Page 19 of Solar Bound
The sensation built. Dani clung to him, writhing with growing urgency. Solar's throbbing rhythm quickened, his light pulsing in time with their shared passion.
When release finally claimed her, it was like being consumed by fire from the inside out. Pleasure exploded through every nerve, the current arching her body as wave after wave of sensation moved through her. Moments later, Solar's control broke, and his light flared with blinding intensity. She had to close her eyes and turn her head.
When Dani opened her eyes, she saw through him to the cosmic energy at his core. Every piece of her hummed. The connection was so profound that it transcended the physical. Then the light receded, leaving them tangled together in the dimness of her bedroom, skin against skin, human and alien joined in the aftermath of passion.
Solar's weight pressed her into the mattress, but Dani didn't mind. His body still radiated heat, like lying next to a fire pit. She traced patterns on his back, following the swirls of light that moved beneath his surface.
"Did I harm you?" he asked finally, lifting himself slightly to study her face in the golden glow he still emitted.
Dani stretched, cataloging the pleasant ache in her muscles, the lingering warmth that suffused her entire body. "No. You didn't hurt me."
"Your skin," Solar touched her shoulder gently. "It's marked."
Dani glanced down to see faint patterns on her skin, like luminous temporary tattoos where his hands had gripped her most tightly. They didn't hurt, and even as she watched, they began to fade.
"Battle scars," she joked. "I'll survive."
Solar rolled onto his side, bringing her with him so they faced each other on the pillow. His expression was thoughtful, almost confused. "This was not part of the mission parameters."
Dani couldn't help but laugh. "Is that your way of saying this was a one-night stand?"
"I do not understand that term."
"It means sex without commitment. Just physical, nothing more." Dani tried to keep her tone light, though something in her chest tightened at the thought.
Solar's brow furrowed. "Is that what you desire? A temporary physical connection?"
Dani hesitated. What did she want? This was literally an alien from another planet. There was no future here, no possibility of anything lasting.
And yet...
"I don't know," she admitted. "This isn't exactly covered in the dating handbook."
Solar's hand moved to her face, cupping her cheek with surprising tenderness. "On Zorveya, energy compatibility is rare and valued. What we experienced, the way your body conducts and harmonizes with my essence, is not something I would discard lightly."
Hope flickered in Dani's chest, small but persistent. "So, what are you saying?"
"I am saying that while temporary physical connection was not my intention, neither was finding someone whose energy signature resonates with mine in ways I never anticipated." His thumb traced the curve of her lower lip. "I would like to explore this further. If that is acceptable to you."
Dani smiled, warmth spreading through her that had nothing to do with his alien heat. "Yeah, that's acceptable." She pressed a kiss to his palm. "Very acceptable."
Solar's golden eyes softened, his light dimming to a gentle glow that bathed them both in warmth. Outside, the desert night continued, stars wheeling across the sky above a world where fire dancers could find unexpected connections with beings made of light and heat, where the impossible suddenly seemed within reach.
Chapter
Six
Solar emerged from trying to recharge his energy during the human sleep cycle hours to unfamiliar sensations. The first was softness beneath him, different from the rigid sleeping platforms of Zorveya or even the inadequate bed at Crimson Rock Inn. The second was warmth pressed against his side, a source of heat separate from his own energy. The third, most disorienting, was darkness.
He opened his eyes to find himself in Dani's apartment, morning light filtering through partially closed blinds, creating stripes of gold across the tangled bedding. Beside him, Dani slept, her red hair spread across the pillow like flame frozen in time, her breathing deep and even. It wasn't lost on him that he'd been critical of Lunar and Eclipse for revealing their natures so readily to Earth females, and here he was entangled with one.
Solar studied her with scientific curiosity. The concept of unconsciousness as a regular biological function was foreign to his kind. In the eternal daylight of the Solarus Zone, rest happened in brief intervals of reduced activity while maintaining awareness. This human vulnerability, this complete surrender to unconsciousness, seemed both inefficient and strangely compelling.
His skin had returned to its contained state overnight, the golden light dimmed to a subtle glow rather than the full radiance he had released during their coupling. The deteriorated skin-suit lay discarded on the floor, useless now that its integrity had been compromised. He would need to conceal his true nature through other means until Galaxy Brides provided replacements, assuming the incompetent corporation ever managed to deliver on their promises.
Dani stirred beside him, her body shifting as consciousness gradually returned. Solar found the process fascinating, watching as awareness slowly reclaimed her features. Her eyes opened, focusing on him with momentary confusion before recognition and memory settled in her expression.
"You're still here," she murmured, her voice rough with sleep.
