Page 16 of Taken By the Alien Siren King

“Queen?” I nearly choked on the word. “You can’t be serious.”

“Is that not how it was done on Earth?” He cocked his head, genuinely curious, but his eyes never left my body. “Where you would share your mate’s power?”

“Yes. Well, no.” I ran a hand through my hair, trying to organize my thoughts when all I could think about was the lingering taste of him on my lips. “It depends.”

“There is no ‘depends’ in Delovia.” He moved toward me again, and I retreated a step, my body at war with my mind. “You will rule at my side.”

“I’m not here to rule anything,” I reminded him, and myself. “I’m here to secure a place for my people.”

“And what better place than under the protection of their queen?” His fingers traced the edge of my wrap where it crossed my collarbone, the light touch leaving fire in its wake. “How many of your people need settlement?”

I swallowed hard, trying to focus on the negotiation and not the way his proximity made my skin tingle. “Everyone aboard the Legacy. We can’t return to Earth.”

“And what do these people require?” he asked, moving closer. His hand slid to cup the back of my neck, thumb stroking down my throat.

The touch was so intimate, so knowing, that I had to wonder if he’d studied human anatomy or if some things were universal across species. Either way, it was working. My knees felt weak, and it took all my concentration to remember what we were discussing.

“Space,” I managed, my voice embarrassingly breathy as his other hand found my waist again. “Clean water. Agricultural opportunities.”

His smile was predatory as his fingers traced small circles on my hip. “All things we have in abundance. And what would your people offer in return?”

“Technology. Medical knowledge.” I took another step back, needing distance to think clearly. “Cultural exchange.”

“Tempting,” he murmured, following my retreat step for step.

My back met cool glass, the vibration of the maelstrom beyond thrumming against my skin. Trapped between the churning depths and his heat.

“I haven’t agreed to anything,” I reminded him, even as my body betrayed me by leaning into his touch.

“No?” One hand slid up my side, skimming the curve of my breast through the linen. “Then let me sweeten the deal. Your people get their settlement, with full autonomy over their internal affairs. They maintain their own laws, customs, leadership.”

His thumb brushed over my nipple, and I gasped at the jolt of pleasure. “And in exchange?” I managed to ask.

“You,” he said simply, his other hand finding the knot of my wrap. “By my side. In my bed. In my life.”

The wrap loosened with a gentle tug, threatening to slip from my shoulders. “That’s quite the personal sacrifice you’re asking for.”

His laugh was dark and rich. “Is it?” His fingers slipped beneath the fabric, tracing the curve of my collarbone. “Tell me you don’t want this, Emme. Tell me you don’t feel the pull between us.”

I should have pushed him away. Should have demanded he respect my boundaries. Instead, I found myself tilting my head to give him better access as his mouth descended on my neck. His teeth grazed my pulse point and the wrap slipped further, exposing one shoulder.

“All of them,” he murmured and slid his hand up my throat, thumb tracing my jaw. “For one of you. That seems a fair trade.”

“You make it sound so simple,” I gasped, the words torn from me as his mouth found the sensitive spot below my ear.

“It is simple. Do you want me to stop?” His fingers found the slipping neckline of my linens tracing along the edge with justenough pressure to push it down a fraction of an inch. “Or do you want to tell me what you feel when I touch you here?”

“I feel...” What did I feel? Desire, certainly. A hunger that defied rational thought. But something else too—something deeper and more frightening than mere physical attraction.

I wanted this. Him. Whatever it meant tomorrow.

“I feel like I’m losing control,” I admitted, fighting to keep my voice steady as pleasure simmered through my veins. “And I never lose control.”

His eyes darkened at my confession, pupils dilating until only a thin ring of green remained. The fabric parted beneath his fingers, exposing my breast to the cool air. I shivered as his thumb circled my nipple, drawing it to a tight peak. “And here?”

“I feel...” I gasped as he replaced his thumb with his mouth, the wet heat of his tongue sending lightning through my veins. A strangled cry escaped me, my hands flying to his hair to hold him there. “Like my skin is too tight. Like every nerve ending is on fire.”

He hummed against my flesh, the vibration sending another wave of pleasure coursing through me. “And here?” His other hand slid down my back, finding the curve of my ass and squeezing.

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