Page 18 of Tomlin

“No, we are not like that all the time, and yes, I am physically capable. It is simply not possible.”

Despite the finality in his tone, he was not surprised when she continued to question him.

“Is it for religious reasons? Have you taken a vow of some kind?”

He shook his head silently.

“Then I must admit I’m a little confused. You say you’re attracted to me. There is no physical barrier, and you have not forsworn women. Are you afraid? I promise I won’t do anything you don’t like.”

“There is nothing you could do that I would not enjoy,” he said truthfully. “But you are the one who should be afraid. Don’t you realize that my Krythian… impulses are very powerful?”

“I know. To my surprise, I find that rather intriguing.”

“You don’t understand. That strength means that I might inadvertently hurt you.”

She tilted her head to one side, considering the matter, then smiled at him again.

“I don’t believe you would.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You were under the grip of your Krythian side when you walked in on me earlier, weren’t you?”

“Yes,” he admitted reluctantly.

“And you wanted me.” The pink was back in her cheeks. “But you didn’t do anything about it.”

“You’re correct, but it was difficult to restrain myself.”

Could he tell her how close he had been to losing control?

“Nonetheless, you did restrain yourself,” she said triumphantly. “I’m sure it would be fine.”

The thoughtful expression crossed her face again as he fought the temptation to accept her offer, and then she smiled at him.

“But if you’re really worried about it, we could try something similar to what we’re doing with the morchev. You simply need to build up your resistance so that you know you can remain in control.”

Keeping her eyes on his face, she slowly reached out, her hand hovering in the air over his.

“May I?” she asked softly.

All of the caution he had learned over the years told him to say no. Instead, he found himself nodding, and a moment later, those long, graceful fingers rested over his. He shuddered as the connection between them opened, her emotions flooding him.

Curiosity. Speculation.Desire.She wanted him. Wanted this.

Mate.

He snatched his hand away as the urge to claim her surged through him again. He fought to regain control, closing his eyes and taking long, slow breaths, but they only served to flood his senses with more of her delectable scent.

He clenched his fists, and the sudden, sharp sting of his nails against his palms helped him regain control. Something nagged at him, but he ignored it, focusing on the beats of his heart, his mantra, before finally opening his eyes. She was in the exact same position she had been in before, her hand still resting on the table in front of him, her eyes thoughtful.

“Is it always like that when you touch someone?”

“I rarely touch anyone. However, I have established practices over the years which usually allow me to retain control when it occurs. That is… difficult where you are concerned.”

“Simply because I’m a woman?”

“That is part of the reason,” he said truthfully, although it was far from the entire truth. “It is also because I have been exposed to a number of threats to my control recently.” He hesitated, then admitted to another portion of the truth. “No one has ever affected me the way you do.”

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