Page 22 of Pursued By the Dragon Alien

Lilas arched a brow, her voice now quieter, “Krask thought it seemed smarter.” Her fuchsia eyes searched his face, as if gauging his reaction. “Was that why you stayed away?”

“No,” he said, his voice rough. “I stayed away because I needed to see if I could.” His gaze locked onto hers, willing her to see. “Because wanting to be around you this much?” He shook his head, knowing that admitting it was probably a mistake. “It’s a problem.”

Her mouth tilted into something like amusement. “And now?”

“Now,” he murmured, “smart doesn’t seem that appealing.”

Lilas inhaled sharply, and he swore he felt it in his bones. For a moment, he thought she might close that last bit of space between them. That she might tear down whatever remained of his resolve.

Then she shifted, testing the looseness of his grip, watching him the whole time. “I wondered what I did wrong.”

Razion held her wrists for a moment longer, then exhaled slowly and released her. He took a step back so he wouldn’t be tempted to take hold of her again. “You did nothing.” He hesitated, then shifted partly away, well aware that his body had moved into a defensive pose, as if he could protect himself from her potential rejection. She had way too much power over him. “Tell me you didn’t feel anything, and I’ll walk away. I’ll never bother you again.”

Lilas didn’t move immediately. Her brows lowered over her remarkable eyes. “Of course, I felt something,” she said tartly. “I spent the last twenty cycles hoping to run into you so I could smack some sense into you.”

Razion’s pulse kicked. He let out a low laugh and turned fully toward her again. His body leaned toward hers, as if dragged closer by a magnet. “You could smack me now, Lilas.” He locked his gaze onto hers, and he let her see it—let her see exactlywhat he’d been holding back. “But if you do, I’ll be forced to restrain you. Violence against the captain is not tolerated on the Darkslip.”

He said it teasingly, but her lips parted slightly, her breath shuddering. He could almost hear her thoughts, and unless he was mistaken, they echoed the imaginings of his own mind.

Neither of them spoke. Neither of them moved.

Lilas swallowed hard, her fuchsia eyes burning into his. “Just don’t avoid me again,” she said. The words were quiet, but firm. A challenge. A demand.

Razion’s jaw flexed.As if he could. As if he ever would again. “I won’t,” he said, and he meant it.

Something in her face softened ever so slightly, and it was all the encouragement he needed. He tilted his head down, slowly closing the gap between them, his focus locked onto her mouth. Her lips parted on an unsteady breath. He could feel the heat of her, sense the way her pulse raced. Then he fully closed the space between them and brought his mouth down on hers.

Lilas met his kiss with a quiet whimper. Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer as she pressed against him. Razion let out a rumble from deep in his chest at the pure shock of pleasure that came from her body molding to his. His hands slid to her waist, urgent, possessive, tracing the curve of her ribs before splaying wide over the small of her back. She was so warm, so soft against him, and the sensation sent fire pooling in his cock.

He pressed his fingers into the dip at her lower back before sliding down, over the fine curve of her ass.Stars, he had dreamed of this—of feeling her like this, of claiming her with his touch. His body ached with a hunger that had been building since the moment she first snapped at him with that sharp tongue, since she had first tilted her chin up in defiance andchallenged him with those scorching fuchsia eyes. Now she was here, pressed against him, and he wanted more.

His hands roamed, greedy and unrestrained, sliding up the curve of her waist and between their bodies to cup her breasts. His thumbs swept over the stiff peaks of her nipples through her tunic. She gasped into his mouth. Her body arched, and Razion groaned at her passionate response to him.Fek, he wanted to strip her bare, to taste every inch of her, to hear her moan his name. His dragon stirred in response, a possessive fire curling beneath his skin.Mine.

He deepened the kiss, angling his head and claiming her mouth with aching hunger. His tongue swept against hers, taking, demanding, reveling in the sweet, intoxicating taste of her. Everything about her drove him to madness—the way her fingers fisted in his shirt, the soft noises she made as he explored her body, the way she shuddered against him when he slid his teeth over her lower lip. He was losing himself in her, in the press of her body, in the heat of her skin beneath his hands. Andstarshelp him, he never wanted to find his way out.

Then, just as his restraint threatened to break completely, Lilas abruptly pulled back. Her breath was ragged. Her fingers were still fisted in his shirt. She didn’t push him away completely.

Razion froze. His own breath came hard and uneven as he searched her face, trying to decipher what had just changed. She looked up at him, eyes wide. Something unguarded flashed across her face before she masked it. “I…” She swallowed and shook her head. “I’m not ready for this.”

He exhaled slowly, ignoring the aching hardness of his cock and the raw hunger pounding through his veins. The imprint of her body on his was still so fresh, his body curved toward her, wanting it back. But he held himself back. He would not push.

There was no missing the fear in her eyes. Not of him, but certainly because of him. She wouldn’t want to acknowledge it, but his avoidance of her had done damage. He’d left doubt where there should have been certainty. He saw it now, written in the hesitation in her eyes, in the slight tremble of her fingers against his chest.

Regret twisted in his gut. He’d tried to protect herandhimself by keeping her at a distance, but in doing so, he’d hurt her. That wasn’t something he could take back, but he could damn well make sure he never did it again.

Slowly, carefully, he cupped her wrist, his thumb brushing lightly against the inside of it. A silent apology, a promise. “Understood,” he said, his voice rough with something too raw to name. “I will not push.”

He saw the tension in her shoulders ease and knew he’d said the right thing.For once. Hopefully, he’d get better at that. He took a slow step back, giving her the space she needed. She unclenched her hands from his shirt and they fell away, then she took a step back as well. “Thank you, Razion. I’ll…see you next cycle,” she said quietly, then turned toward her door.

Razion watched her go, his muscles tight with restraint, with a hunger that had no business raging so strong. He would give her the space she needed to get used to him, to trust him.

But she’d also made him promise not to avoid her again.

He intended to keep that promise.

NINE

Lilas

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