The words were barely out of her mouth before his eyes darkened to midnight blue, before his large hand came up to cup her face with surprising gentleness.
When he leaned in to kiss her, time seemed to slow. His lips were warm and firm against hers, the contact gentle at first—a question rather than a demand. But when she responded, when her lips parted beneath his in silent invitation, the kiss transformed into something fierce and hungry and desperate.
She found herself kissing him back with an intensity that shocked her, a hunger she'd never felt for any man. Her handsfisted in the soft fabric of his black shirt, pulling him closer as he tangled his fingers in her long brown hair. The kiss deepened, their tongues dancing in a rhythm that felt as natural as breathing, as inevitable as the tide.
Heat flooded her body as the kiss grew more demanding, more consuming. She could taste the wine on his lips and could feel the barely leashed power in his frame as he held himself in check. Every nerve ending came alive under his touch, every cell in her body crying out for more contact, more connection, more of whatever this magnificent madness was between them.
If they continued like this, she would do something foolish. Something reckless and completely out of character. She'd known this man for less than a day, and he was her superior, her temporary boss. But none of that seemed to matter when his mouth was on hers, when his scent wrapped around her like an aphrodisiac, when every instinct in her body screamed that this was exactly where she belonged.
EIGHT
RAIKAR
The fire crackled in the stone hearth, casting dancing shadows across Raikar's living room as he lost himself in the intoxicating warmth of Jade's mouth. Her taste—wine and something uniquely her—flooded his mouth while her lavender and citrus scent wrapped around him like a drug. His panther purred with savage satisfaction, finally claiming what belonged to them, finally touching their mate the way instinct demanded.
Jade's fingers fisted tighter in his shirt, pulling him closer as their tongues danced in a rhythm that felt as ancient as the stars. Every rational thought scattered under the onslaught of sensation—her soft curves pressing against his chest, her breath mingling with his, the small sounds of pleasure she made driving him to the edge of madness.
His right hand tangled further in her silky brown hair while the other traced the elegant line of her throat, feeling her pulse race beneath his fingertips. The mate bond sang between them, electric and demanding, urging him to claim her completely. His panther roared with need as the seconds passed, pushing him toward the inevitable conclusion this kiss promised.
Claim her. Mark her. Make her understand what she is to us.
The green sundress she wore suddenly felt like an insurmountable barrier. His fingers found the delicate straps at her shoulders, ready to slide them down her arms, ready to bare her skin to his hungry gaze. Just a few more seconds and he would have her beneath him?—
Jade pulled back abruptly, her brown eyes wide with shock and something that looked like panic. Her lips were swollen from his kisses, her hair mussed from his hand, and she looked so beautiful it physically hurt to see her retreating from him.
"We shouldn't be doing this. This is so inappropriate," she said, pressing her fingers to her lips as if she could erase what had just happened between them. "You're my superior."
His panther snarled in protest, demanding he pull her back into his arms and finish what they'd started. The mate bond stretched taut between them, an almost physical ache at the sudden distance.
"The attraction is mutual," he said roughly, his voice deeper than usual from arousal and barely leashed need. "There's nothing wrong with?—"
"No." She stood abruptly, smoothing down her dress with shaking hands. "This situation is getting way too out of hand. I just need to go back to Talia and Brenn's."
Every instinct screamed at him to argue, to explain that what they'd shared was natural and right and exactly what was supposed to happen between mates. But the fear in her eyes stopped him. She wasn't ready for that truth—not yet. If he pushed now, if he revealed that she'd been brought here not as a warrior but as his destined mate, she would demand to return to Earth immediately.
"Alright," he forced himself to say, standing as well. "But I'll walk you there."
For a moment, he saw that fierce independence flash in her eyes, and saw her prepare to argue that she could find her way alone. But then she simply nodded, perhaps recognizing that the jungle territory at night was no place for someone unfamiliar with its dangers.
The walk to Talia and Brenn's house stretched endlessly under the twin moons' silver light. Jade maintained careful distance between them, her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold despite the warm night air. She didn't speak, and he didn't push, though every step away from his home felt like torture.
The mate bond hummed stronger now after their kiss, a living thing that connected them whether she acknowledged it or not. His panther paced, growling at being denied the chance to claim their mate when victory had been so close. Everything had been perfect—the dinner, the wine, the firelight, her confession that she couldn't stop thinking about him. And then her human logic had reasserted itself, reminding her of hierarchies and proprieties that meant nothing in the face of destiny.
She was so close to understanding,he thought desperately.So close to accepting what's between us.
But now she would likely pull back, would maintain professional distance that would make courting her infinitely more difficult. And with the council's growing impatience about his unmated status, time was a luxury he couldn't afford.
They reached Talia and Brenn's modest home, warm light spilling from the windows indicating the sisters had returned from their duties. Jade paused at the door, finally turning to face him. In the moonlight, she looked ethereal and untouchable, and his hands clenched at his sides to keep from reaching for her.
"Thank you for a lovely meal," she said formally, as if they were strangers instead of two people who had nearly combusted in each other's arms.
"Jade—"
But she was already knocking on the door, already retreating from whatever she'd felt. The door opened to reveal Brenn, whose warm green eyes immediately picked up on the tension crackling in the air. Her gaze flicked from Jade's carefully composed expression to Raikar's rigid posture, and he saw understanding dawn in her features.
"Good evening, General," Brenn said carefully, though her eyes remained curious.
He nodded curtly. "Brenn."
