Chapter 8

Chigs retreated once more to the moonlit balcony and stood at the railing, unable to ignore the scent of Emmy's perfume lingering on him after their dance. His balls ached with pent-up need, but if he was being honest with himself, the attraction went far beyond physical. Emmy's spirit, her intelligence, her passion for helping others, drew him to her. She was easy to talk to and open in a way few were with him. She made him remember the simple joy he'd once found in gazing up at the endless night sky, the days before being a Syndicorp soldier robbed him of his innocence. What would it be like to share adventures with her, to see the universe through her eyes?

He glanced toward the glass doors into the suite, thinking of her lying there on the silken bedsheets. His hand recalled the curve of her hip as they danced. What would it feel like to touch every inch of her bare skin as she arched in pleasure? To trail kisses down her neck and suckle her breasts as she moaned his name? He contemplated going back to the bedroom and slipping beneath the covers with her, knowing full well he couldn't. His destiny was so close now.

Groaning, he pressed the heel of his hand against his swollen cock through his pants. This was madness. He was destined for another. Even now, his true mate could be suffering in a Syndicorp lab. Yet, every fiber of his being strained toward the woman sleeping in the other room. He gripped the balcony railing, torn between his duty to his destined mate and his roiling desire for Emmy.

That infernal ambient music had shifted to a slow, deep beat that made his hips want to tense and thrust, to bury his cock deep inside Emmy's waiting heat. Uminaq. He needed a release. Glancing behind him to make sure he was alone, he closed his eyes and dipped one hand inside his pants, glad for the balcony's privacy screen.

His rough fingers circled his shaft, stroking up and down while he pictured Emmy wearing nothing but her delicate perfume. He ran his tongue along his lips, imagining her silken skin, the way her nipples would swell when he sucked them. He could almost hear her moans of pleasure, feel her body trembling under his touch. In his mind, he let his fingers trail down her belly and over the mound of her sex, slipping between her thighs to find her wet and ready.

His balls tightened, but the confines of his pants restricted his strokes, keeping him from release. Frustrated, he glanced behind him once more before opening his fly, letting his engorged cock spring free. His hips bucked with need, and he circled the thick shaft firmly, pumping hard and fast while he imagined Emmy crying out in ecstasy, her channel tightening around him in quivering climax.

That was all it took for him to reach his breaking point, his grip tightening around his cock as he spilled his seed over his hand, gasping Emmy's name.

Guilt flooded him as he came back to reality, panting and spent. He looked down at the mess he'd made. "Uminaq," he whispered, wiping his hand on a napkin left from their meal and refastening his pants. "What am I doing?"

He tossed the napkin back onto the tray and took everything to the recycler. It wouldn't do to have Emmy discover any sign of his indiscretion. He shouldn't be having these thoughts about her. Ellam Cua had spoken to him. Had sent those dreams to let him know his mate was out there waiting for him, calling him through their mate bond.

Tovik's question about the need for physical contact to secure a mate bond floated through Chigs's mind, and for the first time, doubt took root in his mind. Was it possible the dream wasn't a sign from Ellam Cua? Kashatok and the others had been cynical. Chigs shook his head. The dream had felt so real, so vivid. And yet… He leaned against the railing of the balcony, thinking back to the images in his dream; the desolate approach to the lab, the rows of chambers, the hazy images of females behind glass. Each woman had looked the same. He sought the memory of his mate's sweet voice calling him, yet all he could hear was Emmy's soft laughter. "Why can't I remember?"

Perhaps his attraction to Emmy was a test to challenge his loyalty and faith. A distraction from his true purpose. He looked out at the horizon, seeking the stars above the lights from the city. He could only see the single bright pinpoint Emmy had pointed to earlier.

It always comes back to Emmy.

Torn between his devotion to a mate he had yet to meet and the feelings in his heart, Chigs muttered, "Ellam Cua, help me. Show me the path I must follow."

The silence that followed only deepened the doubt in his mind. As much as he wanted to remain loyal to his destiny, the connection between him and Emmy was undeniable. The thought of never knowing what could have been between Emmy and himself made him ache with longing.

"Emmy," he breathed, feeling his resolve weaken. "What do I do?"

* * *

Emmy tossed and turned, unable to quiet her mind. She kept seeing Chigs's face, remembering the feel of his arms around her as he carried her to bed. Her body tingled with longing, desire pulsing between her legs.

Giving up on sleep, she rose and padded into the suite. Perhaps a cup of chamomile tea would help calm her thoughts. As she programmed the replicator, she glanced toward the balcony and spotted Chigs leaning against the railing. His broad back was to her, and one arm moved in front of him in an unmistakable rhythm.

Emmy froze in place, heart pounding. She should leave, give him privacy, but she couldn't tear her gaze away. Who was he picturing? Although logic told her it must be his destined mate, a small part of her wished it was her instead. Her cheeks heated at the thought, and she berated herself for even considering it. Yet the look on his face when he'd left her in the bedroom lingered. Had she imagined the desire in his eyes?

Unable to avert her eyes, Emmy backed toward the bedroom. Her pussy throbbed with need, slick heat coating her inner thighs as he began thrusting his hips. What would it feel like to have him thrust into her like that? She shuddered, rubbing her thighs together until she thought she might climax right there. Turn away, Emmy.

It took every ounce of her willpower, but she forced herself to pivot and return to the lonesome bedroom, her heart threatening to pound out of her chest. She threw herself on the bed and buried her face in a pillow, trying to ignore the ache between her legs. But she kept seeing him, kept imagining his hard, muscular body pressed against her. Covering her. Mounting her. She flipped over and let her hand slide over her hardened nipples before dipping her fingers inside her panties to stroke her clit.

Fantasizing about Chigs would only lead to trouble, but she couldn't stop herself. He filled her thoughts. She bit her lip, holding back a moan. Rubbing slow circles around her throbbing button, she imagined it was Chigs's fingers, his cock. The fantasy was so vivid, she could almost feel his hot breath against her neck, hear his low groans in her ear.

Her fingers moved faster as heat coiled within her, the pressure building as she rocked her hips, pleasure spiraling higher. She was close, so close. Just a little more...

She pictured his intense copper eyes boring into hers, full of the desire she'd imagined when he'd tucked her in bed, and her orgasm crashed over her in a blinding wave. For several long moments, she floated in a sea of bliss.

Panting, Emmy pulled her hand free. An uncomfortable mix of relief and anxiety flooded her, and she hugged her pillow close, staring at the ceiling. What was she doing? She'd never felt this sexually attracted to any of her previous love interests, not even Mek or Dafari. And of course, there was the undeniable fact that Chigs was basically already mated. Falling for the wrong guy, yet again. But she couldn't deny her attraction. The way his childhood stories made him smile, revealing a youthful innocence behind his tough warrior fa?ade. Or the way her heart constricted when he called her peanut, even though she knew it was part of a script. He would make a wonderful mate when he found his woman.

"Chigs," she whispered into the darkness, as if saying his name would help her make sense of the complicated feelings that had taken root within her heart. But even as Emmy tried to push those feelings away, she knew they wouldn't be easily ignored.