Page 13 of The Price of Peace
Her breathy question did nothing to douse the fire that started to burn low in my belly and spread unerringly to my lingams. And me only in a thin drying cloth. “I left them on the floor. I should get them.” I retreated into the cleansing room, shutting the door behind me. Resting my forehead on the wall, I breathed deeply before I picked up my pants and slid them back on, shoving my traitorous lingams flat against my body trapping them.Not the time, guys.But damn if it didn’t feel like it should be.
Dressed and somewhat under control, I stepped back into the hall to face my captor. She looked both relieved and, perhaps, a little disappointed that I wore pants. Her eyes slid up my body and landed on the center of my chest again. The new tattoo on my sternum—the spiral with the alien symbol in the middle. I’d forgotten.
Without conscious thought, I stepped closer to her. She raised her arm and laid her palm on the tattoo. Silently, I covered her hand with mine. The mark heated and throbbed under our fingers, and I saw a matching glow emanating from her chest under her thin shirt.
Peace’s mouth fell open, her lips forming a perfect “O”. A perfect size to slip my tongue in and taste her and—Not now, Xyrox!
Breaking the spell, I took her by the arm instead. “Come on. There are some clothes in this sleeping chamber that will fit you then you can have your turn in the cleansing room.”
She slowly blinked as if coming out of a trance. “Yeah, that sounds great.”
Leading her to the door, I watched her disappear into the small sleeping chamber and return after several moments with a handful of brightly colored garments.
“I’ll only be a minute.” Her voice was flat and her eyes unfocused as she slipped by me to enter the small cleansing room.
I debated going in after her to make sure she was all right, but decided against it when the water started. Instead, I headed for the sleeping chamber to shake the dust off the blankets while wondering what to do next.
10
PEACE
Hot water running down my body felt like heaven, and I could feel all of my muscles start to relax from the last few days of constant stress and physical exertion. As I lathered my hair with the sweet-smelling soap, I contemplated what to do with my prisoner.
Could I even call him that anymore? I’d put up a good front, but the longer we were around each other, the more I had trouble believing he was the criminal he was supposed to be. My gut told me he was an honorable male. And my gut never steered me wrong.
He was also right; we had a common enemy. What did those Pleiadian fekkers want with me? And was that where I was from? Why wouldn’t Zame have known that by my appearance? Did she know more than she’d told me? My head started to ache. It was all so much to figure out.
And then there was the glowing spirals on our chests. What the blasted suns was that about? His had just appeared out of nowhere? Mate bonds? It couldn’t be true but … What if it was? I shook my head at my own foolishness. Couldn’t be. It was lust. Sure, that I could see. But fated mates? That wasn’t a real thing … was it?
I realized the water was growing cooler, much to my disappointment. I finished rinsing off before toweling myself dry and slipping on a hot pink shirt with the word “Candies” on it, and a pair of soft matching pants with little hearts all over them. Wrapping my wet braids up in another towel, I exited to find an empty hallway.
“Xyrox?” I called, my heart clenching for a moment fearing he’d escaped and left me alone.
“In here.” His voice came from the sleeping chamber down the hall.
Breathing a sigh of both relief and exasperation at my own foolishness, I headed in his direction. What I saw when I got in the doorway had me stuttering to a stop and staring. All the desert sands of Rykantos suddenly took up residence in my mouth.
Xyrox was lying on the bed, his glorious chest uncovered and mouthwatering. He had the sheets pulled down to his waist, barely covering parts I was sure were even more magnificent. My eyes slid down the trail of the deep V of his hips, showing the way to what I was sure was the promised land. I got to stare just a moment before he noticed me.
“That’s a good color on you, Agent.”
The humor in his voice brought me back to my senses. Hot pink and hearts were not my style, but the outfit was comfortable and clean. I huffed. “Sure, Quorath. Save the compliments.”
“To be honest, I can’t imagine anything you wouldn’t look good in.” One arm slid behind his head and his bright green eyes shone in the dim light of the small bedside lamp as they drilledinto mine. His lips twitched up in a mischievous smile. “I readied the bed. Come. Get some sleep. I’ll keep you warm.” He patted the blankets next to him.
I remembered sleeping on his solid chest earlier and gulped. He wasn’t playing fair. “What are you doing, uh, Quorath?”
“Call me Xyrox.” His voice rumbled through my core and my feet took an involuntary step closer.
“Why would I do that?” Contrary to my intent, my voice lacked its usual sarcasm. My feet continued to propel me toward the bed. Toward him. Something I couldn’t define pulled me toward those shining green orbs. I only stopped when my knees hit the foot of the bed.
My hand drifted up to rub the swirl on my chest. It was warm and humming between my breasts. The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, but it was strange. The mysterious tattoo had never done anything like that before. As if in a trance, I climbed onto the bed and sat on my knees next to him. My free hand reached out to touch the matching mark on his chest. It, too, was warm and buzzed at a low frequency under my searching fingertips. His chest heaved as his breaths came faster soon syncing with my own.
“Peace, may I touch your tattoo as well?”
His husky voice accelerated the vibration in my chest, the sensation traveling from my hand, through my body, and all the way to low in my belly. I bit back the moan that wanted to escape in response and simply swallowed hard and nodded.
Ever so slowly, his hand snaked up under my top, across the flat of my belly, and settled between my breasts. Both our breaths caught at the contact, and it felt as though I could hear our hearts beating in time in my ears.
