Chapter 14
Drake slowly untangled himself from the beautiful creature before him. It had been the most perfect bout of lovemaking he’d ever had the privilege to experience, and he was surprised at how shaky he felt afterwards.
Jamie had passed out, either from overstimulation or exhaustion, and he was content to let her rest for the moment. Running a trembling hand through his tendrils, Drake took a deep breath.
And then he paused, his mouth falling open in shock.
The hand that had risen to brush back his hair was black. He looked down at his body, the proof before him. His entire skin was midnight black.
He’d entered the mating frenzy.
Dammit, he thought. He hadn’t given a thought to the frenzy. He’d thought only of claiming his dear sweet Jamie, of driving all thoughts of another man out of her mind.
And now, he’d brought on the frenzy at the worst possible time. In the middle of unraveling a conspiracy, with the fate of two worlds and maybe countless more hanging in the balance, and he’d gone and fucked himself stupid.
And maybe sentenced himself to death.
Don’t think about now, he told himself, rushing to pull the Hareema suit back around his body. As he slid into it, the gelatinous mess shifted into the image of the nondescript human male he’d been using as his disguise.
He didn’t want to risk Jamie seeing him in this state. She’d ask questions about his skin and he would be forced to explain.
It was clear that he loved her. He’d probably loved her for weeks now, following her around, learning her endearing habits, lusting after her night after night. But once he’d gotten to actually experience her perfection, to feel her tight around him, he realized that his heart was lost.
Now he prayed that didn’t translate into his planet being lost as well.
Jamie couldn’t know how he felt, not yet. She was still engaged to another man, still in pursuit of her missing sister. This was no time to burden her with the mating frenzy.
He would do what he could to stave off the effects and focus on his mission. It had always been a matter of life and death. This particular bump would just accelerate the timeline a little.
Or so he told himself.
Jamie had begun to stir by the time he finished fashioning his suit. She gave him a little frown. “Why are you in disguise again?”
“Because the lock is about to release, little one, and we need to get out of here.”
She sat up, stretching her supple limbs in such a way that his cock began to throb anew. He averted his eyes, breathing deep and concentrating on the way the lights flashed on the consoles. When he glanced over again, she’d pulled her clothes on and was staring at him.
Jamie gave him the most beatific smile he’d ever received and his heart felt like it would burst out of his chest and into flight.
“I can’t say I regret that time lock now,” she said with a cute little giggle.
“Me neither,” he replied, meaning it.
“If I may interject,” Herman said, and Jamie jumped at the noise.
“Oh shit, I forgot he was here,” she said, then covered her mouth with embarrassment.
“What is it, Herman?” Drake asked, hiding his smile.
“Your last stated plan was to search for Dr. Lakewood. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” It made sense to find the researcher. He seemed to be the missing link in the conspiracy.
“Then may I suggest that you bring me along with you? I have a built-in GPS mechanism that is connected to a small chip Dr. Lakewood has inserted under the skin behind his ear. He was worried about some harm coming to him in his final days at this office and set this up as a safety precaution.”
“So you’re saying you can find him for us?” Jamie asked.
“I may be able to help,” Herman hedged. “The GPS has a radius of fifty miles, though, so we will need to be close to him before it will activate.”
