Chapter 17
Arena paced back and forth in her cabin. Her mind raced with questions about Blaze and how he survived ten years on another planet. She had wanted to pull him aside and ask him questions, but there had not been time. He had been taken to one of the cabins assigned to him and his clan. Food and water would be awaiting him. The journey had taken several months so she knew he would need time to relax and settle in. Waiting had never been a strength of hers, though she had managed to improve over time.
“I should go to bed. There’s plenty of time for talking tomorrow,” she told herself out loud.
Want mate now!Her inner dragon demanded.
She tried to remind her dragon that he was not theirs, but the words sounded false to her own ears.
She found herself at the door of her cabin for the fourth time, her hand resting on the handle. Everything in her wanted to find Blaze, but what would she do or say once she did? She released the handle and was about to walk away, but suddenly she sensed something. Turning once more to the door, she reached for the handle, turned it and opened it up. Her heart skipped a beat at what she saw.
“Blaze?”
He moved forward to enter the cabin and she moved back to let him. She closed the door without thinking and the scent of him in a confined space filled the air, enveloping her. Why had she never noticed how wonderful he smelled? Arena needed to get her mind off his delectable scent.
“Are your people settled in all right?” she asked.
“Yes, they were all given cabins like this. Why are you staying in such a small space? Shouldn’t you be back at the palace?” He looked around her cabin, taking in the open space, including a bed to the right and a small kitchenette to the left. Straight ahead was a small sofa with a coffee table. There was a door to the right of the living room that led to the bathroom.
“It’s a ranch house. They offered me a room where the other leaders are staying, but I wanted something more private.”
“Where are your guards? I didn’t see any of them as I approached.”
“I sent Argon on a flight to spread his wings a bit.”
He came closer to her. “You have only one guard? That is unacceptable. As queen…”
“I’m not really a queen anymore.”
“You lead Zocor’s people, do you not?”
“Yes, but I’m more of a leader, not a queen.”
Blaze knelt before her surprising her. “You will always be my queen.”
“Don’t bow to me or to anyone. You are a leader in your own right.” She touched his arm to encourage him to stand. As he got back to his feet, they were mere inches from one another. His almost seven feet towered over her five-feet-two inches. The heat of his body warmed her to her toes.
“By the heavens, you are more beautiful than the stars in the sky.”
His words did something to her, flipped a switch inside her that had been waiting for so long. With no thought to what she was doing, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Arena knew she took him by surprise but he quickly recovered, wrapping his arms around her to pull her to him. The touch of their lips set off an explosion inside her. Never had a kiss affected her like this. His firm but gentle lips created a craving for him that she knew she would never overcome.
“Blaze,” she whispered when their kissing ended. It didn’t stop for long.
He lifted her up into his massive arms and carried her to the bed. She should stop this, tell him no. She did neither. After centuries of feeling emotionless and dead inside, to finally feel something real was just too tempting.
Blaze gently placed her on the soft mattress. He leaned down to take her lips again. It was deep and thorough and left her breathless. When he pulled away, she could swear she felt light headed. His eyes seemed a little unfocused too, until he locked eyes with her.
“My Arena, how I have longed for this.”
