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She barely managed to stop him from running off with a hand on his tail. She didn’t have to tug at the velvety appendage: one touch of her fingers and Dar froze.
“I don’t need a drink, Dar. At least, not now.”I will not say no to an alcoholic one later, though, to settle my fried nerves.“I meant to say, tell me what’s going on. Something is bothering you, I can tell.”
“You can?” He hid his eyes behind his tail as he muttered, “That’s yet another sign. We’ve been attuned from the start, how could I miss this?”
“Dar, talk to me.” She gently took hold of his tail and pulled it away from his face. “What are you mumbling about? What sign?”
A visible shiver went through him. “All right, I’ll explain. But you should not touch my tail in the meantime, pumpkin. Or I’ll stop talking and... ravish you.”
“Oh.”
Emilia dropped his tail like it was a hot potato, her cheeks burning. It was her turn to shiver in pleasure. His low rumble and choice of vocabulary were to blame.
“I…” he began after nearly a minute of hesitation. “You…” He bit his upper lip and rubbed the back of his neck. “Perhaps it’s best to leave this talk for later. You’ve been through a lot, you need to rest and–”
“Dar.” She tugged at his hand to get him to stop rubbing his neck raw. “I need to know why you are so worriednow. I can’t sleep otherwise. There’s no longer a bed to sleep on, anyway, so…”
A nervous chuckle left him at the reminder.
“Is it about the cops? You’re worried they’ll come back once they realize you tricked them?”
The worry in his eyes intensified.
“Come on, Dar. It’s better to give me the hard facts now rather than later. I can handle them.”I hope.
“But I can’t!” He buried his fingers in his hair. “I can’t handle the complications, Lia, I…” He sighed and gave her a pleading look. “That’s why I lingered on the bridge after I got the police off theDickion: I needed time to process everything. I also had to switch to warp speed now that we’re out of the Solar System and thus no longer need to lay low. I was planning on stopping at Funk’fru for supplies then continuing directly to Kardinia, but now…” Another deep sigh. “I no longer know what to do.”
“Why, Dar?” The more he talked, the more confused she got. “Isn’t everything progressing as planned, this episode with the police nothing more than a hiccup?”
His bitter laugh told her she was very, very wrong. “Thishiccupchanged everything, Lia. My perfect plan has been blown to space rubble.”
“Butwhy?”
“Because there was no trick, that’s why!” he replied with more exasperation than she’d poured into her question.
She frowned. “You didn’t trick the police? You mean to say that–”
“You’re my mate, Lia! Mytruemate.”
“Uhhh… I’m your true wife?”
He groaned in frustration and jumped to his feet with the grace of a wild cat. Then began pacing like a trapped wild cat.
Emilia bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, it’s what the translator says a mate means.”
“Exactly!”
His pacing intensified to the point where she got dizzy from watching him. She got up.
“You know nothing of the sacred bond, of how it works, of what it means.” Pacing. “And now everything is happening all at once and in the wrong order.” More pacing. “It’s like trying to get from Syriusbee to Taucetef by starting from Taucetee, for the Three’s sake!” Pacing, pacing, pacing. “I’ve rarely failed when on a mission, but does that matter when I’m failing in the most important mission in a male’s life?” Paci–
That tail-tug got your attention, huh?Emilia didn’t give him time to resume his pacing coupled with hair-pulling and self-reproachful gibberish. She acted immediately in the only way she knew to short-circuit a man’s brain.
When he groaned against her lips, Emilia smiled inwardly. The shut-up-and-kiss-me method apparently worked even on an alien male with two brains.Good to know.
She had meant the kiss as a means to calm him down so he could give her an explanation that actually made sense. The moment he responded to her lips and tongue, though...What was my intention again?
When his hands brought her body flush against his, Emilia was left thinking only about the fastest way to get Dar naked.Mmm, just where we left off…
