Twice now, he’d come down to her private room. Twice in a week when she didn’t think he’d come down here that many times in the past two years.
He must’ve thought her darted gaze behind him meant she was thinking of bolting…because he shoved the door closed, trapping the both of them in that small space.
Dravka leaned back against the door for good measure. He had to hunch a little because the ceiling was lower closest to the frame…and Valerie didn’t think the small room had been constructed with a bulky, seven-foot-tall Keriv’i male in mind.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he remarked.
Valerie felt the shamed flush that crept over her cheeks. Swallowing, she tucked a tendril of hair behind her ear, a ridiculous excuse already on her tongue.
“I’ve been busy at the townhouse,” she informed him. “I—I sold it today. 1.2 million credits that will be in the account I set up. And I have more coming in from the collections that Eve and her father—”
“Valerie,” Dravka interrupted, pushing off the door and approaching her.
Her swallow was audible and she barely stopped herself from taking a step back. She looked up at him, but not without remembering his tongue stroking against hers…and those lips on hers…and those hands clutching possessively around her ass…and that hardened thickness between his legs pressing—
Stop!she mentally screamed. This was Dravka. Herfriend, who had never kissed her until a couple nights ago. Hell, he’d barely even touched her. He’d just been drunk and sad and maybe a little angry.
With sudden realization, she thought that the kiss really hadn’t meant anything.
“I don’t give a damn about the credits right now,” Dravka rasped, approaching her until the backs of her knees hit the edge of her bed. He stopped within arm’s reach of her, still blocking the view of the door with his broad shoulders. “I want to talk to you.”
Her heart gave another furious little pump before she tried to settle it down again.
“About what?” she asked quietly.
“About why you’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his head dipping slightly, his voice dropping deeper.
A shiver raced up her spine, one she couldn’t hide.
Valerie thought it was obvious.
Then again, as she looked up at him, she thought it was possible he didn’tremember. She knew some humans, if they drank too much alcohol, could have lapses in memory. Valerie had never had a drop of alcohol in her life but maybe Keriv’i males reacted the same.
Somehow, the thought that hedidn’tremember the kiss only depressed her more.
“Do you…” she started, licking her lips.
His eyes dropped to her mouth for a brief moment. “Do I what?”
“You had a lot to drink,” she commented softly. “Do you remember it?”
His eyes flared, his pupils going blacker and wider. Then his eyes narrowed. “Remember what?”
Suspicion rose in her just as readily as confusion. Was he going to make her say it? Or was it that he really didn’t remember?
“Do you remember what we talked about in your room?” she whispered, frowning. “And…and what happened afterwards?”
“Whatdidhappen afterwards?” he asked, his voice dropping even more, a slight smile quirking up at the edges of his mouth, which baffled her. “Tell me.”
Did he think it was…funny?
Suddenly, Valerie felt her temper snap. Suddenly, she felt anger rise with her confusion and sadness. She was disappointed. With him, with herself, with believing that the kiss meant something at all, when it was obvious that Dravka was just…was justtoyingwith her.
She knew him. She could read him well. Did he think this was just a big game? Because if he did, maybe shedidn’tknow him so well after all.
She’d dreamed of kissing him foryears. Now that she finally had—feeling those lips glide along hers, feeling his warm palms digging into her hips, and his heavy breaths against her—he thought it was…amusing?
It hurt.
