Kimmy made the decision for him. She turned slightly, then sat on his lap.
“Problem solved,” she said.
Perhaps that problem was solved, but a new one was growing and if she shifted her weight much at all, she was going to detect it.
Having her in his lap, in his arms, was too much of a temptation to pass up. He wrapped one arm around her waist, then spun the chair back toward the front of the ship. She let out a delighted squeal as he did so, the sound making his chest feel tight.
“I can’t wait for this,” she said.
His mouth went dry, his free hand dropping to her thigh. But when he looked to her, her gaze was locked out the front viewports.
Of course, she meant the take-off.
Swallowing down his disappointment, he said, “Then I won’t delay.”
He keyed in the command for departure.
The ship lifted smoothly from the ground, a ripple passing over the viewport to let him know the cloak had engaged. If he had thought of it, he would have slowed the speed of their departure to give her a chance to see and process more. He vowed to give her that experience upon their return.
A pale blue winter sky filled their view for only a few seconds, and then it thinned, revealing stars, and then the inky curtain of space.
“Oh wow.” Kimmy leaned against his chest, her heart beating hard enough for him to feel it. He tightened his embrace.
“This is just… It’s amazing.” She reached up and swiped a trembling thumb across her cheek.
He caught her hand before she could wipe the tear from her skin, bringing it to his lips to kiss. She turned toward him, lips parted, then pressed her mouth to his.
He held himself still at first, letting her explore him, opening his mouth at her gentle prompting. But then, he could hold back no longer.
He grasped her face in his hands, angling her head to get better access, to thrust his tongue deeper into the soft heat of her mouth. She let out a soft moan, spurring him on.
He leaned forward in his chair, only then realizing he hadn’t even secured the safety harness. At the moment, he didn’t care.
They needed a horizontal surface. Stars, they needed any surface he could hold her against without being in danger of pressing the wrong command panel.
He spun the chair back toward the main cabin of the ship. He could carry her to his bunk, lay her among her blankets, press himself into her, and place his mark upon her.
No.
He pulled back from the fantasy.
Bonding among Centaurans was permanent. She was an Earthling and had no idea of what she’d be getting into, even if she was interested.
He broke off the kiss. “Kimmy, this isn’t something we should do.”
“Oh.”
He hated the way her face dimmed, desire turning to disappointment. And he hated himself for causing her even that pain.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Wait…no, I’m not sorry. You’re as into this as me. Unless you don’t actually like spending time with me. Probably because I talk too much. But still, you shouldn’t—”
He cupped her cheek in his hand and leaned in to kiss her again, not letting up until he felt her relax against him. When she had, he once again forced himself to stop.
Still close, breaths mingling, he said, “I enjoy your presence immensely. Especially the talking parts.”
Her lips curled up in a smile. “Not the kissing parts?”
He actually chuckled. “Those, too. But there are things about me that you don’t understand.”
“What kind of things? I mean, I get that you’re an alien. And a werewolf. And a smuggler, but a good-guy one.” She arched an eyebrow. “Or so you say.”
Her tone was playful enough to elicit yet another laugh. How could she break through his walls so easily? He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled before meeting her, and now, it felt as if he constantly was.
“I need to explain some things about…kissing,” he said. “And what it can lead to.”
She leaned in closer. “More kissing?”
That time, he let out a full laugh.
“Are we—” her cheeks turned bright pink, “physically compatible?”
A thrill shot through him at the thought of how absolutely compatible their bodies were, and how he would love nothing more than to show her. He took advantage of her closeness for yet one more kiss. Hopefully, not the last.
Just in case, he took his time, tasting her, savoring everything about the experience. The way she melted into him pushed the limits of his restraint. She didn’t hold any part of herself back. He wanted to do the same.
“We are compatible,” he said. “But if we move forward with this… I don’t know if I can control myself.”
She swallowed hard. He traced the delicate line of her neck with his fingertips, and she shivered.
“You think you’ll hurt me?” she asked.
“What? No. Never. I could never hurt you.”
“Then what?”
He looked away, but she grasped his cheek and made him face her.
“What is it you’re afraid of?” she asked.
“I want… I need…” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I feel an urge to put my mark on you.”
“Oh, wow.” Her eyes widened, and she got that far-off look that he hadn’t quite figured out yet. It was almost as if she was seeing through him.
“And you’re afraid that if we do…more than kissing, you’ll mark me as yours?” she asked.
She seemed to have a remarkable grasp on the situation. Still, he shouldn’t assume.
“Cen…” He almost said, “Centaurans,” but stopped himself.
Vapor pits. If he truly wanted to mate with her, he should just tell her and get it over with.
“We mate for life,” he said.
“And you want me to be your mate. You feel drawn to me—connected in a way you never have before.”
His jaw dropped open. “Yes. How did you know?”
How could she understand him so well after so short a time?
“I’ve read hundreds of werewolf romance stories,” she said. “They’re my favorite.”
Her cheeks pinked up again.
Serac stilled. Did she actually like him as an individual at all, or was she just fascinated by his shifter nature? The High Council had been intrigued by Centaurans and it had led to tragedy.
Yet with the strength of the instinct driving him to claim her, did it matter why she was drawn to him?
He shook the thought away. It did matter.
He wouldn’t mate with someone who saw him as a curiosity.
10
“I should monitor our drop into blue space.”
Serac’s tone chilled, along with the air in the small cockpit. Kimmy shivered, wishing she had left her jacket on.
He wasn’t looking at her—and worse, he’d stopped touching her. What had she said that had offended him so badly?
It wasn’t the first time she’d totally killed the mood with her chattering, but with Serac, she had thought things were different. That he accepted her—even liked her talking. Heck, he had just said that he liked her talking. So what had changed?
She slid from his lap, but hovered in the opening between the cockpit and cabin. The silence started to freak her out, especially as she thought about the emptiness surrounding them.