He let her have the full force of his glare. "You knew we'd have to spend the next few days together, that I would have to keep you at a distance when all I want to do is hold you, kiss you, make love to you."
She went pale, blotches of red standing out on her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell with every breath. Her gaze was fixed on his lips.
He could smell that vanilla and spice of her scent, laced with a muskiness that told him she was aroused.
The knowledge turned him on.
All the frustration boiled up and burst through him in a rush of liquid heat that had him hard and throbbing.
He moved in closer, knowing he was crowding her, enough for her to take a step back, and another.
Her knees hit a chair, and she sank into it.
He followed her down, dropping to his knees in front of her. Slapping his hands on the arms of the chair, he leaned forward until his nose almost touched her. "You knew that I wanted you, that you belonged to me. And yet I can’t have you, for you are pledged to someone else."
She swallowed, and he moved in close enough for his breath to flutter the fine hair on her forehead.
Her pupils dilated, and she blinked.
In the next moment, the vertical slits of her dragon kicked in.
There she was. His dragoness. She belonged to him. Only him.
Possessiveness a hot thrum in his blood, he gripped her thighs and wrenched them apart, then slid into the V between her thighs.
"Aaron."
Hearing his name on her lips sent lust shooting through his veins. Dense heat tugged his groin.
The gold flecks in those green eyes swirled and caught fire.
He widened his stance to accommodate his growing arousal.
When her tongue flicked out to touch her lips, he couldn't look away from the glistening flesh. Those lips had teased him, had melted against his; he knew how she tasted.
So did someone else.
"Why?" He cupped her face, looking into her eyes. "Answer me."
"You know why. I can't let my dragon mate with you. I will not take the chance of the mating bond hurting you. I can't let it kill you. Can't you see?" She placed her hands over his. "I didn't want to hurt you."
"You'll trap yourself in a relationship that does not mean anything?"
"At least you will be alive." She set her jaw.
"Will I?" He wasn't sure what pushed him over the edge.
Perhaps it was because her scent wrapped around him when they were this close, sinking into his skin, maddening him to the point he knew he'd have to taste or go insane.
Or perhaps that very male part of him just wanted to show her what she would be missing.
He closed his mouth over hers.
He wasn't going to be gentle. He told himself he wanted to punish her. He wanted to show her exactly how good it was between them, that she was going to regret turning away from him. He wanted to plunder her mouth, to take, to hurt…
As soon as his lips touched hers, he found himself softening.
Coaxing her to open her mouth, he slid his tongue over hers, pouring everything he felt into that kiss. Her taste filled that empty gnawing space inside him, as only she could.
His emotions, his hurt, his sheer want for her...his very essence bled into that kiss.
Aaron didn't hold anything back.
Just when he would have lost himself in her, he wrenched his mouth away.
It felt very much like goodbye.
It was over, over.
35
Hope
That kiss had stolen her breath. His touch arrowed straight to her core, making her toes curl.
He'd opened himself up fully to her, mind, body, and soul.
It was like Aaron was taking the very essence from her.
His touch brushed past her senses.
Her dragon had stirred for the first time since the engagement ceremony.
Happiness bloomed. Her dragon had wallowed in his presence, in his scent, his touch.
Just for a few seconds, she'd shut out the world and her responsibilities, had pushed aside the crushing guilt that letting Aaron close would only put his life in danger. Only for that moment in time, Hope had let herself…feel.
She'd loved it, cherished it, and regretted it all in the same breath. Her dragon gloried in the feeling of oneness that came with Aaron being so close.
Then he'd torn his lips from hers and left her wanting more.
Much more.
Hope acknowledged how much the woman in her wanted him, all of him.
She needed him as her mate. To let her dragon bond with his warrior spirit and ride the wave of emotions he'd shown her.
He turned away, shoulders bowed. "Go to your cabin…please." Starting the cruiser, he concentrated on readying the boat.
She'd felt the finality of that kiss and knew he was choosing to put an end to whatever was between them.
It's what she wanted, too, wasn’t it?
Then why did it feel like her heart was shattering inside? She should tell him that she had broken it off with Jason, that she'd never intended to go through with the mating, and that the ceremony had been an elaborate ruse on her part to make Aaron leave her.
A goal she'd just accomplished.
She felt like she'd lost something precious.
The silence stretched.
Perhaps it was for the best that he wanted her to stay away. It would keep her dragon out of temptation's way.
He finally turned to her.
For the first time since she'd met him, she saw all expression wiped off his features. Those eyes, his piercing cobalt-blue eyes, were blank. He'd made sure to hide himself from her.
Hurt welled up inside.
She wanted to walk up to him and demand he look at her like he still cared for her.
He did still want her. He must still love her. He must.
He focused on the task of getting the cruiser underway. "We are only allies of convenience. Once we complete this mission, we'll go back to being in different political camps."
She knew a brush-off when she heard it.
Gathering what pride she had left, Hope left without another word.
If she stayed…she only risked dropping all her barriers. She'd give in to the temptation of letting her soul mingle with his.
His boat; he could steer it, she told herself as she made her way down to one of the cabins.
Except for a few words exchanged when she took over the next shift from him, they kept out of each other's way.
By the time Bombay was in sight, her nerves were stretched to screaming point, enough for her to make for the pier as soon as they had docked.
She was halfway up the road leading away from the pier, when a woman came barreling down, rushing past her.
Hope peeked over her shoulder.
Then she wished she hadn’t.
36
Hope
The woman had her arms around his neck. Her legs circled his waist. She was kissing him as if she would devour him whole.
And Aaron?
His hands were on her waist. His head tilted. He kissed her right back, taking his time about it.
Heat boiled in her belly, threatening to pour through her veins.
When he lowered her to her feet, he made sure to let her slide down the length of his body.
Hope heard a growl, knew it was coming from her throat, but she didn't care.