"I still can't believe you're really staying," I said, lifting my head to look at him. "Two more years on Earth. You could be out there, exploring new systems, charting unknown territories. Instead, you're stuck here with me, disguising yourself as human and pretending to be my bodyguard."
His thumb traced my jawline, those dark eyes holding mine with an intensity that still made my breath catch. "There's nowhere I'd rather be, Ellie. Nowhere in this galaxy or any other."
"Even when I'm in budget meetings that last for hours? Even when I have to give the same speech in ten different cities in three days?"
"Especially then." His lips curved into that crooked smile that had undone me from the start.
I laughed, the sound watery but genuine. My fingers found the collar of his shirt, smoothing it absently. "After all this is over. After I'm no longer president, we could travel. Really travel. See more of Earth before we head for the stars. I want to show you the Grand Canyon at sunset. And the Northern Lights. And this little café in Paris where they make the best croissants you've ever tasted."
"As long as you're by my side," he said, his voice dropping lower, rougher with emotion. "I don't care if we're in Paris or on some backwater moon. You're my home now, Ellie."
My heart twisted in the best possible way. "I love you," I whispered.
"I love you too." He kissed me then, soft and sure and perfect, his lips warm against mine.
I reached over and gently touched the cuddwisg device at his belt, my fingers trembling slightly. His hand caught mine, steadying it, and together we deactivated the facade. The subtle shimmer of the holographic disguise faded, revealing his true features, the copper iridescence of his skin, the wings. The slight angles that marked him as something more than human. The beauty that took my breath away every time I saw it.
"There you are," I breathed, tracing the line of his jaw.
His eyes darkened as he stood, lifting me effortlessly in his arms. "Bedroom?" he murmured against my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine.
"Bedroom," I confirmed, already working at the buttons of his shirt.
He carried me down the hall, and I lost myself in the taste of his mouth, the strength of his arms around me, the knowledge that this magnificent male had chosen me. Had chosen to stay.
When we reached the bed, he laid me down with a gentleness that made my heart ache. His hands moved over me with practiced familiarity, knowing exactly where to touch, how to make me gasp and arch into him. I pulled him down to me, needing to feel the weight of him, the warmth of his skin against mine.
"Ellie," he whispered my name like a prayer as he kissed a trail down my neck, his fingers working at the zipper of my dress.
I tugged his shirt free, running my hands over the planes of his chest, feeling the steady beat of his alien heart beneath my palm. Different from mine, faster, stronger, but still beating for me.
We undressed each other slowly, savoring every moment, every touch, every whispered word. When he finally moved over me, his body fitting perfectly against mine, I wrapped my arms around him and held on tight.
This was real. This was ours. And for these precious hours in the darkness, nothing else mattered but the two of us and the love we'd found against all odds.
Epilogue
Rickon
Three months later
Things were back to normal—well, as normal as they could be in the White House. I was now head of Ellie's Secret Service detail, a promotion that surprised no one who witnessed my dedication to her. Not to mention the fact that her entire former detail was either dead or under arrest.
We were keeping our relationship secret for now, both of us acutely aware of the complications that would arise if anyone discovered the truth. But every night, once the last of the White House staff retired for the evening, when only a couple of guards patrolled the hallway outside the private residence, I would slip away from my small apartment a few miles away and launch myself into the darkness. The flight to her window had become my favorite part of each day. That moment of pure freedom in the skies, my wings slicing through the cool night air as I flew toward the female I loved.
I'd been right that the anti-aircraft surveillance systems didn't register organic matter. They were calibrated for metal, machinery, for threats that came with heat signatures from engines and fuel. But I'd overheard more than a few worried conversations among the night guards about the massive batthey'd spotted circling the grounds after dark. I probably should have felt guilty about that, but I couldn't bring myself to care.
Ellie's head rested against my shoulder, the warmth of her skin seeping into mine as her fingers traced lazy, meandering patterns across my chest. My body still hummed with the aftershocks of our lovemaking, every nerve ending alive and singing. The scent of her, fresh and floral and something uniquely Ellie, clung to my skin, mixed with the musk of sex and sweat. I still tasted her on my lips, still felt the phantom sensation of her body wrapped around mine, taking me deep, the way she'd gasped my name.
I loved this part almost as much as the act itself. The quiet aftermath, when the urgency faded, and all that remained was her soft weight against me, the steady rhythm of her breathing, the gentle exploration of her fingertips across my skin. It grounded me in a way that nothing else could.
I pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing her in, committing every detail to memory. The silk of her hair against my lips. The warmth of her breath ghosting across my chest. The way her body fit perfectly against mine, like she'd been made for me. I felt content to lie there all night, savoring the feel of her against me, but the comm unit had other ideas. It buzzed, sliding across the top of her nightstand, a low, thrumming vibration that shattered the peace and made my stomach drop like a stone.
The Prime never called unless it was urgent.
I stretched across the tangled sheets and reached for the small device, my fingers closing around the cool metal. Ellie sat up beside me, pulling the sheet around herself, and tucking it beneath her arms. Her eyes found mine in the darkness, already clouded with concern, the sharp intelligence I loved sparking to life.
The holographic projection flickered to life above the unit, casting a blue glow that painted shadows across Ellie's faceand the rumpled bedding. The Prime's face materialized in the dim light of the bedroom, her features sharp and defined, her dark hair pulled back in its customary intricate braids. Even through the distortion of the projection, I noticed the tension carved into every line of her expression. The tightness around her mouth, the hard set of her jaw, the way her golden eyes held a storm of barely contained fury.
