He looked at her again, allowing himself to see her without filtering the facts through his preconceptions. She was slender, yes. But he saw strength there, too. She wore a light jacket that covered her arms and shoulders, but he could still recall how soft her skin appeared before she’d donned the extra layer. But under that softness were muscles that showed her fitness.
He’d assumed she was weak because the others had protected her.
That had been a mistake.
“Thank you. My ex… I mean, someone I used to know always complained I was too practical. He never thought about the best way to do something. All that mattered to him was that it was the flashiest, most expensive way.”
They should get moving again, putting more distance between themselves and the shuttle. Instead, he asked her a question, “Was he the one who hurt you, Maddison?”
For a brief second, he saw everything. The pain, the embarrassment, the still-raw scars. Then her eyes closed, and she nodded once.
“He was.”
The words were out of his mouth before he even knew what he intended to say. “He won’t hurt you again. No one will.”
She looked up at him then, her dark eyes shining with a warrior’s determination. “I won’t let him hurt me again. I’ll die first.”
No. He caught her by the hand and hauled her into his arms without thinking about the consequences, the need to make her understand stronger than anything else. “You are not going to die. I will keep you safe. I will…” He trailed off as heat tore through him. He felt as if a star had kindled inside of him, making his blood boil and his body thrum with need.
Only then did he comprehend what he’d done. He’d touched her. Connected to her. Fuck, what a connection it was. His cock surged to life, his balls tightening with desire.
Maddison made a startled sound, part cry, part moan. Her soft hand touched his shoulder, but she didn’t push him away.
“What?” she whispered. “What is happening?”
“The madness.” He should apologize for touching her, but he couldn’t. Now that it had happened, he had no regrets. His need for her was a flame that consumed every doubt, every thought but one.
“You belong to me, Maddison.”
She cried out again, this time in fear. “No! No please. Not again.”
“Yes,” he held her as she fought to get free. “You need to hear me, little star. I will never hurt you. I’ve been hurt too. More times than I can count. I would never do that to someone else.Never.”
She stopped suddenly and looked up at him. “Who hurt you?”
“The ones who put us here. The scrawnies. They didn’t just imprison us. They made us. And when we failed to be the mindless soldiers they wanted, they tried to destroy us.”
“So… you’re not a criminal?” she asked. She already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it anyway.
“I am not.” He huffed, offended at the suggestion.
“And you promise not to be cruel?” Even as she spoke, her fingers stroked up the side of his neck.
“I swear to you, I will not treat you with cruelty. I have very little to offer, but I can give you my word. I will keep you safe, little star.” He gave in to his need and brushed his lips over hers. “And I will give you pleasure.”
To his delight, she shivered and rose on her toes tomeet his kiss. “Your offer is accepted, for however long this lasts. Since I don’t have anything to give you, I think I’m getting the better side of this deal.”
He tangled his fingers into her hair and kissed her hard, his lips crushing hers as he plumbed the depths of her mouth with his tongue. He didn’t tell her that this madness might last forever. That was a conversation for later.
Much, much later.
CHAPTER 7
She was insane.That was it. The stress of the crash and everything that came after had broken her brain. That had to be the reason she was standing in a dark forest, surrounded by unseen dangers, and kissing an alien who looked like a demon and kissed like a god.
Nothing made any sense. The harder she tried to think rationally, the more fragmented her thoughts became. His fur felt like warm silk beneath her hands, and his touch left a trail of fire everywhere he touched her. It felt too good to be real. She craved him. His taste. His touch. His cock.
The thought shocked her, but it was true. She hadn’t been a virgin when she got married, but nothing before or after her wedding day could hold a candle to the fire blazing in her right now. Erotic images danced through her brain, forgotten fantasies and new desires blending into a string of dark, carnal cravings.
