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“He wants to mate with you—sex. He wants to have sex with you.”
She grinned. “Matewith me? Where did you come up with that?”
Shit. Most of the time, words and normal speech patterns came through his internal translator perfectly and with little forethought. It had taken some adjusting when he’d first arrived on Earth for the translator to perfect modern American language, but he rarely had slip ups anymore.
“He reminds me of an animal that can’t control its mating urges.”
“He’s an idiot.” Kimber covered her mouth with a hand. “I shouldn’t have said that. That wasn’t very professional of me.”
Would she pull away if he touched her? If he smoothed his fingers over her silken jaw or threaded them through her smooth brown hair? He could break all the rules and keep her. All his people’s laws fell to ruins at the strength of the connection he had with Kimber. She was meant to be his. One day, they would rule Luxxor. If a child was possible, their firstborn would be a future king to take Ethan’s place.
I am A’zal Ost Hilstra, Prince of Luxxor. I am your mate.
He wanted to say the words so badly; to show her his true form.
They would banish him from the royal family if he brought a human mate to Luxxor. Besides, Kimber would be terrified of his alien form. His home world would offer nothing of the life she knew. He wanted her, yes, but it was selfish. Destiny? Maybe, but at what cost?
Her fingers absently ran over the top of the blanket. “Anyway, I’m sorry you have to spend the night in this shitty castle, in the rain, with a lunatic.”
“This is a shitty castle. There are majestic castles that offer so much more than this.”
“Sounds like you’ve been to a couple.”
“I have.”
Lying on her side, facing him, Kimber gripped the edge of the pillowcase with one hand. “Tell me about them.”
So… it seemed she was going to stay in bed with him. Wanting to move closer to her, but not daring to because of his nakedness, he mimicked her position on the bed and thought about his home on Luxxor.
“Es’waren is a fortress built for kings, and so old no one knows the exact star year they built it. It towers over the land, rivaling mountains and demanding the sky to move out of its way. They inlaid stone walls with gold and copper, which dance with the suns and make the entire castle glow. They coated rooms belonging to the royal family with meteorite powder, so they shine boldly as a reminder of the family’s power. Sadly, Es’waren became too old for the royal family to live in, so they built a new palace.”
“It sounds like a fairy tale.”
“We’re in Ireland, the land of fairies and leprechauns.”
“Tell me about the new castle. What’s it called?”
Ethan smiled wanly as a bolt of homesickness washed through him. “Es’Hilstra. Meaning, of the royal Hilstra, the family that lives there now.”
She yawned. “Oooh, that sounds luxurious.”
He wondered… she was sleepy, her mind in the perfect state to connect with his. Instead of telling her about Es’Hilstra, maybe he could show her. In the morning, she’ll think she only dreamed it.
Taking the risk, Ethan took her hand. She accepted his touch with a quick intake of breath as heat pulsed between their joined hands. Her eyes closed as he conjured the image of his home castle in his mind.
“Es’Hilstra was built on the banks of a wild river with rapids so strong and fast, the water could carry an entire house downstream before demolishing it against the boulders and rocks. The builders weren’t afraid of the river. They saw it as a sign of strength. What better place for their rulers to sit than beside the mightiest body of water on the planet?”
His voice drifted away as mental imagery took over. Her breathing became shallow and peaceful as he mentally walked her through rooms, the gardens, behind the waterfall that flowed into the Great Room and back out to the river in hidden channels beneath the castle. Maybe she’d love the “dream” so much, she’d ask him to take her there.
He let the images in his head wither as she fell into a deep sleep. Watching her, Ethan lightly smoothed the hair away from her face. Catching a dark shadow moving from the corner of his eye, he turned toward it and growled quietly. “Get. Out.”
“My Lord—”
“Get out, Neb.”
The shadow vanished.
Furious at Neb’s constant intrusion, Ethan lay on his back with one arm behind his head and measured his breathing. The feel of this woman beside him was too much to take. If he didn’t get up, he was going to touch her and sink himself deep between her legs and claim her as his own. Pulling back the sheet, he moved to get up. He’d sleep in the chair in the corner, in the hall, anywhere before he’d lay a finger on her without her consent. She stirred beside him, drawing his attention.
