Page 13 of The Mountain Man's Curvy Trick-or-Treat

“I didn’t know this was possible with a human.” The disgust in my voice startles even me.

She jerks her hand back, fists clenching. “You make it sound unimaginable.”

“Because itisunimaginable.”

“I want you to take me back out of these woods right now. I’m done with this bizarre night.”

“No, my little Earthling,” I say, stepping closer, wrapping my arms around her before she can retreat. “This night has only just begun.”

She struggles like a wild bird, never hard enough to break free. The soft chuckle that escapes me only enrages her further.

“What are you laughing at?” she snaps.

“Such an emotional creature. How can youfeelso many things at once?”

“Disgust, loathing, rage—you mean?”

“Yes.” I lower my head until our lips hover inches apart. “And desire. Need. Curiosity. Something almost like affection.”

“‘Something almost like affection’? You’re counting that a win?”

“No.” I catch her hand, pressing it to her heart, my palm covering hers. “But the resonance is.”

The sweetness of Star-honey lingers on her lips; the flutter of her lashes stirs something deep inside me. The pulse of her desire hums in the air like a storm waiting to break.

Human or not, I must have her.

And then, I must keep her.

My mouth crashes into hers as I’ve seen human couples do. And for an instant, I feel out of my depth—the awkward press of our lips together hard to comprehend.

She pulls back, breathless. “You’re terrible at this.”

“I know,” I admit, baffled. “Humans kiss like they’re trying to share breath. I’m still learning the … technique.”

“If you think?—”

I press into her mouth again, brows furrowing.What the hell?I inch my head back. “What am I doing wrong?”

“Everything!” she explodes. “Starman, there’s no way you’re going to convince me we’re in a dream if you keep messing up like this.”

Her face glows with my light as she wraps her arms around my neck. We hesitate for one heartbeat, then our mouths meet again. Her warmth seeps into me; her breath trembles against my lips.

My chest tightens—something unfamiliar tugging at my heart. My hand cups her cheek, guiding the rhythm, learning by instinct. She relaxes, and my tongue darts, licking some honey from her.

She sighs, body taut. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” she pants. “That was right. You could almost?—”

Eden doesn’t have to tell me to lick her twice. The resonance bursts inside my chest, our energy folding together until I’m not sure which heartbeat is mine.

Somewhere deep inside, the regulator sputters—a sharp static hiss beneath the pleasure. Warning lights flicker across my vision. A fault code. System overload. I ignore it. I can’t stop.

She tastes better than the pink and golden hues of sunrise, better than the white frost on the window on a winter morning, better than every thought I’ve ever had of returning to my homeworld.

She pulls back slightly, catches her breath. Then, we collide again—teeth clashing, hearts syncing, the vibrations between us merging into one aching note. Nothing has ever felt more right, though feeling itself is still so new.

“That’s much—” she gasps between kisses—“much better. Almost like a dream.”