Page 62 of The Marriage Bargain

Briefly, I considering taking a weapon to his genitals so he could never harm a female again, but tossed the idea out. I was no criminal, and I hoped the Flight Commander had learned his lesson.

“I think he will be fine here until he recovers,” I said. Catching her hand, I led her outside towards our waiting transport, not bothering to shut the door behind me.

Delle noticed. “You know he’s going to freeze,” she warned.

“I know. That’s rather the point,” I said, loudly enough for him to hear. “His ardor towards you needs time to cool. While he lays there, perhaps he can while away the time by not thinking of you and I making sweet, passionate love together.”

Delle giggled with surprise. “Is that what we’re planning to do?”

I caught her in my arms with a low growl, jerking her against me, lowering my head to press a warning kiss against her very willing and pliant mouth.

“I hope so,” I breathed huskily. “I certainly hope so.”

CHAPTER 34

DELLE

It was almost unbelievable that this nightmare was over, I mused as our transport hummed gently, taking us back to our new home. Well, new to me, not to him. But I’d made my choice. It would be my home too. Not only the place.

Him.

He was my new home.

I knew that now. Knew it with a certainty like I knew the sun would rise the next morning. He’d fought for me, been willing to sacrifice everything for me. Had sacrificed everything for me. How could I discount the depths of such love?

I couldn’t.

I also couldn’t deny something else…the doubts were gone. The reciprocal feelings soaring in my heart, my soul, couldn’t be anything less than love.

I glanced over at my alien husband, my alien mate, appreciating with new eyes how the soft lights glowing from the control panel lit up his silver skin. The tip of my tongue darted out, licking suddenly dry lips as I imagined running my hands, my mouth, over that skin.

Desire flamed, mingling with the love, making the attraction that much stronger.

What Caide didn’t know, and what I might tell him someday, was that I had been prepared in that moment, to go with him to Asterion if he’d made that choice. His father had a valid point. He could be a tremendous leader. Part of me felt guilty that he hadn’t accepted his father’s offer. Particularly the second one, which hadn’t hinged on giving me up. Had I held him back? Would he resent me one day for having kept him on Earth?

But Official Drayke had made a valid point too. Earth needed good leaders. Earth was being rebuilt. And although I certainly didn’t approve of all the Overlord’s rules or means, I did think, with their help, Earth could once again be a thriving planet. Overlords like Caide were needed, who could stand in the gap between abuse of power by the Interstellar Coalition and us humans who needed guidance and an opportunity to rebrand ourselves into something new.

I was glad he’d chosen to stay. For more than one reason. If we’d had to leave tonight, accompanying his father back to Asterion, we would have had to wait that much longer to share our love physically. And the way I was feeling now? I was sick and tired of our sexual encounters being interrupted. I was determined nothing was going to get between us tonight.

Caide’s apartment building materialized out of the snow and I leaned forward slightly in anticipation. He saw it from the corner of his eye, glanced over and chuckled.

“Eager to be home?”

I turned to face him, offering a saucy wink. “Oh, I’m definitely eager.”

“Oh?” he prompted.

“I have a few ideas in mind for what we can do once we’re inside and the doors are locked.”

“You have, have you?”

“You better believe it,” I warned, picking up his hand and kissing his knuckles. “And you better promise me something.”

“What is that?”

“No more interruptions.”

He chuckled. “Believe me when I say I am absolutely as weary of interruptions as you are.”

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