“It’s obvious,” she mocked. “You ignored me after we sparred, and you have ignored me since I have returned. What else is there to know?”
“That I have spent the past days doing nothing but trying to keep you out of my mind,” he barked. “When we met on the battlefield, I purposely missed every shot I took at you, in hopes I might see you again. Now you have returned as strong and determined as ever, even after your own people have betrayed you, and all I can think about is what it would be like for you to lead by my side.”
“By your side as what? A concubine? A spa worker? Or as your friend?” She murmured.
“I was hoping as a friend and ally first.” His eyes held hers. “And maybe as a starmate later.”
She shook her head, closing her eyes. He didn’t miss the hurt in her expression. “Don’t lie to me.”
Something snapped within him, a great drive to prove to her that he was telling the truth. He leaned forward and gently grabbed her face, pulling her mouth to his.
Their lips met, gentle at first as they tested each other. He licked her lips, tasting her sweetness. A gasp escaped her, inviting him in. He kissed her long and deep, their tongues dancing in unison. Her hands buried in his hair, combing it unconsciously. His tail traced up and down the insides of her legs as if mapping them into memory.
He reluctantly pulled away, needing to heal her first before they got carried away on the practice room floor. Hurt and confusion met him. “I should heal you before we go any further.”
“Okay,” she said breathlessly. “What do I need to do?”
“Just lay there and let me do the rest.”
She nodded and combed through his hair for one last time, then obeyed.
He stared down at her in wonder. Here was the female who he couldn’t stop thinking about, lying before him, trusting him to help her.
Her hazel eyes watched him as he touched her collar, deactivating her living suit. It rolled into itself, slowly revealing Jaiya’s naked body.
She gasped as her hands tried to cover her small, perky breasts.
“I don’t understand why you’re trying to hide yourself from me. Those are my scales between your breasts, healing, and protecting your chest wound,” he chuckled. “There is almost nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“Almost?” she whispered alarmed.
He stilled, shooting her a glance. “I am an honorable man, Jaiya. I didn’t violate your body while you were bleeding and unconscious. It was my tongue cleaning your body, my saliva healing your wounds, and my scales covering them up. That, in itself, is a private matter.”
“I’m sorry,” she begged. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just, this is a lot to take in.”
“Let me answer all of your questions, then.”
“What are we doing?”
“What do you mean?”
She swirled her hand in a circle. “What is this? Us?”
“We can be whatever you want to us to be.” He leaned closer to her side, inspecting the wound. The scales were intact, but the force of the strike had broken the healing skin around them.
“I’d like to take things slow. This is all still new to me. And I don’t know if you will want to be together,” she said. “You are a prince, and I am not even a Daextru. That alone will take time to come to terms with.”
“We will go as slow as you want,” he promised.
Idris took his time licking the open wounds, hoping to not cause her any more pain. Slowly, the bleeding stopped as his saliva helped accelerate the healing, sealing the reopened wounds.
Suddenly, the practice room light burst to life, and a screeching alarm pierced the room. A flashing blue light told Idris all he needed to know.
“Get dressed. We’re needed.”
“We?” She asked, sounding dazed and confused.
“The frontline is under attack and is requesting aid.”
