“That feels incredible,” she whispered against his mouth.
He kept going for a bit before wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and drawing back to look at her.
She reached between their bodies for his fly, popping his top button to work her hand inside his pants. But he caught her wrist, a strange, almost pained look crossing his face. “Wait.”
“Why, what’s wrong?” His eyes focused on her wings and her blood ran cold to think he might reject her because of what she was.
“There really isn’t anyone like you, is there?”
“Not on this world or your own.” She couldn’t keep her voice from sounding clipped. “Does that bother you?”
He shook his head. “No,” he said breathlessly. “It’s just a reminder that you’re special. I can’t treat you like any other woman, Charlotte.”
“Because I’m different.” The last word was laden with disgust as she pulled her hand from his waistband.
He chewed his lip. Running his hand down her arm, he tangled his fingers into hers before grinding himself against her once more. “Yes, you are, but that’s just the thing, Princess—you are a rare and glorious gift, and I want to savor you. And I can’t do that when I feel like I might fall asleep on my feet at any moment.”
All at once, she noticed the bags under his eyes and the way he was using the wall for support. “Oh.”
“I’m only human.”
Of course he was, and she’d dragged him across dimensions and then over half of Ouros. He’d lost blood too, from the bite. “You should lie down.”
He leaned against her one more time, his nostrils flaring as if he were drawing in her scent. His voice was raspy as he added, “This type of thing, it’s always better when you get to know someone first. Get to know what they like… what they need.”
She wasn’t sure exactly what he meant by that. Her times with Cassius had been quick and left her wanting more. But she took Liam’s hand and led him to the bed. She pulled back the covers, and he crawled in with a groan as his body melted into the mattress.
She’d begun to move for the door when his voice rang out. “Stay.”
“Hmm?”
“Stay with me, Charlotte.” He blinked at her from his pillow.
She toed off her boots and climbed in beside him. In truth, she wasn’t tired. She could go days without sleeping. But she liked being with him, and part of her wanted to watch him sleep. She caught him staring at her wings again.
“I can use magic to temporarily store my wings inside myself if you want me to,” she offered.
He grunted, his big hand landing heavily on her waist. “Why would you do that?”
“They take up a lot of space in bed. Don’t be surprised if you get a face full of feathers.” Cheeks hot, she looked at him again. “I mean, I can stop that from happening if it’s too weird for you.”
With a gritty laugh, he yanked her against him, his lips brushing hers. “It’s not weird for me. I like it. Is it more comfortable for you?”
“No. It feels… crowded. I only do it when I have to.”
“Then keep them right where they are.” He closed his eyes, his head sinking deeper into the pillow.
Charlotte watched all the tension drain from his face and shoulders as his breath evened out and he drifted easily to sleep.
Chapter
Ten
Liam woke to the scent of sunlight, citrus, and new grass and a face full of feathers. He smiled as he opened his eyes, a warm, peaceful feeling coming over him. For a split second, he’d wondered if she’d been a dream, but he was not imagining the heat from her body or the light from Paragon’s two suns streaming from the balcony.
Bracing his head on his hand, he gazed down at her. Fuck, she was beautiful. His dick twitched just thinking about that kiss last night. And it didn’t bother him at all that she wasn’t human. Maybe that was the most surprising thing. But in a way, she made more sense to him. She was her own thing, her own person, her own species. Every woman he’d met before her seemed ordinary and mundane in comparison. He desperately wanted to know her better, to discover everything about her.
Brow furrowing, his thoughts caught up to his libido. He had to be careful. What he was describing bordered on real feelings—thinking she was special, wanting to get to know her better. He shook his head. He couldn’t get attached. This was a temporary arrangement. He was an explorer on a voyage in outer space. Eventually he’d have to go back to Earth.
