Page 30 of Signed, Sealed, Seduced
The way he says my name, the protective fury in his voice, the promise of retribution—it should scare me. Instead, it makes me feel powerful, valued, protected in a way I’ve never experienced.
“I want to help,” I say, surprising myself with the conviction in my voice. “Really help, not just be protected while you handle everything.”
“You are a courier,” he points out. “Not a warrior.”
“No, but I’m resourceful. I know how to think outside the box, how to get into places I shouldn’t be.” I gesture to the beacon. “Plus, I’m the one who delivered this thing. I might be able to trace where it came from.”
He considers this, his expression thoughtful. “You would place yourself in danger. For me. For Zater Reach.”
“For you,” I correct, the words slipping out before I can stop them. “I’d do it for you.”
The admission settles between us like a gravity well, pulling us closer together. I can see the moment he processes what I’ve said, the way his breathing changes, the deepening color of his crystalline markings.
“Suki,” he says, and my name on his lips sounds like a prayer.
“I know it’s crazy,” I rush on. “I know we barely know each other, and I’m human and you’re... you. But whatever this is between us, I don’t want to lose it. Not to politics or war or whoever’s trying to use me.”
He reaches for me again, both hands framing my face this time. His touch is gentle but sure, and I can feel the slight tremor in his fingers that betrays his control.
“You would stay,” he says, not quite a question. “Despite the danger. Despite the complications.”
“I would try,” I say honestly. “If you want me to.”
“Want,” he repeats, the word rough with emotion. “You ask if I want you to stay, when you have become the most significant disruption to my carefully ordered existence in three cycles.”
“Is that bad?”
“It is terrifying,” he admits. “And... necessary. You have become necessary, little courier.”
The endearment makes me melt a little inside. “So we’re doing this? Whatever this is?”
“We are forming an alliance,” he says formally, but there’s heat in his eyes that suggests it’s much more than that. “You will help me discover who orchestrated this attack on Zater Reach. And I will ensure they pay for what they have done to you.”
“Partners,” I say, extending my hand.
He looks down at my outstretched palm, then back up at my face. “Partners,” he agrees, enveloping my hand in both of his.
The moment our skin touches, something electric passes between us. His hands are warm, almost burning, the crystalline markings on his forearms pulsing with rapid rhythm that seems to match my own racing heartbeat. I can feel the careful control in his grip, the way he holds back his strength to avoid hurting me.
“Your terms?” he asks, his voice rough.
“Same as before,” I say, trying to ignore the way his touch is making it hard to think clearly. “When this is over, I want my ship properly repaired. And I want to know what we’re dealing with—no more secrets, no more protection through ignorance.”
“Agreed.” His thumbs brush across my knuckles, and I have to suppress a shiver. “My terms?”
“You have terms now?”
“You will not take unnecessary risks,” he says firmly. “You will not place yourself in danger without consulting me first. And you will remember that whatever you have become to me, I will not allow you to be harmed.”
The possessive edge to his voice sends heat racing through me. “What have I become to you?”
He’s quiet for a long moment, his eyes searching mine. “I do not yet have words for it,” he says finally. “But I know I would level cities to keep you safe.”
The declaration should be alarming. Instead, it makes me feel more cherished than I’ve ever felt in my life.
“I can live with those terms,” I manage.
“Then we have an accord, Suki Vega,” he says, lifting our joined hands to his lips. The kiss he presses to my knuckles is soft, reverent, and it sends electricity shooting up my arm.
