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I nodded ruefully. “I suppose our interrogation worked up an appetite. I hope JP’s cowardice didn’t spoil your meal, though.”
Tazhr chuckled, a rich warm sound that spread delight through me. “It will take more than a sniveling false witness to ruin my appetite. Unlike you fragile humans, we hardy Vinduthi can go weeks without food if needed.”
To demonstrate his fortitude, Tazhr squared his massive shoulders and sucked in his abdomen. I burst out laughing at his exaggerated posturing, eliciting a rare grin in response.
“See if you’re still laughing after you try my planet’s cuisine,” he mock-threatened. “Our spices are legendary for a reason.”
Intrigued, I followed his gaze to a nearby food stand tended by a willowy Atlonian. Crimson smoke wafted from the sizzling grill topped with skewers of meat and iridescent vegetables. My mouth watered at the enticing perfume.
Tazhr stepped up to the counter and exchanged a rapid flurry of his native tongue with the chef, who hurried to prepare a sample. I watched, fascinated by this rare glimpse into his alien culture.
When Tazhr pressed the loaded skewer into my hand, curiosity overcame caution. Eyes watering from the first searing bite, I forced myself to chew the fiery morsel. An explosion of flavors followed the heat, rich and smokey and strangely addictive.
Tazhr watched my reaction closely. “Well? Will your human palate endure true Vinduthi cuisine?”
Still coughing, I managed a thumbs up. He laughed again, wiping a stray tear of mirth from his eye. The sound enveloped me in warmth despite the lingering fire on my tongue.
We continued on, Tazhr snacking on the rest of the skewer. I was hyper aware of his nearness, attuned to each casual brush of his arm against mine in the crowd. Even such fleeting contact with his solid strength made my pulse flutter wildly. I slipped deeper under his spell with each passing hour in his intoxicating company.
The thrill of the chase still thrummed through me as Tazhr and I emerged from the dingy warrens of the undercity. The confrontation with the sniveling JP electrified us both, our quarry finally flushed out into the open after weeks of fruitless searching. I saw the fierce triumph in Tazhr’s eyes at the breakthrough, mingled with lingering battle-fire, ready to tear through any other obstacles blocking our path. No one could stand against his indomitable will when bent toward a cause, not even the formidable Conii Haldek and her web of lies. An unstoppable force, backed by an unquenchable flame of loyalty and justice.
And I helped fuel that flame, adding my feeble spark of insight to reignite his belief when frustration threatened to smother all hope. My small deductions broke through the riddle that eluded Tazhr’s mighty strength alone. Together we formed an unbeatable team, shards of a fractured whole made complete in each other. I never dreamed I could complement someone so perfectly.
My gaze stole to Tazhr’s imposing profile as we navigated the bustling station thoroughfares. Back among the orderly crowds, the primal thrill of the hunt left his shoulders and the pervasive wariness returned. Out here, danger wore smiling masks, concealed blades behind decorous words and demure demeanors. His eyes never stopped scanning for hidden threats, attuned to subtler cues than my senses could discern. Always vigilant, always ready to unleash his fury against anyone foolish enough to endanger what he held dear.
And despite his gruff reservations, somehow I was counted among those precious few things. Sheltered in the sanctuary of his protection now, whether I willed it or not. Those piercing golden eyes dared the crowds to test his resolve, proclaiming to any watching that I belonged to fearsome Tazhr—touch me at your peril. It should have rankled, being relegated to a mere possession in his eyes. Instead, a little thrill of delicious anticipation shivered through me.
My thoughts drifted guiltily to how securely those muscular arms lifted me, pinning me effortlessly. How vulnerable I was to his whims in those electrifying moments. Yet no harm came. Only bone-deep pleasure and a tantalizing promise of more. Surely such gentleness belied something deeper, beyond the beast glimpsed in battle? Some hidden chamber of his soul accessible only to me. I longed to lay bare all of his secrets in turn.
The brush of his fingers against mine startled me from my musings. I glanced up to find Tazhr’s golden eyes boring intensely down at me, molten fire banked behind his inscrutable gaze. The charged moment hovered, stretched. My tongue darted out to moisten my lips, suddenly gone dry. His pupils dilated at the subtle movement, a predator catching an alluring scent.
And then we arrived at his hideaway.
My pulse roared in my ears as Tazhr kicked the door shut, caging me against it with his hulking frame. The smoldering look in his golden eyes left no doubt about his intentions. That feral intensity should have terrified me, but instead, it only amplified the liquid heat already pooling urgently in my core.
“Emma,” he rasped, my name a plea and a command on his tongue. “I’ve waited long enough.”
“Yes,” I breathed, baring the pale column of my throat—totally surrendering.
A rumbling purr of satisfaction vibrated through his chest. His callused hands encircled my wrists, lifting my arms above my head and pinning them to the cold metal door. I squirmed delightedly at being rendered so helpless, so vulnerable beneath his solid strength.
Leaning in, he trailed his nose along the hammering pulse in my neck, inhaling deeply. “Your scent drives me mad, Emma. Like the most addictive drug coursing through my veins. I can’t resist a taste...”
I cried out then moaned as his tongue flicked over my tender flesh, followed by the barest graze of fangs. My back arched, pressing every inch of me tighter to him. I needed more of the exquisite danger he tempted me with.
“Please, Tazhr...” I wasn’t even certain what I begged for in my delirium of need. But he knew exactly what I craved.
With a fierce snarl, he claimed my mouth, plundering its soft depths. I opened eagerly to him, savoring the mingled taste of spice and smoke on his tongue. It stoked the flames of my desire ever hotter.
My wrists still pinned overhead, I couldn’t reciprocate beyond straining wantonly closer. Tazhr drew back with a wicked grin, his eyes raking my helpless form.
“That’s it, little one,” he purred. “Struggle all you like—you’re not escaping me now.”
To emphasize his point, he ground his hips forward, the unyielding rigid length beneath the fabric leaving no doubt of his arousal. I gasped and clenched reflexively at the promise of that dominating intrusion, earning another pleased rumble.
Slowly he released one of my wrists, trailing his claws down my arm and over the frantic flutter of my pulse. Lower, he stroked, until finally his palm cupped my breast through the thin fabric of my tunic.
We both groaned at that electric contact, my back arching to fill his hand. “Yes, Emma, just like that,” he encouraged huskily, talons circling and teasing my taut peak. “Show me how much you ache for my touch.”
