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“I never meant to form an... attachment to you,” he said.
“An attachment?”
“I mean, I’m also glad you’re my partner. I don’t want that to change.” Striker looked away. “I kept my distance for a long time because it was easier for both of us. It was safer.”
Her old fears roared in her head. Don’t get attached. Don’t fall for this alien. If he got hurt or left the mission, her heart would shatter. She wouldn’t be able to handle it. But he’d broken down her barriers. Dammit. He’d gotten to her.
“Striker, I tried hard to keep things professional between us. I was glad when you played the fool and acted like none of this mattered to you. It made it easier for me to be annoyed, rather than...” Her words stuck in her throat.
His thumb traced across her chin. “Rather than what?”
“Rather than imagine what it would be like to be with you, not just as a work partner, but to have you in my life all the time.” She ducked her head. Striker didn’t want a life partner. He wanted a good-time girl. But if that was true, why was he with her now?
“Then we have a problem,” he said.
Her chest constricted. This was it, his excuse to get out while he still could. “I know. We took things too far. I didn’t mean—”
“Wait. The problem is, I am in your life all the time. I didn’t even know I was doing it at first. I kept finding reasons to be around you. I don’t know if you noticed or just thought I was bugging you for fun.”
Her heart gave a hopeful thud. “I noticed. And I definitely thought you were doing it because it annoyed me.”
“Maybe to begin with. You look so cute when you get red in the face and stamp your foot.”
“I don’t do that.” She laughed. “Okay, I do sometimes. I remember the first time you showed up in the lab while I was studying the specimens we’d collected. You stayed for hours. You broke three slides and damaged one of Dallin’s microscopes. He was spitting mad when he discovered what you’d done.”
“I hate sitting still. I needed to have something to do with my hands.” He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I can always find something to do with my hands when you’re nearby.”
Wren looked along the corridor. They were alone. She leaned into his embrace and rested her head against his chest. “I promise I’ll follow the rules when we’re on this mission. Whatever Cleo tells me to do, I’ll do it. I won’t put myself at risk. But we have to win. We have to get those animals.”
He tipped her chin up with his finger. The worry in his eyes made her heart clench.
“I know you better than you know yourself. These animals mean more to you than your safety. What happens if the Gente trick us? Are you going to leave the animals behind? Of course you won’t. You’ll fight to get them back. You’ll put your life on the line to rescue them.”
“I... I can’t promise I won’t fight to keep them. They’re so important.”
“And you aren’t? This crew relies on you. You’re our resident genius. If we lose you to the Gente—”
“You’ll find a replacement.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed her against the wall. “I won’t. If you’re taken, I won’t find a replacement. Where am I supposed to find another you?” His mouth crushed against hers, stealing her breath as he wrapped her in his arms and lifted her off her feet.
Wren responded with equal passion, entwining her arms and legs around him as he crushed her against the wall. She whimpered as he pressed his hardness between her legs and heat flared through her.
“You’re my everything,” he breathed into her ear. “Even though I don’t want you to be.”
She pulled back. “Why not?”
“Because of this.” He pressed his hand over her heart. “Wren, I can’t lose you. If I don’t care about you, I don’t have anything to fear.”
Tears flooded her eyes. “I don’t want to let you in. You’re reckless and annoying, and you never do what you’re told. I’m always worrying about you.”
His lopsided smile had her rolling her eyes.
“I’m your dream alien, right?” Striker said.
She thumped him on the arm. “You don’t tick any box on my dream guy list. But... you’re right here. You always have my back. You stick up for me, call me out when that stick gets wedged too high, make me laugh, make me happy, and frustrate the hell out of me.”
“And give you the ride of your life in bed?”
