Page 18 of Wayfinder (The Outlander Book Club… in Space! #5)

Pearl melted against me, a small, satisfied moan coming from her throat as my hands slid from her waist to back, pulling her against me.

As our mouths moved together, she shifted closer, her tongue teasingly dancing along my bottom lip. Her unique taste, a mixture of sweetness and spice, flooded my senses.

My mind whirled with thoughts, none more prevalent than the recognition of my need for Pearl.

She could never be my true mate. I had accepted that.

But even so, I couldn’t imagine wanting any female more than Pearl, her luscious curves pressing against my body as though made to fit perfectly against me.

My cock was almost painfully hard and pressed against her belly.

Pearl responded with a soft moan and wriggled even closer, wrapping her arms around my neck.

The sensation of her soft curves pressed against me, the feel of her tongue tangling with mine, was pure bliss, a moment of perfect connection.

And then, just like that, it was over.

Pearl stumbled a step back, bright blue eyes wide. The fingers she raised to her kiss-swollen lips trembled.

“Um... what was that?”

Her usually floral, fresh scent held an overlay of spicy musk. The smell of her arousal. I didn’t stop the curve of my lips at the realization.

“I am congratulating you on winning the competition,” I shrugged at her question. “You said kissing was a way of showing congratulations."

Pearl’s already flushed cheeks deepened in color. “Oh shit.”

I didn’t like her obvious discomposure or her standing so far away, although no more than a few inches separated us.

“What is wrong? Did I not do it right?” I asked, reaching out to nab a lock of the reddish-brown hair lying on her shoulder. The strands flowed through my fingers like silk.

“Oh no, you did it great,” she snorted, but her mouth curved into a smile.

“Good,” I grunted, proud of her admission. “I enjoy kissing very much.”

“Yeah, about that.” Pearl scrubbed her hands over her face with a sigh.

“You dislike the kissing.” I frowned. The scent of her arousal lay thick in the air suggesting otherwise.

Her eyes shot at me, flashing with regret.

“Oh, no... I mean... I like it very much.” She sighed, a faint smile playing with the corners of her pouty lips. “Too much. It’s just....” Her face scrunched in thought. “What happens now that the contest is over?”

An odd question, I thought, since she knew my sole purpose was to rescue her.

“We return to the space station and affect our escape.”

Pearl shook her head slightly, frowning. “No, I mean after that.”

“I do not understand.” I took a step closer, the tips of her breasts just touching my chest, and I felt her nipples grow harder under the fabric of her dress. My cock throbbed in response, though thankfully she didn’t seem to notice.

Pearl’s sigh was heavier this time, and she raised her hands to rest on my chest, laying her fingers just over my heartbeat.

“After you rescue me and reunite me with my friends, will you take us back to Earth?”

I felt a tremor run through me as I swallowed down my growl.

Of course, Pearl did not know about Alliance regulations.

I’m sure Baron Oappo nor anyone else from his household informed Pearl of anything other than the rules of her slavery.

But the greater source of my ire came from the idea of her leaving.

She could never truly be my mate, but did that have to mean she couldn’t be nearby?

Pearl felt my body tense under her fingertips, but she didn’t step away. Instead, her hands slid up my chest to my shoulders, her lips pursing provocatively as she watched my muscles twitch under her touch.

“Are you okay?”

I pushed away my selfish musings with a sigh. “Come, let’s sit.”

I led Pearl to the couch, sitting on one end, and drawing her down beside me, while taking both her hands in mine.

“What is it?” There was no fear in her question, only curiosity.

“I’m afraid you can never return to Earth.”

A sharp gasp preceded her words. “Why not?”

The upset on her face tore at my heart, and I couldn’t help but lift a hand to cradle her cheek. She leaned into my touch, a contented warmth spreading through my body from where our flesh joined.

“The Alliance that governs this sector of the universe has rules regarding the treatment of abducted humans. It is against Alliance regulations to take beings from Earth, but as you know, some work outside the law.”

Pearl gave an angry snort and rolled her eyes.

“When possible, humans are returned to Earth. But once a human has been through the Garoot Healer....” I paused, debating what came next.

I did not want to upset her further, but nothing would change the truth.

“Once a human has been through the healer….” My words trailed off as her eyes grew wary.

“Most times, youth is restored, and your health and lifespan become far greater than those still on Earth.” My fingers caught her chin, holding her gaze.

“The Alliance does not allow altered humans to return to Earth.”

Pearl’s lips pursed fractionally, and my cock twitched in response.

“I get it.” Her voice was soft, a faraway look in her eyes, but she did not seem as upset as I expected.

“I guess it would be difficult to explain why I look forty years younger than the last time someone saw me.” Her teeth worried at her plump lower lip as she processed the information.

“And truthfully, I don’t have anybody left on Earth.

All the people I love are in space with me. ”

Love.

A human concept that encompassed how one felt from everything from a mate to a pet. I liked the way she gazed at me, as though she considered me in the group of those she loved, although logically, I knew she spoke of her friends.

“So, I can’t go back to Earth.” Pearl huffed and squared her shoulders, the determination and resilience with which she handled everything settling over her features.

“Where will I go?” I watched a thought flash through her mind, and she grinned.

“As long as I’m not a slave and in a kitchen somewhere. I’m good.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. I also couldn’t help but pick up the hand she held clenched in her lap and draw it to my chest, holding it against my heartbeat.

“You will never be a slave,” I swore. Even now, although technically she belonged to Baron Oappo, I regarded it as only a momentary inconvenience.

“My sister’s mate Praxxan has a brother who is mated to a human female.

Siemba purchased and modified a planet called Tau Ceti to be a haven for abducted humans.

You can go there if you wish or....” I tried to keep my expression neutral but doubted I could hide the desire ripping through me like a flame.

“Perhaps you could remain on the Bardaga like your friends.”

I didn’t mention the mating of her friends to my brethren.

Giving her false hope would be cruel. Although I wished more than to take my next breath, that there was a way she could become my true mate.

It was not uncommon for my kind to take pleasure mates, although I had never considered one for myself.

I’d always wanted a true mate, like my parents.

A mating where I could proclaim my mate to the goddess and feel the bond that only blessed mates feel.

But for Pearl, I could change my mind. For Pearl, I could change everything.

“What will you do?” Pearl watched me curiously, as though she could decipher the desires battling within my brain.

“I will return to my duties aboard the Bardaga.” It was a simple question to answer, although the idea now felt hollow.

Pearl leaned closer, the curve of her breasts brushing against my bicep. “Staying on a spaceship and seeing the universe doesn’t sound like such a bad idea,” she said.

“Traveling the stars, visiting other worlds... it is not a bad life,” I admitted, and for a fraction of a second, I let myself wallow in the idea that she might want to stay by my side as much as I wanted her there.

Pearl smiled at me. For a moment, I thought she wanted me to kiss her again, but as I moved nearer, her expression shifted, becoming abashed.

“I have a confession to make.” She pulled back, and I steeled myself to hear her next words. “I might have fibbed to you.”

“Fibbed?”

“Lied.” Pearl huffed and made a face. “I lied.”

“You do not wish to stay aboard the Bardaga?” I frowned, sadness crushing my heart.

“No... I mean, yes. I want to stay onboard the Bardaga. What I lied about was....” Her cheeks flushed dark pink. “The kiss.”

“You did not enjoy our kiss.” I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

“Oh no, I did.” Her smile was soft and adorable. “I enjoyed it very much.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I lied about why I kissed you.” Pearl’s blue gaze met mine, searching and reticent.

I wanted to tell her I didn’t care about why. She could kiss me anytime she wanted, for any reason. But I could tell this was important to her.

“You do not kiss for congratulations?” I recalled the reason she gave me after the first time our lips touched.

“We do.” Her fingertips rested on my chest. Surely, she could hear the way my heart hammered. “It’s just that the way I kissed you wasn’t exactly a congratulatory kiss.”

“How is a congratulatory kiss done?” I’d use any excuse to feel her lips on me again.

Pearl rose slightly, hands resting on my shoulders as she brushed her soft lips across my cheek.

“This is not how you kissed me,” I accused, although I enjoyed the touch of her lips against my skin.

“No.”

Pearl took a deep breath, and the tip of her pink tongue moistened her lips. It was all I could do to control my urge to crush her against me and capture her mouth with mine.

“How did you kiss me?” I ventured, watching the flush of color rise on her face.

Her bright blue eyes found mine. “The way I kissed you. Normally, only lovers kiss like that.”