Their minds settled into a comfortable alignment with each other. The intense fire hadn’t gone away, it only smoldered, waiting for the merest spark to light it once again. She was convinced that no matter how many times he took possession of her or she of him, their firestorm would remain eternal.
“I’m in love with you, Antonia Soo-Min Choi.” Azazel pulled back, a tremor in his breath as he searched her face. His eyes, open and unshielded, held his confession long before he spoke.
Toni’s grin was so wide it made her cheeks hurt. “And I, you, Azazel.” She threaded her fingers through the silky strands of the sepia-brown hair at the side of his head. “I love feeling how fiercely you love me.” She cocked her head with a cheeky grin. “And I’m positive we’ll grow to love one another the more we are together.” With a playful nudge on his shoulder, she pouted. “But… I believe you have some explaining about how I know that.”
His playful leer made her giggle.
“Oh, I’ll do more than tell you, I’ll show you. But first—” He raised his head and looked around with his brows furrowed. “—just where the hell are we?”
Toni threw her arms around his neck and laughed.
Epilogue
“Ohdarling.”
The petulant feminine voice echoing in the room made Azazel jump.
“I am so hurt you don’t recognize me.”
The woman in his arms covered her mouth with her delicate fingers and giggled.
He gave her a mock glare. “Oh, you find this funny, eh, Toni?” With a rumbling growl, he wrapped her in his arms and rolled her over and over on the soft mattress in a playful wrestle.
Toni’s giggles turned into jubilant laughter.
“Honestly, children.” The effeminate voice admonished in an exasperated tone. “Playtime is over.” The sound of hands clapping came across like a scolding grandmother. “Your presence is required in the main conference room.”
When Azazel found a particular ticklish spot at Toni’s waist, he exclaimed, “Aha!”
Toni squirmed with a protesting howl. “Stop, Az!” She pushed his hands away. “I can’t breathe!”
He would not be deterred. Instead of teasing her stomach and waist, he rolled them over until she was pinned beneath him. He leaned into her neck and blew a raspberry against the pebbling skin there.
The next thing he knew, she’d grabbed the sides of his head and pulled his mouth to hers. Any attempt at teasing flew away as he sank into the kiss. Then it hit him. Her lush bare skin lay flush against him, ready for him to dive in. With eager hands and mouth, he explored as much of her tempting landscape as he could reach until he found himself pulled away, free-floating above the bed. It was if gravity had taken a vacation.
“Elemi!” Toni squealed.
Azazel grabbed the drifting woman and wrapped her in his arms.
She slid her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist with a tight squeeze.
Keeping in mind how touchy the sentient spaceship was, Azazel took care with the words he chose. “I am so sorry we didn’t listen to you,ninlil.” It was hard, but he kept a smile from escaping as he spoke. “We promise to heed you.”
“Humph,” the ship responded. “I do like that ‘Lady of Airspace’ title. Yes, I suppose I’ll forgive you. This time.”
Thankfully,Elemididn’t turn on the gravity all at once. The gradual return of their normal weight allowed them to touch down onto the floor next to the wide bed with sure footing.
“Well,” Toni snickered. “at least you know where you are now.”
He nodded. “Yes, when my brothers and I went to FiPan to look for you and the other missing women, we came on this ship.” Glancing at the ceiling, he continued. “And a most gracious host she was and is.”
Wow, he sure can lay it on thick.
It startled him when he heard Toni’s thoughts in his mind. While in his beast form, he must’ve opened a clear, private track that allowed him to connect with her. It took him a moment to get familiar with that psychic channel to see how she reacted to it.
Don’t you think it’s better to stay on her good side?He tested the link.
Toni smirked.Yeah, I’d hate for her to shove us out of an airlock.
