Adam listens to my chattering like he’s entranced, but I can’t tell how much—if anything—he actually understands. I need to touch him. “Guys?” I call out to the empty room, certain they have surveillance here. “You need to disable the force field.”
“That’s not fucking happening,” is Steven’s angry answer. “He might be calm now, but you don’t know what will trigger him back into that murderous rage.”
“That’s true. I don’t know that. But I do know what will triggermeinto murderous rage and that’s my brother treating me like I’m a child, incapable of making my own decisions!” Adam tenses as I shout so I lower my voice again. “I love you, Steven, I really do. And if you love me too, you will do this for me.” It’s a low blow, I know that, but what else can I say?
“That’s not Steven’s decision,” Rokesh says. “It’s mine. And I can’t—”
I understand his pain and his fear. If Adam hurt me, Rokesh would blame himself forever. But Adam will not hurt me. How the hell am I supposed to convince Rokesh of that? “He cried, you know?” I whisper, my fingers tracing idle circles on the force field which Adam mirrors. “When he saw the hologram. He remembered what he did to you and he cried.”
“Wehdi don’t form tears,” comes a terse, slightly shaky answer.
I roll my eyes. “That doesn’t mean you don’t cry. I saw it, Rokesh. Please. Don’t do this for me. Do it for your brother.” Another low blow. Looks like I’m all about emotional blackmail today, and I can live with that. “Trust me. Rizven will appreciate it.”
“Doubtful,” Rokesh sighs. “Fine. But if he—”
“He won’t. Just do it.”
“Alright. Disabling the force field.”
The barrier flickers and dies. Adam’s hand moves forward, colliding with mine. For a single heartbeat, he’s frozen, completely in shock. Then he lunges.
I hear Steven’s cry from the speaker. “JAIME!”
“I’m fine!” I call back from where I’m wrapped in Adam’s limbs, like warm cocoon. The last thing I want is for Steven to barge in here guns blazing and fuck everything up. “I’m fine. Calm your tits, brother.”
“You calm your fucking tits, you stupid, suicidal idiot!”
Chuckling, I tune him out, focusing on my sweet murder-chameleon, who is currently sucking in deep lungfuls of my scent as if he’d been drowning and had only just resurfaced. “Hey. That’s better, isn’t it? I’m here, Adam. I’m here. Everything is fine.” Frantic, Adam nuzzles my neck, sniffs my hair, licks my ear, his hands roaming my body. Is he searching for injuries or just making sure I’m real? I can’t tell and he probably can’t, either. “I’m okay. You saved me, remember? You saved me from that venomfang.”
He whimpers as I mention that infernal creature, then pulls away. I start to protest before realizing he’s examining my body for bites and signs of venom, so I let him do his thing. Hopefully, once he’s convinced I’m fine, he will calm down even more.
He’s careful as he shifts me in his arms and carries me to the back of the room where the shredded pile of cloth lies.
I laugh. “You’ve really done a number on those. But who needs blankets when you have a hot guy to cuddle with?” He spreads the cloth scraps out a little before settling me on them and curling himself around me again.
“A nesting instinct?” comes a shocked whisper through the speakers. It’s in Wehdi, but not Rokesh’s voice, so it’s probably one of the doctors. “I’ve never seen anything like that in any of the affected.”
I suppress the urge to flip the cameras a bird. I understand their scientific curiosity, but this situation reminds me a little too much of when I was locked up in that alien zoo. People watched me there too, curious about what that strange creature was going to do next. At least here, no one’s knocking on the glass.
“Hey, guys? You might want to turn that camera off,” I tell them. “Unless my brother and Rokesh want to see something that will probably traumatize them for life.”
Steven sounds a little panicked. “Jaime, what are you talking about?”
“What do you think? Just turn off that fucking camera.” Because I’m about to kiss Adam, and I doubt we’ll stop there. He’s not the only one who desperately needs reassurance here.
“Jaime, you’re such a fucking prick! I’ll—” The transmission cuts off and the cameras hopefully with it. If not, well, who the fuck cares? We’re all adults here.
Chapter 31
Jaime
Slowly,sothere’snochance Adam mistakes my movement for an attack, I reach for his snout. I take a moment just holding him, sliding my fingers over the soft scales on his face before pulling his head closer to mine. “I’m going to kiss you. Don’t bite me,” I add, grinning as I remember telling him those same words what feels like ages ago.
Adam’s heavy-lidded eyes shoot open as my mouth makes contact with his scales. “There. You remember that, don’t you?” Growing bolder, I kiss the tip of his snout next, then his narrow lips.
Whimpering, Adam flicks his tongue against my mouth, and when my lips part for him, he takes control, devouring me like I’m his only salvation. Much like during our first kiss, he pushes his tongue a little too far, but this time he pulls back before I gag or even show discomfort. He’s remembering. His movements grow less frantic and more deliberate, the kiss slowing into a gentle caress.
“Damn,” I sigh when we part for air. “This is what I needed. Actually, there’s something else I needed, but I can live without it.” Looking between our bodies, I realize that said “something” is out, rubbing against my leg.
