, immediately breathing in her scent. The bond pulses, but I shove it down. With a grunt, I tip her elbow up and keep it there. “Now throw.”

She throws, and the knife hits the target exactly at the mark. Cheering, she throws her hands up before she turns around. “I did it!”

I can only smile. “Yes, you did.” We look at each other for a moment, and the air is electrified. The bond pulses, my cock rises. Her breath hitches in her throat, and she audibly swallows as she looks at my mouth. Distracted. Her win from a moment ago is completely forgotten.

“T’Rak…” My name is a breathy whisper on her lips, making my tail act on its own accord. I caress the back of her neck with the tip of my tail before slowly sliding it down across her spine. She shivers, and I hold back a groan.

“I still want you, Fr’Ya. And it kills me that you do not want me back, but I will respect your wishes. I will back down if that is what you really want.”

She bites her lip, and I can tell she is thinking really hard.

“Isn’t there a loophole? Isn’t there a way we can do something about this tension, without activating the bond?”

I snort and put my hand against her chest. “Do you feel something there? A flutter, a pull?” When she nods, I continue. “That is the bond, my Zarra. Every day we spend together, it becomes harder to fight it; it will try to force us together.”

She opens her mouth to speak, but I shake my head and silence her.

“I need you to want me back, not because of a bond, but because your body craves me as much as I crave you. When you feel like you cannot take another breath without touching me. When you want to put your hands all over me, like I have envisioned mine on your body.”

The caress of my tail on her spine enhances my words, and I step closer into her space. I lift my hand and caress her cheek. “I know you will not stay, and I respect that, but I cannot stay away from you. I will selfishly take everything I can get, even if it will ultimately break me.”

Freya

His words cause a little crack in the walls I’ve built around my heart.

I still want to go home, but if we can, maybe fool around for a while?

It’s not fair, I know that, but I can’t deny there’s a part of me that wants him, why not give in a little bit?

Reclaim my sexuality with a gorgeous Alien warrior who wants nobody else but me…

“T’Rak, do you know what a kiss is?” The words are soft, but steady, because I feel deep down in my bones that this is right. I really, really want this.

His focus shifts from my eyes to my lips. “I have an idea,” he says, and I smirk.

“Want to see if you have the right idea?”

He dips his head and presses his lips to mine. Short and hard before he straightens again, looking smug. “There,” he says, and I shake my head laughing.

“That’s one way to do it, but I was thinking of something a little bit more…”

“More what?”

My smile widens. “Let me show you.”

Standing on the tip of my toes, I pull his head down, and he bends towards me.

I softly touch his lips with mine, my mouth half open, and I caress his lips with mine.

At first, his mouth is hard and stiff under my touch.

Then he relaxes with a sigh, and I can mold my lips against his.

My senses explode, and I lean into him even more with a sigh.

When he moans, I tug on his lower lip with my teeth, and he opens his mouth.

I take that as my sign to add a little tongue—not too much, just a little taste.

Tentatively, our tongues meet, and once I set the pace, he starts mimicking my movements.

Drawing back, I kiss his lips again before letting go with a sigh.

“Now, that’s what I call a kiss.”

“Again,” he commands. Voice hoarse, eyes glazed.

With a smile, I rise again and pull down his head for another kiss.

This one is still tentative, but he grabs hold of my waist and pulls my body against his.

My mind goes hazy with lust, and I need more.

Groaning, I grind against him and bite his lip.

That sets something off, because next thing I know, he has pushed me against one of the racks and he is ravaging me.

It’s not the best kiss I’ve ever had; it lacks finesse, and his tongue is all over the place, but damn, it is by far the hottest. He so obviously has lost control; it is thrilling.

When we finally break away, panting, we just stare at each other.

I bring my fingers to my mouth to touch my swollen lips.

His eyes are fixated on my lips, and he is struggling to keep his breathing even. I smile. I did this of my own free will. I gave, and it made him come undone. My name is a whisper on his lips, and my heart flutters.

Before I can say or do anything, he grunts something unintelligible and brusquely walks away.

I stare at his retreating backside. His incredibly fine backside.

Shaking my head, I pick up the knives, placing them neatly in their roll. The bag's leather is worn, and it looks like it has seen a lot of use. I close my eyes and caress the leather. It’s so soft. I inhale and can almost feel T’Rak’s care for the weapons pouring through the skin.

He acts all tough and gruff and grumpy, but deep inside, he’s just as soft as the others. And he’s a virgin… Who would have guessed the big, strong alien is a virgin? Also, why is it such a turn-on?

His being a virgin changes the rules of the game. It gives me the upper hand, it gives me the control.

When I arrive at Command, T’Rak is nowhere to be seen. I shrug and make some tea. My stomach starts growling, so I decide it’s time to try cooking something.

I rummage through the cabinets, but I can only find noodles, noodles, and more noodles. With a sigh, I accept my fate. I’m not against space noodles; they have nutrients added to them and taste okay. They’re just so bland and boring.

Humming, I prepare the plates and the food, and when I’m done, I realize I’ve also made dinner and tea for T’Rak. I guess I’ll have to go get him then; he can’t hide from me forever.