“It’s not a big deal.” She swatted at my hand. “You’re just doing this to show off your hot body.”
But I saw the way her hands trembled slightly, saw the goose bumps on her exposed skin. I crossed to her and wrapped my shirt around her shoulders anyway. “You think I have a hot body?”
She looked up at me, water dripping from her hair, her lips slightly parted. We were close. Too close. Not close enough. “Baleck, everyone with eyes thinks you have a hot body.”
“I only care what you think.” I kissed her again because I couldn’tnotkiss her. She melted into me immediately this time, no hesitation. Her hands slid under my undershirt, palms flat against my ribs, and I groaned at the contact.
This was dangerous. We were alone, soaking wet, with adrenaline and want crackling between us. I should pull back. Should wait.
But when her tongue swept against mine and she made a little moan, all my good intentions evaporated.
I backed her against the wall, deepening the kiss. She went willingly, her leg hooking around my hip to pull me closer. Icould feel every line of her body against mine, feel how perfectly we fit together.
My hand slid down her side, over her hip, her thigh. She gasped into my mouth and I swallowed the sound, wanting to memorize every reaction.
Thunder crashed outside. Rain pounded against the roof. And inside, we created our own storm.
When we finally broke apart, we were both panting. My skin was blazing gold and orange, colors I couldn’t control even if I wanted to.
“That was…” she started.
“Yeah.”
“We should talk about this.”
“Later.” I kissed her again, softer this time. “Right now I just want to hold you.”
So I did. I pulled her against my chest and wrapped my arms around her, feeling her gradually relax into the embrace. We stood there as the storm raged outside, and I knew with absolute certainty that this woman was mine.
The mating marks hadn’t appeared yet, but they would. I’d never been more certain of anything in my life.
The rain eventually passed, leaving the valley washed clean and fresh. We walked back to the guest quarters in comfortable near-silence, my arm around her shoulders, her body tucked against my side.
At her room, she turned to me. “Tomorrow. Let’s go for another ride beyond the valley.” Her eyes twinkled. “I’ll show you how to operate the Raycer.”
I winced. “I can drive it?”
“Sure.” She rose on her toes and kissed me briefly. “We need to get out of here for a bit. We need to actually talk about this.”
“Agreed.”
She disappeared inside, and I walked back to my hut feeling like I could fly. Tomorrow we’d talk. We’d figure out where to go from here.
But right now, I just savored the taste of her still on my lips and the knowledge that she wanted this as much as I did.
CHAPTER 11
BALECK
Iwoke with the first light of morning filtering through the small window of my hut, feeling better than I had in a long time.
The night had brought good dreams. Not the fragments of war that sometimes haunted my sleep, but something warmer. Softer. Images of dark eyes and the faint curve of a smile. The memory of holding someone close and feeling them hold me back.
I lay there for a moment, staring at the wooden beams of the ceiling, letting the contentment wash over me. Confident. Happy. Hopeful. Three words I would have used to describe myself in that moment, before the day had a chance to prove me wrong.
My new little home was modest. It consisted of a single room with a sleeping pallet, a small table and chairs, and cabinets for my belongings. The D’tran had offered me a permanent space in the guest building with the diplomats, but I’d declined. It was getting tight in there, with the extra guests. I preferred being here, in the heart of the village, surrounded by the people I was learning to call neighbors. The hut was small, but it was mine. A place I’d chosen rather than been assigned to.
I dressed quickly and stepped outside into the cool morning air. The village was already stirring, D’tran emerging from their homes to begin the day’s work. I exchanged nods with a few familiar faces as I made my way toward the communal eating space.
