His skin was too tight for his body. Animalistic need clawed at him, demanding he claim his mate. For that was what she was. If she understood who and what he truly was, would she still want him? The truth was on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it back. Some habits were impossible to breach. There were some things better kept silent.
“You next.” Her fingers were nimble on his pants. She had them open and his battlesuit shoved down enough for his cock to spring forward. The humming sound she made in her throat, the gleam of approval in her eyes, almost ended him. He jerked back just as she reached for him.
“You do that and it will be over.”
“Really?” She seemed more delighted than worried.
Jamaeh Jerman was big trouble. Good thing handling trouble was his specialty.
Chapter Twelve
Her entire body was alive and electric with expectation. This was going to happen. It was probably stupid to be doing this in the middle of a mission, but if not now, when? Events were moving swiftly.
Zaxe was unlike any man she’d ever know. Built like a god, his big body rippled with muscles, his dark skin gleamed with a light sheen of perspiration. Like the war axe he’d been named for, his features were blunt and masculine. Fearless and ruthless when he had to be, he was nonetheless kind and courageous. He had so many layers to him. She’d only scratched the surface.
Her gaze dropped to his shaft. Like the rest of him, it was big and fierce. The flared head was slightly lighter in color. Her core pulsed with expectation. This might be all new to her, but she knew there would never be another man in her life like Zaxe. He truly was one of a kind.
“Like what you see?” His voice dropped another level, making her nipples tighten even more. She licked her dry lips and nodded.
“I want to touch you.” The hard length of his cock pulsed with life, the veins thick and prominent.
“Be very sure. If we start this, we finish.” He sounded almost angry, but she wasn’t the slightest bit concerned. A haze of sensual need wrapped around her, shoving all else to the background.
“We’re definitely going to finish.” No way was she letting him walk away.
A slow smile spread over his face, along with a sensual hunger that left her breathless. “Then come.” He held out his hand. She took it without hesitation. This was the right man, the right place, the right time.
He pulled her to her feet, then scooped her into his arms and carried her the final few steps to the bed. She could have walked, but oh, how her heart sang at the romantic gesture.
This was only sex, at least for him. For her, it was making love. While it was too soon to be in love with the man, given enough time, she likely could love him. They’d packed more life and death drama into the few days they’d known each other than most couples endured in a lifetime. It broke things down to their most basic.
At his core, he was a decent man. It was strange to say that about someone who killed without hesitation, but he had a code of honor that ran deep.
Instead of following her down onto the bed, he left her lying there, retrieved his blaster and knives and set them on the floor alongside them. Even now, he didn’t relax. She wondered if he ever truly did.
“Come to bed.” This time, she held out her hand to him. He needs me. The thought was fleeting, but it rang true. Zaxe seemed removed from the world around him, always watching and calculating his next move. Who looked after him?
His dark eyes seemed to bore into her very soul as he removed his boots and stripped off the rest of his clothing. His legs were long and muscular. Even his feet were strong. Naked, he was even more imposing than he was dressed, as if all the layers of civility had been stripped away to reveal the primal male beneath.
He lay down beside her and propped himself up on one hand, seeming in no hurry in spite of his arousal. Using his free hand, he stroked her neck and breasts and over her stomach. The skin on his fingertips was rough, making the caress even more exciting. The contrast between his darker skin and her lighter tone made her breath catch in her throat as he slipped his hand between her legs.
She arched into his touch as his fingers slid over the slick folds of her sex. Yes! The sensation was indescribable. Heat exploded from where he explored, spreading over her entire body. No other man had ever touched her in this way.
“Tell me what you like?” His breath was hot on her neck as he whispered into her ear. Shivers raced down her arms when he caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth and lightly tugged.
“You.” A breathless sigh broke from her lips. “I like you.” The intensity surrounding him was palpable.
Needing to touch him, she brushed her fingers over his face, down his neck, and across his broad shoulders. His skin was warm and smooth in some places, raised in others. She stroked one long scar that ran across his left pectoral. She wanted to ask what had caused it but didn’t want to break the mood. That was something committed lovers might share, not two people having sex for what might be the one and only time.
Ignoring the twinge of regret in her heart, she let her fingers continue their journey over his sculpted biceps and thick forearms.
He probed at her channel, pushing inward. His thumb coasted over the nub at the apex of her sex. Everything inside her went liquid, seeping out to coat his fingers.
“Don’t stop,” she ordered. It seemed as though she’d waited her entire life for this man and this moment. Every breath and sigh was magnified, every touch electric. She circled her hips, seeking to deepen his touch, searching for a release that she’d never experienced in the presence of another. It was one thing to pleasure herself at home. This was something entirely different.
And it wouldn’t be this way with just any man. Zaxe was special.
Too special for you.
She shoved the negative voice away, unwilling to listen. All her life she’d felt less than, always falling short. Not this time.
“I love your skin.” He nibbled on her neck and across her collarbone.
“It’s not as dark as yours.” The difference had been used to taunt her as a child and kept her out of some places as an adult. Discrimination was officially frowned upon, but it was a reality, especially in the upper social classes. The working class didn’t care what you looked like if you had money to pay for services or had something they needed.
He stilled and removed his hand, making her whimper. “You are beautiful.” His black gaze bored into her.
She really wanted to believe him, but the doubts of a lifetime whispered in her ear. When it came to trading and brokering deals, she was confident. She was strong and smart and hardworking, but lingering doubts held over from childhood reared their ugly head from time to time.
Zaxe skimmed his lips over the tips of her breasts and down her stomach, leaving ripples of desire in his wake. “Do you hear me?” He blew on a damp nub.
“Yes.” Right now, she’d believe anything he said if he’d keep on touching her.
“You taste sweet and salty at the same time.” He ran the flat of his tongue across her hip bones before sprawling between her thighs.
Oh, gods, he was looking at her, his mouth mere inches away from her sex. It was almost impossible to breathe. Her lungs pumped, her breasts swayed as she gasped in air.
“I’ve wanted to know how you taste since I first set eyes on you.”