Dante’s growling goes down a notch.
“I expect to have free rein to go where I want when I want.Withoutan escort.” I glare at him.
“I wasn’t even considering an escort,” Dante says.
Before I can blink, I find myself shoved through a selection of vines and leaves until my back is against the wall and I’m caged by a huge Sarkarnii, his eyes burning into me and smoke curling from his nostrils.
“You will never walk alone in my sector or in any other as I will be by your side,” he rasps, hands planted on either side of my head and his abdomen dangerously close to me.
I can see every scale on his sculpted chest, even the tiny iridescent ones which act as glitter in some lights. His hand cups my chin and lifts it up. I feel the pinpricks of his claws on my skin.
“Rosalie, little flame, you belong to me, whether you want to or not. And not because of the bite, but because of fate.”
His thumb strokes over my cheek. I am mesmerized by the fire in his eyes, a hologram which draws me closer and closer as I lift up on tiptoes, my face close to his.
This shouldn’t be happening. I was firm with myself. Dante might be easy on the eyes, but he’s pulled me into something I didn’t want…
Or did I?
“Boss!” Dart calls into the mass of plants. “There are alarms in section delta four two.”
“Nev,” Dante mutters under his breath as his head dips away from mine. “I need to deal with this, little flame, if you don’t mind.”
I’m about to ask what it’s all about when his hand closes over mine, and I’m whisked, breathless, out into the open again and towed at breakneck speed down a passageway free of plants but with Sarkarnii who all seem to be running in the opposite direction as a bleating alarm grows ever louder.
Because, of course, I couldn’t be in Dante’s sector without an imminent explosion, could I?
DANTE
Her scent is far more intoxicating than anything we’ve ever created in our labs or sampled in the wider galaxy. My head spins with it, even whilst we make our way to delta four two.
Chances are it’s a false alarm as usual, but I’m not taking any chances. There are blast rooms on our way where she can stay without risk to her beautiful form, even if she might be upset at missing the possible explosion.
I will make it up to her later.
“In here.” I use my palm to open the door to the blast room and indicate she should enter, which she does.
I join her in the room and make my way to the nearest console, working over it to find out exactly what’s causing the alarm and to stop the nevving noise which is sending spikes of pain through my head.
“What’s going on?” Rosalie says beside me.
Her voice reduces the pain, and her body heat infuses into me in such a way I want to enclose her and consume her.
“One of the vents isn’t working correctly,” I say, checking my instruments. “It’s easily dealt with, but because of the nature ofthe lab in that area, it causes the alarms.” The noise ceases, and I feel the spines on my tail lowering.
Although usually it’s much worse than this, the fact I have the little female by my side has to be the cause of my almost instant calm.
“There.” I tap out the sequence on the console. “It is vented. Crisis over.”
“Why do I get the feeling this is a common occurrence with you?” Rosalie says.
“Why would you think that?”
“Mostly from what I’ve heard…and the explosions.”
My spines rise again, my scales itching like nev as I gaze into her face with a short pant of breath.
“I’d say some of it is true.”
