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“What happened here?”

“Knife.”

She traced it lightly, then touched another.

“And this?”

He looked down. “Plasma round.”

She pressed her lips together and moved her hand to a different mark lower down.

“That one?”

“Boarding action.”

He stood still, stroking her waist with his thumb. She touched another scar. “And this one?”

“Covak. The big vorrtan.”

She stopped and looked up at him. “A member of your own team gave you that?”

“It’s a long story.”

She held his gaze and he sighed. “You’re going to ask again, aren’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Later?”

She considered him for another second, then leaned forward and kissed the scar. “Later.”

His breath caught and that small sound did something to her stomach, so she kissed him again, higher this time. He caught her chin gently and brought her mouth back to his.

Between kisses, he unfastened her dress and eased it down, following its progress with his mouth. She braced a hand against his shoulder. “Oh, that’s unfair.”

He paused against her skin. “Should I stop?”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

His lips curved against her collarbone. She tried to concentrate on getting him out of the rest of his clothes, but he kept interrupting with kisses that made her forget what she was doing.

The dress slipped to the floor and she stepped out of it. Looking up, she found him watching her.

“What?”

“Looking.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

He smiled and bent to kiss her again.

Last time they’d barely made it to a bed. This one stood right behind her, wide enough for both of them without somebody losing circulation, and he was taking his damn time.

Which was perfect. Absolutely perfect.

She ran her palms over his bare shoulders, in no hurry herself.

Walking her backward until she bumped against the mattress, he smiled and leaned in.