Page 92 of Salvation for the Alien Mercenary
Standing directly in front of him, she reached up, fingers stopping just short of his face. Her gaze traveled over his features, taking in the changes, assessing. He stayed still, even though the temptation to reach for her, to pull her up against him, nearly overrode everything else. He ached to touch her again. To have the right to touch her.
Her fingertips made contact with his jaw, tracing the sharper angle, and he sucked in a breath. "You're still you. Different, but the same where it matters."
She lifted onto her tiptoes, and he met her halfway, a shiver running through him as her lips pressed against his, tentative at first, then with growing need. He responded, careful to let her set the pace despite the heat coursing through him.
She pulled back just enough to speak. "I choose this. I choose you. I love you, too."
Relief flooded through him, loosening the knot in his chest. The physical impact was so intense it nearly buckled his knees… a wave of gratitude and disbelief washing through him. That she could accept him as he was now, changed and still changing, seemed utterly impossible yet miraculous.
"What changed your mind?"
"You did. By giving me the choice." She looked up at him. "I'm not promising it will be easy. I still have moments when I look at you and see..."
"A monster?" he supplied, the word bitter on his tongue.
"No." She framed his face with her hands. "Someone new… unfamiliar. But then you'll say something or do something that reminds me it's still you inside."
Wrapping his arms around her waist, he lifted her easily. "Whatever's coming next, no more secrets between us."
"No more secrets," she agreed. "I choose you as you are now, not who you were, and who you'll become… we can work that out as we go."
Holding her against him, he made a silent promise. He would never again give her reason to doubt him. Whatever he was becoming, whatever challenges his transformation might bring, he would face them with absolute honesty. With her. She deserved nothing less.
Capturing her mouth with his, he poured every ounce of need and possession into the kiss. She matched his need and passion, fingers digging into his shoulders as she pulled him closer.
Lifting her, he carried her to the padded bench near the viewport. Starlight filtered through the glass, casting a faint glow on her skin. His enhanced vision picked up every detail… the flush on her neck, her dilated pupils, the pulse point jumping at her throat.
"I've missed you," she murmured. "Since everything went sideways with the M'Suun."
He braced his arms on either side of her, his transformed body making her look delicate beneath him. "I nearly lost my mind when I thought they might hurt you."
She slid her hands under his shirt, exploring the altered contours of his muscles. "I know. I saw it."
Her fingers found the waistband of his pants. "Show me."
"Show you what?" His voice dropped lower, rasping in his throat as his cock jerked, as if desperate to be freed from his pants.
"What you've been holding back." She pressed her hips against his, mischief sparkling in her eyes. "I can tell there's more now."
"I didn't want to frighten you." His control frayed as her face flushed, her breathing quickened, and her eyes darkened with desire. "I'm different now."
"Show me how different," she breathed, tugging at his clothing.
Her words broke the dam of his control. He yanked her shirt over her head, then shoved her pants down her legs. The fabric tore under his hands. She gasped, her eyes widening not with fear but with excitement. He quickly stripped off his clothes, the fabric tearing as he yanked it away.
He stared down at her naked body beneath him, taking in every curve. She was beautiful, perfect. He traced the curve of her breasts with a hungry gaze, sliding down her body to the triangle of golden hair between her thighs. A growl escaped his throat. He wanted to… no, he needed to taste her again.
"Come here," she whispered, reaching for him.
Muscles coiled tight, he moved over her. His lips found her neck, teeth grazing her skin while he reached up to cup her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples until they hardened under his touch. Against his lips, her pulse hammered, the sound driving him to press harder.
"I can hear your heartbeat," he murmured against her throat. He slid his hand between her thighs, fingers gliding through her wet folds. Then he pushed two fingers into her, groaning at how hot and slick she was. "And I can tell how much you want this."
She gasped and arched her back as he circled her clit with his thumb. "Then stop fucking teasing me."
"Not yet," he said as he slid down her body. He was so attuned to her that he picked up every subtle change… the goosebumps rising on her skin, the catch in her breath when he nipped at the inside of her thigh. Spreading her legs wider, he gently parted her pussy lips with his thumbs.
Her scent hit him, and he inhaled deeply, like an addict about to get a fix. The first taste of her made him groan, the flavor more intense than before. He licked deeper, sucking at her clit, driven by the sounds she made.
