AllFreeNovel
Share Us
25
Onnika lay half across Aidan’s chest, curled into his body with her head on his shoulder. “Did you know that you smell delicious?” she told him as she idly ran her fingers over his torso. It tickled a little, but in a pleasing way, a way that he felt deep in his bones.
“That’s good to know,” he replied, then teased, “You smell all right.” Her scent was indescribable. Like the air before a coming storm, enticing and electric and ethereal. Whenever he caught a whiff of her hair, a little sizzle ran through him.
His remark earned him a pinch to his side. “Hey!”
Then she resumed her light caressing. After another moment, she said, “Did you know that I like you?”
He chuckled. “That’s a very good thing.”
When he said nothing more, she succinctly added, “And you like me, too.”
He couldn’t keep from smiling. There was no doubt in her voice. So sure of herself, as always. “If you say so.”
“If I promise not to do anything too dangerous again, can I stay here with you?”
Her words held a drop of true vulnerability, and his heart squeezed. He didn’t let it show. “What about Caryn?”
She sighed. “I guess she could stay, too.”
He laughed. Scheming little minx. Then a sobering worry cropped up that threatened to darken this whole evening. “I know nothing about you.”
“So?”
“This race is dangerous and highly competitive. You’ve proven you can handle yourself in a pinch, but that only makes me wonder about you more.” Like where she’d learned to defend herself so ably…and had someone sent her to seduce him in order to distract him from his goal? Afemme fatale. Onnika had the look—and personality—for it. He hated to think of her like that. If only she’d give him a reason not to.
“I don’t know much about you either,” she retorted.
“You could get to know me. We could get to know each other.”
“If we did that, I’d hold no mystery for you, and what fun would that be?” He gave her a baleful look. “Oh, very well. What do you want to know?”
“To start, who are your people?”
Her body stiffened slightly. “Next question.”
“All right. How did you end up out here in space?”
She chewed a nail. “You have to start with questions that don’t require my life story.”
He tried not to be deterred. “So you came to space as a child, then?”
When she didn’t answer, his brain supplied him with assumptions. She was too secretive, hiding her looks with holo-gear, concealing her true race, refusing to open up to him. Was she merely using him until he was no longer valuable to her? Was that what this evening was about? To placate and soften him? He couldn’t help but air his misgivings in an unhappy tone. “Did you only sleep with me because you’re looking to garner the protection of a strong man?”
He thought that might annoy her, and it did get a reaction, but not the one he expected. Sitting up, she tucked her legs under her and gazed down at him, her blue eyes unoffended. Instead, she gave him a goading smile. “Why, do you know any?” She laughed at his perturbed look and slyly added, “Well, you are big and strong, and you’ve proven you’re a man in a very undeniable way.” She trailed her fingers down his chest.
He caught her wrist and set it away. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. Just look at all these muscles.” She tried to wrap both hands around his bicep. “It’s like you were built in a factory.”
“I won’t be used, Onnika.”
Her tone turned faux-sultry and a tantalizing twinkle flashed in her eyes. “But you love it when I use you.” Then she leaned over to place little kisses on his stomach, only inches from where he envisioned that mouth being earlier. Keeping his wits was a momentous achievement.
“Yeah, in bed. Use me all you want then, but—”
“Deal.” She looped one leg over him and straddled his waist, her palms flat on his torso. Soft starlight filtered in through the porthole and feathered across her proudly displayed breasts. He itched to touch them.
